33 points down and we win by 20. You cannot be serious

[damienc]

+35 at ground level had a lot to do with the win. I can't remember the last time we dominated the ground like that. The top 5 ground ball winners were all from our side - Steele 13; Billings 10; Crouch 10; Jones 10; Bytel 9. The Eagles best had 7. It's a lot easier for guys like Butler and Hill to have an impact when we're winning the ball rather than chasing and defending. That was what we got Crouch for and Jones had one of the better games of his career (10 clearances as well).

The question is, can we back that up?

Crouch was no slouch for the Crows. He was an inside midfield bull. He needed to find his way with the Saints. If this game was his turning point then there is very big upside here. We've got guys along side of him who can do the outside work for sure. Plenty of them. He racks up possessions but he does a lot of hard stuff that often goes unnoticed.

[saintsRrising]

I don’t remember him being that manic or quick. He swooped from nowhere with that tackle, The Eagles guy never knew what hit him. Very impressive.

DMac has always been very quick. And hard at the contest has always been his gamestyle, and sometimes recklessly so.

His Draft Profile listed his key strengths as:
Strengths: Speed, tackling, defensive pressure, marking, big-game player

[MickThomas]

DMac, let's talk about him.

He is so disliked on the socials, but he is well respected at the club. I know many internet warriors think he wasn't deserving of his last contract offer and link their hatred for him with their hatred for Richo, subconsciously or otherwise but I really hope he can prove a point this season. I love it when a player can do that, it is probably the single most satisfying feeling you can get in this sport, almost as satisfying as watching a player debut and develop into a star.

I don’t remember him being that manic or quick. He swooped from nowhere with that tackle, The Eagles guy never knew what hit him. Very impressive.

And the turning point in the game.

I don't have the ability to read their minds,
but I imagine seeing McG pick intercept marks like apples off a tree, would be a bit deflating.
Seeing him crunched n give up a goal, showed that hey, he can be beaten, he's not Superman.
I reckon it helped their self-belief that pressure will pay dividends.
Just my 2 cents

[Trev from the Bush]

Stats can be misleading and can be interpreted, or twisted, in many ways. But yesterday's were an amazing set of figures and I am glad I stayed in my seat as half time to check them (I'd normally go in search of a bar!).

From memory, the Eagles had 25 more possessions and were scoring freely from turnovers. No surprise to anybody watching. I mentioned to my wife the Eagles didn't seem to turnover the ball from mistakes. And that they would be in the top three teams at the end of the season.

When I got home (1:00 AM) I checked the stats again, from memory 405 St Kilda, 325 West Coast. We had over 100 possessions MORE than the Eagles in the second half!

Has there ever been a more dominant half of play in the AFL? (If there has, I fear it may have been against St Kilda instead of by us)

West Coast, seemingly, were free wheeling half way through the third quarter when the lead got out to 33 points. You'd expect them to finish with at least 20 goals on the board by game's end. They were stopped dead and only added a single behind to their score. An amazing reversal of fortune.

The only game I can liken it to was the 2010 game against Geelong at the MCG. Similarities being we looked done at half time, a small forward (Jack Steven, 3 quick goals) ignited our second half and our pressure stopped the Cats dead - they added only 3 behinds to their halftime score. And I had to surrender my Saints parka to my freezing daughter at halftime, leaving me to shiver through our comeback. Guess what? She pinched my parka again last night?

It was a win for the ages last night and all of our imported players lifted like the professional players they are. Jones, who resembles a human / pit bull cross, was the hard nut all night. Crouch, useless his first game and arguably BOG in his second, Butler remembered the qualities that made him special last season. And the players so many narks on this forum deride or want gone - Webster, terrific job on Ryan. D-Mac loves the chaos ball game. Big Jake, a special mention for his blunting Nic Nat's qualities, reducing him to a run of the mill ruck.

Yeah, I'm a pretty happy Saint this morning. Revelling in an amazing turnaround, that's what you buy your membership for.

[skeptic]

Disposal has always been the major issue.

Was very tidy yesterday

[asiu]

yes

big Jake

(that’ll shut me up)

set him loose ... good work that Man

[saynta]

Stats can be misleading and can be interpreted, or twisted, in many ways. But yesterday's were an amazing set of figures and I am glad I stayed in my seat as half time to check them (I'd normally go in search of a bar!).

From memory, the Eagles had 25 more possessions and were scoring freely from turnovers. No surprise to anybody watching. I mentioned to my wife the Eagles didn't seem to turnover the ball from mistakes. And that they would be in the top three teams at the end of the season.

When I got home (1:00 AM) I checked the stats again, from memory 405 St Kilda, 325 West Coast. We had over 100 possessions MORE than the Eagles in the second half!

Has there ever been a more dominant half of play in the AFL? (If there has, I fear it may have been against St Kilda instead of by us)

West Coast, seemingly, were free wheeling half way through the third quarter when the lead got out to 33 points. You'd expect them to finish with at least 20 goals on the board by game's end. They were stopped dead and only added a single behind to their score. An amazing reversal of fortune.

The only game I can liken it to was the 2010 game against Geelong at the MCG. Similarities being we looked done at half time, a small forward (Jack Steven, 3 quick goals) ignited our second half and our pressure stopped the Cats dead - they added only 3 behinds to their halftime score. And I had to surrender my Saints parka to my freezing daughter at halftime, leaving me to shiver through our comeback. Guess what? She pinched my parka again last night?

It was a win for the ages last night and all of our imported players lifted like the professional players they are. Jones, who resembles a human / pit bull cross, was the hard nut all night. Crouch, useless his first game and arguably BOG in his second, Butler remembered the qualities that made him special last season. And the players so many narks on this forum deride or want gone - Webster, terrific job on Ryan. D-Mac loves the chaos ball game. Big Jake, a special mention for his blunting Nic Nat's qualities, reducing him to a run of the mill ruck.

Yeah, I'm a pretty happy Saint this morning. Revelling in an amazing turnaround, that's what you buy your membership for.

[chook23]

+35 at ground level had a lot to do with the win. I can't remember the last time we dominated the ground like that. The top 5 ground ball winners were all from our side - Steele 13; Billings 10; Crouch 10; Jones 10; Bytel 9. The Eagles best had 7. It's a lot easier for guys like Butler and Hill to have an impact when we're winning the ball rather than chasing and defending. That was what we got Crouch for and Jones had one of the better games of his career (10 clearances as well).

The question is, can we back that up?

If we won't or don't, then we have no excuses and nowhere to hide. The players I mean. Because can't is no longer a reason because we now know they can.

bump

[desertsaint]

It's like 79-89. Remember that great win in round...