nearly a month on, what can we learn?

[Solar]

look this is not a bash people thread, this is not about WHO lost us the grand final, not a sack ross thread.

It's more, what did we do wrong (outside of not taking our chances), could improve on that will lead us to winning next years flag?

all about positives!

For mine. I believe that the tactics in the final quarter was wrong. When your key forwards are struggling to get near it, bombing it long was not the best tactic. The need to develop a couple of lead up forwards (once schneider and roo are covered the cupboard is bare) was a hindrence.

Would also like to see us get a little flexible in the use of mini and raph. Move raph onto a wing or into the forward line. Was very good at finding space again the pies when we were only going to roo in that first final. ross was struggling to find a match up when the cats went small. Can peake giv us that quick small back option. I know on the day I did wonder why we didn't try mini down back, he's got decient speed and can tackle. Would not have done any worse then raph (wrong match up) on the quick cat forwards.

As someone said in another thread, mcenvoy might have given us more around the ground. The question mark has to be over king going into this next season

Anything else?

[satchmo]

nearly a month on, what can we learn?

To take a couple of months off?

[bobmurray]

What did we learn...

We played our best football at the wrong end of the season.....

after the Hawthorn game in Tassie we didn't dominate another game for the rest of the year.....

Not enough contributors up forward....

hope we don't go with the same forward six next season...

[PJ]

To use our talent in a less predictable way:

If Riewoldt is going to be triple teamed why the f**k do we keep bombing it to him - get smart find plan B,C & D. I'm all for using him in differing roles when it obviously isn't working. Hope his knee will scrub up next year because if we don't use him more efficiently then Tommy Walsh will need to be the next messiah.

[saintnick12]

What did we learn...

We played our best football at the wrong end of the season.....

after the Hawthorn game in Tassie we didn't dominate another game for the rest of the year.....

Not enough contributors up forward....

hope we don't go with the same forward six next season...

Agreed. As much as we tried to ignore it as the season went on, from the Essendon game onwards, we were at least two goals down in the first quarter of every game, including the GF. We never domintated another game. We were no longer getting off to the great starts and locking games away early. We lost our air of invincibility.

[Iceman234]

We lost our air of invisibility.

Invincibility?

[SainterK]

That I still have no doubt that this group of boys can win it....

[saintnick12]

We lost our air of invisibility.

Invincibility?

Oops Think its time for me to go to bed making mistakes like thatl!!!!

[Legendary]

We did dominate the Grand Final.
Watch the replay, we were so clearly the dominant team on the ground at three-quarter time.

The failing (if any) that was exposed?

A forward structure that does not function as well in the wet or on slightly wider grounds.

The wet clearly favoured Geelong. We dominated the midfield and backline in the first three quarters regardless, and throughout 2009 this domination was converted onto the scoreboard by Riewoldt, Kosi, Milne etc.

We could not use Riewoldt and Kosi because of the wet, and I actually thought our "plan B" forward setup worked well ... Milne, Schneider and McQualter had 8 shots between them, for 2.6 ...

Kick 6.2 and the game is won.

Simply conversion.

People carry on about "bombing it long" in the last quarter. Our players had executed the plan to such perfection that they shouldn't have been worried in the last quarter, because we had played well enough to be 5 goals in front.

Ross Lyon can't go out and kick the goals for them ...


The way to ensure that our forward structure works slightly better in all conditions? A third marking forward, and everyone understands this.

[ace]

Learn to kick straight when it really matters.

[Milan Faletic]

I've learnt that the reasons haven't changed one month later.

Funny that.

[saintnick12]

I've learnt that the reasons haven't changed one month later.

Funny that.

And in five years time and no matter how many times we've watched the replay...the reasons will still be the same.

Sad but true...

[Milan Faletic]

I've learnt that the reasons haven't changed one month later.

Funny that.

And in five years time and no matter how many times we've watched the replay...the reasons will still be the same.

Sad but true...

Spot on nick and I suspect there will still be posts about the same reasons, just as people still talk about Jarman, Breen and that we were 3 goals up in 1971 at 3/4 time. These things just won't change no matter how much we try. Maybe in 12 months time we can all be posting about how good we still feel one month after winning our 2nd flag.

[Saint Bev]

For me its mental toughness. When Geelong kicked that last goal, we weren't mentally tough enough to believe in ourselves, we panicked and Geelong seized the moment and won the game.

[Moccha]

That you can't have your cake and eat it too

[spert]

The lesson to learn is that all players must contribute in a Grand Final, and coaches have to take risks. Schneider unluckily missed goals, but that happens, and who is to say that had we have got those goals, Geelong wouldn't fight back?? The rest of the forwards just didn't hit the ball or the contest hard enough considering the occasion. It was clear what effect the conditions were having, and also the defensive tactics of Geelong, and RL should have moved Roo up around the middle or wing ealier in the game to expose his opponent, and Kosi should have been benched and a smaller, more mobile player at full forward.

[Milton66]

That some suppoerters have problems moving on.

[markp]

Thanks to this site, I've learnt that we would've won if Max had played, if Luke had played more, or if Raph had not played at all.

Oh, and we wont get another chance either... bummer.

[saintnick12]

Thanks to this site, I've learnt that we would've won if Max had played, if Luke had played more, or if Raph had not played at all.

Oh, and we wont get another chance either... bummer.

Yeah, and if some people on here were to be believed, there would be no point signing up again next year. What we be the point if we are no chance...lol...

I, for one, had the best year of my footballing life this year in terms of my enjoyment of the games. Great times. I only missed one Melbourne game due to illness and was genuinely shattered that I couldn't be there (the fact that we smashed the pies by 88 pts that night might have had something to do with it). I look forward to next year with hope and anticipation as always, but with the hurt from the final result and the knowledge that we belong at that level and we CAN do it, and the hope that our day is still to come.

[saintnick12]

PS..Markp..not having a go at you, I know your post was in jest. But plenty of others on here are very pessimistic about our future considering the year we had.

[yipper]

Thanks to this site, I've learnt that we would've won if Max had played, if Luke had played more, or if Raph had not played at all.

Oh, and we wont get another chance either... bummer.

Yeah, and if some people on here were to be believed, there would be no point signing up again next year. What we be the point if we are no chance...lol...

I, for one, had the best year of my footballing life this year in terms of my enjoyment of the games. Great times. I only missed one Melbourne game due to illness and was genuinely shattered that I couldn't be there (the fact that we smashed the pies by 88 pts that night might have had something to do with it). I look forward to next year with hope and anticipation as always, but with the hurt from the final result and the knowledge that we belong at that level and we CAN do it, and the hope that our day is still to come.

This. Was a spectacular season of footy in every way. We do belong - and we can still win it!! The pain of 09' will drive this group onwards - just ask Lenny or Roo what they think!!

[remboy]

Learn to kick straight when it really matters.

It's as simple as that. You've got to make the most of the periods of the game when you have the momentum. We didn't do that. It was what cost the Cats against the Hawks last year as well.
We won 22 out of 25 so we can't be doing too much wrong.

[aussiejones]

Sums it up "You've got to make the most of the periods of the game when you have the momentum"

There are also improvements that can be made.

All said and done it was a fantastic year .....but on the last day it all needs to be done again for 100 minutes.

[spert]

Yeah it was a great year for the club, but it's not just about moving on and going "oh well", that's the attitude that kept the Saints cellar dwellers for years, it should be burning a hole through supporters who should demand success from the club (no doubt it will be burning a hole in RL until we win a flag).

[bigcarl]

Yeah it was a great year for the club, but it's not just about moving on and going "oh well", that's the attitude that kept the Saints cellar dwellers for years, it should be burning a hole through supporters who should demand success from the club (no doubt it will be burning a hole in RL until we win a flag).

it's burning in my guts, but the focus has to be on 2010 and on where we need to improve. nothing can be done about 2009 now.