Where we are at

[Otiman]

Not sure it's panic stations yet.

It's not panic stations (although some posts may look that way).

It's call to action, to address some glaring issues and pivot to sustain success.

The biggest coach killer is complacency. We have seen it too many times and expect better from Ross.

If 50% of our games for the rest of the year have the air of the Hawthorn, Adelaide, and North Melbourne games, we have failed.

[tony74]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

[WellardSaint]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

The Swans are predictable in that they are slow and flat early season, lose games easily, then somehow turn into monsters about half-way. Happens every year.
Watched them own the Blues.
They're ferocious. They play as a TEAM and torture opponents.
Our fairies can't handle the heat and turn to jelly.

We'll lose by 14 goals.
It will be like any other game vs Swans in the 80s, 90s, and 2010-2019.

[lewdogs]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

The Swans are predictable in that they are slow and flat early season, lose games easily, then somehow turn into monsters about half-way. Happens every year.
Watched them own the Blues.
They're ferocious. They play as a TEAM and torture opponents.
Our fairies can't handle the heat and turn to jelly.

We'll lose by 14 goals.
It will be like any other game vs Swans in the 80s, 90s, and 2010-2019.

They didn't own the Blues at all. Carlton dominated the game and if it wasn't for their atrocious goalkicking they'd have won.

[The Fireman]

I was talking to a North Melbourne friend of mine and told him that my team is nearly as crap as his. He laughed and said well at least we have a crack

Had a think about it and he’s right

[WellardSaint]

I was talking to a North Melbourne friend of mine and told him that my team is nearly as crap as his. He laughed and said 'well at least we have a crack'

Had a think about it and he’s right

I added the inverted commas to clarify, because it wasn't clear which team has a crack

[skeptic]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

The Swans are predictable in that they are slow and flat early season, lose games easily, then somehow turn into monsters about half-way. Happens every year.
Watched them own the Blues.
They're ferocious. They play as a TEAM and torture opponents.
Our fairies can't handle the heat and turn to jelly.

We'll lose by 14 goals.
It will be like any other game vs Swans in the 80s, 90s, and 2010-2019.

Geeez. I copped criticism for having a crack at players last year but at least that was on the back of sustained form over years and I never resorted to name calling.

One bad loss and off the wagon you jump taking a turn to the derogatory category. Soft as butter as far as a supporter goes. Time to give it rest I think. Maybe have a break and clear your head.

[Banger9798]

What has me concerned is that we look so different to the first 6 rounds with that crazy pressure.
The way Adelaide played yesterday is pretty much what we did to teams early in the season.
Where has it gone?
Owens and Windy in after the Bye hopefully brings some young enthusiasm back

[Yorkeys]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

Certainly, all respect and appreciation.
What troubles me, because losing the last game in such a familiar scenario/ downward trajectory is so frustratingly annoying, is do they synergise, what's the plan: sit pat & prove we are 6-10, fight hard to be 6th because that's the best we can be, not expect to beat top 5 and just go through the motions, develop players (which), who is on the off ramp, why keep the same same approach, what brilliant game day moves have they pulled off. We have Max , Hammer and Pou and Owens, Sincs, Wood, Wilkie, Steele, Marshall, Gresham, Hill, Nasiah, Stocker, Clark : can't we aspire higher, can't we beat Hawthorn. In 12 months we have gone from absolutely flogging them to falling in to being pantsed. Progress? Coaching excellence? I know I don't understand the technicalities but it seems pretty ordinary coaching and love to know why its not. It looks like they are out of ideas, like AR, like Ratts because using same players in same roles and inexorably regressing doesn't seem clever to this observer.

[cwrcyn]

One positive is that we don't have a top heavy age demographic. We'd be in serious trouble if we did

The more think about our midfield the more the alarm bells go off. With the players who occupy it at the moment there is simply no scope for growth or meaningful improvement.

If Lyon has done enough exploring by now, he needs to put Windhager in there every week so he can develop in the role.

Owens could be 50/50 forward and midfield ( not in the ruck)

But that still doesn't solve the serious issue of not having creative, gut running mids with breakaway speed.

It needs to be the number one priority in the draft and free agency space.

Mediocre midfields don't play on grand finals

[Teflon]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

Thanks Tony
Ignore the hystericals
The challenge is the team isn’t so good I agree
The team have been 6-12ish for about 6 years now…
Some good players…. no stars…..but enough tmganes to just hang about mid table and not really trouble the adult sides at the pointy end of the season.
That has to stop.
People suggesting “we are nearly there….just a few magic tweaks and she’ll be right” are as deluded as Ratten telling the Board the “window was open”
We need to cut deadwood end of season
We need to offer up some names who we know now will not ve in our next Premiership team
Stop pretending
Anyone with currency (except King Pou Owens Windhager Marshall Sincs Wilkie NAS) is up for discussion…
Stop dancing around it get top end draft talent in , build a genuinely talented core and launch in 3
We are wasting time at bottom end of 8 cause we get soft draws every second year

[SaintPav]

I was talking to a North Melbourne friend of mine and told him that my team is nearly as crap as his. He laughed and said well at least we have a crack

Had a think about it and he’s right

A bum ‘crack’.

They have won 2 games. We have won 7.

Think harder.

[Vortex]

I was talking to a North Melbourne friend of mine and told him that my team is nearly as crap as his. He laughed and said well at least we have a crack

Had a think about it and he’s right

A bum ‘crack’.

They have won 2 games. We have won 7.

Think harder.

Whoa whoa whoa there SP, ole Firey does his best when it comes to thinking, but don't go throwing the stick so far and get him lost.

[samoht]

tony 74, I agree we are a 6-10 team, but you've brought it back to coaching, again.
The reason we are a 6-10 team (and that the current coaching group is therefore working with a 6-10 ish team) is our recruiting over the last 10 or so years.
That's the area we need to get right!!

And I don't only see the positives with our coaching ....I'm not going to ignore that Sicily got 43 possessions. I'm sorry.

[Annoyedsaint]

Don’t panic…
Talk of rebuilds….

How about some freeekin’ results for once.
Tired of the pathetic excuses year after year after year.

Hawks side is s*** on paper and if they are back playing finals in a year or two then what does that say?

We’ve had so many years at the bottom to bottom 6 and STILL can’t do anything decent and maintain it for half a season let alone a full season and then multiple seasons on end. It’s actually laughable.

We are fifth on the ladder in a season no one predicted us to finish in the eight, and many had us as a bottom four side.

Results wise we are performing well above expectations, with an entirely new coaching panel.

Not sure it's panic stations yet.

The exact same loss happened last year and it was the end of the road. You could feel it in the crowd and leaving the game. Dead silence and complete disappointment and bewilderment.

95% of teams not only beat, but walk in against the bottom sides, but not us, that’s far too difficult.

Happened in 2017, last year and this year.

It’s not good enough. Could have been 3 games in the 8 after the weekend, and afford to lose to who we should lose to.

As I said, no more excuses.

Some of these players have played 1 final, surely every game they are dog hungry for any opportunity.
Seems not to be the case.

[The Fireman]

I was talking to a North Melbourne friend of mine and told him that my team is nearly as crap as his. He laughed and said well at least we have a crack

Had a think about it and he’s right

A bum ‘crack’.

They have won 2 games. We have won 7.

Think harder.

it's more about us having a better team than them but they are having more of a crack than us.. the game tally is not the point.

Vortex understands this..he has a PhD

[SaintPav]

I was talking to a North Melbourne friend of mine and told him that my team is nearly as crap as his. He laughed and said well at least we have a crack

Had a think about it and he’s right

A bum ‘crack’.

They have won 2 games. We have won 7.

Think harder.

it's more about us having a better team than them but they are having more of a crack than us.. the game tally is not the point.

Vortex understands this..he has a PhD

Ok man.

[Zed]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

I agree with your sentiments on the coaching group but not the playing group.

We are a 9 - 12 team and our coaching group + system makes us look better than we really are. Good news is there are some green shoots with Owen Nas, Windy & Pou, and hopefully Keeler and Hotten can reach the potential some say they have. This next 2 years of drafting and trading will determine if we play off in a grand final again this decade or yo-yo in and out of finals

[Teflon]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

I agree with your sentiments on the coaching group but not the playing group.

We are a 9 - 12 team and our coaching group + system makes us look better than we really are. Good news is there are some green shoots with Owen Nas, Windy & Pou, and hopefully Keeler and Hotten can reach the potential some say they have. This next 2 years of drafting and trading will determine if we play off in a grand final again this decade or yo-yo in and out of finals

Spot on well said
IF we can jag a handfull of top picks over the next 2 drafts we’ll be set even with Tassie coming
IF we fluff around pretending for another 12-18 months we are in mid table land for another 5-7 years and Lyon will fail
It’s time to bite the bullet on our list

[B.M]

So it is the list?

[Teflon]

So it is the list?

You’re the guru you tell us
Don’t like the coaching panel?

[B.M]

Are you agreeing with me, that the quality of the list determines results

Coupled of course with the health and fitness of the list

And the form of the players

Case in point
Harry MacKay was a Coleman Medallist in 2021 with 60 odd goals

He’s kicked about 12 after 10 games
Is he a worse player now - or is he just sadly out of form and low on confidence?

On the weekend we were beat up at stoppage by a dominant ruckman with a powerful midfield- we fumbled, got pushed under the ball, missed tackles and were reactive.

Seriously- Nash 197 made our bull Jack Steele 187 look like a midget in CB

[Zed]

So it is the list?

If anybody thinks we have a top 6 list based on talent they are kidding themselves

[WellardSaint]

The coaching group are very very good in my opinion. The team is not as good. We are a 6-10 placed team. Let’s be realistic. Most of you would have put us in that category before the season started. We are going ok- not great, not poorly. It’s a work in progress. As Sainters we have learnt to be patient- we need to continue

The Swans are predictable in that they are slow and flat early season, lose games easily, then somehow turn into monsters about half-way. Happens every year.
Watched them own the Blues.
They're ferocious. They play as a TEAM and torture opponents.
Our fairies can't handle the heat and turn to jelly.

We'll lose by 14 goals.
It will be like any other game vs Swans in the 80s, 90s, and 2010-2019.

Geeez. I copped criticism for having a crack at players last year but at least that was on the back of sustained form over years and I never resorted to name calling.

One bad loss and off the wagon you jump taking a turn to the derogatory category. Soft as butter as far as a supporter goes. Time to give it rest I think. Maybe have a break and clear your head.

How many times have we seen the team have a bunch of exciting wins early in the season, giving hope to all of us that maybe, they're on the up.
Only to be dashed by a white-flag performance where the team rolls over without a wimper.
When was that Maddies Match, 2017? Where we were 8 goals in front of Richmond at half time.
Where did we finish that year.
2020, covid, in a Noosa hub, great wins against several teams, travel to Adelaide 2x in 2 weeks for 2 wins. Unheard of for a Saints team. Fell victim to Tigers in a second final.
Last yr, lets Essendon dominate us even though they're 16th. Against Swans, Higgo misses too many and costs us the game.

They're always promising that they've changed, they're a new culture, blah blah blah. And once again they decide it's all too hard.

[Scollop]

So it is the list?

tony74 and a few others alluded to disunity in mid 22 between coaches and that Ratts and Rath weren't getting along (or weren't seeing eye to eye on things)

Injuries to Gresham, Marshall and Jack Steele were the catalyst to our slide down the ladder in 2022 and Ben McGlynn resigned mid year

https://www.saints.com.au/news/1188976/ ... ll-mcglynn

The review announced shortly afterwards uncovered that the senior coach also had to go.

He wasn't creating a high performance culture and Bassatt and Lethlean expected a lot more out of the list .... a few weeks later when Lyon was appointed they changed the narrative