Concerns about our performance

[midas_touch]

We were made to look like a bunch of witches hats today. Time after time the richmond players were able to get around us with ease, and every time we stuck a tackle they were able to dish the ball off to a teammate. I'm just hoping that the players subconsciously went in with a self preservation mindset, as they played very loose all match. It seemed we were second to the ball in the stoppages today as well, which is a concern. In addition, our disposal was horrible at times, with Gilbert, Milne and Gram the culprits.

However there were also a couple of positives. Kosi's bag of five goals will help his confidence, Riewoldt played another very good game and Goddard's hanger should be MOTY.

At the moment, I'm still not conviced that we can make the GF just yet. I'm hoping we can actually hit top gear come finals and discover some of that relentless pressure which was our trademark for all of last year.

[Teflon]

Agree with that and I know we had some players out but what is clearly not where it was is our pressure game.

Last year sides struggled to get the ball out of our fwd 50 - this year its with ease/speed and that is why sides then get our defence 1 out and we look exposed and are scored against. As Goddard said post match - they got us on the turn over a fair bit with no pressure on their ball carrier through the midfield.

IMO this is now ALL mental. That attitude to hunt in packs, to make the tackle stick (saw plenty where Richmond players still managed to get free/shrug) is something we are currently lacking.

I watched Adelaide put some reasonable pressure on Collingwood and almost get them....same for Cats against Blues.

This is THE single thing Im looking for in games - that we have again started to hunt the ball carrier cause we need it to win it I reckon.

[SainterK]

We were missing two of our best tacklers today, both Lenny and Jones are in the top 20 for the comp...they are a huge part of our pressure game.

It's about balance, we have had times this year when we the pressure has been well down, and times we struggle to hit the scoreboard and kick enough goals.

If our forwards continue to find some form, and the defensive side of the game improves, it makes for a good formula.

Go Saints!

[Teflon]

We were missing two of our best tacklers today, both Lenny and Jones are in the top 20 for the comp...they are a huge part of our pressure game.

It's about balance, we have had times this year when we the pressure has been well down, and times we struggle to hit the scoreboard and kick enough goals.

If our forwards continue to find some form, and the defensive side of the game improves, it makes for a good formula.

Go Saints!

Last year we left 7 of our starting 22 out went to Tassie and monstered Hawks with pressure.

Its an attitiude - has less to do with personnel.

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

[SainterK]

We were missing two of our best tacklers today, both Lenny and Jones are in the top 20 for the comp...they are a huge part of our pressure game.

It's about balance, we have had times this year when we the pressure has been well down, and times we struggle to hit the scoreboard and kick enough goals.

If our forwards continue to find some form, and the defensive side of the game improves, it makes for a good formula.

Go Saints!

Last year we left 7 of our starting 22 out went to Tassie and monstered Hawks with pressure.

Its an attitiude - has less to do with personnel.

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

True...

Perhaps round 13 was the closest to? Not sure.

[Devilhead]

No significant injuries - we won half asleep in 1st gear with 1/5 of our starting line up out - priming and saving ourselves for a huge finals assault

I do not doubt that we can turn it on when we want - there is just no need to at the moment - to play our shut down game takes a lot of energy and it is very physical - why try and smash ourselves now against a side we can beat by implementing a looser and less demanding gameplan

[SainterK]

I do not doubt that we can turn it on when we want - there is just no need to at the moment - to play our shut down game takes a lot of energy and it is very physical - why try and smash ourselves now against a side we can beat by implementing a looser and less demanding gameplan

Careful, people don't subscribe to the 'flick the switch' strategy on here Devilhead

I am convinced that tonight was constructed as a very free flowing kind of a game, not something I'd expect again any time soon, not at all physically taxing or contested in it's style.

[bigred]

We were missing two of our best tacklers today, both Lenny and Jones are in the top 20 for the comp...they are a huge part of our pressure game.

It's about balance, we have had times this year when we the pressure has been well down, and times we struggle to hit the scoreboard and kick enough goals.

If our forwards continue to find some form, and the defensive side of the game improves, it makes for a good formula.

Go Saints!

Last year we left 7 of our starting 22 out went to Tassie and monstered Hawks with pressure.

Its an attitiude - has less to do with personnel.

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

This.


We need to lift. In a hurry.

I don't know if it is a switch that can just be flicked though.

[plugger66]

We were missing two of our best tacklers today, both Lenny and Jones are in the top 20 for the comp...they are a huge part of our pressure game.

It's about balance, we have had times this year when we the pressure has been well down, and times we struggle to hit the scoreboard and kick enough goals.

If our forwards continue to find some form, and the defensive side of the game improves, it makes for a good formula.

Go Saints!

Last year we left 7 of our starting 22 out went to Tassie and monstered Hawks with pressure.

Its an attitiude - has less to do with personnel.

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

Yep and the next 2 weeks with our best side in we lost.

[saint3d]

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

You don't need immense pressure to smash a poor team by a hundred points. You just need to get the ball more.

Holding a team goalless for a half requires relentless pressure.

Unfortunately St Kilda has managed to apply relentless pressure only against THE TEAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN THE FINALS.

[SydneySainter]

Not sure what to make of that match.

Positives - Kosi, Armitage, McEvoy, Joey, BJ's grab, another game under Roo's belt and multiple goal kickers.

Negatives - Tackling, disposals and Roo taking our Schneider. Defence was a big worry, but it's a marathon.

[saintspremiers]

It was a bit of a nothing match - don't stress boys and girls - we were up and about in the past 2 matches that set us up for third spot.

I don't give a fig that the boys were a bit disinterested yesterday......better now than September.

Sounds like Ross wants to play a proper game next week (or at least a proper side!) against the Crows.

Basically, Round 21 and 22 are practice matches for us. Kosi obviously was given a rocket, and let's hope he can deliver 10 possies and 2 goals in the first final, plus 2 or 3 contested marks.

[Teflon]

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

You don't need immense pressure to smash a poor team by a hundred points. You just need to get the ball more.

Holding a team goalless for a half requires relentless pressure.

Unfortunately St Kilda has managed to apply relentless pressure only against THE TEAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN THE FINALS.

The point lost here is you dont pick and choose - as Malthouse said today of Collingwood...."you dont just turn it on coming down the race"....it takes time to develop that....we have 1 game left before finals to do so....is that enough? (gonna have to be).

Do you think Collingwood over the past 11 weeks have gone hard against top 4 sides and slackened off against lower clubs?....did we in 09?

Sure we applied pressure for half a game against Tigers and reversed the trun over count as a result - Im assuming that was the half Lyon said he liked.......and the other half?

Still yet to see 4 qtrs of this stuff in 2010 toem thats the single biggest difference to 09 - BUT there are mitigating circumstances......we havent had the settked team/dream run with injuries of 09.....but stuill...to watch the first gamer Miles come in and throw himself into every contest tells me its more about attitude than anything else.

[Mr Magic]

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

You don't need immense pressure to smash a poor team by a hundred points. You just need to get the ball more.

Holding a team goalless for a half requires relentless pressure.

Unfortunately St Kilda has managed to apply relentless pressure only against THE TEAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN THE FINALS.

The point lost here is you dont pick and choose - as Malthouse said today of Collingwood...."you dont just turn it on coming down the race"....it takes time to develop that....we have 1 game left before finals to do so....is that enough? (gonna have to be).

Do you think Collingwood over the past 11 weeks have gone hard against top 4 sides and slackened off against lower clubs?....did we in 09?

Sure we applied pressure for half a game against Tigers and reversed the trun over count as a result - Im assuming that was the half Lyon said he liked.......and the other half?

Still yet to see 4 qtrs of this stuff in 2010 toem thats the single biggest difference to 09 - BUT there are mitigating circumstances......we havent had the settked team/dream run with injuries of 09.....but stuill...to watch the first gamer Miles come in and throw himself into every contest tells me its more about attitude than anything else.

Have you forgotten the last 3 rounds of 2009 Home and Away season.
We were deplorable against Essendon, NM and Melbourne. We actaully only got on top of the wooden spooners when they took their best players out of the game.

It didn't seem to stop us 'flicking the switch' in the first week of the finals as despatching the Filth.

[Solar]

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

You don't need immense pressure to smash a poor team by a hundred points. You just need to get the ball more.

Holding a team goalless for a half requires relentless pressure.

Unfortunately St Kilda has managed to apply relentless pressure only against THE TEAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN THE FINALS.

The point lost here is you dont pick and choose - as Malthouse said today of Collingwood...."you dont just turn it on coming down the race"....it takes time to develop that....we have 1 game left before finals to do so....is that enough? (gonna have to be).

Do you think Collingwood over the past 11 weeks have gone hard against top 4 sides and slackened off against lower clubs?....did we in 09?

Sure we applied pressure for half a game against Tigers and reversed the trun over count as a result - Im assuming that was the half Lyon said he liked.......and the other half?

Still yet to see 4 qtrs of this stuff in 2010 toem thats the single biggest difference to 09 - BUT there are mitigating circumstances......we havent had the settked team/dream run with injuries of 09.....but stuill...to watch the first gamer Miles come in and throw himself into every contest tells me its more about attitude than anything else.

Have you forgotten the last 3 rounds of 2009 Home and Away season.
We were deplorable against Essendon, NM and Melbourne. We actaully only got on top of the wooden spooners when they took their best players out of the game.

It didn't seem to stop us 'flicking the switch' in the first week of the finals as despatching the Filth.

Agree, this last two weeks have been worse then the election with how many people are trying to find meaning in the performances. Lets be honest, once the top 4 was settled, the pies, cats and saints were always going to try a few things and make sure they had a fit side come finals.

Collingwood barely tackled last night. Can they just flick the switch?

[Mr Magic]

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

You don't need immense pressure to smash a poor team by a hundred points. You just need to get the ball more.

Holding a team goalless for a half requires relentless pressure.

Unfortunately St Kilda has managed to apply relentless pressure only against THE TEAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN THE FINALS.

The point lost here is you dont pick and choose - as Malthouse said today of Collingwood...."you dont just turn it on coming down the race"....it takes time to develop that....we have 1 game left before finals to do so....is that enough? (gonna have to be).

Do you think Collingwood over the past 11 weeks have gone hard against top 4 sides and slackened off against lower clubs?....did we in 09?

Sure we applied pressure for half a game against Tigers and reversed the trun over count as a result - Im assuming that was the half Lyon said he liked.......and the other half?

Still yet to see 4 qtrs of this stuff in 2010 toem thats the single biggest difference to 09 - BUT there are mitigating circumstances......we havent had the settked team/dream run with injuries of 09.....but stuill...to watch the first gamer Miles come in and throw himself into every contest tells me its more about attitude than anything else.

Have you forgotten the last 3 rounds of 2009 Home and Away season.
We were deplorable against Essendon, NM and Melbourne. We actaully only got on top of the wooden spooners when they took their best players out of the game.

It didn't seem to stop us 'flicking the switch' in the first week of the finals as despatching the Filth.

Agree, this last two weeks have been worse then the election with how many people are trying to find meaning in the performances. Lets be honest, once the top 4 was settled, the pies, cats and saints were always going to try a few things and make sure they had a fit side come finals.

Collingwood barely tackled last night. Can they just flick the switch?

Of course they can,
As can Geelong, WB, Carlton, Sydney, Hawthorn and even Fremantle.
Just not St Kilda.

We're the only team that cannot 'flick the switch' and are in dire straights.
Everybody else in contention is fine.

[FQF]

Not only did we have personnel out, but they just happened to be three of our hardest players in the line up.

Baker, Lenny and Jones are the type you would want with you in the trenches, and they are the types of players who can cause the rest of the line up to tackle and pressure and put bodies on the line because of the inspirational effort.

Surely you people don't think we will possibly be lethargic in our first final against the Cats.

It will be the closest thing to pay back we will have had since last year.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that we will come out, and hit them hard.

[GoTheTorp]

End of season trip happens every year, the top sides go to sleep. Top sides rest tired players, lower clubs are plaing for their future so you get a contest. Even i am tired and bored at the moment, just bring on the finals.

[SainterK]

This quote from The Age sums up the game well.

'Whether Lyon would be as happy with the organisation at times of his defence is more debatable, but at least St Kilda is no longer looking like a team that needs to negatively squeeze its opponent into submission in order to manufacture a win. As we came to discover in time last year, the Saints can score with the best of them, too'

It was something very unlike what I am used to seeing, and not something I expect to see again soon.

[3rd generation saint]

It's amazing how many people say you just can't switch on good form, yet those same people say we will come finals time.
In my opinion we should have been ruthless and merciless to Richmond yesterday and sent a message to the top two.
The only positives from yesterday's game in my view was Kosi's form, Luke Miles debut and Roo's improving form.
However, our small forwards we're non existant yesterday, our disposal was sloppy and our pressure was a gift to Richmond.
Yes we won, but it wasn't inspiring and if we perform like that Saturday week (which when I believe our final with Geelong will be) we will be smashed.
Just hope we go to Adelaide with our best team and have a really good tune up for September.

[mohannair]

We played to a specific plan. The reason why it looked a bit scratchy is becasue we did not take any risk. Imagine if we had worked hard, put in few more tackle etc & had few massive injuries the entire forum would have gone, why did we do this when we have alread stiched up the 3rd place.

Win, lose or draw we will not move past the 3rd place in the ladder. The whole focus will be on the 1st week against the Cats.

[bigcarl]

The whole focus will be on the 1st week against the Cats.

That is why we need to hit top form and intensity in Adelaide this week.

This year we are set to peak when it counts.

[CURLY]

That game was played like a demo game with the result meaningless. Both sides didnt tag, flood or zone. It was just a nice Saturday arvo of entertainment.

[Teflon]

I dont think Ive seen a 4 qtr pressure game from us tfhis year - including the early smashing of nth when they were hopless.

You don't need immense pressure to smash a poor team by a hundred points. You just need to get the ball more.

Holding a team goalless for a half requires relentless pressure.

Unfortunately St Kilda has managed to apply relentless pressure only against THE TEAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN THE FINALS.

The point lost here is you dont pick and choose - as Malthouse said today of Collingwood...."you dont just turn it on coming down the race"....it takes time to develop that....we have 1 game left before finals to do so....is that enough? (gonna have to be).

Do you think Collingwood over the past 11 weeks have gone hard against top 4 sides and slackened off against lower clubs?....did we in 09?

Sure we applied pressure for half a game against Tigers and reversed the trun over count as a result - Im assuming that was the half Lyon said he liked.......and the other half?

Still yet to see 4 qtrs of this stuff in 2010 toem thats the single biggest difference to 09 - BUT there are mitigating circumstances......we havent had the settked team/dream run with injuries of 09.....but stuill...to watch the first gamer Miles come in and throw himself into every contest tells me its more about attitude than anything else.

Have you forgotten the last 3 rounds of 2009 Home and Away season.
We were deplorable against Essendon, NM and Melbourne. We actaully only got on top of the wooden spooners when they took their best players out of the game.

It didn't seem to stop us 'flicking the switch' in the first week of the finals as despatching the Filth.

Lets put some context around that.

Wed won 19 straight last year.
We'd ALL YEAR produced 4 qtr pressure games of football to monster sides (so much so Collingwood have ripped us off mercilessly and now sit no 1 in the comp for fwd 50 tackles - eclipsing St Kilda at the same time last year).

Again, I have not seen that same level of intensity for 4 qtrs this year and the coach himself has said hes looking for 4 qtrs....and only liking halves at the minute......

Some believe we have this magic in a bag....and we'll just unleash. I hope theyre are right. That won't change the fact that we have been scored against more easily in 2010 and sides are now getting through our zone and out of our fwd 50 with far more ease than 09.

[Devilhead]

Lets put some context around that.

Wed won 19 straight last year.
We'd ALL YEAR produced 4 qtr pressure games of football to monster sides (so much so Collingwood have ripped us off mercilessly and now sit no 1 in the comp for fwd 50 tackles - eclipsing St Kilda at the same time last year).

Again, I have not seen that same level of intensity for 4 qtrs this year and the coach himself has said hes looking for 4 qtrs....and only liking halves at the minute......

Some believe we have this magic in a bag....and we'll just unleash. I hope theyre are right. That won't change the fact that we have been scored against more easily in 2010 and sides are now getting through our zone and out of our fwd 50 with far more ease than 09.

Lets put some context around that

In 2009 teams averaged 17.3 scoring shots against us per game

In 2010 teams have averaged 19.8 scoring shots against us - still the lowest in the league

Hardly a huge devastating increase given last year was a recording breaking defence year

Just behind us are Collingwood (20.2) then Bulldogs (21.7) then Geelong (22.8)