Generation dee

Nothing new to add as its been covered already- but congratulations dunny on your progress over the past few years. Much in a way that jack watts spoke to jobe watson for advice, in the next few years I can see players from other clubs coming to you.

Credit to you, you've copped a lot of whacks and the level you have taken your game to doesnt go unnoticed, not by this particular poster anyway.

Keep up the good work, go dees

Were there any training drills that looked different from usual, as in how to try to combat port adelaides 2 way running and ability to get loose players forward?

I watch them play in envy how they get loose players running forward of centre into open goals. Id love to know a stat of goals kicked inside 15metres from goal, I suspect port adelaide would be clearly ahead.

Furthermore saty, did any player's mention any tips the coaching staff had used to get them firing coming off a bye? Plenty of teams have lost after the bye in previous years.

Ill swallow my words wattsy, last week I bagged you for not showing enough application. Well, im sorry.

If damo barret doesnt call the dom tyson trade a win this week for both clubs, he should quit purely for showing he has no footy nous or ability to reevaluate his failings. He wont, but it shows even more the credibility of him.

Exciting to watch the boys play when you almost know they are going to give 100% now.

Awesome. That is all. Every single player. Well done boys exceptionally proud

I'm struggling to find where in that thread that you warned us that he'd suffer a season threatening back injury in his first season on the senior list.

Come on nasher, surely you have a phd in hindsight too. I thought they were giving them out.

I still can't understand why we didn't take Templeton at pick 2 in the rookie draft.

Jayden Hunt might have been the smokey and the questionable call (straight onto the senior list) but to then pluck another player out of obscurity over Eli yet again in the rookie draft?

There's been very little said about Hunt or Harmes since being drafted whereas Templeton has already played 6 games and kicked 4 goals in the big time.

I'd prefer not to harbour spots on either of the lists for long-term prospects, it's a luxury this club can't afford right now.

What? Dont you read the vfl review? Harmes had a 30 disposal game only a few weeks ago and has been tracking nicely in the muddy conditions in previous weeks. The club almost certainly got that pick right. Even if we picked templeton, chamces are he wohld be developing in the vfl in the same way as our guys are now. We arent in a situation like st kilda where we have to play first year players. We are in a position where we have reasonable depth but they needed to know how to play.

Templeton wasnt the answer last year and i think harmes and hunt have been coming along nicely

Look I just don't believe Watts didn't lead because he is a good for nothing lazy footballer, it just doesn't make sense. And if he was lazy then I'd expect him to be dropped this week because Roos won't put up with that. It also doesn't sit comfortably with the rest of his game which contained two memorable run down tackles that saved goals and a load of off the ball running.

I've only watched the first half again and if the incident is the one with about 7min 50 to run in the second quarter I think Watts knew that to kick it to him one out was the wrong play. The MFC player was a long way from Watts, perhaps 65 metres and the chances of hitting Watts was small Watts was one out and the cost of a turnover was high. I think Watts knew it was the wrong option.

The reality is that neither you or I know why he didn't lead. Your proposition is it was because he is lazy. Mine is that it's likely to be something else. I just found it disappointing that in an otherwise positive post you spent so much time and effort criticising DL's favourite kicking boy when there was a lot in his game to like.

Fair point BB. perhaps I have gotten used to some of his previous half efforts, which may have clouded my judgement in this case. Perhaps also the dropped mark he had 35m out had something to do with it. Credit where it is due, he did play better than he has the past few weeks and thats in a game that was tight, contested and pressured.

My only argument with what you say, lets for example say it was dawes or even frawley instead of jack. Do you think they would be have done anything other than put in a hard lead? A turnover would have been costly yes, but contrary to that, how much confidence would jack get from putting in a hard lead, making space and taking the mark?

Lets hope he can continue to build on a solid game this week. I believe our height forward of centre could test the tigers out.

I read your post and remember the incident clearly.

Here are some explanations.

1. Watts was covered, the player had the ball and was moving backwards from the mark when Watts pointed to the space between him and the boundary. If he'd led early the space would have been taken before the player could kick the ball. Watts was indicating where he wanted the ball and was waiting for the kick so he could lead into it.

2. Watts was leaving the space for JKH to lead into and not taking it from him as JKH had separation on his opponent and Watts didn't. Watts could then lead into the space behind JKH.

3. Watts is a lazy good for nothing footballer who couldn't be bothered running the 25 metres to make a lead and just thought FU.

Out of those three explanations I'd take the third one as least likely as it wasn't in keeping with the rest of his game and doesn't make sense. But you highlighted it as the only negative in your whole post. You must really dislike Watts

come on BB.

you have been a better judge of football in the past than that. of the 3 options which do you think it is? if you remember the moment, the player with the ball was actually holding it for a fair while as no players were free. But surely you have watched enough footy by now that if a player is manned up, they usually try to break off and get a step in front of their opponent dont they? this isnt me bashing on watts, he is a good kid and he had some good moments for the game. what i did say, if you read my post like you mentioned, was that it showed the difference in effort between the 2. one, a 70kg first year player who puts his body on the line whenever he needs to and works hard at every contest, vs a 6th year 196cm player who still isnt quite able to deliver intensity for 4 quarters.

wouldnt you prefer BB if we could both watch and know every player is giving everything and working hard at every contest, not just occasionally?

Hope you also noted when Watts worked on multiple leads then chased across the ground in one passage and then was bad mouthed by supporters for not having chased hard enough, completely ignoring the work he put in just to get across to the contest. Watts bashing is becoming de rigour on this forum but last night he definitely worked hard off the ball and was happy to tackle and scrimmage when able. He is not getting the possessions we would like but he is trying to do more 1% stuff to assist team mates. He was miles from being our wors

Hope you also noted when Watts worked on multiple leads then chased across the ground in one passage and then was bad mouthed by supporters for not having chased hard enough, completely ignoring the work he put in just to get across to the contest. Watts bashing is becoming de rigour on this forum but last night he definitely worked hard off the ball and was happy to tackle and scrimmage when able. He is not getting the possessions we would like but he is trying to do more 1% stuff to assist team mates. He was miles from being our worst last night.

I did note that. He clearly can wotk present and pressure. So why only do it in bursts? If you can point me to where I said he was our worst too that would be good. I actually thought he was solid after a few down weeks. Hence the frustration when he lets himself down with those half efforts. Im far from a watts basher and I hate the crowd booing our own players.

Not sure who was at the game, or who watched on telly or went by stats. But some posters have some serious clouded views of last night. I was at the game and took a few friends to their first game of afl. Ill start with positives.

After going a few goals down I was impressed we held tight and worked back into it by quarter time. Early on it looked like dawes was going to kick 6 or 7. He presents so well and works so hard in his first few steps on the lead. Jamar was terrific and pederson gave him a good chop out to allow him to rest forward. It was a slippery footy with a dewy night, which probably worked against us with the forward set up. That said, if its decent weather next saturday against the tigers we could really exploit them. Terlich was great early, he works so hard but his skills can let him down. We definitely missed him when he went off. Dunn is quickly becoming our most important backline player, he spoils so well and he realy controls play around him. Tmac zones off so well to spoil, likewise howe, and id love a stat that measures that so they get some recognition. Unfortunately, the guys can let themselves down with disposal. Garland will help fhis when he gets back inti the groove.

the midfield is really starting to click. Viney is an absolute terrier. He gets cleaned up and bounces back up, attacks the ball again and puts some fantastic pressure on that belies his age. Unfortunately he isnt a great kick yet either. Matt jones will get flak for his miss, but he ran so hard to get the ball, then run into the 50. He worked his guts out all game and to fault him on that miss is unfortunate as he had worked so hard. Again, disposal is the issue. He needed 2 steps less or jkh to keep his man back. Vince cross and jones all performed solidly.

Jkh is just unbelievable. He isnt lightning fast, but he thinks quick and this allows him to put pressure on and get in space. He has a huge future and someone who prepares like him has leadership written all over him.

My biggest praise is for dom tyson. Anyone who thought trading for him was a bad move, I hope you feel relatively foolish. When a ball is in dispute he attacks it like its his last contest, but then oozes class by hand or foot. His 60m goal lifted the crowd to levels I cant remember from being at a melbourne game in a long time. I dont know who is a good player to compare him to, however I feel like its only a matter of time before junior players coming through are being compared to him. I was excited when we picked him up, but the sky is the limit for him.

Negatives.

Matt stevic absolutely murdered us last night. Some terrible decisions from him and he deserves to be dropped to umpire in some faraway bush league never to be heard of again. It wasnt just the one on dunn, all night he was poor. I thought the other 2 were quite reasonable.

There was an incident in last quarter that for me just typifies the effort of 2 certain players. I cant remember who had the ball for us at chb, but on the wing was watts standing on his man, not moving with his arm in the air pointing wider, as if it was some sort of lead. On the other hand, jkh started his lead from about 30m out, sprinted towards the wing, straight past watts and kept working up the ground. He didnt have his lead honoured but he busted his guts to lead 100m, while watts stood there. Not only did jkh work, he created space behind him. Watts stood there and I just thought it showed his desire perfectly. Hopefully someone else saw it too, i heard plenty in the crowd give it to watts, which I dont like, but when he starts to work he will earn respect. He needs a month at casey to learn to go and get the footy with less skilled players and tough it out. Yes he is skilled, but seeing someone constantly want the ball on their own terms is just the polar opposite of every other player on the ground.

Byrnes was average but until he has someone to replace him, he will be there.

I thought our composure went in the last quarter and we were rattled by some pretty questionable tactics from the dogs. A lot of sniping. Jones deserves 3 weeks for his hit.

Overall I thought we would win right up to that dunn "free". You could see the guys panic after that. Its great to sit in the crowd and see youngsters at the footy smiling and cheering even into the last quarter, something thats been missing for a long time. Frustrated but so many positives, so many improvements and so much excitement is just around the corner to be too upset.

Bring on the tigers.

To be fair he has played well for a few weeks. JKH will have his turn. Class act and lucky for us he is a demon!

Pains me to say it, but "the Pedo" has actually been good for us the past few games.

Why on earth does it "pain you to say it"?

Shouldn't we actually be happy that a player, no matter how maligned, has shown signs of improvement??

Just heating up some popcorn. Anyone want any?

westhoff has been an absolute gun since his debut season - when he was 21.

if he was in victoria, he'd be considered a 'superstar', for want of a better term. he's not of course, but watts isn't a speck of grey on the hoff's beard by comparison.

No, no he hasn't. He has copped more criticism in the Adelaide media than anyone else in either port or Adelaide colours. The fact that he still turned it around last year under ken hinkley is a credit to him. That said, he was often Bronx cheered for a long time. What helped him is his games where he pulled a 3 or 4 goal performance from nowhere, a lot of the time in games when port were way behind, that reading the stats in no days paper you'd be forgiven thinking he was playing well. To watch him in his early years was considerable comparable to watts, that said I still think "Humphrey" as he is affectionately known, has a bit more drive and mongrel in him than watts.

Said it last week and I'll say it again, for every game ways plays like last night, he needs 10 games in a row like the st kilda game to get the respect back from demon supporters. Last week he was pathetic, last night, well I don't have a word for it. Forget casey, he should be sent out to play in a low standard bush league for a struggling club. Then he can learn to fight for the footy and how to get it, instead of playing the insipid footy he is now. Obviously that can't and won't happen, but can you imagine a more gutless performance in recent memory?

The difference in cheer for Salem and watts is disturbing. Almost warranted but disturbing

If I don't see an article tomorrow saying the Dom Tyson/Chris Salem deal could prove to be the best deal since the inception of trading in tomorrow's paper, I'll never buy a herald sun again! First time I've seen every player run to a guy after a goal in years too! Onya Salem!

Already salems first game>watts 70/79 games

How was the crowd for salems first touch!!

This ain't over. Not in a long way.

Who the f is josh Kelly? Damo Barrett go play in traffic

OK. Half Time.

Thing's I've loved:

Viney took a mark in front of the leading Franklin. Stretched right up and left himself wide open with no idea how close Franklin was. THe kid has no sense of self-preservation.

Nev hurling himself into the air to spoil a certain mark, winning the ground ball and getting hit high for what would have been a free kick had he been wearing just about any other jumper.

Jamar's effort around the ground. He's not getting many disposals, but he's providing a physical presence more than he has for the last few years.

The overall physical effort from the team.

Things i've hated:

The [censored]-poor one-eyed umpiring.

Watts' inability to chase, compete for a contested ball, jump for a mark with both hands...

Concerns:

Pretty sure we'll see at least one of our players suspended out of this.

I'd love to see us make the most of our inside 50s in the second half to put on some scoreboard pressure.

Agree entirely, just need a few guys to stand up and prove their worth. Frawley, jones, vince Dawes and grimes are all playing well defensively or with great effort, just polish up on the foot skills and we improve from an 8 goal a week side to a 12 goal a week side.

I'd love to include watts but I feel he has peaked. Not a jab at him, just don't see the desire in him that I see in 99% of other afl players

Jeeeeez pedo looks great tonight. Credit to him. Our pressure is better than vs Carlton! I'm so impressed with that. Just the skill...

These umpires are a joke. I don't ever blame them but these holding the balls are a genuine blight on the game. Stupid rule that needs to be fixed. Put your whistle away umps- no one pays money to go watch you guys on the blower, if we did I'd be down watching the Scottish bagpipes every Sunday. I wanna see the players! Thanks dawesy!

Tackled before you hit the ground, layed on by two people with a combined weight of 180 kg, but of course it's holding the ball.

That got what it deserved. Jeez the holding the ball rule is terrible