Game Thread. NAB Cup Rd. 1 Swans Vs Power

[Dalai Lama]

Lots of it atwork today when I hadto show my face...thank heavens forall those years in the early 90's..no replacement for experience.

At least Fitzroy shouldn't beat us too badly this year?

[johnno]

Kirk didn't wear his usual head gear so that may have summed it up.

I fear we not only have a long year but will be left with quite a few players who we will be unable to delist because of G17 swamping the draft.

I would have thought the Club would have gone all out last trade/draft to compensate for the next draft. Might be a long year next year too.

By Rd 7 we should all know what sort of year we will be in for.

Dont get me wrong, I wasn't knocking Kirk, its just that apparently he was out there on Sunday, I watched the whole game on telly and I swear I didnt hear his name being called out once by the commentators. This leads me to believe he wasnt going 100% which tells me the team plan was not to go 100%. It was pretty obvious Port were going all out to win this game. At least this is my optimistic take on the game.

[AnnieH]

Dont get me wrong, I wasn't knocking Kirk, its just that apparently he was out there on Sunday, I watched the whole game on telly and I swear I didnt hear his name being called out once by the commentators. This leads me to believe he wasnt going 100% which tells me the team plan was not to go 100%. It was pretty obvious Port were going all out to win this game. At least this is my optimistic take on the game.

... and he finally sees the light.

This game was an opportunity for the fans to see things like Kirky's new haircut (and he seems to have lost a bit of weight). From memory, I don't think he touched the ball.

I think the dawkers were losing to Melbourne by the third ... they only won it to save their premiership faces. They'll bow out this week.

[stellation]

Dont get me wrong, I wasn't knocking Kirk, its just that apparently he was out there on Sunday, I watched the whole game on telly and I swear I didnt hear his name being called out once by the commentators. This leads me to believe he wasnt going 100% which tells me the team plan was not to go 100%. It was pretty obvious Port were going all out to win this game. At least this is my optimistic take on the game.

Watching the game on telly I thought that Kirk and Jude both appeared to be standing a bit looser than normal at the stoppages, I'd hazard to guess they'd (well, Kirk in particular) switched to more of an outside midfielder role so they could do some in game mentoring.

[Primmy]

I have one last thing to say on the matter, and it grates on me. Cheese is wearing number 11. ELEVEN. Stuey's number. Chalk and, yes I will say it, CHEESE. Not good enough.

[AnnieH]

I have one last thing to say on the matter, and it grates on me. Cheese is wearing number 11. ELEVEN. Stuey's number. Chalk and, yes I will say it, CHEESE. Not good enough.

When I saw the 11 I got a bit excited ... then I realised Maxi doesn't play anymore.

[Dalai Lama]

I have one last thing to say on the matter, and it grates on me. Cheese is wearing number 11. ELEVEN. Stuey's number. Chalk and, yes I will say it, CHEESE. Not good enough.

Should we "cut the cheese"?

[reigning premier]

Not going to read all the posts... Joined the thread too late! But FWIW, I was at the game on sunday and would offer the following;\

1. Shaw looks good. Delivered well into the fwd line on more than a cple of occassions. Will be handy especially given the walk out of Kennelly.
2. Bird looks a lot better for the run last year. Seems to have gone up a little bit and know looks a lot more comfortable at this level.
3. Jessie White was almost BOG. Defended well and disposals were pretty good.
4. Ruck is a serious problem for us. Jolly was good but after that it's abig step down.
5. The fwd line was well down but then again, no Hall and no MO'L will always leave us wanting.
6. McVeigh looked in great touch. The goals were pretty much in junk time but it's looking like another fantastic year ahead.
7. Bevo was a bit off but still in the mix.

[Jeffers1984]

I have one last thing to say on the matter, and it grates on me. Cheese is wearing number 11. ELEVEN. Stuey's number. Chalk and, yes I will say it, CHEESE. Not good enough.

haha well played sir. Definitely contrasting players in terms of hardness.

[AnnieH]

Not going to read all the posts... Joined the thread too late! But FWIW, I was at the game on sunday and would offer the following;\

1. Shaw looks good. Delivered well into the fwd line on more than a cple of occassions. Will be handy especially given the walk out of Kennelly.
2. Bird looks a lot better for the run last year. Seems to have gone up a little bit and know looks a lot more comfortable at this level.
3. Jessie White was almost BOG. Defended well and disposals were pretty good.
4. Ruck is a serious problem for us. Jolly was good but after that it's abig step down.
5. The fwd line was well down but then again, no Hall and no MO'L will always leave us wanting.
6. McVeigh looked in great touch. The goals were pretty much in junk time but it's looking like another fantastic year ahead.
7. Bevo was a bit off but still in the mix.

YOU WERE AT THE FRIGGIN GAME AND YOU DIDN'T CALL ME????
You're dropped.

[ShockOfHair]

Lots of it atwork today when I hadto show my face...thank heavens forall those years in the early 90's..no replacement for experience.

Pathetic. Didn't Carlton collect the wooden spoon after winning the NAB a couple of years ago? I hope you reminded the Brown and Yellows down your way that they trailed all day to last year's bottom team.

[giant]

Dont get me wrong, I wasn't knocking Kirk, its just that apparently he was out there on Sunday, I watched the whole game on telly and I swear I didnt hear his name being called out once by the commentators. This leads me to believe he wasnt going 100% which tells me the team plan was not to go 100%. It was pretty obvious Port were going all out to win this game. At least this is my optimistic take on the game.

I know what you mean but I recall at one stage a visual popping up that claimed Kirk had 3 clearances in 5 mins, so you just have to accept that Kirk does a lot of his work in the trenches that aren't necessarily tele-friendly.

My main concern from the weekend was the defence - we looked every bit as brittle down back as we did many times last year and I'm not sure who's to come back beyond Malceski, LRT? and a long distant Leo.

Part of the issues were NAB Cup specific rules like no kicking backwards (seriously, why would you want to keep playing in a competition that has fundamentally different rules to the Main Game?), but White and Bolton were both towelled by Tredrea & Motlop respectively and generally there was a real lack of poise and decision-making (as well as speed). We could cough up some big scores this year unless we can really close midfields downs. And I doubt we have the game plan or forward fire power to respond in kind.

[Donners]

As an aside ... it was a national day of mourning yesterday.
I was sort of expecting a minute's silence before the game.
Did I miss it, or did they not do it??
Disrespectful AFL. Disrespectful.

It was a meaningless exercise in politics which most of those affected ignored. The AFL has already made a substantial contribution.

[Legs Akimbo]

It was a meaningless exercise in politics which most of those affected ignored. The AFL has already made a substantial contribution.

Exactly. Closure for whom one asks.

[AnnieH]

It was a meaningless exercise in politics which most of those affected ignored. The AFL has already made a substantial contribution.

A minute's silence, I think, on what was announced "a national day of mourning" would have been appropriate. It wouldn't have "cost" a lot to do it.