How good are we?

[shanegrambeau]

Brilliant of course...just brilliant.

But let's take a Sherlock at this.

The Bulldogs got hold of us from the mid-way point of the 2nd quarter until about 10 minutes into the third.

About 20-25 minutes of game time.

They managed 1.4 (edit 2.3.(one rushed) .not talking about their first two, they looked just like regular goals against the flow)

We then slammed on 5.1.

But that 1.4,(2.3) could have been 3.2, even 4.1, and then...the mighty Saints would have more work to do.

Against Freo, the Dockers missed a succession of gettable shots in the third and last.

What I am saying, is that we won the games fair and square, but there were 'windows', in through which a bear could have entered, but luckily just a few blowies flew in.

What happened there? Do you think it was a drop in intensity, or players being rotated?

Anyway, I expect Essendon to take a good look at those windows and try to work on ways to exploit them.

With Steeley now out, we will need to be capable of throttling the Essendon charge.

Imagine if they put le porkie pie in as a sub. (Stringer)

They might drop Heppel and bring in Mr Hind, who by the way, is running around in the reserves these days!

[Otiman]

I think we need to be better at applying scoreboard pressure. My biggest criticism of the last few years is how we dominated around the ground and kicked 2.5 or something for it.

[Banger9798]

I think we're a promising list that has bought into a good game plan.
We've all been around ling enough notion get too faarahead of ourselves as supporters, but definitely some exciting talent and a great coaching panel

[skeptic]

It’s really too hard to tell.

Both the Bulldogs and Freo are 0-2 and looking average… but we played our part in making them lol poor. We have a big hole in our top 22 that is equal parts sad, exciting and concerning.

King and Membrey to come back… will we be better for that. Surely yes but I don’t know that I want to see Pou and Hammer dropped yet. What’s the chance that it will mess up the chemistry that’s currently working really well?

Am happy with how things have gone so far generally speaking but we’re a big ball of unpredictability atm.

Next week v Essendon? 7 goal win or 7 goal loss… would you be surprised by either outcome?

[Yorkeys]

Not bad. Still inefficient going forward but I put that down to Higgins and Butler and last kick composure. H&B try hard enough but seem out of position when we break quickly and obviously don't cause tall forwards any problems. Tim and Max will fix.
Still it was interesting that coach Lade has not done much with Bulldogs forward line, noting Weightman is injured. We put up with Ladey's barren approach for far too long. At least now we look dangerous in attack. Poor Naughton, might want to share notes with Max about B. Lade.

[CQ SAINT]

Brilliant of course...just brilliant.

But let's take a Sherlock at this.

The Bulldogs got hold of us from the mid-way point of the 2nd quarter until about 10 minutes into the third.

About 20-25 minutes of game time.

They managed 1.4 (edit 2.3.(one rushed) .not talking about their first two, they looked just like regular goals against the flow)

We then slammed on 5.1.

But that 1.4,(2.3) could have been 3.2, even 4.1, and then...the mighty Saints would have more work to do.

Against Freo, the Dockers missed a succession of gettable shots in the third and last.

What I am saying, is that we won the games fair and square, but there were 'windows', in through which a bear could have entered, but luckily just a few blowies flew in.

What happened there? Do you think it was a drop in intensity, or players being rotated?

Anyway, I expect Essendon to take a good look at those windows and try to work on ways to exploit them.

With Steeley now out, we will need to be capable of throttling the Essendon charge.

Imagine if they put le porkie pie in as a sub. (Stringer)

They might drop Heppel and bring in Mr Hind, who by the way, is running around in the reserves these days!

Those are the excuses we have used for 2 years. We have been atrocious on the scoreboard. For 2 weeks, its like we have right to approval for every score put on it.

We are inviting teams to a running party, all you can eat metres gained, and then starving them of room and scoring opportunities. You can make all the entries you like, but if you can't score a goal for the last quarter and a half, no matter how many points you kick, you're rat s***.

[Rubyjo]

Who remembers 2009 when it was wtf we won 19 in a row . Ross the Boss had arrived to the bewilderment of the opposition. I'm not saying this will happen again buy a long shot but it has 2009 VIBES all over it .

[Saintmike65]

My only concern at this point is the amount of times we’re still kicking indiscriminately into our forwards..far too many intercept marking by the opposition.
If we can fix this, look out!!

[DJ Higgins]

I expect to start dropping games very soon due to our team being riddled with injuries. We have played better than expected and the young guys are all standing up. Even when the tide starts to turn they don’t lose focus. We got early looks at caminiti and the pou which may not have so I’m happy regardless of how we go in the next month

[saynta]

How good are we? Better than f*** wits like Wilson and Cornes think we are.

[spert]

Need more on the scoreboard form the forwards and midfield-I know there was talk of Higgins and Butler sacrificing their game, but I just see them as not in good form with nobody to take their place.

[Life Long Saint]

What I am saying, is that we won the games fair and square, but there were 'windows', in through which a bear could have entered, but luckily just a few blowies flew in.

I'd rather the window open for 10 mins, than 40 mins.
No team is going to be in control for 100% of the time.
We have to weather the storm when it hits. And we seem to be much better at that than we have under our previous three coaches.
Freo and Bulldogs were both finalists last season and are still talent laden sides. Our efforts to shut them both down for as long as we did are pretty damn good.

Early season form is always a bit odd.
Geelong 0-2 (better than that)
Melbourne were humilated by Brisbane until the lights went out.
Bulldogs 0-2 (better than that)
Fremantle 0-2 (better than that)

North 2-0 (Beating WCE was on the cards, but who saw the Freo one coming? And Freo nearly pinched it).

I think we're the most impressive of all the "new coach" teams. Our opposition have been quality and we've denied them scores.
Essendon have beaten Hawthorn and Gold Coast (at Marvel...just). Sydney wiped the floor with both of them.
North have beaten WCE (just) and Freo (just).

[cwrcyn]

We're still a work in progress, but we are in so much better shape in 2023 compared to 2021

Since then, we've added

Windhager
Owens
Wanganeen-Milera
Phillipou
Stocker
Caminiti

Wood has finally found his niche and is performing well and Gresham is back

Meanwhile, we have Billings, King, McKenzie, Membrey, and Jones sitting on the sidelines, but only three of those guys can confidently claim their position in the team once fit, which is a sign of progress.


How good are we compared to other teams? We are not in the top 6, but we're not in the bottom 4. Somewhere in between is where our list sits, so it's all dependent on form, coaching, and injuries.

With the addition of these younger players, the positive thing is that we can get better over the next two seasons.

[Vortex]

We're still a work in progress, but we are in so much better shape in 2023 compared to 2021

Since then, we've added

Windhager
Owens
Wanganeen-Milera
Phillipou
Stocker
Caminiti

Wood has finally found his niche and is performing well and Gresham is back

Meanwhile, we have Billings, King, McKenzie, Membrey, and Jones sitting on the sidelines, but only three of those guys can confidently claim their position in the team once fit, which is a sign of progress.


How good are we compared to other teams? We are not in the top 6, but we're not in the bottom 4. Somewhere in between is where our list sits, so it's all dependent on form, coaching, and injuries.

With the addition of these younger players, the positive thing is that we can get better over the next two seasons.

Most of the 1st and 2nd year players you have listed will still need 2 or 3 more seasons before it can be determined if they are capable of playing in a premiership side.

At the very least we will have a better idea at the end of this season but too early to call them grand final type players just yet.

Caminiti especially, look what happened when we went too early with Sharman.

[cwrcyn]

Fair call


The trajectory has shifted, though, don't you think?

[Vortex]

Fair call


The trajectory has shifted, though, don't you think?

Speaking for myself and how I'm approaching my assessment of what shape we are in, no.

My terms of reference are a side that is a sustainable top 4 side with grand final appearances and flags.

So with that in mind I think Ross needs to at least complete 2023 which includes completing the trade period and national draft.

I think then it will take at least 2 or 3 more trade periods for Ross to get closer to the list he thinks is capable of being a sustainable top 4 side.

Having said that I may be pleasantly surprised at the end of this season if some of the players already on the list who go to the next level and become keepers.

If that happens then it accelerates the list build.

But Ross needs time to build a list so I'm not going too early until there is a much larger sample size.

But as always I will be invested heavily every week we play.

[Teflon]

Not bad. Still inefficient going forward but I put that down to Higgins and Butler and last kick composure. H&B try hard enough but seem out of position when we break quickly and obviously don't cause tall forwards any problems. Tim and Max will fix.
Still it was interesting that coach Lade has not done much with Bulldogs forward line, noting Weightman is injured. We put up with Ladey's barren approach for far too long. At least now we look dangerous in attack. Poor Naughton, might want to share notes with Max about B. Lade.

Good call on Lade
Everything he touches turns to Shyte
He’s the new John Barker of assistants
Thank **** he’s gone now