Reality

[tony74]

We have not been out of the eight all year. Yep, I agree we probably won’t last there but honestly how many of you after Round 21 would have thought that. We have a group of new coaches and a new game plan. There will be a turnover of players at season end as the coaching panel mould the squad to its potential. I believe we are building, most so called experts ( and no doubt many of you) had us bottom four. I haven’t got rose coloured glasses, I’m just being realistic. Again I have to emphasise we have not been out of the 8 all year. I reckon the club has been enormous. FQF

[saynta]

We have not been out of the eight all year. Yep, I agree we probably won’t last there but honestly how many of you after Round 21 would have thought that. We have a group of new coaches and a new game plan. There will be a turnover of players at season end as the coaching panel mould the squad to its potential. I believe we are building, most so called experts ( and no doubt many of you) had us bottom four. I haven’t got rose coloured glasses, I’m just being realistic. Again I have to emphasise we have not been out of the 8 all year. I reckon the club has been enormous. FQF

i had us finishing 6th and haven't given up hope......yet.

[CURLY]

Correct.

Also Membrey Hayes King have barely played.

Constant injuries to key players has meant greater load on lesser players.

[Banger9798]

Well said Tony.

I give us a 1 in 3 chance of finals.

But we have got alot of games into promising young players.

Any idea who we are targeting. I thought Dow was good tonight, hopefully we are into him

[tony74]

Well said Tony.

I give us a 1 in 3 chance of finals.

But we have got alot of games into promising young players.

Any idea who we are targeting. I thought Dow was good tonight, hopefully we are into him

Yes, but you can understand I can’t really put that out.
2 will make you happy, 1 will cause some angst. But who we may trade might upset a few

[Bruce G McAbee]

Well, we will see who they can recruit in the off season.

[TheGreatZacsby]

Interesting @tony74.

I believe:

We will get Paddy Dow and Liam Henry

We will lose Hunter Clark and Jade Gresham to other clubs.

[Life Long Saint]

I can't think of a team at the moment that is mentally weaker than us.
Have been for years.
Was hoping that Ross would eliminate that from our make-up.

Too many times this season we've been unable to protect leads or put bad teams away.
It will cost us a finals spot for sure.

1 goal after half time (2 scoring shots in the 3rd and three in the last is pathetic for a finals contender.
Smashed again in clearances (-24) and inside 50's (-12).

Why didn't we learn from earlier in the season that King and Caminiti is not winning combination? Why haven't we learned that Marshall needs help in the ruck?

[Saintmatt]

Think there might be quite a few who won’t be there next year. Not a bad thing too.

If I had the cash - I’d happily pay for Gresham to be sacked tonight.

[desertsaint]

yep. been a good season allthings considered. future looking a lot brighter than this time last year.

[JR23]

Really , really you are happy Tony74 or just a publicist

If the plan was to finish 9-12 then mission achieved . Well done , pat on the back, how wonderful are we
Many saints supporters had much much higher expectations exspecially with our great start. We watched basically an inactive selection changes to poor results, we watched stagnant game plans and within games as teams worked us out. We see players in at Sandy week knocking on the door but not given as 2nd thought

Lets defend but deflect . Nice Trump move

[Waltzing St Kilda]

True, our position at this stage exceeds all off-season expectations.

Nevertheless it's a demonstrative, embarrassing failure to squander an 8-4 start (again) and fail to make finals.

[chook23]

Can not cop that you mentioned New Game Plan Tony

We were playing better start of year

1 goal after halftime

I don't have rose coloured glasses either

[Otiman]

It's about where we are at right now. Carlton are red hot and on form we should win 2 of the next 3. Other results will see if we scrape in. 5th to 8th shouldn't make much of a difference to who we play.

Was a golden opportunity to play 'finals' football and we have a lot to learn about that.

I can't help but think we have another gear to go to, but just couldn't find the shifter today.

Our young forwardline was exposed again, even moreso with King back. I hope he can be a real forward half leader next year.

Happy with Cordy down back and Owens in the middle.

[MC Gusto]

Enormous is a stretch.

But they have outdone my expectations (so far) as I was thinking 12th at best,

The list inst there but the young brigade have shown the most promise for some time

I reckon we’ll do the tigers and cats but I’m not sure what it’s worth given we’re no competition

[The_Dud]

The fact that we showed a standard we could produce then not got anywhere near it since about round 6 is damning.

Also the form of our captain, a real worry.

I know it won’t/can’t happen, but I’d be fine if Gresh and Higgins were gone.

[SaintPav]

Gresh looks like he’s gone.

Higgins has just been signed for three years.

[Saintmatt]

Gresh looks like he’s gone.

Higgins has just been signed for three years.

He had a good audition for the Dawks last week and back to his usual shite self for his audition for the Blues today.

The end of his time with us can’t come quick enough

[SinCitySainter]

The issue is with have a game plan that is completely inflexible. When Carlton started getting a run on in the third quarter we went into pure defensive mode (Ross's favored approach) taking the ball as wide as we can and refusing to look inside. That continued into the last quarter when we were chasing the game and still playing this anti-football defend at all costs approach.
We go so wide when we have the ball that we hamstring ourselves when trying to get into attacking positions.
What really worries me about this is that I think Ross will be happy with that performance because we held Carlton to 10 goals. What we score is irrelevant as long as we restrict the opposition. The fact is that we had 14 scoring shots and if we hadn't kicked accurately we would have been out of the game at quarter time.

[SydneySainter]

We have not been out of the eight all year. Yep, I agree we probably won’t last there but honestly how many of you after Round 21 would have thought that. We have a group of new coaches and a new game plan. There will be a turnover of players at season end as the coaching panel mould the squad to its potential. I believe we are building, most so called experts ( and no doubt many of you) had us bottom four. I haven’t got rose coloured glasses, I’m just being realistic. Again I have to emphasise we have not been out of the 8 all year. I reckon the club has been enormous. FQF

Right, 11 years of rebuilding and chin up, our ladder position won’t be as bad as many as expected. Very St Kilda.

[Vortex]

Been mentally weak since 2021.

I'd be shocked if Lyon doesn't select a new Captain in the off season.

Nothing changes my mind from week to week, even when we win, the list needs a rebuild and I'd be so surprised if Lyon thinks he only needs small tweaks.

[tony74]

If you think Ross is happy with that performance you don’t know him. He doesn’t rave and rant but he’s not cuddly. He is honest and to the point. He takes no prisoners and knows what he wants. And if you don’t deliver you know. Trust me

[The_Dud]

If you think Ross is happy with that performance you don’t know him. He doesn’t rave and rant but he’s not cuddly. He is honest and to the point. He takes no prisoners and knows what he wants. And if you don’t deliver you know. Trust me

I very much hope that is the case, just what happens at the selection table sometimes says otherwise.

[seano1]

If you think Ross is happy with that performance you don’t know him. He doesn’t rave and rant but he’s not cuddly. He is honest and to the point. He takes no prisoners and knows what he wants. And if you don’t deliver you know. Trust me

Think your spot on , he said at the start of the year that this would be a learning year and it’s been great ….success isn’t always the grand final …..as much as we want it …this year has been very successful….injuries during pre season meant new blokes rushed in and have had to learn pretty quickly which will do them no harm in the next few years …we are in the eight again a tick ….even if we drop out we are heading in a very successful journey to next year with the adjustments that will come . The list of course must change as a few are found wanting .
But don’t recruit anyone from swans ffs

[magnifisaint]

I wonder what Ross thinks of Gresham?
He's certainly leaving the club because he's not worth the pay packet he's on. Our midfield and forwards are the issue. King should not have played. He's clearly not right.