praha

Firstly, to the Pies fan on level 4 of the Southern Stand who yelled out, "Shut up you losers, you're all losers!" to the Melbourne supporters booing an umpire decision, only for Kent to run on to an errant Pies kick for an easy goal mere seconds later, STICK THAT RIGHT UP YA! Secondly, we *could* have won by 10+ goals plus but the ability to stem Pies' comeback is telling. We played in second gear for the 2nd, third and fourth quarters. Really was the quintessential Roos win circa Sydney 2005. Thirdly, Hogan today demonstrated he is much, much more than a one-trick forward. He is going to be a star CHF. Fourthly, loved Wagner's confidence. Fifthly, McDonald needs to add some attacking flair to his game. I liked him today and he is reliable enough in patches but he is unreliable with the ball. Sixthly, Our forward pressure is something I don't think I've seen since 2000. Garlett in that side and we win by 10 goals, easily. Seventhly.. YOU BLOODY BEAUTYYYY

Nah, we are toying with them but playing complacent football at the same time. We should be 12 goals up.

We should we 12 goals up. Good to hold them to only 2 goals that quarter considering how long they had it in their 50.

Yeah well that means he'll get the 3 brownlow vote today.

Not great...

I'll give it a shot.

Hard to beat Hawthorn when they have the umps on their side. Saints are on the way up. Great drafting, kept experience around to ease the youngsters in. Saints and Dogs setting standards on how to rebuild after falling. That was a great tussle.

They'd be in crisis regardless. If we beat the Pies, a finals-bound team is 1-3. If we beat the Tigers, they're 1-4, with both teams' wins being very unconvincing. Irrespective of who played them, they'd be in crisis. But Melbourne, losing to Melbourne would just compound it.

Even with only 2 talls (maybe 3), we don't have a middle ground where we can go undersized and still manage taller player. GWS, Essendon and North talls have all had a field day with marks inside 50. We need to match them as best we can with height down back.

Our best is 10 goals better than their worst. And so goes the other way around.

You won't make any ground in China until you draft a China-born national and have them actually play. The next best bet is getting into the minds of Chinese students in Australia who are trying to assimilate. Playing in China for the sake of brand growth for a club is futile. From the game's perspective, broadly, sure, great idea, but this won't benefit Port all that much in the long run. At least not more than it did the teams that played in Toronto, LA, Chicago etc in the 80s and 90s and helped establish the sport over there. I think Kochie is greatly overstating how beneficial this is going to be for Port. The one and only way to win China is to feed into their insane sense of national pride. And to do that, you need one of them. But hey, good luck, Port.

This week's game reminds me a lot of the Brisbane game in 2010, under lights at the MCG. Brisbane were undefeated at that point but we were coming off two wooden spoons and looked to be improving. It was the game that was going to determine if we had turned the corner. Granted we all know what happened after 2011, and Collingwood is down and out compared to that Brisbane team, but lots of eyes on Collingwood atm and we need to turn a corner. I honestly think this game will shape our season. If Essendon was a must-win, this week is an absolute do-or-die match. We need to put them away. No excuses.

Last time I courted someone I ended up with a ring on my finger and a child, so no, no we shouldn't be courting him.

We should smash them but I predict Cloke to kick 5.0, Pendles to play back into form, Sidebotton to destroy Hogan and Melbourne to kick 3.12 for the day.

The challenge with China is getting Chinese students on board, not necessarily aiming it at the Chinese market in China. The one and only way you're going to make it in China is if you draft a Chinese-born player. I think Melbourne has done a decent job of getting into the eyes and ears of Chinese students in Melbourne, which has among the highest density in the world outside of China of Chinese nationals living in a 1-2km radius. Port simply can't compete in that regard. We have already done a lot of what Port is doing now. Koch is two years late. Nonetheless, China is big enough for more than one team. But I can't imagine Port gaining any more traction with locals than Melbourne have. The key is attracting Chinese nationals at home. Expansion into China is hard without one of them to represent what you're doing (think Yao Ming and what he did for the NBA in China).

Lots of people don't notice this and call for Kent's head. Defensive pressure has been relatively good so far in 2016 thanks to these two.

Shocking game of officiating but we ultimately lost the game in that ten minute period in the middle of the 4th with poor defense, poor spread, lack of run (due to spreading out remaining interchanges). Roos were just as tired but ultimately their experience got them over the line (Harvey and Goldstein mostly). Two goals from them that more or less sealed the game. Garlett may have been the difference.

I was there on Saturday, brother-in-law is a Toiges man. Anyway, they play with the same level of uncertainty as Melbourne does at times. Hospital handpasses, lack of trust in one another, looking around asking questions and blaming one another after goals. I think Rance is majorly overrated: his positioning at times is shocking and his inability to respond to quick changes of the ball is shocking. Houli is their most important backman. If he goes down they would bleed another 4-5 goals a game, easy. Like Melbourne, sometimes it isn't a matter of changing coach or bringing in good players. It's a cultural issue.

He was most definitely over the line. The angle wasn't great but the ball was held lined up with his left leg, which was entirely over the line. Irrespective of that, you could tell he went over the line during live play. Having a replay system is pointless if you don't have the required technology to make an absolutely 100% certain call. 9/10 the camera gives you a *better* idea of a decision but you can never be 100% for things like touched balls because the broadcast cameras they use don't record slow-motion at a high enough framerate. It's a shambles. The face they rely on a blurred image to make a definitive call is embarrassing. I am shocked the AFL has let it continue for so long. They need high quality, high framerate line cameras. On top of that, what professional league in the world holds a match for points at a stadium that can't even fulfil the basic obligations for the camera placement? Embarrassing.

Gonna suck if Vince is rubbed out. He loves playing the Pies. Will be sorely missed. I hope we trounce them. I would really like a 10-goal win at some point this year. Won't come this week. I think we're fairly evenly matched with the Pies.

Was watching it when he did it. You could tell straight away it was major. He just had that look on his face of, "It hurts so bad that I can't even react." He was completely emotionless.

If he gets done it'll be just the final bitter tinge to a day of almighty [censored] at the hands of the officiators.

We simply can't afford that hack in Cloke to have another day out like he did in the Queen's Birthday last year. Cleaned him up in game 2 but I smell a big one for him coming up.

Out-coached in the last. Shocking to have only 9 interchangers left with 10 minutes left as you are running the game out with the wind. Their midfield got on top in a pivotal 10-minute period while we were stretching out our rotations. Melbourne found a way to lose this. Umps were fairly balanced in the last. We lost poise and structure in the last quarter and seemed tired. The game was there to be won but ultimately we tired ourselves out. Should have been fresher in the last but weren't even though North had a few banged up bodies.

Fancy letting that little runt get 6.0. You'd be hard press to find an easier 6 goals. Hate to say it but we should have had all the run in the last and to have fewer rotations available was yet another major coaching error. We were getting smashed in the last and that should have been expected given North's experience. The game was ultimately lost in that 10-minute window, half-way through the last, while we were trying to slow down our rotations to stretch them out. They had more run and it showed. Also, Dunn is finished. I am so sick of him and Garland dumbing up our team so damn much. You have a game there to be won and you look sideways. Astonishing. Just a dumb footballer. Can't wait until the final weeds of the Daniher and Bailey eras are pulled out of this club. Massive liability down back, once again. That mis-timed jump as Boomer and two other North players fell behind was just astonishing. Should have stayed grounded. 10-year experienced player making a rookie mistake.