King

[meher baba]

I thought King was good last night and made an important, and largely unsung, contribution to our win.

Sure, he gave away some free kicks (3 according to the match stats I saw, but he also got 2 awarded to him), but that's part and parcel of him doing his job in stopping the Freo monster from dominating in the rucks. Every time King went up against Sandilands, there was a genuine contest.

Sandilands beat both King and (more so) Gardi, but he was a long way short of being able to do whatever he liked, and our midfielders benefited accordingly.

King also had a few important possessions near the end.

If (as many on here would have preferred) McEvoy had played instead of King, Sandilands would have torn him up into tiny little pieces IMO and Freo would probably have won the game.

A lot of people on here have got to get over their obsession with "giving the kids a go". Experience counts for a lot, especially in the ruck.

Ruckmen take a long time to develop: five years ago, Sandilands was a lumbering oaf whose height was his main strong point. Now, at age 28, he's a first-rate AFL player. McEvoy might take that long as well.

[Milton66]

Correct. Never write off a champion too quickly.

McEvoy would have got mauled last night.

[SainterK]

He wasn't awful, but he could be better IMO meher baba.

It's the times I watch him spectate when he is in a position to go for the ball, he also needs to throw his body around more and be in a position to take some contested marks.

I am willing to admit Gardiner was quiet also, but I am more inclined to think he wasn't 100% right. There was a moment where he tried to sprint, and he didn't look comfortable at all.

Either one of them could make room for McEvoy based on last nights peformance, or Ross may decide to have Kosi ruck/rotating forward.

[poatina]

Meha Baba said "Ruckmen take a long time to develop: five years ago, Sandilands was a lumbering oaf whose height was his main strong point ".
Too right - in the Sirengate game in 2006 Sandilands was comprehensively beaten by Blake in the ruck - centre bounce, boundary and around the ground. Nowdays it probably wouldn't be a coaching masterstroke to put Blakey up against Sandilands for the whole game .

[saintsRrising]

I generally agree with MB.

Sandlilands is now truly awesome player..and absolute freak...and so the task of St Kilda rucks is just to restrict the damage.

In doing this King did quite well, and in doing so you are going to give away a few frees.

Kings games against both the Pies and now Freo have been solid contributions.

On Sandlilands,..just imagine what he would go with either the St Kilda or Geelong midfields!!

Also hopefully next time we play Freo we will not kick it as many times to marking cintests that he is in, as that is a low % play now.

[Duggie]

Yes he did well against the arguably best ruckman going around at present

[meher baba]

Also hopefully next time we play Freo we will not kick it as many times to marking cointests that he is in, as that is alow % play now.

Yes, at times I thought Sandilands was exercising some sort of magnetic attraction for our players when they were kicking the ball.

It could be that old golfer's problem of worrying so much about a sandtrap/water hazard/tree that, when you try to do everything to avoid it, you somehow end up hitting the ball straight at it (dreadful game: far prefer to lie in bed with a good book, or someone who's read one recently).

[fingers]

I thought he did better at the taps than Gardiner. He seemed to better use his bulk to get to the ball. Once the ball hit the ground MG was probably a little better.

[saintsRrising]

Also hopefully next time we play Freo we will not kick it as many times to marking cointests that he is in, as that is alow % play now.

Yes, at times I thought Sandilands was exercising some sort of magnetic attraction for our players when they were kicking the ball.

It could be that old golfer's problem of worrying so much about a sandtrap/water hazard/tree that, when you try to do everything to avoid it, you somehow end up hitting the ball straight at it (dreadful game: far prefer to lie in bed with a good book, or someone who's read one recently).

I think it is more that Sandlilands with expoerience has really worked out where to run too.

He often positioned himself so that if the saints tooka long clearing kick along the boundary that he was in that zone..

Noticed in the last quarter that a Saints player want to do this, as we had done quite often in the game, then hesitate and instrad kick the ball much shorter into space near the line which was then forced over the boundary instead.

ie he scarificed gaining say an extra 20 m to avoid kicking it to a contest that Sandlinds was in.

[Milton66]

Also hopefully next time we play Freo we will not kick it as many times to marking cointests that he is in, as that is alow % play now.

Yes, at times I thought Sandilands was exercising some sort of magnetic attraction for our players when they were kicking the ball.

It could be that old golfer's problem of worrying so much about a sandtrap/water hazard/tree that, when you try to do everything to avoid it, you somehow end up hitting the ball straight at it (dreadful game: far prefer to lie in bed with a good book, or someone who's read one recently).

I think it is more that Sandlilands with expoerience has really worked out where to run too.

He often positioned himself so that if the saints tooka long clearing kick along the boundary that he was in that zone..

Noticed in the last quarter that a Saints player want to do this, as we had done quite often in the game, then hesitate and instrad kick the ball much shorter into space near the line which was then forced over the boundary instead.

ie he scarificed gaining say an extra 20 m to avoid kicking it to a contest that Sandlinds was in.

Agree with this view, and Sandi was also drifting back to great effect.