Seen no real changes....

[SainterK]

Surely bigmart not the only one concerned with our inabliity to score or our midfield (full list) unable to match it.

Honestly, not really fussed at all.

Midfield really could of done with a ruckman.

[Sainternist]

Sucks to lose to "Essadun", but heck, advancing to the semis and then having a few of weeks to prepare for the real deal is better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick.

Would be a amusing to see the Weagles eliminate the Filth. I wonder if the media would then make bold predictions for them to be a top 8 quality side as well?

[bobmurray]

Seriously, we needed to improve somehow to take the next step....free, Carl, haw, kangas, rich, melb....and a couple of others are all improving.....

How were we going to get better short term.....trading..no.....game plan..can anyone see a change over the pre season......selection changes.....well at least armos getting a run......

Back structure is identical

Mid set up is the same

Fwd set up looks like nick r


Dempster playing chf was tried in a gf....failed then, will always fail....why not try the first round draft pick who was drafted as a tall fwd played there...

I see nothing different....not in the way we play

Very constructive opinions there BM.....

We always seem to rely on the same few and we never develop anyone of any real value nowadays..development is almost a croc...either you have it or you don't and our recruiters have a good eye for the latter....

[dcstkfc]

We were rubbish in the 2009 pre season and followed that with 19 wins in a row when the real season started.

The pre season cup means nothing.

True, especially when you consider Essendon are our bogey side

[Moccha]

Seriously, we needed to improve somehow to take the next step....free, Carl, haw, kangas, rich, melb....and a couple of others are all improving.....

How were we going to get better short term.....trading..no.....game plan..can anyone see a change over the pre season......selection changes.....well at least armos getting a run......

Back structure is identical

Mid set up is the same

Fwd set up looks like nick r


Dempster playing chf was tried in a gf....failed then, will always fail....why not try the first round draft pick who was drafted as a tall fwd played there...

I see nothing different....not in the way we play

Very constructive opinions there BM.....

We always seem to rely on the same few and we never develop anyone of any real value nowadays..development is almost a croc...either you have it or you don't and our recruiters have a good eye for the latter....

Fremantle improve, Melbourne,Richmond?? You're joking right?

C'mon the real stuff hasn't started and they've already improved!

[The OtherThommo]

Surely there's jesting happening here. Since when did NAB cup form define seasons?

Anybody who believes that side tonight will resemble what we deliver over 2011 is delusional. Try this - The Boss has already said we'll be bigger forward. Tonight? Roo was it over six foot.

We ain't got started yet. Relax.

Mind you, I have a watch on a number of players who I don't think can take us much further forward. Here they are in no particular order - Armitage (just doesn't cover the ground), Geary (skill deficient), McQualter (physically inferior) and just disappears in major contests.

But, we are in a position where we now have a shyteload of up and comers who can progress on the back of a good system (and we have that). I think we erred a little tonight by not playing more junior burghers from the off. It's, however, a small matter because RTB is the best there is, and he will again ensure we are top 4 in 2011 and viable to win it.

In fact, I really believe, tonight our own coach set us up - he wanted us to suffer.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Seriously, we needed to improve somehow to take the next step....free, Carl, haw, kangas, rich, melb....and a couple of others are all improving.....

How were we going to get better short term.....trading..no.....game plan..can anyone see a change over the pre season......selection changes.....well at least armos getting a run......

Back structure is identical

Mid set up is the same

Fwd set up looks like nick r


Dempster playing chf was tried in a gf....failed then, will always fail....why not try the first round draft pick who was drafted as a tall fwd played there...

I see nothing different....not in the way we play

Very constructive opinions there BM.....

We always seem to rely on the same few and we never develop anyone of any real value nowadays..development is almost a croc...either you have it or you don't and our recruiters have a good eye for the latter....

Fremantle improve, Melbourne,Richmond?? You're joking right?

C'mon the real stuff hasn't started and they've already improved!

how have freo gone this preseason ?? i dont think they have actually won a game yet

[cwrcyn]

Fisher
Dawson
Schneider
Koschitxke
Stanley
Gilbert
McEvoy
Gardner
Steven

All missing

Our players commenced their pre-season at least a month after the Bombers, after a very gruelling year and even more gruelling finals campaign. The Bombers have primed themselves to go flat out to win the pre-season comp.

Our fitness staff are managing the progress of our players to be ready in three weeks (and in reality hit peak fitness in round two of the real season. Why on earth would our fitness staff have flogged our guys in order to make an impression in late February and early March?


It's a bit early to panic, but shouldn't we at least be pleased with Ledger and Walsh, and be encouraged by Cripps and Smith? If two of those guys make the team in round one, and throw in Stanley and Steven, then there's the young talent some people are crying out for.

I know we don't have a Tom Scully, or a Daniel Hanneberry, but that's mostly due to us being successful for the best part of the past 7 years. You can't have it all. We haven't had a crap year in that time like the Bulldogs or the Pies and pick up stars from very early picks to top up your already good lists.

Trust the people in charge who've done the job for the past 3 years. They know whet they're doing.





.

[BigMart]

Why are we using missing players as an excuse.....don't we have missing players during the HA???

hille, gumbleton, welsh, pears, dyson, Fletcher....not sure any of those played.....4 of those were in there best last time they beat us..


If it was a totally meaningless game....why would we risk injury to anyone....why even go to the ground....fact is that the game was for conditioning and practice.....not meaningless...

If that's how my team practiced I'd be filthy...practicing poor strictures, being non competitive wrt work rate, decision making and skill so poor....surely the coach would be concerned on the eve of the season with our biggest flaws still evident and on show, perhaps even mores due to age and other teams improving....

I'd be pissed if I witnessed that in a training session, let alone a dress rehearsal......where is the new attacking flair which is promised, how or who is it going to be provided, with our midfield set up behind the ball? How are we going to get real improvement.....only two ways it can happen

Personnel, game plan

Do we see anything there?

[BigMart]

For season 2010?

[desertsaint]

we didn't want it - we didn't win it.
but do agree it was a very poor performance and we want to be better than that at this time of the year.

[matrix]

+1

[noob]

remember watching the first game against sydney round 1 2009 and we were down by about 5 goals or there abouts in the first half and thought this is going to be a long season. Guess It doesn't matter how we perform early on we just have to improve by finals and hit our peak there.. when it counts.

[wasaintsfan]

all is lost... lets alteast win ourselfs a spoon.. almost got enough for each player to use for cooking

[evertonfc]

We lack pace and skills.

FYI - I'm not interested in celebrating losing grand finals.

Let's not overlook the fact we lack those things. Let's face up to reality.

I want a premiership, not self-delusional crap. We'd have two flags if we had faster and more skilled players.

[wasaintsfan]

We lack pace and skills.

FYI - I'm not interested in celebrating losing grand finals.

Let's not overlook the fact we lack those things. Let's face up to reality.

I want a premiership, not self-delusional crap. We'd have two flags if we had faster and more skilled players.

14 other clubs would be thinking exactly the same thing

[spert]

This year will be a repeat of last year, and either us or the Woods will end up with the cup.

[OneEyedSainter77]

We lack pace and skills.

FYI - I'm not interested in celebrating losing grand finals.

Let's not overlook the fact we lack those things. Let's face up to reality.

I want a premiership, not self-delusional crap. We'd have two flags if we had faster and more skilled players.

Smartest quote in the thread.

Hit the nail right on the head with that one.

[Con Gorozidis]

In fact, I really believe, tonight our own coach set us up - he wanted us to suffer.

except it was a carbon copy of the 2 times they beat us last year in the real stuff and im pretty sure the coach wanted us to win those 2 games. Bombers have the wood on us - lets face it. Im dreading round 3 unless we can change the way we approach it against them somehow.
we can be exposed when teams play on at all costs and move it quickly and expose our lack of pace.

i noticed last night - even in congested space - the bombers players take us on cos they think they can outrun us. they do play their best footy against us for some reason.

but we need to be careful more teams dont start following that blueprint against us.

[skeptic]

either way you look at it...

our skill level is of significant concern, preseason or not

[3rd generation saint]

The game plan seemed fine last week, I think it was a no interest in this game other than fitness than no game plan.
Let's see what happens round one, think you will see a bit more then.

[Teflon]

The game plan seemed fine last week, I think it was a no interest in this game other than fitness than no game plan.
Let's see what happens round one, think you will see a bit more then.

Interesting but I reckon we moved the ball much faster laster week and with guys like Ledger looked quicker....and that might have caught the Dons on the hop.

We know how they are going to play Rd 3 - Hirds changed little from Knights imo......so Rd 3 Id like to see us definately play a Ledger/Cripps if possible....get some run in......and lose a Mqualter....(to slow, missing when heats on)...maybe even a Baker for that game.

I saw Cripps hurry them on last night.....why not keep them guessing...we cant play the same way as the last 5 times....surely.

[BigMart]

Last week we played a side missing 7 of it's best 10 players, whilst we fielded 9 of our best 10.....we were expected to win by 10 goals...and we did.....this week, given the selected sides and preparation I would have expected a close-ish hit out...esp..with our entire midfield...

[Mr Magic]

I didn't watch or hear the game, so apart from the result and what I've read on here, I know absolutely nothing about it.

A question.
Did we tag Jobe Watson on Friday night, and if so, who with?

[BigMart]

David armitage