The road ahead

[To the top]

After last week's win the draw was said "easy".

After today's performance, the draw looks most difficult with our nemisis, Port Adelaide, next week followed by Collingwood who also always seem to have our measure, and obliterated us earlier in the season.

Then we return to Perth for a Sunday afternoon match, against Fremantle who we scraped in against a month ago.

What we would give for a Collingwood draw!

Then we finish against Adelaide and Essendon, both winners today.

Given NM beat Melbourne tomorrow, we are out of the 8 and unlikely to recover.

This is what one bad result on top of an ordinary season to date leads to and the results of the past 4 weeks have glossed over some cracks, particularly the second half against Hawthorn, who we actually match up well on.

Giving away 29 Free Kicks (and receiving just 10) obviously did not help (Schnieder gave away 5, Hayes 3, M. Gardiner 3 and Goddard 3 - Gilbert 1 for the poster saying he gave away more free kicks than he had).

We obviously need to address any absence of Hudgden - but who is to replace him?

There appear just the 2 options - Gilbert and Gwilt.

Using Gilbert puts more pressure on S. Fisher to play a defensive role, not the attacking role he plays so well.

So our structure is under immediate pressure, because one player goes down.

Can Dempster use his height to advantage in a key defensive position?

I have no problem with alternating King and M. Gardiner in the ruck, and maybe occasional stints forward for match up purposes given both Riewoldt and Koschitzke are there - but neither is anything other than a ruckman.

Port Adelaide always smash us in the rucks, and then their mid-field take over along with their skilled smaller forwards and it is good night nurse as we can not get our hands on the ball.

So we need a ruck presence and will have to go with King and M. Gardiner rotating as ruckmen.

Obviously too much was put on Riewoldt today - so Koschitzke will be welcomed back including because with both in the side they can wax and roam.

In terms of those attracting attention from today, we would be replacing like with like - because who says Geary, Birss and the like are any better than those they are mooted to replace? Unless they punt with X. Clarke, who is a class above.

What we really need to pluck from Casey is someone to replace Hudgden, and Casey players fill both full back and Centre-half-back.

I was surprised at the way the side was selected today, because I put that the loss of Koschitzke meant we needed 2 changes - with M. Gardiner and Allen in.

M. Gardiner to ruck and Allen to play forward.

M. Gardiner was never ever going to cover for Koschitzke.

And now we may lose Hudgden, another we just can not afford to lose given our list fragility.

So, if we lose touch with the 8 over the next week or 2 we can not even experiment as West Coast did with youth in key defensive positions today.

And given our forward structure, those young players were obviously given licence to run our forwards off their collective legs, running Riewoldt off his legs and putting pressure on our mid-field.

Simply, grounds the size of Subiaco are just too big for the small forwards we had on the park today - they can get away with Docklands at a pinch but their lack of genuine leg speed sees them exposed on larger grounds.

All in all, a reality check which shows the questions have not gone away.

[saintly_safes]

going to be a bumpy ride will all depend on injury & level of team commitment dont think we are certainties to make the 8 but if we do I think we could cause some problems (if we come to play)

[derby Street]

It's amazing how a bad loss changes your thinking. Before the Weagles debacle I was thinking we could win the remainder of the home away games. Saturday night and I was scratching my head thinking where we will get our next win. That's the joy of supporting the saints I suppose.

[Bernard Shakey]

Please note, If you are going to make statements as if you know what you are talking about, at least get the players names right.

No.8 for St Kilda is Max Hudghton.

[WayneJudson42]

In a crap mood today, BS?

[bobmurray]

The road ahead is definitely forked,if we go the wrong way then we're farked.

[saintsRrising]

.

I was surprised at the way the side was selected today, .

Not as surprised as me...who got in?