Skuit

I'm pretty sure my personal inbox is open to anyone. Mods?

Cheers LN. Was probably around two hours of research, but I love my club and current state of denial.

Just to reinforce your point - the Cats, Pies, and West Coast have in order the 5th, 3rd, and 4th oldest lists. We're 13th for age and 14th for games played. The Bulldogs are 12th and 13th. The Tigers are 10th for average age, but are 6th for games played and have 14 players with over 120 games under their belts compared to our eight: five of those who haven't gotten on the field for the bulk of 2019. That leaves Jones, Hibberd and TMac. For the record, Geelong have 15, Collingwood 16, and West Coast 14 players with over 120 games of experience. Without naming the players it's obvious each of these team's core drivers are also older and more experienced compared to ours. Here, I've run some numbers (fairly quickly so there might be minor errors). Going by the top six in last year's best and fairest results, the average games played for each team's best on-field third was as follows: Geelong: 195.8 Collingwood: 181.8 West Coast: 181.8 Richmond: 193 Melbourne: 134 Sure, mean averages can be easily skewed with a small sample, but the only players with less than 120 games from those B&F lists outside of Melbourne are Tom Phillips, Tim Kelly, and Kane Lambert. For the MFC it was Gawn, Oliver, Harmes and Gus. Without having seen much of the other teams this year to make a comparison, our other two top six players from 2018, Jones and TMac, are likely to drop out. Salem and Petracca could feature, bringing our average down to around just 88 games! The numbers tell the tale.

So this came across my desk, courtesy of my excited Dutch boss who had no idea that Port have been a life-long nemesis growing up as a Norwood supporter in Radelaide. I write about the consulting industry (I know there's at least one consultant on our boards) and tried but failed to be objective in this instance. Forget the prose and latent snark for a second - I phoned this one in - but consider the content. Port have signed PwC. Port have [censored] [censored] sponsors, and we have sexy Jaguar and now Zurich, the latter probably helpful for all our suicidal members. The question is though, should we also be pursuing a big professional services firm as a sponsor to help transform us from the inside-out? Article below; The Port Adelaide Football Club has snared PwC as a long-term sponsor in what the parties describe as a landmark deal. While its 2019 AFL season hangs in the balance, the Port Adelaide Football Club has at least scored a longer-term coup through a landmark sponsorship agreement with global professional services firm PwC. According to the club, the agreement sees the Big Four firm become of its most significant sponsors, tying the two organisations together for an extended period. “Port Adelaide Football Club is proud to be sponsored by this significant global brand,” said media personality David Koch, who took over as Port Adelaide Chairman in 2013. “PwC is a big deal. They are rated as one of the top 50 brands worldwide, part of a network of firms in 158 countries with more than 250,000 people, who deliver services to more than 5,000 clients.” “It is a great endorsement for our club because PwC has historically only sponsored big global sporting brands and events such as the America’s Cup, PGA and Irish Rugby,” continued Koch, although PwC last year entered into a partnership agreement with Victoria-based rugby union team the Melbourne Rebels. The firm has also been sponsoring the Australian ESports League. PHOTO: David Koch/Jason Briggs https://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2019-07-26/port-adelaide-and-pwc-announce-landmark-sponsorship Despite Port Adelaide being one of the lesser lights of the league by membership, its recent home-and-away foray into China is seen as major draw-card. “PwC and the Port Adelaide Football Club are philosophically aligned – both are innovative businesses, driving commercial activity in key growth markets, such as China,” said PwC Adelaide Managing Partner Jamie Briggs. “PwC works with businesses, Government and the community to help Australia continue to thrive and grow,” added Briggs, the former Federal Minister for Cities and the Built Environment who joined PwC after losing his seat in 2016. Recently, the Liberal Government committed a further three years of considerable funding to the Port Adelaide/AFL joint venture in China. “This sponsorship will assist Port Adelaide on field, but will also help improve our practices off field. In short, PwC’s sponsorship will help Port Adelaide better serve our 60,000 members, which is our core business,” concluded Koch. According to the AFL’s latest figures, Port Adelaide has a shade over 50,000 members, having lost 4.5 percent of its base this year. As part of its ‘City Pulse’ series, PwC ranks the suburb of Port Adelaide as well below average on its ‘live’ and ‘play’ metrics, yet foresees incredible growth opportunities in the area courtesy of the federal government’s $90 billion naval shipbuilding programme – with the Big Four firm recommending that Adelaide pursue a “City Deal” focused on defence industry growth. Related: Christopher Pyne joins EY Australia to help grow Defence practice https://www.consultancy.com.au/news/892/christopher-pyne-joins-ey-australia-to-help-grow-defence-practice

I rarely criticise the current MFC but if I was to choose one beef it would our drafting of supposedly flexible players - I think a hangover from the necessity of the Roos era. JKH is a prime example. A forward/mid who isn't much chop in either part of the ground. I'm sure he was drafted as a forward who could run through, yet in his entire time with the MFC he's managed a grand total of 12 goals from 36 games. Not cool. Also not cool, draft revisionism, but Ben Brown and Orazio Fantasia were selected after JHK as specialists. They've kicked a combined 375 goals since. I like multi-positional players but banking on Melk, Fritter and CP5 to run through the middle or on the wing is in my opinion a poor strategy (outside or bursts). Especially in respect to finding a place for AVB.

For what it's worth I'm in team yay Harley Bennell. The irony is that successful teams can take a punt on outsiders (see Stack, Ryan etc.) while bottom-dwellers need to be super-cautious about this concept called culture. [censored] it. Let's take some risks.

You sir wins today's internet. 220 × 220

In an ideal world where does Vanders fit within our forward/centre mix? If we're to bounce back next year we need our core players playing to their best level or living up to potential. That means TMac and Weid at one and two up front, or a replacement/reshuffling of one of those (not AVB). Plus Petracca. Still waiting but probably ahead of AVB nonetheless. And Garlett. Likely on the way out but we need to find a replacement genuine small with a similar skill-set (not AVB). Fritsch we all agree is back where he belongs. Melksham: one of our most important and missed play-makers this year. That makes six. Then: resting mid/ruck. And the raft of other mediums. Smith, Smith, Hannan (most of us I imagine would see potential in at least one those as greater than AVB). And the Hunt question. We've tended toward a fleet of mediums in recent years, but I think we need to move back to specialists and a 2/2/2 mix. So two keys, two mediums that can play tall/small, and two genuine smalls. See West Coast. That equals (with some personnel replaceable) Tmac & Weid - Melksham/Petracca/Fritsch - Garlett & x up front. In the middle - Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw & Harmes - plus an new outsider, wings and running half-backs (not AVB). I've mentioned plenty of times that I saw huge potential after AVB dominated as a CHF in one preseason game, but where does Aaron fit now? It would have to be at the expense of one of Petracca, Milkshake or Fritter in my mind, and then be ahead of the Smiths and Hannan. Is he good enough?

Here are my workings: The Fremantle Football Club is the most delusional of all.

This is the injury thread so I don't want to diverge too much, but most of us are willing to accept that one thing leads to/impacts another in our own lives or what we see in those around us. For a number of reasons the jury was still out for me re. Simon's game-plan last year, but due to all the factors of this year I still don't feel I'm in a place to judge yay or nay. Mental and cultural issues are still going to be a part of the problem until we are mature and consistently winning. Our high-press was exposed numerous times last year - but it was still evident and we had the requisite intensity. This year, there has been no obvious intensity - i.e the game-plan being at plain fault.

I'll keep saying the same every year until I run out of breath: Nathan Basset. Port defensive coach. Joined in 2016. Since 2017, Port have had the second-least points against (2017), the third-least points against while finishing 10th in 2018, and currently sit within two goals of third-best defensive standings for 2019 while in 9th place. Also: Basset coached Norwood to back-to-back flags from nowhere in 2010 - before joining Craig and Goodie at Essendon in 2014 - and spent the bulk of his 200-game career alongside Simon Goodwin, earning All Oz honours next to Goodie in 2006.

Cameron Ling of all folk induced a mini-insight this week. He was banging on about how we would have no excuses next year regarding a later start to the pre-season, tsk tsk. Richmong recently backed a flag up with a prelim appearance you see. No mention of the Tiger's three elimination finals and bottoming out for a year leading up to that though. And definitely no mention of the Cats reaching a prelim and semi before dropping out of finals for a year prior to their 2007 premiership - teams which Ling was a member of. We certainly had an interrupted preseason with a huge number of surgeries, aggravated by the later start and then a massive knock in confidence once 2019 was underway. Most of our midfield didn't train together until well after Xmas, and the injuries to our offensive and defensive lines have been coming consistently ever since. Yet, three months later with no sign of improvement and that nagging feeling starts to creep in - why can other teams seemingly manage with injuries and back up in the finals year after year with later pre-season starts? The insight is this: while a few on here acknowledge the above injuries and late start as a significant factor in our horrible slide this year (with many of those losing patience over recent weeks), little has been said of the combination of those factors with the age/inexperience of our list. Only one member on our team has ever had to back up from finals - an elimination final at that. Meanwhile (without running the numbers), most of those going in for post-season surgery were likely under 24, possibly experiencing their first major clean-ups. I'm not an elite sportsperson - and I definitely wasn't one in my early twenties. I have no idea what it's like returning as a young footballer from dual shoulder surgery (taking Oliver as an example) and the trying to develop confidence in those limbs/body parts again in a limited time-frame knowing I'm coming up against ruthless competitors. Forget the age spread, the primary drivers of our team are kids; they're experiencing something entirely new this season, and I'll be backing them in to learn something valuable from this year.

I'm predicting a 40 point win.

#metoo

I think I'd rather channel my sense of injustice in taking you to the sack everyone thread.

Wait. I demand a recount! I'm the only one on here who predicted a complete balls-up - which has an extra degree of credibility because I'm not Old Dee. I also effectively nailed the 2019 fates of Spargo - will collapse into an on-field coma - and ANB - to be dropped before Easter - with five weeks still to go in which Clarry may well yet become - one of the first humans on Earth to be officially recognised as a victim of global warming - especially after his grievous UV assault in Alice last week. I also came tantalisingly close with this in Round 15 vs. Brisbane: As a senior leader of the club, and otherwise unavailable for the next 18 weeks due to an on-field incident which effectively ends Sam Frost’s career . . . misidentifying the protagonist as Lewis rather than May and falling just one king-hit short of complete prophetic dominance. Definitely closest to the pin.

Hey Wadda. I'm in Faja de Grande in Flores - the Western-most point of Europe - and it's absolutely stunning. Decided as such to take @Cards13 advice and give the game a miss. The first win I haven't seen live for over five years - the last while I was airborne. Cheers Cards. Still, by the sounds of it I'm not sure if I really do want to watch the replay.

Honestly, this has to be one of the best spelling errors ever.

I do actually think it's a personnel mix as well. I love them both and what they bring, but Viney thrives on intensity to push the ball forward and Oliver is a play-maker who hardly ever ends up at the bottom of a pack with the pill still in hand. Not a knock, but their strengths aren't exactly in holding up the ball. Brayshaw meanwhile has always unnecessarily released the ball in tackles - without the benefits of Clarry - and is currently our worst offender for banging it blindly on the boot (and with air). Harmes, who would have guessed it from his early days, is possibly now our most composed mid in this regard. An extra Salem would be mighty handy. The disposal has been [censored] but watch the first fifteen minutes v Fremantle again. We're not inherently capable of clean disposal - but by playing on at all costs the ball carrier puts himself under additional pressure and the intended receiver has less time to be in place/react. It equals poor disposal, and skill errors - dropped marks, poor defensive trapping etc. - at the next step. Yesterday's game wasn't an ordinary game of football, but something more along the lines of prison basketball. We just needed someone who could hold it up on occasion and control the tempo and I think we would have won.

Hear hear. I felt we had them reasonably covered today despite getting hammered in the clearances. Except the chaos ball was contagious and we completely lost our composure - constantly playing on to disadvantage. (Posted these stats earlier: Last week kick to handball differential: 87. This week: 31). Fast movement is fantastic. From a mark, it's not going to be compromised by taking two seconds to assess the lay of the land and select the best option. But is it intelligence or immaturity? (Or personnel mix?).

There was that awesome moment in the last where Frost and May both went up for the spoil and came down eyeball-to-eyeball and football practically froze. For a genuine moment there I thought we might all have something actually interesting to talk about.

There's some crazy Portuguese parade going on outside. Seems about as organised as our forward line.

Our kick to handball stats last week were 237 - 150 This week: 217 - 186. Season average: 214 - 154 We threw our bye-week tweak out the window. I doubt that was Goodwin's doing. Our players don't yet have the maturity to slow down.

What a ridiculous game of football.

Contrary to your arrangement BBO she's the type who'd be far more likely to be handing out the jolly good spanking. Not that there's anything wrong with that.