who are the BIG forwards for Port adelaide???

[johnno]

Ok, now with LRT out for this game, who are the Big power forwards of Port Adelaide that we need to cover and who do we have to do the job? I know there is Tredrea, been playing well I hear, anyone else???? Also, is Leo perhaps ready to come back in??? Could be handy all of a sudden.

[sidswan]

Unfortunately, Leo was re-injured week before last, and didn't play last Sunday....so no, definitely not ready to come back in.

[Claret]

Ok, now with LRT out for this game, who are the Big power forwards of Port Adelaide that we need to cover and who do we have to do the job? I know there is Tredrea, been playing well I hear, anyone else????

Tredrea is finding his best form since 2004 and is no longer moving like the QE2. His two grabs in the final minute of last weekend's game effectively both won and saved his team (and my multi-bet! ). Ebert, whilst not big, plays as another key forward and both Chornes and Lade spend a fair amount of time up there.

[laughingnome]

Bring in Pyke, sit him 35 metres from the Padelaide goal and tell him to catch anything that comes near him.

Tredrea, Ebert and Lade are the most dangerous. The rest are midfielders that rotate forward - like Jude on Saturday.

[reigning premier]

DON'T put Bevan anywhere near Motlop.....

[Bloody Hell]

If you can shutdown Tredrea you've gone a long way to beating them.

[573v30]

Tredrea and Motlop are definitely the danger men in the Port Adelaide forward line. Tredders has shown his best footy in about 4-5 years and Motlop is flashy and effective. Reduce their influence and the game is ours for the taking.

[liz]

The defensive match-ups are going to be interesting. Ebert is a big danger man and one that Leo has traditionally taken - sometimes with excellent results and other times ordinary results.

In his absence, Bolton would probably be the best match-up but if LRT misses, you'd think that B2 will have to take Tredrea.

Ebert is almost certainly too strong overhead for Bevan, and in any case, Bevan is probably going to be called on to mind Robbie Gray.

Mattner looms as the most obvious choice for Motlop. He has the speed, though whether he has the defensive nous is questionable. But then if Motlop is "on", there are few defenders in the league capable of calming him down. Since Motlop isn't particularly renowned for his defensive efforts (though I understand he might have improved a bit in this department in 2009 - I haven't watched much of Port play so far this year), hopefully Mattner can work off him a bit and provide some forward movement.

Which still leaves us without anyone obvious for Ebert, unless LRT is OK to go and can free up Bolton. Grundy's not quick enough and I am not sure Ted is either, though he's the better choice of the two. But if Tredrea is on fire like he has been for much of this season, we might need Ted to stand the hole in front of him to give some protection to Bolton/LRT.

And then, of course, Port always have the option of making things tougher by throwing Lade forward given they have another very strong ruckman. Lade always seems to snag a couple of goals against us.

If LRT were going to miss a game, would be much nicer for us if it was the following week against the Doggies, where he probably doesn't have an obvious opponent.

[BSA5]

Liz, can't agree with you about Mattner to Motlop; Mattner has nowhere NEAR the defensive nous to play on a player as smart and dangerous as Motlop.

Assuming LRT is out:

Bolton - Motlop
Richards - Ebert
White - Tredrea (I know, I know, we all like White up forward, but with LRT out, we need a big body down back, and he has played down back in ressies. Grundy has been so much better in attack that defence that I think he should stay down there.)
Mattner - Gray
Bevan - forward.

When Lade moves forward, have White move to Lade, Richards move to Tredrea, and Bevan move from defence to Ebert. Unless of course, Lade moving forward bumps somebody else out of attack, which would affect the matchups depending on who left. But yeah, with LRT out, I can see this being another game of shifting matchups in defence, like the WC one.

With any luck, LRT will pull up well. That would make things a LOT easier.

[liz]

If you reckon Mattner has little chance against Motlop, surely White has even less against Tredrea? I reckon White has the potential to become a very handy backman but to date he's played one game of quasi-senior football in defence - the NAB Cup this year - and he was towelled up by Tredders. Tredders is in blistering form right now. It would be sending a lamb to the slaughter.

[BSA5]

If you reckon Mattner has little chance against Motlop, surely White has even less against Tredrea? I reckon White has the potential to become a very handy backman but to date he's played one game of quasi-senior football in defence - the NAB Cup this year - and he was towelled up by Tredders. Tredders is in blistering form right now. It would be sending a lamb to the slaughter.

Mattner is not a defensive defender, and attempts to make him one have failed so far. He's good at laying tackles, but not necessarily on his direct opponent, but anybody who beats him to the ball. That's not having a go at him, he's just not the sort of player that can do that.

I want to back White in. He's an unknown quantity, and with LRT out we have to take some risks. Obviously if he's getting towelled up then the matchups would have to be re-thought, but in terms of physical capabilities and the types of players they are, White is a good match for Tredrea. Far better than Mattner for Motlop. Mattner doesn't have the agility, aerial ability or smarts to go with Motlop. The only thing White lacks is experience, and there's only one way to get experience.

Collingwood played Nathan Brown on some of the best forwards in the league in his debut season. They backed him in, and it paid off. I'd like to see us try the same with White.

[Go Swannies]

It has to be B2 on Tredrea unless we want to concede that he'll kick 10 goals on us. Did you see his game last weekend? He did lots of clever things as well as monstered the pack. I've rarely seen him in better form and that showed when he kicked the winning goal then ran down the other end and took the defensive mark that ended the game. Asking White to take him on could scar him for the season. Bloody Motlop - I'd probably go with Mattner and tell him to play to win the ball not stop Motlop. We might concede a few but might get some early run out of defence, too.

Let Shaw do his own thing? Did you see the disgruntled Eagle on BigFooty saying that Shaw must have the world's worst case of BO as there was never anyone near him?

[desredandwhite]

It's pretty simple really. Control the midfield and never let it get to Tredrea, Ebert, Motlop et al in the first place!!!

[Go Swannies]

It's pretty simple really. Control the midfield and never let it get to Tredrea, Ebert, Motlop et al in the first place!!!

Obviously you watch too many Geelong games. It ain't that easy for us.

[Hartijon]

It's pretty simple really. Control the midfield and never let it get to Tredrea, Ebert, Motlop et al in the first place!!!

This is going to be where we win it or lose it for sure.Stopping the smooth run of Port out of centre and stopping their composed delivery to their forwards is a huge task. Motlop can carve any defense up and he needs an angry close checking tough opponent to make him earn every kick. I don't think we have anyone who can do this. We will just have to deny his supply which gets back to the point of this post. The defense is going to need a lot of help this week from the followers and midfielders who must be accountable all day. I think stoppages will be the order of the day.We are good at it,its our recognised style and we can win playing that way whereas Port can not win that way!