Saints have the bloodlust

[sendmehomehappy]

Putting the opposition to the sword at last.

So good to watch.

So long to wait

Long may it continue

[AuckSaint]

Back in 2009 and 2010 I used to love that we won often but hated the way we won. Lyon’s Slow strangulation and defensive focus led to boring low scoring ( but winning) games.

I am also a long suffering Spurs supporter in the EPL. Spurs supporters demand flair and entertainment as much as winning. We often get neither!

Watching Saints today was making me happy for the win, and happier for the way we won. Long may it continue to be bold and take risks for offensive results rather than defensive results.

Congrats to Ratts and the coaching team!

[saynta]

The tosser coached a boring style of footy, but then he appears to also have a very boring personality.

[sendmehomehappy]

After the Filth game I gave Ratts 4 weeks to show us a game plan.

2 weeks in he is shoving my words back down my throat and I am loving it.

Keep it going Ratts.

[bigcarl]

Back in 2009 and 2010 I used to love that we won often but hated the way we won. Lyon’s Slow strangulation and defensive focus led to boring low scoring ( but winning) games.

Watching Saints today was making me happy for the win, and happier for the way we won. Long may it continue to be bold and take risks for offensive results rather than defensive results.

Congrats to Ratts and the coaching team!

Played like a 2004-era St Kilda side today. Take the game on and attack.

The new rules are bringing that type of football back and seemed to have made the Lyon-style gameplan obsolete. Thanks heavens for that.

[samuraisaint]

After the Filth game I gave Ratts 4 weeks to show us a game plan.

2 weeks in he is shoving my words back down my throat and I am loving it.

Keep it going Ratts.

It's three weeks in now.

[sendmehomehappy]

After the Filth game I gave Ratts 4 weeks to show us a game plan.

2 weeks in he is shoving my words back down my throat and I am loving it.

Keep it going Ratts.

It's three weeks in now.

Spot on, but the tiges game started it and today stamps this precise kicking, relentless running/tackling, eyes lowered to forwards game plan

[Sainternist]

Accurate kicking for goal, too!

[bangaulegend]

Great win but as the saying goes a week is a long time in football. Enjoy the win & don't get too far ahead of our selves . Next week is another challenge just take it one week at a time IMO only

[bangaulegend]

Great win but as the saying goes a week is a long time in football. Enjoy the win & don't get too far ahead of our selves . Next week is another challenge just take it one week at a time IMO only

[saynta]

Great win but as the saying goes a week is a long time in football. Enjoy the win & don't get too far ahead of our selves . Next week is another challenge just take it one week at a time IMO only

Yeah, hear what you are saying but we have improved on last year.

We really missed Paton Gresh and Paddy. Billings and Marshall were both playing injured too.

This year so far, Seb has been given the role played by Jones and he is all the better for it. So is the team.

[Banger9798]

Blood-lust is good!

[samuraisaint]

LOL at Hawthorn.

[sendmehomehappy]

Yeah Saynta, Seb is really cracking in, running hard, and I reckon his disposal has improved too

[saynta]

Yeah Saynta, Seb is really cracking in, running hard, and I reckon his disposal has improved too

I believe you are correct.

[Teflon]

The tosser coached a boring style of footy, but then he appears to also have a very boring personality.

I never got bored playing GFs and winning 19/0
Rd 14 09 Marvel against Cats was the best live have I’ve been too
It’s great we’ve won 3 in a row and played fast attacking footy ….let’s keep it real we’ve beaten some sides in lower half of the comp
Our test will come
In 09 we we’re Melbourne
BIG difference.

[Teflon]

Great win but as the saying goes a week is a long time in football. Enjoy the win & don't get too far ahead of our selves . Next week is another challenge just take it one week at a time IMO only

This
We’ll said
Geez some shoot the bolt early…

[Moods]

Back in 2009 and 2010 I used to love that we won often but hated the way we won. Lyon’s Slow strangulation and defensive focus led to boring low scoring ( but winning) games.

I am also a long suffering Spurs supporter in the EPL. Spurs supporters demand flair and entertainment as much as winning. We often get neither!

Watching Saints today was making me happy for the win, and happier for the way we won. Long may it continue to be bold and take risks for offensive results rather than defensive results.

Congrats to Ratts and the coaching team!

You must have a poor memory. In 09 I recall a team kicking over 100 points almost every game and opposing teams suffocated by intense pressure and brilliant tackling. It was as exciting footy I’ve ever seen. We scored 2197 points in 22 H&A games. Basically an average of 100 points a game.

In 2010 our superstar fwd ( arguably best player in the game at the time) got injured and Ross had to improvise. There were games we struggled to score, yet from memory we scored over 80 points or close to it in both our lead in finals. One of which was played in pouring rain most of the night. I guess if you have an agenda memory can get clouded

[SaintPav]

In 2009, not including the GF, we lost 2 games for the entire H&A season by the cumulative total of 7 points.

Incredible.

[Winmar]

We were magnificent in 2009 and I loved the way we played, with relentless pressure across the board.

[Scollop]

The name of the game is Premierships. There is no point trying to win a McLellan trophy like a rank amateur first time senior coach.

‘ In 09 we we’re Melbourne ’. Bulldust we were! They won a flag and could possibly go back to back this year. We have no excuses for 2009 apart from bad planning.

Whether the current playing list and this current player leadership group can get the job done in the next 2-3 years or not DOES not worry me. Keep this current group of coaches together long enough and they will deliver us sustained success. I think the blueprint seems to be unfolding before our eyes. We are working toward an environment and a culture to see us play in consecutive finals series.

I think we are showing some really good signs and I think we have the right people in charge of the football department. The early green shoots and evidence was our surprise rise up the ladder and finals win in 2020.

I believe we need to stay the course with Brett Ratten as the senior coach for at least the next 4 years.

Why?

Ok. I’ll point to a couple of things here regarding resilience. Last year when Max King was struggling I thought (as did many others) that the best thing for Max would’ve been to drop him to the VFL and let him regain confidence. Brett didn’t do that and he wanted Max to work through his issues and to solve them and find solutions. Not sure you can do that with all young players, but Max isn’t your ordinary average footballer. I’m glad that Brett trusted Max

Same with Brad Hill. He trusted in Brad and worked with Brad to get the best out of that player and to help that player regain the trust of his team mates and to regain some form. Brad had an outstanding last half of 2021 and finished really high in the Best and Fairest.

Now maybe there was some short term pain and maybe we even cost ourselves a victory or two at the start of last year, but I think the number one priority for Brett and this footy department is to create resilience in individuals and create a winning culture.

Both players were copping the heat from the media and within their club. The pressure of the AFL meant that Max and Brad had to face the blowtorch in the seniors without being able to hide in the VFL, and that usually means getting added attention from the oppositions best players and what happened?

They both fought through and are getting results as individuals and helping their team win games of footy.

How important do you think those lessons in 2021 would have been to the other players? Here are 2 of your most important players and some would say 2 key cogs in the St Kilda team and they are now showing the way. Build your good form and build your resilience by doing the work and trusting in your team mates to help you get better. The coach is getting the best out his players and the role models are leading the way.

How good is Brett Ratten?

[bigcarl]

Well said Scollop. Don’t want to get carried away after a couple of good wins, but Ratts’ biggest strength is his people skills. They seem to want to play for him.

[samuraisaint]

Ratten proved when he coached Carlton he could get a side with some excellent players but with limitations to first of all make finals, and secondly win them.
I have seen enough to know that we are playing some of our most exciting footy since the days Grant Thomas was at the helm.
In a way, the 2020 campaign reminded me of 1991 when Ken Sheldon coached us and we broke through and made the finals on the back of some really attacking performances.

Of course we have to keep going and win enough matches to qualify for finals, and I think 12 wins and a percentage of above 100% would do it, but we have to do it. Like the side that played under Ken Sheldon, Ratten's team have a game plan which stands up at the MCG, so I am happy with that.

[Vortex]

The trend on the curve is 5 quarters positive.

What we have delivered in the last 5 quarters sought of looks like the type of footy we want to see consistently and its the type of footy that will beat most teams. We are still short many of our first picked and the opposition won't be top 4 so we have more tests to come.

So its 5 positive quarters from 12 and this is St Kilda and our list is still fragile so whilst I'm stoked with the upward trend, I'm cuatious about where we are at still. It was only 2 weeks ago I thought this list was slow and played bruise free footy.

What I do know is they now must deliver on the standard set for the past 5 quarters irrespective of who is in the side which is relentless intensity from the first bounce to the final siren.

As side note, they look way fitter than last year.

[SaintPav]

The name of the game is Premierships. There is no point trying to win a McLellan trophy like a rank amateur first time senior coach.

Sue me. I was enjoying a rare/improbable AFL event that will probably never happen again.