Yeah, good one Scott - some of those close finishes include Geelong at Geelong, Port Adelaide in Adelaide and the Giants in Canberra - and we've been playing with as many as 8 players under 21 years old in the lineup most, if not ALL, of our matches so far this season.bigcarl wrote: ↑Sun 28 Apr 2024 12:26pm Early Tackle: Bont disaster which could cost Dogs dearly
SCOTT GULLAN, heraldsun.com.au
YOU SPIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME
Ross Lyon is a genius, that’s the reputation he holds in the football world and it seems like his time in the Triple M commentary box has served him well.
His openness when he has a microphone in front of him now is compelling and has commentators all warm and fuzzy given his honesty and the way he talks about the game.
As a result of being so open and honest, it’s human nature to then be more reticent to not go as hard with criticism as you might with someone else (ie Luke Beveridge).
Lyon’s spin is that he’s running a dual narrative, getting games into the kids while trying to maintain a side capable of playing finals like the Saints did in his first season last year.
Right now, that plan isn’t working. Yes, you can hide behind some close finishes and as many stats as you like but the Saints look a lot more like a battling August side than an aspiring September outfit.
The playing-the-kids mantra is admirable although a couple of them, namely Mattaes Phillipou and Mitch Owens, have hit a rough patch while Max King, who didn’t play against the Power, is still yet to really announce himself as a force.
Then when you put the microscope to the rest of it, there are holes everywhere. The midfield can look pedestrian at times with captain Jack Steele, Seb Ross and the new face in there, Marcus Windhager, unlikely to win the Stawell Gift any time soon.
Take Rowan Marshall out of the equation and the big man stocks are light-on. Zaine Cordy and Josh Battle try hard, Dougal Howard has been a bust while at the other end Tim Membrey is struggling, Anthony Caminiti is hot and cold and Cooper Sharman is an honest battler.
We’ll know a lot more about St Kilda over the next month or so with some very winnable games – (North Melbourne at Marvel, Hawthorn in Tassie, Fremantle at Marvel, Melbourne at MCG and West Coast in Perth) – in the schedule.
After that, what is Ross spin and what are facts will be a lot clearer.
It might be due to necessity rather than innovation, but our injuries and suspensions have meant that we are playing guys who have played under 7 games against some very tidy opposition, and usually coming away with pride intact, if not the four points.
For me, a mini season block starts from next week. The expectation must be that we must win four of those five matches. No excuses. They are all teams we are expected to beat (except Melbourne).
