1, 2, 3........ . Everybody panic!

[The Billings Method]

We are out of the eight on percentage. It is round 3 in a 22 round season. We still have a number of best 22 players missing. Yes, we have list Paton and Gresham for the year. Bugger! We are due to regain Geary, our co-captain, Ryder, Marshall, Hannebery (2 weeks), Byrne's etc.

I always think back to the movie, "Bridge of Spies". As the captured Russian spy was resigned to his fate, his captor, played by Tom Hanks asked him why he, the spy, seemed untroubled and unworried by his impending fate, which was execution.

"Would it help?" The Russian spy asked his captor. We are in the same position as a footy club. We could panic, self destruct, as has been our Modus Operandi in the past. How about our players just get on with it?

How about we let them? They will. While I respect Tony 74 for his insights and itk info, I have grown tired of the incessant PR type spin. I know the players and staff are hurting. Let's see that hurt converted into effort. That's all I'm looking for.

We need 12 wins to make the finals. We're 1-2. Hardly season over. We will make it. Of that I'm sure. If we get to 3-4 or 4-4, realistic scenarios, we have a base to launch a finals and premiership campaign.

Chins up, especially for this of us who experienced the horrors of the 80s. We are well and truly in the game. Far from season over as some as have suggested. The return of Paddy and Marshall will be significant. Fortius Quo Fidelius.

[evertonfc]

I appreciate the sentiments and the nice movie analogies, but if we don't embrace an absolute and total Commitment to Excellence now - and make a stand now - those defeats will keep happening, year after year.

I'm sorry, but a line was crossed on Saturday.

This is about the fabric of the football club. We're talking about our entire identity.

What sort of footy club do you want for the next 100 years? That's the essence of the discussion we're having.

Do you want a club that reaches seminal moments in its history and tries to pretend it doesn't happen, or one who realises that its soul has been breached, and that it will never happen in that manner again.

I feel a shift among our supporter base. We're no longer tolerant of trash, or willing to work it through. The heartless efforts stop right now.

Perform, and win, or get out.

Get to 8-3 after Round 11. Nothing less.

[Vazelos]

Fantastic positive post i am sure any leader would like to read that as a settling stabilising statement to everyone connected to the club.
It is just that the loss was so bad, the performance so insipid that it shook us and the football club to the core and made the experts severely doubt our credentials.
We didn’t show up for Danny Frawley the game before but no doubt the Rucks play a massive role to our structural issues and there will be some changes this week, I think Bytel is a certainty to play after his performance in the seconds.
Thanks for the positive post I think we all need it.

[Yorkeys]

...4 (fore! as Max's playing partner would say): sure there needs to be a major, considered reset. Keeping calm will help. HOWEVER: we are now behind the 8 ball in regard to winning 50% of our games. On form, it will be effectively impossible in 3 weeks. We had to beat Melbourne and Essendon to make 2021 finals, that's why people are upset early - long cold winter started Saturday. So what is plan B to get something out of the season. I think it is to blood players to get ready for the post Hill, Hannebery, Ryder period ( which might come as early as May) and good drafting - do we have good picks left? Calmly of course. No panicking but it makes me nervous we have no credible rucks, no tall forward to back up Max or a CHB, no settled mid field, no credible rucks (did I already say that), disorganized defence, impotent forward structure. Sub bench is ok, and the main coach. Putting aside the obvious curse that has been placed on the playing group there is plenty of regeneration to look forward to and the thrill of getting a previously unsighted gem emerge. Also give Dunstan, Kent and McKenzie fair shots at consecutive games. North, hopelessly bottom, let Wood go - understand why. Essendon waved McKernan ta ta (they also had good reason - imagine their glee when he not only played but was main ruck, talk about winning lotto. Our brains trust need to acknowledge same old same old wont cut it and whatever happens don't ruin Battle, Clark, Coffield, Long and Bytel, please. And accept Hill has lost his competitive advantage, it happens to all of us eventually. Go Sainters!

[Joffa Burns]

Great calm and mature post TBM, but sorry you are wrong it's......

[bangaulegend]

We are out of the eight on percentage. It is round 3 in a 22 round season. We still have a number of best 22 players missing. Yes, we have list Paton and Gresham for the year. Bugger! We are due to regain Geary, our co-captain, Ryder, Marshall, Hannebery (2 weeks), Byrne's etc.

I always think back to the movie, "Bridge of Spies". As the captured Russian spy was resigned to his fate, his captor, played by Tom Hanks asked him why he, the spy, seemed untroubled and unworried by his impending fate, which was execution.

"Would it help?" The Russian spy asked his captor. We are in the same position as a footy club. We could panic, self destruct, as has been our Modus Operandi in the past. How about our players just get on with it?

How about we let them? They will. While I respect Tony 74 for his insights and itk info, I have grown tired of the incessant PR type spin. I know the players and staff are hurting. Let's see that hurt converted into effort. That's all I'm looking for.

We need 12 wins to make the finals. We're 1-2. Hardly season over. We will make it. Of that I'm sure. If we get to 3-4 or 4-4, realistic scenarios, we have a base to launch a finals and premiership campaign.

Chins up, especially for this of us who experienced the horrors of the 80s. We are well and truly in the game. Far from season over as some as have suggested. The return of Paddy and Marshall will be significant. Fortius Quo Fidelius.

I admire your optimism but I don't share it

[The_Dud]

It’s not about the win-loss record, it’s about the way we are playing.

[desertsaint]

From what i've seen this year I'm hoping we can make top fourteen and not get laughed at too much. C'mon saints. I have faith!

[thejiggingsaint]

On Saturday I was just about as low as I've ever felt during the last 31 years that I've been associated with the St Kilda Footy Club. (the last consecutive 21 years as a member) I have now felt the blood cooling just a wee bit. I'm in a position of supporting 100% the sentiments of the OP. However, I also have to endorse the sentiments of evertonfc (COYB!!!!) and Vazelos too! The Dud is SPOT ON in citing the WAY we've been playing; the performances have been shithouse! there's honestly no other way to describe them!
As my fellow Evertonian has put it: there is a definite shift among our supporter base...as well there bloody-well SHOULD BE! I'm not for one moment suggesting microwave ovens for our members ticket! NOR a truckload of chicken s***! BUT, the days of simply rocking up for "more of the same" without at least letting the club know how we feel about krud like satdee's shitshow need to be OVER! Because if we all simply accept poor effort, then we are going NOWHERE!

I'll be there next satdee! Ready to barrack hard! GO SAINTS! (To hell with the rest!)

[bangaulegend]

On Saturday I was just about as low as I've ever felt during the last 31 years that I've been associated with the St Kilda Footy Club. (the last consecutive 21 years as a member) I have now felt the blood cooling just a wee bit. I'm in a position of supporting 100% the sentiments of the OP. However, I also have to endorse the sentiments of evertonfc (COYB!!!!) and Vazelos too! The Dud is SPOT ON in citing the WAY we've been playing; the performances have been shithouse! there's honestly no other way to describe them!
As my fellow Evertonian has put it: there is a definite shift among our supporter base...as well there bloody-well SHOULD BE! I'm not for one moment suggesting microwave ovens for our members ticket! NOR a truckload of chicken s***! BUT, the days of simply rocking up for "more of the same" without at least letting the club know how we feel about krud like satdee's shitshow need to be OVER! Because if we all simply accept poor effort, then we are going NOWHERE!

I'll be there next satdee! Ready to barrack hard! GO SAINTS! (To hell with the rest!)

Good onya Jiggster great passionate post I hope you cheer loud & strong hopefully the boys will put up a better effort this week

[B.M]

Thank god we have Byrnes to come back!

[shanegrambeau]

The last time I saw the Saints and Essendon play in real life was at the MCG on a Friday (think) night. Nicky Winmar took an amazing hangar of a mark and I missed it as I needed a piss.

St Kilda got an absolute flogging.

We were in decline, (again) at the time. Anyone know the year?

But now, I am sure we will recover, but after the bye. I think many of us have already seen Satan smiling on the horizon...saying, ‘Come on Saints...come to me’ , but it ‘ain’t gonna be.

[The Billings Method]

What's the alternative? Jiggster, you've been a barometer on here for years. You've seen it all, been lower than shark s*** in the past. 1997, 1-4 before leading in the GF at 1/2 time. We will recover.

We're too good not to. We've been crap in the past, without having a true way out. This year we do. Go Sainters!

[Scollop]

It’s not about the win-loss record, it’s about the way we are playing.

Spot on. I think after witnessing the game against Essendon we've come to realise this may not be our year

That's disappointing because I'm like an adrenaline junkie and I want that high I felt in the lead up to finals last year and especially in 2009/2010/2011.

We knew in those years (plus same in 2004/2005 and 2008) that we were in with a chance for another flag

[freely]

...Hannebery (2 weeks)

Is that how many weeks off he is or the number of games we're expecting to get out of him this season?

[The Billings Method]

...Hannebery (2 weeks)

Is that how many weeks off he is or the number of games we're expecting to get out of him this season?

If we get 2 games out of him, I'll be grateful and amazed!

[Wayne42]

I'm not panicking, i am very confident we'll lose against the Eagles.

I'm just not sure by how much.

[ace]

Yet to play West Coast, Richmond, Port Adelaide, Geelong ....................................... TWICE.

Without a complete new game plan those are 8 certain losses.
That makes 12 wins to 10 losses if every other (11) games is a win.

Oh I forgot one of those games is against Brisbane.
11 wins, 11 losses does not play finals.

[B.M]

We won’t play finals

[bangaulegend]

We won’t play finals

I agree not a snowman's chance in hell of playing finals this year

[Yorkeys]

Snowman's last words: "..that Hill, he burned me again......."

[The Billings Method]

We won’t play finals

I agree not a snowman's chance in hell of playing finals this year

That's the spirit. Just the sort of people and attitude we need. Piss off. Both of you.

[mad saint guy]

Realistically I don't think we can except anything from Hannebery or Geary. Both fairly cooked and Gears is coming off his second broken leg in a short timeframe. The difference makers are clearly Ryder and Marshall. Frawley wouldn't offer anything more than Carlisle and Byrnes is a fairly long way down the pecking order.

Without any further long term injuries, this is what I'd hope our team generally looks like for the rest of the season

B: Webster, Howard, Wilkie
HB: Coffield, Carlisle, Sinclair
C: Hill, Steele, Billings
HF: Higgins, Marshall, Butler
F: Lonie, King, Membrey

Foll: Ryder, Crouch, Clark
Int: Battle, Bytel, Jones, Ross

If the squad collectively pulls their fingers out and the coaches make necessary adjustments to this year's game style then I think we can still make the 8. Boy have we had a huge reminder of how important Ryder and Marshall are to the team.

[asiu]

why so angry Mr Method ?

we’ll all be back to ‘great expectations’ as the pill goes skyward v the Toasters

none of us know

its all just the play of pessimists ‘n optimists isn’t it ?


its like two blobs in your level
annoying
but
which is the wrong blob
bob

[B.M]

There’s Optimism, pessimism and realism

I’ll revisit this thread later.

Happy to be wrong, not sure I will be though.