Hopeful Demon

The most pleasing thing about this season so far is the form of Gawn and May. I thought they were both on the decline last year but they're playing as well as they did three years ago.

This has been our worst performance since Port 2020 so far

A win was all we needed. I knew Adelaide were going to be competitive as they were under enormous pressure coming into this game. Trac was our best by a fair margin. He set the tone in the first half. Windsor continues to impress. His composure is next level for a 5th gamer. Winning two games in Adelaide within five days is a bloody good effort if you ask me.

May has still been amazing despite not being fully fit

People who complain about JVR need to realise that he kicked nearly 30 goals in his debut season. Weideman has been in the system for 8 years and is yet to kick 20 goals in a single season.

How good has this guy been? He has low-key been our best player this year. I thought we were done late in the third quarter but he just kept on giving. We wouldn't have been close without him tonight.

What a gutsy win that was! It really felt that Port were on top for large chunks of that game but we just never gave in. We are legit. ANB was BOG for me. His will to win is next level.

Gotta love ANB

It would be nice if we could actually get the ball in our f50

Jesus Viney's come a long way. He didn't used to kick goals like that.

One of my biggest takeaways from yesterday is how good Fritsch is. He's kicked 9 goals in three games and yet he still seems to cop quite a bit of criticism on this site. This guy will go down as our best forward since Neitz.

Very good win! We looked like a very different side to last week. We actually looked to use the corridor more and take the game on. Good signs. Gawn was BOG for me. He absolutely monstered English. Oliver, May, Trac and Viney were also very good. Also a special shout to Billings. He should never have been used as a sub against the Swans. His ball use was brilliant.

Hard not to love Kossy

Jesus Windsor looks good

The umpiring has been [censored] atrocious

I wouldn't be surprised if he's an AA this year. His from since the second half of last season has been great. Kudos to him for getting his career back together.

I find it so hilariously ironic that you used to pump up Weideman at every opportunity but now feel the need to endlessly bag JVR.

Tough on Viney imo. Our best mid tonight by a long way.

Honestly that was just a really poor effort. No excuses. I can handle a loss but it would've been nice to actually try something new for a change. We have the exact same problems that we had last year. Blind bombing into the forwardline, inaccuracy in front of goal, and predictable ball movement. It's too early to give up on us but jesus that performance didn't inspire confidence.

People on this site often complain about Hunter but Langdon has been getting let off the hook to easily. He's been underwhelming for a while now.

I get that it was only a practice game but I loved what I saw. There was definitely enough evidence to think that we can contend again. If we bring that level of intensity against the Swans we'll win. And what's more important is that Clarry looks just about match ready. It will be massive for us if he'll be able to play as soon as he can.

Sparrow has looked really sharp tonight. Good sign.

[censored] that's devastating. I feel that we really took his importance for granted when he was with us.

I'm totally with @Sir Why You Little here. 2021 was a very long time ago. Yes, the premership was amazing and I absolutely loved it but we haven't progressed since then. The fact is that we have been so painfully stale and predictable over the past two years that it's no surprise that we've underperformed in September. Some people on this site seem way too defensive to realise that it is possible to support the club while pointing out its deficiencies. If we don't make any changes to our gameplan in 2024, we'll be making up the numbers.

While I agree that it's pathetic to suggest that we're doomed and that our season is over, I think it's equally pathetic to say that someone isn't a true supporter when they raise doubts about our form. Both extremes are far too common on this site. Fwiw, I normally err on the positive side but it's perfectly understandable that people have their concerns given our chaotic off season and our inability to win a final over the past two years.