Where has the Saints spirit gone?

[WinnersOnly]

Where has the Saints spirit gone?

Teams under Grant Thomas and Ross Lyon werent always sucessful, but they had pride in there club and team!

When was the last time you recall a Saints player tackling to make an opponent feel it, getting under there opposition skins verbally and backing it up on the ground? Or bumping to run through and hurt there opponent, or spoiling to make their opponent know he deserves the mark.

Yes we are a young and inexpereinced side Richo, but it doesnt mean we have to be the most metally weak side in the competition. Grow some balls Richo and challenge and back your blokes to take on the opposition and let them know we are a team with some spirit! If it means some fines and suspensions so be it - we would rather that than the limp d..k performance you showed tonight! You will be surprised the psoitive affects that will have on your team and the opposition.

You are coaching how you played... you need to step out of that and show that resounding belief and drive that makes great coaches!

[Devilhead]

I'm soooo friggin angry that we lost the 4pts tonight along with our percentage taking a massive battering ..... actually .... no .... hold on ....

[GRAMophone]

Disagree. Lack of spirit not the problem tonight.

[Dr Spaceman]

I'm soooo friggin angry that we lost the 4pts tonight along with our percentage taking a massive battering ..... actually .... no .... hold on ....

I'm so angry, I'm not going to go next week!

[WinnersOnly]

I'm soooo friggin angry that we lost the 4pts tonight along with our percentage taking a massive battering ..... actually .... no .... hold on ....

If you think that is acceptable even for a NAB game then we get what we deserve!

[ShanghaiSaint]

NAB cup means nothing. compare the lists put on he park ect ect ect

[Devilhead]

I'm soooo friggin angry that we lost the 4pts tonight along with our percentage taking a massive battering ..... actually .... no .... hold on ....

If you think that is acceptable even for a NAB game then we get what we deserve!

Better score line than the last time we played them and that was with half a team

Let me refer you to a game vs Collingwood back in 2009 when we completely obliterated them by 88pts - the following year they won a flag against us

Be patient my friend

[SainterK]

Where's the gameplan?

I get scolded on here for asking that...

[FQF]

Where's the gameplan?

I get scolded on here for asking that...

Bit hard to implement a gameplan when you can't hit a teammate by hand or foot over any distance.

[BringBackMadDog]

Where's the gameplan?

I get scolded on here for asking that...

Oh for gods sake, there were 8 players out there that had played less than 5 games. I reckon only about 5 or 6 players would have played more than 20 games together. Compare that to a Hawthorn team where more than 70% of them would have played close to 100 games together. Game plans only work when you innately know what your team mates are going to do it doesn't happen in 1 pre-season.

[samuraisaint]

Remember losing a practice game to Port Adelaide by 120 points one year - finished on top that year - won 19 in a row that year and just lost a grand final that year

remember losing the second game of the year by 99 points one year - then hardly lost one for the next 5 months. Finished on top and made a grand final.

[samuraisaint]

Where's the gameplan?

I get scolded on here for asking that...

Bit hard to implement a gameplan when you can't hit a teammate by hand or foot over any distance.

especially when you're a rookie and you're playing against ten year veterans who have won three premierships. Talk about not comparing like for like.

[samuraisaint]

Where has the Saints spirit gone?

Teams under Grant Thomas and Ross Lyon werent always sucessful, but they had pride in there club and team!

When was the last time you recall a Saints player tackling to make an opponent feel it, getting under there opposition skins verbally and backing it up on the ground? Or bumping to run through and hurt there opponent, or spoiling to make their opponent know he deserves the mark.

Yes we are a young and inexpereinced side Richo, but it doesnt mean we have to be the most metally weak side in the competition. Grow some balls Richo and challenge and back your blokes to take on the opposition and let them know we are a team with some spirit! If it means some fines and suspensions so be it - we would rather that than the limp d..k performance you showed tonight! You will be surprised the psoitive affects that will have on your team and the opposition.

You are coaching how you played... you need to step out of that and show that resounding belief and drive that makes great coaches!

saw some pretty ordinary performances when Thommo was coaching. Especially early on.

[White Winmar]

Disagree. Lack of spirit not the problem tonight.

Agree. Just got in and watched the replay. Our tendency to turn the ball over with simple skill errors is a bigger worry than not getting fired up for a practice match.

[plugger66]

Where has the Saints spirit gone?

Teams under Grant Thomas and Ross Lyon werent always sucessful, but they had pride in there club and team!

When was the last time you recall a Saints player tackling to make an opponent feel it, getting under there opposition skins verbally and backing it up on the ground? Or bumping to run through and hurt there opponent, or spoiling to make their opponent know he deserves the mark.

Yes we are a young and inexpereinced side Richo, but it doesnt mean we have to be the most metally weak side in the competition. Grow some balls Richo and challenge and back your blokes to take on the opposition and let them know we are a team with some spirit! If it means some fines and suspensions so be it - we would rather that than the limp d..k performance you showed tonight! You will be surprised the psoitive affects that will have on your team and the opposition.

You are coaching how you played... you need to step out of that and show that resounding belief and drive that makes great coaches!

You really do act like a little kid who has had his toys pinched when we lose by more than you expected. Look at our side even at its best and we are 15 goals worse than the Hawks. No coach could change that. I think you problem is for 2 years you have overated the side so I suggest you go back and actually see where the club is player wise. We are a poor team who will most likely only beat Essendon this year. Whilst they aren't facts they are bloody close to it. You mentioned on your 30 sooking posts last night we are worse than the 80's, well that maybe true but there is no way a 40 year old guy would have carried on like you did last night and have previously when we have been smashed. Grow up and grow some balls and stop acting like a kid.

[philtee]

Boys against men...result not unexpected. Move on.

[The Fireman]

Lack of Spirit.....lol.

[tony74]

Lack of Spirit.....lol.

Totally agree Firey. They busted their guts last night. By the end of the night they were totally spent. Some sore and sorry boys in the rooms. But I can assure you there was no lack of spirit before, during or AFTER the game. Just realisation.
Roo spoke to them as a group, don't know what was said, but there's spirit at this club.

[SemperFidelis]

Lack of Spirit.....lol.

Totally agree Firey. They busted their guts last night. By the end of the night they were totally spent. Some sore and sorry boys in the rooms. But I can assure you there was no lack of spirit before, during or AFTER the game. Just realisation.
Roo spoke to them as a group, don't know what was said, but there's spirit at this club.

Thanks Tony. Most on here don't doubt that. Ever.

[cwrcyn]

We need to be realistic. Before today, these players had played these number of AFL games

McCartin 0
Sinclair 0
Pierce 0
Lonie 0
Membrey 1
Acres 3
Minchington 5
Templeton 6
Shenton 14
Wright 15
Dunstan 16
Curren 23
Bruce 24
Hickey 30


That's two thirds of the players who were out there for us. Fourteen players with an average games tally of less than 10 games


On top of that you had another 3 players who had under 50 games (Weller, Delaney, Newnes)


Our senior core consisted of

Montagna (only played 1st half)
Fisher
Dempster
Schneider (who's not on our main list)
Steven



Hawthorn's senior core consisted of

Hodge
Mitchell
Burgoyne
Lake
Roughead
Rioli
McEvoy
Frawley
Suckling
Lewis
Gunston
Breust
Smith
Gibson
Stratton
Shiels
Puopolo



That's 17 senior players to 5



What other result could there have been?

[Bunk_Moreland]

Lack of Spirit.....lol.

Totally agree Firey. They busted their guts last night. By the end of the night they were totally spent. Some sore and sorry boys in the rooms. But I can assure you there was no lack of spirit before, during or AFTER the game. Just realisation.
Roo spoke to them as a group, don't know what was said, but there's spirit at this club.

Agreed with both WinnersOnly is prone to making silly overblown statements from time to time.

It wasn't spirit. At all. I saw plenty, Maverick Weller pissed that Sicily (or however you spell it) is given a mark in front of goal, gives him one for his trouble. Next centre bounce, burst out of the middle and lets fly for a nine pointer from inside the square.

I saw Hickey beat Mitchell in a one on one at ground level for a good goal. I saw the guys laying hard tackles and caught Hodge twice with the ball.

I saw them try as hard as their inexperienced bodies and skills would let them.

I am more worried about the one paced dimension of players like Dunstan and Acres. Acres is Powell like in his pace, Dunstan was badly exposed without Armo, and our overall pace was way down without Webster there.

My other really worry is the fact that when we had the ball even without pressure, we turned it over again and again. Our skills will improve with confidence, but some were inexcusable, just don't turn it over from a kick out for gods sake.

[jonesy]

It was painfully obvious a month ago at Seaford in the intra club that our skill level was abhorrent to the say the least. There is a long way to go in this rebuild when you look at the combination of our substandard midfield and shocking skills around the ground. We need to absolutely nail two gun mids this draft. There will be no quick turn around here

[FQF]

I am more worried about the one paced dimension of players like Dunstan and Acres. Acres is Powell like in his pace, Dunstan was badly exposed without Armo, and our overall pace was way down without Webster there.

I am not concerned by this. Dunstan played a very good game by any standard (let alone a second year standard). He is no speedster but he's quick enough for the role he plays. No slower than Lenny, Armo or for that matter Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell or Luke Hodge.

Acres is also no speedster. But firstly, that isn't his role. Secondly, his style of play looks a little slower than he is but that will iron itself out with adjustment to the level. Comparing him to similar players, Hodge and Goddard, I doubt he'd be any slower. Is Nat Fyfe quick? I'm not sure but don't think so.

I think a lot of people are concerned about pace because players like Hill, Rioli, Smith and Puoplo decided to sprint at every opportunity. These players are in the top rung of pace across the league and would trouble most players. Fact is, most of the top bracket elite midfielders are not speedsters.

[spert]

Inexperienced we are, but it's not an excuse to be uncompetitive in contests- you have to be near your opponent to make a contest, and some of our guys experienced and inexperienced just played too far away from their opponents- same scenario as last year. I was disappointed with the lack of gut running to make an option for teammates, and of course the skills by foot were appalling even with no pressure. Richo needs to do something about these ongoing issues- its been there the whole time he has been coach.

[Life Long Saint]

I'm not sure we played with much urgency at all last night.
After one of the many Hawthorn goals in the third quarter, our midfield quartet decided to walk (slowly) to the centre circle from deep defense.
The umpire had to wait for them to arrive before bouncing the ball...Needless to say Hawthorn easily won the clearance and had another shot at goal (luckily for us it went out on the full).

On Dunstan (as someone brought up his game)...His disposal was bitterly disappointing last night. He is not Robinson Caruso but I lost count of the amount of times he put the ball at his teammate's feet. I am not sure this would count as an ineffective disposal but we need to be hititng our own players on the chest far more frequently than we are.