There is a bit of discussion on the Jim Parks Medal site about me believing Docherty was our best player. I am not sure that is the site we should be having those discussions. As far as I am concerned on that site it is show your cards then read them and weep. If you check the stats and look at number of possessions and meters gained, Docherty is up there but that is not how I judge a game. I try and look at how a player plays within the context of the game. As far as I was concerned the ability of Port Adelaide to win the ball from our poor ball use going forward, decision making and lack of teaming, combined with their skills meant that the defence was under constant pressure and considering Jones, Williamson and SPS had shockers down back, the hard work of effective defending to keep us in the game was down to Saad, Docherty, Weitering and Plowman and while Weitering got better as the game went along, I thought Docherty was the one who was always the last line of defence, putting his body on the line and playing a Captain's and team game. I mark Walsh down because in my view, even though he gets a lot of the ball and he is very clean and his ball use is pretty good, I don't see him bringing others into the game or impacting by changing the direction of the game with the possessions he gets. I believe he has the capacity to do both of those things but he is yet to do it. This is the last time I will explain myself.
Doc has also been getting better, each week, this year. I think we can cut him some slack, after so long off.
I agree, he does make the odd howler, that stand out for all to see, but, geez he puts in, and is generally in the exact right position
At times it looked like they had 3 or 4 extra players out there...that's how poor our defence and manning up was.
This!! It was amazing how many times, the ball bounced around in a pack, we picked it up, and then another pack formed... but when, they picked it up, they were off, 3 or blokes in a chain that we had no chance of stopping. it was chalk and cheese. we fought so hard for ground, but they were able to make it appear out of nowhere
John Barker, to use but one example, has been with the Club since 2011. A decade. And a decade of misery (finals in 2013?)
He was a key forward, or arguably the 3rd tall at the Dawks. Talented player no question.
In 2020, he was anointed the "midfield and stoppages coach. "
Why?
What bunch of clowns would make a former key forward a midfield and stoppage coach?
While I am no great fan of John "Geez he's a nice guy" Barker, I'm not sure that this obsession that fans have of coaches having to coach the position they played is the right one?? Are we saying Barker hasnt learned any new skills, in 15 years, since he played at CHF?? He is now only valuable teaching forwards? He hasnt picked up a thing or 2 about the rest of the ground in 15 years involved in the coaching group?
The same thing is said of all coaches - "If Josh Fraser coached the 1s, the ruckmen would be great"..... not sure it works that way...
9.14 feck me! I was out so I only watched bits and pieces of the 1st and 2nd qtr on my phone. All I saw was us bust a boiler to get in I50 only to kick a behind and they went I50 and kicked a goal. Nothings changed in that regard Id say.
Easily too. They just seemed to kick them at will. At one stage we were leading the inside 50s by a large margin, but they were up by 4 goals. every time they went past the half way line, they looked a certainty to score - so much confidence and so much skill
That's a good point EB, and another thing that got me a little down. The VFL proper hasn't yet started, but if you want sustained success, the 2nd's team needs to be about the mark. Apart from the fact that we lost by 7 goals, 144-101 sounds like end to end bruise free footy. I really hope we can be very competitive in the 2nds.
We were in front by a kick (like 93-91) at one stage, then lost by 7 goals...... i believe there was a wind, but that is very odd
In the end just wanted to get to 2-2 no matter how. Thought that was just so important. 1-3 with Port to come would put things in a very different context.
Shawny, he was seen a boom recruit given his draft profile before GWS took him and he will get the extra slack cut his way that early picks get IMHO. Kennedy is at the other end of the spectrum, blue collar rookie one step away from delisting. I'd play Kennedy and have always said he has had a rough time selection wise..
Agree he has had a rough run, I’d play him too
But, remember, Kennedy was also a bit of a boom recruit originally
“A member of the Giants' academy program, he was drafted by the Giants with the thirteenth selection in the 2015 AFL draft, matching a bid from Richmond.”
Just glad we didn't blow the bank on someone like a Hannaberry....just read he's done another calf...the other one. That 4 year deal the Saints offered him on big coin had bad news written all over it...he was busted up well and truly by then.
Reckon the 'Aints are the poster child for SOS' theory on "anyone can build a list to finish 8th"..... made some big splashes in recent offseasons, but were they the right splashes ??
We have been crucified in recent years for not making moves during trade week (esp by the journos who see the club who made the most moves as the winner of the offseason, no matter what those moves are), but i think the strategy of not making moves just for the sake of it, and waiting for the right ones to come along (Martin, Saad, Williams, Fogarty) is proving to be the correct one (maybe the McGovern one is a bit whiffy, but it could come good)
All those journos blowing the Aints for picking up Hannabery, Ryder, Hill and Jones......... they still think these were such great pick ups? (esp when it meant Josh Bruce out the door??)
Only saw the extended highlights and not the whole game. But does seem like it’s a slightly easier game when you actually get paid a free or 2, especially in front of goal. I reckon we got our first couple of holding the balls for the year and H his first couple of frees for the year. Now they just have to do it for us v the tigs or the hawks or the pies
Good to see a 7 goal win where we really didn’t hit top gear.
Hopefully this last couple of weeks is the start of something huge for H (if he could start kicking straight, even better)
If Murphy is playing solely as a small forward, Betts at 44 is far better than him.
And quietly likely Owies and the new kid from SA (Durdin?) are just as deserving of a spot.
Easy to say - but didn’t Owies play late last year and not get near it? Murphy offers less than zero when the oppo has it, but he does know how to get a kick and occasionally looks like he may actually hit a forward with a pass when he has it
