Overcoming our weaknesses

[Enviable Tradition]

We have spoken a lot about our weaknesses coming into this year.

The key ones for mine are.

1. Ruck
2. Tall KPD
3. i50 conversions

It is easy to forget when over analysing your team that all teams have weaknesses. Geelong had similar weaknesses in KPD and ruck last year and you could add midfield to that. But they had a plan to overcome it.

Are we seeing the same develop at Port?

Ruck

Our mids are adapting and are becoming just flat out good enough to make it work anyway if our rucks can just get close to breaking even.

KPD

I feel like Bergmann is the key here, just like Stewart at Geelong. His ability(along with Burton) to help out leaves us far less exposed

i50

Getting the ball in the hands of great ball users has improved us here. The likes of JHF and Butters just put the ball in spots and MAKE the forward move to it. The way we did it in the wet against the pressure of Melbourne was a very pleasing sign.

So what do you think? Have we done enough? Can we overcome these weaknesses when it matters?

Or will we get exposed in big finals when we lose the ruck, get mostered by a Lynch/Hawkins or revert back to kicking it long to intercept defenders and ruckmen floating back?

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[Enviable Tradition]

Perhaps the biggest test will be do we have a plan B for each of these scenarios. Dixon to the ruck seems to be one and maybe in an elimination final the risk is worth it.

JHF to FF is one we have tried for the forward line to spread the key defenders.

The defence is the biggest worry as our only plan seems to be to move Aliir to full back which really limits his effectiveness.


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[Mr Experience]

Butters, Rozee and JHF delivering the footy forward instead of Boak and Wines.

 

[Progressive Aggresion]

It's not as much overcoming weakness as it is playing people to their strength.

Look at what a simple magnet switch has done for DBJ & Williams swapping roles.

 

[MrChow]

If Lycett is fit, and might possibly need to be managed to be as fit as possible this year. I think he is adequate enough.

Wouldn’t play Dixon in the ruck, too valuable up forward. Against Melbs, a lot of our shots of goal were from 40m+ - Dixon in the forwardline (along with Marshall and Rioli) I think overall will improve our i50 efficiency, and also our conversion, which is more of an issue atm.

Key backs - Allir is taking the best forward and doing this well. McKenzie going ok too. Jonas is too old and slow. We will come up with issues against Geelong and Brisbane, with 3 tall forwards. But it will be the full ground pressure that has a greater impact

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Nice thread, ET.

1. Ruck - Ruck is a problem in the short term and the long term. We are playing so well and Lycett is our best ruck who is getting on. We don't have a great ruck in the long term. People are saying Visentini but he would be a fair distance away. Ideally, in the off season, we would use a 2nd rounder on a ruck from another team who is too good to be playing 2nds. The best would be Josh Carr

Josh Carr

Age

44

Ht

179cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.8

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

7.2

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.3

5star

CL

2.0

4star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

0.8

3star

calling up Sean Darcy

4

Sean Darcy

Age

25

Ht

203cm

Wt

111kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.1

3star

K

3.4

1star

HB

6.6

4star

CL

2.4

4star

HO

28.8

5star

D

6.8

1star

K

2.0

1star

HB

4.8

3star

CL

1.8

4star

HO

20.3

5star

D

11.4

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

6.8

5star

CL

2.6

5star

HO

32.0

5star

and throwing Mitch and stuff and then our ruck problems would be solved for our next tilt. Buckleys though.

2. KPD - like Ruck, the two positions occupied by Jonas and McKenzie could be upgraded. List Management did address it in the off season with McCallum and Marshall but they will take a while and they also tried to get the Ratman. I will say that McKenzie has been pretty good but has struggled on the lead on occasion and I worry when he comes up against a behemoth KPF. Pasini we are unsure of but we were also unsure of Dylan Williams. Chris Davies stated on Gettable that we were looking for a direct plugin KPD. Ben McKay

32

Ben Mckay

Age

26

Ht

202cm

Wt

104kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.5

2star

K

3.7

1star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.7

4star

MG

77.2

1star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

88.5

2star

D

7.0

2star

K

3.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.0

4star

MG

67.8

1star

is a FA. He is injury-prone and doesn't have the nice boot like the coaching staff likes down back but if healthy, he would really straighten us up and is an excellent mark and has good one on one strength. He also fits in with our time line. Maybe they have another guy they are looking at.

3. I50 - while the other two are more based on player development or picking up a guy off another team, this issue can be fixed right now by a bit of extra coaching and training. Usually I would have a go at the forwards but the team as a whole can spray kicks for goals. You really notice when a player is kicking well for goal like Butters against Melbourne, a couple of really nice kicks for goal, especially the one after the siren for the 3rd Quarter. If Hinkley leaves, does Schulz or Tredders help out.

4. A quick goalsneak would be nice in the team. Your Charlie Cameron

23

Charlie Cameron

Age

29

Ht

180cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

2star

K

7.9

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.2

4star

, Kozi Pickett type. They are hard to come by. Our small forwards are Sam Powell-Pepper

2

Sam Powell-pepper

Age

26

Ht

187cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.6

4star

K

8.6

3star

HB

9.0

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

5.1

5star

G

0.5

3star

D

13.9

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

7.1

4star

M

2.2

2star

T

3.3

4star

G

0.3

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

8.4

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.8

4star

, Junior Rioli, Darcy Byrne-Jones

33

Darcy Byrne-jones

Age

28

Ht

181cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.0

4star

K

11.8

4star

HB

6.2

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.8

4star

G

0.1

2star

D

25.0

5star

K

16.0

5star

HB

9.0

4star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.0

1star

D

19.8

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

9.4

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.4

3star

, Jed McEntee and Francis Evans. Only Rioli has that uncanny gift for a goal. An upgrade here would be great.

5. A lockdown small to medium defender. It is nice to have this one in the back pocket or even the front pocket. If a Kosi Pickett or Charlie Cameron

23

Charlie Cameron

Age

29

Ht

180cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

2star

K

7.9

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.2

4star

or Bailey Fritsch is playing, we have a guy who we can depend upon to stop them. Would love Jase Burgoyne to fill that role.

6. Coaching - the obvious one almost not worth talking about. All I will say is that we need a new head coach.

7. List Management - this will be our biggest off season for a while. I have stated previously that I think that this build has been very good to excellent but not perfect as list builds are. We have a very good team with super high talent but some holes that need to be addressed. It is time to address the holes with trading and free agency so we can compete as quickly as possible. List Management will know who inside the team is tracking well. Hopefully they have had their feelers out all year. The question is will they be ruthless enough?