Adelaide game perfect warm up for Cats!

[MadSaintFan]

Some of you will laugh at this - and I dont blame you. But after watching the game against Adelaide a 2nd time Im of the belief the Saints went into that game with very few thoughts of winning. I believe Ross used that game to achieve 2 goals - 1) Provide added match fitness to certain players & 2) Test our defensive structures under immense pressure.

At no stage after the 1st quarter did we attempt to take the game on. Very few times did we use the corridor and I can count on my hand how many times we played on from a marking situation. Inside 50's for the game were Adelaide 50 to StKilda 34. This is a result of the game being played in our back half for most of the game. I seriously believe this was at Ross's instructions - control the ball for majority of the game (which we did with 470 posessions), midfield get back to assist the defense, and backline restrict Adelaides Inside50's scoring% which we did considering how many times they took it in.

The game provided an excellant warm up for a final on Friday. I reckon we'll beat Geelong and Ross has set the team up beautifully for this through the teams game against the Crows. Comon boys!

[MadSaintFan]

I'll add my prefered team for the game this week onto this:

B. Baker - Blake - Gwilt
HB. Gilbert - Fisher - Goddard
C. Gram - Armitage - Jones
HF Peake - Riewoldt - Dal Santo
FF. Milne - Koschitzke - Schnieder
Ruck. Gardiner - Montagna - Hayes
IC. Ray - Eddy - Macca - Geary

[Cairnsman]

I'll add my prefered team for the game this week onto this:

B. Baker - Blake - Gwilt
HB. Gilbert - Fisher - Goddard
C. Gram - Armitage - Jones
HF Peake - Riewoldt - Dal Santo
FF. Milne - Koschitzke - Schnieder
Ruck. Gardiner - Montagna - Hayes
IC. Ray - Eddy - Macca - Geary

That teams looks awsome. The only debate is the inclusion of Zac.

[MadSaintFan]

Ross will pick him. Id put my house on it. But I wouldnt have him in. Our defense look almost turnover-free before he came back in. He makes me nervous!

[boneless23]

I agree entirely with the OP.

It seemed to me as Ross treated this game as a teaching activity and saw it almost as a live training exercise. They say that you learn a great deal more from the losses than the wins and you could see at the breaks Ross was drawing everything he could from each quarter.

With the way opposition coaches study the tapes, I also think Ross was conscious not to show our hand at all against the Crows.

I think Roo would have liked to hit those shots at goal better but apart from that I believe it all went pretty much to plan.

[saintspremiers]

correct, because all training sessions are designed as perfect preperation for any match......just so happend that Round 22 for us coincided with a match for
points lol!

[Sainternist]

MSF, I like the way you think, the optimism refreshing and you've provided us with an interesting analysis.

Please, don't take offense to this but what on earth possessed you to watch the Adelaide game a second time?

I tip my hat to you showing this kind of faith, however I find this degree of flagellation a little extreme.

[MadSaintFan]

haha I was at the pub when the game was on and got abit distracted by the cheap pots at the time.
Game analyser on afl.com.au is pretty handy, so I just watched patches again this morning at work. Wasnt pretty viewing trust me, but Its good to watch parts of games twice - takes away the emotion from when its live.

[eppo67]

MSF you are spot on. I just watched the game again with your post in mind and thats exactly what they were doing. It was as if The Boss told them we are playing a defensive practice match in our half of the ground.

The instructions seemed to be you had to have 3, 4 or more possessions backwards or sideways before you were allowed to move the ball forward. This placed the back 6 under enormous pressure (practice) and helped polish up on the mids defensive structure.

Sure your not on the coaching staff MSF. Very well picked up.