Crashing Back to Earth

[auditor]

A real wake up call tonight.

Not just for the players but coaching staff also.

Given the fact that PA was on a 4 game loosing streak one would have imagined that this was a shoe in, not so.

I honestly think we have a good side, not great but good.

Consistancy is the key for any team playing any sport.

Last weeks high should have been kept well under control by the those that coach this side. To allow any team a start like tonights game is destined to end in failure.

There are no excuses or reasons. It's just plain poor management of this side to allow a loss such as tonights.

[Rossoneri]

For some reason, everybody thinks that we are a top 4 side.

This loss was coming and it happened. Port were always going to bounce back after the flogging they copped in the media and we were due for a let down after the past couple of weeks.

7-5 is further than we expected to be at the start of the season.

We arent a top 4 team, at best we are 7th and I reckon the club knows that. They arent stupid and would be realistic.

[paddyl90]

We are definitely not a top 4 team but a 5-8 I think at this stage and I am quite happy with that. We are still in the mix for a top 4 spot but you wouldn't think so but we can sit back and watch. 2 weeks vs Melbourne will be a season defining game.

[bombers_rock]

How many games are going to be "season defining"??? How many games do we have to play before our season is defined?

Just hope the boys use the break wisely and come back with a strong performance against Melbourne. Lose to Melbourne and we don't deserve to play finals, and it'll make things much harder.

[danstar84]

We just didn't turn up mentally prepared for what Port were going to serve up to us. First three quarters reminded me of the Hawks game. A lack of chasing, plenty of clangers and very poor manning up.

I know we are a rebuilding team, but there was some absolute rubbish served up tonight. Only looked switched on in the last, and by then we don't know if port had taken the foot off or not.

[tonysoprano]

I am so glad I did get to see this game - being towelled up by a side that has been pathetic in all respects the last few weeks is a disgraceful effort.

I guess we just didnt turn up.

[stryper]

Guys Shit happens - You Win some You Lose some
You move on!!!

The good thing is That they didn't throw in the towel and ended up having only a 4 goal loss...

That is what makes a Good side...

Port couldn't put a foot wrong all night...

Sometimes these things happen..

I think that they will focus on the last quarter effort Have a well deserved break and come out and Tear Melbourne A New one!!!

[tonysoprano]

Guys Shit happens - You Win some You Lose some

...come out and Tear Melbourne A New one!!!

didnt someone else that about Port earlier in the week?

[robrulz5]

Port are a soft football side, put them under pressure and they will crack. We simply didn't put them under any pressure at all and their running midfielders cut us to pieces.

We aren't a top 4 side but a much better side than what was served up tonight.

[ZRS]

was at the game, and the guys just looked really flat and lethagic.

I think the last couple of weeks has really taken it out of them, even davey seemed to be flat footed and had no real run in him.

very glad the break is here, has come at a much needed time for us i think

[robbie67]

There are no excuses or reasons. It's just plain poor management of this side to allow a loss such as tonights.

You really do write some bollocks Auditor. Was it poor management Hawthorn losing to Sydney last week? Was it poor management, West Coast losing to us? Give it a rest.

[Megan]

Honestly I never really had any doubts of the outcome of this game - Port had a whole lot more to play for than we did - we had top 4 + respect, they had that AND Tredrea AND being called soft by their coach AND getting baked by the media AND home ground/crown AND AND AND...

I honestly don't know why people are so surprised.

Move on to the next game. We will come back and win that won, and by more than single digit figures, mark my words.

I completely agree with what Stryper said. It was one of those nights that the footy bounced the right way all night for them, the wrong way all night for us. Shit happens. Next.

[Trent]

Port Adelaide could pull 22 guys off the street (or the wharf) and they would still beat us.

Last/only time we beat them in recent times they were wearing that stupid SA jumper and we obviously didn't associate it with Port Adelaide and the fact that we should play them back into form as usual. Pitty we couldn't play them in Heritage Round when they're wearing the black and white stripes ... would have pencilled us in for a win.

I'm sure we'll bounce back, but PA are no chop at all (saw them flogged by Carlton last week) and this is one we'll just want to forgot asap and move on ...

[Boyler_Room]

Geez, we swing pretty hard on this forum.

It was a loss. Wow. We looked like getting a thumping, and we would have deserved it too the way we played in the first half (that's all I saw). We were flat footed, didn't chase, didn't put in a second effort, if the ball didn't come directly to our players they would let it go.. maybe stick out the hand but with no real conviction. We didn't come to play. Looking at the score, seems like they realised at 3Q time... when it was a bit late to come back from 70 odd points down.

We shot ourselves in the foot tonight, its as simple as that. Are we that bad a team? Absolutely not.

On the top 4 stuff... who's to say who is and who isn't a top 4 side? Who is better than us that wasn't above us going into this round? I'd say the competition is pretty darn even and there's no reason why would couldn't finish in the top 4 come the end of the H&A season. They just need to apply themselves. Tonight, we saw what happens when we don't.

[Mrs Mercuri]

While it was a disappointing loss last night i think we should be pretty happy with how the boys have gone this season. sitting with a record of 7-5 is a lot better than a lot of people expected and in a season that is getting harder and harder to predict at least we are in the top 8 and are mixing it with the better sides. After having 4 tough wins in a row we were always going to have a flat one, and having to go to adel didn't really help that. Hopefully with the week off the boys will freshen up and with the injection of Stants, Campo, Lovey, Natrat and Jetta after the bye we will look a much better side again.

[tonysoprano]

There are no excuses or reasons. It's just plain poor management of this side to allow a loss such as tonights.

You really do write some bollocks Auditor. Was it poor management Hawthorn losing to Sydney last week? Was it poor management, West Coast losing to us? Give it a rest.

a difference though robbie - Hawks lost by 9 points, and WCE lost by a point.

we were 75 points down in the 3rd.

[The Man from Bomberland]

7-5

Would have taken that at the start of the season. We've done incredibly well so far, hopefully we can keep the positive results coming.

[bombers_rock]

Would prefer 8-4. But then, hey, it hasn't all come down to this one match. We could've beaten the Kangaroos, could've beaten Hawthorn, could've beaten Collingfilth, SHOULD've beaten Carlton.

Just makes things that much harder as far as finals and mounting a serious campaign goes. I had wondered last week when we'd come down, despite being confident about our chances. Something had to give eventually, and whatever that was, it certainly gave last night.

I think I said I'd be happy with 1 from 3 - if anyone can find that post, feel free to drag it out. We got 2 from 3. We're not that bad, we're on the improve and I guess we should all be happy that at least the boys, in general, are trying. There'll be more good times to come, just gotta take the good with the bad.

From last night, I'm just happy that the boys played out the final quarter and saved some valuable percentage considering how tight things are going to get leading into finals.