Round 3 v Dogs

[dcstkfc]

After a pretty poor showing last week today was about as good as we could have hoped for as a response.

Against a team still a long long long way off the pace, we won the contested footy and clearances which we were smashed in last week and are areas in which the Suns are not that bad.

Milera, Stanley, Armitage, Geary and Steven all played some of their best games for the club which was pleasing.

Anyway, we now have another genuine opponent, and one which has a pretty strong midfield, probably still our weakest area. We have matched up well against the Dogs in recent times, and for a free-wheeling side at Etihad they have struggled to score against us.

This will be a close one for mine, but 6 days out I think we'll prevail by 1-2 goals.

Thoughts?

Particularly interested to hear from those who have watched the Dogs play in Rounds 1 and 2.

[plugger66]

Very tough game and only one of those sides can make the finals if any. 2 wins would be huge for us at this stage. WB did look pretty good against Adelaide. 50/50 game for mine but will will start short priced favourites.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

If we play like we did today we'll almost certainly win, although we wouldn't want to have a quarter like we did in the 2nd today, which was very ordinary, especially our kicking for goal.
The Doggies were very competitive yesterday, though and we'll need to keep our long kicks away from Brian Lake.

[bergholt]

Very tough game and only one of those sides can make the finals if any. 2 wins would be huge for us at this stage. WB did look pretty good against Adelaide. 50/50 game for mine but will will start short priced favourites.

yeah, you'll get good odds on footscray, i reckon. worth having a little bit on them as a loss will leave us in trouble for rossy's first visit back.

[Junction Oval]

After a good win, it will be an important, but very tough match.

The question is, can the good form of our younger guys continue against bigger bodies and a more experienced side?

Based on a good performance, our confidence will be up. I am expecting a good performance again and a small win.

[8856brother]

If we are any good and want to play finals we will win. Will we win? Not sure.

[defacto]

the dogs have some really good kids coming through. will be very good barometer as to how good our kids are compared to theirs. one of the most interesting games this season.

[gringo]

They have a bigger spread of kids but are a year more advanced on their development. Our seniors are better though. A good game from the kids on either side should win it. If they get their tails up early we could be in trouble. We want a huge 1st quarter to snuff their confidence.

[The Redeemer]

the dogs have some really good kids coming through. will be very good barometer as to how good our kids are compared to theirs. one of the most interesting games this season.

Like who? I take the complete opposite view and consider the Dogs' youngsters collectively somehow worse than ours...

[8856brother]

Jones will need to do a better job on Boyd than he did on Ablett. Has been playing really well apparently.

[desertsaint]

Doggies are gone for quite a while - in that group of teams that are competitive but not in contention (as opposed to the cellar dwellers). If we can't beat them then we're in that group, having already lost to a team on the lower end of that grouping.
I am expecting a four-six goal win. Will forgive the Port loss given the circumstances (though it could really hurt us by seasons end - we need a top four scalp to overcome it), but we can't afford another one like it.

[Ralphy]

the dogs have some really good kids coming through. will be very good barometer as to how good our kids are compared to theirs. one of the most interesting games this season.

Like who? I take the complete opposite view and consider the Dogs' youngsters collectively somehow worse than ours...

Smith is a good kid coming through.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Liberatore goes alright too. Had 28 possies last week. Then there's Dalhaus (22 possies on Sat night), Ayce Cordy, Roughead, Wallis and Liam Jones, who's only 21 and took the 6th most contested marks in the comp last year, at just 20.

[SainterK]

Speedy.

However that doesn't scare me as much anymore.

[gringo]

Liberatore goes alright too. Had 28 possies last week. Then there's Dalhaus (22 possies on Sat night), Ayce Cordy, Roughead, Wallis, Liam Jones, who's only 21 and took the 6th most contested marks in the comp last year, at just 20.

Jones is going to be like Cloke eventually if he starts to convert like he can mark he will be a very good forward. I like Dahlhaus too he has a real crack, Cordy was on our radar and we made the dogs pay overs for their F&S pick- he's disappointing so far. Zephania Skinner is pretty exciting too he can apparently frog jump with out hands over the top of players. If he can kick a ball he will be something special. Wallis and Libratore look pretty good but time will tell how good.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

I'm pretty sure Cordy has had a bunch of injuries, but is reportedly coming along well now. And yeah, I forgot about Skinner. Huge talent there with him.

[SainterK]

Dempster v Gia
Jones v Griffen

Rotate Lenny, Armo, Dal, Steven v Boyd.

Ben should be OK v Roughead/Minson

Simpkin should stay in to take on Jones?

I think Saints should win this one, have to win this one.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Jones and Grant, both being relatively thin, are ideal match-up's for Simpkin, so I'd also be keen to keep him in for one of them, to see how he goes. Was interesting that Gilbert played most of the first half on the wing yesterday, to make room for Tom.
Might Wilkes come in, just for the coaching staff to have a look-see at him up forward, now that he's found some form?

[bergholt]

Smith is a good kid coming through.

serious? you're going early.

clay smith has played two games for 4 goals and 0 goals. alan murray's first two games for st kilda were 4 goals and 2 goals, so i reckon clay smith will end up not quite as good as alan murray.

or maybe you can't judge if a player is any good after just two games.

[ralphsmith]

Stkilda is to the dogs as essendon is to stkilda. We are a massive bogey team for the dogs they have an immense amount of trouble trying to shake us.

I expect our guys to go into this game with equal if not more ferocity at the footy. So many of our guys were perfectly switched on against the suns.

The dogs always seem to get us at the wrong time.

[SainterK]

Dogs aim to break hoodoo

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx

[Megsie]

we gained confidence from our game. Doubt dogs gained much from theirs.
saints will prevail.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Smith is a good kid coming through.

serious? you're going early.

clay smith has played two games for 4 goals and 0 goals. alan murray's first two games for st kilda were 4 goals and 2 goals, so i reckon clay smith will end up not quite as good as alan murray.

or maybe you can't judge if a player is any good after just two games.

Given that he was taken in the first round of the draft last year and is playing and doing very well already, I imagine he's more things going for him than just that one game. The Bulldogs seem to be extremely happy with him.

[Teflon]

They'll be massively hungry.... I'm nervous bout this game.... IF we back up with a win... A flicker of excitement shall start to build...

[gringo]

Smith is a good kid coming through.

serious? you're going early.

clay smith has played two games for 4 goals and 0 goals. alan murray's first two games for st kilda were 4 goals and 2 goals, so i reckon clay smith will end up not quite as good as alan murray.

or maybe you can't judge if a player is any good after just two games.

Given that he was taken in the first round of the draft last year and is playing and doing very well already, I imagine he's more things going for him than just that one game. The Bulldogs seem to be extremely happy with him.

I saw some of him in the NAB and he is a beauty, tough little bugger that plays a bit Selwood like. He will be a star I loved Murray but he wasn't even in the ball park with Smith he was way too nice and laid back. Clay Smith looks like he uses Ben cousins pharmacist when he plays.