There is a lot of noise about Port being the big winners in Trade Week, picking up Motlop, Watts and Rockliff, while only letting go Trengove, Impey and pick 31.

Some have gone as far as to say they should be premiership favourites as a result.

Lets just look at this for a moment ...

Motlop ... inconsistent at best, played 2 good finals when his career was on the line, apart from that lucky to be selected

Rockliff... sure, had a good season, racked up possessions, but hey, who competed with him from his own midfield ? The jury is well and truly out on him

Watts, well I won't go there

I have my doubts on Port, wouldn't be surprised to see them go backwards in 2018.

On their day they will be great front runners, under pressure they will wilt.

 

8 minutes ago, ManDee said:

On their day they will be great front runners, under pressure they will wilt.

 

Bit like Port Adelaide.  They will finish top 4 next year.

For Port to be premiership contenders, those three guys don't need to be stars, they just need to play their role. There is enough top end talent on that list already, but they dropped off towards the bottom of their best 22. These additions help significantly in that respect.

Watts will be probably the number 5 forward in their setup, compared to number 3 at Melbourne. That is a big difference. Ditto Motlop - best small forward at Geelong, but behind Wingard & Gray at Port. I would expect both to thrive in that environment. Rockliff is a very good player, and one I would have liked us to target given he would have cost us nothing (other than room in the salary cap.

Like any team they need to have their best players on the park, but I would expect them to be right in the mix.

Easily top 4 next year.............. There is every chance Jack Watts will be a premiership player within 2 years and Goody and Macca will no longer be at Melbourne.

Port Adelaide failed to beat a top 8 side in 2017. They will be dealt a much tougher fixture in 2018. Watch them slide down the ladder and finish between 9-12. Those 3 blokes personify Port.. Pretenders.

Ask me in 2 years time.

9 minutes ago, Die Hard Demon said:

Port Adelaide failed to beat a top 8 side in 2017. They will be dealt a much tougher fixture in 2018. Watch them slide down the ladder and finish between 9-12. Those 3 blokes personify Port.. Pretenders.

This.

Flat track bullies last year, and melted when the blow torch was applied. 

None of those three will change that. Yes, they will smash sides like Brisbane, and the press will [censored] off about how Motlop and Watts kicked 5 each, and Rocky got 40 touches, but wait and watch them when they play (say) Sydney in Sydney. That will be the game that they go missing as fellas like Wines carries the rest of them.

Watts and Motlop are enviable additions to an outside running and skill game that is already pretty good.

But it's only Rockliff who adds to their strength at the contest and even he hasn't been a known defensive worker.

I like what they are doing - going all in on Hinkley's preferred style of play - but we are doing that as well.

Also he had a bad year with personal issues this year but don't underestimate Impey. When the Dogs and Hawks go after a guy that's a good indication he can play. They'd stopped playing him down back and have Neade as a pressure forward and Motlop as a creative flanker, but Impey can be very good forward or back.

23 minutes ago, Socrates said:

Easily top 4 next year.............. There is every chance Jack Watts will be a premiership player within 2 years and Goody and Macca will no longer be at Melbourne.

No such thing as "easily" any more in AFL football. Every goal, every tackle, every minute of ever game counts, every minute of training and preparation counts - you have to play for a 100 minutes like its your last minute - because it might well be. 

We missed the finals by the smallest margin in history - it now motivates us in everything we do. No half arsed efforts are acceptable irrespective if its in game 1, game 22 or a practice match. 

Rockcliff was poisonous and disliked by his teammates. The worst team in the comp has been wanting to get rid of him for 2 years.

Watts was pushed out against his will for cultural/attitude reasons.

Motlop a long term underacheiver.

Port had only limited competition from other clubs for each of them.

Its high reward, but very high risk strategy.

 

51 minutes ago, Bring Back Barassi said:

There is a lot of noise about Port being the big winners in Trade Week, picking up Motlop, Watts and Rockliff, while only letting go Trengove, Impey and pick 31.

Rockliff... sure, had a good season, racked up possessions, but hey, who competed with him from his own midfield ? The jury is well and truly out on him

Rocklif's abilities are being undersold there.  He is a recent past captain, AA player and 2 x BnF winner.  And he had strong competition in the midfield:  To mention a few: Dayne Zorko - 3 times club champion and AA player, Dane Beams, also an AA player and Premiership player.  Not to mention Daniel Rich etc. So for Rockcliff to play well in that side is no mean feat.  What's more they thrashed our talented midfield this year.

Port have done very well - they gave up one starting 22 player for 3 starting 22 players.

All that said, TBH I couldn't care less what happens to Port.  I will follow Jack but Port ...pfft!

FYI they also traded out Brendan Ah Chee to West Coast, not that he was a regular contributor this year for Port.

They have strengthened their list no doubt, they have some very good players in Gray, Dixon, Ryder and Wingard. They are a good shot for the top 8 and look likely for the top 4, but its too early to tell.

Essendon with Stringer, Saad and Smith have improved their list more than Port IMO.

That said, with Lever and Balic in, and Watts out, it's still a net gain for our team, and the list has been improved. 

3 B graders.   Wont help

I liked Watts but now we can be more honest about things. He is a softkok. Along with Motlop who I rate as the most undesirable piece of excrement in the game Port have added tissues to their forward line. With Wingard ( academy award actor ) those two will make it desirable to watch some Port games.

Rockliff is a good player though who will help them as unpopular as he is.

Port are famous flat track bullies. So the bring in Motlop and Watts. The may actually beat another side in the Eight, but now instead of beating bottom sides by 100 points, they'll beat bottom sides by 200 points.

1 hour ago, Socrates said:

Easily top 4 next year.............. There is every chance Jack Watts will be a premiership player within 2 years and Goody and Macca will no longer be at Melbourne.

Interesting that nearly all of your posts are simply sniping at the club. You seem like a bit of a troll to me.

 

40 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

Interesting that nearly all of your posts are simply sniping at the club. You seem like a bit of a troll to me.

 

He is just being philosophical in his approach        then again might be a Brazilian soccer player Que?

Richmond were the clear winners of 2016 trade week with Nankervis, Prestia and Caddy all playing significant roles in the flag and Ty Vickery doing SFA at Hawthorn.  But who would have picked that this time last year?

4 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

Richmond were the clear winners of 2016 trade week with Nankervis, Prestia and Caddy all playing significant roles in the flag and Ty Vickery doing SFA at Hawthorn.  But who would have picked that this time last year?

I picked the Ty Vickery part.

Did they get Lever?  No, that was us.

Ports trade period is overrated.

Rockliff is an absolute stat padder. He racks up possessions that don't hurt the opposition. Fagan had the courage to move him on.

Watts and Motlop are both questionable commodities.

Hinkley has maxed the cap to ensure a premiership chance over his next three years

It makes sense and the pressure will be on if they continue to be incapable of challenging top 8 sides 

Richmond 2016 - Nankervis, Caddy, Prestia

Port - 2017 - Motlop, Rockliff, Watts

Two clubs with the same problem (mid-table lurking, flaky, lack of depth), two clubs going for the same solution (mass recruiting of any AFL-standard players they can get their hands on).

A year ago, there were even bigger question marks on Richmond than there are on Port now, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

I would say, all three of those Richmond names are 'solid citizen' players, meat and potatoes, reliable, the kind of players who unassumingly step forward and play their role to a decent standard. (Might be selling Prestia a bit short there, but you get the idea)

In contrast, Port have got -

An inside midfielder who has great days and sulky days, going from 13 tackles and 15 clearances to 2 and 1 within a couple of weeks, and who was sacked as captain for (allegedly, ho hum) persistent drinking in-season and being a general purpose full-of-himself jerk. But, to his credit, managed an All-Australian selection when his team was garbage.

A midfielder-forward who only kicked multiple goals on four occasions in a season (3,3,2,2), and who fluctuates wildly not only in how much he gets the ball, but also how well he uses it. But, to his credit, turned on some top efforts in the finals when teammates where faltering.

And Jack Watts. I'm not sure of his overall value, maybe we should discuss that in more detail now?

 

One thing is for sure, we know who the losers of the 2017 trade period are. Didn't North put aside literally millions of dollars, showing club greats the door to free up space for the stars they were going to grab in the 2016 and 2017 trade/free agency seasons?

 

Winning trade week means nothing. Remember how many times people said we won the draft?