Preview Round 7, 2020: Adelaide v St.Kilda - Adelaide Oval, Monday 20th July, 7:40PM AEST *BYRNES DEBUT*

[Human Person]

When we screwed up against the Pies, Ratts didn't swing the Axe, now we've screwed up against Freo, he will? If we gut the team too much, do we have more of a chance to lose against the Crows?

 

[pebblesofsand]

What's actually wrong with him being a hbf?

Nothing - but if you read the convo above you'll see we already have plenty of gop half backs.

Would be different if he looked like he could do something else - unfortunately it doesn't look that way.

I think he could become the Geary replacement but don't see much more than that.

 

[BrutThough]

Lonie was better than kent and has been better. I don’t get the lonie dropping when others are worse who play in similar positions.

4 goals in 6 games - including 0 in 3 games - is poor from Lonie.

 

[BrutThough]

Nothing - but if you read the convo above you'll see we already have plenty of gop half backs.

Would be different if he looked like he could do something else - unfortunately it doesn't look that way.

I think he could become the Geary replacement but don't see much more than that.

Paton has been performing well.

if he can continue his form and be our Geary replacement, then thats great. We dont need him to be anything else.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Not as surprised about the loss as some. We have struggled in each of our games when the pressure has come. We look great when we’re allowed to play our game, but once the pressure comes in the contest we cough it up.

I also feel we have been playing 1-2 mids short, probably because we have no depth at all. That’s why dropping Ross is so hard, it would only make the problem worse.
None the less, if Ratts is making a point then it’s got to be Ross in my opinion.

out: Long, Marsh, Ross
In: Byrnes, Bytel, Parker

We are heading in the right direction as a team, but our midfield (and probably small forwards) just doesn’t have the cattle imo.

Can’t see them playing both Byrnes and Bytel. Byrnes seems like he’ll be first cab off the rank.
By some accounts on here Parker is nowhere near it right now.

 

[L_W_P]

Long - Roberton
Ross - Bytel
Hill - Byrnes

Time to bench some passengers.

 

[plugger66]

4 goals in 6 games - including 0 in 3 games - is poor from Lonie.

There is more to his game than goals. Kent doesn’t have more to his game but goals and doesn’t get enough. I would love more goals from lonie but he does do other stuff. I stand by him being better than kent so if one has to go I’d rather kent go.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Yeah but he's played 6 games this year and shown nothing that suggests he will be anything other than a hbf.
He's turns it over a bit and hasn't shown the potential of Coff and Clark.

Dingley is younger and its time he got a run at it.

What's the problem maintaining a young, skilled, composed player in a position he's got good aptitude in?
No, he doesn't appear to have the ceiling of Coff or Clark, but so far that's the only criticism you could throw at him.
He gives exactly what a GOP should offer, and you need them too..

 

[gringo2011]

Can’t see them playing both Byrnes and Bytel. Byrnes seems like he’ll be first cab off the rank.
By some accounts on here Parker is nowhere near it right now.

Parker is playing up front and in one game I think we might have kicked about 1 goal for the game. It was hardly the easiest way to show your quality. Forward pocket is a really hard role at lower levels. Watching VFL it's like a waste land and no one ever really gets to show their quality.

 

[gringo2011]

What's the problem maintaining a young, skilled, composed player in a position he's good aptitude in?
No, he doesn't appear to have the ceiling of Coff or Clark, but so far that's the only criticism you could throw at him.
He gives exactly what a GOP should offer, and you need them too..

I reckon he could actually be a bit better than that. He was way ahead of Coffield until a week ago. Hopefully his ceiling is Jason Gram.

 

[WhiskySaint]

Can’t see them playing both Byrnes and Bytel. Byrnes seems like he’ll be first cab off the rank.
By some accounts on here Parker is nowhere near it right now.

Yeah agree. Issue is we are so short in the midfield. If we drop Ross, then we need to bring in two mids IMO, and we only have two mids in the cupboard. Hence blooding Byrnes and Bytel.

 

[saintsgirl5]

Like them both but you can’t bring 2 debutantes on Adelaide Oval.

Not that I care much anymore , think Byrnes given our need for run & speed out the centre.

George is correct on autopsy the players own it going forward.

They selected the Captain & Vice Captain & Leadership group.


Every team we play for remainder has it imprinted in their DNA stay with Stkilda they are
mentally weak.

They are not going to drop Geary that decision was made at the start of the year.

Agreed, can’t debut both. I think with Byrnes being emergency he’ll get 1st go. I think they are being cautious with Bytel as he hasn’t played a proper game in 18months because of his back. He will get his go soon.

 

[Cuzz09]

Crows $2.60 if u think theyll get up.

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[Diehard Saint]

Yeah agree. Issue is we are so short in the midfield. If we drop Ross, then we need to bring in two mids IMO, and we only have two mids in the cupboard. Hence blooding Byrnes and Bytel.

Kent was promised more midfield time when he came over from the Dees.
Is it a stupid idea to try him there a bit?
( Dont be shy, you can say it is )

 

[gringo2011]

Kent was promised more midfield time when he came over from the Dees.
Is it a stupid idea to try him there a bit?
( Dont be shy, you can say it is )

I was wondering that the other day. Can he actually play there? Swapping him and Gresham could be an idea. Gresham is deadly with his small forward craft but messy as a mid. Kent is not really much of anything up forward.

 

[ScrappyDo]

I reckon he could actually be a bit better than that. He was way ahead of Coffield until a week ago. Hopefully his ceiling is Jason Gram.

I think he'll become close to A grade eventually.
Never spectacular, but never beaten.
Cross between Dempster and Armo..

 

[rodney86]

Adelaide are averaging 35 points a game since the restart. Honestly if we can't beat them over there this week, we never will.

 

[BrutThough]

There is more to his game than goals. Kent doesn’t have more to his game but goals and doesn’t get enough. I would love more goals from lonie but he does do other stuff. I stand by him being better than kent so if one has to go I’d rather kent go.

Lonie should be better than Kent but he has been underwhelming.
Kent is matched his goal tally and GA tally in less games, averages more tackles inside 50 per game and is involved in more score involvements.
Lonie wouldnt want too many more games with his current form.

 

[ScrappyDo]

There is more to his game than goals. Kent doesn’t have more to his game but goals and doesn’t get enough. I would love more goals from lonie but he does do other stuff. I stand by him being better than kent so if one has to go I’d rather kent go.

The problem is neither of those two are quite good enough. You can carry one of them but when they both have an off night, which is too often, it's just a bit poo.

Small forward positions are still to be worked out l think. We're just making the best of what we've got right now.

With better mids and Gears sent to pasture, l can see Gresh pushed forward and maybe another recruit or even Parker if he comes on.
Definitely more dangerous than what we have now.

Lones and Kent are quality depth really..

 

[lewdogs]

Adelaide will be massively fired up for this game. They haven't got a win under Nicks yet, they've been terrible this year, but get to play at home in front of fans. They will be absolutely desperate for a win.

There is no doubt that this is a season-defining game for us. If we win it will be a good win, I don't care how bad Adelaide have been, beating them on their home deck would be huge for us especially considering our putrid record there. This season is all over the shop and anyone can win on their day, we've already shown that our best is very good, but that we can also capitulate in a game.

Fascinating to see who gets dropped after Ratten's "form" statement. If he's going to drop a big name then Ross is the obvious one, he has been really underperforming. Hill close behind. Marsh got 3 possessions so I think he's gone. Long is a huge loss, but thankfully it's one area that we have cover in (if Long gets more than two weeks for his hit I'll be pissed off, which he will).

Just with Marsh, it seems he was brought in to play as a forward/utility but once Battle came in, Josh has been playing the role better. It would have been smart to rotate Marsh out of the squad last week, obviously hindsight is 20-20 but I'd like to see us get a bit more proactive on these types of moves. Ratten has gone on about "horses for courses" but we simply haven't seen that yet this year and it left us with Marsh in the side having zero influence on a game in about three different positions. I can think of at least 5 players in the squad that would have been better than Marsh in the Freo game, especially considering he ended up playing in the midfield.

The question of leadership is a big one. Geary, Ross and Hill are all in the leadership group and have been poor lately; all were terrible in the Dockers loss. Roberton is in that group but out of the side. Membrey has been the one leader at the club that has been performing. Geary seems to be a guy that needs a role. I think they'll chuck him forward again this week on Laird, honestly I'd like to see that every week as he is a good stopper, he actually creates some chaos up forward, and it means we won't see him streaming out of defence in the last two minutes of a game ever again as we did against Fremantle.

Anyway, the leaders of the club need to stand up. I hope Ratten has sat them down this week and had a stern word. Hill in particular, his leadership against the Dockers was awful, giving away those two frees in the back against his old mate Walters at the end of the second quarter, as if he was mucking around at the park, that is not what you want from a leader of the club. Ratten also needs to find a way to get Hill into the game, I suggested earlier in the thread to put him in the middle as an inside mid, I stand by that statement, but if it has to be half back then so be it, we just need him getting the ball and impacting the contest.

I think either Bytel or Byrnes is a guarantee this week, but others that will get a look in would be Ryder (if we go back to two rucks), Webster and Roberton. Selection will be very interesting.

This may be a game against the bottom side, but it is a chance for us to respond. As I said, it's a season-defining game and I think we'll learn a lot about our team and Ratten this week.

(Or should I say next week, a Monday night game seems like an eternity away.)

 

[denisp]

Adelaide are averaging 35 points a game since the restart. Honestly if we can't beat them over there this week, we never will.

Need to play well of course - they’ll be rapt to be back home

 

[pebblesofsand]

I reckon he could actually be a bit better than that. He was way ahead of Coffield until a week ago. Hopefully his ceiling is Jason Gram.

The problem is that if a statement isn't made after yesterday's game we may as well throw our hands up in the air and quit.

At least one if not two senior players should be dropped and that's Ross and/or Geary. Ross was playing midfield and didn't give a yelp so he should be gone but its young side so I'm reluctant lose both ATM. So I'd keep Geary and move him back to defence - someone has to make way - that's Paton unfortunately.

As for people saying you can't debut two players - rubbish!

 

[Saint believer]

Webster in for Long

Ross looks too slow for game. Being tackled in the back line was terrible.

Being in Byrnes for Ross.

Maybe one more out from Lonnie, marsh or Kent but only if someone is worthy.

Hill did a lot of running but no receiving or hurting. Think you keep him in but possibly
find new patterns for him to run

I think we missed 2 key leadership points. Hanners on the field and Roughie on the bench. Neither will be back for a while.


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[kernelT]

What's the go with Roberton, is he unfit?

I know he hasn't played much footy in a couple of years, but we could really do with his best… 17+ kicks, 6 marks, 5+ R50's in 2017 - he is capable of elite football. Probably the closest thing we've had to an AA in years.

Parker looked like another potentially very good player, has to be worth a look over Kent or Marsh who we know can't string regular decent games together.

Hill was our lowest ranked player yesterday, pretty incredible stuff… I don't think we can drop him but he just has to be better than that.

In: Parker, Roberton, Bytel

Out: Long, Kent, Marsh

 

[BrutThough]

What's the go with Roberton, is he unfit?

I know he hasn't played much footy in a couple of years, but we could really do with his best… 17+ kicks, 6 marks, 5+ R50's in 2017 - he is capable of elite football. Probably the closest thing we've had to an AA in years.

Parker looked like another potentially very good player, has to be worth a look over Kent or Marsh who we know can't string regular decent games together.

Hill was our lowest ranked player yesterday, pretty incredible stuff… I don't think we can drop him but he just has to be better than that.

In: Parker, Roberton, Bytel

Out: Long, Kent, Marsh

I think partly with Robbo, Wilkie has come in and taken his role.

Ratts said he had a few things to work on adjusting to the speed of the game when he wasn't selected for rd2 but no idea whether he's done that in these scratch matches.