Port Adelaide

What will you be looking for in the first pre-season hit out Port fans (aka Booney )?

I see that most of the experienced players are being left home. Adelaide will be doing the same in reverse order next week I'd say.

Anyone in particular that you're keen to have a look at?

Thanks Ginge, I imagine the Port fan(s) will be flooding in.....

Jimmy Toumpas - Taken by the notoriously pathetic Melbourne FC recruiting department at #4 in the 2012 National Draft ( ahead of Jake Stringer, Ollie Wines ) Toumpas has come back to South Australia to join Port Adelaide. If we are fully fit and firing I don't see Toumpas in our best 22, in fact I think he's about 25-28 in the pecking order. His efforts in the intra-club match last week didn't suggest he would be making a case for selection in round 1. I'll be very interested in his numbers this week, if he plays, as mooted, as an outside runner I would like to see a fairly high possession count. Showing he's got in the right places and worked hard to do so. That will tick the fitness box, firstly. Using it when he gets it will tick the talent box.

Matt White - Missed much of 2015. A bad ankle kept him out for 5, then a nasty hamstring another 5 before being put on ice early to recover from both. Crucial to our outside running game he is a real link from the midfield to the forward line with his pace across the wings and midfield. With our quick transition from defense to an open forward line a fit and firing White offers Port a real attacking weapon.

Jared Polec - Had an excellent first season back in SA in '14, a nasty navicular fracture in his foot saw him miss all but 4 games of 2015. For some time his return to the field was in question, full stop, fortunately the club sought several surgeons advice and a Sydney doctor prescribed rest, rest and more rest. It's given Polec a chance to do most of the '16 preseason and his first real hitout since April last year will not be his best ever game, but it will give him and the club plenty of confidence if he comes through unscathed. Like white, pace on the outside, critical to our "Port Adelaide" game style.

Brendon Ah Chee - Watch this guy.He has significantly bulked up over the summer and now cuts an imposing figure that can move through the midfield winning contested ball to the forward half where at 188cm and 85kg he can also play as the "mid-tall" across half forward. He's big, he's mobile, he looks ready to build on his 11 games and 6 goals from 2015. If he can replicate those numbers and be a 22 game player who plays midfield and adds 12 or more goals across the season he'll be a handy addition to the contested ball winning abilities of the side. He really is quite large.

A Port team with a fully fit Polec and White in it has a very different look that's for sure.

Barring another disastrous run with injury this season I cannot see Port missing the 8 this year. Could even end up in the top 4 depending how far teams the likes of Freo and Sydney slide (I believe both will).

Our draw certainly helps our cause, so will a fit White, Polec ( as noted ) and a forward line of Dixon, Schulz, Wingard, Gray and Westhoff.

It might be a changing of the guard at sometime this season, Booney.

Butcher for Schulz?

Yes, I know.

Lee wrote:It might be a changing of the guard at sometime this season, Booney.

Butcher for Schulz?

Yes, I know.

Err,no.

Butcher was kept as back up, simple as that. We let Shaw and Harvey go after 3 years with no return on investment, if either of them had looked like taking a step up to AFL level Butcher would not be on the list anymore.

Dixon the key deep forward, Schulz the lead up and Westhoff roaming as he pleases. Dixon and Westhoff roll into the ruck as chop outs for Lobbe.

Next year, Dixon stays at home while Ryder and Lobbe roll through the ruck and forward. Westhoff again as he pleases up the ground. I don't think Schulz will play on in '17. He might if the chemistry is good this year and his body holds up, but unlikely.

Butcher will play at AFL level only if two of Schulz, Dixon, Westhoff and Lobbe go down with injury. If only one goes down, we don't bring Butcher in.

Few good signs from the younger lads at Alberton.

Went in with only a handful of first pick players and stuck with a fairly strong Sydney lineup for all but 3/4's.

Dougal Howard again impressed with his ruck work and ability to follow up at ground level. Making a real case for being the 22nd player picked IF Port choose to play two ruckmen. Depending on how hard they want to work Trengove and Westhoff through the middle we might see young Howard make a debut in '16.

Darcy Byrne-Jones, a small running half back in his third year on the list is making some headway towards being up to AFL level. He's not very polished with the ball, but he's hard at it and can run all day. He'll need to really impress at SANFL level this year to keep his spot on the list and I dare say he knows it.

How did Toumpas go Booney? I've heard a few positive comments about his performance.

I only saw the second quarter, I'll watch the match in full tonight. He had 7 kicks, 7 handballs, not sure how to rate that until I see it.

One notable performance, Tom Clurey, he held Franklin in a few one-on-ones and might just make Carlile earn his spot at full back this year. Clurey is one who does the 3k time trail regularly in the top 5 for a big bloke. That's something Carlile can't compete with, his running power. Good to have selection headaches.

On Ah Chee, that I mentioned above being a big body, he's 1cm and 1kg smaller that Ellis-Yoleman who many people call a big body. One to watch.

Looking forward to the first Showdown.

I wonder what sort of reception Chad Cornes will get as the PAFC runner?

Be like Arnfield all over again! 19th man!

Booney wrote:Looking forward to the first Showdown.

I wonder what sort of reception Chad Cornes will get as the PAFC runner?

Are you serious? Like **** to a blanket that bloke.

Gingernuts wrote:

Booney wrote:Looking forward to the first Showdown.

I wonder what sort of reception Chad Cornes will get as the PAFC runner?

Are you serious? Like **** to a blanket that bloke.

Knew you'd be happy. ( Where have my smilies gone? )

No smileys when it comes to that bloke. No love lost for his brother either.

Chad - 255 games, premiership player, 2 times AA.

Kane - 300 games, premiership player, 2 times AA, 4 times BnF, 9 times top 3 BnF.

Great Port Adelaide men. One now coaching the Magpies, the other saving lives.

How can you not?

Still Graham's children though

I'm sure they're nice enough blokes.

It's just their on-field personas that I hate. Sport is just another form of theatre really, and the Cornes brothers are the villains in my pantomime.

Exactly the same reason I'll be booing the **** out of Dangerfield if/when he comes to town. He left on as good a terms as you can leave - but he left, now he is the enemy, and for the 3 hours I'm in the outer he will be treated as such.

Scrunch wrote:Still Graham's children though

Makes it all the more sweet to savor.

Gingernuts wrote:I'm sure they're nice enough blokes.

It's just their on-field personas that I hate. Sport is just another form of theatre really, and the Cornes brothers are the villains in my pantomime.

Exactly the same reason I'll be booing the **** out of Dangerfield if/when he comes to town. He left on as good a terms as you can leave - but he left, now he is the enemy, and for the 3 hours I'm in the outer he will be treated as such.

Booing at the football? Oh no.....

( Why can't I put smilies in replies? )

Are you serious about the smilies? I thought you were just joking.

Gingernuts wrote:Are you serious about the smilies? I thought you were just joking.

Serious...they've gone!

( Insert sad face here )

I have smilies on my PC, but not if I use my phone.

Lee wrote:I have smilies on my PC, but not if I use my phone.

i haven't had the use of smilies for over a month, i have used the text message method since then but i only know the wink & a smiling face ;-)

LOL only one worked then

Port played so well that Richmond's officials tried to throw the towel in and have the match ended early!