Are the Players Playing for Bailey?

[kozi 0]

I’m sick of everyone defending the coach by saying we don’t have the cattle...granted we have several deficiencies within the side, however, we are not playing to any of our strengths and the players have no idea how to execute this current game plan (whatever it is)....

What do these players work on at training every week? Why are they so unfit and incapable of playing accountable footy...surely the coaching staff realise the game plan isn’t working with this group...why persist and get belted every week?? What does that achieve for the players, the staff, the members and supporters of the side!

today was a perfect opportunity to play man on man footy...make every player accountable for someone...then at least that could be some guide as to how individuals are performing...instead we played loose men in defence...persisted with run and carry...and the game was over 5 minutes into the 1st quarter!

i for one really hope the blow torch is put on Bailey this week...he's the leader of this team and he must be held responsible for such a shocking start to the year...

[Jaded No More 68,915]

I'm sure they hit every target at training, because there is no pressure. So it's not as if they don't work on their skills at training.

Playing one on one in the backline when Bradshaw has kicked 98 goals against us in the past, and Jonathan Brown is lurking, is crazy. Not many teams do it, let alone teams who are struggling as badly as we are.

The whole game plan is built around accountability and pressure on the ball-carrier, that we can't execute it, is another story.

Maybe Bailey is not getting the message across, maybe he didn't realise just how slow to adapt we'll be, maybe the players are not listening to him because they don't like the game plan. Who the hell knows.

Whatever the case, Bailey deserves to show us what he can do over the next 3 seasons. That is the length of his contract, and that is the length of the opportunity that he deserves.

And I'll say it again, I rather find players who can adapt to a game plan that will stand up in finals, than adapt the game plan to players who won't.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,177]

There are two ways to approach the remainder of the season:

1. Play a game style that you do not believe can win a premiership but will suit the current group of players and minimise the damage this year.

2. Play a game style you believe can win a premiership and learn who is capable of learning it.

As much as I hate seeing us lose like we did today and as much as I may not agree with the game style I would continue with what I believed will bring a premiership in the future if I were Bailey.

[mo64 5,874]

And I'll say it again, I rather find players who can adapt to a game plan that will stand up in finals, than adapt the game plan to players who won't.

And I'll say it again. The Eagles with Judd, Cousins and Kerr have been the only club to consistently perform using the Bailey game plan. The Power use it, but it hasn't stood up consistently in the finals.

Unless we uncover all 3 of Judd, Cousins and Kerr in the upcoming drafts, his game plan is doomed for failure, and his tenure as an AFL coach is shortlived.

I'm prepared to give Bailey another year, but unless he's prepared to accept that his game plan is flawed, he may not see next year out.

[Bay Riffin 1,474]

There are two ways to approach the remainder of the season:

1. Play a game style that you do not believe can win a premiership but will suit the current group of players and minimise the damage this year.

2. Play a game style you believe can win a premiership and learn who is capable of learning it.

As much as I hate seeing us lose like we did today and as much as I may not agree with the game style I would continue with what I believed will bring a premiership in the future if I were Bailey.

Fire engine I agreed and sick and tired of listening to supporters [censored] and moan to change the game plan. How f$cking pathetic are you guys if you don't get what you want in life.

I say pick option 2 and stick steadfastly to your guns.

and if I hear another person say change the game plan I will spew. go watch the Hawks for a lesson in sticking consistently to a plan.

[red&blue&true 0]

I'm sure they hit every target at training, because there is no pressure.

Well its about time that changes.

Match conditions at training this week, put the ones that are turning the football over under the gun from the hardest tacklers in the side (one side purely playing defensive pressure football) and let them learn under pressure, injuries at training matter as much as they do on the field now, the seasons a writeoff and they should be given the instruction to nail them if they arent fast enough or cough the ball up.

Maybe Bailey will realise that even if he puts the best 6 ball users in the side against players simply zoning off waiting to hit us with this game plan we are screwed!

[Mono 455]

i for one really hope the blow torch is put on Bailey this week...he's the leader of this team and he must be held responsible for such a shocking start to the year...

The buck stops somewhere. I would at least like Bailey to stand up and say "the buck stops with me ... I am accountable, AS ARE THE PLAYERS".

and don't forget the rest of the coaching staff - moloney, wellham & williams

[jacey 333]

There are two ways to approach the remainder of the season:

1. Play a game style that you do not believe can win a premiership but will suit the current group of players and minimise the damage this year.

2. Play a game style you believe can win a premiership and learn who is capable of learning it.

As much as I hate seeing us lose like we did today and as much as I may not agree with the game style I would continue with what I believed will bring a premiership in the future if I were Bailey.

Go you big red fire engine.

He's gotta stick with what his trying to do. His got faith his style will win us a premiership so stick with it.

i'll lose respect if he chops and changes his vision.

[Hards 2]

And I'll say it again, I rather find players who can adapt to a game plan that will stand up in finals, than adapt the game plan to players who won't.

How is Port's record of finals with this style of footy?

Or was it the players not executing it again that caused them to repeatedly finished top after R22 and not do anything in finals?

BRFE is right in a coach should stick with what they believe in, but the best coaches mould and adapt. Alistair Clarkson is the best example of that. Assess where your list is at, what its strengths and weaknesses are, and work out the right process to take what you have and push/prod/add/subtract to it and make it the best.

The core of that is getting the initial assessment right - and that's exactly where Bailey has completely failed.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I’m sick of everyone defending the coach by saying we don’t have the cattle...

I've known our senior players were shyte, other than Neitz/ Whelan/ Mcdonald/ for 3 or 4 Yrs now.

I don't understand how your surprised that the side is struggling, they have been saying for the last 3 years that we have a leadership problem, lack of.

The side has been soft for the last 10 years, & has relied on Neitz forever & a day, well guess what, he's now too old.

[Jaded No More 68,915]

How is Port's record of finals with this style of footy?

Or was it the players not executing it again that caused them to repeatedly finished top after R22 and not do anything in finals?

BRFE is right in a coach should stick with what they believe in, but the best coaches mould and adapt. Alistair Clarkson is the best example of that. Assess where your list is at, what its strengths and weaknesses are, and work out the right process to take what you have and push/prod/add/subtract to it and make it the best.

The core of that is getting the initial assessment right - and that's exactly where Bailey has completely failed.

Dean Bailey has had 6 rounds of AFL footy, FFS how the hell do you know that he won't adapt?

He too is assessing the list, in the same way that Clarkson did. His conclusion? We're awful and no game plan is going to change that in a hurry.

And we are not playing a game plan that is exclusive to Port Adelaide. Many teams have played similar styles of accountable, running football and won flags.... Sydney, Geelong, West Coast.

Finals footy is based on getting contested possessions and pressuring the ball carrier. This explains why we made 3 finals in a row and won just one. We were living in fools paradise, now we and Bailey understand what the major flaws with our list are.

Let's see what he does next.

[beelzebub 23,376]

How is Port's record of finals with this style of footy?

.

Pretty bloody good I reckon.. got some silverware !!!! Probably best to cut and run with this line of arguing I suggest !! lol

[Axis of Bob 11,812]

It was interesting that the period where we moved the ball the worst was when the players regressed to the old kick-based style of moving the ball in the second quarter when they lost confidence. We moved the ball best when we ran with the ball later in the game.

[beelzebub 23,376]

It was interesting that the period where we moved the ball the worst was when the players regressed to the old kick-based style of moving the ball in the second quarter when they lost confidence. We moved the ball best when we ran with the ball later in the game.

carefull...warning folks... LOGIC present !!

This is very much about confidence. It natural for peoplel to fall back into old practices when put under the pump...especially if youve not had the ability to experience success yet with the new plan.

[Mono 455]

........

Let's see what he does next.

Don't hold your breath.

[Jaded No More 68,915]

It was interesting that the period where we moved the ball the worst was when the players regressed to the old kick-based style of moving the ball in the second quarter when they lost confidence. We moved the ball best when we ran with the ball later in the game.

It's true.

In the last quarter, when the pressure was off, we were able to find space to carry the ball forward quickly, and we also got first possession in the middle, which allowed us to control the ball movement and tempo of the game.

I don't think Bailey is necessarily instructing the players to handball at every opportunity, he simply wants them to move the ball forward as quickly as they possibly can, without actually bombing it to a 3-on-1 and hoping for a contested mark (contested marks? at Melbourne? good one!).

The biggest challenge for our playing list is to be able to execute this style under the intense pressure of the game. It's no wonder that we've played a lot better in the last quarters of matches, when the game was beyond our reach and the pressure was lifted. It's a matter of changing the way the players think. After 10 years of being coached to kick, it is no wonder that their first instinct is to look for a target down field, and then they panic thinking they need to handball and they stuff it all up and we lose rhythm.

Old habits die hard, especially bad habits. This is where chasing, accountability and pressure needs to become second nature to our player, because the way the game is evolving, nobody is going to let you get a cheap possession, especially not in finals.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Yep. This is one of the more sensible threads going around. I don't have much more to add other than to echo the question that's materialising rapidly...

Te gameplan... ditch plan A, go to plan B? play to the team's strengths?

How much longer can the team, club and individuals both on the field and off handle this kind of embarrassment while DB is educating his players? Neale said all along his job was to win games of footy. He did that half the time, but didn't get us near a flag. DB's model is going to be painful. VERY painful for some time yet, and the question is whether or not the MFC structure can handle it in the current environment.

I must admit today I was thinking it was time to change things. But when I cool off I think sometimes we're at the bottom of a very long ladder, but at least we're climbing it in an effort to reach the TOP, not the middle.

[Hards 2]

Pretty bloody good I reckon.. got some silverware !!!! Probably best to cut and run with this line of arguing I suggest !! lol

Choked in multiple finals series when the heat was turned up. No side has ever had a poorer record in turning high ladder positions at the end of H+A into finals victories. One flag, sure, Brisbane (who played a different brand of finals hardened footy) won three and made four. That's genuine.

And Jaded, Sydney and West Coast played the run and carry football, and so did Port when they won. They did it because of what they had on their playing list (in the case of WC and Port) or because of their home ground (Sydney). None of those three sides had a forward line that would get near ours. They NEEDED their players to run and carry because moving it long and direct wasn't going to do it for them.

You snuck Geelong into that group - Geelong are different - they move it quick by hand at first, but they never ignore the direct option when running through the middle. They hit up their half forwards if needed but always wheel and go, they don't allow their opposition time to get back in numbers because they back their forwards to win the one on one or two on two.

They've got hard bodies and the win the hard ball - that's something you need no matter what style of footy you play. No Premiership side in the history of football has won without that. It's what we were missing when we were playing finals, and one of a couple of things we needed to develop if we were going to win a flag.

I haven't seen todays game yet, but I'll be interested to see the last quarter in particular when I watch it in the next few days. If its like some of the last quarters from the last few weeks and a lot of the ones from last year, we'll be moving the ball much quicker and much more direct with a lot less handball, and we'll score more as a result. And maybe there'll be some more sarcastic clapping from the players directed at the coaches box because the ball was finally moved in a way that suits us instead of playing into the hands of our opposition.

[beelzebub 23,376]

There is a chasm between winning the odd game...and setting up a situation where continued success can be garnered and built upon and eventually a premiership got.

I seriously have a cackle when folks talk of playing to our strenghts.. !! what exactly are these strengths?? ..the same ones that have lead to SO much succes in the past ?? If so then folks you're deluding yourselves. These so called strengths are phantoms interpreted by those impatient to see success.

We are not a team chock full of talent...yet !! we have some good players and some players with potential. The best days of some of our reputed older players are in the main now history.

This is not a "renovators delight " its a D9 job.. All Dean is doing is trying to use what ever salvaable materials ( players) are avalible and rebuilding utilising them...not building around them. Much work is still left to do.

There is no rationale in attempting to play to a handful of players ... it makes no sense

[Mono 455]

........when I cool off I think sometimes we're at the bottom of a very long ladder, but at least we're climbing it in an effort to reach the TOP, not the middle.

What makes you think we are climbing anything? From where I sit, we are not only sinking, but not really in the main competition. If a club could be relegated, we would be.

A club needs to confirm it deserves to be in the main game, before planning to be winning it; we haven't done the first yet; not even close.

[Mono 455]

....... All Dean is doing is trying to use what ever salvaable materials ( players) are avalible and rebuilding utilising them...not building around them.

Absolutely no evidence for this at all.

[beelzebub 23,376]

Hards, they have a Premiership as claim of some ability using this style.. ..again what exactly is your argument??

what trumps a Premiership ??

[CARN THE DEES! 14]

There are two ways to approach the remainder of the season:

1. Play a game style that you do not believe can win a premiership but will suit the current group of players and minimise the damage this year.

2. Play a game style you believe can win a premiership and learn who is capable of learning it.

As much as I hate seeing us lose like we did today and as much as I may not agree with the game style I would continue with what I believed will bring a premiership in the future if I were Bailey.

Exactly right, the game is changing and its moving fast. Where behind the 8 ball already so there is no point stuffing around with another game plan that will not help us in the future especially because melbourne's only hope is the future (even though our best memories our in the past).

Sometimes it takes a while for a game plan to reach full effect e.g. Hawthorn and Alistair Clarkson's game plan. Let's pray that this is the case with Melbourne

[Mono 455]

Exactly right, the game is changing and its moving fast. Where behind the 8 ball already so there is no point stuffing around with another game plan that will not help us in the future especially because melbourne's only hope is the future (even though our best memories our in the past).

Sometimes it takes a while for a game plan to reach full effect e.g. Hawthorn and Alistair Clarkson's game plan. Let's pray that this is the case with Melbourne

NOT WITH THIS BLOKE.

[Guest unstable punt]

NOT WITH THIS BLOKE.

l was all for giving Bailey the job, new blood,etc etc but from what l've seen so far the players are not being motivated at all, they have no spark, no grunt..gameplan, l don't give a rats tossbag about the gameplan, these guys are just not having a red hot go for 120 mins. If it goes against them for a couple of minutes they go into their collective shells, they have NO CONFIDENCE and Bailey can't motivate them, he is useless in my opinion.