Port v Richmond (Round 12 Preview)
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Finally, a Port's night game! This means the bounce-off happens at 7am
GPT (GremioPower time). I can believe I will be able to watch the game while
fully rested. And what a game it may be! Against the club who shares its song with Brazil's America Football Club, the AFL reigning premiers, that which Glenelg wishes to, but will
never be: the Richmond Tigers.
By the way, the truth is that Port Adelaide were Richmond before
Richmond was cool. Both teams were supposed to play a similar brand of
football: forward pressure; contested footy; and fast transition into
attack. Richmond won a flag playing Port style. (Damn!) This season,
however, we look different. As we try to improve our F50 entries, we have been
struggling both offensively and defensively. So far, we are:
a)
not pressuring as low on the pitch as we should;
b)
slow after winning contests, allowing the opposition to settle and/or
to immediately pressure us; and
c)
unable to use possession football as a way to open defenses up.
I mean, this is true, except for third quarters (or for Q1 last week). For some reason, we only look as the team we should be for no more than one quarter per game. So far, I don't see anyone who has been able to explain why this is so. It is the "Riddle of the Sphinkley!"
Speaking of last week, I am still pissed with our performance. That
was masterclass on dumb lazy football! After
a bye, against Hawthorn, there is no excuse for that. We should have been
excited, glad we were playing football again. We didn't. Against Richmond, we
must be better - and with the same line-up. There was only one change from
the squad who didn't play against Hawthorn: Pittard replacing Hombsch, due
Richmond's small forward line. It is not based on form. I believe that McKenzie
would have been picked, if he wasn't injured. Pittard has to raise his game.
Perhaps, a primetime blockbuster game is precisely what he needs.[1]
To be fair, we began the game fired up, but all the excitement lasted one quarter. I understand the umpires screwing us over, but we have to be smart, and not to let that getting us. I once listened to Tom Brady explaining why smart players are more important than talented players. The guy knows a thing or two about championship teams. We need have a line-up full of smart hardworking players. They are supposed to be the ground on which a good team is build. Then, a couple of freaking-talented men would be able to lift such a team high enough for a championship. We have hardworking players and have talented players, but do we have smart players? At least, enough smart players? I don’t know. Maybe this is our problem.
For instance, players must be able to adjust to anything the opponent
does by themselves. If something is already not working, they should have both
the capacity and the authority to address the issue before any message arriving
from the coaches' box. After all, if it works, there is no need for a message
to arrive from the coaches' box. Another example: players must
also be able to adjust for whatever the umpires are calling in a particular game
- i.e., if you are giving frees for tackling in a certain way, stop doing that!
But only smart players are able to make such adjustments, and we don’t seem
able to do them. That is a huge issue. Sometimes I sincerely doubt our ability
of playing smart football.
It is
true that one cannot teach nor coach someone into being smart, but one can
teach or coach someone who is already smart to use his smartness properly.
Perhaps, we have a way out. If we change our attitude, play smart and not let
the circumstances of the game to affect us, this game against Richmond can be
very different than last week's. We may end up asking ourselves "where was
this team last week?" Please, Port, I want to ask myself that.
If we lose 2 of the next 3 home games, but we play better football, I would take
it. It would be a sign that we are contenders, even with a 7-6 record. For a
The club is really putting its chips onto these three next games at home, but the sequence against Carlton, Saints, Freo, Giants, and Dogs seems more important to me. If we don't gel there, than we never will. I miss the "flat-track-bully" Port, to be honest; and the games against Blues, Kilda, and Docks are the best opportunity we have to unmercifully obliterate our opponents this season. It could be a confidence-building moment, the keystone for the remainder of the season.
Still, let's beat Richmond. Shall we? Please!
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Notes:
[1] Speaking of Neade, I don't think that his presence is as absurd as people in BigFooty believe. If it was on form, two thirds of last week's line-up should be out, and one sixth of the Magpies should be called up. We would field 11 players, with no interchanges.
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