So the secrets out......

[Teflon]

The way to beat St Kilda is just pace.Pace and "tippety footy" where you just mad, scramble it fwd at all opportunity - where you dont "stop and prop" as the Dogs did but you continue fwd at speed, running the lines and transitioning from defence at pace.......hhmmm

Bombers did this well last year. Carlton too, although they smashed us in the middle last night which compounded the flogging.

Bombers will run like nutters this week - IMHO the best way to put a stop to this rot is tackle and pressure....and tackles have to stick and pressure has to be relentless - do this and score heavily on the turn over and Knights will have to go defensive to stem the bleading.

Ofcourse we also need a midfield to get first hands on the ball - we were woeful last night at this.

We also know Dal will probably get a hard tag - in these cases Id like to see him go fwd. IF hes only gonna get 12 kicks from a heavy tag....better 6 of those go on to the chest of a lead up fwd for a score.

[bigred]

I would have thought that Dal should have just been sent to the goalsquare
for extended periods on Monday. See if he could create.

Wanna see some physical, hard footy like we have become acustomed to over the past few years for the bummers.

[Moccha]

you can't tackle them if you can't catch them. A lot of Saints players got caught with the ball - Hayes, Goddard. The Saints have been exposed for their lack of pace.

[Face]

This week we just need to see every Essendon player as Andrew Lovett and tackle them accordingly.

We owe the scum the biggest kick in the nuts we've given any team in a long time.

Motivation this week shouldn't be a problem.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Determinations creates speed and skill. Only 18 months ago we smashed the fleet-footed Bombers by 108 points.

The boys have looked flat ever since slumping to the ground after the hard-fought Fremantle victory.

Time to take the bit between the teeth. Draw a line in the sand. Whatever.

Time to start playing Saints Footy again.

[borderbarry]

Less than a 6 day break between games is not going to help us. Maybe we should bring in some of the boys that did not play on Monday night.

[GrumpyOne]

This week we just need to see every Essendon player as Andrew Lovett and tackle them accordingly.

We owe the scum the biggest kick in the nuts we've given any team in a long time.

Motivation this week shouldn't be a problem.

I like it.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

I would have thought that "secret" was out last year, when we were pushed much more by Essendon and Carlton than most sides, despite them both being only "middle of the rung" teams. It was very evident that we struggled to contain their extreme pace. We were also exposed by pace in the GF, especially in the last quarter.

[SENsei]

This week we just need to see every Essendon player as Andrew Lovett and tackle them accordingly.

We owe the scum the biggest kick in the nuts we've given any team in a long time.

Motivation this week shouldn't be a problem.

I like it.

Beautiful!

[SainterK]

It would seem that way, but I cannot say for sure yet....

It's just too difficult to judge the team based on Monday nights game, they were down on so many levels.

[Teflon]

I would have thought that "secret" was out last year, when we were pushed much more by Essendon and Carlton than most sides, despite them both being only "middle of the rung" teams. It was very evident that we struggled to contain their extreme pace. We were also exposed by pace in the GF, especially in the last quarter.

apparently not......I hear now the Bombers are finding the fastest cattle they can....and tippety play on footy will win them the day...

[Buckets]

I would have thought that "secret" was out last year, when we were pushed much more by Essendon and Carlton than most sides, despite them both being only "middle of the rung" teams. It was very evident that we struggled to contain their extreme pace. We were also exposed by pace in the GF, especially in the last quarter.

apparently not......I hear now the Bombers are finding the fastest cattle they can....and tippety play on footy will win them the day...

But thats the thing. Pace is all well and good but we had too many of our guys having very bad nights. We lift intensity pressure tackling to 09 rates that 'tippety' crap has a very hard time of working because it is so very risky to play lot of turnovers. Just look at the Blues V Pie match.

[Teflon]

I would have thought that "secret" was out last year, when we were pushed much more by Essendon and Carlton than most sides, despite them both being only "middle of the rung" teams. It was very evident that we struggled to contain their extreme pace. We were also exposed by pace in the GF, especially in the last quarter.

apparently not......I hear now the Bombers are finding the fastest cattle they can....and tippety play on footy will win them the day...

But thats the thing. Pace is all well and good but we had too many of our guys having very bad nights. We lift intensity pressure tackling to 09 rates that 'tippety' crap has a very hard time of working because it is so very risky to play lot of turnovers. Just look at the Blues V Pie match.

agree. Im being a feaces...facetious I meant..

[stinger]

read this....


http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... -uuvx.html


"As do vital aspects of football. That the Saints have kicked just two goals seven from marks in their last three matches is concern enough, but a drop from the most accurate team in front of goal in the competition in the first four rounds - 69.6 per cent conversion - to ranking last at 48 per cent in rounds five-to-seven has exposed cracks that might have been papered over by more clinical finishing.

The upside is that a repeat of the sub-standard effort that underpins Ross Lyon's ''process'' isn't likely, which could be bad news for Essendon. Holes might have appeared in the wall on Monday night, but that doesn't mean everyone will suddenly be able to crash it down.

''I know everyone's sick of hearing about their structures, but it doesn't matter who they send out, the structures seem to hold everything together,'' one opposition analyst said. ''I think they had seven or eight blokes who just had really dirty nights. But they're better than that.''

[maverick]

No the secret to beating us is to whisper in our ears about our over reliance on Roo which will scare us into losing.

[saintspremiers]

Less than a 6 day break between games is not going to help us. Maybe we should bring in some of the boys that did not play on Monday night.

Utter rubbish.

Did you see the game on Monday night?

How many of the boys could put their hand over their heart and say they gave anywhere close to 100% effort for even half the match?

The boys will be fresh and fine.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

All credit to the Carlton small forward line who ran card, contested hard, and got the chocolates.

That wasn't the secret. Nor was it "scrambling" the ball forward.

A lot of their successful thrusts were created from fullback. Essentially, Carlton treated St Kilda the way that teams have been treating Hawthorn post grand final - and we let them.

They took chances, and ran to create the long wide kick and ran into space. It's a dangerous tactic as it exposes you on the rebound. Where the Saints got exposed was in not having a forward line capable of taking advantage of those chances.

The way Carlton actually did it was also very dangerous - the kick in to Judd in the back pocket, and Judd play's on? Wow, only Judd or Ablett could have pulled that role off. Anything goes wrong, that's a BAD place to turn over the ball - we want teams to go there from the kick-in! The forward contests they were creating included plenty of errors from us to hand them their success.

Credit where due - they handed us a smacking.

I'm more concerned that we're playing a passive style of zone (as opposed to last year where we couldn't wait to attack every time the opposition moved the ball) than I am that we got shellacked.

Though the 2 are not unrelated

[degruch]

At least we won't have to worry about Lovett. Poor recruiting? Let's see who has the last laugh!

[rexy]

Agree with the poster who spoke about Dal going forward if he cant shake his tag, nothing wrong with Dal going to Full forward and running out of the square, he is a solid mark for his size and I doubt many taggers want to play FB, if you scrag and hold there you will be pinged and give up shots.

In the old days we often used Winmar as a quick marking FF and have even see the great 35 go to FF to unsettle a tag, anyone remember where and what year he kicked a bag in the first half, may have been 97 at Waverly?

[Finna]

All credit to the Carlton small forward line who ran card, contested hard, and got the chocolates.

That wasn't the secret. Nor was it "scrambling" the ball forward.

A lot of their successful thrusts were created from fullback. Essentially, Carlton treated St Kilda the way that teams have been treating Hawthorn post grand final - and we let them.

They took chances, and ran to create the long wide kick and ran into space. It's a dangerous tactic as it exposes you on the rebound. Where the Saints got exposed was in not having a forward line capable of taking advantage of those chances.

The way Carlton actually did it was also very dangerous - the kick in to Judd in the back pocket, and Judd play's on? Wow, only Judd or Ablett could have pulled that role off. Anything goes wrong, that's a BAD place to turn over the ball - we want teams to go there from the kick-in! The forward contests they were creating included plenty of errors from us to hand them their success.

Credit where due - they handed us a smacking.

I'm more concerned that we're playing a passive style of zone (as opposed to last year where we couldn't wait to attack every time the opposition moved the ball) than I am that we got shellacked.

Though the 2 are not unrelated

Good Post.

You're right it did start in our forward line line/half forward line. I remember commenting on this during the game. Our pressure - particularly across half forward has been the real issue for mine.

Last year and some games earlier this year we could literally lock the ball in our forward half for massive chunks at a time. On Monday this was completely invisible and was the beginning of many of Carlton's moves forward.

FWIW I reckon Carlton will get done this week.

[Saint_in_SA]

I know there has been some negativity about us this week, but here is what I like:

We are 5-2
We are 5-2 after playing 6 of the Top 8 teams (we haven't played the Pussies)
We will soon find out about who can stand up in the forward line without Roo.
We will not win 18 consecutive games then lose when it counts.
We learn more from our losses than wins. Carlton will not do that again to us.
Either will Essendon.
Chin up, Saints fans and enjoy the ride this year!

[saint patrick]

I would have thought that "secret" was out last year, when we were pushed much more by Essendon and Carlton than most sides, despite them both being only "middle of the rung" teams. It was very evident that we struggled to contain their extreme pace. We were also exposed by pace in the GF, especially in the last quarter.

Ezposed for pace in the grand final pffft...

If we had kicked straight we are the premiers and pace had nothing to do with it...missed 3 puds..end of story..still makes me sick in the guts

[Saint Mik]

We also know Dal will probably get a hard tag - in these cases Id like to see him go fwd. IF hes only gonna get 12 kicks from a heavy tag....better 6 of those go on to the chest of a lead up fwd for a score.

This bloke gets a free ride from most of us IMO, he needs to learn to deal with a heavy tag and become a better option for us in the midfield, other great mids get tagged and they seem to break a tag when required.

12 touches and most in the last when the pressure is off and the game is over is just not good enough 6 or 7 until 3qrt time , when Dal was giving the crowd high fives coming onto the footy show tonight I thought to myself I wish he had that many touches Monday night.

Dal needs to break a game open and win his position run the lines and use his skills to hit Kossi on a lead not sit in the forward line leaving it to others

Everyone dumps it on Raph,Kossi,Zac ect how about looking at the problems in the guts before we judge other players in other parts of the ground.

Is Dal a down hill skier????????? when the going gets tough he is nowhere to be seen but shines when we get on top of a side.

Love him but I dont want to see him in the forward line because he cant break a tag, he just needs to win his spot in hard times to get us over the line.