Where does the improvement come from?

[Impatient Sainter]

I have borrowed a great post from CursingFijian from the Saints BF board -

HOW DO WE STACK UP?

So how do our team averages stack up in various statistical categories? Below is a list statistical measures with our ranking. I have put the minor premiers - Melbourne - ranking in brackets for an easy comparison.

Top 6
Hitouts - 4th (1st)
Marks - 6th (16th)
Freekicks For - 6th (9th)
Tackles Inside 50 - 4th (1st)
Tackles - 3rd (1st)

Middle 6
Disposals - 7th (8th)
Kicks - 8th (10th)
Inside 50 - 10th (2nd)
Clangers - 12th (16th)
Uncontested Possessions - 7th (15th)
Contested Marks - 12th (3rd)
Marks Inside 50 - 10th (2nd)
1%ers - 10th (14th)
Bounces - 7th (14th)
Stoppage Clearances - 7th (5th)
Contested Possessions - 11th (1st)
Intercepts - 11th (1st)
Goal Accuracy - 11th (14th)
Turnovers - 7th (13th)
Rebound Inside 50's - 12th (9th)

Bottom 6
Freekicks Against - 14th (11th)
Handballs - 12th (9th)
Goals - 13th (4th)
Behinds - 13th (1st)
Goal Assists 16th (11th)
Disposal Efficiency - 14th (17th)
Center Clearances - 17th (8th)
Metres Gained - 15th (1st)
Goal Effiiciency - 14th (7th)
Shot Efficiency - 15th (1st)
Shots on Goal - 14th (1st)
Score Involvements - 16th (11th)

WHERE CAN WE GET BETTER?

I think it would be fair to say that a large chunk of our prime movers are still learning a little bit about each other and you would hope that some of our marquee recruits over the last three years take another step forward in this regard. There is no doubt that all the great premiership sides play with a real team spirit that allows them to play to each others strengths and capabilities. I think our team has evolved so rapidly over the last three years, and combined with injury we really haven't been able to get our best players together for significant stretches of games. I also think the decision to bring in youth is very smart as it will allow the more mature players to settle into the team and start to build a real rapport. Crouch, Jones, Higgins, Highmore, Sharman and even Bytel can all make significant strides through just getting more games with the core group.

COACHING & DEVELOPMENT

Our game plan still seems to be evolving. This is probably the weakest aspect of my understanding of footy but I thought the game plan got exposed early in the year with two unexpectedly large losses to the Bombers and the Tigers, before an embarrassing 111 point capitulation to the highly fancied Doggies less than 8 months after we turfed them out of the 2020 finals. I think at that point the club put everything on the table for review, including the coaches and the game plan. Dialled back the run and gun at all costs midway through 2021 and worked very hard on team defence. The second Richmond game really showcasing our newfound commitment to working together defensively. Hopefully, as the team settles the game plan tweaks are reduced and we start to play with a clear and identifiable brand. Going in to his 3rd year in the system Brett Ratten (& Brendon Lade) really need to bring a winning plan immediately that allows the players to work on their roles and achieving some consistency. Expecting Corey Enright to inject a little more and hopefully Damian Carroll can assist the younger players to find their feet as quickly as possible.

It's also going to be a baptism of fire for Nick Walsh to get the boys primed and conditioned to be able to see out games from Round 1. But Saints fans bemoaned our lack of fitness leading in last year and will be expecting marked improvement in that regard. We don't really how he gets that done it just needs to be better.


INJURY & PLAYER MANAGEMENT

Only 13 players played more than 75% of the season for the Saints this year for a multitude of reasons. But we had a significant number of key players who struggled to get to the ones, let alone find form. Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel, Zak Jones, Rowan Marshall, Paddy Ryder, all had interrupted seasons and were unable to find their best form. While Jade Gresham and Ben Paton both missed the best part of the entire year.



MIDS

Simple lets be better at the contest and in clearances.

Our contested work around the ball is still lacking, and that was before we shunted our third best player in this metric to the premiership winning side. Jack Steele, Brad Crouch and Rowan Marshall continue to lead the way in this regard, but we really need a few more to start showing more intent over the ball. Zak Jones, Jack Billings and Seb Ross are 3 older players who could do more, and we probably need Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel & Ryan Byrnes to find more of their own ball. And of course we are all looking forward to Jade Gresham's return from injury to have a big impact in this space.

Our centre clearance work has been woeful for a long while and needs to improve markedly. Patrick Ryder and Rowan Marshall staying fit would help enormously. And Brad Crouch, Zak Jones and Bytel perhaps the other three who really need to stamp their ground at centre bounce. Having first use and sending the pill inside 50 off restart is vital and the Saints shine when we can get on top in the middle.

Ps the one player he has overlooked and I believe will have a break out season is Josh Battle. Settling Battle at CHB will really bring the best out of him and he will become a key player in our defence. As CF has listed the list improvement in overall fitness will see a significant lift in team results. Bring on 2022 - Go Saints!

[Life Long Saint]

I wonder how those stats breakdown when you compare before and after the bye. We were a totally different team post bye this year.

[samoht]

Metres gained is the area we need to improve in the most I think.

We don't seem to have enough runners and players who can "hold onto the ball," run with it and who can combine and move the ball with precision - compared to the top 6 teams, especially Melbourne. We need to create more and longer chains of play - we need more running playmakers for that - but they need to be running players with skill and poise, who are not rushed.

Also, we need to take more marks inside 50 and keep the ball held in there more - it seems to come out too easily.

We probably need a couple of quick midsized-to-tallish players who can play forward and replace a couple of our small forwards - this would help us take more inside F50 marks and also their bigger bodies would mean more forward 50 tackles would stick. So, it would help in 2 ways.

[Banger9798]

Contested ball

[Sanctorum]

American baseball legend Yogi Berra had a famous saying: “Baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical.”

The same could be said about most if not all aspects of AFL football. If you take someone like jack Billings who in 8 seasons has kicked 102 goals 118 behinds and god knows how many out of bound - a woeful 46%!

Jack has loads of talent but obviously when he kicks for goal he obviously lacks confidence. It's been reported that he is going to spend more time forward in 2022, let's hope that the coaches get him to focus on improving his accuracy.

So in terms of overall improvement by the players and team in 2022, and we all know there is much improvement needed, every player should be given specific areas on which they need to concentrate to improve and achieve set targets, and if they fail then they should not be selected until they do!

It's pointless positioning JB in the forward line if he continues to have such a poor conversion rate.

[Wayne42]

We need to end up with a bigger score than our opposition each week, that should be the focus.

[CQ SAINT]

American baseball legend Yogi Berra had a famous saying: “Baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical.”

The same could be said about most if not all aspects of AFL football. If you take someone like jack Billings who in 8 seasons has kicked 102 goals 118 behinds and god knows how many out of bound - a woeful 46%!

Jack has loads of talent but obviously when he kicks for goal he obviously lacks confidence. It's been reported that he is going to spend more time forward in 2022, let's hope that the coaches get him to focus on improving his accuracy.

So in terms of overall improvement by the players and team in 2022, and we all know there is much improvement needed, every player should be given specific areas on which they need to concentrate to improve and achieve set targets, and if they fail then they should not be selected until they do!

It's pointless positioning JB in the forward line if he continues to have such a poor conversion rate.

I believe Yogi Berra said '.......is 90% mental, the other half is physical' he also said, 'how can you think and hit at the same time.'

[cwrcyn]

Connolly, Bytel, Coffield, Clark, King, Higgins, Byrnes, Battle, Sharman, and Highmore all have scope for a lot of improvement and I'm expecting it from most of them

Billings, Ryder, Gresham, Marshall, Hannebery, and Paton are over their injuries

A far better preseason will see the playing group much fitter

I expect Corey Enright to bring some ideas to improve the game plan.


Bottom line is we'll be better prepared


Last season we weren't fit enough for AFL football, we got a ton of injuries to key players (more than any other club), and we had the toughest draw in the competition

[desertsaint]

do what melbourne did and we're likely premiers
Shot Efficiency - 15th (1st)
Shots on Goal - 14th (1st)

[Gershwin]

We need to end up with a bigger score than our opposition each week, that should be the focus.

Maybe we need to drill down a little further Wayne42.

[Wayne42]

We need to end up with a bigger score than our opposition each week, that should be the focus.

Maybe we need to drill down a little further Wayne42.

At the end of each game, let's see if i'm right.

[Vortex]

Our forward line needs to improve the most as it has been one of our biggest weaknesses. King has been very well below AFL standard right up until the last few games of the season and pretty much has been doing his apprenticeship in an AFL team when he should have played some chunks of footy at Sandy. So if he can deliver AFL quality games each week then that will improve our forward line. However he will need least one other tall forward helping out and if that doesn't happen then he and the forward line could struggle again.

The other big improvement needed is in the midfield and this will Largely be helped with a lot of luck with injuries. Get some luck and our midfield could improve out of sight.

Our backline is one of tbe best in the comp. Not much improvement needed there.

Overall we need to improve our competitive beast, for years now we have lacked a critical mass of players who refuse to stand up when the opposition are strong arming us and say "not on my watch". I believe they call it on field leadership but really it should be called mongrel determination and competitive beast. A bit of this attitude might even help those players who find it hard to play injured.

.

[Saintmike65]

I have borrowed a great post from CursingFijian from the Saints BF board -

HOW DO WE STACK UP?

So how do our team averages stack up in various statistical categories? Below is a list statistical measures with our ranking. I have put the minor premiers - Melbourne - ranking in brackets for an easy comparison.

Top 6
Hitouts - 4th (1st)
Marks - 6th (16th)
Freekicks For - 6th (9th)
Tackles Inside 50 - 4th (1st)
Tackles - 3rd (1st)

Middle 6
Disposals - 7th (8th)
Kicks - 8th (10th)
Inside 50 - 10th (2nd)
Clangers - 12th (16th)
Uncontested Possessions - 7th (15th)
Contested Marks - 12th (3rd)
Marks Inside 50 - 10th (2nd)
1%ers - 10th (14th)
Bounces - 7th (14th)
Stoppage Clearances - 7th (5th)
Contested Possessions - 11th (1st)
Intercepts - 11th (1st)
Goal Accuracy - 11th (14th)
Turnovers - 7th (13th)
Rebound Inside 50's - 12th (9th)

Bottom 6
Freekicks Against - 14th (11th)
Handballs - 12th (9th)
Goals - 13th (4th)
Behinds - 13th (1st)
Goal Assists 16th (11th)
Disposal Efficiency - 14th (17th)
Center Clearances - 17th (8th)
Metres Gained - 15th (1st)
Goal Effiiciency - 14th (7th)
Shot Efficiency - 15th (1st)
Shots on Goal - 14th (1st)
Score Involvements - 16th (11th)

WHERE CAN WE GET BETTER?

I think it would be fair to say that a large chunk of our prime movers are still learning a little bit about each other and you would hope that some of our marquee recruits over the last three years take another step forward in this regard. There is no doubt that all the great premiership sides play with a real team spirit that allows them to play to each others strengths and capabilities. I think our team has evolved so rapidly over the last three years, and combined with injury we really haven't been able to get our best players together for significant stretches of games. I also think the decision to bring in youth is very smart as it will allow the more mature players to settle into the team and start to build a real rapport. Crouch, Jones, Higgins, Highmore, Sharman and even Bytel can all make significant strides through just getting more games with the core group.

COACHING & DEVELOPMENT

Our game plan still seems to be evolving. This is probably the weakest aspect of my understanding of footy but I thought the game plan got exposed early in the year with two unexpectedly large losses to the Bombers and the Tigers, before an embarrassing 111 point capitulation to the highly fancied Doggies less than 8 months after we turfed them out of the 2020 finals. I think at that point the club put everything on the table for review, including the coaches and the game plan. Dialled back the run and gun at all costs midway through 2021 and worked very hard on team defence. The second Richmond game really showcasing our newfound commitment to working together defensively. Hopefully, as the team settles the game plan tweaks are reduced and we start to play with a clear and identifiable brand. Going in to his 3rd year in the system Brett Ratten (& Brendon Lade) really need to bring a winning plan immediately that allows the players to work on their roles and achieving some consistency. Expecting Corey Enright to inject a little more and hopefully Damian Carroll can assist the younger players to find their feet as quickly as possible.

It's also going to be a baptism of fire for Nick Walsh to get the boys primed and conditioned to be able to see out games from Round 1. But Saints fans bemoaned our lack of fitness leading in last year and will be expecting marked improvement in that regard. We don't really how he gets that done it just needs to be better.


INJURY & PLAYER MANAGEMENT

Only 13 players played more than 75% of the season for the Saints this year for a multitude of reasons. But we had a significant number of key players who struggled to get to the ones, let alone find form. Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel, Zak Jones, Rowan Marshall, Paddy Ryder, all had interrupted seasons and were unable to find their best form. While Jade Gresham and Ben Paton both missed the best part of the entire year.



MIDS

Simple lets be better at the contest and in clearances.

Our contested work around the ball is still lacking, and that was before we shunted our third best player in this metric to the premiership winning side. Jack Steele, Brad Crouch and Rowan Marshall continue to lead the way in this regard, but we really need a few more to start showing more intent over the ball. Zak Jones, Jack Billings and Seb Ross are 3 older players who could do more, and we probably need Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel & Ryan Byrnes to find more of their own ball. And of course we are all looking forward to Jade Gresham's return from injury to have a big impact in this space.

Our centre clearance work has been woeful for a long while and needs to improve markedly. Patrick Ryder and Rowan Marshall staying fit would help enormously. And Brad Crouch, Zak Jones and Bytel perhaps the other three who really need to stamp their ground at centre bounce. Having first use and sending the pill inside 50 off restart is vital and the Saints shine when we can get on top in the middle.

Ps the one player he has overlooked and I believe will have a break out season is Josh Battle. Settling Battle at CHB will really bring the best out of him and he will become a key player in our defence. As CF has listed the list improvement in overall fitness will see a significant lift in team results. Bring on 2022 - Go Saints!

Thank you for this excellent summation...we won't have to worry about fitness, from what I've seen at training the players are very fit.
My main concern along with many others is our lack of elite talent.
The likes of Higgins, Jones, Gresham, King, Clark and Marshall all need to elevate their performances for us to mix it with the better teams.
I'm quite bullish about Windhager but will take time.

[shanegrambeau]

The early fitness blitz is understandable, but as I have said before, I hope we know to study history and take heed from the Western Bulldogs about ten years ago, and their penchant for training the house down in December and burning out by June.

I notice there is no metric/stat for game plan, selection strategy and for making players commit to the team. I hope we all have an understanding now, and we sign on for the season for each other thick and thin..no matter how many games you play at Sandy..or play at all.

[Scollop]

American baseball legend Yogi Berra had a famous saying: “Baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical.”

The same could be said about most if not all aspects of AFL football. If you take someone like jack Billings who in 8 seasons has kicked 102 goals 118 behinds and god knows how many out of bound - a woeful 46%!

Jack has loads of talent but obviously when he kicks for goal he obviously lacks confidence. It's been reported that he is going to spend more time forward in 2022, let's hope that the coaches get him to focus on improving his accuracy.

So in terms of overall improvement by the players and team in 2022, and we all know there is much improvement needed, every player should be given specific areas on which they need to concentrate to improve and achieve set targets, and if they fail then they should not be selected until they do!

It's pointless positioning JB in the forward line if he continues to have such a poor conversion rate.

Your figures for Jack Billings do not tell the full story. I commented a few times in 2020 and also a few times this year that his kicking accuracy has improved.

In the last 3 seasons he has figures of 38 goals and 30 behinds. Under pressure and in crucial moments he has delivered. I now trust Jack to kick set shot goals.

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pc- ... k-billings

https://finalsiren.com/PlayerStats.asp?PlayerID=2438