Autopsy Round 7, 2024: Port Adelaide v St.Kilda

[ScrappyDo]

So I have had the night to think about it and my takeaways are:

- We have some dumb footballers that make silly decisions... I get the gameplan is to run and gun, but aimlessly kicking or handballing over the back of your head, or playing on to a bloke with 3 oppo players on him just shows either stupidity or lack of awareness.

- Windhager won't be superstar, but may be a lenny type. Will be reliable, and will always go for the hard ball and try his guts out

- Wilson... Just extend his contract now, he is the future

- Forwards.. Hammer isnt ready for the number one head honcho role right now, but will be in 2-3 years. Membrey last week and this week as the 'senior' forward did not stand up. Yes he got 3 goals last week but they were all junk time when we were 25 goals down... and last night he fumbled and dropped easy marks he should have taken. Think he is past it, but there is no one else to replace him.

- Umpires.... Most of those free kicks for Port were there last night BUT my issues lay with the fact that when infringed in exactly the same way, they were allergic to paying them for us. Just diabolical really, pay them all or pay none..

Anyway, I am eco now and will just sit back and watch the year fold out.

Welcome to ECO. Pull up a chair, the cigars and brandy are above the fireplace. No shouting.

 

[Sully111]

The lack of home games has got me out of the habit off going. I don't feel any need to attend this year. They only sent one of my codes for the Dogs game and saved me from seeing that fortunately.

I would have gone to the dogs game but I had covid. Couldn't get to the pies game as I had my kids.

I was going to take my girlfriend this coming weekend but the thought of watching us against north doesn't exactly fill me with excitement.

I honestly hate watching us mate... even on tv.

We are an ugly, ugly team to watch.

 

[beside the seaside]

A few negatives:

• Our skills need work. Fumbles probably cost us the game. Poor kicks, poor decision making, rushed handballs. When the game went up a level their mids were way cleaner with hands.
• Caminiti needs to work on spoiling. If he doesn't mark it he often doesn't contest. When we scored last night it was often due to just a hand getting in there and bringing it to ground, that brought Owens and Higgins into the game.
• We just weren't clean enough at the end. I think experience probably cost us there.

Positives:

• Wilson is the best first year player I can remember for us. He's getting better with every game. Not sure where he ends up playing but he will be a gun, whether it's a forward, wing or a mid. So exciting.
• Liked the look of Hastie.
• Pou did a bit last night. His hands are lightning. I feel like he can build on this game.
• Great to get Sincs back.
• Marshall a warrior.
• Owens had a very good game.
• Windy is gaining in confidence. He needs to get cleaner with hands but you can see the potential there. Looking forward to see him along side other mids.

 

[ScrappyDo]

I would have gone to the dogs game but I had covid. Couldn't get to the pies game as I had my kids.

I was going to take my girlfriend this coming weekend but the thought of watching us against north doesn't exactly fill me with excitement.

I honestly hate watching us mate... even on tv.

We are an ugly, ugly team to watch.

We'll be ugly for a while yet mate. Each week you just got to look at the difference in physical size of the oppo to realise how immature we are.

 

[BrutThough]

A few negatives:

• Our skills need work. Fumbles probably cost us the game. Poor kicks, poor decision making, rushed handballs. When the game went up a level their mids were way cleaner with hands.
• Caminiti needs to work on spoiling. If he doesn't mark it he often doesn't contest. When we scored last night it was often due to just a hand getting in there and bringing it to ground, that brought Owens and Higgins into the game.
• We just weren't clean enough at the end. I think experience probably cost us there.

Positives:

• Wilson is the best first year player I can remember for us. He's getting better with every game. Not sure where he ends up playing but he will be a gun, whether it's a forward, wing or a mid. So exciting.
• Liked the look of Hastie.
• Pou did a bit last night. His hands are lightning. I feel like he can build on this game.
• Great to get Sincs back.
• Marshall a warrior.
• Owens had a very good game.
• Windy is gaining in confidence. He needs to get cleaner with hands but you can see the potential there. Looking forward to see him along side other mids.

This is a really big thing we need to work on. Until we can start breaking even with defenders, we won't get enough opportunities to kick a big score.

 

[D2D3]

Big names ay. Steele, Marshall, Wilkie, Sinclair?
Who goes??

I know why people keep suggesting we do this but it has never worked for us. Hell of all the players we traded out in the early 2010s, Goddard, McEvoy, Dal, Stanley, I can’t think of one that was even a net neutral or us let alone a net positive. If we finish low on the ladder so be it we get a top 10 pick and a good second round pick just from that happening. Just use the **** things properly, no excuses. No need to trade the good players it took us years to find in the first place.

 

[gringo2011]

I feel like we're saying this every week though.

Kicking 60 pts a game doesn't give us the clear air to tolerate mistakes like that, which then magnifies the errors and probably ramps up the perceived pressure on the players.

Tbh this feels like 2007/8 era where every week was a slog whilst the team were learning, until the Ross way eventually started paying dividends. Difference being the quality of a grade talent he has at his disposal now is lacking compared to then

Our 2009 list had
Rooey- elite
Lenny- A grade but with the heart of a lion and leadership
Dal- A grade
Joey- B+ to A grade
Milne- Elite
Goddard -A grade in finals
Gram- A grade
Fisher- A grade
Ball- A grade
Gardiner - A grade
Kosi, Schnieder, Blake, Gwilt, Dempster, Dawson, Ray etc were all below that level but solid citizens.

2024 best
Wilkie- elite
Steele- A grade
Sincs- between a grade and elite
Marshall- elite
Wanganeen Milera- A grade
Hill- A grade
King- almost A grade.

Level below- Wood, Battle, Howard, Membrey, Higgins, Ross, Crouch, Butler, Dow.

High potential or heading in the right direction- Henry, Owens, Windy, Wilson, Phillipou etc.

We really need all hands on deck and a few kids to step up fast and we don't look that different. Smashing games into kids is the future before the old guys fall out of the side.

Losing Crouch, Henry, Wood and Dow all at once has exposed our thread bare midfield and small and tall forward depth has been stretched too.

Honestly our best chance at elite talent is finishing in the bottom 8. I hope we book surgeries and play kids for the rest of the year. Geelong fell out of the 8 and pinched Selwood and then went on a rampage for the next 20 years.

 

[gringo2011]

This is a really big thing we need to work on. Until we can start breaking even with defenders, we won't get enough opportunities to kick a big score.

Ross used to use Kosi as a spiller. Just a big body to dump the ball on and bring the ball to ground for the smalls. We need one of those that can back up ruck ideally.

 

[CursingFijian]

They dont come around very often and you need to finish last to get one. Imagine if wed had access to players like Bont or Trac or Rozee, we'd be a totally different team.

Port didn’t finish last though JHF just opted in. As did Dixon and Sweet and Esava and Aliir and Rioli and Zerk-Thatcher.

Port have recruited well, but there can be no doubt they know how to attract talent.

I can’t live in hope that one day last years number one draft pick will just choose us. My hope is already stretched out to the max.

 

[BrutThough]

Ross used to use Kosi as a spiller. Just a big body to dump the ball on and bring the ball to ground for the smalls. We need one of those that can back up ruck ideally.

We definitely miss that type of players right now. Would make us so much more competitive up forward and help turn average inside 50s into scoring opportunities.

 

[CursingFijian]

Disagree, I think he's got real BDE. He's rucking and having to play a pressure forward game.Give him a few years and then judge him. Need to compare him to someone like Cadman or Jefferson.

He will be better than Riccardi who is hitting his straps now.

As gets stronger and more experienced the BDE that you speak of will narrow in focus and he will have better moments in matches.

The best thing that can happen is that he starts to refine his ruck forward craft over the course of this year. Right now, I’m dropping Sharman or Members before Caminiti when King returns.

 

[D2D3]

We definitely miss that type of players right now. Would make us so much more competitive up forward and help turn average inside 50s into scoring opportunities.

Would kill for a Kosi and a Schneider right now haha

 

[Saint Shags]

Think Steele might be injured again

Wasn't there a tweet the other day with Steele and King in talks with the medicos at training and the usual suspects discounted it fully?
Might actually be more to it. And if he is injured and we're playing him still then we reap what we sow. The era of playing blokes well below their physical best is over. If you're off by even 5% physically fit wise you are screwed.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Port didn’t finish last though he just opted in. As did Dixon and Sweet and Esava and Aliir and Rioli and Zerk-Thatcher.

Port have recruited well, but there can be no doubt they know how to attract talent.

I can’t live in hope that one day last years number one draft pick will just choose us. My hope is already stretched out to the max.

We will generally be at the bottom end for attracting players as we can't compete with the big VIC clubs, so we must draft. Not many big name players are falling over themselves to live in Cheltenham either.

 

[phantom13]

Right, so the fact the we lost tonight by less than 2 kicks with Port being the beneficiary of some of the most ridiculously one-sided umpiring ever witnessed, we would be 1-6, according to your narrative??

I think the point was that in our one win we got absolutely kissed on the dick by the umpiring. If that one is called evenly or even the standard pro Collingwood we normally see then we’ve only beaten Richmond.

It’s a counter to the constant “oh we could easily have been 5-2 if not for suspension/injury/umpiring/bounce of the ball/mercury in retrograde/poor fixturing/Ross’ indigestion from his 5th rippa”.

We’re 2-5 and that’s probably right based on watching the games.

Last night was actually a competitive and consistent effort, Port is a substantially better team on paper and on field than we are right now but we dug in and had a crack. Scoreboard flattered us a bit but umpiring flattered them a bit.

For someone notoriously pessimistic I wasn’t upset with last night BUT Ross has to swing some changes.

Doogs needs the permanent red texta treatment. Absolute liability with the ball and his only strength (being able to lock down to oppos monster) seems to have gone. Dixon kicked 4 on him last night.

Bonner needs the same. Dumb footballer with zero defensive capability. If we’re that short on stock we need him he has to be a half forward (and that’s in the event we have no one else fit).

I’ll give Stocker, Membrey and Pou slightly more grace but they should all be on notice for sustained poor form (Pou had some great moments last night).

Now before someone says “oh we’ve got no one else” bullshit we don’t. Play Schoey and shuffle the backline, play Collard and move the magnets. Ross still appears to be a coach who refuses to moves the magnets in spite of glaringly s**t form.

I’m moving into “free hit” mode which is depressing given finals last year but if we get to that point and Ross keeps playing s**t kicking list cloggers who offer nothing more than ANYone else then he’s failing.

 

[Ilovewindy]

Small thing, but I always seem to notice how in marking contests, we have like 2-3 players go up for the mark whilst the other team has one while their other 2-3 players stay grounded and crumb the easy ball. We do it all the time and it pisses me off so much. How are these under 12's lessons not being taught to our players. We just get the basics wrong so often

 

[Saintbloke]

Would kill for a Kosi and a Schneider right now haha

Didn't' win us a premiership

 

[The Cobra]

We will generally be at the bottom end for attracting players as we can't compete with the big VIC clubs, so we must draft. Not many big name players are falling over themselves to live in Cheltenham either.

Cheltenham no but Braaahton - yes - nice coffee and other attractions

 

[Ilovewindy]

On another note, I'm so happy that Collard might finally get a proper go with both Higgins (most likely) and butler out. See what he can do and get his value up.

 

[Diehard Saint]

GWS were going to win 10 premierships in a row with their talent pool and they still haven't won one. Cats have been cooked for the last 18 years. Just try not to let them ruin your week. It's only entertainment.

Yeah, have got better with that.
Used to depress me all week after a loss. Now I keep telling myself it’s only a game, and that helps….occasionally

As far as going to the games, it’s still mostly worth it for the atmosphere, but tbh had one of my annual migraines the morning after the Dogs game. Coincidental? Who the hell knows?

Got to try put it in perspective. Off to WA again this week to visit my twin grandbabies, so that’ll take my head away from the Saints, being a little removed. Except I just know they’re going to grow up Eagles fans….
and tbh would I wish the Saints on them ( too cruel).

 

[ScrappyDo]

Cheltenham no but Braaahton - yes - nice coffee and other attractions

Braaahton's biggest asset is the number of roads leading out of it. It's fine for the cashed up retired bogans, but not not young people.
Still, better than the evolutional sewage outlet of Beaumaris.

 

[Tyrian Lonestar]

 

[Diehard Saint]

Probably should have been a couple more goal chances our way that umpires took off us. We were in that game. Footy is about causing turn over through pressure. You'll never iron that stuff out completely but skills training and experience should limit panic mistakes.

Dixon got the free when Dougal barely touched him and Roma marked in the fourth. Even the commentators couldn’t believe it.

 

[phantom13]

View attachment 1972196

Hodgey “iT wAS thE rIgHT CalL”

 

[Yawkey way]

To your first point. Players tried to execute the game plan as drilled into them this week.thats a good thing they showed dedication to it. Sometimes they zigged when they should have zagged but that'll come with time.

You can and obviously do go in with game plans but these were acts of sheer stupidity, no football IQ at all. It’s like saying we’re going to isolate king, you look up and he’s being double teamed, smart player checks down and hits an open target. Anyway if you get a chance to watch the first quarter again you’ll see just how bad it was, only port missing easy shots saved us from a much bigger deficit.