Reality Check

[Sainternist]

Where is the team at?

The current record of 6 wins and 7 losses seems rather flattering, considering the wins we’ve had were against pretty mediocre teams. None of those wins, of course, were against top 8 teams.

The first eight or so games of the seasons, I was of the belief this team had improved in many areas from last year, but the last 3 or so games we have looked no different to the cellar dweller team of last year. Players like Blake Acres simply aren’t progressing. Jack Newnes has gone back to being the epitome of a vanilla AFL player. Sure, David Amitage has been a tireless servant for our club, but his career is essentially done and dusted. When the likes of him are getting a game ahead of our youngsters playing Sandy who are meant to vying for a spot in the team, what does this say for our future?

And then there’s the team playing this same brand of kick/handball-in-hope and then bomb it inside 50 metres brand of cumbersome footy. This style of play is a complete bust. Only Richardson can be held accountable for it. Here’s an alarming stat for you: of all the 13 games we’ve played, we still haven’t registered 100+ points in a single game.

With the next two games being against Richmond and then Geelong, Richo’s neck is squarely on the line, but given our current list of players, a new coach can only do so much. We just seem to be cemented in AFL limbo

Something’s gotta give!!

[thejiggingsaint]

Not a lot to dispute there Colleague. I'll be there next Sundee! ready to risk heartbreak again!

Go Saints! (To hell with the rest!)

[Beno88]

Statistically we are bordering on embarrassment over the last three games...

Most consecutive scores under 100 since 1960 (19).
Brisbane's best quarter since 2009.
Brisbane's biggest win in Melbourne since 2014.
Brisbane's first win over St Kilda in Melbourne since 2000.
Brisbane's biggest win over St Kilda in Melbourne ever.
Brisbane's highest score for the season.
Second highest quarter score conceded in 2019 (57 vs Bris).
Worst quarter of any team in 2019 (7 v 57).
Gold Coast's best defensive 1st quarter of all time.
Gold Coast's 2nd best defensive 1st half of all time.
Port Adelaide's highest score for the season.
Port Adelaide's only score over 100 in 23 matches.
St Kilda's two biggest losses in over 12 months.
Goal kicking accuracy of 41.2% across the last three games, the lowest of any team.

[thejiggingsaint]

Statistically we are bordering on embarrassment over the last three games...

Most consecutive scores under 100 since 1960 (19).
Brisbane's best quarter since 2009.
Brisbane's biggest win in Melbourne since 2014.
Brisbane's first win over St Kilda in Melbourne since 2000.
Brisbane's biggest win over St Kilda in Melbourne ever.
Brisbane's highest score for the season.
Second highest quarter score conceded in 2019 (57 vs Bris).
Worst quarter of any team in 2019 (7 v 57).
Gold Coast's best defensive 1st quarter of all time.
Gold Coast's 2nd best defensive 1st half of all time.
Port Adelaide's highest score for the season.
Port Adelaide's only score over 100 in 23 matches.
St Kilda's two biggest losses in over 12 months.
Goal kicking accuracy of 41.2% across the last three games, the lowest of any team.

See you there on Sunday, Colleague??? Yes, those stats are awful indeed. Won't stop me going this week though. I do understand entirely how others may feel differently.

[Saint 58]

I'll be there as always
I survived the early 80's, I can survive this !

[Crossy66]

I'll be there as always
I survived the early 80's, I can survive this !

I remember too well !
Expect a big response this week, plenty riding on it.

[tedtheodorelogan2018]

We are still 6-7 and 1 game plus % out of the 8.

It's a very unique year.

[The_Dud]

We scrape passed the worst teams in the comp and some on here carry on that the ugly gamestyle doesn’t matter because a win is a win.

Then we play a decent team and Saturday happens.

The wins and losses are irrelevant, the way we play is what’s important, which has been very ordinary for most of the year, regardless of the win loss ratio.

[Special]

Not a lot to dispute there Colleague. I'll be there next Sundee! ready to risk heartbreak again!

Go Saints! (To hell with the rest!)

It’s a disease.

I’ll be there also on Sunday.

At least now if we do get flogged, we know it’s another nail. Not too many more needed.

[bigcarl]

We are still 6-7 and 1 game plus % out of the 8.

It's a very unique year.

I’d love to see us turn it around, but history says we cannot score heavily enough, even against teams below us on the ladder.

[Sanctorum]

All of what's being said on this post is correct. By nature I am always optimistic and genuinely believe that St Kilda will start to improve, in fact in the first 5 rounds I really felt that the team was on course for a good year, because a lot of players were showing strong signs of improvement and the team played a much more attacking brand of football.

But alas, in the last 8 games the Saints are back to where they were last year, not playing as a team nor showing any sign of a coherent game plan that the players were presumably asked to follow. I don't mind our team losing, but can't stand it when they play really bad football and fail to be competitive, such as against Port Adelaide and Brisbane Lions. These sorts of performances are really demoralising!

I have no idea if the team are going to be able to turn things around, stop the rot, against Richmond on Sunday - if not then the club will have to have a brutal, no hold barred inquisition into the football department and communicate to the members and supporters what they are going to do to endeavour to get the team to improve. If, as has been suggested, Alan Richardson's time is up then do that immediately, it might cost a negotiated pay-out but I contend that to delay such action until the end of the year will prove more costly in terms of support from members and sponsors....

[freely]

Webster and Lonie back in next week, Carlisle back - and back in position. Might stem the bleeding. For this week, Hannebery might be helped now he sees exactly what he's up against. I do believe that Seb has the tools - and the will. I'd like to see how he responds if he's given some clear direction. He's just got to find a target instead of bombing it out of trouble. Could it be that he's often the last man in a chain of panicky handballs?

[Saintmatt]

Webster and Lonie back in next week, Carlisle back - and back in position. Might stem the bleeding. For this week, Hannebery might be helped now he sees exactly what he's up against. I do believe that Seb has the tools - and the will. I'd like to see how he responds if he's given some clear direction. He's just got to find a target instead of bombing it out of trouble. Could it be that he's often the last man in a chain of panicky handballs?

Surely Lonie (and probably Webster) will need a game at Sandy first? I think it would be incredibly unfair to expect Jack L to come in and play that nipppy, agile small fwd role off the back of no footy in 10 weeks. That'd stink of massive desperation to me.

As for Seb - you may be right about the tools - but I suspect not. Seb's problem is that when he's under pressure (like most of us) - he reverts to type. In his case, that means wheeling around on to his left and punting it high and without penetration ... generally to outnumbered and/or outsized forwards. I suspect the only way that Seb could become an efficient user and effective midfielder at AFL level is if he was the 3rd or 4th midfielder. That would mean we'd have to place some serious talent around him to releive the pressure that I suspect causes his awful decision-making and ball use. That's not happening any time soon.

[Sanctorum]

I agree Saintmatt that Seb Ross probably has the tools but he's not elite level, badly needs to have some elite talent around him to play his role more effectively. Even with Jack Steven and Jack Steele around the clearances he does much better, but can't do it on his own, which is why we groan whenever he does a clanger and fails to hit a target. The Saints mid-field remains a work in progress and it would be great if the club can bring in an experienced A Grade mid for 1920.

[Sainter_Dad]

The Saints mid-field remains a work in progress and it would be great if the club can bring in an experienced A Grade mid for 1920.

Nope - in 1920 we only won 2 from 16 and finished dead last - 2 games behind Melbourne and with a percentage of only 57.19! We scored only around 50 points a game whilst giving away almost 100!