So who is our whipping boy tonight ?

[Enrico_Misso]

No Raph "Turnover" Clarke.
No Gwiltster.

So who will our negative posters bag tonight ?

Baker ?
he came back to form and did some great defensive thing. The scent of blood and a mummy bandage always brings out the best in him.
But I'm sure someone will trot out the too old too slow line.

McEvoy ?
Tried hard, was quite serviceable and quite agile.
Hold high hopes for him.
But some have already written him off.

Blake ?
Dropped a couple of marks and didn't tackle well.
He is our traditional whipping boy.
Just waiting for a "Blake must go" thread.

Luke Ball ?
Sure he had more tackles than a fisherman but how could his shot from 35m drop short ?

Fisher ?
Had a quiet night.
Must be time to bag our reigning B&F.

Kosi ?
First quiet game for months.
He's let us down again.

Milne ?
Yes it was his first game back.
But he didn't kick his usual 3.

Mini ?
Was just OK.

Geary ?
Our worst player on the night?


Or how about ....

Our Captain.
What a shocker.
Missed 3 goals.
Only laid 2 tackles.
What a dud !
Soft as.
Get rid of him !
Trade him for someone who will put in.

[saint75]

Shouldn't be any whipping boys tonight. Some tired and sore Saints played tonight and STILL WON....not that you would know if you listened to the radio.

Well done Saints! Enjoy your break and we look forward to an energised team after the break.

[felixleo]

Enrico_Misso for leaving the critics no easy targets.

[plugger66]

No whipping boys I would hope just opinions either good or bad on how guys played.

[Milton66]

Atheism is a non-prophet organisation

[AP Erebus]

GWILT!!!!

If he hadn't forced the coaching staff to drop him I'm convinced we would have won by more!!!

A complete disgrace and he should be brought back into the team as punishment

[saintly_safes]

A WINS A WIN.They were good tonight but we were better & thats all that counts.They knew when the game started that they had to play at a tempo that would test their endurance & to their credit they stuck to their task but when the game was there to be won we stood up & we won. We will hear about if Judd had of played the whole game & if Fev had of kicked those goals & if your Aunty had balls she'd be your Uncle.Bottom line is where 12 & zip & the scum havent beaten us since 2001 .I rest my case

[Griggsy]

Dont forget Balls interchange. Shocking could have cost us the game ...*whip whip whip*

[ace]

Judd whipped by Goddard.

Judd got his hands on the ball but was forced to handball.
Goddard got his hands on the ball more often and delivered long penetrating kicks.

Goddard 111 dream team points, Judd 78 nightmare team points.
The best of 2002 versus the best of 2001.
Goddard victorious, very pleasing.

[ace]

Baker, McEvoy, Blake, Ball, Fisher, Kosi, Milne, McQualter, Geary, Riewoldt.

None of them will get a game next weekend, except in the magoos.

[Schillaci]

Dont forget Balls interchange. Shocking could have cost us the game ...*whip whip whip*

If there was to be a whipping boy it would be Bally for that incident.
It's the second time he has stuffed up the interchange.
Fortunately it didn't cost us the game but it could have. Deserves a whip.

[Mark]

One answer only.It must be Lyon that goes.Bring in Wallace and a new 5 year plan

[Thinline]

Blake was poor in my view, so I'll swing a whip at him. He looked like a player playing with an axe over his neck. A bit like Raph against Melbourne.

I'll also flick a whip at the occasionally suspect decision making of plenty of players - Montagna, Dawson, McEvoy are but a few.

Defensive communication seemed a bit muddled at times - three up none down - so I'll whip that as well.

Baker was much improved and a more than honest contributor.

BUT they were breathing fire and played at their absolute optimum. I think we can play much more precisely than that.

And we won.

And we were never headed when it counted and ALWAYS had an answer.

We are the real deal.

[hAyES]

Blake cost us plenty, but our whole defence apart from Max of course was shaky last night. Fisher and Gilbert dropping marks they used to live off and Blake was just Blake. I hope that's not how they're going to play when they're put under pressure like that again. They're very lucky our midfield and forward line were so good.

[RodKeoghsLoveChild]

Baker was terrible in my opinion. He is as slow as Raph Clarke in decision making and fumbles way too often. The amount of times he turns and kicks backwards really s***s me and shows his obvious lack of confidence in his kicking ability.

7 touches and many very nerve wracking touches.

I think he should be dropped.

[aussierules0k]

[RodKeoghsLoveChild]

Baker was terrible in my opinion. He is as slow as Raph Clarke in decision making and fumbles way too often. The amount of times he turns and kicks backwards really s***s me and shows his obvious lack of confidence in his kicking ability.

7 touches and many very nerve wracking touches.

I think he should be dropped.

That's the sort of crap we "supporters" dished up to our greatest team ever... all bloody night.

No offence RodKeoghsLoveChild, but with that kind of support, who need ennemies.

All I can imagine is Saints supporters have no inner confidence - they are terminally pessimists.

The entire game I felt we'd win, I never lost faith... not once... and IF we'd lost... it was no biggie. Both teams fought it out, there's only 1 winner. We tried hard all night, that's all I ask for, nothing more, nothing less.

Baker is fantastic, Buckley and all the commentators (who actually played the game) say it - over and over again.

It's the "supporters" that need to be dropped.

And that rant has very little to do with what I previously stated. I didn't say we never tried hard, in fact I never said anything about the team as a whole. I was critical of Baker for the aforementioned reasons.

Baker WAS fantastic a few years back. Not anymore.

Oh..and a forum is just that. A FORUM TO VOICE OUR OPINIONS!!

[aussierules0k]

[saintly]

probably geary had his poorest game. only 7 possessions.

[aussierules0k]

[RodKeoghsLoveChild]

Yeah, true mate... but "terrible" - terrible is a hopeless player.

terrifyingly bad...

He could've played better, maybe - but I don't judge the players much at all.. and especially when we're 12 zip. I'll leave it to the coach to decide if he's not up to it.

Terrible was probably too harsh. I am a big fan of the way Bakes has played the game and the guy has pretty much gotten more out of himself than most people in the entire league. But of late, the game looks like it has flown past him so quickly he is looking like a liability out there. His balls and all approach will never be questioned, but his inability to win the ball and use it effectively is really obvious watching the game.

CJ has probably pushed Bakes out as he is better suited to the middle where he can file off quick handballs from under the pack, not in the backline where his decision making and kicking is more of an issue.

[bergholt]

Baker ?
he came back to form and did some great defensive thing. The scent of blood and a mummy bandage always brings out the best in him.
But I'm sure someone will trot out the too old too slow line.

he played on betts all night.

i thought betts was one of carlton's best, looked dangerous every time he had the ball. 17 possessions - 15 of them contested! 2 goals, 3 assists. him and judd were the only two who i thought could win them the game.

i think bakes was fairly tight on betts, but was beaten for pace regularly, and also beaten in the contest regularly. he didn't do a great job in his primary role, of stopping his man.

[suss]

I don't think Betts is the one dimensional player he used to be. Like Milne and Leon Davis he's a hell of a lot better than he used to be.

And I don't think you can just look at Betts' stats and say he beat Bakes. Bakes fisted the ball away numerous times during the night and won a really critical possesion for us in the last quarter when they were on the rampage.

I thought it was a really good return to form for Bakes...tough, gritty, determined.

But then again...I liked Jimmy Gwilt's games last week. Maybe I've put the mozza on him...

[bergholt]

And I don't think you can just look at Betts' stats and say he beat Bakes.

probably not.

but i was s*** scared every time he got the ball - which was quite a lot. so i reckon he beat bakes.

[FortiusQuoFidelius]

Dont forget Balls interchange. Shocking could have cost us the game ...*whip whip whip*

If there was to be a whipping boy it would be Bally for that incident.
It's the second time he has stuffed up the interchange.
Fortunately it didn't cost us the game but it could have. Deserves a whip.

Ouch.... Nobody deserves to have their Balls whipped!!!