Hate to say it but CONNOLLY is right!

[WinnersOnly]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/s ... 57396.html

Time to call a spade...Saints not good enough
Rohan Connolly | June 9, 2008

ST KILDA'S six goals in the final quarter against the Western Bulldogs yesterday was more than it had managed for the previous three. You could argue the Saints at least turned a potential thrashing into a more respectable 27-point loss. And that would be a big mistake.

St Kilda's final term should stand more as an indictment of Ross Lyon's team than a pat on the back, so ordinary was what it served up in the second and third quarters, just two goals in an hour or so of football. Sadly, it's a pattern that seems to be a nasty habit.

The Saints went into yesterday behind only Sydney as the best first-quarter team in the competition. They might have underlined that status once more had they made the most of their opportunities rather than a wasteful 3.6. But it's what continually happens after that initial half-hour that says plenty about this hugely disappointing team.

Before yesterday, St Kilda's first-quarter percentage was 129.7. Its second and third quarters, meanwhile, had returned a pathetic figure in the low 70s, worse than only two other sides. Its final quarters are more than 100. In other words, the Saints have a dip early, let things slip far too easily when games are won or lost, then save some face with the result decided. Not good enough. Like the team as a whole.

Too right a few of us media types are annoyed at having so overestimated St Kilda's capabilities this season. But spare a thought for the Saints' fans. They're dealing with a bottom line that has their team still only half a game outside the eight, but a world away from a premiership, the depressing reality that the much-discussed window of flag opportunity is not only closed, but bolted and sealed over for good measure.

It's all over for this St Kilda generation as far as the ultimate prize is concerned. The Saints are now saddled with the second-oldest list in the AFL after topping up with Steven King, Charlie Gardiner, Adam Schneider and Sean Dempster last summer.

They're too slow, with Leigh Montagna and Clinton Jones, who was picked for only the sixth of 11 possible games yesterday, and perhaps Schneider, the only Saints with explosive leg-speed. They don't run hard or often enough, the Bulldogs yesterday taking 40 running bounces to St Kilda's measly 15.

They're spread too thinly across the midfield, the late withdrawal of Robert Harvey pre-game yesterday having a far greater impact than should the loss of a bloke who turns 37 in a couple of months. There's Harvey, Montagna, Nick Dal Santo, Lenny Hayes and Luke Ball. Then who?

Yesterday, it was Jones, Schneider, Shane Birss, David Armitage and Jarryn Geary. The latter pair and Jones look reasonable bets for the future, Jones at least handy yesterday. But right now they simply can't cut it alongside the depth of a Geelong, Hawthorn or even Bulldog midfield.

The Saints are a shadow of what they were supposed to be up forward, Fraser Gehrig as good as gone, Nick Riewoldt with the kicking yips, Justin Koschitzke more of an enigma by the week, and Stephen Milne as frustrating as ever. What was seen as a potentially potent goalscoring machine has proved anything but, only five rivals having scored fewer points this season.

In a nutshell, St Kilda is too ordinary. The Saints might rally over the second half of this season, like they did last year.

They might still sneak a spot in the finals. Might even win one. But they won't win a flag. Not this year, nor for who knows how long after that.

You could pretend otherwise. But like those phoney last-quarter comebacks, not facing the bald facts will hurt St Kilda a lot more.

[evertonfc]

The whole truth and nothing but the truth.

[bigred]

He basically just transcribed 3AW's post match. Word for word.

[n1ck]

Well, its the good word.

[Saintschampions08]

More heart shown in that article then most players show each week.

[saintsrus]

Just read that, spot on

[St DAC]

That's very hard to argue against. I'd expect Ross to take a chainsaw to the list at years end, and use the remaining time this season to evaluate (with pretty stringent criteria) the players with a view to their futures.

[Otiman]

That's very hard to argue against. I'd expect Ross to take a chainsaw to the list at years end, and use the remaining time this season to evaluate (with pretty stringent criteria) the players with a view to their futures.

Needs to be done ASAP with the pillaging of youngsters by the GC and WS teams to come soon.

[Eastern]

It's pretty hard to put up a decent argument against what Connolly said when you consider that yesterday's game was almost a carbon copy of what hapened in Brisbane 2 weeks ago.

We kicked ourselves out of the game in the 1st Quarter

We got absolutely smashed through the 2nd & 3rd Quarters

Our opposition had 2 dominant forwards

Our midfield got smashed

We made a token comeback in the last Quarter, well after the game was well & truly LOST

!!

[Animal Enclosure]

The question is... will Lyon try to save his butt by struggling along as an also ran or will he show the ticker required & begin to rebuild.

The core of a very good team is still there but as pretty much everyone agrees we need to get 10+ quality kids on the list over the next few years.

We're in for years of pain if we stay between 8-11 & don't get some serious picks before the GC & WS rape the draft.

[bobmurray]

David King had a bit to say about StKilda today..he reckons the Clarke brothers have cost StKilda big time because they were high draft picks and for the various reasons already known they havent delivered...


he said opposition clubs plan around beating stkilda in contested footy because its perceived as being their big weakness...

He also said clubs aren't going to trade high draft picks this year because its the last fairly uncompromised draft for quite a few years and all clubs will want the best available youth.....

[desertsaint]

"we need to get 10+ quality kids on the list"

from where?
are there 160 quality kids available or are we going to snap them all?

[st.byron]

Connolly's hit the nail on the head there. Spot on.

[saintspremiers]

IF Lyon says that Connolloy's article is "his subjective opinion" then Lyon should be sacked immediately.....but hopefully Lyon will see the truth in it and agree.

St Kilda is a team of premature ....... They go hard early, all guns blazing, look a million dollars, feel a million dollars, drop their bundle, go to sleep for an hour, wake up for a second round, play around with the missus for a few minutes, and dish up a final, half-hearted serve at the end of the show to avoid getting a an absolute caning from the other half for not caring!!!

[Teflon]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/s ... 57396.html

They're too slow, with Leigh Montagna and Clinton Jones, who was picked for only the sixth of 11 possible games yesterday, and perhaps Schneider, the only Saints with explosive leg-speed. They don't run hard or often enough, the Bulldogs yesterday taking 40 running bounces to St Kilda's measly 15.

They're spread too thinly across the midfield, the late withdrawal of Robert Harvey pre-game yesterday having a far greater impact than should the loss of a bloke who turns 37 in a couple of months. There's Harvey, Montagna, Nick Dal Santo, Lenny Hayes and Luke Ball. Then who?

Yesterday, it was Jones, Schneider, Shane Birss, David Armitage and Jarryn Geary. The latter pair and Jones look reasonable bets for the future, Jones at least handy yesterday. But right now they simply can't cut it alongside the depth of a Geelong, Hawthorn or even Bulldog midfield.

The Saints are a shadow of what they were supposed to be up forward, Fraser Gehrig as good as gone, Nick Riewoldt with the kicking yips, Justin Koschitzke more of an enigma by the week, and Stephen Milne as frustrating as ever. What was seen as a potentially potent goalscoring machine has proved anything but, only five rivals having scored fewer points this season.

In a nutshell, St Kilda is too ordinary. The Saints might rally over the second half of this season, like they did last year.

They might still sneak a spot in the finals. Might even win one. But they won't win a flag. Not this year, nor for who knows how long after that.
You could pretend otherwise. But like those phoney last-quarter comebacks, not facing the bald facts will hurt St Kilda a lot more.

Thoroughly good read.

I highlighted some of my favorite bits BUT there was 1 glaring omission.....where was the talk of the DREADED game plan thats ALL TO BLAME????? OR the need to SACK THE COACH?????

Didnt see it.......wonder why?....could it be the problems are perhaps a little larger????

Cause we aint good enough and any moron can see that before this club goes forward IT MUST re-invent its playing list dramatically.

Waiting for Baker to find fomr (he was struggling prior to injury and had stopped getting posessions) AND for Maguire (who can only run in a straight line) to come back and save us is sheer stupidity and madness.

We need some run - some ability to carry the footy, break some lines and KICK a goal/hit up a target.

I believe theres some quality at the core still - but its gonna take some very smart changes/recruitment/balls to turn this around in an environment where draft picks will dry up.

Good to see at least SOME objectivity about where we really are as opposed to the head in the sand stuff Ive been reading on here that still have us as good as 2004 and talking about STREAKS FFS!

[rodgerfox]

He's wrong.


This list (well, before we added 5 rejects into the best 22 this year) would comfortably play finals under a different coach.

In 1 more draft, they would be a contender again under a different coach.


Lyon is apparently very good at planning for a match. This is evident in the fact that we start well. However, when heaven forfend the opposition reacts after Quarter time - we have nothing.


I said this last week, and it was clear again in the 1st quarter on Sunday - we are very poorly coached right now.
When things go our way (intensity, tackles, hard running, good players playing well etc.) we still look ineffificent.

When things go that well, you should pile on 10 goals in a quarter. Or beat the bottom team by 100 points.

We don't. Under Lyon, we don't look well drilled. We don't seem to have a plan at all. We don't have any confidence. We don't have any direction.

This is a direct result of the coach, and a direct responsibility of the coach.

It's proven, that our core of players are first rate. Our list, on talent, is still in the top 4 of the comp.

We're just not getting the best out of them.


I'm petrified that Lyon will be allowed to head into Trade Week with our list.

[spert]

No doubt RL is showing he hasn't got the goods for a senior coach - obviously a case of a good assistant coach, but not up to the next step. He has failed to get his message across to the playing group, and some players have fallen behind under his coaching. He has recruited players who have failed to do the jobs we need, and there is a noticable lack of leadership and discipline on-field, let alone woeful skills. I was hoping RL would be the tonic we needed, but so far, he has not produced a team up to the standards required to contest finals - I am sure this team is under-achieving under RL.