Age reckons we are falling apart at the seams

[saynta]

And they are right.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/4-p ... 4zdpx.html


"St Kilda and Melbourne began their rebuilds together. Melbourne’s has advanced falteringly, but with a confidence it is going in the right direction. St Kilda’s just looks to have faltered.

In 2013 St Kilda finished 16th, Melbourne 17th. In 2014 the Saints were bottom, Melbourne second bottom. They have both climbed in increments since (Melbourne 13th, St Kilda 14th in 2015). The Saints missed the eight by percentage the next year, Melbourne fell short on percentage last year.


Within weeks we will know if we can put a line through them getting to where they were last year. They need to win 10 of the next 15 games to improve on last year’s 11-win season. The way they are playing, that seems unlikely.

So where does that leave them? Is this another step backwards to go forwards? Do they need to do more than tinker? They have traded out of this year’s draft, leaving themselves only with their first round pick but no picks in the second and third rounds. As a result, finding talent will be a challenge.

They have not been a destination club, though hopefully the move up the Nepean Highway to Moorabbin can help change that. They are cashed up and offering money to lure Jordy De Goey from Collingwood, or entice free agent Rory Sloane. Their playing list looks vanilla and they clearly need to inject pace and class into their midfield.

The obvious measure of the two teams from Sunday and their comparative development is found in two players: Paddy McCartin, taken at number one, and Christian Petracca, taken with the next pick.

Emblematic of the rebuilds writ small, McCartin remains an uncertain proposition while Petracca looks more likely to become an A-grade player.

Clubs know that when they recruit key position players there is a greater risk of them not living up to their adolescent promise. But they are so structurally important in teams, they invest heavily in the hope that they can build a team around them. McCartin has not yet suggested he will be that player in the way that, say, Jesse Hogan has at Melbourne. Petracca was a safer pick and is now looking the significantly better one."


"St Kilda look better when they get Jimmy Webster running off half-back, and having David Armitage back in the team gives them some ballast, but their movement forward is haphazard.

Melbourne in part fed that uncertainty in the mind of the player running forward by playing with a spare man behind the ball, but St Kilda’s disposal by foot was seldom better than 50 per cent and their fast handballs in packs did little to release a player into space and more to pass the problem onto others.

We have previously raised in this column the idea of the need for a searching review at St Kilda to ascertain how deep a correction in the rebuild needs to be, and whether the skill lapses are due to personnel, structure, or the simple ephemera of form".

[Saintmatt]

And they are right.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/4-p ... 4zdpx.html


"St Kilda and Melbourne began their rebuilds together. Melbourne’s has advanced falteringly, but with a confidence it is going in the right direction. St Kilda’s just looks to have faltered.

In 2013 St Kilda finished 16th, Melbourne 17th. In 2014 the Saints were bottom, Melbourne second bottom. They have both climbed in increments since (Melbourne 13th, St Kilda 14th in 2015). The Saints missed the eight by percentage the next year, Melbourne fell short on percentage last year.


Within weeks we will know if we can put a line through them getting to where they were last year. They need to win 10 of the next 15 games to improve on last year’s 11-win season. The way they are playing, that seems unlikely.

So where does that leave them? Is this another step backwards to go forwards? Do they need to do more than tinker? They have traded out of this year’s draft, leaving themselves only with their first round pick but no picks in the second and third rounds. As a result, finding talent will be a challenge.

They have not been a destination club, though hopefully the move up the Nepean Highway to Moorabbin can help change that. They are cashed up and offering money to lure Jordy De Goey from Collingwood, or entice free agent Rory Sloane. Their playing list looks vanilla and they clearly need to inject pace and class into their midfield.

The obvious measure of the two teams from Sunday and their comparative development is found in two players: Paddy McCartin, taken at number one, and Christian Petracca, taken with the next pick.

Emblematic of the rebuilds writ small, McCartin remains an uncertain proposition while Petracca looks more likely to become an A-grade player.

Clubs know that when they recruit key position players there is a greater risk of them not living up to their adolescent promise. But they are so structurally important in teams, they invest heavily in the hope that they can build a team around them. McCartin has not yet suggested he will be that player in the way that, say, Jesse Hogan has at Melbourne. Petracca was a safer pick and is now looking the significantly better one."


"St Kilda look better when they get Jimmy Webster running off half-back, and having David Armitage back in the team gives them some ballast, but their movement forward is haphazard.

Melbourne in part fed that uncertainty in the mind of the player running forward by playing with a spare man behind the ball, but St Kilda’s disposal by foot was seldom better than 50 per cent and their fast handballs in packs did little to release a player into space and more to pass the problem onto others.

We have previously raised in this column the idea of the need for a searching review at St Kilda to ascertain how deep a correction in the rebuild needs to be, and whether the skill lapses are due to personnel, structure, or the simple ephemera of form".

Extremely right.

[degruch]

Melbourne in part fed that uncertainty in the mind of the player running forward by playing with a spare man behind the ball, but St Kilda’s disposal by foot was seldom better than 50 per cent and their fast handballs in packs did little to release a player into space and more to pass the problem onto others.

Funny that...Melbourne supporters around me in the first half going absolutely spare over the long bombs to their forward line to a contest as their forwards ran into the F50. I'm sure they felt better knowing they only had to have about one scoring shot for every third entry to comfortably outscore us, given we couldn't kick the side of a shed down the other end.

What I found frustrating was our hesitance to close in on opposition players in a non-contested mark or receive, as the Demons were pretty fumbly most of the day (not quite as bad as us, but clangers, turnovers and disposal efficiency pretty even stats)...slightly more pressure (particularly in the second) and we'd have had a chance to capitalise on a lot more turnovers IMO. But we hesitated.

[jonesy]

Apart from the fact Melbourne started there rebuild in 08 ...

[Devilhead]

Apart from the fact Melbourne started there rebuild in 08 ...

Exactly!!

More like our own supporters are falling apart at the seams

[suss]

Apart from the fact Melbourne started there rebuild in 08 ...

(Sssh, it ruins the story.)

[thejiggingsaint]

Apart from the fact Melbourne started there rebuild in 08 ...

Exactly!!

More like our own supporters are falling apart at the seams

Damn straight! Like those “ heroes “ ( sitting WAAY at the BACK) yesterday who constantly bagged and abused Jack Billings and Sam Gilbert! What a bunch of LOSERS!

[ROLS-LEE]

Apart from the fact Melbourne started there rebuild in 08 ...

(Sssh, it ruins the story.)

Plus the AFL got Paul Roos out of retirement and corrected there board to get them back on track.

Also pick 2 then pick 3 for Frawley which should have gone second round which made up for their tanking fine.

If Melbourne were left to their own devices to get them out of the slump, they would still be there.

[satchmo]

Apart from the fact Melbourne started there rebuild in 08 ...

(Sssh, it ruins the story.)

Plus the AFL got Paul Roos out of retirement and corrected there board to get them back on track.

Also pick 2 then pick 3 for Frawley which should have gone second round which made up for their tanking fine.

If Melbourne were left to their own devices to get them out of the slump, they would still be there.

They are an interesting study, the demons. Wasn't the dankster involved there by the time the bombres were busted? And not to mention the "good stuff" that their now coach was shooting up in the coaches box while at effendum. No one seems to care what they get up to.

[degruch]

Apart from the fact Melbourne started there rebuild in 08 ...

(Sssh, it ruins the story.)

Plus the AFL got Paul Roos out of retirement and corrected there board to get them back on track.

Also pick 2 then pick 3 for Frawley which should have gone second round which made up for their tanking fine.

If Melbourne were left to their own devices to get them out of the slump, they would still be there.

Found not guilty of tanking mind you...fined, and two opposition coaches suspended! It's good to be a founding club, ain't it?