Preview Round 20: Port Adelaide vs Greater Western Sydney

[Contested Marx]

Round 20: Port Adelaide vs Greater Western Sydney

Saturday, August 15, 2015. 4:05pm ACST @ Adelaide Oval

Background

The Power and Giants are traditional rivals harking all the way back to Round 19, 2012 when Port well-and-truly bottomed out and gave GWS their first ever score over 100 points (and first victory against a 'real' team (apologies Gold Coast supporters)). This fateful day also set in motion the mechanisms that saw the eventual upgrade to PAFCv2.0.

This season Port haven't lived up to expectations, but on the contrary the Giants have exceeded most people's and are the other, other big mover this year.

GWS are coming off a strong win against the hapless Essendon and are half a win outside the finals.

The Power, however, are right out. GAWNN . The initial 'tickle in the throat' symptoms of cancer that (in hindsight) were presenting back during the NAB Cup matches, became prominent as bulbous tumors when the losses to Brisbane and Carlton occurred. Finally the cancerous growth was stopped when the Bulldogs snuck into our hospital room and placed the large Wipeclean™ pillow over our season's face and held it there until the EKG flatlined and our season was finally snuffed out without even a TS Elliott-like whimper.


The Last Time We Met
Round 7, 2014:

Port Adelaide 20 12 132)
Greater Western Sydney 15 7 (97)

Crowd: 6,549



Back then, Australia still had the Ashes, Kane Cornes was only dreaming of becoming a fireman and aeroplanes seemed to stay in the air a lot longer than they do now. Port were in good form, sitting at the top of the ladder, and the Giants were just another expansion team. Port rolled GWS by 35 points, with Polec best on ground (thirty and three'd), while Schulz kicked 6.

Gameday
Well it's hard to care now after last week's catastrophe. Port have nothing to play for except pride and/or giving young / fringe players some much needed exposure. I think we're all looking to see some youth thrown out there, but to be fair all I want to see is a bit of grit and determination.

The Giants bring with them some exciting names, Patton returned last week and they seem to have capable goal kickers by the dozen. Given their finals are on the line, plus they can probably smell the blood, you'd expect them to come out firing.

However, the Giants are yet to play at the Portress. And despite the thrashing handed to the Power last weekend there should be a lot of fire in the belly of the Power players. Let's hope so.

Prediction

I'm expecting a high intensity start to the game with one team fizzing out by the third quarter.

Port Adelaide by 'meh' points in front of 30-odd thousand bemused fans planning their September vacations.

 

[Andre]

Back then, Australia still had the Ashes, Kane Cornes was only dreaming of becoming a fireman and aeroplanes seemed to stay in the air a lot longer than they do now. Port were in good form, sitting at the top of the ladder, and the Giants were just another expansion team. Port rolled GWS by 35 points, with Polec best on ground (thirty and three'd), while Schulz kicked 6.

Did lol. Aeroflot can be a second tier sponsor after this season.

 

[Dave Omsby]

Looking at those highlights , Polec stands out like dogs b*#*s . Would love to have him back , hopefully he's right for next year .
As far as this weeks game goes , should be interesting , will we go flat out for the win ( I think so ) or use the game to drop some under performing best 22 players and try out some youngsters ?
GWS are quite a good team and are still in the finals race .
Hopefully we show something in the next four games to give us hope for next year .

 

[DazzaTys]

Afl website has GWS favourites. Port to win by plenty with Lobbe, Mitchell and S Gray to share BOG and get their contracts extended by 20 years.

 

[Power Raid]

geez we looked a better side when we had pace through the midfield

 

[Kingfish73]

It used to be exciting reading the preview thread and engaging in some pre game analysis. It ain't at the moment. And this is of no fault to fellow BigFooty members kicking off the thread. It is because you kinda expect us to disappoint once again and playing 10 minutes of champagne football. Just want us to show spirit towards the jumper and start playing like a group of hungry men, not spoiled kids.

 

[Waspy79]

After 2012 the least we can do is to end these pricks finals aspirations. Will be at my last game for a while so I want it to end well.

 

[Byrons Firen]

Afl website has GWS favourites. Port to win by plenty with Lobbe, Mitchell and S Gray to share BOG and get their contracts extended by 20 years.

Laughed my arse off at this coment........oh wait........its NOT funny at all

 

[mic59]

GWS have two out, Tom Scully and Adam Treloar and Stephen Coniglio is having a concussion test, but they aren't short for replacements, they have at least 3 players who had 30+ disposals in the NEAFL. Of course large numbers in the second-tier leagues do not always translate to the same in the AFL. Kane Mitchell has been testament to that. But after considering the lack of interest most of the team showed against the dogs, a player with Kane's hustle could be what we need.
It is difficult to know who should go after such a shocking effort. I can't suggest too many but for me in his games before injury and after his return White has been seriously underwhelming. Cam O'Shea as well has not shown any consistency and has been at best adequate.

 

[Coobk001]

That banner has had way too much time spent on it for this forum.

 

[Dalfino]

The Power, however, are right out. GAWNN . The initial 'tickle in the throat' symptoms of cancer that (in hindsight) were presenting back during the NAB Cup matches, became prominent as bulbous tumors when the losses to Brisbane and Carlton occurred. Finally the cancerous growth was stopped when the Bulldogs snuck into our hospital room and placed the large Wipeclean™ pillow over our season's face and held it there until the EKG flatlined and our season was finally snuffed out without even a TS Elliott-like whimper.

Jesus...

 

[Contested Marx]

That banner has had way too much time spent on it for this forum.

All done on my phone whilst riding the train to/from work.

Spent more time on banner than words though.

 

[Marmozet]

Meh, another week, another game hard to get excited for! May as well just give youngsters a crack, but I do want to finish the season with a little more than 8 wins, winning our last 2 home games for the year would be nice.

Apparently GWS will be without Scully, Treloar and Coniglio so that will help us a little.

 

[Jaffa Fan]

All the best for the game fellas, looking forward to my first Adelaide Oval AFL game. I'll be the bloke in orange.


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[Coobk001]

All the best for the game fellas, looking forward to my first Adelaide Oval AFL game. I'll be the bloke in orange.


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You might also be the only person there with a smile on your face. Before and after the game! We're a miserable lot around here.

 

[Power Raid]

All the best for the game fellas, looking forward to my first Adelaide Oval AFL game. I'll be the bloke in orange.


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I'll look out for you.......and I'll be in Port's traditional magenta

 

[Jaffa Fan]

I'll look out for you.......and I'll be in Port's traditional magenta

Didn't know Port had cheerleaders.


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[Power Raid]

Didn't know Port had cheerleaders.


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Was it the cheer leading uniform or the bikini wax job that gave that one away?

 

[TeeKray]

Honestly, if we lose to GWS minus Mumford, Coniglio, Scully, Treloar and Shiel, we might as well shut up shop and forfeit the last three games.

 

[Jaffa Fan]

Was it the cheer leading uniform or the bikini wax job that gave that one away?

The lean, yet muscular thighs.


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[Contested Marx]

Apologies for not including the GWS outs in the OP but by the time I got to the bottom of that post I'd exhausted all my football energy.

 

[philreich]

Honestly, if we lose to GWS minus Mumford, Coniglio, Scully, Treloar and Shiel, we might as well shut up shop and forfeit the last three games.

If we lose this week, the odds for next week will read like a cricket score in Hawthorn's favour!!!

 

[Ant Bear]

Ok. I'm ending my three days of mourning for the wasted season, and am coming out of my self-imposed exile for the sole reason of making my landmark 3000th post meaningful rather than plonk it amongst the loose dribble that is the SFA

Trying to be positive, we cannot possibly be more flat or have a worse work ethic than last week. We should be looking at GWS as a team whose applecart we can upset, however if we lose then it damages the Crows' finals chances. Win-win

It is hard to see what we can get out of the remaining four games. Respect? Lost that. Momentum? Too late. Experience? Blooding rookies in a winning culture is worth ten times the experience of four meaningless games. List scrutiny? We all know who is not up to it.

I'm trying to smile, but I'm inside. Footy season lasted only marginally longer than the winter cricket series

When does the NBA start? Thirty-sixers, thirty-sixers, we're the pride of Adelaide. Thirty-sixers, thirty-sixers, greatest team that ever played...

GWS by 5 goals

 

[Janus]

"I think just the will to win, and the way that manifested itself in practice. I mean, every day was a battle. It really was. Whether it was a scrimmage, shooting drill - didn't matter. He wanted to win so badly, and that established the entire culture for the team. I mean, here's the greatest, most talented player on earth, who's working harder than anybody. So if that doesn't establish you who are as an identity, as a team, I don't know what does." - Steve Kerr on Michael Jordan

People ask whether this season is a wasted one because we haven't developed anybody, improved skills, improved defense etc. I would say that it all depends on whether the culture of wanting to win on our terms is finally replaced with just the will to win, full stop. If we go into these last four games with an attitude of 'let's blood younger players, let's gift games, who cares' then the people who say it was a complete waste of a season will be right. Because not only would we not have learned anything about the fundamentals of composure under pressure, determination and the sacrifice that is required in a team sport, we would have given those players that disgraced themselves last weekend with their lack of passion and self-belief an excuse to justify their poor performance.

The will to win isn't about putting your balls on the line when there is something at stake. It's putting it on the line when there is nothing at stake. We will learn far more about these players in the next four weeks than you could ever hope to learn if we had scraped into an undeserved finals spot. Far better to see who is willing to do the hard yards when there is no glory, only the ignominy of a media circus asking 'Why couldn't you do that when your season was still alive?'

But that's good. That's what we want. We want the scrutiny. When Garry Lyon says that Port Adelaide has achieved nothing, he's absolutely right. We don't measure ourselves against his shit kicker club. We measure ourselves against the premiers, and whether we fell short by 3 points or 119 points, the result is exactly the same. My question is, what are we as a team going to do about it? Are we going to just hope for things to happen, as Ken alluded to throughout the year? Or are we going to use this game as the catalyst, and start fighting our way back to actually making it happen?

It starts with our star players. If they are prepared to sacrifice their personal game to ensure victory, then that filters down to the fringe players. You want to know why a guy like Aaron Young is going at half-rat power? It's because guys like Gray and Wingard are coasting on the back of their superior talent. They've been coasting all year. Sure, their stat levels are up there, but in terms of running back to cover defensively, providing run and spread and generally doing the unrewarded things that don't get registered on the stat sheet, our gun players have been deplorable. Last time I checked, there wasn't an anchor tied to their feet stopping them from running just because a player decided to guard space. It's not up to the fringe players to set the example for their team mates. The only player who I could say is truly busting a gut each week this season is Travis Boak. Robbie Gray replied 'Clearly not' when Warren Tredrea asked if they were playing for each other. To which I say, "Why don't you show some leadership and desire and set the example Robbie? Show us that you don't just have a want to win, but a will to win."

Then it filters down to the fringe players, and permeates the entire team. 100 percent commitment at all times. A football team isn't a communist regime where the lowest skilled denominator sets the bar by which our best players can point at and say 'Well, I had a better game then him.' Who gives a ****? Are you really happy with the fact that you had a better game than a fringe teammate in a match where you got flogged by 10 goals?!

I'm expecting us to win against Hawthorn the following week as some sort of belated statement of intent for the coming season. But this game...it would be easy to go through the motions. No more easy wins. No more coasting victories. We win the ****ing same way every single week, regardless of the opposition. They play bad, we exploit them. They play well, we still ****ing win, because we ****ing HATE LOSING! None of this 'We're all really disappointed' Gen Y bullshit. Get ruthless and aggressive, but most of all, consistent. And if you can't do those three things...we'll find some players who can.

 

[Ant Bear]

"I think just the will to win, and the way that manifested itself in practice. I mean, every day was a battle. It really was. Whether it was a scrimmage, shooting drill - didn't matter. He wanted to win so badly, and that established the entire culture for the team. I mean, here's the greatest, most talented player on earth, who's working harder than anybody. So if that doesn't establish you who are as an identity, as a team, I don't know what does." - Steve Kerr on Michael Jordan

People ask whether this season is a wasted one because we haven't developed anybody, improved skills, improved defense etc. I would say that it all depends on whether the culture of wanting to win on our terms is finally replaced with just the will to win, full stop. If we go into these last four games with an attitude of 'let's blood younger players, let's gift games, who cares' then the people who say it was a complete waste of a season will be right. Because not only would we not have learned anything about the fundamentals of composure under pressure, determination and the sacrifice that is required in a team sport, we would have given those players that disgraced themselves last weekend with their lack of passion and self-belief an excuse to justify their poor performance.

The will to win isn't about putting your balls on the line when there is something at stake. It's putting it on the line when there is nothing at stake. We will learn far more about these players in the next four weeks than you could ever hope to learn if we had scraped into an undeserved finals spot. Far better to see who is willing to do the hard yards when there is no glory, only the ignominy of a media circus asking 'Why couldn't you do that when your season was still alive?'

But that's good. That's what we want. We want the scrutiny. When Garry Lyon says that Port Adelaide has achieved nothing, he's absolutely right. We don't measure ourselves against his shit kicker club. We measure ourselves against the premiers, and whether we fell short by 3 points or 119 points, the result is exactly the same. My question is, what are we as a team going to do about it? Are we going to just hope for things to happen, as Ken alluded to throughout the year? Or are we going to use this game as the catalyst, and start fighting our way back to actually making it happen?

It starts with our star players. If they are prepared to sacrifice their personal game to ensure victory, then that filters down to the fringe players. You want to know why a guy like Aaron Young is going at half-rat power? It's because guys like Gray and Wingard are coasting on the back of their superior talent. They've been coasting all year. Sure, their stat levels are up there, but in terms of running back to cover defensively, providing run and spread and generally doing the unrewarded things that don't get registered on the stat sheet, our gun players have been deplorable. Last time I checked, there wasn't an anchor tied to their feet stopping them from running just because a player decided to guard space. It's not up to the fringe players to set the example for their team mates. The only player who I could say is truly busting a gut each week this season is Travis Boak. Robbie Gray replied 'Clearly not' when Warren Tredrea asked if they were playing for each other. To which I say, "Why don't you show some leadership and desire and set the example Robbie? Show us that you don't just have a want to win, but a will to win."

Then it filters down to the fringe players, and permeates the entire team. 100 percent commitment at all times. A football team isn't a communist regime where the lowest skilled denominator sets the bar by which our best players can point at and say 'Well, I had a better game then him.' Who gives a ****? Are you really happy with the fact that you had a better game than a fringe teammate in a match where you got flogged by 10 goals?!

I'm expecting us to win against Hawthorn the following week as some sort of belated statement of intent for the coming season. But this game...it would be easy to go through the motions. No more easy wins. No more coasting victories. We win the ******* same way every single week, regardless of the opposition. They play bad, we exploit them. They play well, we still ******* win, because we ******* HATE LOSING! None of this 'We're all really disappointed' Gen Y bullshit. Get ruthless and aggressive, but most of all, consistent. And if you can't do those three things...we'll find some players who can.

Could you come over to the SFA and give your Swamprats team-mates one of your inspiring pep talks? Cos we'd take more notice than the Power boys.