Its really not all lost

[saintjake]

So many people are just cutting us out of contention but im still believing!
I've been begging for Ross to play the youngsters and personally I think they are going pretty damn good.

Steven may of missed some easy goals (not the only one) BUT he also had an amazing set shot and his tackling pressure was big! his tackles stick and he also chases hard! I like him.

Cripps was a little lucky with both his goals. BUT HE STILL KICKED TWO GOALS! and for his first game i thought he was pretty damn good and i was excited to see him out there

Johnson was stiff to be subbed off after that knock but I liked what i saw. he is a big unit and presented well and looks to have a nice long kick on him.

Smith was also good and that long kick into the 50 after he took a mark that resulted in a milne goal was good to see.

Armitage was just huge tonight. In the third he just put his head over it and won free kick after free kick.

My worries arent with them but with the senior players. Obviosuly Goddard and Riewoldt just aren't there at the moment. Dal worked into the game alot better. Joey got tagged but he has been playing okay.
Gram went in hard i thought and laid a few tackles.
Dawson was monstered tonight.

what we need is people who can kick it out of the backline.
Look at the Pies only Maxwell doesn't really kick it.
for us we had Baker, Dawson and Blake who I get nervous when they get the ball. If they Can't kick the pill then honestly whats the use of having them in.

[ralphsmith]

I know it's a bizzarre situation we're in.

Armitage is starting to fire.
Steven looking nuggety and has fight in him. Also dangerous up forward.
Smith good.
Cripps two goals, ok for a first gamer.
ETC.

Riewoldt and Goddard have completely gone off the boil. What would have happened tonight if these two guy turned up to try?

[SaintDippa]

When we dropped the Tempo footy and adopted the run/run/run we looked ok. The 17 points should have been 12 goals. All is not lost.

[saintjake]

I know it's a bizzarre situation we're in.

Armitage is starting to fire.
Steven looking nuggety and has fight in him. Also dangerous up forward.
Smith good.
Cripps two goals, ok for a first gamer.
ETC.

Riewoldt and Goddard have completely gone off the boil. What would have happened tonight if these two guy turned up to try?

Agreed. everyone is saying we either rebuild or continue playing the kids and give up on this year.
But why can't we continue to play the kids (because from what im seeing they are worthy of getting games) and Still win in. In my eyes, you keep playing the kids because they are exciting and energised.
atm out senior blokes look disheartened. Surely the kids can re-energise the others.

[dcstkfc]

Riewoldt and Goddard have completely gone off the boil. What would have happened tonight if these two guy turned up to try?

They did try, but both are having only middling seasons, and obviously we've got nothing from Lenny, so we are doing OK given that. I'm not writing it off totally, although a premiership would be 50/1

[clarky449]

havent seen Roo and Goddard like this ever.

[saintjake]

havent seen Roo and Goddard like this ever.

Roo just looks like he doesn't have ANY confidence! at all! there doesn't seem to be any fire.

Goddard just looks like an angry man what happened to the man who shredded Collingwood?

[battye]

I know it's a bizzarre situation we're in.

Armitage is starting to fire.
Steven looking nuggety and has fight in him. Also dangerous up forward.
Smith good.
Cripps two goals, ok for a first gamer.
ETC.

Riewoldt and Goddard have completely gone off the boil. What would have happened tonight if these two guy turned up to try?

Agreed. everyone is saying we either rebuild or continue playing the kids and give up on this year.
But why can't we continue to play the kids (because from what im seeing they are worthy of getting games) and Still win in. In my eyes, you keep playing the kids because they are exciting and energised.
atm out senior blokes look disheartened. Surely the kids can re-energise the others.

Because I think playing the kids alone is not enough. We need a more attacking gameplan - that is where we are failing (amongst other areas, obviously).

We need to be kicking 15+ goals a game, because gone are the days where we can restrict the other team to 6 goals and still win with barely more that ourselves.

And to learn a new gameplan will take time. I'd love for us to play the kids and start winning games regularly this year, but based on the first 2 months of the season it just seems too unlikely.

[older saint]

I know it's a bizzarre situation we're in.

Armitage is starting to fire.
Steven looking nuggety and has fight in him. Also dangerous up forward.
Smith good.
Cripps two goals, ok for a first gamer.
ETC.

Riewoldt and Goddard have completely gone off the boil. What would have happened tonight if these two guy turned up to try?

Agreed. everyone is saying we either rebuild or continue playing the kids and give up on this year.
But why can't we continue to play the kids (because from what im seeing they are worthy of getting games) and Still win in. In my eyes, you keep playing the kids because they are exciting and energised.
atm out senior blokes look disheartened. Surely the kids can re-energise the others.

Because I think playing the kids alone is not enough. We need a more attacking gameplan - that is where we are failing (amongst other areas, obviously).

We need to be kicking 15+ goals a game, because gone are the days where we can restrict the other team to 6 goals and still win with barely more that ourselves.

And to learn a new gameplan will take time. I'd love for us to play the kids and start winning games regularly this year, but based on the first 2 months of the season it just seems too unlikely.

You could argue that accuracy was what stopped us kicking 15 goals!

[kalsaint]

So many people are just cutting us out of contention but im still believing!
I've been begging for Ross to play the youngsters and personally I think they are going pretty damn good.

Steven may of missed some easy goals (not the only one) BUT he also had an amazing set shot and his tackling pressure was big! his tackles stick and he also chases hard! I like him.

Cripps was a little lucky with both his goals. BUT HE STILL KICKED TWO GOALS! and for his first game i thought he was pretty damn good and i was excited to see him out there

Johnson was stiff to be subbed off after that knock but I liked what i saw. he is a big unit and presented well and looks to have a nice long kick on him.

Smith was also good and that long kick into the 50 after he took a mark that resulted in a milne goal was good to see.

Armitage was just huge tonight. In the third he just put his head over it and won free kick after free kick.

My worries arent with them but with the senior players. Obviosuly Goddard and Riewoldt just aren't there at the moment. Dal worked into the game alot better. Joey got tagged but he has been playing okay.
Gram went in hard i thought and laid a few tackles.
Dawson was monstered tonight.

what we need is people who can kick it out of the backline.
Look at the Pies only Maxwell doesn't really kick it.
for us we had Baker, Dawson and Blake who I get nervous when they get the ball. If they Can't kick the pill then honestly whats the use of having them in.

I agree. We are still 2 points ahead of where we were in 1997 and we made the grand final then.

We do need to change our midset and stick with those players who deliver the disciplined team effort needed to sustain pressure and protect others.
Tagged players like Joey need help from others at times and a disciplined team would apply the appropriate pressure to taggers. EG Look at 1997 and 2004 when we had several players who did this weekly (Rod Keogh. B Guerra, S Powell, A Hamill). Unfortunately we discarded one of those types at the end of 2009 and the other key player is injured for 2011 while another has lost speed (Baker).

[The Fireman]

when will reality set in? I picked Adelaide tonight and and am not looking forward to the Cheats beating us next game ..but it will happen.

We are a shadow of our former selves , roo can't get a kick , we have lost our best in Lenny..Gilbert can't kick...shambles really.

Milne , Fisher , Dal are still putting in but Crikey we have gone backwards at a massive rate.
The reason I write this is because I have a chuckle at the poor silly buggers on here who bag anyone for negativity , well here is mine but try to see it as realism... it may help.

[matrix]

f****** oath firey