Finals Week 3 - Hawthorn v Port Adelaide

For mine, this is the most eagerly awaited match of the season.

The 2 teams I find the most entertaining to watch (shout out to Sydney and Brisbane too).

In their previous encounter they were both missing players with injury, although the Hawks contingent included Lake, Gibson, Roughead, Mitchell and Rioli - Most/all of whom will return.

Hawthorn were very brave that night and would have left feeling they had Port's measure later in the season, however Port are playing their explosive brand of footy and believing, and appear a more difficult opponent now than several months ago.

The Hawks are the safer bet so I'll tip them this week, but give Port every chance and won't be surprised if they work their way through to the GF.

Chuck everything on Port. The house, dogs, kids. Port by plenty.

Paul wrote:Chuck everything on Port. The house, dogs, kids. Port by plenty.

Will be a cracking game, but I think the Hawks will get up.

This bodes well for Port Adelaide, as I have picked them to lose the last 2 weeks as well.

Gingernuts wrote:Will be a cracking game, but I think the Hawks will get up.

This bodes well for Port Adelaide, as I have picked them to lose the last 2 weeks as well.

And you picked Adelaide for each week in the last 6 weeks plus South Adelaide last weekend, shall I go on...?

I also finished dead last on my work footy tips. I am the kiss of death.

Under the old system, each SANFL club saw many, many drafted and rookied youngsters.

They all come and go, most to distant memory, some become stars.

There have been two 'new' players who played their first game in the SANFL for West and were obviously going to be terrific players. The first was Nick Stevens. After his first game for West, coach Michael Taylor said after the game "Thanks Nick, we won't be seeing you again". We did, for the next two games, until Port woke up.

The second was Robbie Gray. He played a trial for us at Noarlunga against South. We were amazed at what we'd seen. You know know what we'd seen.

One we already knew about, of course, was Hamish Hartlett. Ay young and small Hamish used to often have a kick near the boundary line while the players trained.

Good luck to Robbie and Hamish this week.

Good luck to Chad Wingard and Angus Monfries

That is all

Port Power and Hawthorn have been a joy to watch this season
Heart wants Port Power
Head says Hawthorn

Looking forward to seeing more magical play by Gray, Wingard and Wines

Increasingly preferring Port as the week wears on.

Well, I’ve got a big weekend ahead of me.

I head to Horsham tonight, meeting up with my brother from Mildura. Spend tonight in Horsham and head into Melbourne tomorrow morning ( in one car ) for the match. After the game head back out to Ballarat and spend tomorrow night there, up bright and early to get to Horsham ASAP to pick my car up and make my back to Adelaide by ( an ETA ) of 2pm. Rendezvous with Mrs.Boon at the train station where she will take the car home and I’ll wander across the bridge to watch the SANFL GF. Yes, I do have Monday off. Big weekend ahead.

To tomorrows match. I’ve got a gut feel this will be an absolute belter, a must watch game to determine who rightfully earns a spot in next weekends Grand Final.

Hawthorn and Port Adelaide both like to move the ball as quickly as possible from defence, both rely on long kicking and run. The likes of Mitchell, Birchall, Hodge, Smith and Suckling like to run from defence and use raking left foot kicks, while Hartlett, Broadbent, Pittard, Polec and White try to do the same for Port Adelaide.

One subtle difference is Port are also prepared to run and carry the ball, not saying Hawthorn aren’t, but Port are happy to take the game on with Boak, Polec and White in particular keen to get 5 steps in, bounce and reassess the scene ahead.

As always midfield battles will go a long way to determining the outcome of this one and these two midfields boast about as much talent as any of the sides in the competition. There’s no need to name them all, the list is simply too long.....but I’ll focus on the keys for each side.

Boak, Wines and Lobbe. Last week Ken Hinkley reportedly gave the skipper a massive spray at half time, held to 3 first half disposals by Ryan Crowley the heat was put on the skipper and with 13 last half possessions and 4 clearances after half time the skipper stood tall. Travis Boak is gaining plaudits across the competition as one of the premier captains in the competition. Rightly so, he has had two All-Australian selections since taking over as the skipper, you can’t ask for more than that.

Ollie Wines has had his fare share of pats on the back since his efforts in last weeks final in Perth and with good reason. The kid has not missed a game since his debut in round 1 2013 and at 19 years of age with 44 games under his belt this kid must be the subject of a lucrative long term deal at Port Adelaide. He also has “captain” written all over him. His much heralded team mate Chad Wingard has been described as having one of the best “first 50 game” resumes going around, well, if I was considering the two as job applicants, Ollies would be right there behind him, if not on par.

Matt Lobbe has carried the rucks for Port Adelaide all year, which, is actually the norm for most sides that play one lead ruckman and one of the teams to buck that trend is Hawthorn. With Hale and Ceglar in the side ( and McEvoy in the magoos ) Hawthorn boast a mobile, versatile ruck combination. Both like to go forward and score, both cover loads of ground and as such Matt Lobbe is in for another typically difficult assignment. ( Who in their right mind would want to be a ruckman? Nah mate, I’m a tall forward ) This will keep Trengove busy on the resting ruckman which in turn means either Hombsch or Jonas need to play that third man up role.

For the Hawkers the main men are Mitchell, Lewis and Gunston.

Mitchell is so silky smooth around the contest it makes me sick. The time he has in traffic, the strength through the core, the ability to hit someone lace out from 50m on either foot, the quick hands, the voice. What a gun this bloke is.

I noted Jordan Lewis as he often gets a role, not run with, but more of a minder. He’ll match up with Travis Boak I think and what a match up between the two All-Australians it could be. Lewis does the heavy lifting around the ground, in and under, tackling, throwing himself at the contest.

The biggest threat for Port in the forward half ( IMO Trengove will go to the Roughead ) is Jack Gunston. Bobby Carlile wont want to run with him, Tommy Jonas might have the third man up role and Jack Hombsch might be the one to go with Gunston as he moves up the ground. This match up I can’t really pick, I think ( as many match ups are ) a team defensive effort will be the way for Port to hold Gunston and Roughy.

Well, having said all that, buggered if I can pick a winner.

My nerves are starting to kick in as I get ready to leave work and head off. My heart says Port Adelaide, they’ve made me a very proud man in the last two years. We we’re headed, as many said, towards being irrelevant in this competition. Now we’re the talk of the competiton. Our on field performances under Ken Hinkley have been amazing, our off field transformation as remarkable, our home game entertainment package the envy of 17 other sides and it could be disputed that Port Adelaide are now the “big club” in South Australia. It has been ( well it always will be )tough being a Port fan, history in the making we say, history cant be changed they all say.

Win or lose I’ll be very proud of this group and will drive home Sunday in any case perhaps a little disappointed but excited by what lies ahead, be it next week or next year.

Do I have to give a tip? Port by 3 points after an draw takes the game into over time.

CARN THE ****** PEAR!!!!

I am tipping the Hawks to win but won't be the least surprised if the Power prevail, both sides are in great form.
No travelling preliminary finalist has one since 2006.

logic says Hawthorn, but i think Port will win in a tight finish

Port Adelaides mantra of never, ever giving up was evident on Saturday. It would have been so easy to have rolled over when down by 23 points with 15 minutes to go, but this young group simply does not give up.

The best two clubs, Hawthorn and Sydney, are set for some years at the top, many expect Fremantle and Geelong to be there or thereabouts, but perhaps not in a position to challenge next year.

Then there are a heap stuck in a holding pattern, "hopeful" of better things. Collingwood, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Richmond. All hopeful of more.

Then there is Port Adelaide and North Melbourne. Two clubs who are "coming". Many expected North to be in Ports spot last year, in a semi final and growing as a group. Close losses last year kept them out the 8. but this year they took a step forward.

So while Saturdays loss hurts, on the back of last years semi-final departure and many "experts" suggesting Port over achieved last year and wouldn't make the 8 this year we push the Hawks in a Prelim. We are coming*, we are building.

Come round 1 next year Adelaide Oval will be packed full, membership in the high 50,000's and the club in better shape than any time in the last 6 years. I can't be anything but optimistic, proud and super keen for the 2015 season. With some savvy recruiting ( we must go after Ryder with everything ) Port supporters can now expect, not hope, for a top 4 finish.

On Hawthorn, for a bloke with stumpy legs, a bit of soft belly and not a lot of pace, Sam Mitchell is an absolute gun. His ability to find time and space in traffic, win the ball, direct traffic when Hawthorn don't have the ball ( I watched him off the ball for a bit on Saturday, he marshals the Hawthorn press ) is as good as any. Ablett, Fyfe, Gray all get the plaudits this year, but on his day Mitchell is every bit the best player in the comp.

No shame in saying we had nobody to go with Roughead, he's almost impossible to have someone run with him when he goes into the middle and the star key forwards in the form he is in are hard to stop, very hard to stop.

One last thing on Port for now, Ken Hinkley. In Ken we trust.

I remember feeling the same way after the 2012 preliminary final. Unlike my Club though I think the PAFC has established a good culture and administration over the last couple of years and are well positioned to continue the rise.

An observation from the weekend though - how good are Hawthorn?

They have been up against it all year. Star player leaving, an injury list as long as your arm, a senior coach with serious health issues - and yet they still keep winning.

Everyone seeks to emulate Geelong, and Sydney, but Hawthorn are the ones that all other Clubs should aspire to be IMO.

Look at their record over the last 30 years. I can only remember 1 period of below par results during that time (late 90's/early 2000's). Apart from those few years it's been wall to wall premierships and GF appearances.

Very true Ginge.

They lost Mitchell, Rioli, Gibson and Lake for large chunks of the season, McEvoy and Sewell can't get a game and the coach was bed ridden for a month.

Unbelievable to think they are still the team to beat.

This season has made me realise what a champion Club they are.