Why the Saints lost on Sunday (perhaps)

[perfectionist]

1. Collingwood are more skillful than us. Both their kicking and handball under pressure was better. This can, and must be, worked on.
2. We looked like we were going at 90% for most of the game - except for the last 5 minutes. Dunno why.
3. We failed to make use of our ruck advantage. There was a seeming disconnect between RoMa and the rest of the onballers for too many ball-ups.
4. We made too many unforced errors. There were 10 really bad ones, but that's enough to lose a tight game.
5. There were a few holding the ball decisions that were hard to fathom.
6. It's hard to cover crucial loses due to injury forever.

The good news was that we lost by a goal, which might have been a draw if a hack kick in the last 30 seconds had gone to one of three Saints players rather than the single Collingwood player, none of whom had a chance to move. It's something that, no doubt, was not lost on either team.

[ace]

The Saints may have lost by a goal but with all those injuries you have to know that St Kilda is capable of beating Collingwood even with just a few injuries.

[ausfatcat]

Smothers and forward line delivery were the issues I saw, disposal efficiency effected both sides because of the pressure of both teams.

Membrey and King in that side and add a touch of Steele and Webster I think we win.

[Beno88]

Smothers and forward line delivery were the issues I saw, disposal efficiency effected both sides because of the pressure of both teams.

Membrey and King in that side and add a touch of Steele and Webster I think we win.

This.

[D.B.Cooper]

1. Collingwood are more skillful than us. Both their kicking and handball under pressure was better. This can, and must be, worked on.
2. We looked like we were going at 90% for most of the game - except for the last 5 minutes. Dunno why.
3. We failed to make use of our ruck advantage. There was a seeming disconnect between RoMa and the rest of the onballers for too many ball-ups.
4. We made too many unforced errors. There were 10 really bad ones, but that's enough to lose a tight game.
5. There were a few holding the ball decisions that were hard to fathom.
6. It's hard to cover crucial loses due to injury forever.

The good news was that we lost by a goal, which might have been a draw if a hack kick in the last 30 seconds had gone to one of three Saints players rather than the single Collingwood player, none of whom had a chance to move. It's something that, no doubt, was not lost on either team.

Lock down N.Daicos and I think we would have won.

Hard to tell on TV, but it a appeared Ross went with Brad Hill head to head to back in Brad to do more damage than Daicos.
Windhager onto Daicos in a hard shut down role might be a better option.

[spert]

We were not switched on early in the game, and Collingwood got a few too-easy clearances from the centre bounces, and unforced errors killed us at crucial times. Our defensive structures around stoppages was wrong and let Collingwood move the ball into the corridor with little effort- coaching issue. We lacked another marking forward option, plus the midfield went to sleep in the third quarter- and left it too late to put on the pressure in the 4th.

[The_Dud]

Collingwood are a more seasoned team, and I think they did well pressuring us all game, we couldn't get the quick ball movement going as freely as previously.

Though I think we also did great defensively, our pressure on them was at its usual standard and our backline was magnificent.

[CURLY]

6 frees for two and a half quarters doesn't help when your a high pressure team.

Again Collingwood got the rub of the green and in the end it decided the result.

[Yorkeys]

J. Battle positioned himself well, random bounce went over his head, chaos ball falls for Hill to soccer in from goal line.

Pies players have been together a long time and play more instinctively, Sidebottom damaging as is Pendlebury and Daicos a little more effective than Brad H.

Moore and Murphy were excellent, however Hammer fought on well and will be sorely missed. Wilkie and Howard were similarly excellent.

Some of the younger of our players seemed to have trouble holding their marks in the cauldron. Will be better.

One of the few, if only, times I've seen the Collingwood coach really anxious. He knows we are very good. There is real feeling between these sides. That loss will sting our coaches, whatever they say.

[The_Dud]

6 frees for two and a half quarters doesn't help when your a high pressure team.

Again Collingwood got the rub of the green and in the end it decided the result.

Miss the first quarter did you Curly?

[CURLY]

6 frees for two and a half quarters doesn't help when your a high pressure team.

Again Collingwood got the rub of the green and in the end it decided the result.

Miss the first quarter did you Curly?

No I watched it all.

[The Fireman]

I notice they would slap the ball forward on many occasions , much quicker and wont get caught with the ball.

[CURLY]

I notice they would slap the ball forward on many occasions , much quicker and wont get caught with the ball.

Don't know why they'ed worry about being caught they never get pinged.

[The Fireman]

Predictions this rd
http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php? ... 4#p2002424

Curley will bag the umpires

[asiu]

yea

but not in the game day thread

untidy work mr fireman

a free kick 'n 2 x fifty brings Curly to the goal line

[asiu]

and then another 50
at the ball up
for Duddles jumping in

Curly dobs a nice torp
'n kicks 2 in 30 seconds of play

Ross thinks about dragging someone

[66Iwasthere]

As others have commented, the Pies were just a bit more seasoned (they have had one whole season with their coach and game plan) and they a bit more luck with frees and the bounce of the ball.

[The Fireman]

yea

but not in the game day thread

untidy work mr fireman

a free kick 'n 2 x fifty brings Curly to the goal line

[Otiman]

a bit more luck with ... the bounce of the ball.

Too soon mate, too soon.

[magnifisaint]

The Saints lost because they weren't clean with their disposal. A lot of kicks forward of centre were smothered. They also lost because they lack structure in the forward line.

[Saintmatt]

Smothers and forward line delivery were the issues I saw, disposal efficiency effected both sides because of the pressure of both teams.

Membrey and King in that side and add a touch of Steele and Webster I think we win.

Injuries weren't really a thing in this game - they were as depleted as we were in terms of key players important to the way both teams play ...

Steele = DeGoey
Membrey = Howe
King = Cameron

They were a bit cleaner with ball in hand; less pressured in the 3rd q; and their mids/HB are just classier and better ball users. That said - they've also been training and playing their system at high intensity for 15 months longer than us

[SaintPav]

I think we are really missing Jimmy Webster. He’s a tough player who rarely gets beaten.

Big loss.

[Sanctorum]

My overwhelming feeling throughout all but the last 5 minutes was that St Kilda players appeared really sluggish, almost as if they'd been keyed up for such a long time before the bounce, possibly due to all the pre-game buildup around Nicky Winmar's racism episode at Vic Park 30 years ago.

There seemed to be a distinct lack of spark, fumbling the ball, kicking or handballing to opponents and little functionality when they got all those forward entries....

Quite uncharacteristic for this group this year but the thing that did impress with me is that they did in fact stop Collingwood's momentum and pressure and responded with 3 quick goals in the dying minutes.

Collingwood were just that little bit more polished, Pendlebury was his usual super-impressive at stoppages, and they seemed to have control of the game at all times.

4-1 and a healthy percentage (still) plus top of the ladder after round 5 is far better than most of us would have predicted at the start of the season.

[therabbitinthehat]

I think the first 3.5 quarters were a reality check for most of the team. The first 4 weeks we've effectively bullied the opposition into capitulation through unrelenting pressure, the pies absorbed that and gave it straight back to us. None of the other teams have been able to do that to us yet.

Halfway through the last I think the pies eased up on their pressure thinking they'd done enough to get the win and we saw what happens when that pressure eases - 3 goals in as many minutes. IMHO if there was an extra 30s of game time we likely would have goaled and tied the game as we'd caught them on the back foot and they were scrambling to get their pressure back up.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Thought it was ou weakest performance for the year, so amazed we lost by only a goal. Collingwood's playing stocks were also depeleted though.

Wondered when the kids would run out of steam. And reckon this would be a good time for a injection of talent.

Steele back -- great. Possibly Membrey? King can't return quick enough.