Season 2017 - Port Adelaide

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This just takes the cake for Ports new players

VFL all year & out. Injury issues galore previously.

One mans trash is another mans treasure!!!

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This is a big call HAP! You have to be able to back up statements like this. I want to see proof of this full blooded chase in 2009

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Kenny at trade week

Doesn’t look like his Koch is all in there.

Port are back-filling their list with multiple players who, at one time in their careers, produced outstanding football.

If a few of those players can recapture form, then it should deliver an uplifting surge to their results in 2018.

In a very even 18 team competition, that freakish surge in performance, can be the thing that lifts a team to a premiership.

So I largely admire their strategy.

Trengove is perhaps a step too far for my tastes, but I like the others.

I do query their tall stocks a bit…Trengrove gone, and Austin was tall I think?..If the talls fail them next year, I wonder if they come harder for Francis.

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I reckon their offseason is the most different / bold since Voss/Brisbane. Clearly the Brisbane one was a dismal failure but this PA one is very different. I hope it fails but I’m genuinely interested either way.

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It could actually shape the free agency market a fair bit in future years. If it fails dismally (which could happen), you won’t see clubs repeating their efforts.
If it’s a success, it could encourage clubs to pursue more player movement in future down an NRL style-path even.
For this reason I hope they fail dismally.

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A massive prediction, from someone who should know better. WARNING (spoiler alert) ■■■■■ Mike spends most of the article talking about what the Pies didn’t do.

Tempting to think this is a joke, but l am inclined to think he is being deadly serious. Worth revisiting this articles in a year’s time.

I rate Mikes sons opinion higher than his. And his son is a complete f#cking moron

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All the journos are rushing to predict who the next ‘surprise packet’ premier is going to be. Mayo is on the dees. Others will jumping on us before long. Likely the saints will draw a few fans after they ■■■■ all over fark Carlton in the jlt

Dees are not a ‘surprise packet’ though, I’d say.
Just a team coming up the ranks, and showing a lot of potential. A surprise would be a team like Lions, Blues or Norf taking the flag.

Richmond winning again would be a surprise

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Dunno.
Would you bet big against it? I wouldn’t. I don’t think they’ll get there, but then, I didn’t think they’d do it this year, either.

The last 2 flags have gone to teams that were not the best during the H & A season and far from favourites to win. The Dogs did not enjoy being the hunted this season, and lost their focus. They were able to get up for some games, but nowhere near enough. By mid season it was obvious they were struggling.

How will the Tigers take to the added relentless pressure and burden of being the reigning premiers, week in, week out? They won the flag because they were able to apply pressure to the Crows, who wilted markedly, but can they sustain that style of game plan across an entire season? l doubt that any team can.

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It was a lot more than that for the Dogs, I reckon. Ravaged with injuries in areas they could ill afford it, mainly.
I’m really not into this whole media-speak of ‘being the hunted’ and ‘wanting it enough’, and so on. To me, they are just throw-away lines and lazy journalism. Every team wants it, and every team is hunted. That’s the actual game. Nobody ever goes into a game thinking - “nah, let’s just let this one go, we don’t need it.”
Unless you’re carltank.

l have no doubt that teams do try harder to ‘get up’ when they are playing the reigning premiers. they want to measure themselves against the best.

A team is not a person.

I think a lot of players find it harder to motivate themselves the year after a flag(more so younger players, as the older ones know how tough it is to get there). I think a lot comes down to the leaders and the coaches to make sure everyone’s mind is right.

Either Lloyd or Hird said in their book that in 2001 a lot of players didnt have the same motivation to go that extra step now that they had won the flag.

Footy is such these days, that if a couple of players aren’t mentally up for it- the whole system breaks down.

I was a bit suprised how quickly the dogs supporters seemed to turn on some of the players and team so soon after they had won. the flag

If we won the flag next season i couldnt give a stuff if we fininshed last the season after. JUST GIVE ME A FLAG DAMMIT!!!

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The pr1ck should have been charged with hindering our finals campaign a few years ago

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