Jump to content

Can we beat Port Adelaide?

Nunce
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

 

A day game in the Alice,gunna be bloody stifling

Don't they have lights up there yet?

Maximum daytime temp of 22 degrees is forecast, beautiful up there this time of year.

  • Quote

    It is unfortunate ( or fortunate ) - that after each game we have won this year the opposition coaches whilst giving us some credit, haven't been exactly flattering of their own sides. I haven't heard a losing coach say " geez we played well and gave our all but they were just better than us". There has been plenty of "unacceptable" and " thats not how we play".

    The teams we have played and won against ( and even just lost against) have had lots of players down - I give a lot of credit to our boys for not letting the opposition play to the best of their abilities. I am also realistic enough to know that there has been some complacency going into the games by the opposition.

    I am counting on Port not taking us seriously enough and us putting our best foot forward. I am hoping to hear Hinkley at the presser after the game say - "we didn't come ready to play and they did".

  • Quote
    •  

    Yes we can win. And I think it will be a hotly contested game. Preparation the key for both sides and given Port were up for the Hawks game, it will be interesting to see if Port can be up for this.

    And given Hinkley's a very astute and well planned coach I think they will be up for it despite possible non inclusions of Monfries and Hartlett.

    Dees will have to be spot on with execution and efficiency with their skills. Dawes will be missed, but if Pederson and Gawn can contribute in the F50 like they did against Richmond, lookout!

  • Quote

    I'm on the I reckon we can win side.

    The players are going to go in to the game believing they can win and no longer just wanting to be competitive.

    Port are all out attack and we are all out defence, we should be able to shut down their forward line because we have one of the best back lines in the competition and if we can control the ruck we can control the midfield. I'm not in awe of Port, I don't see them as some sort of certainty to finish on top.

  • Quote

    This year we've beaten mid table teams, last year we were belted by them. Be happy with that step I reckon.

    A near full strength Port are The top team, like Gorgoroth says, they will punish our turnovers, unlike the mid range teams we've beaten.

    Their fitness and pressure will create more turnovers too, so it may well get pretty ugly.

    Would be happy to get within 40.

    Angry if its +70.

    No chance in hell of winning.

    (So after that prediction, thank me for the win if a miracle happens, after you rightly bump and berate my post)

  • Quote

    I am staggered they are playing this game in the hottest part of the day. Why was it not scheduled for night time?

  • Quote
    •  

    I'd settle for us pushing them to the line and being in the game at 3 quarter time. This is the first genuine contender we've played all year so there's a bit of an unknown factor but it's where I hope to see the most improvement.

    In terms of can we win, on our perfect day and on a bad day for them we can, but if they play to their best I can't see us being within 5 goals. Especially without Dawes (thanks MRP).

  • Quote

    Here's a sobering statistic.

    In the three games we have won our opponents have kicked an aggregate of 25 goals 49 behinds while we have kicked an aggregate 37 goals 20 in those wins.

    Their inaccuracy has left the door open for us, just as our 6.15 did for the Saints.

    We are competitive and if the opposition is a little 'off' we can take them.

    But relying on opposition inaccuracy for a win does not shape us as challengers to the top of the ladder sides, even though on any given day we are some sort of faint chance. And that's it this week: a faint chance.

  • Quote

    Important that we start the (sort of) second half of the season decently. No, we won't win, but if we can make it tough for them, it'll be another big step.

    Then, the week after comes the big one. Would love to see a 70,000 + crowd show up. Collingwood are inconsistent, who knows, we could be a smokey

  • Quote

    I am staggered they are playing this game in the hottest part of the day. Why was it not scheduled for night time?

    Gets mighty cold at night in the Centre in winter.

  • Quote

    I am staggered they are playing this game in the hottest part of the day. Why was it not scheduled for night time?

    Redleg it's been 20deg+ in Melbourne for the past 2 weeks. I'm not sure the heat will be a big factor.

    Does anyone know if Monfries is expected to miss? I see he was subbed with an ankle injury. Hartlett also out so that helps our chances.

  • Quote

    Thoughts on Garland getting first crack?

    Good idea, Billy. Yep. I'd start Garland on him and have Jetta as a back up.

  • Quote

    Here's a sobering statistic.

    In the three games we have won our opponents have kicked an aggregate of 25 goals 49 behinds while we have kicked an aggregate 37 goals 20 in those wins.

    Their inaccuracy has left the door open for us, just as our 6.15 did for the Saints.

    We are competitive and if the opposition is a little 'off' we can take them.

    But relying on opposition inaccuracy for a win does not shape us as challengers to the top of the ladder sides, even though on any given day we are some sort of faint chance. And that's it this week: a faint chance.

    There is a fallacy in your stats. The game only resets after a goal is scored. Those stats at best show they are under constant pressure and keep missing. On the other hand it shows we have trouble clearing the defensive 50. Many of those behinds have been scored in sequences of more than two and as many as five in a row.

  • Quote

    a good litmus test for us

    i dont think we'll get king hit

    we have NOTHING to lose

    Port must be maybe a little bit antsy

    I dont think Roos is going in having penciled a loss in...and Im sure that will permeate through his charges

    Going to be a very interesting game :)

  • Quote

    A snowball's chance in...well, Alice Springs, of winning considering we won't have Dawes.

  • Quote

    I am staggered they are playing this game in the hottest part of the day. Why was it not scheduled for night time?

    It won't be all that warm -- the forecast is 21 for Saturday. Alice Springs is not Darwin, and is not much further north than Brisbane. It is (almost) winter there too ...

  • Quote

    I hope none of the many supporters who don't know where the game is this weekend are travelling up to Darwin instead of Alice. A guy rang SEN tonight complaining about the AFL scheduling a daytime game in the 34 deg heat of Darwin. Worst part was that it took Mark Allen and the Ox about 5 minutes and heaps of SMS's to work it out.

  • Quote

    Put me down as a "no" as well. Feel it's just too big an ask for the moment, unless they have a real off day - which perhaps they're due for. With Dawes out, even with Frawley back in, not sure how we're going to kick a winning score - while keeping them to a losing score.

    Feel we'll have a better chance when we meet them again in Round 18 - catch is, they're at home.

    Still, a great chance to measure ourselves against an in-form team.

  • Quote
    •  

    There is a fallacy in your stats. The game only resets after a goal is scored. Those stats at best show they are under constant pressure and keep missing. On the other hand it shows we have trouble clearing the defensive 50. Many of those behinds have been scored in sequences of more than two and as many as five in a row.

    The other fallacy in the stat is it doesn't give the underlying reason for the inaccuracy. You mentioned an important one which is the constant pressure meaning little easy kicks at goal. The other thing I have noticed is we are not "giving up the corridor" as much this year meaning that a lot of shots are being taken by the opposition from angles of 45% or worse.

  • Quote

    I can't anticipate anything. Being badly burned the last few years resigns me to believing I will witness a thumping. Watching the great defensive efforts this years make me think we can strangle this mob. In short - if we continue the form we have shown over the past 4-5 weeks we will be in this game for a long time.

  • Quote

    • Archived

    This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • PREVIEW: Gold Coast

      The Gold Coast Suns find themselves outside of the top eight for the first time since Round 1 with pressure is mounting on the entire organisation. Their coach Damien Hardwick expressed his frustration at his team’s condition last week by making a middle-finger gesture on television that earned him a fine for his troubles. He showed his desperation by claiming that Fox should pick up the tab.  There’s little doubt the Suns have shown improvement in 2025, and their position on the ladder is influenced to some extent by having played fewer games than their rivals for a playoff role at the end of the season, courtesy of the disruption caused by Cyclone Alfred in March.  However, they are following the same trajectory that hindered the club in past years whenever they appeared to be nearing their potential. As a consequence, that Hardwick gesture should be considered as more than a mere behavioral lapse. It’s a distress signal that does not bode well for the Queenslanders. While the Suns are eager to remain in contention with the top eight, Melbourne faces its own crisis, which is similarly deep-seated but in a much different way. After recovering from a disappointing start to the season and nearing a return to respectability among its peer clubs, the Demons have experienced a decline in status, driven by the fact that while their form has been reasonable (see their performance against the ladder leader in the Kings Birthday match), their conversion in front of goal is poor enough to rank last in the competition. Furthermore, their opponents find them exceptionally easy to score against. As a result, they have effectively eliminated themselves from the finals race and are again positioned to finish in the bottom half of the ladder.

      • 3 replies
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 15

      As the Demons head into their Bye Round, it's time to turn our attention to the other matches being played. Which teams are you tipping this week? And which results would be most favourable for the Demons if we can manage to turn our season around? Follow all the non-Melbourne games here and join the conversation as the ladder continues to take shape.

        • Haha
      • 276 replies
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Port Adelaide

      Of course, it’s not the backline, you might argue and you would probably be right. It’s the boot studder (do they still have them?), the midfield, the recruiting staff, the forward line, the kicking coach, the Board, the interchange bench, the supporters, the folk at Casey, the head coach and the club psychologist  It’s all of them and all of us for having expectations that were sufficiently high to have believed three weeks ago that a restoration of the Melbourne team to a position where we might still be in contention for a finals berth when the time for the midseason bye arrived. Now let’s look at what happened over the period of time since Melbourne overwhelmed the Sydney Swans at the MCG in late May when it kicked 8.2 to 5.3 in the final quarter (and that was after scoring 3.8 to two straight goals in the second term). 

      • 3 replies
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Essendon

      Casey’s unbeaten run was extended for at least another fortnight after the Demons overran a persistent Essendon line up by 29 points at ETU Stadium in Port Melbourne last night. After conceding the first goal of the evening, Casey went on a scoring spree from about ten minutes in, with five unanswered majors with its fleet of midsized runners headed by the much improved Paddy Cross who kicked two in quick succession and livewire Ricky Mentha who also kicked an early goal. Leading the charge was recruit of the year, Riley Bonner while Bailey Laurie continued his impressive vein of form. With Tom Campbell missing from the lineup, Will Verrall stepped up to the plate demonstrating his improvement under the veteran ruckman’s tutelage. The Demons were looking comfortable for much of the second quarter and held a 25-point lead until the Bombers struck back with two goals in the shadows of half time. On the other side of the main break their revival continued with first three goals of the half. Harry Sharp, who had been quiet scrambled in the Demons’ first score of the third term to bring the margin back to a single point at the 17 minute mark and the game became an arm-wrestle for the remainder of the quarter and into the final moments of the last.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Gold Coast

      The Demons have the Bye next week but then are on the road once again when they come up against the Gold Coast Suns on the Gold Coast in what could be a last ditch effort to salvage their season. Who comes in and who comes out?

        • Haha
      • 155 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Port Adelaide

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 16th June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to the Power.
      Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
      Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

        • Haha
        • Like
      • 33 replies
      Demonland
    View All