It’s going to be a long year for the Saints !

[WinnersOnly]

I know it’s our first game under WATTERS, but you would expect the team to play with more energy and enthusiasm than they did. They looked flat and were second to the ball on most occasions. The first quarter said it all when Port jumped to a 5 goal lead.

When they do their review I hope WATTERS is scathing on Kosi with the amount of stupid frees and 50 metres he gave away. Going down by 4 points it’s those selfish things make the difference. I believe we probably did better than Port in the disposal efficiency stakes, but the number of goals they got thru our inability to hit a target was embarrassing.

We got killed at ground level – around stoppages. We simply don’t have enough players moving with momentum at stoppages. The clearance stats will probably say differently, but most of ours were scrubby kicks out of a pack forward. You can’t measure the quality clearances Port were able to achieve far too often. We didn’t appear to have any successful midfield stoppage setups at all.

This may be it is because we lack a dominant ruckman – but we had too many players sitting back on the haunches and not enough backing themselves. McEvoy did well dropping back in front of Ports forwards, but as a ruckman I have said it before he has absolutely no awareness of what’s going on below him. On too many occasions his hit outs went straight down a Port player’s throat.

What happened to our play on style that WATTERS had been introducing throughout the NAB. The only players taking the game on were our back men who did pretty well, but as soon as they kicked it down the wings we stopped and waited for Port to get back on top of our forwards.

Milera looked composed and got a bit of it on his first outing. Lenny should have passed to him when they were both running into goal in the 3rd.

What’s the go with Peake conceding front position on nearly every contest he goes into – the guy has some major confidence issues.

Armitage was terrible and has no aerobic running capacities what so ever – just doesn’t get to enough contests first and when he does he is stuffed.

Riewoldt is a major concern he is has lost his edge and doesn’t look like getting into the game.

All in all it was a game the SAINTS should have won but there simply weren’t enough players prepared to be first to the ball or work hard enough!

[evertonfc]

All fair points.

I was concerned by the lack of competitive effort at key moments. Where were coasted, hoping it would happen, they fought like dogs to make it happen.

Effort won out. A lesson for us. A huge lesson for us. But will we learn? I'm not sure. Our players look comfortable and content at the level they compete at, and did for most of 2011.

[nw7]

Great post, I agree with all your thoughts.
I thought we relied on Port making mistakes instead of us winning the ball and creating something. I hope Watters is strong enough to make positive changes, drop senior players that need to be dropped and start developing the kids. Collingwood played 4 new kids, we only played 1 new player a 24 year old. I hope we play Simpkin, Ross, Saad and have a good look at Dunell at different times soon. I'm not sure what happened to Ledger but we need his attack on the ball and Cripps has to start playing full games. Dempster, Blake, Gilbert, Geary and Polo in the backline together at times is a recipe for disaster. I think its time 2 or 3 of these guys are replaced at different times.

[Con Gorozidis]

i think we should tank this year.
trade away 2 of our big names . and aim for 3 first round draft picks.
use them on KP forward.
we will also have heaps of room in our salary cap as roo gram will be out of big contracts.
we can probably try to recruit a good player and use 2 on first round picks for KPPs.

[cwrcyn]

Players with class, skill, and creatvity

Hayes
Dal Santo
Montagna
Goddard
Fisher
Milne
Schneider
Gwilt
Gram (perhaps)


None under the age of 25 and only 9 out of our best 22


That pretty much sums up where we're at, and it won't be fixed in one year. It;s going to take time to rebuild this team. I hope to board give Pelchen and Watters 5 years to do it.







.

[Old Mate]

i think we should tank this year.
trade away 2 of our big names . and aim for 3 first round draft picks.
use them on KP forward.
we will also have heaps of room in our salary cap as roo gram will be out of big contracts.
we can probably try to recruit a good player and use 2 on first round picks for KPPs.

Roo and Gram's contracts expire at the end of next year. Both signed on for 4 years at the end of 2009.

[defacto]

i really hope gram turns it around or we can trade him.

we'll cut and cut hard if this form continues!!!

[desertsaint]

i really hope gram turns it around or we can trade him.

we'll cut and cut hard if this form continues!!!

no team would take gram unless we paid three quarters of his salary.

[Teflon]

No one wanted Gram last trade period.......the mongrel helicopter floater secret is out!!

[Dr Spaceman]

i think we should tank this year.
trade away 2 of our big names . and aim for 3 first round draft picks.
use them on KP forward.
we will also have heaps of room in our salary cap as roo gram will be out of big contracts.
we can probably try to recruit a good player and use 2 on first round picks for KPPs.

Con, you're in danger of being labelled a one tank pony

[Con Gorozidis]

i think we should tank this year.
trade away 2 of our big names . and aim for 3 first round draft picks.
use them on KP forward.
we will also have heaps of room in our salary cap as roo gram will be out of big contracts.
we can probably try to recruit a good player and use 2 on first round picks for KPPs.

Con, you're in danger of being labelled a one tank pony

my biggest fear is we become like north and richmond. trapped in never ending purgatory.

[whiskers3614]

Have to agree with that.
What can we trade with apart from Goddard?

[vacuous space]

The clearance stats will probably say differently...

-15 at the clearances, -25 at contested ball. That's a pretty comprehensive thrashing in those numbers. Tackles were about even. Once upon a time we used to smash sides in contested ball and get 100 tackles a game.

[doggerel]

Have to agree with that.
What can we trade with apart from Goddard?

Nicky Dal might have even greater currency I think...

[SainterK]

The clearance stats will probably say differently...

-15 at the clearances, -25 at contested ball. That's a pretty comprehensive thrashing in those numbers. Tackles were about even. Once upon a time we used to smash sides in contested ball and get 100 tackles a game.

I wish we could see quarter by quarter.

[battye]

Have to agree with that.
What can we trade with apart from Goddard?

Nicky Dal might have even greater currency I think...

I don't agree with trading champions... Dal Santo, Riewoldt, Goddard, etc, you keep at all costs. If they want to go (and hopefully they don't) it's a different story, but they are the players you build clubs around. Even in a rebuilding phase you need those experienced players to pass on knowledge to the younger players.

[plugger66]

Not always a winners only fan but just about got it right

[SinCitySainter]

Watters wants to play the Pies way. Bring the ball in from the wings and bomb it forward to a powerful forward line taking contested marks or keeping it in at all costs.
Two problems we don't have power forwards anymore that Roo is a shadow of his former self and we don't have the drive to play the contested game.

[8856brother]

my biggest fear is we become like north and richmond. trapped in never ending purgatory.

My biggest fear is that we play for the next 130 odd years and only win one premiership. Hang on

[bobmurray]

Watters wants to play the Pies way. Bring the ball in from the wings and bomb it forward to a powerful forward line taking contested marks or keeping it in at all costs.
Two problems we don't have power forwards anymore that Roo is a shadow of his former self and we don't have the drive to play the contested game.

You've just listed at least 2 reasons why it's going to be a LONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG year of footy, as long as we see some development along the way..

I'd hate us to fall back as far as Melbourne,Richmond and Port have....It takes a long time to get back when you fall that far....

[OneEyedSainter77]

Good assessment of our match last weekend WO however your thread title is jumping the gun a bit.

Who knows what's going to happen this week? We could come out and make a statement from here and kick our season off properly.

There's a few changes to the team already and I think these changes are the right ones Peake and Ray were clearly our most disappointing players so good on Watters for dropping them.

I think we should wait a few more weeks to see how we're going before comepltely throwing the baby out with the bath water.

If we resurrect the season and get to 4-1, we can put this one down as a disappointing loss we shouldn't have had.

Thank God its only round one. Plenty of time to make things right.

[Junction Oval]

Yep, it's early days yet, but the signs through NAB and Round 1 have not been looking good.

We have a good draw for the first few matches, so let's see how things are sitting after that. Hopefully, a few young guys will get consecutive games, we can "see" some indications of a new game plan and we get some wins up to gain some confidence. It's going to be avery tough year indeed.

[The Fireman]

is the game going to be on free to air tomorrow ?

[satchmo]

is the game going to be on free to air tomorrow ?

Not if there's lawn bowls on.

[The Fireman]

is the game going to be on free to air tomorrow ?

Not if there's lawn bowls on.

hmmm so Lawn Bowls must be on .