Pre-season begins

[Aprilbr]

Ladhams was known to have concrete hands at Port, has untapped ruck potential (like Hickey did), and has good agility for a bloke his size.

Whilst there's no guarantees in this game, I doubt we recruited him to play in the Two's. Think we'll use both Hickey and Ladhams in the ruck with Ladhams also doing a bit forward.

Under the tutoring of Cox, Hickey was a revelation so fingers crossed Cox can work that magic twice :-)

I agree with this assessment on the likely use of Ladhams.

Someone above mentioned McLean possibly going back. I don't think he has the agility and speed to be a key back. The opposition woukd just try to play a more mobile player on him and he would likely be exposed.

[wolftone57]

Great posts, wolfie and deja.

Don't quite agree with a couple of your player assessments though wolf:

* From the reports I have read from Port Adelaide fans Ladhams' greatest weakness is his marking ability. By contrast his agility is good, especially for a man of his size.

* I don't agree Melican is not a KPP and that he is instead more suited to an intercepting and rebounding role.

Deja, I like your comments about forwards and backs - except that you can lock in T. McCartin and then we just need one of the others to fill the second KPP role. I don't know whether Gould could be this guy or not - quite apart from the question of whether he'll make it at all there is the question of whether he is best suited to locking down on a KPF. Clearly his rebound is one of his great strengths - more often seen in the 3rd tall defender but not sure whether he is a strong enough interceptor to do that role. Interesting to see how that unfolds.

As regards the mids I agree we have the speed and skill are improving but the coaches have identified the need to improve our contested ball winning as the key to improvement. Obviously the football department is looking to do this through both recruiting (Sheldrick, Roberts) and coaching. Hopefully the coaching and the maturation of the young mids (Warner, Stephens, Campbell etc) will help in this regard because I would expect there to be a bit of a time lag with the new recruits being ready to strengthen our ball winning as promising as they may be.

My point on Lewis was what he was recruited to do rather than what he is now. He was never recruited as CHB or Fullback. He was recruited as the third tall. But over time due to necessity he has evolved as a key back.

My brother thought Ladhams had several problems at ground level. He is a big Port fan. He took big marks but dropped the easier ones. A bit like Reid.

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[Auntie.Gerald]

BS .....i agree that there will be a need to get into the top4 re contested ball as the stats dont lie for the top4 in 2021

Horse himself articulated at training recently that this was a key focus.

But I dont think we are far off.........from memory we were only just out of the top 4 for this stat and marginal?

We played a style that created a lot of one on ones or one on nones ie shorter sharp low kicks to a man open and leading.................

The positive of this style is we have the ball for a high percentage vs the opposition and the opposition doesnt. ie we have control.

The downside of this style of play is that you are one on one and will be vulnerable to turnovers and not winning the contest if it falls to the ground as you are fully committed to the mark in front of your defender and are easily pushed past the ball.

so for me it is a small percentage change but a critical one for us to be in the top4 vs say goal percentage being higher vs missing

[bloodspirit]

BS .....i agree that there will be a need to get into the top4 re contested ball as the stats dont lie for the top4 in 2021

Horse himself articulated at training recently that this was a key focus.

But I dont think we are far off.........from memory we were only just out of the top 4 for this stat and marginal?

We played a style that created a lot of one on ones or one on nones ie shorter sharp low kicks to a man open and leading.................

The positive of this style is we have the ball for a high percentage vs the opposition and the opposition doesnt. ie we have control.

The downside of this style of play is that you are one on one and will be vulnerable to turnovers and not winning the contest if it falls to the ground as you are fully committed to the mark in front of your defender and are easily pushed past the ball.

so for me it is a small percentage change but a critical one for us to be in the top4 vs say goal percentage being higher vs missing

Yes, I agree. Will be awesome if we can jump into the top 4 this year. From there... anything is possible!

[dejavoodoo44]

BS .....i agree that there will be a need to get into the top4 re contested ball as the stats dont lie for the top4 in 2021

Horse himself articulated at training recently that this was a key focus.

But I dont think we are far off.........from memory we were only just out of the top 4 for this stat and marginal?

We played a style that created a lot of one on ones or one on nones ie shorter sharp low kicks to a man open and leading.................

The positive of this style is we have the ball for a high percentage vs the opposition and the opposition doesnt. ie we have control.

The downside of this style of play is that you are one on one and will be vulnerable to turnovers and not winning the contest if it falls to the ground as you are fully committed to the mark in front of your defender and are easily pushed past the ball.

so for me it is a small percentage change but a critical one for us to be in the top4 vs say goal percentage being higher vs missing

Interesting point and I'm curious as to how the top four was measured: was it by the percentage of contests won, or was it the raw amount of contests won? I tend to think that percentage would be a more useful stat, since the raw number could be giving a positive interpretation to ineffective play. For instance, in one sequence: a kick goes to a contest; the contest is won but a scrubbed kick under pressure goes out of bounds; the team then takes possession from the ruck but handballs to the opposition, who then spot up a player in the forward 50; that player then goals. In another sequence: the kick in finds an unmarked half back; they take off and once in the clear, kicks long to a winger: the winger takes an uncontested mark; then because the opposition haven't had time to set their defence, the winger hits a leading forward; the forward then goals. Obviously the second sequence is better play, but there were no contested possessions. While the error ridden first sequence generated two contested possession wins.

[Auntie.Gerald]

AFL Daily Podcast - AFL.com.au

Swans and bombers trade review today

- - - Updated - - -

https://omny.fm/shows/afl-daily/afl-daily-20-01-22 swans

[wolftone57]

AFL Daily Podcast - AFL.com.au

Swans and bombers trade review today

- - - Updated - - -

https://omny.fm/shows/afl-daily/afl-daily-20-01-22 swans

I've never bought into trading. I find all that sort of stuff irrelavent and unnecessary.

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[Auntie.Gerald]

like Hickey or Ladhams ?

[0918330512]

like Hickey or Ladhams ?

Or Mummy, or Ball, or Jolly, or Sinclair, or Seaby … or Chambers

Apart from Stafford, Nankervis (who were both traded to Richmond), Pyke & Goodsey (and he’s a bit of a stretch to be called a genuine ruckman) who else of quality have we actually developed. Most of our ruckmen have come from other clubs when we’ve had any sort of success (even look back to Brian Roberts, Graham Teasdale, Barry Round). During the Edelsten era we were probably a genuine ruckman short of success (and they did try for Simon Madden)

[liz]

Or Mummy, or Ball, or Jolly, or Sinclair, or Seaby … or Chambers

Apart from Stafford, Nankervis (who were both traded to Richmond), Pyke & Goodsey (and he’s a bit of a stretch to be called a genuine ruckman) who else of quality have we actually developed. Most of our ruckmen have come from other clubs when we’ve had any sort of success (even look back to Brian Roberts, Graham Teasdale, Barry Round). During the Edelsten era we were probably a genuine ruckman short of success (and they did try for Simon Madden)

From very brief glimpse, I think both Doyle and Naismith had the ability to be, at worst, decent ruckmen. Sadly their bodies let them down.

[wolftone57]

From very brief glimpse, I think both Doyle and Naismith had the ability to be, at worst, decent ruckmen. Sadly their bodies let them down.

True Liz. Doyle had aggression. He was hard at the contest. Same Sam

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[0918330512]

From very brief glimpse, I think both Doyle and Naismith had the ability to be, at worst, decent ruckmen. Sadly their bodies let them down.

I considered them, but for me both would be considered busts as ruckmen. Their bodies let them down, sure, but in the end they didn’t really have the impact of nearly all of our trade-ins