Onfield leadership

[shanegrambeau]

So we didn't deserve to win, but nonetheless, we were 20pts up.

Where are on onfield leaders?

Some of our players are not scared and ashamed enough, to behave like kings when we are paupers.

Because nobody onfield has that magic power, the kind of charisma (or whatever its called) that just stamps out any slackness or lack of focus ...someone who can cast a stern look downfield, a look that can pierce from 1000 yards..

Damn

[axcellence]

I place this loss squarely on the captain Jack Steele. He didn’t look happy to have come back from injury. He should have put his hand up to say he’s not fully ready yet. That would have been the tough decision. Been just getting his performance covered up by others.

[Teflon]

I place this loss squarely on the captain Jack Steele. He didn’t look happy to have come back from injury. He should have put his hand up to say he’s not fully ready yet. That would have been the tough decision. Been just getting his performance covered up by others.

To be fair he was good last week
GWS beat Cats at home today so last weeks win was a fair effort

[bakes]

If Higgins takes a simple chest mark we’d be 19 points up with 10 minutes to play and the Hawks would have no momentum and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. In one way though, even though it’s painful to lose, it’s good for Ross to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Unpredictable players like Higgins should be put on notice. Can he be a team player? Having a set shot from 50m with a dislocated finger?? Go off the ground for F sake .

[Teflon]

If Higgins takes a simple chest mark we’d be 19 points up with 10 minutes to play and the Hawks would have no momentum and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. In one way though, even though it’s painful to lose, it’s good for Ross to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Unpredictable players like Higgins should be put on notice. Can he be a team player? Having a set shot from 50m with a dislocated finger?? Go off the ground for F sake .

I agree
Think if we stole that we’d all be going “gee how good is top 4 8-3”
Reality is we have some cracks in the side
Midfield- ordinary
Need another KPD
Connection from midfield to forwards…needs work

[axcellence]

I place this loss squarely on the captain Jack Steele. He didn’t look happy to have come back from injury. He should have put his hand up to say he’s not fully ready yet. That would have been the tough decision. Been just getting his performance covered up by others.

To be fair he was good last week
GWS beat Cats at home today so last weeks win was a fair effort

He was good against GWS, but has been treading water since coming back from injury. Since he's come back, he's Also favouring handballs to kicking it. He had two good games since returning against Carlton. Port and GWS. 2/6 games is not a great form line. Doesn’t look like the player who was top 5 in the Brownlow a couple of years ago.

[Life Long Saint]

We've had a distinct lack of good leadership since Roo left.
We don't have a system that promotes leaders like we did under GT.

[Sanctorum]

I was interested to see Ben Dixon on Fox Footy's 'First Crack' the other night highlight the lamentable lack of on-field leadership that St Kilda displayed against Hawthorn.

He showed several replays where the Saints leadership group did nothing to help guide some of the young players where to position themselves at different times to block Hawthorn's easy transition of the ball from defence to attack. None of the senior players were calling out, directing traffic, encouraging each other, and that was patently obvious watching the game live.

It was also noted that Luke Hodge was really vocal instructing his team mates when he played for the Lions, which was great for the youngsters in the squad. Conversely, I have only ever seen Callum Wilkie doing this in the backline, but regrettably Jack Steele, great player that he is, is mostly passive, as are Seb Ross and Jack Sinclair.

The point of this discussion is that St Kilda have some really good young blokes in the team this year, and they would benefit immensely from guidance during the game from the senior players.

I can't imagine that the likes of Scott Pendlebury would have stood by idly when Jack Higgins was in obvious pain after he marked the ball and dislocated his finger, and not going off to have it attended to, then carelessly kicking the ball out of bounds on the full.

Let's hope the coaches put some work into the team to get this aspect fixed really quick!

[Teflon]

We don’t have a Bont

[Scollop]

We've had a distinct lack of good leadership since Roo left.
We don't have a system that promotes leaders like we did under GT.

Jarryn led the Saints in 2020 when the team played finals. He wasn't a champion player, but I think Jarryn Geary was a great leader.

I would say he was a great captain too and very good with his communication on field, and I'm sure many people would agree

They had him miked up once (probably thinking it was 2019 or 2020) and the channel 7 commentators were impressed and surprised at how verbal and instructive he was

[Life Long Saint]

We've had a distinct lack of good leadership since Roo left.
We don't have a system that promotes leaders like we did under GT.

Jarryn Geary was a great leader. I would say he was a great captain and very good with his communication on field, and I'm sure many people would agree

They had him miked up once (probably thinking it was 2019 or 2020) and the channel 7 commentators were impressed and surprised at how verbal and instructive he was

We have very different ideas about great leaders, then.
Verbal and instructive is one thing, but leaders also must lead by example...Geary was rarely able to do that.
I reckon I can count on one hand the number of games where he geniunely had a meaningful, positive impact in the result of a game.
I'd need a computer for the number of times Riewoldt did it!

We needed to promote leaders under Roo whilst he was still at the club. He (and Geary) needed to relinquish the captaincy sooner to then mentor the future leaders of the club...Like we did under GT.
Which, by the way, produced great leaders like Roo, Ball, and Hayes.

[Scollop]

You don't have to be the best player on the team to be a good captain. Let's not get into a discussion about flapping arms and having a melt down because a young player wasn't kicking the footy lace out so the big FF could take all the glory.

Gears had courage in spades.

What you just said about Geary as a player is bullshitt. One or two courageous acts is all it takes to inspire your team mates. Gears was instrumental in dozens of wins and led us in our last finals campaign

Rotating the captaincy was a terrific idea and GT was all about creating the right culture. Hopefully our team of coaches will stay united and lead by example to create an environment where our young leaders can develop under them

[lewdogs]

If we are going to do anything this season we need Steele to turn his form around. He is a leader that leads by example. At the moment his inability to impact games is very worrying. Our midfield looks terrible but most will when your best mid is so badly out of form.

Hopefully he can refresh during the bye and come out a different player in the second half of the season.

[B.M]

The captaincy in footy is the most overrated position at the club

I’ve played a lot of footy - never once have I been willed to perform better because of who the captain was or what they did?!

Often team maté’s inspired me with courageous acts but I didn’t care what position they had

It’s a load of s***

Extraneous motivation is fickle - players who are consistent find it within themselves

Again, I never looked for others inspiration or actions to enhance my game?! I just had a crack every time I played - sometimes form fluctuated.

[Teflon]

The captaincy in footy is the most overrated position at the club

I’ve played a lot of footy - never once have I been willed to perform better because of who the captain was or what they did?!

Often team maté’s inspired me with courageous acts but I didn’t care what position they had

It’s a load of s***

Extraneous motivation is fickle - players who are consistent find it within themselves

Again, I never looked for others inspiration or actions to enhance my game?! I just had a crack every time I played - sometimes form fluctuated.

Newsflash: you never played elite football so wouldn’t know. Spare us glory days ffs
Go watch First Crack and a Hawks Dixon talk of what a Hodges on field instruction - a constant and what it meant to driving standards on field to win a flag
His read???
Our on field leadership (including your fan boy Seb) is woeful and have been way too long

[saynta]

The captaincy in footy is the most overrated position at the club

I’ve played a lot of footy - never once have I been willed to perform better because of who the captain was or what they did?!

Often team maté’s inspired me with courageous acts but I didn’t care what position they had

It’s a load of s***

Extraneous motivation is fickle - players who are consistent find it within themselves

Again, I never looked for others inspiration or actions to enhance my game?! I just had a crack every time I played - sometimes form fluctuated.

At least I am sure you have played the game, unlike others who probably haven't even kicked a footy except with his/her kids down at the local park.

[shanegrambeau]

I know he’s not a fan favorite here, like Gears, Battle etc.,
but from last year I noticed Brad Hill pointing and encouraging players to run to positions.

I have absolutely no idea if the players were listening to him but I suspect they were. He looked engaged and sincere.

I don’t trust a channel 7 microphone hooked up to a player to give us a good indication of anything other than how having a mic hooked up will dispose the person to say something vaguely ‘appropriate’


I was surprised Geary was captain to be honest and I think he should have been dropped in his last two years on more than a few occasions. I thought he was a liability.

Some players respond to captains and I think some players don’t even know they exist..then we have good times, bad times, good days, bad days etc and a lot of other variables.

Fact remains, many of us rightfully ask about a lack of leadership in so far as we can see it, on the grass during matches.

Lead by example yes, but instruct , remind and just have that charisma, that presence that other players subconsciously switch on when around. We need that. Not convinced Steele has or has ever had that.

[Yorkeys]

Well the current team doesn't have it. And it shows. Owens maybe in the future, he seems a take no prisoners type of guy. Can't think of any others with a kamikaze approach, maybe Crouch when he is engaged. Bit rudderless when it all gets difficult. Unfortunate because it probably can't be coached just mentored.

[Sanctorum]

It is entirely beyond dispute that every successful team in elite sport has one or more leaders who not only lead by example but help guide their team mates to follow the game plan. Just look at all the premiership teams over the years, they've all had strong and effective leaders, without exception.

Currently St Kilda have bugger all...

I believe that it is incumbent on coaches to see that this occurs without fail, and if, like in recent games where the team has played poorly, the coaches don't see that happening, they must get onto it or rot will set in...

[B.M]

What the hell are you talking about with Geary - in his last two years?!

He barely played in 20 or 21 due to injury

Seb Ross and Jack Steele were acting captains over those seasons

When Geary was fit, he was one of the first picked!

He was a standout leader at the club - which involves Monday to Sunday - not just 2hrs game day

He was a driver of standards

[shanegrambeau]

What the hell are you talking about with Geary - in his last two years?!

He barely played in 20 or 21 due to injury

Seb Ross and Jack Steele were acting captains over those seasons

When Geary was fit, he was one of the first picked!

He was a standout leader at the club - which involves Monday to Sunday - not just 2hrs game day

He was a driver of standards

Yep
Fair enough
Wasn’t referring to 21,
More his last two ‘active’ years
He was pretty much dead wood in that last year due to that horrific injury and other problems

Should t have been on list

[CQ SAINT]

Geary was a real good trier. Setter of standards my arse. Without Carlisle, Ryder and Steele, who came as mercenaries, the standard would have been a whole lot lower. Seb Ross is another professional trier who leads by example, he was Captain for about as long as he was in AA contention but somehow Geary was a better choice. Then there was Newnes and Mav Weller. Make me wanna puke.
There was a huge leadership void under Richardson, who couldnt speak, other than off the script that aligned with his over extended tenure.
Everybody was hiding behind Geary because he was about the only bloke in the place committed to something other than himself.

[B.M]

Carlisle

Haha

Laziest player on the list at the time

Your opinion of Geary and Ross ensures you have no credibility

When a team is struggling- you don’t look at its 2 best players to cast blame

Stupid logic?!

[CQ SAINT]

Carlisle

Haha

Laziest player on the list at the time

Your opinion of Geary and Ross ensures you have no credibility

When a team is struggling- you don’t look at its 2 best players to cast blame

Stupid logic?!

When you have Riewoldt on the list, you don't make Geary Captain.

From wikipedia-

In 2017, Geary took over as captain from St Kilda's longest-serving captain, Nick Riewoldt, in what was to be Riewoldt's final season as a player.[8] He played every game for the year, averaging 16 disposals per game, with St Kilda finishing 11th on the ladder. Geary was again prominent in 2018, in what was a difficult year for the Saints, playing in 20 of St Kilda's 22 matches. He had his most productive season at the Saints, average over 20 disposals per game for the first time in his career. In 2019 he played four of the first five games before being injured and did not play again until the round 11 against Port Adelaide held in China. Geary suffered a serious broken leg in the match which ended his season.

Shouldn't have extended Richo
Shouldn't have retired our two best players.
Geary should never have been Captain but when they called out for votes they all just dropped their heads (Riewoldt was being pushed) and pointed at Geary.
Steele is, was and will be forever, just a way better footballer.
In 2018 Geary, who you reckon was our best or 2nd best player (not sure how you rank those two) averaged 20 kicks a game for the first and only time in his career and we went really well, didn't we. Time to take his picture out your wallet Mart.

[shanegrambeau]

I agree with CQ

I will go as far to say that Gearys contact shouldn’t have been extended.

It speaks to our weak club at the time .

Gears’s manager carefully delayed his announcement about captaincy wishes etc. at the time. I remember and I pointed it out here.

No slant in Gears of course. He’s a champ and an absolute bull of a heart.

But our club was rudderless and lame in those days.

No more!!

Thank goodness.

Poor Ratts notwithstanding.