AFL Round 12 – GWS Giants v Port Adelaide: One step forwards, three steps back

That was a difficult thing to watch. We played so well against Geelong. We were at home for the second week in a row. We even went into this game with some experts on the tele tipping us to win. Then we put in that performance. What a waste. What a way to go backwards in your development.

One mantra I’ve had with all the floggings we’ve received has been – at least there was something I could take away from the game. A little spark somewhere to show that we are at least moving forward. This is the first game I can’t do that. There was nothing worth taking away from that game.

Yes we won the last quarter, but that’s only useful if you are not already 83 points down. Let’s also be honest, Port took their foot off the gas. A better team would have spanked us in the last.

It was supposed to be a good day. The sun was shining, not a lot of breeze and even the possibility of a win. This week I am sans wife and son for the game, so I get to sit in the members bar with an Alan Christensen or four. The pre-game members forum guest speaker this week was head-coach-in-waiting Leon Cameron who gave a great insight into where the team is, and where we are heading.

It was supposed to be a good day.

The opening quarter does not go well. The boys are lacking all of the intensity and pressure from last week, giving away cheap and easy turnovers. We are not helped by three umpires who have no concept of the meaning of consistency or what the rules actually are and it is all too easy for Port.

Apparently giants players are biological freaks as they seem to have no backs or heads. I was always taught that if you got pushed in one or hit in the other you got a free. Not if you are playing for GWS it seems.

Having said that though, the giants are off today. Stupid decision making, kicks to no one, kicks to port players. Kicks to one on three, one on four. Ridiculous stuff.

The half time score flatters Port, but not by much. We have been pretty woeful.

Woeful woeful woeful.

After last week’s effort against the cats this week’s effort is doubly disappointing. We played so well against Geelong and just so poorly against Port. We have been beaten by bigger margins, but we have often played better in some of those games than we did this weekend.

Not a good day.

They had winners all across the park today. Kane Cornes hit his games record for Port in style. Oh how we miss the on field leadership and experience of his brother. How we miss the cool head of Luke Power and James McDonald.

You probably thought we were a young inexperienced team last year. When the team broke the banner in Round 1 last year they had an average age of 21 yrs 123 days and a total of 643 games experience. When we finished the year against North Melbourne our average age was 23 yrs 87 days with a total of 1427 games experience.

Against Port this weekend our average age was 20 yrs 267 days and our total games experience numbered just 559. This was the youngest and most inexperienced team we have fielded (and the second youngest in VFL/AFL history behind a Ted Whitten led Footscray in 1959).

Stats like that are nice, and can be comforting to some, but after last week and the knowledge that they can play so much better than that, it’s a bit hollow.

Anyway, it’s Football, so there is always next week, and then next year (and for us 2016/2017) to look forward to.

PORT ADELAIDE 6.5 12.7 17.9 19.11 (125)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 1.1 1.5 3.10 6.14 (50)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Boak 3, Monfries 3, Schulz 3, Butcher 2, Logan 2, O’Shea 2, Westhoff, Cornes, Wingard, Hartlett
GWS: Cameron 2, Hoskin-Elliott, Whitfield, Adams, Williams

BEST
Port Adelaide: Boak, Wingard, Brad Ebert, Cornes, Hartlett, Monfries, O’Shea, Schulz
GWS: Scully, Tomlinson, Treloar, Giles

Umpires: Rosebury, Hay, Fisher

Official crowd: 6601

Malarkey Medal Votes: 3- Wingard (PA), 2- Boak (PA), 1- Cornes (PA)

About steve duffy

is in no particular order....writer, artist, graphic designer, library technician, Giants fan, dad, husband, friend, brother, son, reader, lover of music, resident of Penrith, Canberra boy, Raider fan, Brumbies fan, Cats fan, right handed, white with two (coffee) black with two (tea), left of centre.....

Comments

  1. Pamela Sherpa says

    Every team has a shocker now and again Steve. Even experienced teams get thrashed sometimes so I wouldn’t get too demoralised about the Giants . They face a huge challenge every week they run out . These tough days will provide them with valuable football lessons.

  2. If there is a lesson to be learned in every game – then I suppose the lesson from this one is… “Don’t do that again!”

  3. Kath Presdee says

    It’s also a lesson in our lack of fit mid-career defenders. Who was running our back 50? Toby Greene? We really missed Phil Davis and Chad Cornes

  4. Guru Gus - Singapore says

    Interesting comparison with the ’59 Dogs.

    Footscray did play off in a GF in ’61, so who knows? Look at the way the Suns have progressed this year. They hadn’t won a game either at this stage last year. The Giants will be just fine.

    As a Saints fan, I rememer the glee of flogging Hawthorn in 2006 – a mere 2 years later they won a flag, whereas we are still waiting for # 2.

  5. I’d say a fair few teams from the late 19th century had played less that 500 games between them.

    Interesting stat nonetheless.

  6. Steve, the Giants will be fine. They have a gun team that needs a couple of years in them. I reckon they will trade for a couple of mature age recruits for next season and the rewards will be immediate. As a Power fan, I didn’t think we played that great, it was a scrubby game that never reached any great heights.

    I also remember back to 2004 about 3 rounds out from the finals when North thrashed us by 90 odd points. Won the flag about 6 weeks later! Some days you are just off and you almost know it as a player by the way the lads warm up and the feeling in the changeroom.

  7. Steve, You may need to acknowledge Port applied pressure to force the skill errors. Port also have a low average playing age. I didn’t notice the biased umpiring, but perhaps that is not something you do notice when winning convincingly. Blaming umpiring may not allow other factors to be given consideration. From the game I reckon there are a few likely types in the Giants team around which a very competitive side can emerge.

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