Durrrrrr Howard

[cwrcyn]

200cm key defenders are hard to find and even average ones are worth having.

Howard has played some solid football for us in the past and when it comes to one on one his record is good except for the heavy giants like Dixon and Hawkins. He is not strongly built and that's a pity.

I think the issue most of us have is his inexplicable brain fades particularly when it comes to handballing.

Cordy is braver and harder, but Howard has the closing speed and the reach.

He frustrates, he infuriates, but historically he has gotten the job done more often than not.

Let's not write him off yet. He's just turned 28 and can play for another 4 years. That gives us time to recruit and develop a replacement

[SaintPav]

The free against him where he barely touched Dixon was a Barry Crocker.

[SaintWiki]

If that chump is in the best 40 defenders in Australia, then everyone that plays footy should be ashamed.

He shouldn’t even be playing for Sandringham 2nds.

Surely Lyon just scrubs him from the list. If you could do it you would do it yesterday.

Durrr Annoyedsaint

Give him a break ... indeed give me a break. After we wait all this time for the return of our backline, indeed just days before Webster returns to make up one the miserliness backlines in the league and you just have put up this.

[CURLY]

The free against him where he barely touched Dixon was a Barry Crocker.

As bad as you will see.

Simply game winning call by the umpire. Cheating a mistake either way game winning.

[Annoyedsaint]

If that chump is in the best 40 defenders in Australia, then everyone that plays footy should be ashamed.

He shouldn’t even be playing for Sandringham 2nds.

Surely Lyon just scrubs him from the list. If you could do it you would do it yesterday.

Durrr Annoyedsaint

Give him a break ... indeed give me a break. After we wait all this time for the return of our backline, indeed just days before Webster returns to make up one the miserliness backlines in the league and you just have put up this.

Seriously??

If you accept Howard should be playing for St Kilda (or any other AFL side for that matter), then you are happy for us to keep languishing in the bottom half of the ladder.

If he is part of any Premiership side I will eat my hat.

[Killa]

So in the same boat as the guy described by a Judge as going back into the Lion’s Den to recover his hat

Simply, Howard draws the best key forward - and those key forwards can touch anyone up particularly given a midfield dominance

Would you care to list the significant bags of goals these principal key forwards have kicked on Howard?

Noting our defence has the reputation it has

[B.M]

When Howard was out injured

Cordy took the best forward

And frankly

Did a better job - and he’s a C Grade kpd

[magnifisaint]

So in the same boat as the guy described by a Judge as going back into the Lion’s Den to recover his hat

Simply, Howard draws the best key forward - and those key forwards can touch anyone up particularly given a midfield dominance

Would you care to list the significant bags of goals these principal key forwards have kicked on Howard?

Noting our defence has the reputation it has

Dixon who is in s*** form kicks 4 on him while Howard runs around in circles. Game done. The idiot always plays off his man and then when he desperately tries to get back infringes and gives away a goal. Wilkie has to cover for him.

[spert]

So in the same boat as the guy described by a Judge as going back into the Lion’s Den to recover his hat

Simply, Howard draws the best key forward - and those key forwards can touch anyone up particularly given a midfield dominance

Would you care to list the significant bags of goals these principal key forwards have kicked on Howard?

Noting our defence has the reputation it has

Dixon who is in s*** form kicks 4 on him while Howard runs around in circles. Game done. The idiot always plays off his man and then when he desperately tries to get back infringes and gives away a goal. Wilkie has to cover for him.

Howard did get totally dudded by the umps for a goal to Dixon, but don't forget the total lack of pressure upfield which allowed the ball to get into the PA forward half so easy, and I think Wilke might have got caught out to give Dixon another goal- not everything is Dougal's fault

[Otiman]

When Howard was out injured

Cordy took the best forward

And frankly

Did a better job - and he’s a C Grade kpd

Wilkie sacrified his game for it, and frankly the team was worse off.

[Killa]

So given the content on this site by certain, which players on St Kilda’s List are not duds?

Should be an interesting response!

[spert]

So given the content on this site by certain, which players on St Kilda’s List are not duds?

Should be an interesting response!

Best to ask Lyon that- he's selecting them

[SaintWiki]

If that chump is in the best 40 defenders in Australia, then everyone that plays footy should be ashamed.

He shouldn’t even be playing for Sandringham 2nds.

Surely Lyon just scrubs him from the list. If you could do it you would do it yesterday.

Durrr Annoyedsaint

Give him a break ... indeed give me a break. After we wait all this time for the return of our backline, indeed just days before Webster returns to make up one the miserliness backlines in the league and you just have put up this.

Seriously??

If you accept Howard should be playing for St Kilda (or any other AFL side for that matter), then you are happy for us to keep languishing in the bottom half of the ladder.

If he is part of any Premiership side I will eat my hat.

I thought we were building towards a Premiership, there has been no call from the club that we already have a Premiership side.

[skeptic]

200cm key defenders are hard to find and even average ones are worth having.

Howard has played some solid football for us in the past and when it comes to one on one his record is good except for the heavy giants like Dixon and Hawkins. He is not strongly built and that's a pity.

I think the issue most of us have is his inexplicable brain fades particularly when it comes to handballing.

Cordy is braver and harder, but Howard has the closing speed and the reach.

He frustrates, he infuriates, but historically he has gotten the job done more often than not.

Let's not write him off yet. He's just turned 28 and can play for another 4 years. That gives us time to recruit and develop a replacement

I agree to a point but am keen to highlight two points.

The first and most prominent is that Howard would do both himself and the team a huge favour if he cut the dinky cute stuff out of his game that appears to have emerged in the last 2 years.

Vs Port, that dinky little handball over his head straight to an opposition player for an open goal was a joke. Lately, in the games he has played, his skills have been so bad that frankly I don’t have a lot of confidence in him to hit a stationary target direct as opposed to pulling off circus tricks.

For mine… he’d do very very well to model his game a lot more like Mr. Zac Dawson. I remember there was some stat that went round in 2010 that suggested Zac had the highest disposal efficacy of any defender in the league or some rubbish like that… it was misleading sure but he was being smart.
Dawson would get the ball, do safe 30m kicks to open team mates that were much better ball users or fire out handballs to those running by. Nothing brilliant. Nothing fancy but comfortably playing within his limitations.

Howard makes way too many attempts to set up plays and often does those big booking kicks nowhere… often to disadvantage. He’s not a play maker and has to stop acting like one.
His job with the ball should be pass it to Sinclair, NWM or Bonner.

The other thing he needs to do is actually stay on his man. It’s getting tiring watching him play off the contest and get found out.

Second point (which I’ve already made) - we’ve lured him from Port, presumably on big money. Most likely he’s one of the higher paid players on the list and is providing nothing close to value at the moment.
Cordy who has less potential but is likely on peanuts is much much better value. If I was going to cut a player to free some space, barring a drastic reversal in form… he’s an obvious choice at the moment IMO

[Yorkeys]

Must be low on confidence. Got dragged last year, MCG I think, then injured, looked ok preseason then injured again. Plus Clarkson challenged his sexuality and this forum just piles on.
It's tough being Dougal. And now he has to go against Larkey, who does a killer Clarkson impersonation. Guy can't get a break.

[Scollop]

Have a look at who's been backed in to play this week (Dougal Howard)...

And who's been dropped (Zaine Cordy)

Don't get me wrong. I like what Zaine offers as back up and for the short term he has earnt his keep...but we need to constantly think about what our team will look like in 2026 and beyond

Dougal has strengths. With the right coaching, he will improve and he will learn to play within his limitations...as Cordy does.

As I said in the match day thread last week, it was his first game back after a long lay off.

It's not only about your skills under pressure, but also your decision making. It took Jack Sinclair 3 weeks before he was back to his old form

Even the likes of a talented All Australian in Jack Sinclair looked rusty and made mistakes when he played his first game back.

[WellardSaint]

Must be low on confidence. Got dragged last year, MCG I think, then injured, looked ok preseason then injured again. Plus Clarkson challenged his sexuality and this forum just piles on.
It's tough being Dougal. And now he has to go against Larkey, who does a killer Clarkson impersonation. Guy can't get a break.

Facts:
Dougal is about 198 cm
Clarko is about 168 cm
Clarko suffers from SMS (Small Man Syndrome) therefore hates v tall men.

You do the maths

[Vortex]

Have a look at who's been backed in to play this week (Dougal Howard)...

And who's been dropped (Zaine Cordy)

Don't get me wrong. I like what Zaine offers as back up and for the short term he has earnt his keep...but we need to constantly think about what our team will look like in 2026 and beyond

Dougal has strengths. With the right coaching, he will improve and he will learn to play within his limitations...as Cordy does.

As I said in the match day thread last week, it was his first game back after a long lay off.

It's not only about your skills under pressure, but also your decision making. It took Jack Sinclair 3 weeks before he was back to his old form

Even the likes of a talented All Australian in Jack Sinclair looked rusty and made mistakes when he played his first game back.

Exactly...it's why we will need fo be patient with Hayes for a few weeks also.

[Yorkeys]

Must be low on confidence. Got dragged last year, MCG I think, then injured, looked ok preseason then injured again. Plus Clarkson challenged his sexuality and this forum just piles on.
It's tough being Dougal. And now he has to go against Larkey, who does a killer Clarkson impersonation. Guy can't get a break.

Facts:
Dougal is about 198 cm
Clarko is about 168 cm
Clarko suffers from SMS (Small Man Syndrome) therefore hates v tall men.

You do the maths

I think we are at cross purposes.

[hamborger]

If that chump is in the best 40 defenders in Australia, then everyone that plays footy should be ashamed.

He shouldn’t even be playing for Sandringham 2nds.

Surely Lyon just scrubs him from the list. If you could do it you would do it yesterday.

Durrr Annoyedsaint

Give him a break ... indeed give me a break. After we wait all this time for the return of our backline, indeed just days before Webster returns to make up one the miserliness backlines in the league and you just have put up this.

Seriously??

If you accept Howard should be playing for St Kilda (or any other AFL side for that matter), then you are happy for us to keep languishing in the bottom half of the ladder.

If he is part of any Premiership side I will eat my hat.

19 Disposals, 13 Marks, 7 Spoils

Thoughts?

[magnifisaint]

Really good in the 1st half. Average in the 2nd half.

[B.M]

Beat Larkey for 3 qtrs and played well

Was flogged in the last

[SaintPav]

Thought he was pretty good today.

Jimmy too.

[Annoyedsaint]

If that chump is in the best 40 defenders in Australia, then everyone that plays footy should be ashamed.

He shouldn’t even be playing for Sandringham 2nds.

Surely Lyon just scrubs him from the list. If you could do it you would do it yesterday.

Durrr Annoyedsaint

Give him a break ... indeed give me a break. After we wait all this time for the return of our backline, indeed just days before Webster returns to make up one the miserliness backlines in the league and you just have put up this.

Seriously??

If you accept Howard should be playing for St Kilda (or any other AFL side for that matter), then you are happy for us to keep languishing in the bottom half of the ladder.

If he is part of any Premiership side I will eat my hat.

19 Disposals, 13 Marks, 7 Spoils

Thoughts?

Thoughts. Did ‘ok’ against a side that wouldn’t beat most A grade Amateurs teams.

Couple of efforts where he actually put his body in strongly. I like that more and if you lose a contest that way so be it. So few and far between

[The_Dud]

Really good in the 1st half. Average in the 2nd half.

Agree.

Thought he was very good then turned back into a pumpkin in the second half