The morning after.......We have a LOT of positives.....

[kaos theory]

I feel a lot better about the list and potential this morning. I think we will be at the pointy end of the season for a few more years yet....and we can beat the pies.

We need to get pace and skill into the team, and silght adjustment to game plan, but we are not far off.

Firstly, he had 3 or 4 players carrying injuries into both games. Dal & Gram were 'lame' for both finals & they are two are key play makers for us. Jones also played with an inury and was restricted, especially for the gf replay. So there is big improvement there alone.

Gwilt has arrived as a top line player. He will get better, remember he started his footy late in life... Dawson will be a good FB. He will also get better, remember he had a poor pre-season this yr. Raph will come back better next yr, and offer more. We also have players like A Smith & Miles (showed a lot in the last few games, pace and composure). Therefore, our backline will be very solid & skilful.

We will have pace and skill to add through stanley and stevens. Stanely, with another year of development could be a devistating weapon...in the ruck, forward and with his mobility. Steven is a talent, and will get regualr game time up forward, and can eventually add the the mids

The players like Geary (who has talent), Heyne, Amro (if he stays), Lynch & Simpkin add more flexibility. Don't forget Tommy Walsh! He has the makings of a key player for us, and will get games next yr.

Game plan:
We began the 'forward press' style, the filth took it further, BUT WE are the only other team that knows that style of play well enough, so WE are best placed to also take it further and match collingwood.

We need to deal with the lack of pace and up forward, and the reliance on players with ok defensive skills but poor offensive. e.g. mini, eddy & dempster...these type of players will struggle to hold spots next year. Milne will come under pressure too from stevens & hyne...

Kosi up forward exposes us on rebound and our ability to press....but he was ok in the ruck, and good forward at times...maybe rotating forward-ruck is his role...

A big loss may be a blessing in disguse. It will be a wake up call, just like the big loss in the 08 pf....That brought change and hugh improvement, next yr can do the same....

[matrix]

roo chf
tommy ff

done

[wallbanger]

I applaud and admire your optimism - but sadly I don't feel the same way at all.

Hope you are right.

[gringo]

I agree lots of positives. Ross recognised last year that pace was an issue, got Peake and Lovett. One has partially worked, he is going to get better at our game style eventually.

He also wanted to release one or both Sams from the back. Gwilt worked, Raph was going well.

Of the young guys A.Smith looks skilful, Steven will be Very good. Rhys Stanley isn't there yet but has lots of up side. Miles must be quick.

I think Kosi in the ruck is a win which frees up Mac evoy for a bit more play around the ground, and makes a spot for Stanley, Lynch etc as a full forward.

Yesterday our game plan was shown up unfortunately, the quick sides got over us last year the Pies noted what we did well put it back on us but then used the ball quickly not cautiously.

We should try to get someone in that has a mountain of pace and clean hands. Try a more attacking at all costs game plan and find a way to make a genuine pressure forward line.

We can't have our best defensive small too far away from goal (Schnides.) Mini has been about the same but without AS we look like it comes back out too easily.

Plenty of up side and already getting exited about possibilities.

[bobmurray]

We should try to get someone in that has a mountain of pace and clean hands. Try a more attacking at all costs game plan and find a way to make a genuine pressure forward line.

I think we need more than "someone" with those qualities, more like "sometwo"....minimum....

[kaos theory]

I applaud and admire your optimism - but sadly I don't feel the same way at all.

Hope you are right.

you probably felt we had less chance of success after we got smashed in the pf against the hawks in 08.....but look what hapened after that.

We have a great core of leaders, strong admin & footy division, and we will be adding an elite training facility to our club next year. That certainly helped collingwood develop its players better over the last few years...

[bigred]

I cannot find a single positive from that game.

Worst game of the year.

[wallbanger]

I agree Big Red - by a long way the worst.

Two small positives - Goddard gave his all again and Gwilt continued to cement his position as the team's best defender by a street in my opinion.

Not a lot else to get out of yesterday, and it is difficult to see how we can get up off the canvass and improve again, if we couldn't snag last year's or this year's GF's given the postions we were in in both games.

Kinda depressing. Ugh.

[oakleighboy]

WAKE UP
WE LOST
NO POSITIVES
PLENTY OF NEGATIVES
WE WERE SMASHED
PIES DOMINATED
WE WERE SLOW

TAKE OFF YOUR ROSE COLOUR GLASSES AND LOOK AT THE RESULT
WE WILL NEVER WIN KICKING LOW SCORES

[saint75]

WAKE UP
WE LOST
NO POSITIVES
PLENTY OF NEGATIVES
WE WERE SMASHED
PIES DOMINATED
WE WERE SLOW

TAKE OFF YOUR ROSE COLOUR GLASSES AND LOOK AT THE RESULT
WE WILL NEVER WIN KICKING LOW SCORES

You are really starting to piss me off! Crawl back in to the hole that you had the misfortune of coming from and let the rest of us come to terms with yesterday. You have bagged this team on every single thread you possibly can and most of us of had enough of you.

Go barrack for someone else because at this point, you have nothing useful left to offer St Kilda as a supporter.

[oh when]

The only positive will be for Ross to realise his game plan will not win a gf. Until I see a game plan based on a strong forward structure aiming to kick at least 15 goals per game then nothing will come out of yesterdays loss.

[kaos theory]

I cannot find a single positive from that game.

Worst game of the year.

big red, the experience yesterday was horrendous, its going to take a while to get over it...if ever....

BUT I think the list and the way the club will react, as I said above, will mean we will be top 2 or 3 for a few more years & can beat this mob in a final....

[iwantmeseats]

The only positive will be for Ross to realise his game plan will not win a gf. Until I see a game plan based on a strong forward structure aiming to kick at least 15 goals per game then nothing will come out of yesterdays loss.

THIS !!!!

[3rd generation saint]

Lets see what they do this week during trade week, if we can make some good deals and pick up some more depth I will feel a bit better.
If we have a productive pre season, that will be good.
Of course if we smash Sydney in Round 1, that will heal the wound a bit more.
But only the big one will completely heal my hurt.

[SaintPav]

The only good thing I can think of is that we will re build of sorts earlier than we would have had we stolen the game last week. We know ecactly were we sit and who is good enough and who isn't. I hope this stops us from a massive slide as opposed to thinking we are better than we actually are. We have a young coach who is a realist. Hopefully we can still enjoy some good wins and a couple of more finals campaigns....I'm trying to be positive...hoping the era hasn't ended and we're not screwd.

[oneteam]

The only good thing I can think of is that we will re build of sorts earlier than we would have had we stolen the game last week. We know ecactly were we sit and who is good enough and who isn't. I hope this stops us from a massive slide as opposed to thinking we are better than we actually are. We have a young coach who is a realist. Hopefully we can still enjoy some good wins and a couple of more finals campaigns....I'm trying to be positive...hoping the era hasn't ended and we're not screwd.

agree, and we will have 3 new assistant coaches with fresh ideas to input into Lyon's thinking.

[older saint]

We are the 2nd best team in the comp. Therefore we need to improve, but we are not that far off. We matched the best in 1 gF and IF we had have kicked say 4.3 in the 2nd quarter would have been in the game in the 2nd half . Coll are great front runners and kill teams.

Pace is an issue as is skill by foot. Everythnig comes at a cost. What is he bloke from Geel Djue? like?

Miles, Steven, will inject pace but need to earn a spot. Love to see Kosi move to ruck with McEvoy, would be a very good combo for years to come.

Gilbert to half forward and Raph back helps a lot.

We sucked yesreday , the opposition were very good and forget the margin once you are down in a GF like that it is natural to drop off.

Look at Syd, got a couple good yung players not given a chance at Hawthorn ( McGlyn and Kennedy) as they suited needs and became important parts of their teams.
We just need a couple more pieces to the puzzle. MONEYBALL.

[gringo]

I think we were probably the second best team all season and if we had picked off the Pies in game one we would have stole it.

We had the shittest year even by Saints standards, somehow we got the f$#@ up off the ground dusted our selves off and started back up the mountain.

I'd never want to go into battle with some of you weak c$#@s on here, those guys with their adversity had more f$#@ing fortitude than I could have mustered.

All you dick heads that claim the old days were better should look back to 98, we just completely imploded, the core of this team is the best I have witnessed and our coach is the real deal.

Back them in for another tilt.

Second place stings us as fans it burns for them, we had a terrible game. Don't lose perspective, we are up and about, that's better than dwelling at the bottom year after year.

[saint75]

I think we were probably the second best team all season and if we had picked off the Pies in game one we would have stole it.

We had the shittest year even by Saints standards, somehow we got the f$#@ up off the ground dusted our selves off and started back up the mountain.

I'd never want to go into battle with some of you weak c$#@s on here, those guys with their adversity had more f$#@ing fortitude than I could have mustered.

All you dick heads that claim the old days were better should look back to 98, we just completely imploded, the core of this team is the best I have witnessed and our coach is the real deal.

Back them in for another tilt.

Second place stings us as fans it burns for them, we had a terrible game. Don't lose perspective, we are up and about, that's better than dwelling at the bottom year after year.

I just loved that post. Really summed it up quite well with no frills or rubbish.

What is that old saying used on here all the time....take a cup of concrete and harden up!!!!

We WILL be back next year. The core of this playing group is too talented and too strong not to be.

Trade week is going to be a ripper. Can't wait to see what Ross pulls out of his hat for this one. Never fails to shock or amaze during this time. We all biatch and moan about Lovett, but it was a calculated risk that backfired and didn't pay dividends. Had it not turned out the way it did, we would be all lauding Ross for his wisdom and insight. Got to take risks. That's what this game is all about.

[fingers]

I think we were probably the second best team all season and if we had picked off the Pies in game one we would have stole it.

We had the shittest year even by Saints standards, somehow we got the f$#@ up off the ground dusted our selves off and started back up the mountain.

I'd never want to go into battle with some of you weak c$#@s on here, those guys with their adversity had more f$#@ing fortitude than I could have mustered.

All you dick heads that claim the old days were better should look back to 98, we just completely imploded, the core of this team is the best I have witnessed and our coach is the real deal.

Back them in for another tilt.

Second place stings us as fans it burns for them, we had a terrible game. Don't lose perspective, we are up and about, that's better than dwelling at the bottom year after year.

I kind of don't mind this post.

[Sam23]

Wait, what?

There are no positives IMO of course.

[Rooey_for_PM!]

Yesterday was heartbreaking, but seeing the positive outlook from the supporter here is really giving me a huge lift. It's got nothing to do with rose-coloured glasses and everything to do with perspective.

We have had a hell of a season and to be brutally honest I didn't like our chances as much as I would have if we'd played in the grannie against Geelong. Call me superstitious, but I had a bad feeling the week between the draw and yesterday - that filth chant was just reverberating through my head and couldn't seem to shake it.

It's been evident since the '09 grand final that we lack in aspects of the game i.e. pace, skill, depth and it's also been evident throughout the year that our attempts to address these things have failed (for a variety of reasons - but luck being a big one). I think the club has been pulling rabbits out of its hat all season against the odds, and we just had nothing left after that epic draw.

There are so many up-sides to next season - as have been mentioned in this thread - and despite myself I'm looking forward to going through it all again, no matter what happens.

[mbogo]

Wow - I would LOVE to see some positives but in the OP all that is mentioned that is not just supposition is Gwilt, he was a positive from this year for sure.
Unfortunately, I cannot see one positive in our forward line at all. WE seemed to struggle more with Roo in the team - bizarre!
But Goddard is another massive positive now totally elite!

[Rooey_for_PM!]

Goddard is unbelievably good - he's earned the number 18 on the back of my jumper. He just dragged the team along thru sheer will.

[mbogo]

Goddard is now our best player - EVERYWHERE!
For mine the best in the AFL - I hope Roo can rise another step and develop another gear like BJ - the GF overdrive!