Glad someone else thought the same, if Hampson kicked 0.4 people would be questioning him.

Can't play 2 rucks let alone 3.

Very happy with the result in a game I thought we'd struggle to win considering our outs.

Much better effort, better balanced side too. Killed 'em everwhere but on the score board (sigh), our goal kicking woes continue. Plenty to be happy about though.

I worked that out after everyone paid out on me

Haha, that's brilliant!

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Like that a few players are improving under Mick: Garlett (although I thought he wasn't too good today), Walker, White and, yes, even Lucas being the stand outs.

But Simmo's form slump has reached very concerning proportions IMO. Worse is that there doesn't seem to be any signs of redress. Hopefully Mick is working hard with him.

Waite may not be the best CHF in the game, but gee we look better with a half-decent tall forward. Can you imagine if we had a Nick Riewoldt type!

Perhaps the biggest plus in Simon White's improvement is that it may provide more opportunities for Henderson to play forward. Although would be better if White was a few cm taller.

Hopefully we'll hit out straps at some stage this year (preferably R11), because we've not really got close to a solid four quarter effort I don't think.

I take on board the comments of those at the game who said Port played it hard throughout, but I'd still rather we were able to bury teams in final quarters when we've already done well to establish ourselves a decent lead.

KILL THEM!

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From Cazz...
"One of the problems for us at the moment is playing the boundary line means that if we turn it over, the middle is open and we get scored against. I thought our back 6-8 were some of our best players today so it wasn't their fault the goals came."

I though this too...
This was also very apparent agains the lions in the NAB cup.
It shouldn't happen - isn't the whole point of going around the boundary ensuring that if it gets turned over it is on the boundary - not in the middle. And if it is going down one wing shouldn't the players all move across so that the other wingers/flankers are now in the middle? and yet we do seemed to get opened up very easily at times - as if the whole team has pushed over to the flank ceding the middle to the bad guys...
Only being able to see it on TV I am interested in the views of those who can see the whole field...

Brilliant.... Am go an try this also...

Pros:

With the team we had going in, I was hoping for a 5 goal win. Almost got there.
Aggression was much better this week. Good tackling performance (despite the umpires). Terrific forward pressure, especially in the 3rd quarter.
Kreuzer taking some forward 50 marks. Pity about his finishing.
Waite makes such a difference.
Bootsma's best game. Hope we pump games into him now.
Bell was good. Tough in the clinches. Composed in front of goal. Would love to see him get a good run too. Pleased about how Cachia is going, but I reckon Bell's a better player.
Classy crumbing goals from Murph.
Simmo was terrific in defence. Same again with Jamo, Hendo, White and Walker. Becoming pretty settled now in defence.
Good games again from Garlett, Warnock and Armfield.
Couple of clutch goals from Scotland.

Cons:

Some of the set shot kicking for goal.
Conceding cheap goals. Port's accuracy. Never could quite get far enough ahead to make it an easy day.

I thought he was way better today than last week.

I thought he did a terrific job on Boak too.

I had white as one if my best today. He brings a real physical presence to the team.

Anyone notice the shots of Fev in the crowd? I wonder what he thinks when he sees Hendo lighting up our defence.

If we ever learn how to kick for goal or hit a bloody target we might actually belt another team

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the new diving rule has also "robbed" Robbo of one of his best assets - the kamikaze crash into the legs of the oncoming player.

Brions killed us through the guts in the NAB 2nd half...I know it was only the NAB but this week will be interesting.

[youtube]7gsdasUcVPY[/youtube]

Shame the score is wrong at the end.

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Geeze bloody impressed by PA. Thought i was watching geelong. They have a huge upside. Once they add a bit more talent and have played their new system for a season they will be bloody hard to play.

About us
I thought it was experience and even contribution that got us over the line. The contest was fierce, we used it a bit better than PA and that was the main difference.

I thought we were generally better than last week in bring the ball forward to our advantage; less predictable.

PA transition from back through corridor was impressive; certainly found us out repeatedly and we need to address.

Menzel, no real comment except i thought some of his defensive efforts were weak. He allowed his opponent to run off him a few times. But again hard to judge off one quarter.

Lucas was ok; Robbo was ok. Good and bad in their play ... Certainly not as horrible as some make out reading this forum.

Really enjoyed armys game.

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'‘He had an enormous capacity to pump himself up and get the best out of himself when it mattered. He had a fire in his belly – a passion for the contest like few other players’' -- D Parkin in reference to the dominator

This was a very torrid game. Port are not the easy beats anymore. They are quick and run very hard.

We had to bat deep today with our midfield and the depth in terms of coming in and playing handy roles is good, but unfortunately I don't see much in the two's in terms of bona fide real promising talent in this area. We need to address this in this years draft / trade.

Henderson was best for me. He has fantastic aerial judgement.

Happy with Kruezer's game ... sure he didn't kick accurately but this was just an off day ... his percentages are good. Still think he is our best ruckman.

We are very scrappy and the likes of Gibbs, Yarran and Betts will help in this area.

Glad to get the four points !!!

Just a few thoughts:

1. We murdered them in general play. Destroyed.
2. Structurally we looked the best I've seen us in years. Kruezer and Waite can actually be targets. The midfield is better when Warnock rucks. He can't play forward. So Kreuzer needs to. And Kreuzer needs to see himself as a forward. For the res of the year. Jamo and Hendo great as a duo.
3. Our backline is very solid. Goals come mainly from poor midfield coverage now. Rarely defenders being beaten.
4. We have two areas to work on: GOALKICKING FFS. Should have been up by WELL over 50 at 3/4 time. Second area is 'the BLAZE'. Bootsma. Robbo. Several others. Hurts us badly. Must be eradicated. The no look long kick or handball to whoever. Give it to someone nearby and let them be tackled. Take the 50/50. Don't gamble. Odds are against you as there are usually one or two of them back. Why is this so hard to work out?
5. Think runners did well given they were absent Gibbs, Carrots, Betts and Yarran. Not sure how fit Murph was - he didn't run much. Ran out of steam in the last.

Overall happiest I've been about any game this year.

Simon White getting better with every game...will be a player IMO provided he gets a good injury free run at it. Cementing himself in the 22 and more strings to his bow than Laidler, Duigan, Davies etc.

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Happy to see a few mentioning Simon White. In the last few weeks, he's taken a massive step forward. Probably started in the Melbourne game. Ok, no opposition really, but that was his break-out game, and you can now see the confidence he has in his game. Whether it's to spoil or mark, he just looks now like he feels he belongs out there.

Don't underestimate the importance of this. It potentially frees Henderson to go forward if we ever need him there, and gives us a legitimate 3rd tall down back. There are a few players who have taken significant steps forward this year - Walker, Garlett, Lucas (yes, I am well aware of his shortcomings, but he has doubled his possessions this year over last...and yes, I know too many are wasted), Armfield - White might yet prove to be the most important.

Armfield's game on Hartlett was a beauty. In fact, Armfield's season has been a beauty. Curnow did a great job on Boake. Henderson continues to impress.

The big thing to me is still the delivery inside forward 50. Still too much bombing. No reason why we can't be kicking to a leading Waite, or midfielders running into space, which is what the top teams do so well. So many of the top team's kicks to leads inside 50 go to midfielders or mid-sized players; don't need to be a key forward to find space.

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Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!