Davey look sharp made 2 great run down from behind tackles to get holding the ball, all his goals were on the run from a reasonably tight angle. Looked like he may be starting to get back to the davey we all know

Jimmy what positions did Tappy & Jetta play?

Hey Jimmy, thanks for your observations - much appreciated.

I'm interested in our style of play today. Use of the corridor? Our 2nd and 3rd efforts and how fit did our blokes look in the last quarter?

It didn't sound like we gave Port a lot of freedom to move the ball - was our defensive pressure good?

It was a combination of both, we switch the ball or run if through the corridor when we could but we also tried to use the open side on the ground (switching across half back). We also seemed to get numbers back and the try to move the ball long quick and direct and over the back of their defence which we created about 5 or 6 goals from.

Defensive pressure was very good. They all seemed to work as a unit and every time they kicked a goal they would all get together to discuss what how why etc which I liked

Jetta played half back and had a run in the ball he was very good. Tappy played across half forward and had a run through the middle as well

Tackle count well in our favour. Many believe this is the key stat

Still not sure how many games we are likely to win in season proper with less disposals than the opposition.

Jimmy, did Hogan continue where he left off last week. From the broadcast he didnt seem to get a mention (but then again not many of our players did).

Jimmy, did Hogan continue where he left off last week. From the broadcast he didnt seem to get a mention (but then again not many of our players did).

He did a couple nice things in the first half created a few opportunities but with seller dominating and being the main focal point I don't think he was as looked for as much as last week. Don't think he played much in the second half if at all

Still not sure how many games we are likely to win in season proper with less disposals than the opposition.

Depends on how much you kick the ball sideways and backwards which they did a bit but I agree we need to get our hands on the footy a bit more

Still not sure how many games we are likely to win in season proper with less disposals than the opposition.

Fair point. But i think Swans won the granny last year with fewer possessions but more tackles.

It was a combination of both, we switch the ball or run if through the corridor when we could but we also tried to use the open side on the ground (switching across half back). We also seemed to get numbers back and the try to move the ball long quick and direct and over the back of their defence which we created about 5 or 6 goals from.

Defensive pressure was very good. They all seemed to work as a unit and every time they kicked a goal they would all get together to discuss what how why etc which I liked

Thanks for that ...

All this from a team largely made up of blokes that aren't exactly 1st choice. (or so we thought) Early doors but we may be seeing the start of the team playing together as a unit.

Real competition for spots is something we haven't really seen for a good while. Apart from the 1st half against the Tigers last week, our pre season is looking ok so far. (Richmond did have the advantage of fresh legs)

Fair point. But i think Swans won the granny last year with fewer possessions but more tackles.

Disposals were about even in the GF.

I'm not for gathering disposals for the sake of it but we do need to control the footy and play the game on our terms.

For a start I would put Sellar in ahead of Gillies!

If this was our line up for round one then we have no fewer than seven new faces. We have recruited well in my opinion and a lot of the 'deadwood' has gone. Maybe, I would like to see Sellar in there somewhere. If he performs well again next week against the Saints he will be in for sure. I hope the selectors try and pick a really competitive team for this game. I must say I was surprised with today's result since we had so many top players out. It could auger well for the future and our depth of our team though. Wouldn't it be great too if Aaron could return to his brilliant form in his early years? It would be a huge fillip for the team.

THE LOST GAME by The Oracle

How can you do a match report on a game you didn't attend, wasn't televised and was broadcast by a radio station that employs one-eyed hillbillies with a phobia about giving away the names of many of the visiting team's players?

Easy, just quote the media reports on the following day. I'll start with Ashley Porter from the Age.

Youngsters fire up battle of the battlers

Melbourne won by two points but the result wasn't important. It reminded the Demons how to win but the game was about the quality produced by youngsters, which included 13 teenagers overall.

Melbourne fielded nine players yet to play an AFL game and seven with fewer than 20 games experience, including recruits Tom Gillies (Geelong) and Cameron Pedersen (North Melbourne), while Port had eight new players and six with fewer than 20 games experience ...

Porter's report contained one familiar Fairfax clanger of Wilsonesque proportions:-

It was this time last year that Sellar kicked five goals against Collingwood in Dubai and looked set for an outstanding season, but injuries dogged him and he never really lived up to that promise.[/ quote]

There's been some news in recent times about Israeli Mossad agents using fake passports to operate in that part of the world. If I were JS, I'd check the whereabouts of his own travel documents but I would suggest that the closest Melbourne got to Dubai and Collingwood was last year's NAB Cup at Etihad Stadium. The airline that has the naming rights comes out of the United Arab Emirates of which Dubai is the largest city. Anyway, I don't think Sellar played in that game let alone kick five goals.

Porter gave a wrap to Aaron Davey who kicked five goals and kudos to a couple of youngsters:-

The control and tenacity under pressure in the back lines by Troy Davis, 20, drafted in 2010 at No.50 and yet to play an AFL game, was impressive, while Dean Kent, 19, added spark into the forward line.

He called the ruck duel between Jake Spencer and Jarrad Redden a feature of the game which might come as a surprise to those who tuned in to 5AA whose commentators only mentioned the latter in describing the game's ruck contests.

And if you think 5AA was bad for bias, cop this offering from the Andrew Capel in the Adelaide Advertiser:-

Port Adelaide's young guns shine in narrow loss against Melbourne

In South Australia, it seems that, even in practice matches, the spoils go to the loser.

More on the AFL site:-

Super Sellar sees Dees pip Port

MELBOURNE 0.4.3.27 0.8.5.53 0.9.6.60 0.12.6.78

PORT ADELAIDE 0.2.3.15 0.5.3.33 0.8.4.52 1.10.7.76

Supergoals

Melbourne Nil

Port Adelaide Hartlett

Goals

Melbourne Sellar 5 Davey 3 Kent 2 Evans Tapscott

Port Adelaide Daniel Stewart 3 Hartlett 2 Colquhoun Neade Newton Wingard Young

Best

Melbourne Magner Sellar Jetta Tapscott Evans Sylvia

Port Adelaide Hartlett Wines Mitchell Colquhoun Stevenson Redden

INJURIES

Melbourne Nil

Port Adelaide Nil

Reports Nil

Umpires Fila Hay Haussen

Official crowd 3,754 at Renmark Oval

STATISTICS

Disposals - Melbourne 262 Port Adelaide 302

Kicks - Melbourne 146 Port Adelaide 165

Handballs - Melbourne 116 Port Adelaide 137

Free Kicks - Melbourne 16 Port Adelaide 23

Clearances - Melbourne 32 Port Adelaide 21

Centre - Melbourne 19 Port Adelaide 7

Stoppages - Melbourne 13 Port Adelaide 14

Inside 50 - Melbourne 36 Port Adelaide 40

Marks in 50 - Melbourne 7 Port Adelaide 16

Contested Possessions - Melbourne 104 Port Adelaide 113

Tackles - Melbourne 54 Port Adelaide 45

Hit-Outs - Melbourne 21 Port Adelaide 28

Melbourne [K H M HO T SG.G.B DT]

James Sellar 10 5 7 0 2 0.5.1 101

James Magner 17 7 3 0 7 0.0.0 98

Neville Jetta 8 12 3 0 5 0.0.0 81

Luke Tapscott 6 4 3 0 8 0.1.0 74

Troy Davis 10 6 4 0 1 0.0.0 59

Dean Terlich 9 7 2 0 5 0.0.0 58

Dean Kent 9 1 3 0 2 0.2.1 56

Michael Evans 8 4 3 0 2 0.1.0 55

Aaron Davey 7 3 1 0 2 0.3.0 54

James Strauss 3 8 3 0 5 0.0.0 54

Joel MacDonald 8 11 4 0 1 0.0.0 53

Colin Sylvia 10 4 2 0 3 0.0.0 47

Tom Gillies 6 7 4 0 0 0.0.0 44

Matt Jones 8 7 1 0 3 0.0.0 43

Tom Couch 6 5 1 0 2 0.0.3 42

Josh Tynan 5 6 3 0 1 0.0.0 37

Jake Spencer 1 2 2 20 1 0.0.0 31

Daniel Nicholson 2 2 4 0 2 0.0.0 27

Rory Taggert 3 6 2 0 0 0.0.0 27

Jesse Hogan 4 1 2 0 0 0.0.0 21

Dom Barry 2 4 0 0 1 0.0.0 18

Jack Fitzpatrick 0 3 0 1 1 0.0.0 9

Nathan Stark 2 0 0 0 0 0.0.0 8

Cameron Pedersen 1 1 0 0 0 0.0.0 5

So where do we sit on the NAB Cup ladder after all that?

I think its 12th chelly

Still not sure how many games we are likely to win in season proper with less disposals than the opposition.

It could also reflect increased efficiency from last year.

19 clearences to 7 from the centre restarts is a great stat. Has Spencer's tapwork improved or are the mids playing better together?

Magner had 7 and Sylvia 4 so I would say the big boys monstered them.

Funnily enough Wines had 4 of their 7 so he will be a player I reckon.

http://www.afl.com.au/ladder/nab-cup-ladder

LOL, last year's grand finallists occupy the bottom 2

Good to see the boys have a win but we still have a long way to go.

Ron Burgundy, on 04 Mar 2013 - 08:48, said:

It could also reflect increased efficiency from last year.

Loved 5aa complimenting our kicking!

After losing every stat except clearances & tackles, it's pleasing we must have done something right to win.

Demonland, on 04 Mar 2013 - 07:16, said:

THE LOST GAME by The Oracle

STATISTICS

Disposals - Melbourne 262 Port Adelaide 302

Kicks - Melbourne 146 Port Adelaide 165

Handballs - Melbourne 116 Port Adelaide 137

Free Kicks - Melbourne 16 Port Adelaide 23

Clearances - Melbourne 32 Port Adelaide 21

Centre - Melbourne 19 Port Adelaide 7

Stoppages - Melbourne 13 Port Adelaide 14

Inside 50 - Melbourne 36 Port Adelaide 40

Marks in 50 - Melbourne 7 Port Adelaide 16

Contested Possessions - Melbourne 104 Port Adelaide 113

Tackles - Melbourne 54 Port Adelaide 45

Hit-Outs - Melbourne 21 Port Adelaide 28

36 inside 50s for 12 goals is fantastic with no Clark, Dawes, Byrnes or Howe

36 inside 50s for 12 goals is fantastic with no Clark, Dawes, Byrnes or Howe

It is fantastic but also worrying. 36 inside 50s would normally result in 6-8 goals and that won't win too many games of footy

It is fantastic but also worrying. 36 inside 50s would normally result in 6-8 goals and that won't win too many games of footy

don't forget they only played about 90 min vs about 120 min in a normal game