Watters very poor record in close games

[El Wood]

According to my calculations, in the Watters era there have been 19 games where the scores have been within 2 goals at some point in the last quarter. We have only won four of them!

Close losses:
2012: Port Adelaide, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Richmond, Adelaide, North Melbourne, Sydney (away), Collingwood, Geelong
2013: Gold Coast, Richmond, Sydney, Collingwood, Western Bulldogs, West Coast

Close wins:
2012: Melbourne, Brisbane, Carlton (away)
2013: Carlton (after being six goals up)


He's good enough to get us close but not good enough to get us over the line.

[Life Long Saint]

Probably more to do with the inexperience in the team rather than the coach.

[Cairnsman]

If you look at that with a half glass full mentality that is a very positive stat for SW and where he is at with the development of the team. It means for a team that is arguable at the bottom of the equalisation cycle it is still maintaining its competitiveness.

Great stat El Wood and thanks for highlighting it. It has put a spring in my step!

[lloyd21]

Maybe you be asking Montagna that question.

1) didn't follow team rules with Joe the goose over top
2) then flys for amark against Nat on last kick in , leaving Rosa ( his man ) on ground to kick the ball to Mckenzie - idiot .

You are seriously blaming the coach because the players can't kick crucial goals in games that has been a major problem since 2005.

We all know who to blame for the mental demons our players have and it is not the coach.

[Trixilver]

He's good enough to get us close but not good enough to get us over the line.

That sounds familiar...

[savatage]

We have a s*** team at the moment. We lose tight games.

[Rosco]

coach can get you close, the players have to get themselves over the line

[SaintPav]

We have a s*** team at the moment. We lose tight games.

and interstate games. a sign that we are ....erm...struggling?

[samuraisaint]

A brain dead monkey could have seen that if Maister missed that last goal, Hurn was going to barrel the ball as high and far as possible and go for absolute broke. All that had top happen then was for any Eagles player to kick the ball forward into a completely open forward line and hope for a free kick, which let's face it they were getting all night, or for a mark from one of their resting ruckman over Gwilt. In the end they got even luckier than that when a defender just ran onto the ball and slotted it though. Our midfielders and forwards make it very difficult for our defenders because they appear to have no defensive aspect to their game anymore.

[spert]

A brain dead monkey could have seen that if Maister missed that last goal, Hurn was going to barrel the ball as high and far as possible and go for absolute broke. All that had top happen then was for any Eagles player to kick the ball forward into a completely open forward line and hope for a free kick, which let's face it they were getting all night, or for a mark from one of their resting ruckman over Gwilt. In the end they got even luckier than that when a defender just ran onto the ball and slotted it though. Our midfielders and forwards make it very difficult for our defenders because they appear to have no defensive aspect to their game anymore.

Midfield= no defensive game, and it's killing us.

[Freebird]

Seriously, the umps do us no favours in close games..makes it hard.

We are not big enough to cause a disturbance if they screw us

[gringo]

I was at the game and our young guys were hurting late in the game- no surprise. Seb Ross was spent by half time and Dunnell all through the game seemed to be cramping a little. We are getting young guys in but their bodies don't hold up for four quarters. GWS and GC can run teams close but due to the large numbers of kids they fade out. GC are getting more mature and are holding on longer.

No mystery just the physical make up of younger players.

[oh when the]

when we are less than a goal behind and game nearly over
we do not seem to change our game plan and put our
talls in centre corridor and go for broke. we just play the
same style that put us behind.

wce showed us what to do to win close games.
will we ever learn?

[Scollop]

Unfortunately SW inherited a team on the decline. He was never going to be able to sustain the period of success of his predecessor with the squad the recruiters had left him with, however I wouldn't be calling SW record very poor in ALL areas that he gets rated on as a coach.

I reckon last year was probably the last hurrah for our senior blokes to go full steam for a crack at a cup. It was the last year that we'll ever see Kos/Blake/BJ/Milne/Lenny/Chips and Roo play in the same team. We could have 10-12 retirements and delistings coming up in the next 2 years and Kos/Blake/Milne/Lenny/Chips/Roo/Joey/Gilbo/Ray and CJ are also looking as if their best footy is behind them.

I see SW main role now over the next couple of years will be to build confidence in the young blokes that are recruited into StKFC. Develop, train and assist them with everything that's required to become an A grader. That's where his priorities lie and that's a bitter pill not only for the senior players, but also for the Saints fans. That's the reality if we want to be contenders any time soon.

The Swans and the Cats have managed to recruit and develop youth better than other teams in the comp and that's why they keep winning the close ones and they have managed to remain as a contender.

If we had some class youngsters coming through that were the caliber of Luke Parker, Keiran Jack, Gary Rowan, Lewis Jetta, Alex Johnston or Dan Hannebury we might have won some more. The Cats have also brought in the likes of Duncan, Motlop, Christenson, Guthrie and Horlin Smith but perhaps for both of these teams their reign won't last forever. It's called the AFL Equalisation Policy = most teams usually decline after a sustained period at the top.

[spert]

Probably the difference between us and the Cats or Swans(premierships aside) is that their older blokes are still going hard at it, as they know that's the only way for success, and if the young guys see the older blokes busting their guts and winning contests, they follow that example. A lot of our older brigade took the foot off the accelerator once Lyon left in 2011, and 2012 was a lazy year for quite a few, and that's why we lost a lot of close matches in a season where we could have been playing finals footy again. At least Roo and Montagna are giving it all, but the microscope should go over the rest.

[samoht]

Unfortunately SW inherited a team on the decline. He was never going to be able to sustain the period of success of his predecessor with the squad the recruiters had left him with, however I wouldn't be calling SW record very poor in ALL areas that he gets rated on as a coach.

I reckon last year was probably the last hurrah for our senior blokes to go full steam for a crack at a cup. It was the last year that we'll ever see Kos/Blake/BJ/Milne/Lenny/Chips and Roo play in the same team. We could have 10-12 retirements and delistings coming up in the next 2 years and Kos/Blake/Milne/Lenny/Chips/Roo/Joey/Gilbo/Ray and CJ are also looking as if their best footy is behind them.

I see SW main role now over the next couple of years will be to build confidence in the young blokes that are recruited into StKFC. Develop, train and assist them with everything that's required to become an A grader. That's where his priorities lie and that's a bitter pill not only for the senior players, but also for the Saints fans. That's the reality if we want to be contenders any time soon.

The Swans and the Cats have managed to recruit and develop youth better than other teams in the comp and that's why they keep winning the close ones and they have managed to remain as a contender.

If we had some class youngsters coming through that were the caliber of Luke Parker, Keiran Jack, Gary Rowan, Lewis Jetta, Alex Johnston or Dan Hannebury we might have won some more. The Cats have also brought in the likes of Duncan, Motlop, Christenson, Guthrie and Horlin Smith but perhaps for both of these teams their reign won't last forever. It's called the AFL Equalisation Policy = most teams usually decline after a sustained period at the top.

Good post - spot on!

[aaron82]

I don't subscribe to the young bodies not having the ability to run out a game theory hurting us in the close games. Gold Coast don't appear to have any issue with it.
Someone earlier mentioned the poaching of fitness guru Bill Davoren from the bulldogs. I don't think the bulldogs were too disappointed to lose him, their ability to run out the 2nd half of games last season is well known.

Questions need to be asked, a perfect example is the game against Carlton. They had to players gone before 10 mins of the first qtr and we almost blew a 5 goal lead.
We struggle to score particularly from about the 20 minute mark of the 3rd qtr and are lucky to kick 2-3 goals for the game from there.

[Cairnsman]

I don't subscribe to the young bodies not having the ability to run out a game theory hurting us in the close games. Gold Coast don't appear to have any issue with it.
Someone earlier mentioned the poaching of fitness guru Bill Davoren from the bulldogs. I don't think the bulldogs were too disappointed to lose him, their ability to run out the 2nd half of games last season is well known.

Questions need to be asked, a perfect example is the game against Carlton. They had to players gone before 10 mins of the first qtr and we almost blew a 5 goal lead.
We struggle to score particularly from about the 20 minute mark of the 3rd qtr and are lucky to kick 2-3 goals for the game from there.

The gold coast youngsters have now got 3 seasons under their belt and hitting that nice critical mass of players being in in the 30-50 game region.

[BigMart]

When games get close.... It comes down to structure.... Check out Ross' record in close ones

Last week, case in point

[samuraisaint]

Yeah, but lots of close losses can also mean that players are trying their guts out and may just not be up to it ...yet.

[gringo]

I see it as momentum gains more momentum. You win some stirring games and the attack lifts lose some and a few injuries and the head drops.

I played basketball and the thing that switches teams on is very hard to work out. I played in bad teams that came good and good teams that went bad but I have no idea what the magic ingredient is that switches you on.

Some seasons you won an early game and it was like you just showed up expecting to win every game and you did. Others one loss had you back footed and compounding the problems.

I think we have been pretty unfortunate with injuries this year and the motivational wins just don't seem to happen. Geelong wins their close ones and now look at them.