Saints v Hawks Marsh Cup Match Thread 2020

[SAINT-LEE]

I was impressed with Abbott in the last quarter.Took the bloody commentators about 15 minutes to realise he was playing though

What exactly did he do to impress you?

I just rewatched the 4th...Abbott not only wins the hitouts, he consistently taps to advantage, to be honest....he was better than Ryder or Roma in this regard. He doesn't move deep into the forward as quick as Roma and lack the big bull affect of Ryder, but he will be a handy back up should we need him!

[To the top]

If my memory is not playing tricks Carlisle’s attempts to repair a back injury by various means were not successful hence he was forced to surgery which kept him on the sidelines until the latter half of the season

If you play you are deemed fit but most obviously Carlisle was working himself back to full mobility and fitness whilst appearing at AFL level

Fully fit Carlisle will be a significant addition to our defence - as will Roberton

Interesting from the stats on tonight was the “clanger” count (so taking the game on?) and the performance of some who would not be considered automatic selections which speaks to depth

Only a practice match but a win beats a loss

Every day of the week

So onwards and upwards

[SAINT-LEE]

If my memory is not playing tricks Carlisle’s attempts to repair a back injury by various means were not successful hence he was forced to surgery which kept him on the sidelines until the latter half of the season

If you play you are deemed fit but most obviously Carlisle was working himself back to full mobility and fitness whilst appearing at AFL level

Fully fit Carlisle will be a significant addition to our defence - as will Roberton

Interesting from the stats on tonight was the “clanger” count (so taking the game on?) and the performance of some who would not be considered automatic selections which speaks to depth

Only a practice match but a win beats a loss

Every day of the week

So onwards and upwards

Just seeing him bend over in flight for the ball made my day, idiots reckon he got lazy but truth was he was so bound up and stiff in the mid section of his back he could barely tie his shoes, he said so himself at the club during training ( I was eavesdropping ). I reckon more game time and we will see him really improve.

[damienc]

B.Hill gave us a taste. A small morsel of what he can do.

This guy is like no other midfielder in the AFL. He finishes a game of footy the way he starts it and does not stop running for the rest of the time.

He is a freak. He will keep running, keep getting the pill and keep feeding our forwards with those pin point passes week in week out.

I was interested to see how he would mould himself around his new St Kilda team-mates.

I think that ended up being my biggest takeaway from his game.

He'll bring others into the play. He is going to make them better.

As long as Hill stays healthy this could be a very exciting season of footy.

[damienc]

And for all of those naysayers who thought it was crazy to recruit Paddy Ryder.

Very early days, but he looks fit and hungry and seems to have a new lease of life playing for the Saints.

If he can find, even some of the form that made him All Australian, watch out.

[WellardSaint]

Agree on Hill, I imagine Ro$$ Lyin stifled his creativity.
Lyon seems to not allow players to fully use their talents.
I rate Ratts as a more common sense coach than Lyon, having learnt under Clarko.
I suggest if one were to ask Hill quietly about the Saints, he'd say 'breath of fresh air' and 'new lease of life'.
He'd be loving it.
Give him freedom and he'll be a very important difference.

He'll give us that strike power when Swans or Tigers threaten to take over a game.

[WellardSaint]

And for all of those naysayers who thought it was crazy to recruit Paddy Ryder.

Very early days, but he looks fit and hungry and seems to have a new lease of life playing for the Saints.

If he can find, even some of the form that made him All Australian, watch out.

It makes me sad recalling how we fared with an out of sorts Hickey, as well as perservering with Longer.
Ryder will be give us what our ruck division was sorely missing (apart from silver service from RoMa of course)

[prwilkinson]

Great first up hit out.

[saintspremiers]

Hill was the highlight by far. Would love to see working with Hanners and Jones - then we will be a force.

Marsh’s running goal assist was incredible - his acceleration watching from the outer was phenomenal- breathtaking even.

Let’s not get too excited though - we were playing at our full time training venue - the boys were right at home, the same as the crowd.

It’s great to be home.

[CURLY]

Doogie Howser can't kick

Terrible kick, not impressed with him at all.

Wrapt with him. His defensive spoils were first class. How good was it to see a defender spoiling like he did.

[Joffa Burns]

And for all of those naysayers who thought it was crazy to recruit Paddy Ryder.

Very early days, but he looks fit and hungry and seems to have a new lease of life playing for the Saints.

If he can find, even some of the form that made him All Australian, watch out.

Chief protagonist naysayer here.

I will not prematurely evaluate after one pre-season game but the Paddy Ryder playing last night looked a lot more like the 2017 version than the 2019 model.

The 2019 model was overweight bordering on fat and lacked mobility and probably hunger.

Looking forward to being wrong and having my nose rubbed in it here on Saintsational if he has a great season.

[Beno88]

Lots of positives last night, but leaking goals out the back is still a glaring issue.

Hawthorn kicked 8 goals from our turnovers in our forward half. 8 of 13.

[BarryGrogan]

Lots of positives last night, but leaking goals out the back is still a glaring issue.

Hawthorn kicked 8 goals from our turnovers in our forward half. 8 of 13.

It was definitely an issue last night.

But I'm not particularly concerned as yet.

Last night seemed to be a legit praccy match, where we were focussing on a change of game plan, particularly in the way we moved the ball.
I think defence was a bit of an afterthought in the first half.

And also, it was a very new back half. Very light on leadership, and lots of new guys down there.

So terrible last night, but not necessarily an issue as yet.

[The_Dud]

Did Roberton play, and if so, how’d he look?

[The Fireman]

Did Roberton play, and if so, how’d he look?

no but he looked ok

[The Fireman]

Lots of positives last night, but leaking goals out the back is still a glaring issue.

Hawthorn kicked 8 goals from our turnovers in our forward half. 8 of 13.

my only concern as well

[CarlD]

Did Roberton play, and if so, how’d he look?

He didn't play.

[asiu]

Looking forward to being wrong and having my nose rubbed in it here on Saintsational if he has a great season.

nothing like a good nose rubbing

[saynta]

f***. The beer ran out.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/new ... 542w9.html

Plus.

Herald sun's match summary.

"https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... e5e6654ba5

"It might only be one pre-season game but there are plenty of positive vibes coming out of St Kilda. From Bradley Hill’s dominant debut to the buzz around Max King, get the lowdown on the Saints’ win over Hawthorn.

AFL: Footy's back but unfortunately that means injuries are too, and Hawks ruckman Ben McEvoy barely lasted a minute in Hawthorn's preseason clash with St Kilda before he limp...

The new era at St Kilda has dawned on its old stage.

And a former Hawk who came to Moorabbin via Fremantle was the protagonist.

Bradley Hill came with a lot of promises.

Of electric pace, blistering skills.

It was a lot to live up to, but if that was his audition, the main event could well be something exciting.

He delivered on his CV – resplendent with three Hawks premierships already - in his first outing in red, white and black on Thursday night as the Saints defeated Hawthorn by 21 points.

From Hunter Clark – another preseason stronger – at half-back, to Hill through the middle in almost every chain into attack, at times to prodigious forward Max King up forward.

Watch every match of the Marsh Community Series AFL pre-season comp LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly

“I like to kick in and hit up the forwards, and once you’ve been training with these blokes for a little while, you start jelling with them and I felt that was one of my strengths,” Hill said on Fox Footy.

“Hopefully I can bring that throughout the year.”

Change is evident and it is having an impact.

The “old” faces were refreshed and in renewed roles as Jade Gresham buzzed through the midfield and won nine clearances, while Tim Membrey dominated in the forward line.

They were split open by the Hawks at times – there’s experience there with the likes of Tom Scully, Isaac Smith and Jaeger O’Meara, in what evolved into a fast-paced bayside shootout with all the physicality of the football formerly hosted at the historic ground.

No one is all-in at this time of year, but the pot looks healthy for both outfits.

Hawthorn hearts were in mouths in the opening seconds of the preseason competition but star tall Ben McEvoy has dodged a bullet.

The 30-year-old - who appears set for a role in defence this season - hobbled from RSEA Park in Moorabbin within the first two minutes of the game and did not feature again, but coach Alastair Clarkson confirmed that the swift diagnosis was a corkie to his right leg.

“He was pretty stiff in his first contest of the game he went to, he gets a corkie,” Clarkson said.

“It bled pretty heavily, so he might miss a week, I’m not sure.

“The docs will have (a look) at it and we won’t take any risks. He’ll get that right and it’s bad enough for him not to be able to return to the game.”

Clarkson said losing McEvoy with backman James Sicily - who sat out the match with a bruised heel - was a blow they didn’t need.

“That hurt us a little bit. He and Sicily are our best intercept markers and organisers behind the ball for us, and Sic has just got a bit of a sore heel so we didn’t want to take a risk with him and then ‘Big Boy’ (McEvoy) gets hurt,” he said.

“That unsettled our balance a little bit, but outside of that, by and large all you’re searching for is to give yourself a chance to play against an opposition and see some of your patterns.

“Some of it was good tonight and some of it was pretty scratchy, which you’d expect.”


BELONGS IN THE ‘BURBS

It’s the peoples’ preseason.

They flocked along the footpaths and flooded the side streets for the time-honoured pilgrimage to Moorabbin.

The Saints’ last game for premiership points at the ground was 10,064 days ago – an August day in 1992 when many players on the ground Thursday night weren’t even born.

And it didn’t disappoint. The gates were shut in the second half and the final crowd deemed to be 8187.

Portables were brought in to account for vision – and broadcast – standards, while a ripple was sent through the ground in the third term.

“They’ve run out of beer!,” the texts exclaimed.

Imagine that in the animal enclosure days.

But after a few “runs” to replenish the stock, the faithful – including former Saints Nicky Winmar and David Armitage - were kept at ease both on and off the field and were happy with what they saw.

It’s not stadium type stuff. But they made it work.


LIKE NEW RECRUITS

Was Tom Mitchell ever out? It didn’t seem like it.

He might have missed the entirety of his Brownlow defence season in 2019 after a broken leg but the star midfielder is right back at home.

His first possession came within seconds and he was barreled to the turf in a bit of a welcome back, while Jon Patton – who has not played a senior game since Round 15, 2018, against the Hawks, no less, when he was a Giant – looked dangerous with three goals.

Mitchell sat out most of the final term but said he was feeling strong.

“Hit a few bodies and pulled up fine from a few big collisions, so got through the game unscathed and that’s the main thing,” he said.
Max King showed plenty of positive signs for the Saints.


KING OF THE HILL

The “grandstand” side rose as Max King – in Nick Riewoldt’s famed No. 12 – clunked a mark in the first term.

He hit the post but booted a goal soon after to settle the nerves as he eyes a Round 1 berth.

“That’s a goal of mine – just to play as much footy as I can,” he said on Fox Footy.

“Hopefully the body pulls up well and all is good.”

[George27]

So McKenzie gets a game ahead of Webster. Jimmy really has fallen from grace. This time last year he was a lock in our best 18

jimmy still recovering from injury

Thanks Saintly. I was unaware of that . I see Brett says Jimmy will play next week, so good news.

[saynta]

Super coach scores;

SAINTS

T. Membrey 164

R. Marshall 117

H. Clark 97

J. Steele 97

L. Dunstan 95

J. Billings 93

J. Carlisle 92

D. Butler 86

C. Wilkie 86

J. Lonie 83

S. Ross 82

P. Ryder 75

D. Kent 72

N. Coffield 65

B. Hill 65

B. Long 64

J. Gresham 59

B. Paton 58

J. Sinclair 57

M. King 46

S. Savage 42

D. Howard 34

J. Battle 29

J. Marsh 23

D. McKenzie 20

R. Abbott 14


HAWKS

I. Smith 96

T. Mitchell 89

J. Ceglar 80

R. Henderson 77

D. Greaves 77

P. Puopolo 74

J. Patton 74

J. Worpel 72

M. Lewis 72

B. Hardwick 68

L. Shiels 66

T. Scully 65

C. Jiath 64

L. Breust 63

T. O’Brien 63

C. Wingard 56

J. Frawley 55

J. Cousins 50

H. Morrison 43

B. Stratton 40

J. O’Meara 40

O. Hanrahan 36

S. Frost 35

D. Minchington 26

M. Walker 5

B.McEvoy 0

[Harves Man]

And for all of those naysayers who thought it was crazy to recruit Paddy Ryder.

Very early days, but he looks fit and hungry and seems to have a new lease of life playing for the Saints.

If he can find, even some of the form that made him All Australian, watch out.

Chief protagonist naysayer here.

I will not prematurely evaluate after one pre-season game but the Paddy Ryder playing last night looked a lot more like the 2017 version than the 2019 model.

The 2019 model was overweight bordering on fat and lacked mobility and probably hunger.

Looking forward to being wrong and having my nose rubbed in it here on Saintsational if he has a great season.

I just felt that the 2019 version was unhappy where he was (for whatever reason, but one suspects some friction with their coach) and played accordingly. He appears to have played most of the season with one eye on the exit gate.

The very much wanted move, to a club that welcomed him with open arms, was always likely to give him a breath of fresh air, that's all.

[Harves Man]

Did Roberton play, and if so, how’d he look?

Corked knee, so didn't play. Club says he will line-up at our next praccy match, tho.

[asiu]

These users thanked the author asiu for the post:
Joffa Burns (Sat 22 Feb 2020 8:10am)

how funny it all is mr burns

[Spinner]

Agree on Hill, I imagine Ro$$ Lyin stifled his creativity.
Lyon seems to not allow players to fully use their talents.
I rate Ratts as a more common sense coach than Lyon, having learnt under Clarko.
I suggest if one were to ask Hill quietly about the Saints, he'd say 'breath of fresh air' and 'new lease of life'.
He'd be loving it.
Give him freedom and he'll be a very important difference.

He'll give us that strike power when Swans or Tigers threaten to take over a game.

This is a really weird post. Hill improved significantly under Lyon and performed extremely well.

Did you just make this issue up in your head? Absolutely obsessed.