How did Port recover so quickly?

[perfectionist]

After playing in a GF in 2007, Port bottomed out in 2011 with just 3 wins. The next year wasn't too hot either but with a new coach they made the finals last year. This year they will be a top 4 team.

Their team seems to have three things we don't: pace, strength and height on the backline. While the team lacks stand out forwards, it manages more than 16 goals per game (we are less than 10). The team that played last night didn't appear to have any obvious duds.

Their skill level appears to be a mile above ours in both kicking and especially handball.

They have rebuilt by making the most of their picks in the non GC-GWS draft years. Travis Boak was pick 5 in 2006, Robbie Gray was pick 55 in 2006, Brad Ebert pick 13 in 2007, Chad Wingard pick 6 in 2011, Ollie Wines pick 7 in 2012, to name some.

If we were to emulate their recovery from disaster, we would be looking at playing finals in 2016. At the moment, I can't see it, but live in hope.

[BigMart]

Boak, Hartlett, Winguard, Wines, Trengove, pittard, Lobbe, and more

They made their selections count

Don't think they missed....

[Old Mate]

Boak, Hartlett, Winguard, Wines, Trengove, pittard, Lobbe, and more

They made their selections count

Don't think they missed....

Yup they have lots of talent. They fell hard after the 2007 GF and cashed in with their picks. Some savvy trading getting Ebert, Polec, Schulz and Monfries has significantly sped up their rebuild as well. A lot can be learnt by the way they went about things.

[Cairnsman]

Because GCS will win it next year and then proabably go back to back by which time GWS should be hitting their straps and start winning a few themselves.

My point being it will probably be a good thing if our rebiuld takes a long time because most teams that peak over the next 10 years will probably still pull up short while the franchise teams are in flag collecting mode.

[BigMart]

Yes, you're right... Cannot discount their trading... Outstanding

That is why, we cannot rely on just grabbing kids as our saviour... It needs to be in conjunction with smart trading, and uncontracted talent

2004 was made up of draftees
Roo, Goddard, Kosi, Ball, X, Dal, Sam, Goose, Hayes

But also
Free agents Powell, Voss

Trades, Penny, Gehrig, Hamill, Black, Guerra, Knobel

That 16 player in three years

With veterans Harvey, Peckett, Jones, Hudghton, Jones

[mr six o'clock]

They under preformed for Primus !
That's why he got the chop
Hinkley's got them playing with confidence and that plus not losing your best players to injury , goes a long way to having success .
Time will tell if there good enough to go all the way .

[oh when the]

Starts with good management & administration

[BigMart]

Under performed....

Yes, they completely unravelled

[BigMart]

Sydney & Coll are my tips this year... Geelong, Haw and Freo
Port will be my favs 15

GCS and GWS will share the following 5

[dragit]

That 16 player in three years

We've added 31 players in the past three years… including 11 via trade/FA

2011 - 12
Ross
Markworth
Newnes
Webster
Lever
Maister
Saad
Milera
Dunell
Shenton
Minchington
Staley


2012 - 9
Wright
White
Murdoch
Saunders
Pierce
Lee
Hickey
Roberton
TDL


2013 - 10
Billings
Dunstan
Acres
Templeton
Weller
Holmes
Savage
Longer
Delaney
Bruce

[Old Mate]

Good point dragit we've reshaped the list significantly over the past three off-seasons. My only concern is we've only started bringing in absolute quality last off-season with Billings, Dunstan, Acres and Longer. We need to continue to bring in another 2-3 talented players every year over the next 2-3 drafts via the draft and trade period. Then get a lucky with a few like Newnes, Bruce, Saunders or whoever it may be.

[dragit]

True Old Mate… but from where we were, we can't expect a brand new set of players in 2 or 3 years.

Clearly plenty of those players won't make it, but I like the multiplying of picks into players, hopefully down the track we marvel at some of the trades too and some of Longer, Hickey, Lee, Bruce, Delaney & Roberton become solid long term players…

Milera, TDL & Savage are looking pretty unlikely already, but every club has failures each year.

[BigMart]

Most of that list is speculative....

We cast a wide net I hope .....

00-02 we were shooting fish in a barrel.

In that period we were had a lesser draft position

[dragit]

Like you suggested in your other thread mart… we hopefully have at least 8 or 9 players for our next crack

Highly likely:
Steven, Billings, Dunstan, Longer, Wright, Newnes,

Likely:
Hickey, Acres, Webster, Templeton,

Maybe
Bruce, Delaney, Markworth, Weller, Curren, Saunders, Stanley, Lee, Roberton

With a few lean years ahead if we can add a few stars, a few more B graders and get a couple of players out of the Likely/Maybe pile… plus bring 1 or 2 serious free agents in, hopefully we'll have a pretty solid team running around.

[Cairnsman]

Sydney & Coll are my tips this year... Geelong, Haw and Freo
Port will be my favs 15

GCS and GWS will share the following 5

Remember when Port were really strong through the Lion's threepeat years, I reckon Port are about to peak while there are two teams that are far superior. Bad timing me thinks. Teams like North and Ricmond have no chance.

[BigMart]

Least they won one... And they are more ready the the other two ATM IMO

GC are not that far away

GWS here it is again...

1-Scully
1-Patton
1-L.Whitfield
1-Boyd
2-Cognilio
2-O'Rourke
2-Kelly
3-Plowman
4-Hoskins-Elliott
5-Buntine
7-Palmer
7-Haynes
9-Tomlinson
10-Davis
10-Sumner
11-Greene
12-Jacksh
14-Corr
14-McCarthy
19-Ward
21-Lamb
27-Stewart
29-Lobbe

Pre Selections
Shiel
Treloar
Cameron
Bugg
Hampton
Golds
Wilson
Whiley


In case you missed.... This would be the most impressive list of talent ever assembled!

[8856brother]

I've waited 40 odd years. Time means nothing. 2 in 200 years and I would be happy. Don't think I will be around. Knowing my luck we will go back to back the years after I get hit by a bus.

[dragit]

I've waited 40 odd years. Time means nothing. 2 in 200 years and I would be happy. Don't think I will be around. Knowing my luck we will go back to back the years after I get hit by a bus.

I'll bring the bus around tomorrow then

[magnifisaint]

I've waited 40 odd years. Time means nothing. 2 in 200 years and I would be happy. Don't think I will be around. Knowing my luck we will go back to back the years after I get hit by a bus.

make a sacrifice for the team then!

[Con Gorozidis]

It is bloody depressing for clubs like us and the doggies who may not win a flag in peoples lifetimes and gws and gc will get several gifted.

[Old Mate]

GWS burnt the 2012 draft IMO. It will hurt them down the track. Prolly win 2 flags instead of 3. Poor bastards.

[8856brother]

I've waited 40 odd years. Time means nothing. 2 in 200 years and I would be happy. Don't think I will be around. Knowing my luck we will go back to back the years after I get hit by a bus.

[Cairnsman]

It is bloody depressing for clubs like us and the doggies who may not win a flag in peoples lifetimes and gws and gc will get several gifted.

The worst thing the Dogs could do over the next couple of years is rise up the ladder, although they are a little bit ahead of us in their rebuild phase (just IMO), they are still really light on for the sort of talent that is going to be needed to compete for a flag over the next 5-10 years. I reckon the ingredients for clubs to merge in the same period are starting to appear.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Where does that leave us, since we're supposed to be "challenging" by 2018?

The short answer is: in need of a lot more blue chip draft picks. So I suspect a few more senior players will be traded to teams desperate to snare a flag before the GCS/GWS onslaught.

[saintspremiers]

GC yes for flags as they have Yablett. But I reckon the soulless GWS without a superstar recruit won't win a flag with their current crop.