4 weeks of observations

[Stephen Theodore]

Good to have you back P.66, was an accurate assessment IMO, I am still holding out some hope on Lee, based on nothing but hope. I thought he showed a bit last season.

[saintsRrising]

Good OP.

Overall I think our biggest problem is how slow we are in the midfield. .

Not just midfied. We are a very SLOW team.

Other teams in recent years have been injecting more and more pace into their teams. We have been left behind literally!

Add in our poor footskills, and that is a deadly duo.

[spert]

Good OP.

Overall I think our biggest problem is how slow we are in the midfield. .

Not just midfied. We are a very SLOW team.

Other teams in recent years have been injecting more and more pace into their teams. We have been left behind literally!

Add in our poor footskills, and that is a deadly duo.

We look slow because we are stationary at centre bounces and no one runs up from half back to offer an option to the midfielders- coach needs to sort it out, not the players

[Cairnsman]

Our spiritual leader is back! Pretty strict parole conditions I bet?

A quality summation. I thought Shenton showed a bit in yesterday's game.

P66 why are we poor in the 1st and world beaters in the 3rd?

No idea but probably a combination of things. less pressure on the younger players because most times the game is lost and probably even more importantly less pressure from the opposition because the game is probably won by then. Also maybe the game has slowed down enough by then that our slower midfield starts getting the ball more.

Are the starts due to the inexperience across the board and managing the nerves in the first 10-15 minutes?

Maybe having too many young guys overcooked before the first bounce of the ball?

[Con Gorozidis]

Fair assessment p66.
Clearly we are desperate for someone up fwd apart from roo who can create a contest and kick a goal.

And our midfield is treacle slow and these days footy is all about the spread. You watch the good sides play and once they win the ball 4 or 5 blokes literally sprint outwards to create space.


Someone like:

Hill brothers
Sidebottom
O'Meara
Isaac Smith
Polec
Beams
Stokes
Prestia

Would add a lot to our side .....

[samuraisaint]

Stanley is being gifted games in my opinion and should be traded asap while he still has currency.

I cant see how he has any currancy at all especially as you say he has been gifted games.

Well, someone traded for Tommy Walsh Plugger, so there's always hope.

[cwrcyn]

Webster, Billings, Templeton, Acres, and Markworth have speed. If three of those guys can become genuine midfielders, then it's a bonus. Still waiting on Markworth to debut, but the others look like they'll be with us for the long haul. g
I'm impressed by Shenton. Could he be a Sam Fisher type? Remember, Fisher was about 23 when he played his first game with us. Drawing a long bow, I know, but for his third game of AFL football, it was pretty good.
I'd also love to get a look at Murdoch again in the seniors.

[saint6709]

Think you've been a bit harsh on a few guys - and I for one wouldn't trade Stanley unless it was for something pretty good - totally agree we are very slow - even 1 real speedster could change that I think - Yarren was one I thought we could target last year when he was out of favour - I'm sure there is someone else we could look at this year

[saint6709]

Webster, Billings, Templeton, Acres, and Markworth have speed. If three of those guys can become genuine midfielders, then it's a bonus. Still waiting on Markworth to debut, but the others look like they'll be with us for the long haul. g
I'm impressed by Shenton. Could he be a Sam Fisher type? Remember, Fisher was about 23 when he played his first game with us. Drawing a long bow, I know, but for his third game of AFL football, it was pretty good.
I'd also love to get a look at Murdoch again in the seniors.

Acres has looked very slow from what I have seen - I have put that down to him being 18 in a large body that he hasn't fully grown into yet combined with an injury interrupted pre season. - in other words am hoping he will have some dash next year but I for one haven't noticed it yet

[bigcarl]

Thanks for that summation Plugger. As usual realistic and accurate and I agree with most of it.

I think we need to persevere with Siposs. He just looks the best young key forward prospect we have at the moment, so unless Lee gets going in the VFL, give him an extended run at ff.

Yes, he's undersized for the position - but to me he has more potential in that position than other candidates such as Maister and Stanley.

He's kicked 1.5 in the past fortnight, which suggests that at least he is getting into positions where he can impact on the scoreboard.

On midfield pace, I agree this is a problem. We have plenty of good inside mids, but look a bit light on for run and spread.

I'd add Webster to the mix as he has a bit of toe and, when he comes back from injury, Gilbert.

Half back flankers are a dime a dozen, but quick mids are harder to find.

[bergholt]

Who's this new fella? Taking the name of a legend by what right?

Obviously not the real p66 because the spelling and grammar in this post is far too good.

Still, good to have you back mate. I hope you can keep to the new "must quote" rule.

Agree on most of the post. Unfortunately I still hold some hope for Stanley. I'm sure that'll be gone by the end of the year.

[dragit]

Far from proven but... "Potentially" we could have Wright, Webster, Saunders & Markworth running through the midfield... Some serious pace in that quartet on top of Jacks dash... Hopefully at least 2 of that 4 can become serious footballers.

[GRAMophone]

Agree with your post.

What the heck has happened to roberton?? He was the find of the century last year and can't buy a game this year..??

Per your post i agree sipp, Stanley and White have all been very disappointing and are prob gone...I still hold a glimmer of hope for lee tho.

Of all that bunch white is the biggest disappointment - he was our first pick of that draft and he has shown nothing. It was poor recruiting based on today's performance

Savage is average

I really like Bruce and agree Delaney has been a find

Rookies - I actually think there's room for all 3 if they keep playing and improving the way they have

Vaguely recalling a discussion about Roberton - I think it was AR a couple of weeks ago saying Roberton has now a permanent lack of range of motion in his troublesome ankle which is challenging him. Vague recall as I say.

[noob]

Interesting whether the reduction of the cap for the next few years sways in favour of the slower or faster players.
There is only about 4 quality afl midfielders on our list (3,7,11,20). The rest are just role players. Dunstan I'm hoping can join that group. It's a bit of worry if he can get a game and Seb Ross can't. Similar type players.

Sort of surprised between 2009-11 drafts we didn't try and draft a key position player with our first choice.
The Key position players on our list are (9,12,21,23,27,37). Riewoldt is a champion. Lee can't get in the team. Delaney and Bruce are serviceable down back.. White & Maister don't look anywhere near it.
We need about 4-5 gun midfielders with speed and about 4-5 gun tall players that don't play 'third tall' to be competing against the like of GC & GWS.

[FQF]

We've been crying out for pace in the midfield since we drafted Lovett.

Fact is, Milera has pace and skill, Markworth has pace and skill. Both those guys need to be playing.

[PJ]

i really can't get a grip on this team as it keeps changing and the injuries have really killed us.

Midfield has been smashed of late and when Armo comes back it will be no quicker.

Templeton and Webster might be able to add something in this area. i felt Saunders also gave us a bit of speed but seems to have been weighed down by the defensive forward role. I don't think he is being played where he can show his strength - he's a line breaker.

[ShanghaiSaint]

WB P66

[Zed]

Yep agree almost word for word P66. Except Weller - I think he can take CJs role for the next 5 years. A GOP who can do a tagging job but also dispose of the ball in an acceptable fashion when he gets it.

[evo]

Yep agree almost word for word P66. Except Weller - I think he can take CJs role for the next 5 years. A GOP who can do a tagging job but also dispose of the ball in an acceptable fashion when he gets it.

Yeah, I think Weller is going to be our premium tagger in the future and I think the Panther can make it too, except he is another h/b flanker, that said I have to agree with plugger. (jeez its hard to say that)

[Con Gorozidis]

Yeah, I think Weller is going to be our premium tagger in the future and I think the Panther can make it too, except he is another h/b flanker

the panther seems pretty humble and down to earth to me?

[supersaints]

Thanks for that summation Plugger. As usual realistic and accurate and I agree with most of it.

I think we need to persevere with Siposs. He just looks the best young key forward prospect we have at the moment, so unless Lee gets going in the VFL, give him an extended run at ff.

Yes, he's undersized for the position - but to me he has more potential in that position than other candidates such as Maister and Stanley.

He's kicked 1.5 in the past fortnight, which suggests that at least he is getting into positions where he can impact on the scoreboard.

On midfield pace, I agree this is a problem. We have plenty of good inside mids, but look a bit light on for run and spread.

I'd add Webster to the mix as he has a bit of toe and, when he comes back from injury, Gilbert.

Half back flankers are a dime a dozen, but quick mids are harder to find.

Agree with most of your post , but the days of sticking anyone on the half back flank are well and truly over. Probably close to the most important position in the game at present.
Half backs now need expert running and kicking skills , they are the ones that break the lines , the forward presses and forward defensive zone set ups. Just look at the Hawks etc.
Probably think there are more pacy midfielders in the AFL than there are top shelf half back flankers.



Exceptional kicking and running skills

[bigcarl]

Probably think there are more pacy midfielders in the AFL than there are top shelf half back flankers

Not at St Kilda

[SMS]

Bet ya life we trade Stanley and he THEN pulls finger out and wins the brownlow.

[bob__71]

I think as a team we have good endurance, but lack much in terms of genuine speed. Hence why we are playing out the second halves well, but thats no good if we have been burnt off at the start of every game. With this list we really need to find ways to clog it up more until the sting has gone out of it and then out run.

[spert]

Speed means nothing if you don't get the ball first. Too many of our mids are flat-footed and waiting for the ball to come out rather than initiating the play, and the look slow when trying to catch opponents. It drove me nuts against Hawthorn to see so many of our guys stand up to 10 metres from their opponents, who run and spread, and then we have no chance of catching up and applying pressure, and that's why we look slow and are down in possession counts- especially obvious against the Suns in the first half.

It's a coaching thing to fix this, but far too many of our players are watching the game and not their opponent. I watched Ablett around packs, and he was totally watching the ball at all times at ball ups, never took his eyes off it, while our guys were more busy looking at their opponents and trying to block.

Richo probably needs to let some of the guys play their natural games