Reasons to be cheerful. Reasons to be fearful.

[SaintPav]

The next generation and moving on from 09/10. Maybe..sort of..

[White Winmar]

It's got a 2004-5 feel to it. Hopefully culminating in a 2009-10 result, with one step further. I'm excited!

[saint64]

Wallace doesn't love us yet

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/02/09/ ... ay-finals/

[SaintPav]

Wallace doesn't love us yet

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/02/09/ ... ay-finals/

I guess the mango mercenary is entitled to his opinion.

[saynta]

Wallace doesn't love us yet

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/02/09/ ... ay-finals/

That's fine by me.

I don't love him either.

Crap coach, crap commentator and a crap bloke.

[Devilhead]

Wallace doesn't love us yet

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/02/09/ ... ay-finals/

Good cause the goose has no idea

[MC Gusto]

Wallaces comments are BIG reasons to be cheerful. He's just put the reverse mozz on us!!

[SaintPav]

Mango Terry fails to mention that we picked up Steele and Stevens, while Freeman hasn't played and yet still might come good.

Also, there is still some upside to players like Acres, Dunstan and Ross.

He is right about us being better placed to make an assault in 2018, so I'll give him that much.

[White Winmar]

He's never rated us. Didn't think we'd win many last year, either. Like most of them, makes a shallow analysis and regurgitates the usual personal biases. In racing parlance, "Prefer others".

[groupie1]

Beveridge said to Finnis and Summers that he would turn down the Bulldogs offer and honour his commitment to the Saints if we wanted him to.

What a man.

I would argue that Beveridge, Longmire and Cameron - arguably the three most successful coaches of 2017 - showed that you don't need unique or revolutionary tactics to play deep into September

Longmire yes - he did have the slingshot for a while though but seems to really just built on Roos style to be a bit more attacking but nothing particularly original. Maybe why his team are coming undone in grannies - to easy to pull their game plan apart over the course of the year despite huge home ground advantage.

Cameron just has ridiculous talent at his disposal. Looks like he's building an incredibly attacking backline though. We should could a really clear idea of how he wants his team to play this year. There is a actually a lot of pressure on him with GWS being premiership favourites and all clubs working on how to stop them. Its one thing being attacking and talented but he's got to show he knows how to keep the oppo to a low score.

Beveridge I strongly disagree. His handball academy took fast hands in close to a new level. Also throwing - Libba would often just throw it out of a pack to get it out (which umps said they are cutting back on) Combined that with Clarkson-style zoning and they were really good at closing the game down when the oppo had it, locking it in and then utilising their fast hands to work it out and get it going their way.

Richo has some good sized talent on his books now. Time to really see what he can implement on the field.

I agree that Beverage is not a coach without a few unique tactics. 'Chucking and ducking' I might call it to be cynical, but they were as good a ground level team as the game has, and all that was deliberate skill coaching to implement a game plan.

[White Winmar]

If you believe in omens, here we go. We finished on top of the JLT ladder. Technically, that makes us preseason premiers. Remember 2004? 2008? Preseason premiers followed by finals in the real stuff. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you?

[desertsaint]

On SEN, interesting to see their best team.
Wright getting close, but Webster is still unheralded by the sports media.
And Billings still in as a forward.
Can't see too much wrong with their team, but think webster and wright have shown enough to play next week.

B: Jarryn Geary, Nathan Brown, Sean Dempster

HB: Leigh Montagna, Jake Carlisle, Dylan Roberton

C: Jack Newnes, Sebastian Ross, Nick Riewoldt

HF: Blake Acres, Josh Bruce, Maverick Weller

F: Jack Billings, Paddy McCartin, Tim Membrey

Foll: Tom Hickey, David Armitage, Jack Steven

Int: Jade Gresham, Shane Savage, Jack Steele, Luke Dunstan

Emg: Koby Stevens, Sam Gilbert, Nathan Wright

[White Winmar]

Not a bad effort from the SEN crew. I'd be happy with that team for round one. I reckon Wright and Gilbert will come in for Savage and Dempster, but I'm probably wrong. In the end, the exciting thing is our depth. Some decent talent looks certain to miss out. Another reason to be cheerful!

[SaintPav]

Not a bad effort from the SEN crew. I'd be happy with that team for round one. I reckon Wright and Gilbert will come in for Savage and Dempster, but I'm probably wrong. In the end, the exciting thing is our depth. Some decent talent looks certain to miss out. Another reason to be cheerful!

Wright and Gilbert in for Dempster and Montagna is what I would do.

I would normally have Montagna in if he had been playing.

[White Winmar]

Eleven rival captains tip us to make the finals. Another reason to be cheerful! I'm excited!

[Johnny Member]

I think Terry Wallace's article is absolute 100% spot on.


Spot on in the sense that Carlisle and Brown are critical.

Spot on in the sense that we need to bring in an A-grader.

And spot on in the sens that we aren't good enough - in particular in the midfield.


We have a mediocre midfield, with one very good player in it. One.



We have the depth that other top teams have in there - but don't have the top end talent that they have that makes them a top team.

[Johnny Member]

Beveridge said to Finnis and Summers that he would turn down the Bulldogs offer and honour his commitment to the Saints if we wanted him to.

What a man.

I would argue that Beveridge, Longmire and Cameron - arguably the three most successful coaches of 2017 - showed that you don't need unique or revolutionary tactics to play deep into September

Longmire yes - he did have the slingshot for a while though but seems to really just built on Roos style to be a bit more attacking but nothing particularly original. Maybe why his team are coming undone in grannies - to easy to pull their game plan apart over the course of the year despite huge home ground advantage.

Cameron just has ridiculous talent at his disposal. Looks like he's building an incredibly attacking backline though. We should could a really clear idea of how he wants his team to play this year. There is a actually a lot of pressure on him with GWS being premiership favourites and all clubs working on how to stop them. Its one thing being attacking and talented but he's got to show he knows how to keep the oppo to a low score.

Beveridge I strongly disagree. His handball academy took fast hands in close to a new level. Also throwing - Libba would often just throw it out of a pack to get it out (which umps said they are cutting back on) Combined that with Clarkson-style zoning and they were really good at closing the game down when the oppo had it, locking it in and then utilising their fast hands to work it out and get it going their way.

Richo has some good sized talent on his books now. Time to really see what he can implement on the field.

I agree that Beverage is not a coach without a few unique tactics. 'Chucking and ducking' I might call it to be cynical, but they were as good a ground level team as the game has, and all that was deliberate skill coaching to implement a game plan.

To be fair, the Swans missed Allir Allir in the Granny, and were forced to carry Mills and McVeigh into it too.

They then lost Franklin effectively in the 1st half, and Hannebury in the 3rd quarter.


The Bulldogs made the most of their chance true, but I don't think we can really put it down to genius coaching can we?

[dragit]

I think Terry Wallace's article is absolute 100% spot on.


Spot on in the sense that Carlisle and Brown are critical.

Spot on in the sense that we need to bring in an A-grader.

And spot on in the sens that we aren't good enough - in particular in the midfield.


We have a mediocre midfield, with one very good player in it. One.



We have the depth that other top teams have in there - but don't have the top end talent that they have that makes them a top team.

Think I agree in the main… the circuit breaker would rely on some of Acres/Billings/Steele/Stevens/Ross/Armitage becoming A grade.

Armitage has the capacity as he was A grade in 2015…
Ross was very good last year, can he raise the bar again
Steele is very young, but his pre-season form has been very impressive
Stevens polled brownlow votes in 3 of 12 games last year
Billings & Acres have the ability IMO, maybe not the confidence yet.

The forward line is pretty inconsistent for mine…
Bruce was pretty disappointing last year and can miss easy goals.
Paddy is playing on potential right now and is not genuinely impacting games
Membrey very solid, but better against weaker sides at this stage.

[saynta]

To be fair, the Swans missed Allir Allir in the Granny, and were forced to carry Mills and McVeigh into it too.

They then lost Franklin effectively in the 1st half, and Hannebury in the 3rd quarter.


The Bulldogs made the most of their chance true, but I don't think we can really put it down to genius coaching can we?

Pretty accurate post imho.

[White Winmar]

We may lack the elite top end talent. At the moment. I think back to last year, when prior to the season, nobody really rated us and the general consensus was we'd win six to eight games, me included. I went to the first practice match in Wangaratta and came away excited by what I'd seen. Ross, Hickey, Gresham, Billings, Dunstan and Acres all showed significant signs of being very good players. Coupled with a more attacking game style, I was convinced we would surprise a few and revised my expectations to 10-11 wins. While not all of them delivered fully on the promise shown that day, some due to injury, the talent was obvious. All those named are capable of becoming A grade, with Billings, Gresham and Acres possibly stepping up to elite status. McCartin did his hammy in the first few minutes that day (setting the pattern for last year for him), but if his injury woes are out the way then he too, could reach the very top. I think our home grown talent can get us there.

Yes, Dusty would've been handy, as would Fyfe, but the former is out of the picture and the latter is unlikely to come. Wayne Hughes will really earn his money this year identifying available talent from other clubs. We are in a strong trading position, so we should be able to land someone decent. This season will give us a more accurate picture as to where we are on the "talent" ladder. I think we'll be up there amongst the top third of the comp.

[Dave McNamara]

Reasons to be cheerful. Reasons to be fearful???

Stuff reasons to be fearful!!!

Sure, that loss to the Tankards was disappointing, but it won't get me down. Why? Back in 1976... https://youtu.be/4m2YT-PIkEc

Universal acclaim. Well, except...

"The kid some has tricks, but I don't rate anyone as elite till they perform consistently at that level over several seasons. 6/10." - B.Mart

We all know that our beloved Mart is the sporting pundit's equivalent to Jeremy Clarkson. (Except Mart's humour is more subtle.)

So stuff fearful! Coz back in 2017...

We keep talking up Paddy ... and he'll probably be a good player... from what I've seen... I would suggest a Cloke/Hawkins career, which is pretty good...

I'd happily take (and wait for) a Hawkins career. And even better, since we're talking football ability, not IQs, I'd take a Cloke career outta' our Paddy. Happily.

That was the pick-me-up I needed. Thanks Mart.