Competitive Or Contenders? Asking For A Friend

[damienc]

Disclaimer.

I did not see the match but I read the match thread and the scoreboard.

People who did spoke in glowing terms of Billings ( BOG), Zac Jones, the man of Steel, Brad Hill, Lonie, Dean Butler. Apparently Paddy Ryder showed signs of why he made AA, Cal Wilkie continues to impress. Max King, the makings of a KPP.

I've probably left out players worthy of mention.

To me, the Round One loss to the Kangas, as terrible as it was, was indication, based on the first half, that we had something we haven't previously shown as a footy team.

Today, we were in a similar scoring position as the previous match but we didn't fold like a deck of cards from the $2 shop.

So, my question is this: Are we competitive? Are we contenders? Ok. Two questions.

This is the craziest season already in the history of Australian Rules football.

And it was a weekend of crazy results. GC beating West Coast. Melbourne by the tightest of margins over Carlton. There will be no easy games for us. That is for sure. We will have to earn every win.

So what are people seeing/saying about our footy team? Are we different? Are we better? Is the improvement real or imagined? Have the new recruits transformed us?

Over to you. Enlighten please.

[magnifisaint]

Who knows. If they play with that intensity anything can happen. It helps that they have a coach that CAN coach.

[mr six o'clock]

If we kick straight we can beat anyone.
Nothing beats scoreboard pressure.
We've had the ability to win games over previous seasons but shite kicking for goal has cost us .
Should be 2 wins . Out played north for most of the game but kicked badly after half way through the second quarter and allowed them to reel us in .
Hopefully tonights win will give them confidence to play and kick well v the pies.

[CQ SAINT]

Competitive is the goal for this year I'd reckon. More to the point, accountability and consistency will be the key. Get these three things in sync and the heavens may just open up.
Finals should only be a secondary goal. Ours is a mental struggle and we need to overcome that with confidence in the application and execution of strategy and skill.

[Devilhead]

Backline is shaping up nicely which will allow us to play with a more attacking mindset

That said still reckon we are short of one absolutely gun goalkicking beast mid

[Scollop]

I'm trying to stay optimistic but after years of getting my hopes up I'll reserve judgement until about round 10-11

Maybe it's just that the Dogs are crap and drunk too much of their own bathwater with the hype surrounding them

...especially from some journos who had the Dogs as the surprise preseason favourites for the 2020 flag

[Yorkeys]

Can you ask again at the end of June - we will have useful data then.

[BarryGrogan]

We're not a contender. Not even close.

We'll look really good against teams that can't put the heat on us (such as North in the 1st half, and the Bulldogs yesterday) but will struggle to put it together against tams that bring the pressure. It will take another 10-15 games playing together to be able to execute the plan under pressure.

Actually, I should clarify we're 'not even close'. I think we are close - yet very far away. If that makes sense. The cohesion will come together. In that sense, I think we're close (ie. 10-15 games). But the extra mid with good footskills isn't something that just happens. In that sense, we're potentially 12 months off at least - or we never land him and we never get there.

Unfortunately, Gresham just can't kick. It's an embarrassment. So you almost put a line through him as a mid and a forward too to a large degree. He can't kick more than 30m, so it reduces his threat to the opposition too much.

[skeptic]

All I can really add is that so far, it appears that we’re at least trying to address some of the glaring deficiencies that have haunted us for the last 2-3 years.

Our structure seems to be a work in progress but at least appears more balanced - pbly nailed it this week IMO
We seem to have really placed an emphasis on quicker, more direct movement and attack
Seem to have less role players

Most importantly, at least to this point there some sense of adaptability as opposed trying the same failed experiment week in week out... obviously that’s a very early call 2 games in but it appears to be the intent...
Went too small and sloppy in round one with the more erroneous players getting the axe as a result.

It’s too early to say that we’re contenders but we’ve got some bigger tests coming up and we’ll learn a bit about where we’re really at vs Collingwood.

[damienc]

Highlights packages can be very misleading.

So are player show reels but there is a strong point/ argument to be made IMO around what I saw of the Saints highlights.

Speed.

We are now a very quick footy team. We have some players like thoroughbred racehorses. I’m talking Zac Jones and Dean Butler. It was my impression that the freedom Butler had playing / roaming in the midfield, seemed to transform his game.

That’s the best I’ve seen him play.

I remember when we recruited him, Tiger supporters said he had smarts as well as speed, just never got the chance at Richmond.

Early days of course. But there were times when he left the doggies flat footed.

And gasping for air.

We also seem to be able to hit targets. These have to be big steps in the right direction. Getting first use of the ball is vital in winning games of footy, Ryder and the prospect delivered the goods.

Some superb tap work.

[saint64]

If 2009 is any guide, a seventeen week season could well suit us. Pity we have already dropped one game.

[Saintmatt]

Backline is shaping up nicely which will allow us to play with a more attacking mindset

That said still reckon we are short of one absolutely gun goalkicking beast mid

I'm sincerely hoping that Jack Steele becomes that man. And Bytel does that naturally. I'd not be unhappy if Luke Dunstan never plays another game for St K

[saynta]

We are in with a shot imhfo.

[saynta]

Disclaimer.

I did not see the match but I read the match thread and the scoreboard.

People who did spoke in glowing terms of Billings ( BOG), Zac Jones, the man of Steel, Brad Hill, Lonie, Dean Butler. Apparently Paddy Ryder showed signs of why he made AA, Cal Wilkie continues to impress. Max King, the makings of a KPP.

I've probably left out players worthy of mention.

To me, the Round One loss to the Kangas, as terrible as it was, was indication, based on the first half, that we had something we haven't previously shown as a footy team.

Today, we were in a similar scoring position as the previous match but we didn't fold like a deck of cards from the $2 shop.

So, my question is this: Are we competitive? Are we contenders? Ok. Two questions.

This is the craziest season already in the history of Australian Rules football.

And it was a weekend of crazy results. GC beating West Coast. Melbourne by the tightest of margins over Carlton. There will be no easy games for us. That is for sure. We will have to earn every win.

So what are people seeing/saying about our footy team? Are we different? Are we better? Is the improvement real or imagined? Have the new recruits transformed us?

Over to you. Enlighten please.

You can watch a replay of the whole match on afl.com.au mate. If you hurry

[evertonfc]

Loving the optimism. But Beverage coached abysmally yesterday - and he was let down by his team.

Why he didn't shift numbers behind the ball is beyond me, we grabbed so many easy goals from coast-to-coast plays. He backed his midfield to get on top but they never did and he didn't adjust.

Other coaches won't hesitate to clog us up and disrupt us.

On the flip side, I like how our game was much less reliant on skill execution and much more reliant on non-possession play (the highlight example being Geary's tap on). Richmond do this expertly.

They hurry and rush the ball forward before the opposition has a chance to get numbers back, creating numerous one-on-one opportunities at ground level. The more unpredictable the entry, the harder it is for tall backs to adjust - especially once the ball hits the deck.

That style is tailor-made for Butler, Lonie, Gresham and Billings.

When we did have to pop it up, because the F50 was clogged, we just aimed it at Max and he was left to fly against 2-3 opponents, and had trouble marking it (obviously).

To me, this game style is much more suited to us, which takes away our biggest flaw (trying to deliver precise passes) and relies a lot less on execution going into the F50 - moving the focus to keeping the ball in there once it is in there. Our tackling yesterday in the F50 was sensational.

We did have that pressure at times under Richo but usually tried to combine it with precise movement and in the modern footy world, it's hard to do both.

Is it a long-term style? We'll see, but it worked yesterday. Better teams will work it out fairly quickly but I liked what I saw. I hope we can maintain the pressure, but I fear it was very Docklands-specific pressure. The dimensions there suit us so well.

[Beno88]

The next two games will give a very good indication of where we're at.

[Ghost Like]

The next two games will give a very good indication of where we're at.

Yes.

Not get blown away = competitive

Win one = look to play finals

Win two = what lid??? Well and truly off in a shortened, unpredictable season.

[Trev from the Bush]

This Saturday will give us a clearer picture.

[shanegrambeau]

We hadn't won a game for 309 days!!!!!

Ratten will be a rock!

Moorabbin is awesome.

Saints definitely finals material.

No doubt.

Saintaaaaz!

[desertsaint]

yeah, seen this too many times to make a call. we beat a very ordinary team, but looked good doing it. fingers crossed, but i'm holding off for three more games before getting too excited. bloody good to get a win though.