Once again too many passengers

[tezza1]

You will always find it hard to win games of football when too few have to do too much work to do ...........

Passengers..........

Rix , Baker , Dal Santo , Maguire , Leigh Fisher spring straight to mind....

Some noteable passengers.

We are a middle of the rung team capable of good football when the pressure eases but sorely lacking the skills of better teams under pressure.

[The_Dud]

how bout add Ball, Goddard, Blake, Gardiner, Birss and half a dozen more

[SuperSaint]

Add Milne (always a passenger when the game is in the other team's favour and a proven dud finals performer), Montagna and Gram to the passenger list.

I watched Brisbane's comeback and our player's didn't have 10% of there desperation & fight tonight. Truly pathetic except for Roo's single handed efforts in the 3rd quarter.

[Saintschampions08]

Add Milne (always a passenger when the game is in the other team's favour and a proven dud finals performer), Montagna and Gram to the passenger list.

I watched Brisbane's comeback and our player's didn't have 10% of there desperation & fight tonight. Truly pathetic except for Roo's single handed efforts in the 3rd quarter.

Montagna...are you serious?!?!

This guy's been in our top 5 players every week but one this year. He played well tonight, second only to Hayes.

[battye]

Add Milne (always a passenger when the game is in the other team's favour and a proven dud finals performer), Montagna and Gram to the passenger list.

I watched Brisbane's comeback and our player's didn't have 10% of there desperation & fight tonight. Truly pathetic except for Roo's single handed efforts in the 3rd quarter.

Milne was good tonight. He had a real crack at it, and while it didn't come off on at least one occasion he was far from our worst.

[SuperSaint]

Add Milne (always a passenger when the game is in the other team's favour and a proven dud finals performer), Montagna and Gram to the passenger list.

I watched Brisbane's comeback and our player's didn't have 10% of there desperation & fight tonight. Truly pathetic except for Roo's single handed efforts in the 3rd quarter.

Montagna...are you serious?!?!

This guy's been in our top 5 players every week but one this year. He played well tonight, second only to Hayes.

I'm talking about tonight's game and he had ineffective games against Geelong & Bulldogs. so there's 50% of games played there already. I must be blind if you think his efforts have closely emulated Hayes' so far this season.
Oh and not to mention against Sydney in the first round where his game was very average.

[SuperSaint]

Add Milne (always a passenger when the game is in the other team's favour and a proven dud finals performer), Montagna and Gram to the passenger list.

I watched Brisbane's comeback and our player's didn't have 10% of there desperation & fight tonight. Truly pathetic except for Roo's single handed efforts in the 3rd quarter.

Milne was good tonight. He had a real crack at it, and while it didn't come off on at least one occasion he was far from our worst.

Sorry but wouldn't call Milne's performance good tonight. Just heard the 1116 radio summary and they also singled him out. His legitimate 'good' efforts over 4 quarters are 'few and far between' now.

[savatage]

Add Milne (always a passenger when the game is in the other team's favour and a proven dud finals performer), Montagna and Gram to the passenger list.

I watched Brisbane's comeback and our player's didn't have 10% of there desperation & fight tonight. Truly pathetic except for Roo's single handed efforts in the 3rd quarter.

Milne was good tonight. He had a real crack at it, and while it didn't come off on at least one occasion he was far from our worst.

You're joking aren't you?

[terry smith rules]

Sorry but wouldn't call Milne's performance good tonight. Just heard the 1116 radio summary and they also singled him out. His legitimate 'good' efforts over 4 quarters are 'few and far between' now.[/quote]

how could amongst 18 poor performances, can you single out milne

the ball rarely got near him

sick and tired of him been a scapegoat

try some of the defence and midielders who tunr the ball over every second possession

[SuperSaint]

how could amongst 18 poor performances, can you single out milne.

the ball rarely got near him

sick and tired of him been a scapegoat

try some of the defence and midielders who tunr the ball over every second possession

Not singled out here, just stating he is one of about 11-12 named as passengers on this thread. The radio experts though, did single him out.

[Juggernaut]

Passengers?

I thought after Riewoldt's B&F speach there were meant to be passengers.... on the bus

[Statsman]

You've got to at least get on the bus to be a passenger. Many of our players tonight didn't even go that far.

[To the top]

Will not win games with the likes of Milne, Baker, Blake, Rix.

None of them are AFL footballers. The game has passed them by.

Maguire, well now that he is back into AFL football what do you do? He is a work in progress from the injuries he has had - so you probably have to keep the faith and look for incremental improvements.

The very fact that Baker is immediately chosen is indicative as is the reference to him being a B&F winner.

When he won the B&F he could tag Ablett out of a game - so that is how far the competition has moved and how far past it Baker and St Kilda are.

And Milne kicks 2 goals a game - well, where were they tonight?

Time to move with the times, and to pension off the former "icons" who are past their use by date.

Give the chances to those drafted over the past couple of years, because they are the players St Kilda are investing in.

It is a game of turning players over, and we have to see what the Howard's, the Steven's, the Allen's and the McEvoy's have - not resort to the brigade who have not delivered and are not delivering.

I note that PA once again dominated the ruck contests, as they always do against us - and they run their rucks to dangerous positions.

It was unfortunate that King and Gardiner were out, because if we need them against any side, it is PA who towel us up year in and year out starting in the ruck.

To finish where I started, you can not win an AFL match these days with at most 18 AFL standard footballers on the park - and another in re-habilitation.

[borderbarry]

Rix, Baker, Maguire, Birss, L.Fisher, Dempster and C.Gardiner. Thats all that I saw as passengers. A pity we only have Schnieder who may return from injury.

[Rix4eva]

We have far too many players who are only of VFL standard

our list is ordinary at best, we are the new Richmond after years of poor recruiting and list management by the previous football department

our top tier players are simply not good enough to carry the weight of so many sub ordinary footballers who have metropolitan league skill levels

actually no team's top tier players are good enough to carry the garbage players that run around in our 22

Blake, Birss, L.Fisher, C. Gardiner, Dempster are all liabilities

Many carry on about Maguire on here as though he's some ALL Australian fullback, he's slow and currently just a GOP at best

Kossie, heralded by some as though he's the messiah, but when does he ever put his stamp on a game

Dal Santo, sublime skills, but goes missing far too frequently, downhill skier

Ball gives his all, but struggles to kick over a jam tin, but having poor skills in this rabble, certainly does not make him robinson crusoe

X. Clarke's, soft effort at tackling a port player which gave up a goal, certainly encompasses his game

L.Montagna's horrible handball to a stationary S.Fisher just before quarter time after everyone ran the clock down for 90 seconds, encompasses, what this whole team is all about, soft, poorly skilled, dumb footballers, with half the team more suited to VFL standard

Gram, just another of our downhill skiers


People on here go on about our great list, what an absolute joke

Blake, Birss, L.Fisher, Dempster, C.Gardiner are all liabilities, we will not win a premiership or even be a top four contender with these players in our 22

the pathetic skill level of most of our team is a fair dinkum disgrace

time to play the kids, not because it's waving the white flag, play the kids because it will actually be an improvement on the many times tried and many times failed, ordinary, ineffectual, slow and poorly skilled players that will keep us mid table for years to come

play the kids, before we truly become the new Richmond

we've already finished mid table two years running, which is a true reflection of how ordinary our playing list actually is, we are a mid table combination, we are fast becoming the new Richmond

8th 9th.............

Why even bother selecting Birss, there is no upside, it's just another waste of space, as if we don't already have more than our fair share of liabilities already


play

Geary
Allen
promote Eddy and tell Gehrig to piss off
give Ferguson a go, fair dinkum this kid has been given zero opportunities, play him at half forward
Steven

time to start planning for the future, by introducing new young talent at the expense of players who are taking us nowhere

[Red]

It was Bakers first hit out of the year. The player I was most disappointed

with was Ball. 3 times he had the ball between 40 & 50 and looked for an

option. He needs to have a go. Chipping the ball around with his foot skills

isn't going to hurt the opposition.

We need to find some half forwards who can score from just inside or

outside 50.

[LENNY LEADS THE WAY]

We have far too many players who are only of VFL standard

our list is ordinary at best, we are the new Richmond after years of poor recruiting and list management by the previous football department

our top tier players are simply not good enough to carry the weight of so many sub ordinary footballers who have metropolitan league skill levels

actually no team's top tier players are good enough to carry the garbage players that run around in our 22

Blake, Birss, L.Fisher, C. Gardiner, Dempster are all liabilities

Many carry on about Maguire on here as though he's some ALL Australian fullback, he's slow and currently just a GOP at best

Kossie, heralded by some as though he's the messiah, but when does he ever put his stamp on a game

Dal Santo, sublime skills, but goes missing far too frequently, downhill skier

Ball gives his all, but struggles to kick over a jam tin, but having poor skills in this rabble, certainly does not make him robinson crusoe

X. Clarke's, soft effort at tackling a port player which gave up a goal, certainly encompasses his game

L.Montagna's horrible handball to a stationary S.Fisher just before quarter time after everyone ran the clock down for 90 seconds, encompasses, what this whole team is all about, soft, poorly skilled, dumb footballers, with half the team more suited to VFL standard

Gram, just another of our downhill skiers


People on here go on about our great list, what an absolute joke

Blake, Birss, L.Fisher, Dempster, C.Gardiner are all liabilities, we will not win a premiership or even be a top four contender with these players in our 22

the pathetic skill level of most of our team is a fair dinkum disgrace

time to play the kids, not because it's waving the white flag, play the kids because it will actually be an improvement on the many times tried and many times failed, ordinary, ineffectual, slow and poorly skilled players that will keep us mid table for years to come

play the kids, before we truly become the new Richmond

we've already finished mid table two years running, which is a true reflection of how ordinary our playing list actually is, we are a mid table combination, we are fast becoming the new Richmond

8th 9th.............

Why even bother selecting Birss, there is no upside, it's just another waste of space, as if we don't already have more than our fair share of liabilities already


play

Geary
Allen
promote Eddy and tell Gehrig to piss off
give Ferguson a go, fair dinkum this kid has been given zero opportunities, play him at half forward
Steven

time to start planning for the future, by introducing new young talent at the expense of players who are taking us nowhere

As much as i hate to say it spot on well said that's looking at our list as it currently stands.

[bobmurray]

GT pointed out some of Gooses weaknesses but because it was the bitter ex coach no one paid him any attention....

Maybe he knows the player better than anyone thinks....

I hope he comes good by the end of the season or it will be interesting to see what the Brains trust do during trade week.......

F***...i hope we don't finish lower than Carlton.....

[Teflon]

GT pointed out some of Gooses weaknesses but because it was the bitter ex coach no one paid him any attention....

Maybe he knows the player better than anyone thinks....

I hope he comes good by the end of the season or it will be interesting to see what the Brains trust do during trade week.......

F***...i hope we don't finish lower than Carlton.....

I actually agreed with his views on Maguire - he can only run straight lines which is what he said and hes spot on.

[vacuous space]

Montagna...are you serious?!?!

Montagna has been racking up cheap, uncontested touches and has been brutal with his disposal. Considering the amount of time he spends in the centre, he needs to either:

A) win more contested ball and use it better, or
B) get out of the centre

[To the top]

See the photograph in "The Sunday Age" of Lade.

Year in and year out the Williams philosophy (inherited from his father) that you have strong rucks has seen St Kilda unable to compete with Port Adelaide, or any side with strong rucks - remember Street at Geelong on a wet and miserable day a few years back - dominated and we lost.

Port Adelaide even gave us one of their recruits (Brooks) and one of their fringe ruckmen (Ackland) but we still did not learn.

We did not play Brooks as a ruckman. We played him as a 198cm forward, and wasted him - albeit that he had to regain confidence in his jumping leg after a re-construction - but you only do that one way.

Now, finally, the penny drops - and we have M. Gardiner and King, but we need to get them on the park to start the game for us.

Apart from them we have no rucks, and how Rix was retained over Brooks as a back up ruckman to M. Gardiner and King is beyond me.

But there are others we have recruited - and last night we had Birss who could not get a regular "gig" with Footscray, C. Gardiner the same at Geelong, Dempster the same at Sydney and Rix from Hawthorn's "Rookie List".

Plus we played those St Kilda fans love - Milne and Baker, where the game has past both by.

Because we play these players, how many "taggers" do we select - and how many do we play as "taggers"?

Maguire can only play in one position - CHB. Therefore, and given his current re-habilitation predicament, he can be exposed. A full back, or a back flanker or a back pocket or a CHF he is not - plus he is only 190cm - a centimetre taller than R. Clarke and the same height as Goddard.

He has to play in defence and where he can make the ball his object = CHB or no-where.

One question is, if someone like Ling can make such a mark playing as he does and where he does, why not Goddard?

"Taggers" have to generate - aka K. Cornes on Dal Santo - and exit the "taggers" we have because the K. Cornes' and the Ling's are the bench mark - not the Baker's.

Kosi in the ruck leaves exactly who forward? Rix? His hands do not receive the ball, the ball hits them = so he can not mark. 199cm and you can not mark.

What support did Riewoldt have?

So we use Blake as a ruckman! His build says he should be a Half-back flanker.

And we pick the likes of Baker, Milne, Birss, Rix, Dempster, C. Gardiner and a rehabilitating Maguire ahead of Howard, Steven, Allen, R. Clarke and McEvoy.

We play the game plan we play because we are required to - we are not structuring on the field behind 2 class ruckmen and with a spine and with an elite mid-field to capitalise on the work of our ruckmen - and that is where it starts and finishes.

There is nothing wrong with 3 talls forward if you are getting the ball in there quickly, and you have the likes of Ball and Montagna (or Steven) at their feet, including to disrupt the opposition if they take the spoil - but you have to drive the ball in quickly.

WE do not drive the ball in.

Because we do not control the ground where it needs to be controlled.

One thing leads to another and that is why we get what we get.

[saintspremiers]

"Downhill Skiers" is a great analogy barks - our team seems to be built totally on confidence and severely lacks the ability to fight back from bad form during the game.

I think the motto for our team needs to be: "Take off your downhill skis and replace them with cross country ones......do some really hard yards up the hill and you will be rewarded with some downhill slopes occassionally".

Cross country skiing is like that.....bloody hard yakka with only some rewards, nowhere near as much "fun and excitement" as the downhill variety!