Ouch!

Just confirming this is referring to players in the backline? because in terms of top draft picks, and players who should be 'elite' I find it hard to swallow that we don't have enough elite players...?

As someone who lives in Hobart, I don't think that there are many people that would be changing allegiances. I would imagine that there is adoption of the club at the grass roots level, i.e AusKick Clinics etc, but it would be new memberships, or people buying multiple memberships just to get in and watch AFL standard football. Tassie is an AFL state, and most people who follow the game have made up their minds. Similar for the Hawks in Launceston.

Nathan Burke I suspect you are referring to. I can't see a negative, and perhaps it might be more of a 'mental reminder' to him of remembering not to lead with the head, but agreed, I can't think of a negative other than how it looks

I am really looking forward to seeing Trenners back, he was a genuine talent when recruited, tough, good footy smarts. I confess that when I saw he miss out on selection after losing Jones and Viney to injury, I didn't think I'd see him playing again for the Red and Blue. So yeah it's a bit surprising seeing him come back in this week. It's a big game for the club, and it's a very strong team we have out there, albeit a little down on form.... So it's not like he is filling in for injured players, Goodwin has put him in based on form and i'll be very interested to see the role he has been selected to play.

I reckon Smith stays in and they play him against one of the talls like Westhoff, Garlett out due to personal reasons.

I was already to fire off an e-mail saying that it was a stretch to consider after 16 rounds a top 4 club hasn't beaten anyone genuine yet, but looking at their results, thats astounding that a club with such a high percentage has really not beaten anyone of substance!!! People lambast WCE for being flat track bullies, they don't have anything on Port this season! Sydney Swans 12.10 (82) lost to Port Adelaide 17.8 (110) SCG Port Adelaide 22.13 (145) beat Fremantle 8.8 (56) AO Port Adelaide 12.11 (83) lost to Adelaide Crows 15.10 (100) AO GWS Giants 16.16 (112) beat Port Adelaide 11.15 (81) UNSW Port Adelaide 20.17 (137) beat Carlton 6.11 (47) AO Brisbane Lions 10.7 (67) lost to Port Adelaide 22.18 (150) G Port Adelaide 12.15 (87) lost to West Coast Eagles 15.7 (97) AO Gold Coast Suns 4.14 (38) lost to Port Adelaide 16.14 (110) JS Geelong Cats 11.15 (81) beat Port Adelaide 11.13 (79) SS Port Adelaide 13.20 (98) beat Hawthorn 7.5 (47) AO Essendon 19.17 (131) beat Port Adelaide 8.13 (61) ES Port Adelaide 18.13 (121) beat Brisbane Lions 12.9 (81) AO Collingwood 9.8 (62) lost to Port Adelaide 13.15 (93) MCG Port Adelaide 8.15 (63) lost to Richmond 11.10 (76) AO West Coast Eagles 13.10 (88) lost to Port Adelaide 18.12 (120) DS Port Adelaide 19.13 (127) beat North Melbourne 8.9 (57) AO I don't think any of their wins have been against teams above them, and they haven't beaten any serious 'contenders' (I guess splitting the WCE game, and excluding the Sydney result in round 1) Doesn't mean that we are a shoe in by any stretch, and they have won at the MCG this year already. But if we can get Watts, Tyson and possibly Viney back this week, and with Gawn and Hogan hopefully a bit more 'match fit' we are definitely in this game!

You don't think that's directly related to the amount of exposure the player gets? If he was playing at VFL level (due to the club being in a premiership window) would anyone be talking about him, and would he be a candidate for the rising star... the answer is no. I'm not even talking about whether these players are, will be or should be good players. In most cases players will be exposed to, and have have an accelerated development based on the club and whether the club is putting time into 'playing the kids'. There are some obvious exceptions for exceptionally talented players, but not many first year players play for premiership teams! Curnow is a promising player, who has had a good month of football.

For all the people saying that Curnow is going to be a star, and he's better than Weid... I personally think it says more about the respective stages of development at the clubs, Carlton is a couple of years into rebuilding with Bolton as coach, and they have got a pretty ordinary forward line at present. Curnow represents the future and is getting game time and yeah looks ok at the moment. Weideman is playing in a team pushing for finals, and we aren't giving games to get match experience out. He has been tried a couple of times, but ultimately Pedo, TMac, Hogan and Watts as players are ahead of him as we push towards finals. That gives Weideman time to hone his craft at VFL level, and he looked really solid a few weeks back kicking 5. If Weideman was at the blues, I suspect they'd be playing him week in week out, and Curnow would be pushing and fighting for games at our club just like Weid currently is. It's not a coincidence that most rising star players come out of the developing teams....

If Watts and Tyson are back, I agree that we are a good chance to roll the Crows in Darwin. Interesting to see how we need to line up in defence against the crows... I'm more concerned about Port at the G than I am against the Crows in Darwin, Saints game is also not a given!

.... Stay as close to Viney and Jones as he can (without it being wierd) and watch and learn! I actually think 6 weeks has ended his season, and given that I don't think he is part of the best 22, he has some genuine concerns about 2018 and beyond. Not because of what he did, but where he sits in the pecking order with a healthy list.

I wouldn't be prepared to say that Hogan is better than Daniher and Lynch. Daniher is an exceptional aerialist and his goal kicking has been elite since the game that they played against us. If he had kicked straight that day, it's very likely they would have beaten. He can also kick the ball from outside 50, something that I still think Hogan struggles with. Lynch is a gun, and a different player again to both of them GC have a gem! I couldn't really care about comparing him to the other players, I can't wait to see Hoges playing again, and he makes us a better team. I think Carlton are going to try and play a niggly game and try and get some of our players to respond, if we keep our nerve and still can remain physical in the contest we should win, but lets see how that goes after last week, and the last time we played the Blues!

Is he an upgrade over what we already have? Not overly quick, but good kick. He's actually a player I recall at the time that he was drafted where the 'experts' questioned how much more development/upside he had in him, but still ranked as top draft pick... but slid to Brisbane in the end as a 'bargain' ... experts probably got it right!

So easy to say this... ^^^ Every single poster on this forum a month ago if you had told them we would have won 3 of 4 games and in the process beat WCE away as well as playing both grand finalists and thrashing last years premiers would have taken it without question. We came up against a physical, mature side on the back of 4 games in 18 days with a significant number of injuries and more to come. Perhaps you need to look at the other games over the weekend, perhaps instead of all of the doom and gloom, it's better to realise that almost every club is facing issues and uncertainty, and in any given week you might get done by the team you are facing. Apparently whichever team has occupied 17th on the ladder has beaten teams 10 times this season, only beaten by one other 'ladder' position. In of itself it means nothing except this season is and continues to be crazy, and we just have to hold on and see where the ride takes us.

Wow... just watched that for the first time, and whilst Bugg and Houli's were bad, they were at least in the 'time scope' of being an instinctive action. Not good by any means and they rightly will cop their penalty. That action by Fahour is not instinctive, it's intentional, and pre-meditated, that is a whole new level entirely. AFL needs to strong here, and their silence is a concern.

I agree that Lewis and Vince need to step up to show some leadership for what is a pretty young team at the moment. But Gawn, McDonald, Hibberd, Melksham... all of these players have been around for 5+ years. They need to stand up as a group to stand up and be counted. In terms of players that might be able to come in to play a role, Trenners if Goodwin and the list management team think he still can be a part of our list going beyond this year, otherwise, JKH, Maynard and the like to step up. White was pretty ineffectual, I'd like to see Joel Smith back in the side, but he needs a couple of weeks conditioning in the VFL I think before he comes back. Also don't want to see any of the players with soft tissue probs coming back too soon, we are still a serious chance this year!

Good point, I wonder if a couple of games in the VFL might see him given a go in the seniors prior to Salem coming back in... As with a lot of positions on the ground at the moment, fitting in the good players seems to be harder than dropping players out the side. Great place for the club to be in !!! Honestly feels like we have 26-30 players pushing a serious claim for the 22

I'm excited to see that Joel smith is back to play in the VFL this week, would love him to get back into some form. Really feel he can bring yet another dimension to our defence!

If you read the whole article, it's a little odd because he is saying we need a player with pace and skill that might be able to come off the HBF to work with Salem and Hunt. Ok, thats a fair point, So,...If you could use Brayshaw as part of a trade for Kelly, the club would jump at it, but I suspect that our 'untouchable' players would be needed to secure that deal with GWS. Johannisen... maybe I guess, but Pittard as a free agent, if we were serious about getting him... just offer the money and keep Brayshaw! A little distasteful when players with injuries get used as tradebait IMO.

Saty, if I am reading that last comment correctly, thats very distasteful and uncalled for on a forum about football. (regardless of the original comment which was a bit petty.) Mods?

Still can't put my finger on why, but ever since hearing Gawn is coming back into the team I've struggled to work out how things would work in the team. Watts, Tmac and Pedo have been great n the ruck/Fwd rotation, but equally OMac and Frost have held up much better in defence than I expected. It's a great problem to have, but I really feel for whoever eventually goes out when Watts and Hogan come back into the team. In terms of our talls, I actually think they are all in good form and none deserve to be dropped at this point, but inevitably Gawn makes the team a lot stronger, as does Hogan, but we can't play them all. I don't actually think I want to see TMac play in defence, at least while Oscar is improving... but can't see a role for him up forward with the other guys in the team, but then again he is one of the club leaders. TMac and Pedo are now fighting for the same spot in the team, and Pedo is more natural as the FWD/Ruck... So unless we come up against a team with three talls in in attack... which other than GWS and WCE (when Kennedy is fit) which have such a set up... Glad I don't have to select the team... just get to provide an opinion

Hibberd has been a great get for the club, I'm satisfied with Melk for the price we have paid too. He hasn't set the world on fire but has been serviceable since coming back into the team. Strikes me as a player that plays his role, but isn't noticeable or a standout with acts of brilliance. So isn't really put out there as a 'best player nomination' too often.

Is BenKen an option? looking at the VFH review of last round he didn't get a write up by Plapp.... Either he was really bad, or didn't play

Trying to be impartial here, in reading your comments to Leoncelli_36, Saty you seemed to take criticsm about players to heart, and quite personally. I have no problem reading what you have to say on things, but equally people are allowed to have opinions of players that they like, dislike, think are spuds, or have hot girlfriends... and they should be able to express these opinions here, this then should be allowed to be debated by posters, and the moderators are required to keep things in check. For what its worth for the thread here and keeping it on topic. I think JKH is in red hot form, but if he comes in this week, it won't be a like for like to replace Jones. Replacing Jones will likely come from within the team.. Salem, Vince, Lewis, Petracca etc. Between those players we might get a good substitute for Jones until he's fit. Watts being out allows Gawn to come in as a more 'like for like' with Pedo still there. That being said, Kent, Stretch, JKH if they want a wing/HFF to come in or Wagner for a HBF replacement would be my guess...

A lot of people confusing end of year delistings, with player trades. Spencil for example, I can't see any way he would be delisted, but I can see him leaving to seek opportunities elsewhere, or being traded.

I agree, we have a lot of good options coming off half back currently at the club and I'm still of the opinion that the player we need off the half back line is just nursing an AC joint. We need to identify a few younger talls that we can groom as ruck forwards. or tall defenders, I think Spencil, for the benefit of his own game is going to need to find another club in order to get a number one ruck gig. Can't see us ever playing him and Gawn in the same team, and his currency is at it's prime for both him and us as a club... Honestly I can't see a lot of holes in our list except for a key back with good footskills, We are turning into a destination club, but I still think the best prospects for elite players exist already on our list. I am no longer fussed that every 'star' is being linked to St Kilda and Richmond... let them screw up their lists by playing over the odds for a player. Regardless of who they might land, they have several other holes in their lists that need attention.