Round 3 Game thread

[ace]

Essendon backs wings and mids ran hard when they had the ball and ran hard when the saints had the ball.

Saints half forwards, wings and mids refused to run hard when the opposition had the ball for a second week.
That's how you win wooden spoons.

[silverhalo]

Pathetic and shambolic. The players have no respect for the coach if they are not listening to him. I presume he did give them a message at quarter time, and certainly at half time, as it's too late for messages at three quarter time when you're that far behind. There clearly wasn't a Plan B but at least he could have inspired them to put in some sort of effort. If they don't put in a blinder and win next week he might as well get another job. I guess I won't have to book flights and hotels for the finals this year.

No significant response from the players after each break, which is a real worry, and I'm also convinced now that Brad Hill is only here to top up his Super

[saintkev]

There is something seriously wrong the players were playing completely reactive and are appeared confused. There is no way Essendon are a 70 point better team.

It goes to show that when you give kids a chance to play that are hungry to perform and hungry to retain their spot in the team that you’ll get 100% effort. Essendon still have some serious talent in their midfield.

Too many passengers last week for us and too many guys who get a game when they haven’t earnt it. We had so many players down on confidence last week and guys like Highmore and Paul Hunter weren’t the worst in my opinion.

Battle and Sinclair are struggling to find a regular position to claim is theirs. Wood and McKenzie might be good contributors if they are given 4 or 5 games in a row, but I fear they’ll be first out of the team when changes are made

Lonie and Higgins should not have played today. I heard Jake Stringer say he’s lost 7 kg. The Druggies made sure he earnt his spot. That's what needs to happen with Higgo. Snags needs to get fitter and lose weight. Lonie should be dropped and only get a spot if he plays consistently well in the seconds and if if he stops kicking high loopy slow 30 metre kicks that are VFL standard

Did our own druggie earn his spot?

[silverhalo]

Someone said Jack Higgins looks unfit, agree with that assessment 100%

[The Fireman]

where to from here ? That game exposed our team as a bunch of weak individuals..can't be any kinder than that.
I can't see how Ratten can fix that. Gresh may be out for the season but so is the rest of the team.
that is just Shite
all the confidence I had for this season down the drain and was proven by a cheating club.

[SAINT-LEE]

Someone said Jack Higgins looks unfit, agree with that assessment 100%

Higgins:

8 contested possessions
8 score involvements
3.0 scoring
82% disposal efficiency

Thank God he was there....if he's unfit imagine him trim and roaring!

[Fugazi1966]

where to from here ? That game exposed our team as a bunch of weak individuals..can't be any kinder than that.
I can't see how Ratten can fix that. Gresh may be out for the season but so is the rest of the team.
that is just Shite
all the confidence I had for this season down the drain and was proven by a cheating club.

I think we have to start at the coal face.

Drop every soft player and just commit to winning hardballs, contests and tackles.
Once we are doing that again we can worry about "silk"

Dunstan and Bytel come in

[The Fireman]

where to from here ? That game exposed our team as a bunch of weak individuals..can't be any kinder than that.
I can't see how Ratten can fix that. Gresh may be out for the season but so is the rest of the team.
that is just Shite
all the confidence I had for this season down the drain and was proven by a cheating club.

I think we have to start at the coal face.

Drop every soft player and just commit to winning hardballs, contests and tackles.
Once we are doing that again we can worry about "silk"

Dunstan and Bytel come in

agreed ..huge reshuffle.
Still dont think we'll make the 8 and with the talent we have ...questions will be asked

[Scollop]

There is something seriously wrong the players were playing completely reactive and are appeared confused. There is no way Essendon are a 70 point better team.

It goes to show that when you give kids a chance to play that are hungry to perform and hungry to retain their spot in the team that you’ll get 100% effort. Essendon still have some serious talent in their midfield.

Too many passengers last week for us and too many guys who get a game when they haven’t earnt it. We had so many players down on confidence last week and guys like Highmore and Paul Hunter weren’t the worst in my opinion.

Battle and Sinclair are struggling to find a regular position to claim is theirs. Wood and McKenzie might be good contributors if they are given 4 or 5 games in a row, but I fear they’ll be first out of the team when changes are made

Lonie and Higgins should not have played today. I heard Jake Stringer say he’s lost 7 kg. The Druggies made sure he earnt his spot. That's what needs to happen with Higgo. Snags needs to get fitter and lose weight. Lonie should be dropped and only get a spot if he plays consistently well in the seconds and if if he stops kicking high loopy slow 30 metre kicks that are VFL standard

Did our own druggie earn his spot?

Good point.

But...which druggie are you talking about? We’ve got a few with reputations and one with a police conviction

Hannas isn’t playing so you’re talking about Jake the Snake or Brad Crouch. I reckon Jake had earnt his spot. Personally, I wouldn’t have dropped Paul Hunter, but at least Carlisle provides multiple on field options.

As far as Crouch is comcerned, it’s not easy for most player to just waltz into a team and perform to a high level. Even Tim Kelly struggled in his first 6 months with West Coast.

[bangaulegend]

where to from here ? That game exposed our team as a bunch of weak individuals..can't be any kinder than that.
I can't see how Ratten can fix that. Gresh may be out for the season but so is the rest of the team.
that is just Shite
all the confidence I had for this season down the drain and was proven by a cheating club.

I think we have to start at the coal face.

Drop every soft player and just commit to winning hardballs, contests and tackles.
Once we are doing that again we can worry about "silk"

Dunstan and Bytel come in

agreed ..huge reshuffle.
Still dont think we'll make the 8 and with the talent we have ...questions will be asked

I don't want to be the devils advocate here but if you dropped all the soft players from todays game we would only have handful of players to pick from but I do get your point

[1966]

Butler, Billings and Hill all zero tackles.
Sinclair, Lonie, Long, Jones and Ross had 1 each.
That is pathetic for mids/smalls.
Not sure how they turn this around but serious charges needed.
Losing is one thing but not trying is another.

[1966]

Geez next week v WCE could be really ugly.
They are good and we are s*** and if we don’t try again it could be 100+

[bangaulegend]

where to from here ? That game exposed our team as a bunch of weak individuals..can't be any kinder than that.
I can't see how Ratten can fix that. Gresh may be out for the season but so is the rest of the team.
that is just Shite
all the confidence I had for this season down the drain and was proven by a cheating club.

Good point mate Rats is not a magician he doesn't have a magic wand it's a lot more complicated than that but we have made some dubious list selections & unfortunately its starting to bite us ATM

[shanegrambeau]

Well then, our Sainters will be proud of the pressure they applied this afternoon- and are still applying now. No, it wasn’t against the opposition, the pressure has now been applied on their own coach. This is Ratten’s biggest test now so far in his tenure at Moorabbin . Richo will be sipping on a nice Scotch in his recliner tonight thinking, ‘Yep, glad it ain’t me! “

[bangaulegend]

quote=shanegrambeau post_id=1893865 time=1617445264 user_id=23175]
Well then, our Sainters will be proud of the pressure they applied this afternoon- and are still applying now. No, it wasn’t against the opposition, the pressure has now been applied on their own coach. This is Ratten’s biggest test now so far in his tenure at Moorabbin . Richo will be sipping on a nice Scotch in his recliner tonight thinking, ‘Yep, glad it ain’t me! “
[/quote]

[ace]

The problem with dropping players is finding uninjured replacements.
You get to choose from
Jack Bytel
Luke Dunstan
Tom Highmore
Dean Kent
Paul Hunter
Oscar Clavarino
Lee Connolly
Matt Allison
Darragh Joyce
Sam Alabakis
That's the rest of the list

Not available
Ben Paton
James Frawley
Jarryn Geary
Ryan Byrnes
Rowan Marshall
Paddy Ryder
Dan Hannebery
Jimmy Webster
Jade Gresham

[BadRossco]

Marshal & Ryder will help but our mids are mostly one paced only Hill & Butler have any pace and one can’t get near it and the other is not that interested. We really don’t have much waiting in the wings Dunstan, Bytel and the injured Byrnes all lack pace and Kent may be a bit harder at it than most we had out there in the last two games but is not the answer. Long can be a liability and Coff showed he doesn’t like the hard ball maybe worth having a look at Connolly and Clavarino. Allison may also come into the picture later in the year but most had him going as a late rookie pick so may be another example of our poor recruiting

[B.M]

Do we really think bringing in people who aren’t good enough to get a game atm is going to make us better?

[whiskers3614]

Much rather a slow Dunstan to a certain "fast outside runner" with poo running down his shorts!
And yes I do know the difference between inside and outside midfielders!

[1965 Saint]

Something is going down. What is it? They have too much talent to lose to a decimated Essendon team.

Is it:

The whole team has observed Hill squibbing it and decided that why should I put my head on the line when it appears there is no need to, especially when Hill’s repeated selection appears to endorse the behaviour?

Is it Ryder being allowed to go walkabout to the detriment of the team?

Is it because a lot of players took pay cuts to facilitate the recruits who are not delivering?

Do they really (ridiculously) believe that they are so good collectively that talent alone will get them over the line?

Something is going down and it needs to be aired and RESOLVED ASAP

[SAINT-LEE]

On a high note the 2022 draft is a sizzler for defenders

Sam Clohesy - Calder Canons saw him play this week...made my nipples twitchy, huge bombs out 50, gut running at 19yr old. We need this lad.

Josh Goater- 190cm midfielder, looks like a Fyfe replica, the run, smash and grab, the leap for marks, silky handballs, I could see him top 5 in the draft. We need him.


There's so many amazing defensive and big midfield players in this draft. . ..I'm froathing.

Maybe we could go a few more losses?

https://www.zerohanger.com/saint-and-do ... -149773/5/

CLOSEHY...UNDRAFTED...goes to VFL...
Most promising player in VFL in 2023...we could've drafted him but nahhhhh.

Ranked #2 in ZEROHANGERS best 1st year AFL players...Garcia is #6.