Pre-Match:
- Needed to regroup this week after being comfortably beaten in Perth, following competitive efforts in the two weeks before. Focused on working as a team for the entire match and continuing to maintain high intensity consistently throughout the game. The reward will eventually come our way.

- We wanted to get off to a good start after our poor beginning in the previous game, which saw the opposition have thirteen scoring shots to our one in the first quarter. We needed to have our defensive pressure right on from the start, and not let the Kangaroos get the jump on us, or any easy goals.

- The Kangaroos are a long kicking team and don’t mess around with the ball, but move it quickly and directly into their forwards.

- Again we had to make changes to our side pre-game, with Adem Yze and Matthew Bate not coming up with injuries. It’s happened too often this year, and line structures are frequently changing. Yze, Bate, and Sylvia were all replaced in the forward line, while further replacements were required for Ferguson and Whelan. We brought in Brock McLean and Nathan Brown late. It was good to get Brock back into the team to add some running and ball winning strength to our midfield. He is underdone, but was confident he could make a solid contribution.

- Losing Whelan to injury was costly, as he has a good record on minding Grant. We gave the task to Brad Green, who was looking forward to the challenge.

- We also brought in James Frawley for his first AFL game, Russell Robertson returning from a knee injury suffered in Round Two, and Ben Holland and Clint Bizzell to strengthen our defence. We gave Simon Godfrey a stopping job to do on Brent Harvey.

- We needed a strong effort over four quarters against the Kangaroos, as their confidence has been growing, with the team having won their last five games.

During the match:
- Started Cameron Bruce and Ricky Petterd in the forward line.

- We started well, having several shots on goal, but couldn’t capitalise after initially controlling the first ten minutes of the match. The Kangaroos fought back late in the quarter, and led by seven points at quarter time after kicking three goals to two in that term.

- Both Neitz and Robertson were looking dangerous early in the match, but we struggled to get the ball inside our forward 50 enough times to give them maximum opportunities in front of goal.

- Had six scoring shots in the second quarter - the same as the Kangaroos – however, they kicked 4.2 and we registered 2.4. Our skill level really hurt us during the second quarter. We couldn’t hit targets forward of centre, and we took the ball wide, creating slow movement.

- We certainly weren’t out of the game at half time, being three goals down, but we knew we hadn’t played anywhere near our best football.

- Our back line held together strongly during the third quarter, with the Kangaroos repeatedly kicking it inside forward 50. The Kangaroos missed opportunities that could have put them further in front, but our back line group was fantastic, restricting them to one goal.

- Our skill level didn’t get any better during the third quarter,as we turned the ball over, and again went wide.

- Skills turned around in the last quarter, we started hitting targets inside 50 (6 marks to 1), and we were winning the ball from stoppages.

- At the last change, the Kangaroos led by 28 points and kicked the first goal of the quarter. We then started moving the ball more quickly and directly. With good decision making and longer kicking, we got it inside 50, giving our forwards some opportunities. We kicked seven goals in a row in a fifteen minute period to hit the lead late in the game.

- We needed to hang onto the ball in the last minute of the game, to prevent the Kangaroos from scoring. We failed to do so, and again it was very disappointing to have missed out on the four points in the final minute of the match.

Post-Match:
- We lost the game because we didn’t play four quarters of football, and didn’t hang onto the ball at the end of the game. It was a great effort to fight back and have a 41 point turnaround, but we cannot expect to win games from that deficit.

- Need to commend the players on their fighting spirit, especially in the final quarter, and coming off the return trip from Perth.

- The back line performed very strongly over the four quarters restricting the Kangaroos to just ten goals from 56 entries inside 50. Our forwards were limited by opportunities, only having the ball inside 50 on 42 occasions.

- We were beaten at the clearances - 36 to 25.

- It was the first time we’d had our full leadership group in the team since Round One, and they all made solid contributions.

- It is important for our players to continue to focus on Adelaide this week, and not be too disappointed with the results over the last month. A win isn’t too far away if we continue with the same sort of overall intensity, and with the form shown against the Kangaroos, Port Adelaide, and the Bulldogs, along with some gradual improvements.

- We have a six day turnaround; it will be a reasonably light week on the track.