St Kilda went 2-2 in clearances with Hickey in the team.
After losing the clearances against Geelong, we've won four straight.
After losing the clearances against Geelong, we've won four straight.
Preview Round 10: Western Bulldogs vs St.Kilda - Etihad Stadium (A), Saturday 27 May 2017, 1:45pm AEST
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That's the spirit! Visitors & bottom feeders also come on these boards to read this - Saints supporters slamming their own players.
A poster on here recently wrote "....Dunstan & Lonie are sh!t..."
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PoppedCorn
Saints
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Get Holmes in........
Dr Spaceman
Brownlow Medallist
Pretty hard to increase you output in those circumstances
Surprised the Saints keep playing him. Would've thought zombieism would see you straight on the LTI list
gringo2011
Premium Platinum
I reckon he's not been great lately in general though and we would get to see what Holmes could do. I think his ruck work is probably the best at St Kilda. Longer was supposed to offer more around the ground but I'm not convinced he is.
gringo2011
Premium Platinum
I reckon the AFL ****ed Hickey's career with the third man up. It helps guys like Gawn and Sandy but other than that it's a s**t rule that adds nothing but more piddling rules that someone has to keep an eye on. Soon you'll need more umpires than players to administer all their amendments to game that people liked as it was.
The swans game was partially lost at the selection table. I said at the time I feared that our line-up lacked pace and unfortunately I was proven right. By Richo's own admission we were beaten on the outside, and our inability to run killed us (paired with poor foot skills and no structure to get the ball of the defensive 50).
I hate to single out players, but it clear that Dunstan is a clear liability to the team structure. He is a plodding midfielder who exclusively plays on the inside (despite having low tackle count) and has an extremely poor tank. Wtf were they doing playing Koby Stevens on the half forward flank? I understand he was occasionally being rotated into the middle, but that is just so bizarre and out of position for him that it makes me question how the coaching staff couldn't see that deficiency the same way. It has been said many times before, but you can only play 2 of Steele, Stevens and Dunstan, and this game reinforced that belief.
So I would bring back Minchington, as forward pressure was extremely lacking, and drop Dunstan, allowing Stevens to play his actual spot as an onballer. I wouldn't make any other changes, barring a Newnes omission, and Webster will be back after the bye so I think McKenzie, while shaky at times, deserves another chance. Bruce did himself no favours in the 2s either.
OUT: Dunstan
IN: Minchington
I hate to single out players, but it clear that Dunstan is a clear liability to the team structure. He is a plodding midfielder who exclusively plays on the inside (despite having low tackle count) and has an extremely poor tank. Wtf were they doing playing Koby Stevens on the half forward flank? I understand he was occasionally being rotated into the middle, but that is just so bizarre and out of position for him that it makes me question how the coaching staff couldn't see that deficiency the same way. It has been said many times before, but you can only play 2 of Steele, Stevens and Dunstan, and this game reinforced that belief.
So I would bring back Minchington, as forward pressure was extremely lacking, and drop Dunstan, allowing Stevens to play his actual spot as an onballer. I wouldn't make any other changes, barring a Newnes omission, and Webster will be back after the bye so I think McKenzie, while shaky at times, deserves another chance. Bruce did himself no favours in the 2s either.
OUT: Dunstan
IN: Minchington
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As a side note, while I'm a big fan of his, Weller has been pissing me off lately. I concur with others that a bit of show pony has creeped into his game, yet he is often struggling to do the basics like goal kicking. Keep him in again for this round and let him make amends, but he should be on notice.
He's a bit stiff if you ask me...Pretty hard to increase you output in those circumstances
Surprised the Saints keep playing him. Would've thought zombieism would see you straight on the LTI list
OK so there you have it.
How many games do we play against these big bodied rucks?
5 or 6?
So why not just play Hickey all season and set up differently for those 6 games?
PrinceofSeaford
Team Captain
- Sep 5, 2016
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agree, i don't know what it is but something is different about weller this year. almost seems like a bit of complacency has crept into his game now that he's solidified his spot in the team. he used to be the leader of our manic pressure and attack on the man but so far this year he's been almost unrecognisable. he's a massive part of our side when firing so hopefully his form picks up.
Lack of pace did not kill us. Lack of ability to use the ball well killed us. This was a combination of often dreadful disposal skills, poor decision making and poor gameplan and set-ups.
ie At a ball up Swans would maintain a player of the outside of the pack that they would get the ball too. Away they went.
Whereas Saints often would keep handball to a team mate within the scrum and the ball was often turned over.
Swans KNEW the Saints would bomb it to our key forwards. Swans set up players to intercept and knowing that we would bomb to the talls had numbers teir too so that they could mop and clear with ease.
Thoughout the game our players were SLOW OF MIND and made poor decisions. How often did the kicker choose to kick to 2 on 1 contests? I particularly remember one play when when we were going forward where DMak was over 30m clear of any player on the wing and yet we kicked to small St Kilda player who had two Swan opponents.
At the game watching whenever the Swans won the ball off went their players to create space and to present options. When the Saints won the ball we made liittle effort to create options. First look was often back or sideways and not forward.
Many times I saw we actually had players do the reverse and run towards their opponents rather than away.
In Dunstan's last 2 matches since being recalled - Rnd 9 21 disp 8 cont 13 unc 2 t
Rnd 8 28 disp 7 cont 21 unc 4 t
Looks like he has done exactly what the coaches asked - more outside than inside poss.....
Next time maybe check, don't just follow the flock? Carry on
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I see it as our mids improving with Steven back and Steele and Stevens in the team.
Hickey rucking would have done just as good as Longer with this midfield and a heap better in general play.
Gilbert is currently our best ruckman. Longer is a liability.
Sab22
Captain
Dunstan, Steele and Stevens. Can't play in the same midfield. It would kill us really bad.
One has go and it's between koby and Dunstan.
Bring back Minch/Long.
One has go and it's between koby and Dunstan.
Bring back Minch/Long.
Who else came in? We won in spite of the ruckman.
PaddysurDaddy
Club Legend
- Mar 30, 2017
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Fair enough. Disagree wholeheartedly, but to each their own yada yada
PaddysurDaddy
Club Legend
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Stevens came in which really helped
Yes yes and yes.
Get rid of Longer probably get a fourth rounder for him and use Holmes for the bigger types.
Reminds me a bit like McQualter all those years ago. Had a good couple years of high standard pressure, then probably thought he spot was safe and didn't perform the high standards again, evidently getting dropped a couple of years later.
Persevering Saint
Brownlow Medallist
Too conservative, for mine...
gringo2011
Premium Platinum
It would have been nice to have the luxury to bring Dempster in for games where we needed someone more mobile to play on teams where there weren't two tall marking targets too. I guess that's why people want Lever.
Persevering Saint
Brownlow Medallist
I don't think it's a case of either/or between your poor disposal point and Sheepey 's point about lack of pace. I think it's very much both/and. We would kick poorly, resulting in a turnover in our forward-50, and their running backs would rebound while our foot-soldiers puffed away behind them.
gringo2011
Premium Platinum
If his conversion was reversed he would have been looking like he was as good as last year. His goal kicking is killing his game and probably his confidence.
Thats OK. No problems. Would love for him to prove me wrong.
In the long run he may. At the moment he is a statue.
He may as well just stand in the centre square all day waiting to contest a bounce.
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