Review of VFL practice match v Collingwood

[Gershwin]

Gee, nothing to get too excited about here except Highmore.

https://www.saints.com.au/news/1083562

[Impatient Sainter]

Surprising similarities to the AFL game.

Slow stagnant ball movement for 3 quarters, kicking it down the line and to be just happy to get a restart, no Saints midfielders. It doesnt instill confidence things are on the up.

[SunnyErnie]

Gee, nothing to get too excited about here except Highmore.

https://www.saints.com.au/news/1083562

Looking at that I can honestly say we have stuff all to come into the senior side. I know it's only 1 game in but I have this terrible feeling we are heading for the bottom 4. You look at the results on the weekend and think where is our next (first) win coming from. The only games that we will be 50 50 chance are against North, Essendon and maybe Richmond.

[Impatient Sainter]

Gee, nothing to get too excited about here except Highmore.

https://www.saints.com.au/news/1083562

Looking at that I can honestly say we have stuff all to come into the senior side. I know it's only 1 game in but I have this terrible feeling we are heading for the bottom 4. You look at the results on the weekend and think where is our next (first) win coming from. The only games that we will be 50 50 chance are against North, Essendon and maybe Richmond.

Collingwood were poorly coached last year not too dissimilar to our Richardson years. They have been freed up under McRae and played out of their skin Friday night. We will improve, but Im really concerned about our midfield stoppage work.

[kosifantutti]

We’re playing Casey on Sunday at 1:05.

An earlier report said all games could be watched via the AFL app but this site suggests it’s only on Kayo.
https://www.afl.com.au/matches/4167

[Darth Vader]

Gee, nothing to get too excited about here except Highmore.

https://www.saints.com.au/news/1083562

Looks like no Bytel?

[SunnyErnie]

Gee, nothing to get too excited about here except Highmore.

https://www.saints.com.au/news/1083562

Looking at that I can honestly say we have stuff all to come into the senior side. I know it's only 1 game in but I have this terrible feeling we are heading for the bottom 4. You look at the results on the weekend and think where is our next (first) win coming from. The only games that we will be 50 50 chance are against North, Essendon and maybe Richmond.

Collingwood were poorly coached last year not too dissimilar to our Richardson years. They have been freed up under McRae and played out of their skin Friday night. We will improve, but Im really concerned about our midfield stoppage work.

The only way I can see us improving is if we do not have any injuries at all for the next 6 weeks minimum. If that's the case we will get back all our important players. But what are the chances of that happening? We are are in all sorts!!!

Before round 1 I was hoping to be 5 and zero or at worst 4 and 1. Now I'm struggling to see any wins in our first 5.

[Vortex]

From all reports it sounds like Highmore is on the verge of bursting out of the blocks towards a breakout year.

[CURLY]

No Bytal.

[Zed]

Highmore in Kent out.
Swap owens for NWM - the open spaces will suit NWM better.
With wider wings, I’d like to see Hill also go back to a wing,- but we know that won’t happen.

I was surprised at how quiet Sinclair was in the first half. Came alive when he moved into the midfield. Start him in the midfield this week with Highmore and Webster as the HBF. Keep him in the midfield until Jones and/or Clark return.

[Saintmatt]

Gee, nothing to get too excited about here except Highmore.

https://www.saints.com.au/news/1083562

Looking at that I can honestly say we have stuff all to come into the senior side. I know it's only 1 game in but I have this terrible feeling we are heading for the bottom 4. You look at the results on the weekend and think where is our next (first) win coming from. The only games that we will be 50 50 chance are against North, Essendon and maybe Richmond.

We don’t have anything to come in because we’ve constantly traded away our 2nd round pick (which is where you build depth that you develop over time to support your 1st round picks) except, even with what we’ve got - we learned late last year that our development was run by Ben McGlynn part time (2 days per week). Almost as an aside.

FMD - it’s so obvious that from the top of the football department down that we’ve been swimming with our pants down and now the tide is quickly receding.

[CarlD]

I'm a might confused - so the entries into the forward line were an issue. They apparently had Connolly running to good spots and didn't give him the ball and he has probably better disposal than quite a few others. So that sounds like they are not using his skills to advantage to improve the situation.

What am I missing?

[cwrcyn]

Just like when Hill runs to good positions and doesn't get used

[CURLY]

Gee, nothing to get too excited about here except Highmore.

https://www.saints.com.au/news/1083562

Looking at that I can honestly say we have stuff all to come into the senior side. I know it's only 1 game in but I have this terrible feeling we are heading for the bottom 4. You look at the results on the weekend and think where is our next (first) win coming from. The only games that we will be 50 50 chance are against North, Essendon and maybe Richmond.

We don’t have anything to come in because we’ve constantly traded away our 2nd round pick (which is where you build depth that you develop over time to support your 1st round picks) except, even with what we’ve got - we learned late last year that our development was run by Ben McGlynn part time (2 days per week). Almost as an aside.

FMD - it’s so obvious that from the top of the football department down that we’ve been swimming with our pants down and now the tide is quickly receding.

We don’t have much to come in as we have

Ryder
Jones
Billings
Clarke
Coffield
Bytal
Hannebery

All unavailable.

[Yorkeys]

Thanks Gershwin. Actually sounded promising to me, rose glasses of course.

Josh Battle has reason to be nervous - Lienert & Highmore coming.....

Wonder about the Sharman comment, but. Are they trying to get him to spoil rather than catch? Surely not, he has such great hands. (Shocked he is not in the side: did he ghost a relative of Rath.)

Anyway I think most of the
players reviewed could come into the side and we wouldn't be any poorer for it.

Thanks again

[Toy Saint]

I'd play Battle in the midfield. We need the grunt. Desperately.

[samuraisaint]

Now there's a surprise, Sandy suck. Hold the front page! Breaking news!
The sooner we get our own stand alone reserves team the better.

[Royston]

I'd play Battle in the midfield. We need the grunt. Desperately.

Can't play him midfield as he is very average below his knees.
One attribute you require as a mid.

[mad saint guy]

Wonder about the Sharman comment, but. Are they trying to get him to spoil rather than catch? Surely not, he has such great hands. (Shocked he is not in the side: did he ghost a relative of Rath.)

I noticed that as well and it honestly concerned me. Sharman's style is to lead into dangerous spots with good timing and separation on his opponent. Are we trying to coach that out of him? Seems like the game plan is to bomb it on a stationary forward's head and hope we get the crumb.

[BringBackMadDog]

I'd play Battle in the midfield. We need the grunt. Desperately.

Can't play him midfield as he is very average below his knees.
One attribute you require as a mid.

And he runs on railroad tracks, no evasive skills at all.

[BringBackMadDog]

I'd play Battle in the midfield. We need the grunt. Desperately.

Can't play him midfield as he is very average below his knees.
One attribute you require as a mid.

And he runs on railroad tracks, no evasive skills at all.

[spert]

I can only see one position for Battle and that's CHF

[saintsRrising]

I thought the plan was to develop Allison into a key defender?

Matthew Allison
Matty played on the wing and looked promising. He had a couple of shots at goal and worked back well defensively as well as challenged going forward. He looked good, he had a purpose around the contest, and I think he would be able to take a lot out of it.

It looks like new plan for him now.

[Impatient Sainter]

I thought the plan was to develop Allison into a key defender?

Matthew Allison
Matty played on the wing and looked promising. He had a couple of shots at goal and worked back well defensively as well as challenged going forward. He looked good, he had a purpose around the contest, and I think he would be able to take a lot out of it.

It looks like new plan for him now.

Its because he has zero footy nouse and cant get near the ball, they are trying to get him more involved.

[Ghost Like]

Cooper Sharman
Cooper had a good start to the game and got involved early on. He was at both sides of our inside-50 connection during the first quarter, he is always moving and trying to provide an option for us.

Our ball movement probably hurt him a bit when we got a bit stagnant. When our ball movement was slick, that’s when he was in the play. His aerial contest stuff is still a work in progress and he has to get a bit better at that with the way we are going to play but his attitude is fantastic and he just wants to keep getting better.

"Our ball movement probably hurt him a bit when we got a bit stagnant. When our ball movement was slick, that's when he was in the play."

Forget the fact that was said about Sharman. That quote could have been used in relation to any of our forwards, big or small, on Friday night. Slick ball movement is what caught our defenders out, stagnant ball movement is.what made Moore & Howe shine. In fact I believe we can cut & paste that quote for all our losses.