Can they take it?

[Yorkeys]

Ratts warned the players be ready for the criticism. We are pretty harsh here but on other threads it is toxic. Can only imaging what Warney and Lethlean will lay on them. Geary too will have trouble emphasising the positive.

Do you think they can handle the truth?

[Sanctorum]

Don't know about the players, but as a rusted on member for 60+ years I can't remember a game that has left me so devastated!

Guess it was the excellent performance last year and great pre-season form, with most commentators predicting a top 8 or 6 finish that deluded me up until round 2.

Never saw this coming, and it will be most interesting to see how the players and coaches respond!

Yesterday was not unprecedented though, as in Round 2 1997, Brisbane Lions annihilated St Kilda by 97 points, so it's a bit premature to write off our hopes in 2021.....

[samoht]

re: Do you think they can handle the truth?

I don't know about the truth, but I (and they would) know they can sure "hack it" in another sense of the phrase.

[asiu]

true

you’d rather have your act together
at the business end of the season

the issue is
now is the business end for us
.. talk about pissing away momentum

3-0 to attack the Toasters then the Tiges
is how it was supposed to be Shirley


ahhhhhhh Reality.

[Ghost Like]

Out of the 3 teams that had their asses unexpectedly handed to them yesterday I'd hope St Kilda respond the most positively. Sadly I suspect we won't. Steele, Howard, Billings & Ross will try because all have some pride.

It is times like these we will see what the club means to the young players and whether the older ones are there because we paid the highest dollars.

[The Fireman]

"I" cant take it.

How do you come back from that ? We have players with real talent but they simply arent using it. This has to be a coaching problem.

A mauling by a team that have been struggling ? That loss was damaging in more ways than one.
Ratten has to totally rethink his game plan, he realises that the team setup didnt include any defensive play so lets see what he does about it and does he get some run into the legs of a team of lazy barstards.

He must bring down the axe on some as well.

[ace]

Yes, they just need to look at the money that goes into their bank accounts, win, lose or draw.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Anyone else sense that this is the Loss Than Cannot Be Recovered From?

Like the Hawthorn 63-point comeback match in 1999?

It's difficult to imagine Brad Hill digging deep. Because why should he? He's got premiership medallions and a very nice nest egg.

It's difficult to see Hannebury's body magically repairing itself overnight.

So the team is lumped with its two highest-paid players offering nothing. For the next three years at least.

Is there any coming back from that?

[spert]

If Hill and Hanners were working for any big business on big money, they would have been let go by now.

[SaintDippa]

Players? Think the coaches need the blow torch as well. Who is the clearance coach. Who told McKernan and the square mids how to set up? McKernan got hand to ball a heap but tapped it ... well who knows what he was thinking. Don't believe hitting bomber mids was the strategy. Ratts keeps talking about deep entries. Every Fing side knows we always bomb long and high. Dees sat Gawn 30 out same as bombers and structured the ball movement from the planned spill. McGovern will take 30 intercepts if we do the same. Monday team meeting should involve watching a replay of the doggies and swans to show how 2021 footy is played.

[saintkev]

Don't know about the players, but as a rusted on member for 60+ years I can't remember a game that has left me so devastated!

Guess it was the excellent performance last year and great pre-season form, with most commentators predicting a top 8 or 6 finish that deluded me up until round 2.

Never saw this coming, and it will be most interesting to see how the players and coaches respond!

Yesterday was not unprecedented though, as in Round 2 1997, Brisbane Lions annihilated St Kilda by 97 points, so it's a bit premature to write off our hopes in 2021.....

For a resurgence to happen. Players and coaches need to be harsh in their self and team appraisals. No pussyfooting around.
If they gloss over yesterday’s pathetic lack of effort, next weeks West Coast game will be a slaughter match. Hard decisions have to be taken by Ratten. Rewarding apathy with game-time sets a bad precedent.

[silverhalo]

Out of the 3 teams that had their asses unexpectedly handed to them yesterday I'd hope St Kilda respond the most positively. Sadly I suspect we won't. Steele, Howard, Billings & Ross will try because all have some pride.

It is times like these we will see what the club means to the young players and whether the older ones are there because we paid the highest dollars.

I'd have Tim Membrey in there as well.....

[flack]

Players don't lose their talents overnight, they weren't playing as a unit. they obviously have inter-personnel issues and Ratts as head coach should be able to sense this changed mood in the camp. Call out the problem people. The leadership group tried to lead by example rather than calling out the bludgers, of which there were many. I'm just shattered to watch such a performance after we seemed to be building to something, unfortunately it's just another year. Haven't we got enough wooden spoons in the cabinet?

[magnifisaint]

Ratts warned the players be ready for the criticism. We are pretty harsh here but on other threads it is toxic. Can only imaging what Warney and Lethlean will lay on them. Geary too will have trouble emphasising the positive.

Do you think they can handle the truth?

Wtf has Warney got to do with it?