Discussion Essendon v St Kilda

[mjay]

You can't give a team full of front runners a 7 goal head start. Pathetic performance... I have been an avid Kosi supporter but I am really struggling to find reasons to justify his spot atm. Our captain and vice captain tried their guts out as always but nobody went with them.
Disposal was poor, and had been since the Brisbane game. Teams are putting so much pressure on our mids and backline and are forcing our players, who have poor skills and are usually instructed to handball to our good ball users, to kick.
Too many boys in a form slump and I think that comes from not quite having enough depth to put pressure on players for spots.

Every time I have written us off this year though the boys have come out and proved me wrong, so I hope they do so again.

 

[Simon Templar]

Quit being primadonnas and focus on why we lost and how to rectify those issues and then move onto next week perhaps?

It's poor form to single out individuals for the chopping block

Well I'm sticking to my prima Dona status then. Heads must roll. We have a hopeless forward line.

 

[StFly]

Well I'm sticking to my prima Dona status then. Heads must roll. We have a hopeless forward line.

Currently dysfunctional yes, hopeless not even close.

Of course individuals should be dropped, I would be surprised if after that performance Lynch had another go up forward and Jack kept his spot in the team ahead of another mid (Eddy / Armo / Alias) but the problem was just that the forwards were functioning (Kosi, Rooey and Schneiderman) but the half forwards were not (Lynch, Steven and Milne) and with Rooey going @ 33% with 2.4, dish offs that didn't go to plan and ill directed passing you had a compound of poor delivery to poor players half the time, outnumbered players half of the rest of the time and the other half was split between actual good kicking or going solo.

There's simply no benefit in (sorry Thomas) coming out with the typical "X must go!" (although he went to Brisbane... ooooo topical!) chant, considering Stanton had about 34 and Steven had 4 or Lynch had 6 and Fletcher had 30ish, Monfries kicked 4 and Fisher, well, was a chief component in us losing the first half of footy, Geary turned it over about 7 times, McEvoy turned it over a few times, BJ was being bumped off the ball by Alwyn bloody Davey in the 1st half, Blake gave away about 4 frees in scoring position that ended in goals....

The list goes on and on about screw ups from individuals to demand 1 goes on the back of that performance, I'm only surprised no one's mentioned Dawson yet, I mean he played yeah? No hate for him today with the whips out people?

 

[sainter]

I'm glad we've got Collingwood supporters to come onto our board to tell us where the team is going wrong. One good season and they've suddenly worked out the blueprint to winning a premiership!

I'm not going to come on here and defend the horrible performance tonight but what I will say is that we are going finish in the top 4 and it's about getting the team to play good footy when it counts.

There's nothing wrong with venting your anger but let's be realistic about the fact that this season is far from over. The team we were playing tonight were only playing for pride and disappointingly for us they actually showed a lot of it. At least we've got a chance to redeem ourselves!

 

[Jimmy 35]

anybody else notice two completely different styles of play from the Saints?
1st half they played their defensive 'stop the momentum footy' (which is just terrible against speed sides) and in the 2nd we started to attack and take the game on?

 

[samwise]

Pretty much speechless. When it got even worse in that 3rd quarter I just couldn't imagine a more dominant performance. They beat us at everything it was really unbelievable.
Basically too many things wrong with that game that it isn't even worth going into. Just got to move on no point crying over spilt milk.
Essendon - fantastic game I wish you didn't have to always pull them out against us but you were brilliant. Everything you did turned to gold one of the best performances of the year in my opinion.
I know we were waayy off tonight but it is still getting really hard to see us winning the flag. In rabbles, individually and collectively. That's not to say we wont win the rest of the regular season games but come finals time we have to beat at least 3 of the top teams and objectively, with our list I would easily put us below Geelong, Bulldogs and Collingwood, probably even Hawthorn.
Still keeping the faith though. Would just be too heartbreaking to not win a flag over the past 10 years.

 

[spudmaster]

I'm not going to come on here and defend the horrible performance tonight but what I will say is that we are going finish in the top 4 and it's about getting the team to play good footy when it counts.

Spot on, mate. Much better to have a form slump in July than in September. You've got a month or so to pull yourselves out of it and hit your straps which I'm sure you'll do as the Saints are a good side.

A win next week and a bit of confidence can make all the difference to a side mentally.

 

[Rough_Edges]

embarrassing.

 

[SydneyDon]

I'm glad we've got Collingwood supporters to come onto our board to tell us where the team is going wrong. One good season and they've suddenly worked out the blueprint to winning a premiership!

It's funny isn't it. And in most peoples living memory (anyone not retirement age) they've won the same number of flags as you.

 

[Kildonan]

Painful

 

[Rough_Edges]

Our diminished hunger for the contest is what worries me.

When teams can flick the ball at will and run from our forward fifty like Essendon did tonight, it is a worry

 

[Axl the great]

Sorry to intrude guys, but i dont think that it is actually a bad thing that you are in a bit of a slump at the moment, last year your form was near perfect and you fell down on the big day.
All teams have bad patches but St Kilda will come out of it because you are a bloody good side, if you find your best form and bounce back (which i think you will) you want that one or two weeks out from finals.
Im worried about the pies if we keep going so well because eventually you put in one or two bad ones and you dont want that happening in September.

It looks to me that you guys have become too conservative in your game style and that hunger for the contest seems to be down a bit.
If you guys get back to that brutal off the leash footy then your still right in the mix.
If Geelong and St kilda were both in top form and we happened to play in a GF id choose to play Geelong every day of the week rather than face you guys on the big day.

 

[samwise]

Our diminished hunger for the contest is what worries me.

When teams can flick the ball at will and run from our forward fifty like Essendon did tonight, it is a worry

I'd be pretty confident that will come back in the finals though. Was there last week when we knew it was a big game.
For me it's more that our list is much weaker than other top teams and unlike last year we are getting caught out with one on ones so often. Our defense isn't used to it and Blake, Dawson, Gwilt, Dempster need Fisher and Gilbert to control everything but they have been poor lately partly due to other teams shutting them down. I dont know why Dal Santo and Goddard aren't going back to help. Gram was terrible in that area tonight should've been Goddard or Dal in his position when he made those stupid wild kicks.
Forward line pressure has been non existent in the last few weeks. The structure doesnt matter, as long as we can keep the ball in their long enough to set up our zones we will stop all of the pressure being put on the defense.
It was a mauling yes but you only need to improve on a couple of things and a game will change completely.
Starts with the forward pressure in my opinion. Get that back and our defense will improve and we will find more goals out of nothing.
Dont know who will bring the pressure though. Last year Milne, Schneider and McQualter were excellent. Gilbert was the only one tonight who I thought gave some good pressure and stuck some tackles and he was barely down there. Seriously wish Kosi was Ryder.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Guy's pardon the intrusion but I think what we all need to realise is that most likely the teams that went deep into the finals last year would be now just coming to the end of a period of a high training load that willprepare them for the finals hence the heavy legs we have seen from both the Saints and the Cats over recent weeks.

I truly believe that it will be a rematch in the GF the Pies will have peaked too soon whereas our two teams will be showing the benefits of this heavy loading period when it matters most

 

[Vdubs]

Guy's pardon the intrusion but I think what we all need to realise is that most likely the teams that went deep into the finals last year would be now just coming to the end of a period of a high training load that Ill prepare them for the finals hence the heavy legs we have seen from both the Saints and the Cats over recent weeks.

I truly believe that it will be a rematch in the GF the Pies will have peaked too soon whereas our two teams will be showing the benefits of this heavy loading period when it matters most

Agree mostly. Can not write off Saints, as they are virtually guaranteed top 4 spot, looking at their next 4 games, and then in September, they'll crank up and peak. Very confident Saints are going to be in the GF. Pies/Cats/Dogs all equal contenders, Hawks just miss.This is the ideal time for a slump, not in a month.

 

[tha Freak]

OK, I'll just speak for myself. I hope Essendon never wins another game in the history of the world and I don't give a crap if I upset their poor little fans who would like to come on here and tell us how much they wuv the Saints. I wuv you Saints, you poor, pathetic, no-hoping team that will never win anything. You're my second favourite of all the teams. Because you've always been crap.

We're the ten ton gorilla now, baby. And people who consider us to be their "second team" can bite me.

Hhmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps some time for reflection eh!
Lets put the Gorilla back in the jungle for now. You are obviously a football genius and although the Dons may be far off winning a Grand Final at least we have some history in doing so!
Still hope the Saints do well in the finals.

 

[dg102]

Loading had nothing to do with that very crappy football we just played.

Lack of disipline, lack of concentration, lack of respect for the opposition.

Can the players please post to us members, social club members and supporters when you players arn't going to be serious about a game, so we can just tune out for the weekend. We know what the saints are capable of and tonight was so below par I felt sick in my stomach.

Bottom line, you let your team mates down, you let the coach down, you let us members down.

I mean its not like the players dont know what it takes to be the best. (52 tackles tonight) give me a break.

But its round 18.... Theres still time.

 

[stkfc_cowboys]

Tonight's performance was a disgrace, and couldn't of been madder with the boys. Did they turn up?

But like the classics say, there is always next week. But, to be frank, we don't have many weeks left to fix this. Ross has a bit of a problem on his hand.

Our bottom players tonight were pretty bad, and there is no-one in the VFL pushing the door down to take back their spot, which is why I'm very concerned ATM. Peake, Geary, Steven, Dawson and Kosi - not up to it im afraid, but we gotta keep playing them due to default, which is worrying me big time!

 

[Plugger35]

Tonight's performance was a disgrace, and couldn't of been madder with the boys. Did they turn up?

But like the classics say, there is always next week. But, to be frank, we don't have many weeks left to fix this. Ross has a bit of a problem on his hand.

Our bottom players tonight were pretty bad, and there is no-one in the VFL pushing the door down to take back their spot, which is why I'm very concerned ATM. Peake, Geary, Steven, Dawson and Kosi - not up to it im afraid, but we gotta keep playing them due to default, which is worrying me big time!

Agree with most of that, we were disgraceful early. Although credit to Essendon they played very well (why the f*** do they always play so well against us?) and almost everything went their way. Reminded me of that Monday night Carlton game when everything they touched turned to gold.

We definitely need to improve our first quarters though, against both Collingwood and Essendon we have been ambushed and are chasing the game from there on. Our whole game plan revolves around shutting down the opposition scoring early and overwhelming them in the 2nd half. If we give up a big lead early on we struggle big time to get back into it.

As for our so called bottom players I thought Peake was pretty good and Geary, Steven and Dawson were OK. Kosi was poor again though and he either needs to play in the ruck or we should bring in Stanley to play as a key forward with Riewoldt. He is just too slow and ineffective as a permanent key forward.

 

[Saintland]

Words can't even begin to define that performance. It's really like watching a mirror image of 97 vs. 98 all over again. Time for Ross and co. to pull something out of the hat if we're to salvage anything from this year. Disgraceful.

 

[Big Ted]

Can Plugger lace up the boots again ?

 

[CHBench]

saints footy haz a sad.

 

[bisazc887]

Our tackling and pressure from last year seems to be the difference in where we have gone missing this year

 

[thomas_m18]

Won't happen, but I feel like throwing the axe and going:

OUT: Kosi, Lynch, Steven, Geary/Peake
IN: Stanley, Patto, McQualter, Clarke

I guess it was just an off week. Beaten in the first quarter dammit!

What I think will happen at the selection table:

OUT: Lynch
IN: Pattison

 

[Plugger35]

Won't happen, but I feel like throwing the axe and going:

OUT: Kosi, Lynch, Steven, Geary/Peake
IN: Stanley, Patto, McQualter, Clarke

I guess it was just an off week. Beaten in the first quarter dammit!

What I think will happen at the selection table:

OUT: Lynch
IN: Pattison

Can understand dropping Kosi and Lynch but not sure about the others.

Steven didn't have a great game but still think he has shown enough recently to stick with him. I thought both Geary and Peake were OK, particularly Peake who I thought was one of our better players last night and we need his pace.

I think Lyon will probably stick with Kosi for next week but if he keeps dishing up those performances we will have to look elsewhere to Pattison or Stanley.

Lynch still looks a bit out of his depth at AFL level and probably should go back to the VFL. Should be a good player in time but can't see him being a permanent fixture in our best 22 this year.