Positives other than the obvious

[Vazelos]

110 points against my most despised club was as good as it gets.
I was very happy with Seb Ross today, he is one of the 2nd tier guys that I think is showing he has a future at the Saints.
We know Mc Cartin, Goddard, Mc Kenzie & Acres are coming along nicely along with Lonie & Sinclair but he & Longer were great stories today.
He uses the football well and played his role well today.

[Kernal75]

Love the way our team defence is starting to take shape. Lost count of how many times the Bombers looked up an ha no one to kick to. Reminded me of the 2009/10 teams only we score more heavily. Only early stages and we have a long way to go but really like what I'm seeing

[whiskers3614]

110 points against my most despised club was as good as it gets.
I was very happy with Seb Ross today, he is one of the 2nd tier guys that I think is showing he has a future at the Saints.
We know Mc Cartin, Goddard, Mc Kenzie & Acres are coming along nicely along with Lonie & Sinclair but he & Longer were great stories today.
He uses the football well and played his role well today.

Isn't he Watson's cousin?
Would make it even sweeter on Watson's milestone match for Ross to play better than him!

[Vazelos]

Yes he is Watsons cousin & I was worried about him last year but he is the one out of that crop of Saints players in their 3rd or 4th season mostly playing in the Zebras that looks likely to make it. He came back from his hamstring injury & was excellent from day 1 at Sandringham & has worked his way into the Seniors & has played well. Today when the game was still a contest he was strong & decisive in the middle.
The 2013 & 14 draftees are all coming along nicely but he is one from the 2011-12 group that's looking like he has upside.

[sasaint]

A real positive is that some of the young gun players we want to get into the Saints from other teams will look at that and say, yes that's a team I want to be part of and has a future. It's what makes it so easy for the Hawks to recruit. Performances like that give the Saints real cred.

[matrix]

1. no injuries
2. no injuries
3. forward pressure
4. jack lonie will be a mid gun
5. kicking was MUCH better
6. no injuries

[perfectionist]

I'm not sure whether some will view this as a positive or not, given past experience. But, upon careful analysis, I have concluded that our coach is from the Ross Lyon/Alistair Clarkson school of coaching - strategy and tactics above all else. In one case, it brought a less skilled team within touching distance of a flag - twice. In the other, it has delivered three flags with a good prospect of a fourth. And, I think Richo is just as good. In the last few weeks, the players have finally done what he required. Alas, no plan makes up for missed opportunities in front of goal as we saw last week. Clarkson has a team of highly skilled players. The real alchemy of football lies in turning unskilled, or average skilled players, into skilled ones. That turns a finals team into a premiership team. Time will tell.

[plugger66]

I'm not sure whether some will view this as a positive or not, given past experience. But, upon careful analysis, I have concluded that our coach is from the Ross Lyon/Alistair Clarkson school of coaching - strategy and tactics above all else. In one case, it brought a less skilled team within touching distance of a flag - twice. In the other, it has delivered three flags with a good prospect of a fourth. And, I think Richo is just as good. In the last few weeks, the players have finally done what he required. Alas, no plan makes up for missed opportunities in front of goal as we saw last week. Clarkson has a team of highly skilled players. The real alchemy of football lies in turning unskilled, or average skilled players, into skilled ones. Time will tell.

I hope you are right. The bottom players win you a flag. The top players get you there.

[Bruce G McAbee]

Other than the obvious, James Hird's coaching tenure now in very serious trouble.

[saintjake]

Steven had 11 touches, four more than anyone else on the field. I love this stat more than Armo's 37 or Bruce's 5 bag.
Signifies that our best running midfielder isn't just an outside pansy like so many others in the league. He doesn't just run one way. He gets down and dirty.

This is the best stat to come out of the game.

[plugger66]

Steven had 11 touches, four more than anyone else on the field. I love this stat more than Armo's 37 or Bruce's 5 bag.
Signifies that our best running midfielder isn't just an outside pansy like so many others in the league. He doesn't just run one way. He gets down and dirty.

This is the best stat to come out of the game.

Tackles. Yep clearly our second best IMO. Will get 8 coaches votes behind Armo 10.

[mohannair]

Tim Membrey's development

[maverick]

Yes he is Watsons cousin & I was worried about him last year but he is the one out of that crop of Saints players in their 3rd or 4th season mostly playing in the Zebras that looks likely to make it. He came back from his hamstring injury & was excellent from day 1 at Sandringham & has worked his way into the Seniors & has played well. Today when the game was still a contest he was strong & decisive in the middle.
The 2013 & 14 draftees are all coming along nicely but he is one from the 2011-12 group that's looking like he has upside.

He made better decisions today, this is the area he needs to improve the most for mine.
I like him.

[Devilhead]

Spread of goalscorers - 13 players
Slamming the foot down and showing no mercy
80% Disposal Efficiency
Team Spirit looked awesome
And of course no injuries

[Munga]

Apart from all the whole team effort...how quickly we shut down space and opponents when they had the ball, how quickly we ran to space when we had it, the execution, winning the contests, running support. Just awesome today.

[bigcarl]

Sinclair is so impressive. When he took that long shot on the run I knew it was goal before it left his boot. The kid has real star quality about him, as does Lonie

[saintsRrising]

Ross did all the small things very well. Smoothers,pressure acts. Was often at the bottom of packs.

Excellent hard working game, as well as a good game. Also his opponent had probably his worst game ever!

[saintjake]

Tim Membrey's development

Ditto, last two games have been really good!

[saintspremiers]

What about our BP - Newnes.

(For those that don't know, a BP is a quiet achiever)

[Vazelos]

I like him too Maverick and he has thrown the gauntlet at a Dunstan who for mine is a very similar player. Billings has to come into this team also. Coaches always love competition for places and those people that are saying we should just hand out spots to players because they are high draft picks criticizing our coaching staff need to look at the Liverpool FC and Hawthorn models of the 70s and 80s. Players played in the seconds for years ( ie Michael Tuck) before they got into the team. Success and a winning culture drives momentum forward. Just watch when he hit the free agency market how players start looking at us differently as we turn the corner.

[Vazelos]

Sinclair has been amazing. A rookie pick up!! How good is that bit of business. He looks like he can play out of the middle too. Has a very strong body, is skilled, makes good decisions and can kick goals. The 2014 draft when Mc Cartin and Goddard come along may well go down in years to come as one of the greatest years of all time.

[saynta]

Yes he is Watsons cousin & I was worried about him last year but he is the one out of that crop of Saints players in their 3rd or 4th season mostly playing in the Zebras that looks likely to make it. He came back from his hamstring injury & was excellent from day 1 at Sandringham & has worked his way into the Seniors & has played well. Today when the game was still a contest he was strong & decisive in the middle.
The 2013 & 14 draftees are all coming along nicely but he is one from the 2011-12 group that's looking like he has upside.

He showed that he had what it takes from the first time he played in the seniors. I never doubted him.

[Fidelis]

Reminded me of R20,2003 where we whipped the Blues at Princes Park. Can remember the same sense of trying to digest what had just happened as we coasted to a 90+ point victory. As it turns out, that preceded a stellar rise the following year and a prelim appearance that we might well have won - and finals appearances in the following two seasons. Princes Park was the first real sense I had that we had a group who could do something special. Don't want to get too far in front of myself but today had that same feel to me...

[BringBackMadDog]

Sinclair has been amazing. A rookie pick up!! How good is that bit of business. He looks like he can play out of the middle too. Has a very strong body, is skilled, makes good decisions and can kick goals. The 2014 draft when Mc Cartin and Goddard come along may well go down in years to come as one of the greatest years of all time.

Sinclair will be our best midfielder in 2 years time, he is a gun

[bigred]

Newnes. I talked up how he would be considered an elite by the end of the year. Might be pushing it, but he is improving so much. He is a unit.

Lonies left foot. Watch the replay and look for the pass to Membrey. Seriously the kid is a jet. Cant wait for him to get another preseason into himself.

Players that can kick. We have many. Our skills are still a work in progress but the next five to eight years should be pretty easy to watch. Nothing worse than watching turnover after turnover.

Smashing Essendon. We owe them so many more.