Port Melbourne has completely transformed the way it plays and has reaped the rewards with an undefeated start to 2017.
The Borough was defeated in an elimination final by Sandringham last year after being one of the Peter Jackson VFL’s top teams for doing the hard stuff.
But senior coach Gary Ayres has this year looked to rectify his team’s scoring difficulties by creating more opportunities for his players to use the ball in space, thus providing a dynamic forward line with plenty of chances to impact the scoreboard.
Port Melbourne was easily the lowest-scoring side to make the 2016 finals, averaging 77 points per game during the H&A season. While only three rounds into 2017, that number has jumped to 94 points per game.
Key forward Jordan Lisle led the Borough’s goalkicking with 21 majors in 13 matches last year but already has nine in three games this year. Veteran Chris Cain looks rejuvenated with six goals, Blake Pearson has snagged four and recruited Williamstown forward Dylan Conway has contributed five.
The addition of Conway and former Richmond and North Melbourne forward Robin Nahas was part of Ayres’ plan to boost Port Melbourne’s scoring, but the addition of ex-AFL midfielders such as Eli Templeton (pictured - from St Kilda), Brodie Murdoch (St Kilda) and Dillon Viojo-Rainbow (Carlton) has been equally important. All have the ability to find space and run with the ball before disposing of it with skill going forward.
They’re part of the reason why the Borough is averaging 36 more uncontested marks (from VFL no.8 in 2016 to no.1 in 2017) and 53 more uncontested possessions (no.8 to no.2) than last year, leading to easier scoring opportunities in wins against the Northern Blues, Geelong and Richmond.
And while Port Melbourne may have dropped from third in the competition for contested possessions per game in 2016 to 11th this year and from third to 13th for clearances per game, that doesn’t means the likes of Tom O’Sullivan and Toby Pinwill aren’t doing their thing at the coalface.
It just means they’re surrounded by a more versatile midfield – which is even keeping big bodies like Matt Arnot and Shane Valenti in the Development League.
Round 3 keys to victory:
49: 2017’s king of hitouts (so far) has been dethroned. Williamstown big man Nick Meese had recorded 67 and 64 hitouts to dominate that statistical table in Rounds 1 and 2 respectively, but 206cm Werribee giant Braydon Preuss pipped Meese with 49 hitouts to 45 in Round 3.
14: Geelong beat the Casey Demons at their own game – in the contests – in its 36-point victory. The Cats won 14 more contested possessions (led by Sam McLachlan with 13) and 10 more clearances (led by Jordan Cunico with six), while Ben Moloney laid a match-high 12 tackles.
19: The Box Hill Hawks defeated Williamstown by 28 points despite conceding more contested possessions, clearances and inside-50s. The difference was the ability of Hawks such as Dallas Willsmore (19 uncontested possessions), Harry Morrison (18) and captain David Mirra (17) to control the ball in space.
Round 3 stats leaders:
KICKS |
|
|
|
Shane Biggs |
Footscray |
27 |
|
Eli Templeton |
Port Melbourne |
25 |
|
Mitchell Hibberd |
Werribee |
22 |
|
David Myers |
Essendon |
21 |
|
Nick Rippon |
North Ballarat |
21 |
|
Dale Thomas |
Northern Blues |
21 |
|
Brodie Murdoch |
Port Melbourne |
21 |
|
Nick Mellington |
Coburg |
20 |
|
Anthony Miles |
Richmond |
20 |
|
David Mirra |
Box Hill Hawks |
19 |
|
Harry Morrison |
Box Hill Hawks |
19 |
|
Josh Thomas |
Collingwood |
19 |
|
Tom Wilson |
Northern Blues |
19 |
|
Liam Hunt |
Coburg |
18 |
|
Matthew Scharenberg |
Collingwood |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
HANDBALLS |
|
|
|
Thomas O'Sullivan |
Port Melbourne |
29 |
|
Rupert Wills |
Collingwood |
25 |
|
Jarryd Blair |
Collingwood |
22 |
|
Mitch Wallis |
Footscray |
20 |
|
Toby Pinwill |
Port Melbourne |
20 |
|
Jordan Cunico |
Geelong |
20 |
|
Lukas Webb |
Footscray |
18 |
|
Ben Jolley |
Williamstown |
17 |
|
Callum Brown |
Collingwood |
17 |
|
Jordan De Goey |
Collingwood |
16 |
|
Daniel Capiron |
Geelong |
16 |
|
James Harmes |
Casey Demons |
16 |
|
Tom Ruggles |
Geelong |
15 |
|
Craig Bird |
Essendon |
15 |
|
Bailey Rice |
Sandringham |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
MARKS |
|
|
|
Brody Mihocek |
Port Melbourne |
15 |
|
Dale Thomas |
Northern Blues |
14 |
|
Harry Morrison |
Box Hill Hawks |
14 |
|
Rhys Stanley |
Geelong |
12 |
|
Sam Kerridge |
Northern Blues |
11 |
|
Pat Kerr |
Northern Blues |
11 |
|
Sam Dwyer |
Port Melbourne |
10 |
|
Dallas Willsmore |
Box Hill Hawks |
10 |
|
Eli Templeton |
Port Melbourne |
10 |
|
Kieran Collins |
Footscray |
10 |
|
Brenton Payne |
North Ballarat |
10 |
|
Louis Herbert |
North Ballarat |
10 |
|
Liam Jones |
Northern Blues |
10 |
|
Paddy McCartin |
Sandringham |
10 |
|
Nick Rippon |
North Ballarat |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
HITOUTS |
|
|
|
Braydon Preuss |
Werribee |
49 |
|
Nick Meese |
Williamstown |
45 |
|
Tom Hickey |
Sandringham |
36 |
|
Andrew Phillips |
Northern Blues |
33 |
|
Ivan Maric |
Richmond |
31 |
|
Ryan Abbott |
Geelong |
28 |
|
Rhys Stanley |
Geelong |
26 |
|
Tim English |
Footscray |
26 |
|
Jack Fitzpatrick |
Box Hill Hawks |
25 |
|
Sam Draper |
Essendon |
24 |
|
Mitch King |
Casey Demons |
23 |
|
Nick Nott |
North Ballarat |
21 |
|
Tobias Thoolen |
North Ballarat |
17 |
|
Tom Goodwin |
Coburg |
16 |
|
Jesse White |
Collingwood |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
TACKLES |
|
|
|
Kyle Langford |
Essendon |
14 |
|
Andrew Swallow |
Werribee |
12 |
|
Ben Moloney |
Geelong |
12 |
|
James Harmes |
Casey Demons |
11 |
|
Craig Bird |
Essendon |
11 |
|
Rupert Wills |
Collingwood |
10 |
|
Declan Mountford |
Werribee |
10 |
|
Nathan Wright |
Sandringham |
9 |
|
Adam Marcon |
Williamstown |
9 |
|
David Myers |
Essendon |
9 |
|
Shaun McKernan |
Essendon |
8 |
|
Jordan Cunico |
Geelong |
8 |
|
Edward Morris |
Casey Demons |
8 |
|
Dylan Weickhardt |
Sandringham |
8 |
|
Dion Johnstone |
Casey Demons |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
2017 LEADING GOALKICKERS |
|
|
VFL |
|
Last Rnd |
Total |
Paddy McCartin |
Sandringham |
7 |
12 |
Sam Lloyd |
Richmond |
4 |
9 |
Ben Lennon |
Richmond |
2 |
9 |
Jordan Lisle |
Port Melbourne |
2 |
9 |
Jack Fitzpatrick |
Box Hill Hawks |
1 |
8 |
Angus Scott |
Casey Demons |
3 |
8 |
Fergus Greene |
Footscray |
_ |
8 |
Shaun McKernan |
Essendon |
2 |
6 |
Jordan De Goey |
Collingwood |
2 |
6 |
Rowan Marshall |
Sandringham |
2 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
Development League |
|
Last Rnd |
Total |
Will Murphy |
Box Hill Hawks |
1 |
9 |
Thomas Wilkinson |
Williamstown |
4 |
7 |
Jeremy Gleeson |
Port Melbourne |
2 |
6 |
Sam Fowler |
Northern Blues |
5 |
6 |
Cameron McRorie |
Coburg |
2 |
5 |
Corey Rich |
Sandringham |
1 |
5 |
Joshua Corbett |
Werribee |
2 |
5 |
Khan Haretuku |
Port Melbourne |
4 |
5 |
Samuel De Soysa |
Port Melbourne |
3 |
5 |
Luke Goetz |
Williamstown |
1 |
4 |
* Photo: Arj Giese
Related content:
VFL SUNDAY RECAP: Round 3
VFL SATURDAY RECAP: Round 3
VFL FRIDAY RECAP: Round 3
STATS CENTRAL Round 2: Tiger tackle train
Last Modified on 02/05/2017 16:58