Saints have the bloodlust

[takeaway]

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?

Ratts must have been pretty good yesterday because Saints had a good win. However, if we lose to GC next week he will be no good. That's how fan forums work isn't it?

I have no complaints about Ratts, but think he has a quite a bit to do yet before getting another contract. In reality, the head coach is only part of the team, and I think he has very good support around him, quite a few very smart people.

I don't think Max King was ever in any danger of playing VFL last year, don't recall many calling for that except yourself. The only way Max would play VFL would be if coming back from injury, and even that is unlikely. Straight into firsts. Same with Brad Hill.

We look like we might be good enough to challenge for finals, but to get towards top 4 at the end of the season imo depends on one issue - how many games we can get into Paddy Ryder. Sorry, two issues - luck with injuries, as always.

[evertonfc]

Well said by the OP. Putting a decent team to the sword and never letting go - until the final few minutes - marked an A+ performance.

I saw things I haven't seen for a long time, most notably the huge running efforts by nearly all players. We sprinted on nearly every play to make extra options, especially on turnover. This enabled us to have a vast number of options in the most useful attacking frame (a turnover is so helpful because the opposition can't organise their defence quickly enough to prevent scoring).

Really, we're a long way from being a contender, but that's a near-complete performance. The kind we've been waiting a long time for.

I'm really pleased about it. I've been extremely critical of our game plan, ball movement, defensive setup and lack of effort on transition under Ratten, even in 2020 I thought we were poor in many of those areas. I still think we've got room to improve.

But yesterday I did see something that all good teams have: total effort, all the time, and the 'bottom six' players all playing their role. Keep it going Saints - this is the way forward.