We need to play kids FAIR DINKUM

[plugger66]

Lets get rid of them all. We must play kids evn if they are no good. Sack them all.

[st.byron]

We are treading water, wasting time and with the current players and current setup, we are NOT going to challenge.

What is the point in playing safety first for a mid table possie or a position in the bottom half of the eight when the players we are persisting with are NOT up to it.

PLAY THE KIDS

Promote Eddy
Geary
Armitage
Ferguson
Stevens

We have too many slow players, we are a mid table combination at best

You could have stopped there Barks but you do love to wheel out the old brass band / drum adage.
Agree with you in principle. Time to get some kids into the line-up. Geary, Armitage, Allen. Jones at least has a crack.
Fiora is soft as butter.
Leigh Fisher is no mid-fielder.
Milne has lost the menace around goal that he used to have and he's not a mid. Neither is Schneider.
Fraser is playing like he should have stayed in Switzerland.
Dal Santo has star billing but rarely delivers a star performance.
Blake - serviceable but never going to be any better than he is now.

Agree that we are heading for another mediocre mid-table finish on the strength of our performances thus far.

[Beej]

Your typical St Kilda performance, one that we've come to expect under Lyon - come out firing and then struggle to stay with the opposition as soon as they decide to raise their level. This is becoming all too predictable.

I agree with barks4eva, our performances this season probably have nothing to do with the game plan. When we can show glimpses of brilliance and then seemingly turn into a rabble within a matter of seconds, the problem isn't the game plan.

Lyon tells us the game plan doesn't change from quarter to quarter and I believe him. The problem is that we're a team totally devoid of motivation and inspiration. This St Kilda side is as far from a unit as I've seen in a long time. Just listening to Lyon bores the sh1t out of me, I can't imagine being a St Kilda player looking to him for confidence at half-time.

Suggestions that the game has changed so much in two years that it has made our list less effective is laughable. The question that needs to be answered is this: how can we play, at times, outstanding, ferocious footy but then, as if like clockwork, lose our focus, intensity, desperation and get worse and worse as the game goes on?

Even more disappointing than our season so far though is some supporters on this forum more than willing to give the players and the coach a pat on the back after a loss. Have we really plunged to such a low that getting to within 10 goals of the Cats is worthy of a bit of praise?

FAIR DINKUM!

[plugger66]

How come in every game we play we get outscored in the second half. Of course it is game plan. We run out of legs because it is to hard to play what RL wants with the players we have.
.
we need to work on other ways our guys can play IMO.

[st.byron]

This St Kilda side is as far from a unit as I've seen in a long time.
..........................
Even more disappointing than our season so far though is some supporters on this forum more than willing to give the players and the coach a pat on the back after a loss. Have we really plunged to such a low that getting to within 10 goals of the Cats is worthy of a bit of praise?

FAIR DINKUM!

You've hit the nail on the head OLB. We seem to be a team completely lacking in inspiration. No sense of real purpose or cohesion. No risk taking.
When is the last time anyone can remember one of our guys really ripping a game apart? Where is the flair? Where's the killer instinct?
Why did we get 10 goals ahead of Carlscum and then let them reel it back to 40 points when we should have won by 13 goals? No predator instinct.

[Beej]

We are treading water, wasting time and with the current players and current setup, we are NOT going to challenge.

What is the point in playing safety first for a mid table possie or a position in the bottom half of the eight when the players we are persisting with are NOT up to it.

PLAY THE KIDS

Promote Eddy
Geary
Armitage
Ferguson
Stevens

We have too many slow players, we are a mid table combination at best

You could have stopped there Barks but you do love to wheel out the old brass band / drum adage.
Agree with you in principle. Time to get some kids into the line-up. Geary, Armitage, Allen. Jones at least has a crack.
Fiora is soft as butter.
Leigh Fisher is no mid-fielder.
Milne has lost the menace around goal that he used to have and he's not a mid. Neither is Schneider.
Fraser is playing like he should have stayed in Switzerland.
Dal Santo has star billing but rarely delivers a star performance.
Blake - serviceable but never going to be any better than he is now.

Agree that we are heading for another mediocre mid-table finish on the strength of our performances thus far.

I have seen nothing from Armitage to suggest he's going to make it. Yeah, he kicked a couple of goals in the NAB Cup, so what? We're crying out for pace, why would we bring in a kid who's slower than Ball?

Geary is nowhere near ready for AFL footy.

[Iceman234]

who knows, maybe G was told to play "russian roulette" and try catch Scarlett out on the rebound

i'm sticking to the theory that all our forwards will be more effective if the delivery into the forward line was half decent

its been deplorable all season

Agree on delivery.

Several times fast and long delivery would have given our talls a chance one out - but we mucked around and chipped sideways til the Cats got back.

I don't know what's happened to trusting the big guys.

[st.byron]

[

I have seen nothing from Armitage to suggest he's going to make it. Yeah, he kicked a couple of goals in the NAB Cup, so what? We're crying out for pace, why would we bring in a kid who's slower than Ball?

Geary is nowhere near ready for AFL footy.

Know where you're coming from OLB. On the other hand I've seen nothing from Fiora, Blake, Leigh Fisher and big Fraser to suggest that they're going to have anything to do with a premiership threat in 2008.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

i do in part agree barks but wheres the point bringing in kids if they cant dominate the VFL ?
seriously we do need some new vitality in the group too many of the players are too comfortable IMO the likes of Fizz, Leigh Fisher, gram and blake are doing their job but not well enuff they are too comfortable in their spots with youth comes excitement with excitement comes flair . the best game ive seen us play this year was when we had the rookies and 2nd year players let loose on the NAB cup i think its time to cut the dead wood and put some new blood but i dissagree with Ferg hes had his chances many times befor for no reward we should of delisted him last year

[meher baba]

Your typical St Kilda performance, one that we've come to expect under Lyon - come out firing and then struggle to stay with the opposition as soon as they decide to raise their level. This is becoming all too predictable.

I agree with barks4eva, our performances this season probably have nothing to do with the game plan. When we can show glimpses of brilliance and then seemingly turn into a rabble within a matter of seconds, the problem isn't the game plan.

Lyon tells us the game plan doesn't change from quarter to quarter and I believe him. The problem is that we're a team totally devoid of motivation and inspiration. This St Kilda side is as far from a unit as I've seen in a long time. Just listening to Lyon bores the sh1t out of me, I can't imagine being a St Kilda player looking to him for confidence at half-time.

Suggestions that the game has changed so much in two years that it has made our list less effective is laughable. The question that needs to be answered is this: how can we play, at times, outstanding, ferocious footy but then, as if like clockwork, lose our focus, intensity, desperation and get worse and worse as the game goes on?

FAIR DINKUM!

Bravo!!

I haven't agreed more with a post on here in many months.

I fear we have swapped a coaching setup which some people thought was lacking technical ability (although this underrated the footy brain of Bundy IMO) but was pretty good at building teamwork and motivating the players, for one which is perhaps technically much better (although I personally don't think so) but seems to be laid back to the point of being almost robotic.

During the second half of 2006, we were able to play an intense, powerful brand of footy, even though five of our most courageous and driven players: Hamill, Hayes, Goose, Kosi and Bally - collectively contributed almost nothing over that period.

Yesterday we had a lineup that included four of those guys, and all but Goose were way fitter than they have been for quite a while (Ball is a long way from being fully fit, but IMO he is still making a greater impact than he has made since 2005). We also had a far better ruck division than we had in the whole of the 2004-06 period: so good, that we could quite reasonably leave a former AA ruckman sitting in the stands.

I know I'll be abused and howled down for saying, but I cannot believe that GT and Bundy couldn't have coached the 22 players that took the field yesterday - with their current levels of fitness - to make a far better effort than we saw. In the GT-Bundy era, teams would come back against us as Geelong did in the second quarter yesterday, and then we would make some adjustments and skip away again in the third and fourth quarters.

Why can't we do that anymore? Why are so many of our players able to give of their best for a quarter or two, but not for all four?

Even more disappointing than our season so far though is some supporters on this forum more than willing to give the players and the coach a pat on the back after a loss. Have we really plunged to such a low that getting to within 10 goals of the Cats is worthy of a bit of praise?

The problem OLB is that too many regular posters on here (or former regular posters: where is Teffers these days?) have gone so far out on a limb in applauding the demise of GT and the advent of Lyon and predicting all sorts of great things that they find it impossible to back down.

[barks4eva]

I agree with barks4eva, our performances this season probably have nothing to do with the game plan. When we can show glimpses of brilliance and then seemingly turn into a rabble within a matter of seconds, the problem isn't the game plan.

So finally after a year and a bit you admit that our problems have nothing to do with any game plan, although you've babbled on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about it ad nauseum ever since round two of 2007.

Suggestions that the game has changed so much in two years that it has made our list less effective is laughable. The question that needs to be answered is this: how can we play, at times, outstanding, ferocious footy but then, as if like clockwork, lose our focus, intensity, desperation and get worse and worse as the game goes on?

The fact is it is a much faster game, the new kick in rule after a behind contributes towards this

Fact is we have more than our fair share of slow players withe poor skills.

This list might look ok on paper if we were still playing in 2004, but in 2008 it is ordinary at best.

I fear we have swapped a coaching setup which some people thought was lacking technical ability (although this underrated the footy brain of Bundy IMO) but was pretty good at building teamwork and motivating the players, for one which is perhaps technically much better (although I personally don't think so) but seems to be laid back to the point of being almost robotic.

During the second half of 2006, we were able to play an intense, powerful brand of footy, even though five of our most courageous and driven players: Hamill, Hayes, Goose, Kosi and Bally - collectively contributed almost nothing over that period.

I know I'll be abused and howled down for saying, but I cannot believe that GT and Bundy couldn't have coached the 22 players that took the field yesterday - with their current levels of fitness - to make a far better effort than we saw. In the GT-Bundy era, teams would come back against us as Geelong did in the second quarter yesterday, and then we would make some adjustments and skip away again in the third and fourth quarters.

Why can't we do that anymore? Why are so many of our players able to give of their best for a quarter or two, but not for all four?

FACT
During the second half of 2006 we played THREE games against the teams that finished TOP 4 that year.

RESULTS

Lost to Adelaide at the dome by 63 points
Lost to West Coast at the dome by 39 points
Lost to Freo at subiaco by 68 points

I did NOT see an intense, powerful brand of footy against any top 4 team.

Fact is in these three games against that year's top four in the latter half of the year, we hardly gave a yelp.

In the games against Adelaide and Freo we were pumped from go to woe, so there was no coming back against any top four team.

I know this is not very convenient for your argument, but hey they are the FACTS!

Getting warmer? > thought not


Fact is we have too many slow players, too many unskilled players, too many ordinary ineffectual players.

All this talk about "our great list" is living in the past, it is 2008 not 2004

We are bottom half of the 8 at best as evidenced by the last two seasons when we've finished 8th and 9th and for a very good reason

Piss poor recruiting over five years sent the list into decline and we drafted too many slow players without any decent skill level.

It's got zero to do with game plans, zero to do with player motivation.

EVERYTHING to do with cattle, we lack pace and have too many players with pathetic skill levels.

You can thank your heroes GT and boy wonder for that, mebabble.



FAIR DINKUM

[meher baba]

That's right Barks. I don't think our main problem ATM is the game plan.

I don't think the game plan Ross Lyon was trying to bring in last year was the right one for us, but I also believe that he has changed it a fair bit this year to accommodate the improved ruck division and the three big forwards. And I think this has simply made things even worse.

It's not the particular game plan that is the problem IMO, but Lyon's obsession with game plans in general as the way to win games. You can hear it in the way he and his assistants talk to the media. He wants all the players to act in a pre-conceived sort of way, rather than to follow their instincts.

GT used to talk all the time about players making "poor choices" whereas Lyon, Silvagni and co talk about the players needing to "learn" to do this and "learn" to do that. It indicates a subtle, but critical difference in the ways that Lyon (and his mentor Roos) and other coaches view the game.

Lyon needs to throw away the whiteboard and the coaching manual and start concentrating on building up the confidence and aggression of the team, and let the talented players use their talent rather than to think constantly about some complicated game plan. Lyon doesn't have the communication skills or force of personality to manipulate his players like mindless "cattle" in the way that Roos does. If he keeps trying to teach them all to think like they are in the coach's box, he will end up looking like another Tim Watson.

[barks4eva]

I fear we have swapped a coaching setup which some people thought was lacking technical ability (although this underrated the footy brain of Bundy IMO) but was pretty good at building teamwork and motivating the players, for one which is perhaps technically much better (although I personally don't think so) but seems to be laid back to the point of being almost robotic.

During the second half of 2006, we were able to play an intense, powerful brand of footy, even though five of our most courageous and driven players: Hamill, Hayes, Goose, Kosi and Bally - collectively contributed almost nothing over that period.

I know I'll be abused and howled down for saying, but I cannot believe that GT and Bundy couldn't have coached the 22 players that took the field yesterday - with their current levels of fitness - to make a far better effort than we saw. In the GT-Bundy era, teams would come back against us as Geelong did in the second quarter yesterday, and then we would make some adjustments and skip away again in the third and fourth quarters.

Why can't we do that anymore? Why are so many of our players able to give of their best for a quarter or two, but not for all four?

FACT
During the second half of 2006 we played THREE games against the teams that finished TOP 4 that year.

RESULTS

Lost to Adelaide at the dome by 63 points
Lost to West Coast at the dome by 39 points
Lost to Freo at subiaco by 68 points

I did NOT see an intense, powerful brand of footy against any top 4 team.

Fact is in the three games against that year's top four in the latter half of the year, we hardly gave a yelp.

In the games against Adelaide and Freo we were pumped from go to woe, so there was no coming back against any top four team.

I know this is not very convenient for your argument, but hey they are the FACTS!

You make some claim about the latter half of 2006 and then when presented with facts, you ignored this, WHY?

Yesterday's game was very similar to how we fared against the top four teams in 2006.

[plugger66]

I fear we have swapped a coaching setup which some people thought was lacking technical ability (although this underrated the footy brain of Bundy IMO) but was pretty good at building teamwork and motivating the players, for one which is perhaps technically much better (although I personally don't think so) but seems to be laid back to the point of being almost robotic.

During the second half of 2006, we were able to play an intense, powerful brand of footy, even though five of our most courageous and driven players: Hamill, Hayes, Goose, Kosi and Bally - collectively contributed almost nothing over that period.

I know I'll be abused and howled down for saying, but I cannot believe that GT and Bundy couldn't have coached the 22 players that took the field yesterday - with their current levels of fitness - to make a far better effort than we saw. In the GT-Bundy era, teams would come back against us as Geelong did in the second quarter yesterday, and then we would make some adjustments and skip away again in the third and fourth quarters.

Why can't we do that anymore? Why are so many of our players able to give of their best for a quarter or two, but not for all four?

FACT
During the second half of 2006 we played THREE games against the teams that finished TOP 4 that year.

RESULTS

Lost to Adelaide at the dome by 63 points
Lost to West Coast at the dome by 39 points
Lost to Freo at subiaco by 68 points

I did NOT see an intense, powerful brand of footy against any top 4 team.

Fact is in the three games against that year's top four in the latter half of the year, we hardly gave a yelp.

In the games against Adelaide and Freo we were pumped from go to woe, so there was no coming back against any top four team.

I know this is not very convenient for your argument, but hey they are the FACTS!

You make some claim about the latter half of 2006 and then when presented with facts, you ignored this, WHY?

Yesterday's game was very similar to how we fared against the top four teams in 2006.

Did we have one or 2 players out from our best side then or doesnt that help your arguement to mention that.

[krabb]

Kids are our future...we need to keep turning them over and giving them an honest chance to show what they can do.

Gehrig was a backward step...a waste of a draft pick...his best is behind him.

Why not try Harvey in the forward pocket for his last year...give the poor bugger a break..whats there to lose?

Poor recruiting is why we cant keep up with the rest..simple as that.

[Ralphy]

Kids are our future...we need to keep turning them over and giving them an honest chance to show what they can do.

Gehrig was a backward step...a waste of a draft pick...his best is behind him.

Why not try Harvey in the forward pocket for his last year...give the poor bugger a break..whats there to lose?

Poor recruiting is why we cant keep up with the rest..simple as that.

agree 100% harvey is unjured isnt he,?

i would give Armo, Eddy, Etc A go

[barks4eva]

Kids are our future...we need to keep turning them over and giving them an honest chance to show what they can do.

Gehrig was a backward step...a waste of a draft pick...his best is behind him.

Why not try Harvey in the forward pocket for his last year...give the poor bugger a break..whats there to lose?

Poor recruiting is why we cant keep up with the rest..simple as that.

Exactly, it's so obvious, it's THE basic fundamental, the lifeblood of any team.

For over five years up until last year's draft all we had to show for it was S.Fisher and Gram pretty much.

While many others teams have developed talent by the truckload, our club stagnated and did NOT, with all the top up duds and rejects, who have all come and gone for diddly squat.

[krabb]

While many others teams have developed talent by the truckload, our club stagnated and did NOT, with all the top up duds and rejects, who have all come and gone for diddly squat.

Agree...GT and the famous bundy dropped the ball and relented on a promise to just recruit the next best kid...instead they went for quick fixes and rejects and thats a copout.

We also need to make some changes in the midfield..mix it up a bit...try some kids...anyone thats got some passion for the team.

[rodgerfox]

Yesterday's game was very similar to how we fared against the top four teams in 2006.

Yesterday we had pretty much a full squad.

In 2006, we weren't even close. Understandably, whilst decimated, the really good teams that were up and flying beat us.

We comfortably beat the rest.

This year, with a full squad, we haven't been convincing full stop.

Ditto last year.

[rodgerfox]

While many others teams have developed talent by the truckload, our club stagnated and did NOT, with all the top up duds and rejects, who have all come and gone for diddly squat.

Agree...GT and the famous bundy dropped the ball and relented on a promise to just recruit the next best kid...instead they went for quick fixes and rejects and thats a copout.

We also need to make some changes in the midfield..mix it up a bit...try some kids...anyone thats got some passion for the team.

Is this anything like the 7 rejects we've recruited in the past 2 years?

Interestingly, for weaknesses in our list that appear so glaring to many experts in here - we have not traded one 'big name' to address this.

[barks4eva]

Did we have one or 2 players out from our best side then or doesnt that help your arguement to mention that.

Hayes was out from round 9 > massive loss, possibly our most important player alongside Riewoldt, no denying that

BUT it further emphasizes our overall lack of player development that he is not replacable and that there were no kids coming through to pick up the slack

Maguire was out from Round 18, played in the 63 point loss at the dome to Adelaide and was injured in the last minute in our 39 point loss to West Coast.

Hamill, do I really need to discuss him?

Ball, as effective now as he was then.

Seriously this is like shuffling deckchairs around on the titanic.

I could argue that Gehrig was a much more valuable and effective forward in 2006 than he is now.

Maguire was less of a player yesterday than he was in the team's that were pumped by 63 points and 39 points by top 4 teams in the latter half of 2006.

BUT seriously these are meaningless arguments used by people to prop up meaningless debates about meaningless issues.

The fact is RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, we are a slow team, we have too many unskilled players and we have not developed enough young kids coming through and it is our achilles heel.

The game has changed, the game is faster, the rules have changed to make this so, it is just a fact.

Mebabble tried to take us down his prehistoric route, and he has the hide to call Lyon a dinosaur, with his, we played a powerful brand in the latter half of 2006

As I pointed out we got caned, flogged, arsewhipped and had our pants pulled down, much like yesterday against three top four sides( we only played 3) in the latter half of 2006.

We also fell over the line against an undermanned bombers by 3 points and would have lost but for Jason Johnson missing the sealer from 15 metres out directly in front and would have also lost to Port if Daniel Motlop had of converted a set shot from 20 meters out directly in front.

That's how we scraped into the finals that year, hardly the all conquering, dynamic , power driven, inspired footy that mebabble would have everyone believe.

Fact is the list has been in decline for over five years and it is catching up with us.

We did not finish 8th and 9th in the past two seasons for no good reason.

Our players are so overrated, too many on here still living in a 2004 time warp and how ironic it is that one even has the hide to call Lyon a dinosaur.

[barks4eva]

While many others teams have developed talent by the truckload, our club stagnated and did NOT, with all the top up duds and rejects, who have all come and gone for diddly squat.

Agree...GT and the famous bundy dropped the ball and relented on a promise to just recruit the next best kid...instead they went for quick fixes and rejects and thats a copout.

We also need to make some changes in the midfield..mix it up a bit...try some kids...anyone thats got some passion for the team.

Agree 100%

[spert]

Speaking Fairdinkum- if we want to go the next step, we need to step up the intensity level and some of the established players are now too old to do that - Max , Gtrain and Harvs are playing one year too many and Milne is taking up space. We seriously need an infusion of youth NOW. We have plenty of talent to contest the finals, but that's as far as we will get if we're lucky. We have to play Armo, Eddy, and even Birss and McQ. I think Charlie C needs to be in the forward line for mobility and maybe time for NDS to be a permanent forward. Sitting at the dome yesterday I couldn't see a lot of positives -sure our midfield stepped up, but apart from Roo and the intensity of Jones, nothing much else excited me.

[barks4eva]

Yesterday's game was very similar to how we fared against the top four teams in 2006.

Yesterday we had pretty much a full squad.

In 2006, we weren't even close. Understandably, whilst decimated, the really good teams that were up and flying beat us.

We comfortably beat the rest.

This year, with a full squad, we haven't been convincing full stop.

Ditto last year.

Life just stands still doesn't it dodger?

Hawthorn are the same team they were two years ago
Geelong are the same team they were two years ago

Dodger, you're so laterally challenged, I'd normally suggest that your left hand has no idea what the right one is doing, but with the old muscle memory, by now I'm sure it's got a very good idea as to what it's up to.



In both those losses at the dome in (2006) against top four teams Adelaide by 63 points and West Coast by 39 points who was out, exactly?

We were missing Hayes and Hamill, who else?

Maguire was fully fit for both those games in 2006 and was injured in the last minute of the West Coast game.

How fit was Maguire yesterday in 2008



Ball was about as effective as he is now, Gehrig is less of a player than he was then.........................this is all so meaningless

meaningless points in a futile attempt to support meaningless points, that mean SFA


Ian Baker Finch used to be immaculate with his putter one year, then quadruple bogeys became the norm the next and he couldn't put to save himself

Life is ephemeral dodger, things change

The game has changed or havn't you noticed?

[Castro]

Having read the full thread for this topic, I must admit that I agree with many comments, especially those from barks4eva. One theme that I haven't seen discussed as much as I feel it should have been is that of our hardness. Whilst Lenny Hayes can always be counted upon to give 100% of himself in every match, I cannot say the same for the majority of the other 22 players selected in our senior side.

I'm sure that most of us would have seen the Barry Hall incident by now. Having watched the footage on numerous occasions, I was pleased to see that Beau Waters went to Hall to remonstrate with him over his actions. At least Waters had the spirit to stand up for his teammate, Brent Staker. In stark contrast to this, not one of our players did anything whatsoever following the Xavier Clarke incident. It saddens me to say this, however I genuinely feel that this is a sign that our players are playing for the money rather than the jumper or their teammates. Given that Ross Lyon was one of the hardest players of his era, one would have thought that he could instill some of this ruthlessness in his players.

My thoughts on our beloved football team mirror those of barks4eva. One can hypothesize as much as they want about our coaching staff or our game plan, however the underlying problems do not stem from these areas. In my eyes, our fundamental problems as a side are our lack of pace, our sub-standard skills, both field skills and goal-kicking, our fitness and our desire to succeed.

Having watched yesterday's game in full twice now (yes, I am a glutton for punishment), the most frustrating aspect of the match was our atrocious disposal, poor decision making and, of course, our deplorable goal-kicking. The set shots that we missed yesterday prevented us from applying any scoreboard pressure to Geelong. We may get away with such misses against mediocre opposition, however we needed to take these opportunities yesterday against the very best. I genuinely feel that we were not too far off Geelong yesterday. Had it not been for our lack of scoreboard pressure and a seemingly inexplicable lapse of concentration in the second quarter, the game would have been in the balance.

As a result, I take many positives from yesterday's match. Barks4eva and numerous other posters have made incredibly valid points about our questionable selections. Like most of you here, I am livid about the chances given to the likes of Aaron Fiora, Jason Blake, Michael Rix and Raphael Clarke. These players are not up to AFL level and cannot be considered if we are to challenge the best sides in the event that we make the finals. Steven Baker and Adam Schneider will be automatic inclusions in our best 22 when they are available, thus bolstering our depth. In my opinion, David Armitage has shown more than enough to maintain a spot in the senior side. With our midfield depth lacking, it is vital to play him so that he not only adds to our current rotation, but also gains the invaluable experience of playing alongside our premier midfielders against quality opposition. This is the only way to fast-track the development of our youngsters such as Armitage.

I, too, am bitterly disappointed with St.Kilda thus far this season, however premierships are neither won nor lost in Round 4. Perhaps I am being a typically optimistic St.Kilda supporter, however I can see that with subtle on-field changes, a significant increase in our skill level and, above all, a genuine hunger and passion to succeed, we can make a significant impact in September.