Port's best football all year has been against bad sides.

Only two wins over the top 8 - 2 points over Richmond and 10 over Sydney. In both they trailed in the fourth quarter and in neither did they dominate.

(Edit: with Richmond out of the 8 they actually only have one win vs the top 8).

All other games against the top 8 they've been pretty poor and haven't gotten within three goals, including home losses vs the Dogs and Geelong (their defence vs Geelong was embarrassingly bad).

They are absolutely beatable if we bring anything near our best.

But, if we're lax at stoppages and butcher the ball in our forward half, we'll lose.

I'm of the view we lost the game last week more than GWS won it. This game tonight IMO will be dictated by us, not them.

Edited July 8, 20214 yr by titan_uranus

This photo gives me a lot of confidence (pic 18 -  tried, but couldn't copy the image for some reason - when i tried a picture of Hunt kept appearing!).

BB looks super fit - and appears to have dropped some weight. Which marries up with the suggestion made on DL a while back he has done a mini preseason the last 6 weeks or so.

I'm sure his fitness and mobility was the reason he was not in the side as of yet. He looks ready now. 

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/albums/973841/training-gallery-july-7?modal=true&type=gallery&playlistId=973841&playlistSize=18 

3 hours ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Every time we’ve lost this year, we’ve bounced back and won the following week. It won’t be season defining as the season won’t be defined until the final siren sounds on our last match, but it will give us a decent indication of the trajectory we’re on.

We haven’t won an interstate away game so far this year, so this will also be a good indicator of our steel and ability to fight with our backs to the wall. So in that sense, it will be illuminating.

I don’t expect if we do lose that we’ll be opened up as our game style just doesn’t allow that. That being said, I expect a 4 goal Port win tonight. 

 

3 hours ago, Clintosaurus said:

We did win in Canberra in Round 3. I think that counts.

And North in Tassie!!

3 minutes ago, binman said:

This photo gives me a lot of confidence (pic 18 -  tried, but couldn't copy the image for some reason - when i tried a picture of Hunt kept appearing!).

BB looks super fit - and appears to have dropped some weight. Which marries up with the suggestion made on DL a while back he has done a mini preseason the last 6 weeks or so.

I'm sure his fitness and mobility was the reason he was not in the side as of yet. He looks ready now. 

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/albums/973841/training-gallery-july-7?modal=true&type=gallery&playlistId=973841&playlistSize=18 

This one?

41 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

I want to see a ferocious Melbourne from the first bounce.

The achilles heel of Goodwin - getting the team up for the contest from the word go.

Sorry doesn't our first centre bounce usually have the Captain, VC, Oliver and Petracca, these are the guys that set the tone. There is a good 5-10minutes from the time the team runs out till the bounce, these 4 guys are responsible, Goody can't win the footy for them.

11 minutes ago, Hell Bent said:

And North in Tassie!!

I went to that game and somehow managed to forget it!!!

1 hour ago, mauriesy said:

This will be my first and only post in this thread. I'll come back to read the post-game thread when the match is over. ?

Don’t want to plant a “told you so” stake in the ground?

17 minutes ago, Hell Bent said:

 

And North in Tassie!!

I'll amend what I said.

While we've won interstate, we haven't really gone interstate into a fortress like Optus Stadium, Adelaide Oval, the SCG or Gabba, and beaten a top flight team who plays roughly 11 matches a year there this year. Granted that the Giants have a good record in Canberra (as do North in Tassie), they aren't the type of interstate fixtures that keep blokes awake at night due to the hostile reception they will receive from the locals.

 

Not confident at all.

2 hours ago, Smokey said:

The formula is simple. Once the media starts talking about a teams finals and/or flag chances, we beat them. When a team is on a hot winning streak, we beat them. If a team is sitting in the top 8, we beat them. Don't let a recent bout of flat form make you forget about how we have delivered against the comps best consistently this year. 

If we win tonight, it will only solidify my thinking that we are very well placed to win games in September. When the finals start, any losses we've had to bad teams will mean absolutely nothing. 

Port aren't that good. We're due to bounce back from some flat form over the past month. 

I predict Dee's by 4 goals and collective sigh of relief among the DL faithful. 

I agree. We’ll win tonight and lose to the Hawks next week

it’s fun being a demons fan!

5 hours ago, Better days ahead said:

Massive game. Season defining.

Win and we take a huge step towards Top 4

Lose and we are in danger of the wheels coming off

Our form against the Top teams has been excellent so I expect a positive response

Our defense will keep us in it. Can we kick the goals?? The time is now BB

Genuine 50/50 call this one.

Go Dees.

Nah season defining was against GWS. It was all on the line last week. People just didn't realise it except for me. In fact, the top 4 was really lost when we lost to Collingwood based on the fixture. 

7 minutes ago, AzzKikA said:

Not confident at all.

Well it IS the MFC.

Dees by 19 points

 

35 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

This one?

Yep. Ta

When i tried to cut and paste it i keep getting this one:

4 hours ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Fair point. I forgot about that.

And Brissy at Giants stadium

Just now, Pennant St Dee said:

And Brissy at Giants stadium

See my earlier amendment of my statement in this thread. ☝️?

1 hour ago, Clintosaurus said:

I went to that game and somehow managed to forget it!!!

It wasn’t exactly memorable Clint!

30 minutes ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

See my earlier amendment of my statement in this thread. ☝️?

As in all things the life of brian has relevant material (albeit tangential in this case): 

 

 

Edited July 8, 20214 yr by binman

Just saw this. Brilliant

 

2 hours ago, Damo said:

Prediction: Once the game starts unless Port dont score at all, this thread will be full of negative wrist cutting BS from go to whoa. 

So  ..  you've been here before ?

hard to believe spargo is playing his 50th game tonight ,am a big fan so hope he plays a blinder

4 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

Can we at least win the first quarter.

This. 

We need to come out firing and we need to put a stop in Wines too. 

2 minutes ago, forever demons said:

hard to believe spargo is playing his 50th game tonight ,am a big fan so hope he plays a blinder

I would like him to just play. Would also help if he can kick a goal or two but I suppose he would have have a shot from the goal square.

I wonder if we'll kick 7.13, 8.12, or 9.16 tonight

Edited July 8, 20214 yr by Dr.D

3 minutes ago, Docs Demons said:

I would like him to just play. Would also help if he can kick a goal or two but I suppose he would have have a shot from the goal square.

He is a good acurate kick from 40 out thats what small forwards do,you dont see betts kicking goals from 50 or 60 out