Any one game enough??

[santazzi]

I did not have the chance to watch last nights game as it was not free to air.
There is a strong suggestion (the coach, commentators, forumites etc) that quite a few sainters did not come out to play. Is any one who watched the game in a position to list all the players from the best to the worst in terms of effort?? Thank you.

[groupie1]

I watched the game and can answer it, but, no surpirses - you know the answer already:

those who gave it their all:
Ball, Harvs, Hayes, Roo - although, he's getting fed up, Max, Sam Fisher
those who contributed servicably and worked well enough:
M Gardiner, Gram, Goddard, McQualter, Dempster, NDS, Gilbert
those who need to be dropped (including from...):
Blake, Milne, Schneider

those we missed most:
Baker, Baker, Baker, Baker, Baker, Gehrig, the 2005 Kozitsche

[JeffDunne]

I actaully thought the effort was there for the most part.

We're lacking confidence more than we are effort.

Sydney looked well drilled whereas we looked confused.

Pretty much business as usual.

[saint66au]

I was quite surprised to listen to the 5th Quarter on Ch 10 and hear both presenters say that we had thrown everything at Sydney but they were just a bit too steady and skilled for us.

Contradicted with the tirade of "weak insipid spineless rubbish" that Ive read on here since.

Does that back up the theory that Saints fans, particularly on here, are among the most self-critical in the AFL? Ive been to every win this year and am yet to hear any form of satisfaction. No wer arent playing fast attacking, free flowing footy even in victory, but the fan who demands a 15 goal win every week and whinges every time the oppostion get more than 3 posessions in a row rapidly comes very tiring.

[Stephen Theodore]

Certainly cant be critical of their effort. They were just a disorganised rabble, playing with no confidence in themselves or their teamates.

[saintbrat]

I actaully thought the effort was there for the most part.

We're lacking confidence more than we are effort.

Sydney looked well drilled whereas we looked confused.

Pretty much business as usual.

agree entirely

much better than the week before but confidence is shot.

[congorozides]

but the fan who demands a 15 goal win every week and whinges every time the oppostion get more than 3 posessions in a row rapidly comes very tiring.

no fear of that happening.

i think the issue for forumites is we are not a contender and not in a building/development phase. we are in footy purgatory. half way between heaven and hell. its a bad place to be.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

I was quite surprised to listen to the 5th Quarter on Ch 10 and hear both presenters say that we had thrown everything at Sydney but they were just a bit too steady and skilled for us.

Contradicted with the tirade of "weak insipid spineless rubbish" that Ive read on here since.

Does that back up the theory that Saints fans, particularly on here, are among the most self-critical in the AFL? Ive been to every win this year and am yet to hear any form of satisfaction. No wer arent playing fast attacking, free flowing footy even in victory, but the fan who demands a 15 goal win every week and whinges every time the oppostion get more than 3 posessions in a row rapidly comes very tiring.

I suppose it's a bit of a "glass half full/empty" kind of thing... We were definately being beaten through most of the game, looked a little likely through the 3rd after throwing things around (which will be pro-active coaching or desperation depending on your viewpoint), and then collapsed when Sydney managed to isolate Dal, Montagna and most of all Milne who had been thrown into defense as part of this (though in fairness, the Dal move was made earlier to try and get him away from a tag, and worked for a bit)... 3 quick goals, and we were gone.

Never looked like anything in the 4th.

[Otiman]

I think that after the 10-15 minute burst we should have went back to a more standard setup. The word would have come from the sydney coaches box to the players, to cover for our changes, and we took advantage of the time between our changes and their covering it. Once they covered our changes, we should have tried something new again to get some mismatches and go from there.

[tweedaletomanning]

Montagna.....biggest font runner in the comp... IMO..
one good season....Needs to take a long hard look at himself

Blake....The "gomer Pyle" of our team....All heart but......

In all honesty, we will still make the 8....We have the personel, we just need the synchronisation.

Thats RL's job...can he do it?

[robbo_25]

in the 3rd we got right back in it but a late 5min burst by sydney killed us.
blake was nowhere to be seen on goodes
Shcneider had a shocker
Harvey and montagna were quiet
Riewoldt was very unlucky
Dal Santo and hayes gave it there all
charlie gardiner had a good game.
milne had minimal impact
sam fisher and goddard had solid games
mcqualter, gram and dempster had there moments

[Armoooo]

Outcoached, Ross Lyon the genius tactician chucked Blake as we expected but he was clearly given orders to drift forward when Goodes got away...

This meant that Goodes was practically running free with Blake sitting around in FF, sure he had a few chances but put yourself in Sydney's shoes, you'd love to have Blake rotting away in the forward line with his kicking and let Goodes run free...

The game was lost at the selection table IMO...
Harvey and Gilbert weren't ready to come back in...
McQualter was servicable but not good...
Birss and Armitage would have been handy...

[spert]

We looked a second-rate, lower half of the ladder team against the Swans. Poor leadership from our more experienced players, beaten easily in the middle and too many passengers. The only mildly encouraging thing was at least McQualter had a go, as did Jones and Gram who tried to run and break the lines a bit. We looked like a tractor stuck in mud.