The Fox Report - 30/6/08

[rodgerfox]

Well, what a win.

Terrible game, but a great win.

Ok so let's go through the Fox Report, with the negatives first off....

Our first quarter, was the worst quarter of football from an AFL side that I've witnessed live for many a year.

I don't know what message Lyon thinks was 'misinterpreted' by the players, because basically we played exactly the same way last week. Get the ball - go wide - short spot kicks up the wings - get a shot at goal in the forward pocket if you're lucky - miss it - flood back - then repeat for 30 minutes.

To then come out after Q time and have a completely different attacking approach, was bizarre. Completely different in tactics, and completely different in terms of attitude from the players. It was odd. It was like a totally different team came out from the huddle.

We still didn't kick 100 points in a win. This is still a worry, as 95% of AFL games are won by the team that kicks 100 points.

We still relied heavily on individuals having blinders to get us the win.

Our bottom 6 was very ordinary - again.

We get a week off. I think I'd prefer to take the momentum we have with us for the rest of the year.

Our last 6 minutes wasn't good. We didn't play the 'shutdown' play well. When you're shutting down the game with 6 minutes to go, you can't afford to turn the ball over. We did at least twice. We need to get better at that. In a really close game, against a good side they'd make you pay.



To be honest, in this week's Fox Report I'd be clutching to find any more real negatives from Saturday's game. And really, some of the above may be a tad unfair too.
So let's move on to the positives....

We were 5 goals down - and won. And won well. I'd been really critical of us in the past for our mental fragility, and I once used the racehorse analogy to describe us. The horse does all the hard work, flies up alongside the leader with 100 to go, looks as though it will cruise past it - but doesn't. Ends up getting beaten.
Saturday night, we missed the jump, worked hard to regain a good position in the race, made a long and sustained run, went past the leader at the 100 only to have him kick back - then we came again and cruised past him. Won by a length and half with the rider putting the whip away before the post.

I haven't seen that sort of composure, leadership, concentration and determination for years.

Have our boys grown up? Have the kids from 2005 become men?

Kosi. His last quarter was what all the fuss is about. Went into the ruck, and turned the game. His ability to play that role, needs to be nurtured. If he can at worst break even in centre bounces with his ruckwork, he will be the best going around. His ability to drift forward and hurt the opposition forwrd whilst playing as a ruckman, is second to none.

Roo. Again played a less traditional CHF role - although he started the game in that posi. Once he was freed up to roam, he again turned the game. That is his role.
Like last week - one minute he marks strongly forward and sets up a goal. Then 5 minutes later marks strongly in the defensive 50 in front of a pack.
True matchwinner when he plays that role.

The midfield was very good after quarter time. Armitage, Ball, Dal and Joey were awesome. Really worked hard and got on top. With Roo roaming the midfield, it makes their job easier I believe.

We didn't rely on Harves to turn it for us in the guts. Sure, he contributed brilliantly again, but he wasn't the reason we won, or the reason we got back in the game.

Joey is too good a footballer to be tagging old men like Peter Bell. When he is running hard and egtting his own ball - he's bordering on elite. Breaks lines with his running, breaks lines with his kicking and kicks goals.

Pressure goals being slotted in the last quarter. Armo and Kosi get special mention. Not hard shots, but pressure shots that we simply need to kick. We did.

The biggest positive was clearly the leadership and mental toughness shown. When we were dudded a goal by the interchange rule, that so easily could have/should have killed us off.
Watching Luke Ball shaking his head after that, I thought we were gone. It was the perfect excuse for us to give up and blame that decision for an honourable loss.

We didn't. We actually went better after that.

[sainters man]

Thats abit harsh, if you take the first quarter out of it we went more direct and played on and was good football to watch. We kicked 12.12 after quarter time.Hopefully they relise thats the way to go.

I thought it was a pretty good team effort? who was your bottom 6 for a matter of interst?

[bob__71]

If you take 7 minutes of the first quater out when they scored 4 goals....then Nort hardly looked like scoring all day.

[mbogo]

Rodger still has my congratulations for his most positive post in about 20months.
Looks like we are all joining the bandwagon - Go Saints!!

[Otiman]

If you take 7 minutes of the first quater out when they scored 4 goals....then Nort hardly looked like scoring all day.

They didn't do too badly, failed to convert a lot of gettable goals.

[markp]

I thought our last 6 minutes were good... don't think it's really possible to keep possession for 6 whole minutes, and from memory they didn't score did they? Perhaps a rushed behind.... if we can learn to switch game styles seamlessly I'll be very happy.

Dare we dream of momentum building from now till the end of the season?

[rodgerfox]

I forgot to add that we won interstate.

And we did it without Bakes, Lenny, Goose and X.

[spert]

Good report, though a few comments to add.. our first quarter was terrible with no pressure applied at all..no leadership until Roo stood tall from then on. Armo reminded me of Ben Cousins in his very early career..lots of hustle and bustle and direct play. Gardiner is only a good seconds player and I expect will be dropped, and if Hayes is fit should return, if not maybe Birss, otherwise I would keep that team unchanged and let it settle. No other Saint player is really doing enough in the Scorps to get a senior game.
I watched the game a second time on telly and Sam Fisher played a lot better than mentioned in reports and I thought was more effective when the going was tough than Montagna who picked up a lot of receives and did well. Dempster is a lot more effective in the backline than people seem to think, and does get a lot of the hard ball. Allen actually caused a few problems with his size and mobility for the North backs and I think he and Eddy should stay in the team. McQualter came good when the game needed to be won and he delivered the ball better by foot than anyone in our team.

[Otiman]

And we did it without Bakes, Lenny, Goose and X.

Gehrig too.

[rodgerfox]

Thats abit harsh, if you take the first quarter out of it we went more direct and played on and was good football to watch. We kicked 12.12 after quarter time.Hopefully they relise thats the way to go.

I thought it was a pretty good team effort? who was your bottom 6 for a matter of interst?

My 'bottom 6' are .....

Allen.
Eddy.
Dempster.
King.
McQualter.
Gardiner.
Blake.


Each play a role, and must do it Ok (whatever it actually is) as they are still in the team. But all make errors and don't seem to have the basics down pat.

[borderbarry]

ah, who is your bottom 7th Rodge?

[Animal Enclosure]

Well summarised Rodg. A few points from me...

*Kosi & Roo- When freed up to float around the ground they make us a 20% better side. While Kosi is still not much chop at centre bounces, he can be outstanding as an around the ground 'follower' who floats forward. We all know how good Roo is when he is released up the ground. He become that tall midfielder that is impossible for the opposition to match up on (poor Shannon Watt look like he was going to explode after being run around by Roo). Jarryd Allen is a vital piece to this puzzle as he can give a us a marking (or pack crashing) presence across half forward or deep forward.

*Montagna- Starting to come good and his goal was something special. Along with Grammy and Armo he could provide quite an attacking (goal kicking) midfield but hasn't made the most of his chances. He's such a key player for us & we need to him to get back to his best.

*Dempster- Roundly criticised & will be the scapegoat for many but he's very solid, runs well & can actually deliver the ball to the advantage of a teammate. Thus far he has been a very good pick up, vastly superior in terms of effort to Schneider.

*McQualter- I'll put my hand up right down & say that I thought the re-drafting of Mini was a mistake. He's proving me wrong at present, with two hard nosed efforts. He kept Boomer Harvey to 3 possessions in the last quarter which is a pretty amazing effort. With efforts like that he has shown that he is fitter & stronger to perhaps be a good lock down player. He also used the ball very well (14 touches @ 86% efficiency) which is like gold in our team.

*Gilbert, Chips, Max & Gwilt- Were all fantastic in the last 3 qtrs. Gilbo is just running into some nice touch, Chips is obviously loving playing further up the ground, Max just gave Thompson a bath & Gwilt was very good (good run, used the ball well).

While we're still a long way short of what the team is capable of, I really like the flexibility that Lyon showed in being prepared to play blokes in a variety of positions.

I think Lenny will come back in at the expense of Eddy and I'd bring Bakes straight back in at the expense of Charlie. Carlton have a very deep midfield these days & we can afford to lose a lead up forward (play one of Lenny, Dal & Bally forward at times) to deepen our rotation.

[bob__71]

Thats abit harsh, if you take the first quarter out of it we went more direct and played on and was good football to watch. We kicked 12.12 after quarter time.Hopefully they relise thats the way to go.

I thought it was a pretty good team effort? who was your bottom 6 for a matter of interst?

My 'bottom 6' are .....

Allen.
Eddy.
Dempster.
King.
McQualter.
Gardiner.
Blake.


Each play a role, and must do it Ok (whatever it actually is) as they are still in the team. But all make errors and don't seem to have the basics down pat.

Blake is holding down CHB better than Goose has done for a while.

Dempster, Eddy, McQualter and Gardiner give us run which has been excellent.

King has been a tad soft...but seems to be improving this aspect...and Allen is doing his best to fill a role in the side.

I would say your bottom 6 probably contain 3 or 4 of our best team players.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

Well summarised Rodg. A few points from me...

*Kosi & Roo- When freed up to float around the ground they make us a 20% better side. While Kosi is still not much chop at centre bounces, he can be outstanding as an around the ground 'follower' who floats forward. We all know how good Roo is when he is released up the ground. He become that tall midfielder that is impossible for the opposition to match up on (poor Shannon Watt look like he was going to explode after being run around by Roo). Jarryd Allen is a vital piece to this puzzle as he can give a us a marking (or pack crashing) presence across half forward or deep forward.

Not sure if I'm missing/restating your point, or of a differeing opinion... but:

Kosi showed why there are a lot of people who like him in the ruck, at least as a 2nd option. He got his share of hitouts, and then picked up 2 clearances from the groundball to boot. He led the Saints in contested possession, and delivered up forward after a shakey start.

to boot, when up forward, after an early example of he and Reiwoldt leading to the same space, which has been a yearlong problem, I was thrilled to see him back towards a contest, see Roo go up, and when Reiwoldt came down... it turned out Kosi had kept running and got the pass for a gimme goal.

With Carlton not having a real tap guy, I wonder if Gardiner and King perhaps aren't walkup starts for the next game. Kosi played his best game of the year, and if he can back it up, people might just start getting excited about him again... and it's a perfect chance to give him that opportunity.

[hotdish]

I admire McQaulter's toughness/effort but he got his arse handed to him on saturday night.

If I recall correctly, Matt Campbell kicked 2/3 goals on him, before spending some time on Harvey who got lots of possies.

The commentators got it wrong alot when talking about his effort - Voss and Darcy kept talking about moving McQualter off Harvey, but next second, the camera would pan to see McQaulter on Campbell...

[saintsRrising]

I would add that the first quarter was made worse by some bad blunders:

* 3 relatively easy shots at goal missed...all in the first part of the quarter when the Saints were on top but not scoring goals.


*Ball kicking to basically a North Player who the set up an easy goal..


* Roo getting bowled over by the ball in the goalsquare...to gift a goal to the Roos...

*Roo giving away a silly 50m to set up another goal...


I'll ignore Ball's handball which led to another North goal.


Now any team makes mistakes....but that was way too many in one quarter!!!



However when a team gets their confidence up....they are all examples of the type of errors which seem to vanish....

[stinger]

well..i was less charitable at the time scoring two goals to both roo and bally for the first quarter.....i also thought things couldn't getr any worse and that we might still be a show if we cut out the crap mistakes.......roo did...but ball continued on his merry way.....

[saintsRrising]

...but Ball continued on his merry way.....

Yes agree...in terms of his ball use Ball had a shocker. Quite probably his worst game ever for us in terms of his kicking and handball skill...or rather lack of.

And then capped off his shocker with the 19th man on the ground infringement for another goal for North.