Preview Who will finish higher - Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, St Kilda or Hawthorn

[Ian Dunross]

Saints are effed. Richo not the man. Tactically out of his depth.

Good enough players.

Still a few passengers. Not high enough standards. Sloppiness accepted too readily.

We'll finish highest.

Richo is great. Tactically astute.

High standards. No passengers.

 

[TheFourPillars]

We'll finish highest.

Richo is great. Tactically astute.

High standards. No passengers.

Lol

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

The best thing about JLT is trying to work out who is going full throttle and at who is just playing with self preservation in mind, because it looks like most players and clubs cycle through both of these settings throughout each of the games I’ve seen.

 

[owen87]

Think tonight is a reasonable indictator where both are at; Melbourne ahead on talent at the moment - particularly through the midfield - while Saints certainly pressured well, made it a contest the whole way through, and looked much better in the second half once they’d adapted their ball use.

I think Melbourne is a chance to land anywhere between 4 and 12 depending on whether they drop some silly games along the way, can see them having the potential to trouble the stronger sides when they’re firing.

Not sure Saints are a top-4 potential, but also wouldn’t say they’re easybeats by any stretch, so could tick over the wins in a fairly even comp that sees them still make the 8.

Dogs are probably somewhere in between; they’ve got some good talent but 2017 showed that means little if the application drops off.

Hawthorn quite an unknown; I wouldn’t expect too much improvement from the older brigade, but being able to get Rioli and Gunston back in the forward line, O’Meara playing regularly and some continued development from the younger players puts them right in the mix for finals still.

 

[Substance]

We'll finish highest.

Richo is great. Tactically astute.

High standards. No passengers.

High energy, best words.

 

[jackenny]

Hunter Clark looks like a gun, saints should pump games into blokes like him and Coffield instead of Richo backing his C/B graders.

Would like to see Gresham play more midfield, also.

If Hunter Clark keeps looking like he's looking, and he gets games, have a hunch he'll win the rising star (or whatever the hell it's called nowadays).

I like him more than Dow atm, and Dow was my first pick for that draft.

 

[Gavin Excell]

We'll finish highest.

Richo is great. Tactically astute.

High standards. No passengers.

Will select Sam Gilbert r1

 

[markm106]

Will select Sam Gilbert r1

After his JLT1 showing I wouldn’t be surprised if he never plays again.

 

[Paul Kersey]

I think Bulldogs. Hawthorn the odd one out of this list - we are going south while the rest should be going north.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Demons seem a league apart from the other 3 sides

They really could be top 4 material

Not sure the others will make the top 8

 

[joop]

Was good seeing Clark & Coffield in the JLT because now the season is proper Richo will want Gilbert & Weller to play instead.
The difference between Melbourne’s ball movement to ours was ridiculous. We are going nowhere fast with our current coach.

 

[owen87]

Was good seeing Clark & Coffield in the JLT because now the season is proper Richo will want Gilbert & Weller to play instead.
The difference between Melbourne’s ball movement to ours was ridiculous. We are going nowhere fast with our current coach.

I actually thought the Saints looked solid after half time; they lack a ruckman the quality of Gawn and a bit more depth & class through the midfield, but certainly it wasn't a disaster, and I don't think they're that far away from finals. Melbourne are a team that - on paper at least - can give the top 4 a nudge this year, I don't think anyone is expecting the same from the Saints.

Clean up a lot of those F50 entries and suddenly Bruce, McCartin and Membrey are a lot more of a factor. Rushed disposals bombing to the top of the goal square hoping for a contested mark were just constant and predictable for Melbourne's defenders.

 

[LeverPuller]

Was good seeing Clark & Coffield in the JLT because now the season is proper Richo will want Gilbert & Weller to play instead.
The difference between Melbourne’s ball movement to ours was ridiculous. We are going nowhere fast with our current coach.

Couldn't believe how quick we were early. It was sensational to watch.

 

[Brennan Huff]

I actually thought the Saints looked solid after half time; they lack a ruckman the quality of Gawn and a bit more depth & class through the midfield, but certainly it wasn't a disaster, and I don't think they're that far away from finals. Melbourne are a team that - on paper at least - can give the top 4 a nudge this year, I don't think anyone is expecting the same from the Saints.

Clean up a lot of those F50 entries and suddenly Bruce, McCartin and Membrey are a lot more of a factor. Rushed disposals bombing to the top of the goal square hoping for a contested mark were just constant and predictable for Melbourne's defenders.

We rested our mids forward and on the bench in the third. Our midfield in the third quarter were basically our seconds.

 

[TheFourPillars]

If Hunter Clark keeps looking like he's looking, and he gets games, have a hunch he'll win the rising star (or whatever the hell it's called nowadays).

I like him more than Dow atm, and Dow was my first pick for that draft.

We rested our mids forward and on the bench in the third. Our midfield in the third quarter were basically our seconds.

Midfield rotations are a thing those will happen in season as well its about limiting the damage when you have the b team in there

Hunter looks a player

 

[Brennan Huff]

Midfield rotations are a thing those will happen in season as well its about limiting the damage when you have the b team in there

Hunter looks a player

Yeh I thought Hunter did some nice things and looked good.

 

[ManOfClay]

Midfield rotations are a thing those will happen in season as well its about limiting the damage when you have the b team in there

Very rarely will you have a full b team in though at once

 

[joop]

I actually thought the Saints looked solid after half time; they lack a ruckman the quality of Gawn and a bit more depth & class through the midfield, but certainly it wasn't a disaster, and I don't think they're that far away from finals. Melbourne are a team that - on paper at least - can give the top 4 a nudge this year, I don't think anyone is expecting the same from the Saints.

Clean up a lot of those F50 entries and suddenly Bruce, McCartin and Membrey are a lot more of a factor. Rushed disposals bombing to the top of the goal square hoping for a contested mark were just constant and predictable for Melbourne's defenders.

Let’s not kid ourselves, Melbourne completely took their foot off in the 3rd.
And the issue you mention, bombing into our 50 has been the same problem for 3 years. Our game plan is s**t and it gets found out very quickly by any half decent side, except once or twice a year where we will play out of our skins. There has been no improvement in skills, players constantly miss handballs, simple kicks which puts ourselves under pressure and then we are forced to bomb it long. Richo has a terrible plan A and no plan B.

 

[owen87]

We rested our mids forward and on the bench in the third. Our midfield in the third quarter were basically our seconds.

Saints changed their ball movement; in the first half they kept trying to handball through the centre - which just didn't work - or resorted to a rushed kick forward. Using the width of the ground better and making smarter decisions tidied up a lot of the issues they were having, but their I50's going forward were pretty woeful throughout, relied on a lot of their smalls to make goals out of nothing.

Also a lot of times you saw them trying to do the 'unselfish' thing to centre the ball, but missing the target or kicking to a contest. Not sure if that's something they've been working on to combat the inaccuracy they had last year, but there was a lot of poor decision making in their forward 50. If they clean that up I think the Saints will be competitive.

That Melbourne have the better midfield talent is pretty clear, it's just ironing out the consistency issues along with those younger guys continuing to develop and they'll be around the mark for a top 4 berth.

 

[owen87]

Let’s not kid ourselves, Melbourne completely took their foot off in the 3rd.
And the issue you mention, bombing into our 50 has been the same problem for 3 years. Our game plan is s**t and it gets found out very quickly by any half decent side, except once or twice a year where we will play out of our skins. There has been no improvement in skills, players constantly miss handballs, simple kicks which puts ourselves under pressure and then we are forced to bomb it long. Richo has a terrible plan A and no plan B.

Sorry only saw this after the reply above; there was a lot of times when players went to centre the ball once they took a mark within range - is this something new this year after the inaccuracy last year?

 

[PaddysurDaddy]

melbourne are looking very nicely balanced, haven't watched WB or Hawks this preseason.

we're gonna want to make some pretty big changes before rd1 if we want to be in finals contention

also, I hope to god we play hunter and coff r1, would prefer they play and we miss finals than playin mav and gilbo and just scraping in. They both look very nice so far, really surprised with hunter's strength in the tackle. He's a stick and looks kinda laconic, yet does explosive things like that close range don't argue with two players hanging off him. I dunno who it was but he dumped him.

And coff is just a pro.

Please damn you richo, do the right thing, play the kids

 

[Ian Dunross]

Lever i reckon is worth net 4 goals to a side

2 goals saved through his fist or mark

2 goals scored through his intercepting and play on

Dees paid a lot

But worth it imo

 

[TheFourPillars]

Very rarely will you have a full b team in though at once

yeah true

 

[Oscarman]

Very rarely will you have a full b team in though at once

Yeah there will always be at least one starting mid in there, barring injuries to all of them of course.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Hunter Clark looks like a gun, saints should pump games into blokes like him and Coffield instead of Richo backing his C/B graders.

Would like to see Gresham play more midfield, also.

Yeah Hunter is bloody smooth and classy and poised and yet is also very hard at it and tackles a heap (incl 16 in a TAC final last year), so he's extremely well balanced, and also versatile. Can play inside, outside, forward, back.

Gresham is already starting to play a lot more in the midfield and we'll be better for it. Had the 3rd- most CP's for us last week with 11 and the equal-most for us last night with 12, and had the 3rd-most clearances for us in each game. While still playing plenty forward and having 6 shots for goal across the two games.

He makes things happen whether he's playing forward or mid.