Simple changes for immediate improvement...

[One Eyed Saint]

Here are some of my observations from tonight (and season so far) and a few ideas of what we can do right now to be more competitive.

OBSERVATIONS
1. We are getting smashed in the centre clearances which means our opponents are getting more inside 50's
2. With more inside 50's our opponents are scoring more often
3. It also means that they are scoring more behinds which means that more often that not we start our attack from the goal line
4. We are not very effective at beating the forward press
5. Our backs are not as quick or skillful by foot as they need to be to find an opponent and open up the oppositions forward press
6. Our forward then are forced to play up the ground as the ball gets there less often
7. When the forwards get the ball they are often too far out to score
8. If we get the ball past defensive 50 then we often turn the ball over and dont have the defensive pressure to stop quick inside 50's

While this all sound's blatently obvious, the question is when you add all this up what does it really mean?

Ultimately the game is being played in our back half and most of our forward ball movement starts from the goal line.

if we are going to have the game played in our back half more often than not, we are playing the game with one hand tied behind our back to start with by playing slow, poor skllied players in the back half.

Irrespective of who we play in the middle and forward, we are giving ourselves no chance by setting up our back half as we do today.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

I'll give you an example another club and then look at ours.

For years we have smashed Carlton and always counted on them for a percentage booster. In recent years with Juddy they have been more competitive and beaten us the last two times.

I went and watched the Blues game earlier this year was observed clear differences in the back half setups.

When we setup from our back half the first kick went to just beyond the 50M line. If we didn't mark it, the ball either came straight back to the goal line for potential Blues goal or was a ball up. It wasn't very often than we cleared the ball easily from the defensive 50M arc.

When the Blues setup from the back half. they moved the ball to CHF with llttle or no pressure and our mids and HF's pushed back to the HF/Wing position as the ball was mostly coming out quickly at the hands of Chris Yarran etc which then opened up the game in Blues favour.

If we tried the forward press we either didn't have the pace to match or the foot skills of Blue (via short or long passes) opened us up.

THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO

B. DAL SANTO / WALSH / LYNCH
HB. GODDARD / BLAKE / GWILT
C. GILBERT / MONTAGNA / PEAKE
HF. SCHNIEDER / RIEWOLDT / RAY
F. SIPOSS / FISHER / MILNE
R. MCEVOY/ STEVEN / ARMITAGE
IC. CRIPPS / LEDGER / WINMAR / SIMPKIN

Out of Tonights team are:
* Jones - reasonable pace but poor skills
* Baker - guts and determination but pace and skills are not as good as they once were
* Dempster - plodder of the highest order
* Dawson - I say no more
* Polo - trier, pace Ok but skills poor

In team in place of above
* Lynch - skill and pace
* Cripps - skill and pace
* Walsh - size and pace, skills Ok
* Winmar - skill (ok) and pace
* Blake - Size, determination and better than Zac in a contest

Whilst you can argue the skills of those I have suggested come in can be in question at time, and some are unproven at AFL level, all bring pace (except Blake) and better skills than those who I think should be dropped.

With regards to my suggested line up:
* Better skill and pace supporting B and HB line
* Fisher gives better structure at Forward which gives Siposs 3rd best defender (after Roo and Chips) instead of 2nd best defender
* Improved level of pace and skill across the team

At least with this team we might move the baller quicker and more effectively from the back half and give our mids and forwards more of a chance.

Given that finals this year are now out of reach, what have we got to lose by giving this a try?

Go Saints!!!!

[SaintSimmo]

i wouldnt say finals are out of reach just yet, if we loose next week then yes season over, but we can still sneak in.

[Toy Saint]

Great post one-eye. I'm liknig the positive way you're thinking,but how does this new line up help us get more clearances? 'cause your right, we gotta get more clearances!

Zac is being critisised in another couple of threads, but if the opposition is getting the ball out of the middle easily it makes life pretty difficult for our defence.

[plugger66]

Lot of words doesnt make it a sensible post. Sorry but that is a failure.

[Toy Saint]

Hey Plugger, of the eight 'observations' do you agree with any of them?

[plugger66]

Hey Plugger, of the eight 'observations' do you agree with any of them?

Well out of the 5 he said only Polo deserves to be out. We have a lot of issues but replacing players is the most important. Young guys didnt even slightly help tonight.

[Toy Saint]

Fair point, I'd like to think the young guys will improve with some experience. To beat this Collingwood team, we need pace, experience and skill.

[bigcarl]

Fair point, I'd like to think the young guys will improve with some experience. To beat this Collingwood team, we need pace, experience and skill.

And goals.

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

Here are some of my observations from tonight (and season so far) and a few ideas of what we can do right now to be more competitive.

OBSERVATIONS
1. We are getting smashed in the centre clearances which means our opponents are getting more inside 50's
2. With more inside 50's our opponents are scoring more often
3. It also means that they are scoring more behinds which means that more often that not we start our attack from the goal line
4. We are not very effective at beating the forward press
5. Our backs are not as quick or skillful by foot as they need to be to find an opponent and open up the oppositions forward press
6. Our forward then are forced to play up the ground as the ball gets there less often
7. When the forwards get the ball they are often too far out to score
8. If we get the ball past defensive 50 then we often turn the ball over and dont have the defensive pressure to stop quick inside 50's

While this all sound's blatently obvious, the question is when you add all this up what does it really mean?

Ultimately the game is being played in our back half and most of our forward ball movement starts from the goal line.

if we are going to have the game played in our back half more often than not, we are playing the game with one hand tied behind our back to start with by playing slow, poor skllied players in the back half.

Irrespective of who we play in the middle and forward, we are giving ourselves no chance by setting up our back half as we do today.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

I'll give you an example another club and then look at ours.

For years we have smashed Carlton and always counted on them for a percentage booster. In recent years with Juddy they have been more competitive and beaten us the last two times.

I went and watched the Blues game earlier this year was observed clear differences in the back half setups.

When we setup from our back half the first kick went to just beyond the 50M line. If we didn't mark it, the ball either came straight back to the goal line for potential Blues goal or was a ball up. It wasn't very often than we cleared the ball easily from the defensive 50M arc.

When the Blues setup from the back half. they moved the ball to CHF with llttle or no pressure and our mids and HF's pushed back to the HF/Wing position as the ball was mostly coming out quickly at the hands of Chris Yarran etc which then opened up the game in Blues favour.

If we tried the forward press we either didn't have the pace to match or the foot skills of Blue (via short or long passes) opened us up.

THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO

B. DAL SANTO / WALSH / LYNCH
HB. GODDARD / BLAKE / GWILT
C. GILBERT / MONTAGNA / PEAKE
HF. SCHNIEDER / RIEWOLDT / RAY
F. SIPOSS / FISHER / MILNE
R. MCEVOY/ STEVEN / ARMITAGE
IC. CRIPPS / LEDGER / WINMAR / SIMPKIN

Out of Tonights team are:
* Jones - reasonable pace but poor skills
* Baker - guts and determination but pace and skills are not as good as they once were
* Dempster - plodder of the highest order
* Dawson - I say no more
* Polo - trier, pace Ok but skills poor

In team in place of above
* Lynch - skill and pace
* Cripps - skill and pace
* Walsh - size and pace, skills Ok
* Winmar - skill (ok) and pace
* Blake - Size, determination and better than Zac in a contest

Whilst you can argue the skills of those I have suggested come in can be in question at time, and some are unproven at AFL level, all bring pace (except Blake) and better skills than those who I think should be dropped.

With regards to my suggested line up:
* Better skill and pace supporting B and HB line
* Fisher gives better structure at Forward which gives Siposs 3rd best defender (after Roo and Chips) instead of 2nd best defender
* Improved level of pace and skill across the team

At least with this team we might move the baller quicker and more effectively from the back half and give our mids and forwards more of a chance.

Given that finals this year are now out of reach, what have we got to lose by giving this a try?

Go Saints!!!!

Isn't Cripps out for the year?

[dcstkfc]

Cripps and Blake on crutches could come back to bite us under such a regime.

I also wonder whether you have considered that Dawson, Dempster and Baker all actually stop the opposition from scoring goals.

And your description of Dempster as a plodder of the highest order fails to recognise some excellent negating jobs all season.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

i wouldnt say finals are out of reach just yet, if we loose next week then yes season over, but we can still sneak in.

Who cares? What's the point of making the finals if you're just making up the numbers, which we will be?
We have no forward line, and get smashed in the ruck and centre clearances, so we are no premiership threat. We may as well start re-building now, instead of dragging this out any longer.
As for the OP, I agree that you need better skill and/or speed in the backline. Either that, or someone who can regularly mark the long bomb out of there.

[gringo]

Lynch is out for an extended period as is blake? Our forward line isn't functioning, we are too far up the ground backing up the mids and backs. We need to keep playing Steven and Armo in the centre and hope they increase their clearances.

[gringo]

We are rebuilding now, maybe you need it publicised to notice. Or do you mean sack the whole team and start again?

[saintspremiers]

We are rebuilding now, maybe you need it publicised to notice. Or do you mean sack the whole team and start again?

Good point.

Pointless looking at how to beat this Collingwood team, as we won't be contenders until at least next year, which is miles away.