Jason Blakes' "Trot"just before three quarter time

[perfectionist]

How much further do you think he could have gone without bouncing the ball? No doubt there will be some amusement amongst the playing group as they watch the replay. I've spoken many times before about how highly I rate him (unlike our former coach) but he is still prone to the odd brain fade.

[Sobraz]

How much further do you think he could have gone without bouncing the ball? No doubt there will be some amusement amongst the group as they watch the replay. I've spoken many times before about how highly I rate him (unlike our former coach) but he is still prone to the odd brain fade.

He had about half a dozen brain fades last night.... Could not believe he carried the ball 20m without a bounce..

[Foz]

I was in front of him watching it unfold. Was surprised he wasnt pinged, not sure why you wouldn't bounce when you had all week to do so...

A close second for mine to getting caught in traffic 25 metres out. Turned to the guy next to me and said "it happens every week with him" in a vent of frustration.

Still played pretty well but backline had easy pickings all night.

[perfectionist]

Dunno about half a dozen. His foot delivery is almost perfect these days which is a lesson to a few at the club. He used to misjudge distance, usually by kicking too long. But, practice makes perfect.

All of the backs make the odd error, but what has been characteristic of "the team within a team" is just who much they back each other up to retrieve the situation.

He took about 20 short steps but.....well, the siren was sounded.

[mick13]

Not his fault when he got run down, Jones didnt provide a shephard and just let the Dogs player run right past him.

[BakesFan]

Not his fault when he got run down, Jones didnt provide a shephard and just let the Dogs player run right past him.

exactly right...not Blake's fault.. Jones hanballed to him and then didn't shepherd or block.. Blake was run down from behind by the player Jones should have been covering.

[claystreet]

Not his fault when he got run down, Jones didnt provide a shephard and just let the Dogs player run right past him.

exactly right...not Blake's fault.. Jones hanballed to him and then didn't shepherd or block.. Blake was run down from behind by the player Jones should have been covering.

Yep, what they said.

[Foz]

handball to Blake was about 0.5m and he was in heavy traffic in backline, just had to offload it. He's not quick so awareness is something he has to make up for. I watched it a few times on replay and would call it a clanger.

[Badlands]

Not his fault when he got run down, Jones didnt provide a shephard and just let the Dogs player run right past him.

exactly right...not Blake's fault.. Jones hanballed to him and then didn't shepherd or block.. Blake was run down from behind by the player Jones should have been covering.

Yep, what they said.

In addition to CJ not helping him out by providing a block, i think you'll find just as Blake was looking to offload it Dal Santo ran right across his path and got in his way. I'm prepared to forgive that one, he had a great game otherwise.

[saint66au]

Blake had clearly been told by the runner that the siren was about to go and just hold onto it...the creeping forward was him just misjudging the time left i think

As brainfades go, its not in the same league as Scott Welsh not reading the matchup board at 3/4 time lol

[Moccha]

Blake had clearly been told by the runner that the siren was about to go and just hold onto it...the creeping forward was him just misjudging the time left i think

As brainfades go, its not in the same league as Scott Welsh not reading the matchup board at 3/4 time lol

That's why they call him Neil. Is a bit of a space cadet

[desertsaint]

Blake had clearly been told by the runner that the siren was about to go and just hold onto it...the creeping forward was him just misjudging the time left

agree - all players make the occasional mistake, saw quite a few over the game, but no one player racked up a number. Raph had a couple of poor handballs to a player already surrounded. But pleasingly haven't yet seen posters demanding he be dropped (on here anyway).

Just loving how the saints seem to be able to handball out of impossibly tight situations and run out of defence. This to me, as much as our ferocious tackling, has been our biggest improvement and is an area in which we are taking the game to a whole new level.

[stinger]

A close second for mine to getting caught in traffic 25 metres out. Turned to the guy next to me and said "it happens every week with him" in a vent of frustration.

wasn't his fault...have a look at the replay and watch the dullbog player step around jones... i think it was.....blake should have been protected.....

[perfectionist]

Blake had clearly been told by the runner that the siren was about to go and just hold onto it...the creeping forward was him just misjudging the time left i think

As brainfades go, its not in the same league as Scott Welsh not reading the matchup board at 3/4 time lol

I wonder why Jason just didn't stand still then in that case.

I also note that Scott Welsh is on 199 games.

[skeptic]

I've spoken many times before about how highly I rate him (unlike our former coach)

I could have sworn that our former coach played him consistently... even when his form was very mediocre. If your criticism was that he didn't use Blake properly or couldn't develop him, well that's another story

odd criticism

could you explain this please?

[BigMart]

Did you notice opposition players run away from him forcing him to think....which he struggles to do when faced with more than one option....

he likes to draw a player and chip 25m over the top to the free man....if the opponent stays off him, he panics......same with CJ who likes to draw and Hand Ball.....not run and carry and deliver....

Blake also got in the way of a handball.......handballed to to Lenny with an opponent about to smash him......and carry the ball through traffic on the last line without any urgency......he is a slow as treacle decision maker.......having said that.....he is a reliable and consistent defender with a big heart and plenty of courage

[perfectionist]

I've spoken many times before about how highly I rate him (unlike our former coach)

I could have sworn that our former coach played him consistently... even when his form was very mediocre. If your criticism was that he didn't use Blake properly or couldn't develop him, well that's another story

odd criticism

could you explain this please?

Certainly, although I bet a few others will be sick of the story. You may remember that after we had won the first ten in 2004, our coach at the time decided to "experiment" with the team. Jason Blake was dropped. We played the Swans and got smashed - in the ruck. But the "experiment" continued. We played Footscray and got smashed - in the ruck. Luke Darcy had a birthday. Jason then returned to the team and later in the year tagged Goodes in a final and smashed him. Too late coach, the loss to Footscray in particular sent us to Brisbane on a hot day in August having to win to get to the top two and avoid two away finals. No such luck. Ross seems to know what is obvious. Pick the team on form and don't flirt with it at the selection table.

[perfectionist]

Did you notice opposition players run away from him forcing him to think

No. They used to, but don't anymore. When a player has the ball many other opposition teams run to get players back. Not the Saints, although I noticed the Tigers doing the same thing today. Jason was one of our better players last night and his "trot" was humorous in retrospect. He still has that exceptional quality - flexibility. If the worst comes to the worst, or if the situation is dire, he can take the ruck and provide a winning option. Which is why he will remain a fixture in the team.

[James]

I was frantically yelling "BOUNCE IT BOUNCE IT" when he did that.

Couldn't believe how absent minded he was being.

[Dan Warna]

why don't you people just go out and shoot the guy FFS.

he could do 99 good things in a game but you find 1 bad thing and tear him apart for it.

pack of wolves, ready to trade luke ball for a sack of spuds from sydney, just as folk were praying to trade hayes for jude bolton 2 years ago, hoping for a round 3 pick for montagna 3 years ago, and wondered why we went for kosi intead of didak for much of the past 5 years, and ready to shoot raphael clarke for every mistake.

seriously go support Richmond if you can't be happy with what is so far one of the best seasons of st kilda's bitter history.

[desertsaint]

pack of wolves, ready to trade luke ball for a sack of spuds from sydney, just as folk were praying to trade hayes for jude bolton 2 years ago, hoping for a round 3 pick for montagna 3 years ago, and wondered why we went for kosi intead of didak for much of the past 5 years, and ready to shoot raphael clarke for every mistake.

spot on with the above, but no one's knocking blake here - just a funny moment we're chewing the fat over.

I'm pretty pleased to see (luke ball bulls*** posts aside) no one calling for any one from last night to be dropped, shot, castrated, etc (for once).

[asiu]

utter loss of concentration

wants hitting around the head with a statfish encrusted piece of bullkelp...hard


if the siren hadnt of gone ...it was a free kick ....and a possible 11 point deficit only at 3/4 time for the pumped up doggies

as it was , 19 men on was ....easy stuff (for us )

possibly could have been quite different

Just loving how the saints seem to be able to handball out of impossibly tight situations

seems to me , we are intentionally handballing low (to ankles) when in tight ....remove the oppurtunity for an intercept .....as the jones boy pulled off from a doggies handball (at chest height)

we also have pinched the cats technique of handballing to a certain 'ball up ' situation ....ie, yr team member is swamped instantly .....thus resetting

gilberts professional free against (ankle tap) was smart think'n as well i thought

[stinger]

well sad dw...this season is turning into a cracker for us....i'm just enjoying it.......and....putting a bit of s*** on the would be traders......

[BakesFan]

gilberts professional free against (ankle tap) was smart think'n as well i thought

The second I saw that, I thought it was an awesome 'tactical' free.
A heap of our boys streamed back before the Doggies could take that kick.

[mick13]

gilberts professional free against (ankle tap) was smart think'n as well i thought

The second I saw that, I thought it was an awesome 'tactical' free.
A heap of our boys streamed back before the Doggies could take that kick.

I remember that, was smart.

Could he get done for tripping though?