See you in 10 years...

[rodgerfox]

Sadly, we aren't up to it.

When a footy team tackles as hard as we did yesterday, after being labelled 'soft' by their coach, gets the best out of guys like Ball, Fisher and Roo (our most important players and berometers) yet still look average - you know something is wrong.

At quarter time, we dominated Melbourne and did not give them an inch. They not once, looked like cleanly scoring. Yet at quarter time, we only led by 20 points.

A positive was kicking 7 in the last quarter - but we let them kick half their score in the last quarter too!


We tackled hard. Roo played well and had 7 assists. A small forward kicked 5. A medium forward kicked 4 and took contested marks. We rucked well. Our runners (Gram and Fisher) were in form. Luke Ball is fitter and better than he's ever been. Hayes is back to his best form.

We're not crippled by injury.

Yet we still looked just Ok.


Not complaining about an 80 point win - much prefer it to losing. But if we can still look like a top 6-10 placed side with the above factors all going in our favour - then we're in strife.

Even when we were on top in som many key areas, we looked confused and erratic. Whatever Lyon's plan is, I hope we're not sticking to it. Cause if that's it, we're in trouble.

Well, for the next 10 years anyway.

[The Fireman]

tend to agree but you forgot to add how crap we are in front of goal , out of our behind tally at least 6 of them should have been goals..at least... you or I could have kicked them and we don't get paid for it.
I loved watching Ferguson but the guy can't kick.

Watch the Dogs next week, not only are they fast but their disposal by foot is very good, our only hope next week is to smash them in the middle and learn how to kick.......

[Simon Templar]

Wow you guys must love being depressed. Better not go outside today lest you get skittled on a road.

[saintsRrising]

A positive was kicking 7 in the last quarter - but we let them kick half their score in the last quarter too!

.

Yes shocking quarter that....if they played that badly for all four quarters the scores would have been the appalling 28.12= 180 to 16.8 = 104.


Sack Lyon!!!!! We cannot tolerate last quarter fade outs like that.

[Saints Premiers 2008]

yesterday was nothing more than a training run and midway through the first quarter this became obvious

the scoreline still should have been another 5-10 goals in our favour though...the goal kicking is simply not good enough

couple with the ground kicking to the forwards from the wing to the 50...we barely ever get a clean mark as the ball almost always reaches the leading player on the half volley...

if only we could hit targets...

[rodgerfox]

Wow you guys must love being depressed. Better not go outside today lest you get skittled on a road.

Not really Simon Templar.

What I'm concerned about, is that in terms of what makes a good side, we were very good on Sunday.

Under normal circumstances, when a footy side excells in the areas we did (key players in form, good run, fierce intensity, poor opponents etc.) you should like a flag favourite.

We didn't.

We looked Ok. Quite good. But not world beaters.

It's very concerning.

[rodgerfox]

A positive was kicking 7 in the last quarter - but we let them kick half their score in the last quarter too!

.

Yes shocking quarter that....if they played that badly for all four quarters the scores would have been the appalling 28.12= 180 to 16.8 = 104.


Sack Lyon!!!!! We cannot tolerate last quarter fade outs like that.

Would you be happy with conceding 100 points to the bottom side missing their two most important players?

[aussiejones]

Quite good. But not world beaters.

hopefully we can move forward....

Goal Kicking and hitting targets.

Also Baker to return

I just wonder whos Game Plan was it yesterday?

It just seems RL and the Players are yet to get on the same page ?

[bob__71]

For god sakes Rodger....dont make comments just so you can hear your own voice. You will start to sound like patrick smith.

[sainters man]

Sadly, we aren't up to it.

When a footy team tackles as hard as we did yesterday, after being labelled 'soft' by their coach, gets the best out of guys like Ball, Fisher and Roo (our most important players and berometers) yet still look average - you know something is wrong.

At quarter time, we dominated Melbourne and did not give them an inch. They not once, looked like cleanly scoring. Yet at quarter time, we only led by 20 points.

A positive was kicking 7 in the last quarter - but we let them kick half their score in the last quarter too!


We tackled hard. Roo played well and had 7 assists. A small forward kicked 5. A medium forward kicked 4 and took contested marks. We rucked well. Our runners (Gram and Fisher) were in form. Luke Ball is fitter and better than he's ever been. Hayes is back to his best form.

We're not crippled by injury.

Yet we still looked just Ok.


Not complaining about an 80 point win - much prefer it to losing. But if we can still look like a top 6-10 placed side with the above factors all going in our favour - then we're in strife.

Even when we were on top in som many key areas, we looked confused and erratic. Whatever Lyon's plan is, I hope we're not sticking to it. Cause if that's it, we're in trouble.

Well, for the next 10 years anyway.

Well we will see on Sunday, i dont know what more we could have done to make people "supporters" happy. We thrashed a team we had to, Ball looks back to his best as does Riewoldt. Gram, fisher and Goddard are looking awesome, young players went alright and Schneider looked comfortable yesterday as a saint.

But Sunday is our biggest game yet as, if we are on the road to finals and if it will stop posters stop posting stupid negative stuff for a week, geez you would think you barrack for someone else

[The Fireman]

Wow you guys must love being depressed. Better not go outside today lest you get skittled on a road.

depressed or objective?
I'd rather have a grip on reality than go through life in a dream world, I know I won't get skittled if I'm smart and stay of the road and I know I'll look foolish and or heartbroken if I overestimate my teams position.

[evertonfc]

Rodger,

We're not a terrible side, but we're not a good one either.

For that reason, we won't win the premiership this year. I'm not interested in anything but developing players who might play in a premiership.

We knocked a team who steadfastly refused to punish our errors. How much fun was it?

We had the chance to stand up against Collingwood and Brisbane and we squibbed those challenges to go to 6-3 and possibly 7-3.

Instead, we're 5-5, not really in the hunt, and with only one win against a decent team to our name.

We need to work so much harder if we're going to make the eight, and improve ten-fold if we're going to make the four.

Premiership? Not for this crop.

[Dan Warna]

they looked happy, the MOSTLY looked full of confidence.

hayes, ball, dal santo, monty, goddard and a few others contributed.

Ya I know its melbourne, but 4 points and a 6 or 7 percentage points...i'll take it thanks.

[joffaboy]

Once everyone comes to grips with the fact that we are not in the hunt this year, the more we can move on to what needs to be done to improve the team.

Ferguson was a good inclusion, Armo is a prospect, Geary looks OK, we have Gilbo coming back, Luke Ball looks back to somewhere near his best, Goddard will keep improving, we still have Stevens and Eddy to have a shot as well as McEvoy and the core is still young.

However we need to look forward. Not at 2008 but at next season. RodgerFox is just being a bit mischevious saying 10 years, but the crux of what he posts is pretty spot on.

We need to look down the track. We need to actually gear up this draft and next before the compromised drafts take effect.

Just try to enjoy the footy and concentrate more on our future than 2008.

We are just not up to it.

[bob__71]

How can you guys be so certain about things which haven't happened yet....you come across as if you have some Jesus complex.

[evertonfc]

Once everyone comes to grips with the fact that we are not in the hunt this year, the more we can move on to what needs to be done to improve the team.

Ferguson was a good inclusion, Armo is a prospect, Geary looks OK, we have Gilbo coming back, Luke Ball looks back to somewhere near his best, Goddard will keep improving, we still have Stevens and Eddy to have a shot as well as McEvoy and the core is still young.

However we need to look forward. Not at 2008 but at next season. RodgerFox is just being a bit mischevious saying 10 years, but the crux of what he posts is pretty spot on.

We need to look down the track. We need to actually gear up this draft and next before the compromised drafts take effect.

Just try to enjoy the footy and concentrate more on our future than 2008.

We are just not up to it.

Sensational post.

I'd give anything to see Lyon throw in every kid he can - that would give me an enourmous thrill to see what they're capable of. Who knows - Brad Howard might actually be a really good player? Allen might be a decent forward? McEvoy might be more ready than we think?

A few games into Jack Steven - just three or four - will surely be good for his development...

I actually think it will give the whole team a lift to see them come in. I wouldn't be surprised to see us actually lift and win more games as a result.

We stand to gain something from extracting every last bit of value from our list, rather than fielding blokes who will not play in our next premiership. Harvey and Hudghton are about the only ones who should be excused.

[The Fireman]

good post Joffa.

[The Peanut]

I am with the fox on this one - Round ten demonstrated that we are about the 10th best team ... and it's highly likely we will lose some key players at years end.

Yes it is gloom and doom if we can't use this win to improve dramatically.

Kicking for goals ... ... I am running out of fingers to count on - regarding this problem.

Edit: Common sense tells me to go with you Joffa - but I just can't see past the fact that we are better than we are playing.

[JeffDunne]

We still have a lot of upside.

I live in hope Ross will find the switch to extract some of that upside, so I'm not writing off this season just yet.

[Sobraz]

what happens when we beat the dogs this week?!!!....

[JeffDunne]

what happens when we beat the dogs this week?!!!....

People like me start apologising to Ross.

[meher baba]

No reason at all for too much doom and gloom this week, methinks.

Any win is a good win.

And we played more like we used to/ought to be playing: albeit against the worst team in the AFL at present.

At least it was a clearcut win and not just scraping over the line with a lot of luck as managed against the Tigers and the Swans.

If Lyon and the team can build on this and put in a creditable performance next week - against a team which we are unquestionably more than capable of beating, even in our current form - then things will definitely be on the improve.

I'd still rather we had a different coach, but that is clearly not on the agenda ATM, so we have to make the best of things as they stand.

[The Fireman]

what happens when we beat the dogs this week?!!!....

People like me start apologising to Ross.

we will get 4 points and I will be pleasantly surprised .

[markp]

I just can't see past the fact that we are better than we are playing.

Agree... I think we are up to it, but somehow our cohesion and confidence has been woeful.

Who know, maybe half the team have had a falling out or just don't get along... maybe for one reason or another this group will never quite click.

I hope it can be sorted out soon, whatever it is... but of course realistically our focus should be beyond 2008.

The next 2 weeks will be very interesting.

[Sobraz]

what happens when we beat the dogs this week?!!!....

People like me start apologising to Ross.

we will get 4 points and I will be pleasantly surprised .

My point is, about 6 weeks ago, Carlton smashed the magpies.. They looked so far away from contenders i couldnt wait to play them... Now they are flying very very high... Things change very quickly...

We know we have the cattle to be there abouts.. The majority of our names have done it before and are not passed it, so it can be done again..

Not trying to be mr.Optimistic, but i really think the season is a long way from over for us...