Reality Check

[damienc]

There's a few people on this forum who need to take a long deep breath and just chill out.

I know we are all hanging out for a serious footy fix but talk about jumping to conclusions. Seriously the NAB Cup is crap. It's only purpose is for seeing how our green kids cope with the pressure and speed of AFL football. Nothing more and certainly nothing less. Watters summed it up pretty well when he said he couldn't care less about the NAB Cup.

We're also talking AFL football in February where everyone is still trying to blow off the cobwebs and get up to speed.

Port beat us because we were buggered by the heat. No-one ,not even elite athletes can keep it up for two matches in a row in temperatures hovering around 100 degrees.

Quite frankly none of the teams should have to play in those conditions in my opinion.

But having said that I think there were many positives to be taken from tonight's hitout. The Saints executed the game plan pretty well against the Crows. Adelaide were missing some big names but so were we.

If the Crows game is anything to go by we seem to have a mosquito fleet capable of inflicting some real damage with Saad, Milney, Milera, and TDL and the Beaumaister looking sharp in front of goals. I also liked the way we were able to move the ball forward.

I reckon Tom Hickey is looking the goods to be our number one ruckman. It's been a long time since we've had a genuine big man who can win the centre bounces and take a grab. He and McEvoy looked good as a tag team.

Tom Lee I thought was starting to find his feet in the second game against Port. Sipposs continues to impress.

I'm not getting carried away but there really were some things to like in the way we went about it tonight. Let's hope we can continue to improve when the real stuff starts.

[linz]

+1

[sainter#4]

+2

whilst there are things that we should take away from the port match and work on.

the bottom line is it was nab week 1 and we were on the back to back game in 37 degrees against the team who has arguably chosen there strongest side whilst we really had 3 top liners playing today.

[bergholt]

But having said that I think there were many positives to be taken from tonight's hitout. The Saints executed the game plan pretty well against the Crows. Adelaide were missing some big names but so were we.

I'm not sure about that. Just about every Saint who played against Adelaide is in contention for the real stuff - Wright, Curren and Lee the only three of twenty-four I don't expect to see very much in 2013. On the other hand, Adelaide had guys out there like Laird, Riley, Hartigan, Lyons, Kerridge, Ellis-Yolmen, Smith, Martin; not to mention Lynch, Johnston, Tambling who each played very few last year. That's about eight or ten who won't play more than a handful of games each this year.

Paint it however you want, but we were a much more experienced side and by and large that's what the result reflected.

[ShanghaiSaint]

+1 on top of that 38 degree heat doesn't help with the port game. good to see Kosi clunk and goal.

[Moorabbin Man]

There's a few people on this forum who need to take a long deep breath and just chill out.

I know we are all hanging out for a serious footy fix but talk about jumping to conclusions. Seriously the NAB Cup is crap. It's only purpose is for seeing how our green kids cope with the pressure and speed of AFL football. Nothing more and certainly nothing less. Watters summed it up pretty well when he said he couldn't care less about the NAB Cup.

We're also talking AFL football in February where everyone is still trying to blow off the cobwebs and get up to speed.

Port beat us because we were buggered by the heat. No-one ,not even elite athletes can keep it up for two matches in a row in temperatures hovering around 100 degrees.

Quite frankly none of the teams should have to play in those conditions in my opinion.

But having said that I think there were many positives to be taken from tonight's hitout. The Saints executed the game plan pretty well against the Crows. Adelaide were missing some big names but so were we.

If the Crows game is anything to go by we seem to have a mosquito fleet capable of inflicting some real damage with Saad, Milney, Milera, and TDL and the Beaumaister looking sharp in front of goals. I also liked the way we were able to move the ball forward.

I reckon Tom Hickey is looking the goods to be our number one ruckman. It's been a long time since we've had a genuine big man who can win the centre bounces and take a grab. He and McEvoy looked good as a tag team.

Tom Lee I thought was starting to find his feet in the second game against Port. Sipposs continues to impress.

I'm not getting carried away but there really were some things to like in the way we went about it tonight. Let's hope we can continue to improve when the real stuff starts.

Absolutely agree. We were always going to lose second game in that heat, Port just had a lot more energy and the reason for that is as plain as day. The games should have been pushed back to the evening with greater breaks between games. Nonetheless there was a lot to like and I liked what I saw of Lee.

[dragit]

Reality check will be when we have our mid-season bye and we only have 3-4 wins…

[jays]

nab cup really

[tweedaletomanning]

Reality check will be when we have our mid-season bye and we only have 3-4 wins…

[SainterK]

Absolutely!!!!

[BigMart]

I saw more positives than negatives from watching both Intra club and NAB games

We looked OK with perhaps 6 of the best 10 the missing

[villasaint]

Midfield will,be our weakness. Will be interesting to see if newnes can get in there he looked very impressive, Ross looked ok too. I'm looking for big improvement from dunnell, Simpkin, Stanley, milera. I love Gearys hardness and athleticism but sh!t his first touch or ability to fu(& it up was shown again on the weekend.

[vacuous space]

Midfield will,be our weakness.

In what sense? Our midfield was better performed last year than most other areas of the ground despite the fact we were regularly smashed in the hitouts. We won the centre clearances fourteen times and were only handily beaten there by North in round 14. Hayes, Dal and Joey know what they're doing there. Armo and Steven are about as good support as you could hope for. I doubt we'll be lacking for outside speed either as I anticipate Watters will be rotating Milera, TDL and possibly Saad through the wing replacing what Cripps was doing at the end of last year. Midfield is the least of my concerns. I'm much more concerned about what's happening in the back 50.

[SainterK]

I'm much more concerned about what's happening in the back 50.

Yep

[saint6709]

I'm much more concerned about what's happening in the back 50.

Yep

Well....if for arguments sake Stanley takes the key back position - we were without 4 backs on the weekend-- as we know you only need 6 - so don't really think we can panic about the backs off the back of the NAB cup - Fisher,Simpkin,Dempster, Stanley

[BigMart]

Is Stanley a proven key back? Wouldn't have played there in his life... Why is this so??

If he plays there we need a new coaching staff

A ridiculous notion...

[noob]

Is Stanley a proven key back? Wouldn't have played there in his life... Why is this so??

If he plays there we need a new coaching staff

A ridiculous notion...

I agree. People are clutching at straws. Look at Beau can't play key back to save his life but does alright up forward. It takes years to develop and master it.

[saint6709]

Well lets keep banging our heads against the wall and play 191 cm key backs on 197 cm key forwards - whether Stanley is back or not was not really the point I was trying to make - the point is ( even without counting Stanley) that half our back line - ie 3 players - backline is 6 - did not play at all on the weekend so I would not panic about the back line as a result of last weekends NAB cup

[Beekay]

after watching a replay, i'm not at all worried about tom lee.

had he clunked those marks...

that said, shouldn't worry about much at this time of the year either way.

and that said, i'll jump the gun and say hickey is a potential top 20 player in the AFL!

people talk about how good we could be/how quicker we could rebound if stanley fulfilled his potential. Old mad-eyes mcgee is the one that could really get us going again if he comes on.

[Teflon]

Midfield will,be our weakness.

In what sense? Our midfield was better performed last year than most other areas of the ground despite the fact we were regularly smashed in the hitouts. We won the centre clearances fourteen times and were only handily beaten there by North in round 14. Hayes, Dal and Joey know what they're doing there. Armo and Steven are about as good support as you could hope for. I doubt we'll be lacking for outside speed either as I anticipate Watters will be rotating Milera, TDL and possibly Saad through the wing replacing what Cripps was doing at the end of last year. Midfield is the least of my concerns. I'm much more concerned about what's happening in the back 50.

Back 50 is missing genuine FB big body imo - thats it.

Midfield rotations fall away badly after Dal, Lenny and Joey.

Armo/Jackto steps last year but still B graders.

After that.........................................lets hope Gilbo comes good in there...or we pinch hit wwith Ray (who is better elsewhere for mine) or heaven forbid Jones goes in there and kicks it....

Look at depth at Pies midfield - we have some problems.

Overall list wise - we havent got a kid star in the making which would be nice to ignite the place.....there'sa smell of 'workmanlike" to our up and comers (nothing wromg with that) but we'll need to add cream in next season or 2 to replace the top shelf of Dal/Lenny and Montagna....not to mention Riewoldt...and Milne..

[joffaboy]

Is Stanley a proven key back? Wouldn't have played there in his life... Why is this so??

If he plays there we need a new coaching staff

A ridiculous notion...

I agree. People are clutching at straws. Look at Beau can't play key back to save his life but does alright up forward. It takes years to develop and master it.

Agree with both.

Why in hell is Stanley being touted as a damned back?

Same reason as Tommy Walsh - desperation.

[saint6709]

Well let's just keep talking about 2014 and 2015 - this year is clearly a right off and no player has ever changed positions and been able to perform - now that I understand that I can take it easy for the next 12 months without worrying to much about the results

[Dave McNamara]

Reality check will be when we have our mid-season bye and we only have 3-4 wins…

However I'm with Mart...

I saw more positives than negatives from watching both Intra club and NAB games

We looked OK with perhaps 6 of the best 10 the missing

I reckon many in the league will be in for a reality check when we have our mid-season bye and we only have 3-4 losses…

Keep the faith people.

We march again.

Go you Saintas!

[SainterK]

Good feeling...