Time for Ratten to Get Tough on Saints Artcile

[shanegrambeau]

..in today's HeraldSun..
...any chance of a link to us non-subscibers?

[Joffa Burns]

Mick McGuane assesses St Kilda’s 2019 season and how they can improve
Brett Ratten is the man to take St Kilda back up the ladder, but major improvement is needed in key areas plus a lot more luck than the Saints had this year, write Mick McGuane. LIST RATINGS

Mick McGuane, Herald Sun
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August 29, 2019 7:00am
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FOXSPORTS1:28
Ryder leaving Alberton
AFL: Paddy Ryder appears set to leave Port Adelaide. Essendon and St Kilda are leading the race to secure his services.

It’s hard to rate St Kilda’s season without acknowledging the impact injuries or unavailability of players had on the Saints’ year.

Alongside the upheaval of a coach change after Alan Richardson’s departure, you can’t expect smooth sailing with the personnel issues they’ve had. There is no doubt they played a part in the team’s nine-win season.

Their skipper Jarryn Geary playing only five matches hurt them and the Dan Hannebery recruitment is a failure to this point after just four senior games.

We will find out about Hannebery’s attitude, his attention to detail with how hard they work him over summer to get him back to the level of expectation they invested in him.

They needed a fit Jake Carlisle (10 games), he is a really important defensive player in their group, but is now the subject of trade talk.

Paddy McCartin playing no games is a serious concern in relation to his future and they missed Dylan Roberton with his ongoing heart issues.


Captain Jarryn Geary was hurt again in his first game back from injury.
Then there was Jack Steven’s absence with his mental health concerns. Let’s hope he gets well because he is such an important player for St Kilda — if he stays there. He is a barometer for the Saints and adds a bit of light and shade to the group and is well received because of that.

Since taking over from Richardson, Brett Ratten has done nothing to suggest that he is not the right man to take the Saints forward.

Ratts has got an ability to connect with people and the younger generation of players, you can see he’s got a real relationship with his playing group. He’s invested time and effort into their personal development and, more importantly, how they play the game. He wants to teach the game and spend time with them.

But he has also got a hard edge about him that you need and he’ll set high standards.

Ratten coached his own team, went to Hawthorn under the perfect model, then moved to St Kilda this year to help them out. After a slow start they finished the year playing better football despite some serious players being unavailable.

The Saints’ forward half game is strong. Their time in the forward half is ranked sixth in the competition and that’s a reflection of their improvement around the ball even without some of their key playmakers there. But they need to make that forward-half game more formidable and a major focus over summer will be increasing scores from stoppages in their forward 50

Jack Newnes could be on the trade table.
I like that Jack Steele accepted the responsibility of playing on the opposition’s best while also being very strong in pursuit of winning the ball back.

The Saints tackle differential indicates their pressure game is healthy. They were prepared to work and hunt the opposition, they were up for the fight. That’s generally what you need to do if you want to be a good team defensively.

Saints snapshot
Best-and-fairest prediction

1.Rowan Marshall

2.Seb Ross

3.Jack Billings

4.Jade Gresham

5.Jack Steele

Rowan Marshall wins this in a canter. The 23-year-old ruckman had an exceptional year competing against much stronger bodies to stamp himself as one of the game’s most exciting young big men. You know what you get from Seb Ross, while Jack Billings, Jade Gresham and Jack Steele all took steps forward this year.

Underperformers

Jack Newnes

Billy Longer

Ben Long

Newnes is a solid foot soldier, but it is clear the Saints want to transform their midfield brigade into a more damaging unit. More speed, better skills, and Newnes is on the outer. Long looked like a far better half-forward prospect when Daniel Hannebery was in the team hitting him lace-out.

The kids

Rowan Marshall is a jet, Josh Battle had a strong year playing 19 games and Hunter Clark is clearly a star in the making, and on track to become one of the club’s top-five players in a few years’ time. Get ready for Max King to play Round 1 next season, putting heat on Josh Bruce’s spot in the team.

2020 forecast

The Saints thought they were much further advanced than they really were over the past two years, putting unfair expectations on Alan Richardson to make finals. Now that he’s gone, a proper reassessment has taken place. They should sit somewhere between 9th and 13th next season.

- Jay Clark

LIST RATING

ELITE

Nil

ABOVE AVE
Jack Steven (Mid-Fwd)
Rowan Marshall (Ruck)
Jade Gresham (Mid-Fwd)
Shane Savage (Gen Def)
Tim Membrey (Key Fwd)
Nick Hind (Gen Fwd)
David Armitage (Gen Def)
Sebastian Ross (Mid)

AVERAGE
Jimmy Webster (Gen Def)
Jack Sinclair (Mid-Fwd)
Josh Bruce (Key Fwd)
Luke Dunstan (Mid)
Jack Billings (Wing)
Jarryn Geary (Gen Def)
Jack Steele (Mid)
Dean Kent (Gen Fwd)
Daniel McKenzie (Gen Def)
Jake Carlisle (Key Def)
Blake Acres (Mid-Fwd)
Dan Hannebery (Wing)

BELOW AVERAGE
Jack Newnes (Wing)
Callum Wilkie (Key Def)
Ben Long (Gen Fwd)
Nathan Brown (Key Def)
Ed Phillips (Wing)
Jack Lonie (Gen Fwd)
Hunter Clark (Gen Def)
Matthew Parker (Gen Fwd)

POOR
Josh Battle (Key Def)
Ben Paton (Gen Def)
Bailey Rice (Gen Fwd)
Paddy McCartin (Key Fwd)
Sam Rowe (Ruck)
Nick Coffield (Gen Def)

Source: Champion Data

[shanegrambeau]

Nice one. Thanks Joffa!!

[shanegrambeau]

List rating surprise for me is Battle as poor. Coffield too. And of note is Long, Parker and even Brown as below average.

[CarlD]

McGuane must have done his assessment using darts as there are some very odd gradings of some of the players there eg Armitage, Clark, Wilkie etc.

[bigred]

Its f****** rediculous is what it is.

Wilkie below average.
Clark below average.

No wonder he was so s*** on the punt.

[shanegrambeau]

McGuane must have done his assessment using darts as there are some very odd gradings of some of the players there eg Armitage, Clark, Wilkie etc.

Source says: Champion Data
Assume it's a simple Cut 'n Paste.

[shrodes]

McGuane must have done his assessment using darts as there are some very odd gradings of some of the players there eg Armitage, Clark, Wilkie etc.

Source says: Champion Data
Assume it's a simple Cut 'n Paste.

Media need to stop quoting Champion Data. They are an absolutely useless "statistical" outlet who refuse to publish their methodology on how their ratings are determined and are therefore worthless.
How they can call themselves data scientists or analysts without being clear on the data they're using is just ridiculous.

[shanegrambeau]

McGuane must have done his assessment using darts as there are some very odd gradings of some of the players there eg Armitage, Clark, Wilkie etc.

Source says: Champion Data
Assume it's a simple Cut 'n Paste.

Media need to stop quoting Champion Data. They are an absolutely useless "statistical" outlet who refuse to publish their methodology on how their ratings are determined and are therefore worthless.
How they can call themselves data scientists or analysts without being clear on the data they're using is just ridiculous.

Incredible, isn't it. Armitage? Above Average?

[asiu]

wilkie

below average

thats enough of that bullsh!t

[saintsRrising]

Ratings are laughable in terms of who was ranked what.

[desertsaint]

article a bit ruined from the s*** splash of those rankings.