Although Port have a very quick and skill full team we have all observed how difficult to play a game style of an extra defender behind the ball then flood forward in numbers against another equally if not better 22 players. The ball movement looks very exciting by Port but it is a game style that is very difficult to sustain because a team like the Swans simply lets you move the ball around the flanks and we zone off into the back 50m arc and middle with numbers then counter attack direct and fast
Now if Port had a Buddy Franklin I am sure they would play our style too in large parts of the game and create more one on ones for a key target
So for me Port and North play a similar style of running it through hands a feet with large numbers and high possessions.........a litle like Brisbane and Geelong in their hay days ! ...............The Cats this year and 2013 are not disimilar as they have a lot of small agile players on the flanks
Hawks love to move the ball around to uncontested possessions and set up their deadly accurate kickers
Sydney love to keep the ball in tight, dominate the clearance via excessive tackles then break as quick as possible for a direct one on one with Buddy, Goodes or Tip etc
Freeo love to apply as much pressure forward like the Pies and pin your down and have their smalls take over and kick random indv goals
I think our style of footy of being equally comfortable controlling the game in our defensive arc and offensive arc is probably the most resilient finals footy along with the Hawks......but we are in a little trouble at the moment with Tip and Goodes having trouble shaking the defence and then their man flooding forward........This does not get shown up to much as most teams dont have deadly forward lines to destroy our backline receiving the fast hard ball in which not team wants..........but a team like the Hawks with so many forward options is our measure for sure and arguably i would say the Hawks have us covered still and if we dont beat a team like the Hawks in the clearances they will beat us by 6 goals in the finals
For me we need to fix up our hit outs to advantage and clearances otherwise the Hawks will make us pay as our defenders will not stop fast passes coming in to significant forwards
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