Nick Dalsanto

[Saintschampions08]

Dal, Ball and Hayes has 22 clearances against Carlton between them. For some reason, RL insists on giving those three as little time on the ball as possible. I can't understand it. Ablett, Bartel and Corey spend most of the time on the ball for Geelong. Why do we unnecessarily disadvantage ourselves by playing lesser players in the centre all the time?

Very good point, this rotation bullsh#t, is for the teams that don't have an absolute gun midfield set up. We should only use it (rotating lesser mids in) sparingly for centre square clearances, start 'resting' these blokes (Dal, Lenny & Ball) next to the full forward...it's been brought in a talked up by the likes of Malthouse and Wallet...if you want a clearance, get your best in there. You cannot tell me, with the scores level and one minute to go in the GF, a coach will have his 2nd and 3rd stringers in there because it's part of a set rotation. Time to challenge our mids to stand up in the heat for 80% of a game!

I think the difference is that when Geelong rest their mids this is what happens. Ablett goes down forward for 5 minutes, kicks a goal, Chapman or Stokes go to the midfield and dominate.

When one of our players get rested, they go down back and completely shut up shop, in comes Xavier Clarke to the midfield, who has little or no impact.

I'm not sure why, we have at least 4 genuinely good midfielders (Hayes, Dal Santo, Harvey, Montagna & possibly Ball) and then we have at least 4 genuinely good players who can go in and have an impact when they are being rested (Goddard, Gram, Ball, Schneider).

I don't understand why we continually persist with the idea of: "lets give Blake, Fiora and L.Fisher a run in the midfield, while we take Ball and Hayes off and rest Dal Santo in the backline".

A player like Dal Santo should spend 90-95% of the game on the field, sure give him a rest, at half forward.

What annoys me the most is how continuously week in, week out, our midfielder have less disposals then our backmen, Sam Fisher is great, but theirs no reason in the world he should be leading our disposal count .

[Saints43]

A player like Dal Santo should spend 90-95% of the game on the field, sure give him a rest, at half forward.

The trouble with that is that there is no rest in our forward line.

Our half forwards are on the half back line.

Last week when O'halpin (sp) took off from full back to CHF Gehrig followed him. We let an Irish bloke who has played footy for 12 weeks dictate terms to a dual Coleman medalist.

If Gehrig didn't follow him how long do you reckon it would have been before the Carlton box would have been up in arms at Gehrig standing on his own inside 50.

We dont dictate terms.

We are now accountable. Always. No matter the situation.

[Saintschampions08]

Maybe Dal Santo isn't really all cracked up to the heights some people think he is. Maybe he is really, a good solid player, but not really good enough to be one of the elite.

I'm not suggesting he is, or isn't, i'm just offering an idea. Since '04, he hasn't improved, maybe its not about tags, our midfielders or their midfielders, maybe he's just not as good as people think he is.

[Animal Enclosure]

The problem with Dal is that he is lazy & doesn't work hard enough when he hasn't got the ball. Young Hill destroyed him last night & Dal didn't have the guts to sacrifice his own attacking game to stop an opponent who was inspiring the opposition.

Dal needs to be given some defensive jobs in my opinion instead of just worrying about himself. Get him to tag Bartel next week to show him how hard a true champion on baller works.

Montagna & Gram are in the same boat. Usually good when they've got it, bloody like ghosts when the opposition has.

[Behind Play]

Ian Stewart claimed he was lazy and would never win a Brownlow.

[mightysainters]

This season he has been as soft as they come... only gets easy kicks in the half back line was terrible....

[spert]

Fact is he is talented but has a small engine and is nowhere near the player Ian Stewart was

[The_Dud]

i would say Dal Santo played at the same level as the rest of the mid-fielders last night

none of them should be singled out, they were pathetic as a whole

[Boppa]

The problem with Dal is that he is lazy & doesn't work hard enough when he hasn't got the ball. Young Hill destroyed him last night & Dal didn't have the guts to sacrifice his own attacking game to stop an opponent who was inspiring the opposition.

Great post, Dal Santo is extremely lazy when it comes to defensive work. The guy has sublime skills, but whenever you watch him he always looks like he is going at half pace.

Ian Stewart claimed he was lazy and would never win a Brownlow

Stewart is one of the greats to play the game, and when you hear him speak he almost sounds offended when people compare Dal Santo to him.

Fact is he is talented but has a small engine and is nowhere near the player Ian Stewart was

Correct.....................................................Enough said

[Saints43]

i would say Dal Santo played at the same level as the rest of the mid-fielders last night

He barely even plays in the midfield.

How many centre bounces (where the midfielders play) does NDS start in?

A reminder to those who will pull out clearence stats - You can get a clearence anywhere on the ground.

[Spinner]

i would say Dal Santo played at the same level as the rest of the mid-fielders last night

He barely even plays in the midfield.

How many centre bounces (where the midfielders play) does NDS start in?

A reminder to those who will pull out clearence stats - You can get a clearence anywhere on the ground.

I thought he played in most center bounces....???

[brown-coat]

Elite skill, zero heart.

[fingers]

I think Dal is a victim of his own hype. All we hear is "mercurial skills" always finds space and time, silky.....blah blah. Maybe he believes it a little too much and thinks he can float around take possessions and making play. He really needs to get a hard ball occasionally that will make him a complete player.

[Saintschampions08]

I think Dal is a victim of his own hype. All we hear is "mercurial skills" always finds space and time, silky.....blah blah. Maybe he believes it a little too much and thinks he can float around take possessions and making play. He really needs to get a hard ball occasionally that will make him a complete player.

It doesn't matter what kind of ball he finds. To be an elite player, he needs to be averaging 8 more disposals per game.

A goal every now and then wouldn't be so bad either.

[vacuous space]

How many centre bounces (where the midfielders play) does NDS start in?

Used to be in the centre all the time. Since RL took over he's getting less and less time in the centre, to the point where this week he was running around loose in defence for a lot of the game. Last week he got a few centre clearances though.

[Duggie]

Just cannot recall the last time he brought off a winning move. Seems to be hesitant and lacking confidence.

[Behind Play]

Giving him the benefit, he did have a minor personal problem this week.

[Ralphy]

Giving him the benefit, he did have a minor personal problem this week.

what was the problem

[Behind Play]

Broke up with the girl friend.

[suss]

I'm slightly perplexed...can anyone tell me exactly when it was that NDS declared to the world he was as good as Ian Stewart?

He ranked, what was it, third in the Brownlow last year you people have the audicity to call him 'soft' and use terms like 'zero heart'. It's a crock. He's a super player that had a dog of a night, literally. He wasn't alone most of the team had their pants pulled down. He'll be come good. Super stars do that.

[Dal_Santos_Gal]

Just cannot recall the last time he brought off a winning move. Seems to be hesitant and lacking confidence.

I can help you out there, you have a short memory that's for sure but it was the goal against West Coast last year in Harves 350 game

[Dal_Santos_Gal]

I'm slightly perplexed...can anyone tell me exactly when it was that NDS declared to the world he was as good as Ian Stewart?

He ranked, what was it, third in the Brownlow last year you people have the audicity to call him 'soft' and use terms like 'zero heart'. It's a crock. He's a super player that had a dog of a night, literally. He wasn't alone most of the team had their pants pulled down. He'll be come good. Super stars do that.

Here Here!

"soft", "zero heart" why don't you lot email Dal at the club and tell him yourselves, It is easy enough to say on here, lets see you tell him.

[barks4eva]

I'm slightly perplexed...can anyone tell me exactly when it was that NDS declared to the world he was as good as Ian Stewart?

He ranked, what was it, third in the Brownlow last year you people have the audicity to call him 'soft' and use terms like 'zero heart'. It's a crock. He's a super player that had a dog of a night, literally. He wasn't alone most of the team had their pants pulled down. He'll be come good. Super stars do that.

Here Here!

"soft", "zero heart" why don't you lot email Dal at the club and tell him yourselves, It is easy enough to say on here, lets see you tell him.

here here again

Dal is a gun, had an awful game as did about 15 others, geez he's human afterall

FAIR DINKUM

[bigcarl]

Broke up with the girl friend.

there will be other girls rejoicing everywhere at the news that dal is back on the market

[WaggaSaint]

I tend to believe that there is a general lack of desire and belief amongst the players. There is very little confidence with the boys, and when there is some the results are devistating (for the opposition) - see Q1 last week.

What I don't understand is how you can have some teams who are full of average players, but play well above their weight division, but we're blessed with ability, but little desire and confidence, and as a result, consistantly play below our weight division. Is this an institutionalised attitude at the club, and if so, why?

NDS has such amazing natural ability, but is the hunger there? It seems that the hunger is missing from several members of the squad.