How are you feeling about 2008 now?

[brown-coat]

I'm officially at panic stations.

Our midfield is s***. Overall it's a midfield of slow, chasing, knackered, tacklers. Not a fast , speedy midfield who kicks punishing goals. We need to offload the slowness in 2009. Our midfield are TERRIFIED of those two big sticks.

Forwardline is too big, clumsy and ineffective. Doesn't take Einstein to see Kosi and Gherig in there is clogging things up too much.

Ross Lyons gameplay is boring as hell to watch. Stkilda supporters are bored out of their brains, which was why they were so quiet against the dogs. Directly related to our lack of fast explosive exciting midfielders.

Geelong is poised to rape us mercilessly.

I foolishly had expectations of a flag this year. We are so far from it it's sad. There's no short term fix for this either. It's not a matter of changing the structure. You can't make Ball, Hayes and Dal Santo fast players. They are slow and they are our midfield core. This is very bloody worrying to me.

[Richter]

I actually don't think it matters that much if our midfield is not the fastest - but they must make up for that with hardness. Ball, X, Lenny are all good inside players who should win us plenty of the football.

For mine that was the greatest worry on Friday night. In 2004, only brisbane were harder than us at the football. Now even the Doggies are making us look SOFT.

[busso mick]

One loss does not make a season, just like one win does not make one (apart from the GF or any knockout final). If fact you can learn more from a loss than a runaway win. You don't lose ability overnight and on our day we can beat any team, including Geelong. I hope they do a number on Melbourne today because we will be ready for them next week.

We lose a game where we had a big lead and everyone is jumping off us like rats off a sinking ship. Worrying about leg speed is a side issue when you aren't winning contested possesion. We have the nucleus of a good team, and our performance this week will be the real indication of where we are at the moment. My gut feeling was that the Bullies could push us last game was right and likewise I feel we have something to prove next week. Sometimes we need to prove a point to play well, which for a professional sporting team is a real worry as we don't like to be the hunted.

If Geelong flog us mercilessly then we are in trouble. Putting my neck out I still reckon we will finish top 4 this year and can be a contender. It's getting the team balance and selection right that is the issue at the moment. So what is your tip for us this year Brown-coat?

[4ever_saint]

i haven't been this worried about the start of a season in a long time. yes, we won the first two, but compared to previous years we just don't look dangerous and definately not grand final-worthy. last year i thought we werent at our best because of all the injuries, but this year we have no excuse, we have one of the best sides on paper and yet we arent coverting.

i do not believe i am getting ahead of myself by saying this as i honestly was not impressed with our first two wins and we were lucky imo to snatch the 4 points. that being said, they have 19 matches left to prove me wrong and god do i hope they do.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

the main problem is the only one who seem to give their all to every contest is one of our worst players . i may get slammed for this but taking away the anti blake sentiment he was honestly the only bloke how looked like he wanted to get the ball he is by no meand a great player but in honesty if we didnt have him last night the ruesult would of been worse !!!
Kosi go's missing far to regularly and even Roo seems to go walk about .. frase didnt show up !! the mids were softer then butter in the sun and our defenders are toobusy trying to rebound out of defence to actually DEFEND !!! all i can say is thank god for Sam fisher Maxy BJ and Blake if not for those guys we would of been smashed by even more !!

[ausfatcat]

Brown-coat you are always the first to panic (considering most of our posts are in match threads) Calm down you can panic in two weeks if we lose the next two as well.

[Saintschampions08]

One loss does not make a season, just like one win does not make one (apart from the GF or any knockout final). If fact you can learn more from a loss than a runaway win. You don't lose ability overnight and on our day we can beat any team, including Geelong. I hope they do a number on Melbourne today because we will be ready for them next week.

We lose a game where we had a big lead and everyone is jumping off us like rats off a sinking ship. Worrying about leg speed is a side issue when you aren't winning contested possesion. We have the nucleus of a good team, and our performance this week will be the real indication of where we are at the moment. My gut feeling was that the Bullies could push us last game was right and likewise I feel we have something to prove next week. Sometimes we need to prove a point to play well, which for a professional sporting team is a real worry as we don't like to be the hunted.

If Geelong flog us mercilessly then we are in trouble. Putting my neck out I still reckon we will finish top 4 this year and can be a contender. It's getting the team balance and selection right that is the issue at the moment. So what is your tip for us this year Brown-coat?

Thats the thing.

Its not so much that people are jumping off the boat because we lost, its because in 7 games of football (NAB) we havn't actually looked dangerous. We've just scraped through.

We haven't been even close to convincing in a game yet, and that's the most worrying thing. We have almost no injuries, we're fit, we had a full pre season, and we're still only scoring 80 points a game.

[4ever_saint]

its because in 7 games of football (NAB) we havn't actually looked dangerous. We've just scraped through.

I think it goes further back than that. we havent looked dangerous for a long time, including most of last season. i don't think i have been to an absolute smashing of another team where the saints were actually trying there guts out to win and looking 100% dangeous and fit, not just winning because of opposition errors, since 2006. all last year we were the same, hence our pecentage was low and not good enough to get us into the finals.

[Otiman]

It's fine. We will learn from our experiences and be roaring to go come finals time. No need to panic.

[4ever_saint]

god i so hope you are right!

[Saintschampions08]

its because in 7 games of football (NAB) we havn't actually looked dangerous. We've just scraped through.

I think it goes further back than that. we havent looked dangerous for a long time, including most of last season. i don't think i have been to an absolute smashing of another team where the saints were actually trying there guts out to win and looking 100% dangeous and fit, not just winning because of opposition errors, since 2006. all last year we were the same, hence our pecentage was low and not good enough to get us into the finals.

We were ordinary for the majority of last year. Our second half of the year looked good, but most of the teams we beat were ordinary. Their were two games i can recall that we played well, well and truly beat the opposition and deserved to win.

Against West Coast, and Freo.

Aside from that, most of our wins were scrappy. The skills were not their, although the pressure was. Its not enough.

This year, we got two new ruckmen, we had a tough and grueling pre season (or so they say), our players were ready, the hype, the build up, the premiership odds, everything was set to be the year of the sainters. Then we came out, beat richmond, scraped through against geelong, things looked alright, we touched through Essendon, and just got past Adelaide

People wrote it off, i mean, its the nab cup..who cares. Round 1 against Sydney, another excuse, you can't judge how we play against sydney, they flood, they play defensive, in fact all it was really was the same team playing. Not only did two teams play the same game, we beat ourselves, we made errors we played s*** footy.

7 Weeks, or 52 weeks later, nothing's changed, its still the same type, the same players (majority), the same s*** skill levels, the same mistakes, the same disappointing let downs.

The most disappointing thing, is the fact that we haven't improved at all since last year.

[barks4eva]

I've still got a raging stonker


Post lost by over 100 points to North in their premiership season


but if it takes a truckload of viagra to get others up and about then so be it

[Behind Play]

How did Geelong supporters feel after round four last year?

Hopefully we can turn it around, if not what has changed........we should be use to it.

[Saintschampions08]

How did Geelong supporters feel after round four last year?

Hopefully we can turn it around, if not what has changed........we should be use to it.

Geelong weren't playing ugly, or bad footy. Their percentage was still a long way over 100.

And their two losses were to top 5 teams.

[happy feet]

I think that I can remember a team in 1997 that lost the first five games of the year and made it to the Grand Final. I think that team was St Kilda.

If my memory serves me correctly, the players took themsleves away for their own meeting, no coaches, and from their on the committment was made and things began to improve. The coach can only do so much - the rest has to come from the players.

I can cope with a hard fought loss but I think I speak for many that lose heart with the team when I see them capitulate and be physically soft. Where are our players that tackled hard and put the opposition on the ground, where are our players that crash the packs, where are our players who put the body on the line? I can hardly wait for Baker and Goose to come back. In the mean time boys, get hard real quick or the Cats will belt you into the ground.

I hope the players look at this site.

[SENsei]

You are right to panic. Things have gone south very quickly. I think we should put some blokes in for surgery now, play the kids and rebuild for 2009. Get some good draft picks as well.

FFS, are you frickin people serious?

[saintsRrising]

To make the 8 you need to beat all the teams not likely to make it....

To finish well up in the top 8 you need to claim the scapls of other lkely top 8 teams.

To finish top 2 you ned to beat most teams.



So far we have lost to one likely top 8 team and won over another....and beaten a certain bottom 8.

Now a pool of 3 matches is not a statistically meanignful number, but so far we are on track to make the 8.


We are ceratainly not in stellar form, bu we are not in dismal form either.

No need to man the lifeboats at present.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

To make the 8 you need to beat all the teams not likely to make it....

To finish well up in the top 8 you need to claim the scapls of other lkely top 8 teams.

To finish top 2 you ned to beat most teams.



So far we have lost to one likely top 8 team and lost to another....and beaten a certain bottom 8.
Now a pool of 3 matches is not a statistically meanignful number, but so far we are on track to make the 8.


We are ceratainly not in stellar form, bu we are not in dismal form either.

No need to man the lifeboats at present.

only one loss champ

[saintsRrising]

To make the 8 you need to beat all the teams not likely to make it....

To finish well up in the top 8 you need to claim the scapls of other lkely top 8 teams.

To finish top 2 you ned to beat most teams.



So far we have lost to one likely top 8 team and lost to another....and beaten a certain bottom 8.
Now a pool of 3 matches is not a statistically meanignful number, but so far we are on track to make the 8.


We are ceratainly not in stellar form, bu we are not in dismal form either.

No need to man the lifeboats at present.

only one loss champ

Yeh typo I meant lost one..won one against likely final 8 teams.



IF we lost the Dons......then I would get really worried.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

To make the 8 you need to beat all the teams not likely to make it....

To finish well up in the top 8 you need to claim the scapls of other lkely top 8 teams.

To finish top 2 you ned to beat most teams.



So far we have lost to one likely top 8 team and lost to another....and beaten a certain bottom 8.
Now a pool of 3 matches is not a statistically meanignful number, but so far we are on track to make the 8.


We are ceratainly not in stellar form, bu we are not in dismal form either.

No need to man the lifeboats at present.

only one loss champ

Yeh typo I meant lost one..won one against likely final 8 teams.



IF we lost the Dons......then I would get really worried.

there is no way we are going to lose to the dons ........ there will be an extra vocal West aussie in the crowd for that game !!! (as well as my mrs and the father in law)

[aussiejones]

Goddards view ...........

He said a lack of focus rather than leg speed was the reason for the fadeout.

“It’s not so much being run off our feet. It was the lack of concentration, especially when we do win the footy first and get a clearance. I think the boys got caught ball watching at times,â€

[st_Trav_ofWA]

[quote="aussiejones"]Goddards view ...........

He said a lack of focus rather than leg speed was the reason for the fadeout.

“It’s not so much being run off our feet. It was the lack of concentration, especially when we do win the footy first and get a clearance. I think the boys got caught ball watching at times,â€

[saintwill66]

The Saints showed in the 1st quarter against the Dogs that they CAN hit top gear and make the tall forward structure work. It is not that Hayes, Dal Santo and Ball lack speed, rather it is the new system of rapid and constant interchanges that IMHO caused the Sainst midfield to falter after Qtr Time - it has completely changed the game strategies and must be a nightmare for both layers and coaches, and on Friday night the Dogs players clearly outfoxed their St Kilda opponents.

It certainly is far too early to write off this season, and I hope that RL is true to his word and selects teams based on player performance because if you look back at the pre-season comp, the likes of Jones, Armitage and Charlie G were in very good touch and should be given the opportunity to play against the Cats. It would also not surprise if Jarryd Allen comes in for Blake, he'll be a regular senior player in the very near future.

The point about this is that St Kilda 2008 has far more depth than in recent seasons, and as teams such as Collingwood and Hawthorn have so amply demonstrated, you must bring in new (young) blood if you are going to be a force in the present era.

[Enrico_Misso]

Tall forward structure will only work if we have ruckmen getting effective tapouts to dominant midfielders who can move it fast and accurately to our talls.

If our ruckman are not on top.
Or our midfield are struggling.
Then the Plan breaks down.

That is when we need to switch to Plan B.

And Plan B is obviously .... um .... you know ....
....
....
(I'll post later when I think of it).

[Animal Enclosure]

It's fine. We will learn from our experiences and be roaring to go come finals time. No need to panic.

The problem is that we don't learn from past experiences! It's the same old story after every loss (or unimpressive win!).

*Mids kick the ball to the disadvantage of our big fwds
*Players stop running & creating options
*We stop tackling
*Gram can't defend
*Dal can't break a tag or defend
*Mids can't kick goals
*We lack killer instinct & let sides back into games
*Kosi, X, Raph flash in & out of games or make silly errors
*Milne & Gehrig go missing
*Blake's lack of talent is exposed

I could go on but I'm sick of being negative. The point being that the appointment of Lyon was supposed to see a more tactically astute St.Kilda that would see our on paper talent prosper. I see glimpses of the 2004/2005 St.Kilda that ran hard, tackled harder & kicked goals at will. Those glimpses are outweighed heavily by lazy stand still footy where the above points become glaringly obvious.

We will need a 100% four quarter effort to have a chance this week...we will also need our absolute guns to stop f%^king around doing media & win us some games of footy. NICK DAL SANTO I'M LOOKING AT YOU!