Our current game style

[cwrcyn]

Watching last night's game, one thing stood out more than anything. When we played on quickly and took risks we were on top of our opponents. When we played cautious football, holding on to the ball after we marked (in defence especially), we played into their hands by kicking to contests.

IN the last quarter we looked like running overe them until a few players hesitated with the ball in their hands in the back half after marking (Fisher and Dawson were two culprits and it has become Baker's standard procedure). Each time the ball was turned over and and Adelaide goal was on the board within 45 seconds.

So this begs the question...which style of game is the coaching staff directing the team to play? It appears to me that the players don't quite know.

Also, has John Barker been secretly acting in the role of our forward coach again, because the way that our forward line players position themselves gives absolutely no confidence to our players moving the ball from defence or via the wings. This is something that needs fixing NOW.

Are our senior players looking demoralised because they feel the new instructions they are getting don't make good sense?







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[bobmurray]

When Ross first introduced his press game plan the players had a hard time adapting to that and they looked just as confused back then as well.....

Maybe they aren't all that bright and it takes a while for things to sink in....

Obviously i don't really know so we will get the answer in time

[Teflon]

Watching last night's game, one thing stood out more than anything. When we played on quickly and took risks we were on top of our opponents. When we played cautious football, holding on to the ball after we marked (in defence especially), we played into their hands by kicking to contests.

IN the last quarter we looked like running overe them until a few players hesitated with the ball in their hands in the back half after marking (Fisher and Dawson were two culprits and it has become Baker's standard procedure). Each time the ball was turned over and and Adelaide goal was on the board within 45 seconds.

So this begs the question...which style of game is the coaching staff directing the team to play? It appears to me that the players don't quite know.

Also, has John Barker been secretly acting in the role of our forward coach again, because the way that our forward line players position themselves gives absolutely no confidence to our players moving the ball from defence or via the wings. This is something that needs fixing NOW.

Are our senior players looking demoralised because they feel the new instructions they are getting don't make good sense?

Good post. I'd also add that we are THE SLOWEST side in the AFL to bring the ball back into play from a kick in. Invariably we kick short to a pocket before turning it over on a HBF.......

Just once it would be nice to see us go coast to coast from a quick kick in.......you can only do that with swift ball moevement and taking risks. We dont. Fwd wait a month to see the ball let alone get a lead for a goal...

Dal also stops,props for a month, Baker is just plain embarrassing.

[stinger]

i don't know how many times i saw one or two saints players on their own down the guts of the field calling for the ball when the ball was being kicked in after a point...did we go down the middle even once....not on your f****** nellie......they are so f****** frustrating i am starting to feel that it is just too painful watching their ineptness..... but i will...always have....

[bergsone]

Watching last night's game, one thing stood out more than anything. When we played on quickly and took risks we were on top of our opponents. When we played cautious football, holding on to the ball after we marked (in defence especially), we played into their hands by kicking to contests.

IN the last quarter we looked like running overe them until a few players hesitated with the ball in their hands in the back half after marking (Fisher and Dawson were two culprits and it has become Baker's standard procedure). Each time the ball was turned over and and Adelaide goal was on the board within 45 seconds.

So this begs the question...which style of game is the coaching staff directing the team to play? It appears to me that the players don't quite know.

Also, has John Barker been secretly acting in the role of our forward coach again, because the way that our forward line players position themselves gives absolutely no confidence to our players moving the ball from defence or via the wings. This is something that needs fixing NOW.

Are our senior players looking demoralised because they feel the new instructions they are getting don't make good sense?

Good post. I'd also add that we are THE SLOWEST side in the AFL to bring the ball back into play from a kick in. Invariably we kick short to a pocket before turning it over on a HBF.......

Just once it would be nice to see us go coast to coast from a quick kick in.......you can only do that with swift ball moevement and taking risks. We dont. Fwd wait a month to see the ball let alone get a lead for a goal...

Dal also stops,props for a month, Baker is just plain embarrassing.

Everytime nds kicks out ,short to pocket,just seems so predictable,

[noob]

It's just not that when they showed the whole ground view of what the kicker had ahead of him no one was making any leads or presenting themselves 90% of the team were just jogging on the spot.

[Teflon]

It's just not that when they showed the whole ground view of what the kicker had ahead of him no one was making any leads or presenting themselves 90% of the team were just jogging on the spot.

Must be every week.

Ive NEVER seen a Saints side prepared to bring the footy in fast and attack or even try go coast to coast with quick ball movement.

[Dan Warna]

Im glad that brief lapse in discipline football in the 3rd quarter was crushed.

Dempster led by example once again and did one for the team.

[bergsone]

Better kicking long to a contest,than 1or 2 short kicks ending up in the hands of a Blake,Baker etc.We have been able to get away with that in the past,not now.IMO a lot of the time Goddard,nds kicking long quickly would be better,at least opp wont be expecting it,as we dont seem to do it

[stevie]

Ok some of my ideas for the team:

Roo to CHB
Chips to FF
Gilbert to mid
BJ CHF/floating mid

[Devilhead]

What current gamestyle??

[InkerSaint]

No-one would know what the game plan is currently because the playing group are incapable of executing it. That's not Ross' fault, or the game plan's. It starts and ends with the players.

When's the last time you saw players commit to every contest for a quarter? Play "4 quarters of footy"? Heard a player talk about holding up their "trademark"?

[Johnny Member]

No-one would know what the game plan is currently because the playing group are incapable of executing it. That's not Ross' fault, or the game plan's. It starts and ends with the players.

When's the last time you saw players commit to every contest for a quarter? Play "4 quarters of footy"? Heard a player talk about holding up their "trademark"?

I'm not sure I agree.

I personally think the coach's number 1 priority and responsibility is to have the team giving 100%.

Without that effort, he's wasting his time with the rest of it.


When a team is giving everything and doing what the coach wants, the coach is coaching well.

When they aren't, then he isn't!


It doesn't mean you sack him on the spot, but it does mean in my opinion, that he's the one who holds the ball when it comes to making sure it gets fixed.



In any management or leadership position, you can't throw your hands up in the air and tell the shareholders or clients "it's not my fault, my staff aren't working hard enough and doing what I tell them to do!".

[FortiusQuoFidelius]

Ok some of my ideas for the team:

Roo to CHB
Chips to FF
Gilbert to mid
BJ CHF/floating mid

How about...

Roo to SUNS
Chips to HAWKS
Gilbert to GWS
BJ to BLUES

[Junction Oval]

This may seem an odd comment, but to me, the players seem to be trying at the contests. They just don't seem to be "thinking" about what they are doing, where they are going, or what they should be doing in relation to the game plan.

I think that lack of confidence is "strangling" nearly every player - too slow to execute correctly, or fearful of making a mistake.

[thejiggingsaint]

The most frustrating thing to me about our currnet "form" is not so much the game plan per se, but rather the players not doing the simple things effectively. Skill levels are way down, and I also get annoyed seeing so many opposition players seeming to enjoy acres of space, there always seems to be a free man!
AWFUL!

[Saints43]

I would like to see a shepard this season. To see one player look after another.

[Trixilver]

It's just not that when they showed the whole ground view of what the kicker had ahead of him no one was making any leads or presenting themselves 90% of the team were just jogging on the spot.

Must be every week.

Ive NEVER seen a Saints side prepared to bring the footy in fast and attack or even try go coast to coast with quick ball movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJyU8Z6Tfzo

[Junction Oval]

Great stuff Trixilver.

Just goes to show how good we can be. ...... come back soon.

[iwantmeseats]

When all else fails, as it has, we should just go the biff. Go down in a blaze of glory. As much off the ball hits and wanton destruction as possible in 2 hours of football.

[The Sainter]

So many supporters have said how disappointing Baker's game was with his slowness in moving the ball plus also going backwards so often. I agreed with them yet I pick up the morning paper and see that our coach was thrilled with his game.
Has Ross loss the plot or are we all just very poor judges here? For god's sake could our back line just kick the ball quick and long instead of hanging on to the damn thing or going backwards or sideways, and if Roo has a couple on him look for another option. Start using your brains and think like quality players plus if you mark the ball from 30 to 40 yards out from goals, go back and have a shot instead of trying a stupid short pass which often is astray and easily cleared.

[sunsaint]

Everytime nds kicks out ,short to pocket,just seems so predictable,

yep thats my no.1 gripe as well
we waste NDS & goddard with kick in duties
you just dont see that same tactic in the top sides
eg I couldnt say I have ever seen D Swan do the kick-ins
to me it just smacks of a mindset weighted too heavily defensively

[spert]

RL has no other plan other than the one which served us well for a few years, and now he has players who have lost intensity and hunger, and is no longer getting the message through so it is not encouraging. Blight took Geelong to three GFs I think in the 80s with his high possession attacking game, but in the end it ran out of puff and he was gone . I expect if we bomb out this season and dont make the finals, that RL will be gone.

[Enrico_Misso]

I have noticed that quite often guys like Blake and Bakes will instinctively look sideways or behind them BEFORE they look downfield to see what is on offer.
By then the downfield option is shut down so they have to go backwards.
I don't mind switching play if there is nothing on.
Retaining possession is better than kicking to a 50/50.
But at least look first!

This is symbolic of our mindset.

[gringo]

My feeling was that it was the clearances that got the ball moving forward and we actually defended the ball coming out. When Adelaide did get forward it looked easy for them, our time coming back was while we were winning it out of the middle. We didn't seem to be more risk taking, just more determined to execute it. Against Hampson and Warnock, we need to keep the clearances happening and maybe get the dribbler onto Judd. Lock out their clearances and we win. I am hoping that a big game will reignite the drive. We got going for the Cats game and were overwhelmed by the Dons but the low key games seem to sap energy even further.