JLT Match Thread Saints v Blues 2018

[Drake Huggins]

Our supreme conditioning is just starting to show now in the premiership quarter. Great get that Richmond bloke

He, being the proven failure, Matt Hornsby, and Mr. Vanilla, the milky bar kid are a sure fire combination for success. The people we could afford, not the ones we needed. Another year of failure ahead. Pleasing. Positive.

[saintkid]

Well maybe they did come tonight with the same desire and were simply outplayed by a team that has passed them talent-wise.

God help this list in 2018 if it gets injuries to 2 or 3 key players. Will be a miracle if they scrape into the eight at full strength. Practice match regardless, a very disappointing exhibition against a mediocre team they used to win easily against.

[Jacks Back]

Only one practice game but I like the look of Clark (12 disposals & 2 goals) & Coffield (20 disposals).

Coffield may have just gone ahead of White, Rice and maybe a few other HBF's

Clark looks very smooth and in a few years may be our next star (not getting ahead of myself am I)?

I think they'll both play round one if Mr Vanilla can get rid of players like Wright and Gilbert.

[CURLY]

Played a tram desperate to win and did more than enough to suggest we have improved. Loved Longers ruckwork in the third got us going through the middle.

[Drake Huggins]

The milky bar kid is tough and strong, the milky bar kid just can't go wrong, the milky bar kid is always right, that's milky bar he's pure and white. He ran a good electrical supplies store, apparently. Couldn't coach a fart out of a bottle, though. He won't coach us to a flag as long as his arse points to the ground. Pleasing.

[shrodes]

DON'T PANIC!

Here's why:

* Wright didn't get on the ground until second half
* Marshall didn't get on the ground until last quarter
* Geary (captain) played less than half the match

Pretty clear we were doing some sort of conditioning or experiment because that's far from normal.

On the plus side, really, really happy with Paddy. Hope he can string some games together because he looked in pretty good nick tonight.
Covered the ground well most of the game, clunked some good grabs, kicked some goals. Not much more you can ask for.

Also liked the look of Clark too, made some smart decisions in traffic and a couple of sausage rolls.

[Drake Huggins]

Yep. Wright, Geary and Marshall are the answer. Our captain is part of the problem. Cast in the same mold as the milky bar kid. Surely you have your tongue firmly in your cheek. Marshall one game, Wright survived on the list by the skin of his teeth and Geary is the most GOP skipper in the comp. I do believe you are being sarcastic.

[Mr Magic]

Gilbert seriously needs to change his hairstyle as it makes him stand out and magnifies his clangers.
I hope Hickey is playing in the next JLT game against Gawn as Longer was basically (IMHO) hopeless in ruck contests against Kreuzer and even worse as a defender against him.
I hope Webster was just 'rusty' as he was terrible.

And I don't think anybody in their right mind would plan a matchup of Geary on Cripps deep in Carlton's forward line

But there were some positive signs as well.

Armo getting through the game.
Hunter and Coffield showed plenty
Macartin looks like he could be the key Forward he hoped he would be if he can get a reasonable run of games.

[Drake Huggins]

Only one practice game but I like the look of Clark (12 disposals & 2 goals) & Coffield (20 disposals).

Coffield may have just gone ahead of White, Rice and maybe a few other HBF's

Clark looks very smooth and in a few years may be our next star (not getting ahead of myself am I)?

I think they'll both play round one if Mr Vanilla can get rid of players like Wright and Gilbert.

The milky bar kid lacks the testicles or creativity to do that. He's shown us that over his tenure. What a dud. Gilbert and Brown should never play for our club again. Geary as captain? An accurate reflection of where we are as a club. Barely good enough to be in the 22.

[SaintPav]

The milky bar kid is tough and strong, the milky bar kid just can't go wrong, the milky bar kid is always right, that's milky bar he's pure and white. He ran a good electrical supplies store, apparently. Couldn't coach a fart out of a bottle, though. He won't coach us to a flag as long as his arse points to the ground. Pleasing.

Plus about 5 others

[CURLY]

Gilbert seriously needs to change his hairstyle as it makes him stand out and magnifies his clangers.
I hope Hickey is playing in the next JLT game against Gawn as Longer was basically (IMHO) hopeless in ruck contests against Kreuzer and even worse as a defender against him.
I hope Webster was just 'rusty' as he was terrible.

And I don't think anybody in their right mind would plan a matchup of Geary on Cripps deep in Carlton's forward line

But there were some positive signs as well.

Armo getting through the game.
Hunter and Coffield showed plenty
Macartin looks like he could be the key Forward he hoped he would be if he can get a reasonable run of games.

Longers ruckwork in the third in particular was first class.

[Mr Magic]

Gilbert seriously needs to change his hairstyle as it makes him stand out and magnifies his clangers.
I hope Hickey is playing in the next JLT game against Gawn as Longer was basically (IMHO) hopeless in ruck contests against Kreuzer and even worse as a defender against him.
I hope Webster was just 'rusty' as he was terrible.

And I don't think anybody in their right mind would plan a matchup of Geary on Cripps deep in Carlton's forward line

But there were some positive signs as well.

Armo getting through the game.
Hunter and Coffield showed plenty
Macartin looks like he could be the key Forward he hoped he would be if he can get a reasonable run of games.

Longers ruckwork in the third in particular was first class.

I didn't see the third quarter so I'll take your word for it.
Did Carlton leave Kreuzer off the ground that quarter and ruck Casboult?

[Bruce G McAbee]

Yes it was a practice match, but it did look like we still have the same issues we had last year. I think the commentators were right that it meant more for Carlton to win than us.
Positives as observed, Paddy, Clark, Coffield, Dunstan in the 3rd quarter and maybe 1 or 2 others.
Negatives: Inability to score again, defence was poor in the 1st quarter where the game was basically won. kicking for goal, still. Using Gilbert as a second ruck, with the extended bench Marshall should have been used, he di okay in the ruck. Long, will not make it in my opinion. Wright will have to do something special to stay on the list at the end of the year as well. Our game plan I am still trying to figure out.
The only other positive I can think of is hopefully we can improve a bit by round 1 because right now, that game against Brisbane isn't looking as much of a certainty that we thought when the fixture was released.
The way things are going, we'll be watching Melbourne break their drought before us.

[CURLY]

Gilbert seriously needs to change his hairstyle as it makes him stand out and magnifies his clangers.
I hope Hickey is playing in the next JLT game against Gawn as Longer was basically (IMHO) hopeless in ruck contests against Kreuzer and even worse as a defender against him.
I hope Webster was just 'rusty' as he was terrible.

And I don't think anybody in their right mind would plan a matchup of Geary on Cripps deep in Carlton's forward line

But there were some positive signs as well.

Armo getting through the game.
Hunter and Coffield showed plenty
Macartin looks like he could be the key Forward he hoped he would be if he can get a reasonable run of games.

Longers ruckwork in the third in particular was first class.

I didn't see the third quarter so I'll take your word for it.
Did Carlton leave Kreuzer off the ground that quarter and ruck Casboult?

Yeah Kreuzer rucked all game and we took control in the middle due to some brilliant tap work from Longer.

[desertsaint]

Hunter and Coff - very pleasing. Paddy some good signs. Dunstan and Steven looked good. Lonie a better option than his rivals. Nothing to worry about from the likes of Seb, Gresh, Sincs, Carlisle, Brown, Geary, Robbo. More worrying is the same old signs of a very vanilla gameplan and lack of evidence of work on disposal - skills and option choice.

[shrodes]

Yep. Wright, Geary and Marshall are the answer. Our captain is part of the problem. Cast in the same mold as the milky bar kid. Surely you have your tongue firmly in your cheek. Marshall one game, Wright survived on the list by the skin of his teeth and Geary is the most GOP skipper in the comp. I do believe you are being sarcastic.

You're missing my point. Clearly having 3 players off the ground for more than half a match puts additional load on the other players that have to stay out on the park longer.
We're not going to be doing that sort of strategy by choice in the regular season are we now?

Plus it's the first proper practice match of the year. So much doom and gloom around these parts. It was hardly the worst performance we've put in in the last 4 years.

[robbie muir]

Overall a very disappointing night.
Positives: Paddy, Armitage, Coffield , Hunter Clark , Steven and maybe 3 or 4 more
Also no major injuries which is a bonus.

Negatives: The game plan doesn't seem to have developed at all over the last 6 months.
Lonie, Longer, Gilbert , Long and Wright won't get us a premiership.
Goal kicking same as last year. Hopefully just a bad night.
We don't also have any runners with pace. We have plenty of inside mids, but no runners with real pace.

It was only a practice game, but if you want members to join then tonight's effort won't help.
Membership numbers are running at the same level as this time last year , so can't see us getting much past 42,000

If we make the 8 and that's a big IF I can't see us going past week 1 of the finals.
Been a member now for 44 years , still waiting for the big dance.
On tonight's effort the wait will last much longer.

[congorozides]

Weller and Wright should never play at AFL level again.

Incredible they are both still on the list and still get opportunities.

[Spinner]

Here's my problem. I am not seeing anything new. What I am seeing is the same old same old. The same failed game plan, that's if there actually is one because I can't see it. Why isn't Marshall playing? Surely that's a better idea than Gilbert in the 2nd ruck, or Bruce when tje season starts. There's very little creativity in our midfield which probably compounds our inability to score. They had all summer and right now, I am seeing nothing to show they did anything.

Agree w this. Hopefully it improves...

[saintspremiers]

All you negative nancies remember this - we were missing one of the best players in the AFL - Mr Jack Billings. He’ll be dynamite this year running along side Stuv who can finally run again. Add to that the brute mongrel force of Armo when he’s match conditioned and the midfield becomes serious. And I haven’t even factored in Ross.

It’s all good children.

[kosifantutti]

Gilbert seriously needs to change his hairstyle as it makes him stand out and magnifies his clangers.
I hope Hickey is playing in the next JLT game against Gawn as Longer was basically (IMHO) hopeless in ruck contests against Kreuzer and even worse as a defender against him.
I hope Webster was just 'rusty' as he was terrible.

And I don't think anybody in their right mind would plan a matchup of Geary on Cripps deep in Carlton's forward line

But there were some positive signs as well.

Armo getting through the game.
Hunter and Coffield showed plenty
Macartin looks like he could be the key Forward he hoped he would be if he can get a reasonable run of games.

Longers ruckwork in the third in particular was first class.

I didn't see the third quarter so I'll take your word for it.
Did Carlton leave Kreuzer off the ground that quarter and ruck Casboult?

Yeah Kreuzer rucked all game and we took control in the middle due to some brilliant tap work from Longer.

I think you're reading a lot into one hitout to advantage.
I was more impressed by the few minutes that Marshall got in the ruck.

[loris]

Weller and Wright should never play at AFL level again.

Incredible they are both still on the list and still get opportunities.

IMHO Wright was an improvement on Weller when he replaced him after half time. Wright provided much more pressure on their backs in the third quarter. Ran down a couple of Carlton players. Had more endurance to run from forward half to back half & return to forward half to apply pressure. Something Weller can’t do.
When Weller has to follow a player through the ground, he’s stuffed. He still hasn’t the endurance to get back to forward half. Hangs around the centre waving arms getting breath back.
Plus some of the blocks Wright put in were ok to assist teammates. And he did kick accurately to score a goal. He can always be relied upon to manufacture a goal against the odds.
I’d prefer Wright any time over Weller, whilst waiting for someone else to take over that role.

[Drake Huggins]

I think the pollyannas amongst us are missing the point. We ere flogged by a s*** team that is expected to be bottom four this year. A team we flogged by ninety odd points this time last year. They've advanced. We've gone backwards. The milky bar kid is in charge for the Next three years. No premiership until 2021 at least. Pleasing.

[PremiershipSaint]

Richo will be sacked this year.

[one point]

Apart from the concerns raised by others I was particularly troubled by our lack of contest and effort from red time in the third and most of the fourth quarter. It's been raised in another thread but there is a real question about our match fitness