Port Adelaide’s Kane Farrell said a deep review of Sunday’s game saw the players discuss individual accountability and the search for consistency in performance.
The experienced defender raised the need for the entire group to lift to help fill gaps, particularly with important players missing through injury.
Farrell fronted the Adelaide media on Wednesday to discuss how the players reviewed Round 3, defensive options in the absence of Esava Ratugolea and how the group maintains confidence after a loss.
Farrell on changes in defensive personnel
“We've got the players that can fill the roles. There's a lot of experience still that is playing in the SANFL at the moment. Zerk-Thatcher is still there, so we've got guys that can come in and fill those roles. But it is kind of rotating at the moment, but we've been able to fill those gaps with some pretty decent players. The coaches will go through that now, post training, everyone seemed to get through fine, so they'll discuss that later on.”
Farrell on the Round 3 game review
“It’s about our ability to stay consistent, like we started pretty well, and then we just couldn't absorb their pressure. They brought, in that middle patch of the game, the second and third quarter was pretty hot by them. They brought a lot of pressure, so just being able to absorb a bit more and then also go back at them with our pressure, which dropped off at times. But we know when we do have our pressure at a high level, that it can be one of the best in the comp.
“It's not really personnel based. We just got to be more consistent as a whole playing group. Everyone can do it, so it's just up to us to drive it as leaders, and as a group, and then bring all the young guys along with us.”
Farrell on ball movement from the backline
“I think it's on us as a whole back line and a whole team really, just on how we move the ball. We've seen last week against Essendon, it was very composed, and we moved it pretty well. So again, it's back to that consistency, and if we can keep bringing the same game plan and the same ball movement each week, that we'll put ourselves in better positions to be more competitive for majority of the game.
“It’s also on us just taking the early options and using the ball better as a group. Doesn't really have to be personnel based or who kicks the balls. It's just more of how we can set the ground up as a team and move the ball more freely.”
Farrell on Jack Lukosius playing in defence in the fourth quarter on Sunday
“Potentially he might come down. We're not sure. We'll see who they bring into the side later on, but yeah, he's definitely an option that we can bring down there. He's got some experience from Gold Coast playing down back as well. So look, we've got more options that we need to bring in to play down back for us. So he might be handy.”
Farrell on the squad’s mentality
“We're all trying to win games. We're here to win, we're putting our best foot forward on the training track to put us out there game day to be able to win games. So for us, it's just being as good and consistent as we can as a whole playing group.
“I don’t think were reading into (the outside ‘list-clogger’ narrative) too much. We're kind of staying within the four walls and controlling what we can control, really. So for us, it's just being really diligent against each other, of how we actually attack training, how we go through everything throughout the week, our reviews as individuals and as a team, how we can be better. So I feel like everyone's sticking at the moment between the four walls and just focusing on ourselves really.”
Farrell on experienced players leading well
“It’s on us as leaders as well, to bring that energy throughout training, throughout the week, and then also bring along all the young fellas. We’ve got such young, great talent, you would have seen Jack Whitlock on the weekend, stood up in some really key moments, took a big mark and kicked a goal late in the game, so just driving him forward and making him feel comfortable out there, because he's a real dangerous threat for us when he's up and about.”
Farrell on maintaining confidence
“When we’re seeing what our best footy can be, when we start playing well, have a good patch, a good quarter, it's showing how dangerous we can be. We can score quickly. We can score heavy. So it's just showing those moments of how dangerous we can be when we play good footy. So it's just now bringing that into everyone that when we do play our roles and do what we are supposed to be doing that, it will be dangerous going forward.
“It’s early in the season. You don't know where those teams could end up at the end of the year or what the league looks like at the end of the year. So for us, it's just moving forward each week, reviewing the game really diligently against each other, and really just moving forward to each game, because you can't dwell on what's happened. You’ve got to move forward pretty quick with how footy goes these days.”
Farrell on the group embracing the game plan
“Yeah, we're still learning on the run a little bit, but you can see that throughout the three games we played that we are still teething a little bit. But there are some really good moments that we've had throughout that whole time. So again, it's back to that consistency thing. If we can just keep bringing up for the whole game, not just patches, it'll really put us in good stead.”
Farrell on Miles Bergman
“Yeah, he got through training today, so I think he'll be back in again. They'll go through that today, but I think at this stage he’s looking good to come back.”
Farrell on the focus for the players
“We're very week to week (with how we review games), with what we want to get out of the training sessions throughout the week. We have goals that we set on what we want to go out and to achieve. We've been focusing heavily on our defence, because we can see how well our offence is moving at times. So it's now just fixing up little adjustments that we’ve got to do in defence. So we're just going to them at the moment in training and hopefully we can keep stepping forward in that space.”
Farrell on Zak Butters’ competitiveness
“It's just him as a person, Zak, he's pretty competitive. He does it out on the training track to everyone. So he's out there to win, and he's out there to compete. And for him, I think it brings a bit of fun as well when he can give a bit of lip and talk to another player. So it brings the best out of him when he's playing like that. So for us, it's just to keep that nice and measured so it doesn't get too out of hand.
“He’s a very good on field leader. You can see he leads by example, by his actions, so the way him and Connor have led the last few years, has worked pretty well. So for Zak to come in, it kind of made it pretty seamless. A lot of F bombs in the pre-game! No, he was good. So looking forward to seeing how well he can develop in that space.”
