AFLX does it prove anything?

[desertsaint]

i think criticism of the product is fine and warranted, but applying it to a real home and away is a bit of a stretch unless we're discussing fitness or poor skill execution - some players need to show a fair bit of improvement before round one. very low intensity game so skills should we clean. some players though lift under the pressure and the motivation of a meaningful game. if we actually were training to win this comp, as reported, then it was very disappointing performance by most teamm two players.

[parkeysainter]

We actually won one of the games and were leading by 5 goals in the other; not that you could tell from reading the sourpusses on here, but out come the torches and pitchforks and we haven’t even played one game of JLT.

Lol. Its so typical of Saints fans. Its bloody laughable the pessimist attitudes.

Some supporters are already basing the whole season on a couple of 10 minute halves of some kids version of AFL footy and writing off certain players already. Please...

[fugazi]

Weller looked ordinary I thought. Not sure where his head is at....seems to be caught in a weird twilight zone where he seems to want to dominate like an established player and simultaneously seems to doubt he is one.

[Winmar]

Lol. Its so typical of Saints fans. Its bloody laughable the pessimist attitudes.

I'm pretty sure last night's performances mean we we'll only win 4 games this season, the new buildings at Moorabbin will all collapse and Richo will get a flat tyre at least twice between now and September.

[David-Lee]

Lots of interesting thoughts. I haven’t written any off but Lonie and chubs are on my stink eye list.and I reckon any competitive activity reveals a bit about the individual.
This game was quick and it showed a few boys really fit and a few not yet there. But these games help add to match fitness.
I think AFLX doesn’t prove anything about how well the team will play together as a unit just yet.
But a mate thinks the AFLX will have the added benefit of getting players fine tuned a bit and could see an even better JLT series.
I am excited to see a full healthy team together. I did enjoy AFLX it was different, not a pure game but fun and definitely valuable to give coaches a look see at how our boys are going.

[DJ Higgins]

Stevens, Lonie, Pierce, Weller and probably Minch, McKenzie, Rice and Wright are probably all not ever going to make AFL standard.
That is 8 blokes sitting on the list that I have no hope for.

Tough call on some of them.
Stevens was a bit of a gap filler and has done ok, AFLX is not for him however as he is not overly quick and that showed last night
Lonie cant tackle and isn't strong enough to play afl. Shame as he is too good for vfl. Last season
Pierce 3rd best ruck man and the other 2 aren't great so I think this will be his final year unless something amazing occurs
Weller had a bad game in AFLX so I wouldn't write him off yet because of that one game. Played injured last and has come back in great shape so his head is in the right place so wait and see
Minch, McKenzie, Rice and Wright are all in the same boat. Last year to step up so lets see what they do but I do agree with you that it isn't looking good for these 4.

[Wrote for Luck]

If you asked me to choose between AFLX and an intra-club match I still would have preferred an intra-club game hands down, imo better for the fans and community spirit, with a carlton draught, in the sun, at the beach oval, getting a good look at pretty much all the squad. Getting into it now. Sad face. But in terms of AFLX it's watchable if you're winning, but a nightmare when you're not. My guess is they were after a basketball feel but more like netball for mine, lots of stop kick mark kick gather kick mark kick AND THEN FARKING ZOOPER POOPER MATE! wow wee

[desertsaint]

i'm still not completely writing lonie off. sure he runs around like a headless chook, and is easily shrugged off. but he did still stick more forward fifty tackles than any other player last year and he has massive pest value. can find the goals as well. he is a flyweight version of ballantyne. needs to add muscle. unlikely to make it, but we'll find out over the year.

[stonecold]

Don't like AFLX, but proved nothing about who will finish where!!!!!

But it might be s***, but way better than watching the Womans s***!!!!!

[mightysainters]

Poor saints supporters have the ingrained negativity perception, if there is a positive and a negative all the focus is on the negative..

IT WAS AFLX, no one treated this as anything but circle work... PROVES 0

[The Fireman]

Poor saints supporters have the ingrained negativity perception, if there is a positive and a negative all the focus is on the negative..

IT WAS AFLX, no one treated this as anything but circle work... PROVES 0

yep thats me but please also add "no rose colored glasses" and it wasn't just the AFLX it was also an extension of last years performance ,some of our players have not improved and some shouldnt be playing, added with the fact we haven't recruited well. So yep I have an ingrained negative perception ( the vibe) that can only be changed by the club.

[Vazelos]

Too much analysis on a concept game seriously.
2 kicks and your 40 m from goal and you can score.
We were the only club to play 2 seperate teams that’s how much we cared about the result.
The only major concern was the physical condition of Bailey Rice who stunned me how badly out of sorts he looked.
No Gresham, Billings, Jack Steven, Carlisle, Newnes, Geary the list goes on.
I liked how Marshall was moving, Savage was excellent and the major positive for the day was the excellent movement and form of
Luke Dunstan..
Very smooth and looked like his balance, agility and movement has gone another level.
Let’s wait for the Carlton game on Wedensday week.

[The Fireman]

Too much analysis on a concept game seriously.
2 kicks and your 40 m from goal and you can score.
We were the only club to play 2 seperate teams that’s how much we cared about the result.
The only major concern was the physical condition of Bailey Rice who stunned me how badly out of sorts he looked.
No Gresham, Billings, Jack Steven, Carlisle, Newnes, Geary the list goes on.
I liked how Marshall was moving, Savage was excellent and the major positive for the day was the excellent movement and form of
Luke Dunstan..
Very smooth and looked like his balance, agility and movement has gone another level.
Let’s wait for the Carlton game on Wedensday week.

Dunstan did look good.

[minneapolis]

Poor saints supporters have the ingrained negativity perception, if there is a positive and a negative all the focus is on the negative..

IT WAS AFLX, no one treated this as anything but circle work... PROVES 0

It's not ingrained negativity perception from me. It is an opinion I made from watching their two games.

Seb, Dunstan, Savage and Acres played very well. We won because they were in the same side.

Battle, Marshall, Long, Clark and Coffield played appropriately for their current journey. Some hits and some misses. The hits showed some skill.

Pierce, Rice, Sinclair, Stevens, Lonie and Weller played poorly. Yes Peirce and Rice have very few games but they have been practicing for more than two years.

Gilbert and Webster played as expected. I had hoped they had improved, especially Webster.

Phillips and Connellan I had no expectations just hoped to see something.

So as a club I ask you...why was Melbourne so much better than us with their skills?

My original opinion has not changed. BTW I made no prediction about the season.

[SaintPav]

We must need better driving instructors.

Someone report the club to Vicroads for god’s sake!!!

[saynta]

Poor saints supporters have the ingrained negativity perception, if there is a positive and a negative all the focus is on the negative..

IT WAS AFLX, no one treated this as anything but circle work... PROVES 0

It's not ingrained negativity perception from me. It is an opinion I made from watching their two games.

Seb, Dunstan, Savage and Acres played very well. We won because they were in the same side.

Battle, Marshall, Long, Clark and Coffield played appropriately for their current journey. Some hits and some misses. The hits showed some skill.

Pierce, Rice, Sinclair, Stevens, Lonie and Weller played poorly. Yes Peirce and Rice have very few games but they have been practicing for more than two years.

Gilbert and Webster played as expected. I had hoped they had improved, especially Webster.

Phillips and Connellan I had no expectations just hoped to see something.

So as a club I ask you...why was Melbourne so much better than us with their skills?

My original opinion has not changed. BTW I made no prediction about the season.

Seb played in the first game ? Really?

[iwantmeseats]

I think it proves we will struggle

I’m feeling they will struggle to run out games just like last year.

[The Fireman]

I think it proves we will struggle

I’m feeling they will struggle to run out games just like last year.

and our kicking for goal was laughable...hopefully that has been addressed

[congorozides]

Poor saints supporters have the ingrained negativity perception, if there is a positive and a negative all the focus is on the negative..

IT WAS AFLX, no one treated this as anything but circle work... PROVES 0

Ok so only the real stuff counts. Fair enough. We came off a season of real stuff finishing 11th. Lost to the Demons twice.

So we need to see improvement in the real stuff. Where will it come from?

It wont come from the likes of Stevens and Weller. We need the youngsters (<25) to come up. It wont come from McKenzie or Lonie. Jury well and truly out on Goddard and Paddy.

Last year the excuses were trotted out in the regular season - the draw, young side, injuries etc etc. We actually had a dream run with injuries last year.

The only young (<25) players I have genuine faith in at this stage are Acres, Ross, Gresham, Dunstan, Steele, Billings and Membrey.

Everyone else is a ?

[saintspremiers]

From a very general perspective, I was very disappointed with the overall skills of our players, especially kicking.

It has been a known serious team problem and I was disappointed with the lack of overall improvement. Not a great picture, looking forward.

They had a big training session that morning, so this wasn’t part of the normal training schedule - so take absolutely nothing from it. Anyone who does is a fool.

[spert]

Basically the AFLX is load of carp and I struggled to watch any of the games as it was so boring- they need to change the whole game around to play it on a rectangular area, not just fiddle with current rules. I went outside and watched some concrete dry as it was much more interesting. Bring on the real stuff!

[Drake Huggins]

I think it proves we will struggle

I’m feeling they will struggle to run out games just like last year.

I have the same feeling. If you're not running at your best by this time, you've only got a month or so to catch up. I still think we were underdone last year.

[axcellence]

Agree that the team doesn’t look much improved. However, a big difference to the standard game was the lack of ruck contests.

The in-season games are very much impacted by ruckmen at every restart.

Longer is the key to making something of the 2018 season and can make a big difference, even if the rest of the team doesn’t improve.

Another thing is that the most improved have appeared to be (based on pre season reports), Billings, Paddy and Freeman.

None of them played. Neither did Steven who’s had groin issues last year.

So, I am glass half full here despite the loss of Roo and Monty.

[Saint 58]

Poor saints supporters have the ingrained negativity perception, if there is a positive and a negative all the focus is on the negative..

IT WAS AFLX, no one treated this as anything but circle work... PROVES 0

Yeah I agree but it was a pissweak effort to give up 60 points in 10 minutes !

[Beno88]

St Kilda lost to Port Adelaide by 54 points in the final practice match of 2009. We didn't lose again for over five months. That's how much pre season means. Injury free is a win, the rest means almost nothing.