Port wins London Exhibition game

[The Underdog]

Disagree Cyber. We have to win. Small clubs can't afford to languish in development mode for years. Jag a win every time you can. Accept that we lost but it was just a point. that's the pleasing thing.

It was a game in November in London. Winning couldn't mean less at all. The result probably won't be known by 50% of football followers let alone have the chance to be forgotten.

[jazzadogs]

Amazed that this game is being taken seriously in any way.

Not only was it a scratch match which meant nothing, with 16 players a side and reduced quarter lengths, but the only players Port had missing were Boak, K Cornes, Schulz, Westhoff and Cassisi.

We had Murphy, Cross, Boyd, Williams, Gia, Griffen, Cooney, Morris and Minson out.

Could not care less about the result. Hopefully the club learned something from their encounters with EPL and Rugby clubs, the players have been provided with the team bonding that seemed to be the point of the exercise, and they'll all be ready to start the pre-season when they get home.

[Eastdog]

Amazed that this game is being taken seriously in any way.

Not only was it a scratch match which meant nothing, with 16 players a side and reduced quarter lengths, but the only players Port had missing were Boak, K Cornes, Schulz, Westhoff and Cassisi.

We had Murphy, Cross, Boyd, Williams, Gia, Griffen, Cooney, Morris and Minson out.

Could not care less about the result. Hopefully the club learned something from their encounters with EPL and Rugby clubs, the players have been provided with the team bonding that seemed to be the point of the exercise, and they'll all be ready to start the pre-season when they get home.

Agree jazzadogs. Sure we lost by a point and let Port back but the way I look at it is that it's just apart of our early pre season and I'm sure the players also wanted to make sure they didn't get any injuries.

[Throughandthrough]

Tanking?

[Happy Days]

Perhaps Davoren wasn't allowed to put in place the program he wanted which might be the reason he chose to leave?

I agree, but if McCartney is going to build to strength rather than endurance, isn't it at least better we get someone suitable to do so?

[LostDoggy]

Why are people reading into the result of an exhibition match?

At 39 points up we were probably instructed to let them back in a bit. The season doesn't start for another 5 months and we are rebuilding.

We lost by a point on the siren in London heading into the Australian cricket season with half a team. Not sure if that's a value indicator of second half fade outs.

[ledge]

Why are people reading into the result of an exhibition match?

At 39 points up we were probably instructed to let them back in a bit. The season doesn't start for another 5 months and we are rebuilding.

We lost by a point on the siren in London heading into the Australian cricket season with half a team. Not sure if that's a value indicator of second half fade outs.

What it meant was some of the new kids got a game and macca got another look
At young players

[GVGjr]

It was an exhibition game with hybrid rules, smaller numbers of players on the field and shorter quarters. Coming away with no injuries, no fights and hopefully no one making a prick of themselves over there is probably a win in itself.

It's probably the least important game we have played in years and I'm not concerned in the slightest with a one point loss.

[Pickenitup]

No care what soever in the result the boys only got back this week were there
On Wednesday compared to Port being over there for a week Could Not Care less!

[ledge]

Why are people reading into the result of an exhibition match?

At 39 points up we were probably instructed to let them back in a bit. The season doesn't start for another 5 months and we are rebuilding.

We lost by a point on the siren in London heading into the Australian cricket season with half a team. Not sure if that's a value indicator of second half fade outs.

Look at the positive side, closest we have been to a win in 4 months, we are improving

[FrediKanoute]

I went to the game. It was bloody cold.

Whilst not really concerned by the result, the concern was that when they got on a roll and kicked 5 or 6 in a row we couldn't stop them. Give the team the benefit of the doubt that its an exhibition match and early in the preseason, but the same could be said of Port, yet they found something to claw their way back into the game.

Comments on specific players:

The Good -
Higgins was a class above and showed it. Hope he stays fit because he looks set for a big year;
Stevens will slot right into the midfield. Kicked a gret goal too;
Roughhead, looks real comfortable at FB. Took the game on and will only get better. He is a gem.
Vezpremi kicked 3 goals on a day when our forward line struggled. He is a forward first, backman second.
Wood - did some nice things and gave good run off half back another who looks like he could benefit from an injury free year.
Picken was just great. Played as a HFF and snagged a few as well as taking a specky.

The Bad -
Jones - led well, marked well but has to be the worst set shot kick for goal in the AFL. He had 2 or 3 great chances in the 3rd quarter to stretch the lead beyond 40 points and missed gettable goals. In the real season those misses really hurt.
Howard - just don't see this guy being able to add the necessary strings to his bow to be effective enough. Simply he doesn't have a footy brain.
Skinner - looked well out of his depth. Couldn't hold a mark and was ineffective
Cordy - played ruck and in the forward line. Didn't reall excell in either.
Grant - pretty anonymous

[Doc26]

I went to the game. It was bloody cold.

Whilst not really concerned by the result, the concern was that when they got on a roll and kicked 5 or 6 in a row we couldn't stop them. Give the team the benefit of the doubt that its an exhibition match and early in the preseason, but the same could be said of Port, yet they found something to claw their way back into the game.

Comments on specific players:

The Good -
Higgins was a class above and showed it. Hope he stays fit because he looks set for a big year;
Stevens will slot right into the midfield. Kicked a gret goal too;
Roughhead, looks real comfortable at FB. Took the game on and will only get better. He is a gem.
Vezpremi kicked 3 goals on a day when our forward line struggled. He is a forward first, backman second.
Wood - did some nice things and gave good run off half back another who looks like he could benefit from an injury free year.
Picken was just great. Played as a HFF and snagged a few as well as taking a specky.

The Bad -
Jones - led well, marked well but has to be the worst set shot kick for goal in the AFL. He had 2 or 3 great chances in the 3rd quarter to stretch the lead beyond 40 points and missed gettable goals. In the real season those misses really hurt.
Howard - just don't see this guy being able to add the necessary strings to his bow to be effective enough. Simply he doesn't have a footy brain.
Skinner - looked well out of his depth. Couldn't hold a mark and was ineffective
Cordy - played ruck and in the forward line. Didn't reall excell in either.
Grant - pretty anonymous

How many of our better players were in action,eg Boyd Griffen Murphy Dahlhaus Minson etc.

[AndrewP6]

How many of our better players were in action,eg Boyd Griffen Murphy Dahlhaus Minson etc.

We had Murphy, Cross, Boyd, Williams, Gia, Griffen, Cooney, Morris and Minson out.

Dahl played, i think. Both sides well short of their best 22..

[FrediKanoute]

How many of our better players were in action,eg Boyd Griffen Murphy Dahlhaus Minson etc.

Of those you listed Dahlhaus played. So did Picken, Wood, Higgins and Dickson. They would be walk up starts in our best 22. Outside of that, Vez, Smith, Wallis and Libba all played.

As much as Boyd, Murphy, Minno, Cross, Williams, Griff and Cooney would have added a different dimension to the team you were looking at the nucleus of the team in2 to 4 years time.

[lemmon]

Higgins sounds like the highlight for mine, if he's fit and firing we add another genuinely good player to the mix...looking forward to the replay and seeing it first hand