POSTGAME: Rd 1 vs Port Adelaide

[Wiseblood 24,637]

2 minutes ago, Nasher said:

So thanks to the joys of junior sport, I didn’t see a second of this game and haven’t had a chance to jump on Demonland until now. How’d we go? ?

We played about as well as those kids would have at junior sport!

[Nasher 33,617]

2 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

We played about as well as those kids would have at junior sport!

Hah. Unfortunately the sport of choice in this case is swimming, where you sit around for six hours for a total of about 10 minutes in the pool. And my son got DQ’d in one of his three races. Sounds like I’d have had about the same amount of fun watching the MFC.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

1 hour ago, Redleg said:

Just saw the vision of Gawn being taken out by Jonas off the ball. If his name was May he would get 3 but I will expect a fine from the MRP chook lottery. 

 

Gawn was blocked by a body check off the ball which was given a free kick and so it should have.

May elected to body check and his shoulder hit a player in the head. 

How do you not see the difference?

Edited March 24, 2019 by stevethemanjordan

[Dame Gaga 2,453]

Waking up to a new day and reflecting on yesterday's debacle, regretting the missed opportunity to attract new members to the club because yesterday was the Welcome Game. I know free tickets to the game were being given out in the Chinese communities and perhaps others. Can't see any of them signing up to the MFC after yesterday's performance. As I said, a missed opportunity.

[Sargent Shultz 267]

I think everyone on this thread needs to take a Bex, drink a cup of Lipton's and have a good lie down.

Then watch Godwin's post-match interview.

Of the four finalists last year, Eagles, Pies, and Dees all defeated and looked tired- clearly underdone for the beginning of the season. We will build from here. As for the Tigers- well they played last years wooden spooners, so they should have won.

Clearly, the interrupted preseason due to surgery and a late start has meant the players are not yet "cherry ripe" They will get a lot better as the season progresses. 

As they say in golf "you can't win a tournament on the first day, but you sure can lose one" 

We have 22 matches to play and will be towards the top of the ladder in the last round- maybe even top

On a slightly negative note - can someone please explain to me how Spargo keeps getting a game? He cost us at least 2 goals from basic skill errors, at important phases of the game,  that resulted in a turnover and resulting goal to Port. Preuss surely would have been better in the forward line and giving Max a hand in the ruck- given we have a new found love of bombing it in there.

[nosoupforme 3,085]

Yes! we were underdone.   Yes! we were not first to the ball. Lacked the smarts because they ran and ran at all costs around the large shadow of the Northern stand out of the sun. We did the total opposite.

We lacked heart and fumbled especially from our experienced players and that is not us.  Snap out of it or  you won't  play finals with displays like that.

May will help and Lever isn't that far l hope but we missed Vander's toughness  and he is 4 weeks away. Come on guys you are better than that at least show us fight or anything to hang onto for the season.

Edited March 24, 2019 by nosoupforme
.

[Redleg 41,428]

19 minutes ago, stevethemanjordan said:

 

Gawn was blocked by a body check off the ball which was given a free kick and so it should have.

May elected to body check and his shoulder hit a player in the head. 

How do you not see the difference?

One was off the ball, that is the difference. The AFL said they would take a strong hand against off the ball contact. That is the difference.

However you seem to have missed the point of my post and that was that we did nothing in response to this and further verbal taunting from Port’s debutants. We showed we were not interested in standing up for team mates and after that, Gawn went half hearted in the contest for the rest of the game.

[DV8 2,271]

6 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Even after a night's alcohol induced slumber, I still am having difficulties getting my head around yesterday's debacle.

I'm not quite with @picket fence who compared it to the Neeld nightmare but it was an absolute shocker anyway you dice it or slice it.

We were passive. Max got knocked around and nobody appeared to do anything about it. FMD even Jack watts handed out a couple of clips!

Well, this might have been "the recession we Had to Have"... sorry wrong game.   

 

The kick in the pants we "had to have"...   to get our players and supporters minds,  back at ground level.  Ground Zero.  Lets hope we are firmly grounded now after that,  and the skipper copping a clip over the nude nut into the bargain.

Lucky it was from a powder-puff.

 

Now we face some real heavy-weight teams coming up...  who are also angry at us.

We need, more run and pace in the line-up... run with mojo !     no powder puffs please.

[JV7 2,354]

I think we all acknowledge that we are slightly underdone at the moment, lots of post season surgeries, limited pre seasons, underdone players. My biggest disappointment is that we lost to Port at the G, that game is played in July I'd say we win it. For all we know Port may well be a better side than last year but unlikely, losing 4 points to an interstate side at the G is what is causing me angst... If we were Collingwood & lost to a Geelong, so be it. But Port at home, that stings

[Dr. Gonzo 24,297]

2 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Probably my last comment on the pre-season surgeries issue. This is a list of players who had interrupted or delayed pre-seasons due to surgery:

• Clayton Oliver (double shoulder surgery)
• Jack Viney (ankle surgery)
• Neville Jetta (shoulder/knee surgery)
• James Harmes (shoulder surgery)
• Aaron vandenBerg (shoulder surgery)
• Jayden Hunt (shoulder surgery)
• Christian Petracca (knee surgery)
• Mitch Hannan (dual knee surgery)
• Oscar McDonald (hip surgery)
• Marty Hore (ankle surgery)
• Jake Melksham (ankle surgery)
• Jake Lever (knee surgery)
• Guy Walker (shoulder surgery)

Jones didn't have surgery but had a hamstring issue and, as the linked article mentions, impacted on his ability to take part in a "critical training phase" during the pre-season.

Edit: and both KK and May had injuries as well. There may also have been other players with non-operated injuries, I'm not sure.

How does that compare to other clubs?

[Dr. Gonzo 24,297]

2 hours ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Those ANB missed were the turning point for me.

Port Adelaide would have still had the legs by the end but we could have killed their confidence then.

Fritsch and someone else both missed regulation shots in the 3rd too. Port had their own misses (notably Gray) but I'm just looking at our play.

[Lord Travis 10,763]

Just to reiterate how poor yesterday was:

1. We lost to Port at home, who were missing their main forward target and goal kicker in Dixon. They also had underdone stars such as Ryder. They were also minus Polec and Wingard from last year. They are a weaker side this year.

2. They played four debutants. No team has won a match when playing four debutants this decade... until yesterday. 

This was an embarrassing loss. No excuses about underprepared, new rules etc. They simply ran harder and wanted it more. That’s an indictment on everyone at the club. We need to turn it around quickly or suddenly we’ll be off the pace from the leaders of the competition. We’re lucky that most of the other supposedly strong teams also lost!

[beelzebub 23,383]

1 hour ago, Nasher said:

So thanks to the joys of junior sport, I didn’t see a second of this game and haven’t had a chance to jump on Demonland until now. How’d we go? ?

We cleaned up.

I mean..   we got cleaned up 

[Sir Why You Little 37,127]

Glad i had a family commitment until late last night...

[What 18,810]

Thank god we have May and Lever to come back.     

We also missed Hannan too..  an underrated and creative forward who helps mask our total lack of crumbers. 

[Lucifers Hero 40,361]

The rule change which was most difficult to train for is not having Runners during play.  In the first 3 quarters there were large gaps between goals which limited Goodwin's opportunity to impact the play.  And in the last qtr there were only 3 goals which again limited the coaches ability to make positional changes, get messages out etc.

With Lewis out, Viney on for only 2 1/2 quarters, Max focused on staying on his feet and Jones with his perpetually limited on - field nouse, we had no-one looking at the 'big picture'; marshaling the troops to support each other etc.  The result was 22 players playing largely as individuals; the antithesis of teamwork and the 'esprit de corps' we pride ourselves on.

We can change team selections but I don't know where our on field leadership is going to come from.

The no runner rule may be the one that hurts us the most and probably the hardest to counteract.

Edited March 24, 2019 by Lucifer's Hero

[Nasher 33,617]

46 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

We cleaned up.

I mean..   we got cleaned up 

Ah well. 99% of the time the mantra of “things are never as bad (or as good) as they seem” is correct, so I’ll assume it probably is this time. In the mean time, I won’t rush to watch the replay!

[Adam The God 30,407]

7 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

 

I suggested that the scaredy-cat view taken by many supporters on here was a weak and pathetic one, there's no need to take it as a personal attack.

And strangely enough, I don't feel anything close to a goose. Our loss in my eyes had nothing to do with our JLT 'form'. Our loss had nothing to do with you or me.

Our loss came from a number of problem areas, the selection table and a bunch of individuals not playing to a consistently high level for long enough. 

 

It's about system and players who can implement that system. Outside of a clearly underdone Viney and a near-past-it Jones, our midfield and defence was close to the same one that saw us get embarrassed in JLT2. That form was a clear indicator of our inability to implement system with basically the same team.

It's laughable to suggest that this game was lost at the selection table. Absolute drivel. It does, however, have everything to do with a bunch of individuals not playing to a consistently high level for long enough, which was clearly evident in JLT2.

And as if I'm suggesting yesterday's loss has anything to do with you or I. Laughable again. Nor is it a scaredy-cat view. You were proven wrong and either didn't watch the JLT; or you simply don't understand system; or you were arrogant enough to suggest JLT form meant nothing in the context of an AFL season. You're a very insightful poster usually, so I'd suggest it was the latter.

JLT form can mean little when it comes to a premiership game, but when modern footy is so heavily impacted by system and work rate, if you're not bringing work rate in the pre season and implementing your system, what makes you think they'd bring it in the season proper? It's not as if we won the flag last year and we're biding our time for the home and away stuff.

7 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Yes, we know. 

Richmond still managed to win. Geelong beat Collingwood.

Comparisons are silly at this point. 

The reason we lost to Port was simply down to skill level and decision making when moving the ball forward. They punished us time and time again on the counter which resulted in us doing so much unnecessary two-way running, it ultimately took its toll.

It's a problem area.

So are Oscar and Frost when they're the only two key defenders playing for us.

No it wasn't. Come on, Steve. You're being lazy again. We lost to Port because there was not enough work rate, which is down to three factors: 1) the pre season, 2) laziness and 3) the heat. 

You look slow when you don't work hard enough to spread on the outside or shut down space and tackle the opposition coming out of their defence. 

Of course, our skill level and decision making could be better and smarter, particularly going inside 50, but if no one is presenting at the ball and there's not a decision to move the ball quickly and/or spread into space to present an option, then the back up plan is to kick it long down the line and reset at the stoppage. One of our major problems yesterday was that when the ball was brought down by Port to a stoppage or 50-50 in our forward 50 (due our lack of contested marking), there was not enough pressure on the Port mids and half backs, making their slingshot far too easy.

And on Frost and Oscar, I thought they were both terrible at times, each running under the flight path of the ball multiple times, but so often Port moved the ball quickly and there was such little resistance from our midfield and half forwards, that our defenders' jobs were made so much more difficult. 

[Watts the matter 1,235]

1 hour ago, Lord Travis said:

Just to reiterate how poor yesterday was:

1. We lost to Port at home, who were missing their main forward target and goal kicker in Dixon. They also had underdone stars such as Ryder. They were also minus Polec and Wingard from last year. They are a weaker side this year.

2. They played four debutants. No team has won a match when playing four debutants this decade... until yesterday. 

This was an embarrassing loss. No excuses about underprepared, new rules etc. They simply ran harder and wanted it more. That’s an indictment on everyone at the club. We need to turn it around quickly or suddenly we’ll be off the pace from the leaders of the competition. We’re lucky that most of the other supposedly strong teams also lost!

Wines goes alright too.

[Lord Travis 10,763]

4 minutes ago, Watts the matter said:

Wines goes alright too.

Forgot him. That makes it even more embarrassing and pathetic!

[Adam The God 30,407]

6 hours ago, sisso said:

agree with this 100%, we only look slow and get cut up on the outside when we are losing the contested possesion battle

Don't agree with this entirely. I think it's a mixture of a lack of work rate and losing the contested possessions.

6 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

I'm talking about forward 50 entries and our general 'chaos-ball' approach.

I've been wanting to see much more care and thought in regards to forward 50 entries. It hasn't improved and it must if we're any chance of being a genuine threat this year. Full bore and chaotic forward thrusts can't be all we rely on. It's not sustainable.

The difference between some of Port's kicks to their forwards advantage vs ours was alarming yesterday.

I agree with this though. There was and always is a distinctly and stark difference between the average inside 50 against us versus our own forward 50 thrusts. Ours are rarely to the advantage of our forwards and most opposition (certainly teams that we expect to compete with us for the top 8 ) are almost always kicking to the advantage of opposition forwards.

Melksham, Fritsch and usually Oliver are our best exploiters of the kick to advantage, but the majority of our list need to get better at this. Spargo pierced a nice ball into Fritsch(?) yesterday. The fact that I can recall one single instance so clearly, shows how often it actually happens.

6 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Which starts with Gawn, and means we have to look into his poor performance yesterday.

Whether it was his fitness, or facing two ruckmen, or Lycett just playing really well, or a combination of those things, our gameplan relies (too much, possibly) on Gawn dominating the ruck. We just can't afford for him to have as little impact as he did yesterday.

I know the system has evolved since 2017, but we coped that year without Gawn. I wonder if our mids gamble too hard on Gawn's dominance from stoppage, so that when he loses it, we're completely out of position and on the back foot to defend. There was certainly a few moments yesterday where Port managed completely clean clearances out of the centre square, which is just not good enough. We rarely had the cleanness of clearance they enjoyed.

Having said all this, I do think that with our system's reliance on CP and clearance, we do rely too heavily on Gawn's influence. I also think Gawn struggles on more mobile types. Grundy beat him last year and we were spanked. I hope our coaching team have some answers to help Max, because Stanley will jump into him the entire game next week and we need to counter it in order to have any chance whatsoever.

5 hours ago, Scoop Junior said:

I think this is a common early-round occurrence and is raised most years - in hot and sunny conditions on dry decks with teams at different levels of fitness, often the outside game dominates and the fitter, faster, harder-running sides do well.

But I reckon in every season, once teams are on more of an equal-footing with regards to fitness, the cooler weather kicks in and teams are more match-hardened and with their skills/decision making refined, the better contested teams start to shine through. And there's absolutely no doubt that come finals time, it's contested footy that wins the day.

Having said that, it doesn't mean we don't need to improve our outside game (particularly with regards to our defensive spread in transition). We were poor at times in this area last year and have been again so far this year. Clearly teams have identified this as our weakness. But I wouldn't be changing our primary game plan focus on contested footy and winning it inside as season after season has shown that this is a successful formula.

Great post, mate. 

I'd say the only time we actually sorted this out was starting with the Sydney game at the 'G late in the year. I don't think we ever dealt with defensive spread in transition on the 'G until then. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by A F

[KLV 1,768]

8 hours ago, praha said:

Perspective: ever fancied team this year has underperformed in round 1.

Richmond was uninspiring.

Collingwood was disappointing.

Melbourne was lethargic.

Adelaide was poor.

West Coast were comfortably beaten.

Makes is slightly more bearable, that we are in that company 

[grazman 7,451]

5 hours ago, Scoop Junior said:

Having said that, it doesn't mean we don't need to improve our outside game (particularly with regards to our defensive spread in transition). We were poor at times in this area last year and have been again so far this year. Clearly teams have identified this as our weakness. But I wouldn't be changing our primary game plan focus on contested footy and winning it inside as season after season has shown that this is a successful formula.

On the commentary they made mention of the fact that Hinkley had primed his side to take us on that we were underdone through the pre-season due to so many players having operations etc.  

The most glaring deficiency yesterday was our defensive spread  and is definitely the result of not having a lot of outside speed.  It's why I can't see Jones being a long term option to play wing. another comment that caught my attention was Port's assessment that our forwards are poor defenders and that all Port needed to do was be patient with ball in hand and they would be able to find a way to move the ball out of defence.   For those that question why  ANB and Spargo keep getting games see above.  For those that think that when Garlett is fit his leg speed will see him back in the side, see above.   I think as others have already observed the one structural deficiency we have is a hardworking small that has both speed and a natural goal sense.  

 

[Adam The God 30,407]

5 hours ago, jnrmac said:

Didn't affect Richmond, Collingwood, Hawthorn or Geelong. They all looked well fit enough.

Its a copout. I mean, we did look gassed but there is absolutely no excuse for it. The signs were there in the JLT games with our inability to hold the ball in our defence and how easily we let other teams score. The latter having been a major problem for a few years now.

I generally agree with you on this point, mate, but we were playing in heat. Richmond, Collingwood and Geelong weren't. That has to have had an impact.

5 hours ago, sisso said:

Still don’t get why we didn’t use Preuss against 2 ruckman and let Max get ground into the turf, can a smarter footy head then me please explain?

Because Preuss struggled to play even a half in JLT1, hence Keilty rucking for most of the second half. I hope Preuss is fitter now, because we really do need him next week.

[picket fence 17,500]

3 hours ago, dees189227 said:

Look I don't expect Jones to play as badly as that again. But him dropping that mark changed that game yesterday. Its good that this happened in r1 and not later down the track. 

Next week I would expect a different response. Im putting yesterday down to a bad day. The same thing cannot happen next week. 

And if it does???