We Are The Emperor's New Clothes

[damienc]

With two games to go, our season is well and truly defined by one word: disappointment.

What a surprise.

In fact it’s the defining word for our club. The only thing we are good at and the only thing we can deliver in spades.

Sure as hell ain’t a premiership.

So how come when we looked like a prospect this year to go deep in the finals, maybe not necessarily all the way but a final eight team, we suddenly weren’t?

That question deserves a straight answer for the sake of everyone who supports this club. We won’t get an answer but we sure do deserve one.

We are a cliche.

We look like we might have turned the corner only to fall down at crucial times and end the season looking at other clubs playing finals football and winning premierships.

Rinse and repeat.

Well I am well and truly tired of this. It is not going to stop me from supporting the Saints. Couldn’t even if I wanted to. Too much water under the bridge to give it up.

But I wouldn’t buy a membership, wouldn't go to any games and I wouldn’t give the club a dime of my money.

I am disgusted. Truly disgusted. But I was disgusted with last season. And the season before and the season before that etc etc.

There is something inherently wrong with how we play the game. How we bring out the best in the players we have and how we develop the young guys who’ve just joined.

We play like we don’t want to be playing footy. I don’t know if that is true but it sure looks that way to me looking on.

At one point we were at a similar rebuild phase to the Dees and the Dogs and the Tigers and look at what they went on to do.

I look at the Pies and wish they were us. What a horrifying thought. To envy the filth. Right now the Magpies are looking the goods. They know how to win the tight ones. To find that little bit extra to get over the line. They also look like they really want to win as a team.

That isn’t St Kilda.

The club needs to do a big self examination at the end of 2022 irrespective of what happens in the last two games.

A realistic appraisal of where we need to be and what we need to do to get to where we want to go. And that assessment needs to include everything. From the administration to coaches to the players to the game plan to fitness to how we train.

And some hard decisions need to be made. Ruthless hard decisions. Not just paying lip service but getting structures and processes in place dedicated to only one thing: winning games of footy.

What we are doing at the moment is the same thing over and over and over again and expecting a different result.

And that is the definition of insanity.

[The Fireman]

I reckon we are more like a dirty old pair of jocks

[spert]

Not getting driven hard enough from the top

[happy feet]

Once upon a time I would get really bent out of shape about the Saints. Not anymore. I can’t believe we squandered the premiership opportunity with Roo, Kosi, BJ, Lenny, Dal etc but we did.

I can’t see us being in the premiership race anytime soon. Like a lot of us, I’ll still support the Saints but I’m over it. I just don’t care that much anymore.

[Wayne42]

I reckon we are more like a dirty old pair of jocks

We definitely stink but what do you expect playing our brand of Pooball.

[Life Long Saint]

We clearly over achieved in the first half of the season.
This season was a mirror image of last season.
We were terrible pre-bye last year and much better post bye.
This season, we were really good pre-bye and a bottom four team, post bye.

In reality, we've only played two complete games this season. Hawthorn in round 4 and North in Round 11 - even though the 2nd quarter was a snore-fest.
We beat Freo on the back of one quarter when King ran riot.
We beat Richmond on the back of one quarter when King ran riot.
We only really got on top of Suns late in the third quarter.
We beat GWS on the back of one quarter when Higgins ran riot.
Port...yuck!
Melbourne...Double Yuck!
We beat Geelong on the back of one half of a quarter where we turned a 22 point defecit into a 16 point lead.
The five goal Adelaide win was on the back of 8 goal to 3 last quarter...And their inaccurate kicking helped. They led 6.13 to 6.4 at 3/4 time.

We were flattered by the Brisbane margin
Essendon...Triple Yuck!
Sydney...not even a contest.
Not sure how we beat Carlton to be honest. Maybe their 10.18 scoreline helped.
Great first half against Freo, then fell asleep in the 2nd half.
Worst three quarters of footy against the Dogs and still could have pinched the game with accurate kicking in the second half.
Did the bare minimum against Hawthorn and West Coast.
Competitive first half against Geelong but found wanting in the second (repeat of the Freo game)

So, we haven't been a great four quarter team this season which points to work rate and attitude.
Round 1: we won 1 quarter (3rd)
Round 2: 2/4
Round 3: 2/4
Round 4: 4/4
Round 5: 4/4
Round 6: 3/4
Round 7: 1/4
Round 8: 1/4
Round 9: 1/4
Round 10: 3/4
Round 11: 4/4
Round 13: 1/4
Round 14: 2/4
Round 15: 0/4
Round 16: 3/4
Round 17: 2/4
Round 18: 1/4
Round 19: 2/4
Round 20: 3/4
Round 21: 1/4

Total: 40/80
That's not the work rate of a top 8 team.

[Templar]

Brand, work rate, attitude. Yep!

Recruiting several messiahs. Fine but not the current main concern.

[Life Long Saint]

Who is responsible for the work rate of the players in a professional environment?
In my workplace, I don't expect any of the managers to make me work harder.
I expect to have an environment that allows me to do my best.
I think we have that at the Saints. Ratten seems to have the respect of the playing group.
Our main problems are:
- getting first hands to the ball. When we do that, we look very good and can go forward and kick goals quickly. We just don't do it often enough.
- Skill errors by foot. Transitioning from defence to attack breaks down too often because of a poor decision or a terrible skill error. Making it easy for the opposition to take advantage of the open forward line.
- Static forward line. Too often the talls (especially King) do not run to make space. Instead they call for the ball to be kicked in to a contest. King is not strong enough to go body on body with full backs and is then double or triple teamed.
- Lapses in work rate. This allows the opposition to spread and transition from end to end too easily.

[chook23]

stop sending so much time with social issues

[Life Long Saint]

stop sending so much time with social issues

Do you honestly think that's an issue with the playing group on match day?
Are you using that as an excuse for how hard we work on the field or our ability to hit a target or make the right decision?
Seriously?

[chook23]

stop sending so much time with social issues

Do you honestly think that's an issue with the playing group on match day?
Are you using that as an excuse for how hard we work on the field or our ability to hit a target or make the right decision?
Seriously?

Time and money wasted by club

focus more on what you mentioned

every % counts

[Yorkeys]

The Club seem to have a holistic vision and it might be argued that the surprisingly good membership numbers this year are due to the way the club is projecting itself as inclusive, caring and family/community oriented. Goodness knows on field performances can hardly be inspiring people to join. But next year.....or maybe year after...or

[WellardSaint]

Yeah, I rang club 30 mins ago to pay 2 overdue direct debits then told em I ain't paying a cent next year.

Had a gutful. Young Billie in m'ship said she understands the despair, she's a member too, but she hopes they can improve next year enough for me to jump back on board.

[Scollop]

Yeah, I rang club 30 mins ago to pay 2 overdue direct debits then told em I ain't paying a cent next year.

Had a gutful. Young Billie in m'ship said she understands the despair, she's a member too, but she hopes they can improve next year enough for me to jump back on board.

C’mon Wellard. Do it for Billie Gotta support the club and help make us stronger

We can’t keep complaining that we are a ‘poor club’ and that’s to our disadvantage and then at the same time say you aren’t going to renew

[SAINT-LEE]

The only way I see true change happening quickly is by member revolt.

5000 members attend next meeting, cut up memberships, and present list of demands to club ( which will be ignored fully at meeting) and then present it to the media with a link for other members to commit to NOT PAYING for mediocre administration, governance, recruitment, coaching, or playing anymore.

Call for total boycott of all spending at any St Kilda facility or event, venue, etc until changes occur.

Protest daily at club.

Demand president and all board resign immediately.

Demand board members are elected by write in ballot of members only

Demand new senior & assistant coaches are hired by write in vote of members only


Sounds insane but take a look at the garbage that "informed careful reviews" has produced....Watters, Richo and now Ratten.

Do think members could pick a winner? Let's see

What's to lose?

That would create change.

Would it all be grand? Hell no

But if you think Ratten IS NOT getting fired mid 2024 season and a caretaker coach being inserted you're a fool.

[Annoyedsaint]

The only way I see true change happening quickly is by member revolt.

5000 members attend next meeting, cut up memberships, and present list of demands to club ( which will be ignored fully at meeting) and then present it to the media with a link for other members to commit to NOT PAYING for mediocre administration, governance, recruitment, coaching, or playing anymore.

Call for total boycott of all spending at any St Kilda facility or event, venue, etc until changes occur.

Protest daily at club.

Demand president and all board resign immediately.

Demand board members are elected by write in ballot of members only

Demand new senior & assistant coaches are hired by write in vote of members only


Sounds insane but take a look at the garbage that "informed careful reviews" has produced....Watters, Richo and now Ratten.

Do think members could pick a winner? Let's see

What's to lose?

That would create change.

Would it all be grand? Hell no

But if you think Ratten IS NOT getting fired mid 2024 season and a caretaker coach being inserted you're a fool.

Cut up memberships…..
We don’t even get a bloody card anymore.
Too busy sAVinG da pLAneT

More misguided nonsense.
Might be a small thing, but it’s just another sideshow to add to the million other sideshows the club and decision makers fuss over

[Wayne42]

At least the players breathe in some good air prior to the bounce.

IOr, i wonder if someone in the circle farts and then they all breathe it in, that might help them to play the Saints pooball that they are all so good at.