R6 - Port v Geelong & Western Bulldogs v Adelaide

Port Adelaide face their toughest test yet and a have real chance to state their top 4 credentials against the undefeated Cats this weekend.

Adelaide have a change to continue to build confidence and re-introduce players back from injury against the Doggies.

Discuss away!

The Port v Geelong game should be a beauty - A return trip from the West vs a 6 day break should probably put them both on an even keel in terms of recovery and travel etc. Cats first AFL game at Adelaide Oval, a ground Port are clearly thriving on, then there's the motivation of last years finals exit for the Power. Tough one to call, think I'll need to wait and see the lineups.

Always feels as though Adelaide struggles with the Bulldogs in Melbourne - They could have virtually sewn last seasons game up by 3/4 time but kept the door ajar and the rampaging Dogs ran over the top of them. I think Adelaide's best is good enough, and will wait to see the teams but at this stage Im leaning toward the Dogs. Think either way it will be a sub 4 goal winning margin.

Port by a couple of goals.

Scrunch stole my thunder re Adelaide against the Dogs. Adelaide's winning % against them is worse than against any other team except Collingwood. Dogs comfortably.

I wouldn't be surprised if Port get up against the Cats this weekend. I reckon it will be a big crowd, as there are a lot of Geelong fans in SA and the game also holds great interest for impartial observers. Port by a couple of goals in a cracking game.

The Adelaide one is so tough to pick, mainly because Adelaide's form is so hard to get a handle on. A fortnight ago I thought they would struggle against the Saints and they belted them by 80 odd points. This game has a similar feel.

I really do think Adelaide is settling now though. I think confidence is up in general after a couple of good wins and while they won't have it all their way, I reckon they'll win by 5 - 6 goals in the end.

Considering how much has been made of the kennett curse, now that Port are beginning to show signs of improvement, and the curse has been broken, I now expect Ports drought against the Cats to be highlighted more frequently if we go down this weekend.

7 years is too farking long for my liking, and if ever there is a time to knock the cats off, this sunday is it. In fact- if you gave me a choice at the start of the year, a guaranteed victory, against Adelaide or Geelong, id take the cats hands down, such is my desire to beat them   

Still- I think the cats 1-10

Adelaide should beat the dogs, but given the unpredictable nature of games between sides position 6-14, I wouldnt be surprised to see the Dogs get up, especially the nature lately of teams looking to atone for poor performances the week before.

Adelaide 10-25.

As some random in a pub said to me after the game on Sunday - if Adelaide can't beat the Bulldogs then they're not good enough to play finals. Can't argue with that.

Cats by 3-4 goals and Adelaide by the same margin.

Rutten still unavailable for this week.

Or is he.......  


  

both games to be decided by less than a goal, Port & the Bulldogs for mine

After travelling to Alberton yesterday watching Steve Summerton towelling up Westies on his $400 a game, it's nice to get back to wishing Port all the bad luck in the world 

Geelong for me, several hammies for Port, please.

Adelaide in a canter.

Umpires and commentators in love with the Dogs.

Adelaide's intensity almost zero, Bulldogs is excellent.

They were with the dogs last week too.
Dwayne Russell ***** me.

Adelaide are such a smartarse team. Have the game won, relax, let the other side in.

Ugly, but got the points. Still far too many turnover goals though. Just try and get too cute sometimes, agree with you R&B.

Was at this game- I disagree about Adelaide's intensity. Bar the first quarter they were hard at it all day. Turnovers definitely cost them but they were tackling and chasing hard all day and for the last 3 quarters they worked very hard to keep the ball in the forward lines. Eddie betts continues to impress me (the kids were delighted to get their photo with him after the game) and I thought Hartigan was good in that he fought back after being comprehensively beaten in the first quarter. Josh Jenkins was good, Rory Sloane was his usual hardworking self and JPod had his best game for us today. Still a few players who are struggling with their form but I'm hopeful that we're starting to put it together. One more thing- the Bulldogs aren't terrible- they have some absolute guns and some very good young players.

Yea, agree with all your points there warrior. Was always a danger game in my mind so I'm just happy to get the points to be honest. Never comfortable against the Dogs at Etihad.

BTW great win by Port. They were switched on from start to finish. Very impressive and firming up a top 4 spot now.

Just saw a stat that we haven't beaten the bulldogs at Etihad since 2002. If that's true then I'm even happier about jagging the 4 points today!

Me too- I've had to sit through all of them!!

Port do look like the real deal at the moment. They made Geelong look second rate today.

Saw most of the game and would have to agree with all of your well made points Warrior. Hartigan took a bit of a battering early but was very, very impressive thereafter. Think the Crows were a bit fortunate the Dogs hit the post twice late, but Im sure you would happily take it. The Adelaide Football Club owes a deep debt of gratitude to Rory Sloane. Without his last quarter heroics I don't think you win. I think the Crows are a fairly middle of the road side, but if things work out as well as you guys would hope, there could still be a lot of improvement from the group. Oh, and I thought Thompson was very good yesterday too.

And for Port, well they have an embarrassment of riches at the moment. Boak, Ebert, Wines, Cornes is a great start for a midfield nucleus, but when you can run others like Westoff, Wingard, White, Gray, Gray, Young etc through there, it's super imposing. Hinkley has just done such an incredible job with his group - So many non-household names that are now starting to receive overdue recognition outside of Alberton, Hombsch in particular. They are up there with Hawthorn and Geelong as the most entertaining of sides to watch.

Agreed Scrunch, but it's only Round 6 and there is a looong way to go yet. Port are still a young outfit on the whole and form and confidence can really fluctuate when that is the case. That said, they are certainly firming for a top 4 finish at this stage, possibly even top 2 if everything goes right with injuries etc.

As for Adelaide, just workmanlike at the moment. Doing what needs to be done, beating the sides they need to beat. Yesterday was like taking out the rubbish in your worst y-fronts, not a pretty sight for anyone who might have copped a glimpse, but the job got done so who cares.

I'm not getting overly excited at this point, but I do feel Adelaide are building. Form and confidence are returning, as are players from injury. After the first 3 weeks of pain the draw has opened up a bit more. The season seems to be getting back to proceeding on our terms rather than spiraling out of control as it felt 3 weeks ago. All credit to the players and coaching staff for staying off the panic button and focussing on the job at hand (more than I could do! Haha.).

Get the job done against Melbourne this week, freshen up with the bye, bring Tex and potentially Otten in for the clash against the Pies, anything could happen.

Seems as though the Crows are having trouble giving up starts. I think from memory they let Geelong, Port, Sydney and now the Bulldogs get away from them early?

Yep, even GWS jagged a couple of goals before they woke up. A real issue, particularly at home where you want to get the crowd up and involved as quickly as you can.

Still plenty to work on that's for sure. I reckon nearly half a dozen goals yesterday to WB's that were gift wrapped as well.

Dangerfield's backwards cross to spot up a Bulldog right in front 40m out in the first, and Jaensch's holding the ball in the last two particulars that come to mind.

It's all part of them trying to be bold and take the game on, I understand that, but at times you just wish they played the percentages (give the first option, kick down the line to a contest etc).

If they can tidy the starts up it will be interesting to see how they go without having to play the energy sapping catchup game.