Training 2021 Pre-Season

[StCicatriz]

sounds like insurance for membrey

 

[Joffaboy]

Long definitely can, he’s not afraid to take the game on, almost to a fault but as mentioned he doesn’t get the ball enough. Also we don’t want 3 rebounding defenders, then we’re exposed on the turnover. Let Coff do it and let Long lurk around the defensive 50 putting the fear of god in the opposition.

Hind was perfect for the rebound out of defence but we couldn't fit him in back there and had to play him forward. Will see Essendon have lost little with Hind coming in for Saad

 

[Significant]

Hind was perfect for the rebound out of defence but we couldn't fit him in back there and had to play him forward. Will see Essendon have lost little with Hind coming in for Saad

lol

 

[phantom13]

Hind was perfect for the rebound out of defence but we couldn't fit him in back there and had to play him forward. Will see Essendon have lost little with Hind coming in for Saad

Hind had a play for Essendons VFL team in their last final that was unreal. Will be good to see him get a run there.

 

[Saint_Dos]

Longy does a lot of good things but he still isn't attacking enough, doesn't provide enough drive, has a low i50's count, has a low r50 count, has low metres gained and that comes back to the problem he has had all through his career - he doesn't get the ball enough.

I thought he looked good at times last year but 12 possessions of hbf is hardly earth shattering.

Webster was averaging 22 a game in his last full season.

Metres gained can be a fairly deceptive tally as if you are the switch player then you quite often get a long kick to the uncontested winger almost guaranteeing you 50m. A lot of the premier hbf also get a lot of the wrap around footy given to them.

Think we also need to keep in mind that last year was Ratt's first year of his game plan and that it was Long's first year as a defender since VFL. Hopefully last year was focusing on his defensive side and this year we will see him develop his offensive side.

 

[Atomboy]

Aren't joints Illegal?

Asking for a friend

Not in Washington DC - you get a free bag of weed with your Covid vaccine !.

 

[Mstr Strokesman]

Long has 2 attributes that we lack severely across our best 22.

1. He is dynamic. Not talking burst dynamic, I’m talking that Hunter Clark can move off a dime in any direction dynamic.

That type of stuff Andrew McLeod used to do and make a huge impact doing.

2. He is tough as nails and he hits hard. Yes he gets pinned because it can be reckless

But he is a barometer of us playing well when it is effective.

Long over Webster for me. Especially when Webster might only bring better foot skills - but still he burns as just as much with it.

Practices these shots all the time.

Then goes to 35-45m out roughy on the mark and moves around the arc.

These are standard basketball training drills .Start easy and gain muscle memory then use the memory once ingrained from different angles.

 

[gringo2011]

worth noting:

“We’re talking about it,” Ratten told Sportsday.

“We’ve got three spots on our list vacant so there is room there and he’s training really well, so we’ll go through that with James Gallagher (list manager) and we’ll have a chat later this week with where it sits.

“He’s a fine young man, he’s put his best foot forward, he’s done everything right - if he continues like that there’s an opportunity there.

“We have got space, but we’ll make a decision as a club probably around Friday or Monday.”

Wood, 27, kicked 76 goals in 65 games across eight injury-plagued years at the Kangaroos.

I saw a mate's nephew today and had a long chat. He played North VFL last year. He says Wood is a great trainer but thinks he lacks killer instinct and drive in games. Also said he does good stuff but often butchers it. He was being tactful but you sensed he wasn't overly impressed by him. Thought Pittard was stiff and thinks Polec will come good and is an outstanding player who got punished for being a one way player.

He's close mates with O'Brien from Carlton and Jye Caldwell. Said the Saints had Caldy wrapped up, told him he was our number one trade target but rang back and dropped our offer when we got Crouch over the line while Essendon upped theirs. Sounds like Caldwell wasn't overly happy with us.

O'Brien got told by Collingwood that they'd chase him if they lost Stepheson but went cold. The nephew trained at Port and played SANFL with them and rates Dougal Howard really really highly as both a player and competitor. Said he's a Goddard style finger pointer but plays with huge passion and has scope to be elite and a great guy off field.

 

[pebblesofsand]

I saw a mate's nephew today and had a long chat. He played North VFL last year. He says Wood is a great trainer but thinks he lacks killer instinct and drive in games. Also said he does good stuff but often butchers it. He was being tactful but you sensed he wasn't overly impressed by him. Thought Pittard was stiff and thinks Polec will come good and is an outstanding player who got punished for being a one way player.

He's close mates with O'Brien from Carlton and Jye Caldwell. Said the Saints had Caldy wrapped up, told him he was our number one trade target but rang back and dropped our offer when we got Crouch over the line while Essendon upped theirs. Sounds like Caldwell wasn't overly happy with us.

O'Brien got told by Collingwood that they'd chase him if they lost Stepheson but went cold. The nephew trained at Port and played SANFL with them and rates Dougal Howard really really highly as both a player and competitor. Said he's a Goddard style finger pointer but plays with huge passion and has scope to be elite and a great guy off field.

Really don't care about missing out on Caldwell. We wanted him and he knew it. Then got jumpy when he realised it he might find it easier to get a midfield spot at Essendon.

Might be easier for him to get a spot - now the pressure will be on to perform to justify the contract.

 

[Enclosed_Animal]

Longs best is easily best 22... he was racking them up and providing run and drive out of the backline

problem was consistency especially after getting dopped but he's not alone there

Strange comment. I like Long. But racking them up?

In 15 games in 2021 he managed 12 disposals or under 9 times and only twice got over 15. 10 games he had 6 kicks or less.

He has potential, but he has hardly shown any ability to consistently provide run and drive from the back half.

His ability to lockdown is still questionable, and he is not exactly providing high intercept or high disposal numbers regularly.

For me, Coff, Wilkie and Paton play every week. Clark gets more mid minutes. There is one spot up for grabs

That last spot is completely up for grabs between JWebb and Long. Hell even Connelly if he develops as well as Stew66 says he might.

Long has potential. But he is very very far from 'easily best 22'. For me he is right on the edge with players like Sincs, Lonie etc

 

[snails13]

Long has 2 attributes that we lack severely across our best 22.

1. He is dynamic. Not talking burst dynamic, I’m talking that Hunter Clark can move off a dime in any direction dynamic.

That type of stuff Andrew McLeod used to do and make a huge impact doing.

2. He is tough as nails and he hits hard. Yes he gets pinned because it can be reckless

But he is a barometer of us playing well when it is effective.

Long over Webster for me. Especially when Webster might only bring better foot skills - but still he burns as just as much with it.

Practices these shots all the time.

Then goes to 35-45m out roughy on the mark and moves around the arc.

As long as he kicks goals,we will all be happy

 

[Saintos The ITK]

Nearly time for me to get more involved back here after a wee hiatus so everyone please prepare yourselves for a board iq upgrade.

Long is depth.

 

[Jade Buddha]

Nearly time for me to get more involved back here after a wee hiatus so everyone please prepare yourselves for a board iq upgrade.

Long is depth.

No Long is deep we’ve moving to evaluating characteristics of personality

 

[Mr Pickles]

Clark does things I can't remember ever seeing a St Kilda player do.

So often he runs deep into the back line, finds the ball and takes on 3-4 tacklers before hitting up a team mate. He did it against Port, Gold Coast and in the Dogs final to help us win all of those games. It's insane.

Coff is straight up Goddard 2.0 Taking a bit longer to put his foot down but I think he will end up having some crazy qtrs/moments that make him stand out.

I was annoyed that we missed on Stephenson, and then that we passed on both Fogarty and Bonar, but these 2 are going to be key pieces in our push for a flag over the next few years. We nailed this.

Cheers Hawthorn.

Haha, this brings back memories of all the chatter on here from that draft. Coff was my guy, and I remember some serious melts about not taking Bonar. All I'll say is thank god...

 

[Saintos The ITK]

No Long is deep we’ve moving to evaluating characteristics of personality

I hear ya

 

[Crusty Undies]

I'm still unconvinced by Long tbh. Not an amazing lockdown defender, not an amazing user of the ball, doesn't get very much of it for a supposedly more attacking hbf, runs himself into trouble far too often, gets suspended like Baker. I just don't think he gives as much as people are saying, especially compared to someone like Webster who is a better defender, better user and better accumulator.

 

[Parkysp]

Nearly time for me to get more involved back here after a wee hiatus so everyone please prepare yourselves for a board iq upgrade.

Feeling heaps smarter already which after a few Friday after work beers is some effort. Thanks for your return!

 

[L_W_P]

Haha, this brings back memories of all the chatter on here from that draft. Coff was my guy, and I remember some serious melts about not taking Bonar. All I'll say is thank god...

I remember all the talk about us being right into Coffield. He was a lock.

The debate was who we would take with the other pick.

A lot of us wanted Bonar as a big bodied mid, or Fogarty as a forward option. There was hesitation about Stephenson due to his heart and Clark was seen as another HBF. I think a few people wanted Higgins based on his U18 stats but were worried about having too many small midfielders. And of course, there were the WA fans screaming for us to find a way to grab Liam Ryan.

Maybe we could have convinced the Eagles to upgrade 13+ 21 into pick 8? Grab Coffield at 7, Higgins at 13 and Ryan at 21?

I think we ended up pretty alright in the end though. A fair few 'misses' from that first round.

 

[SaintSteele9]

I remember all the talk about us being right into Coffield. He was a lock.

The debate was who we would take with the other pick.

A lot of us wanted Bonar as a big bodied mid, or Fogarty as a forward option. There was hesitation about Stephenson due to his heart and Clark was seen as another HBF. I think a few people wanted Higgins based on his U18 stats but were worried about having too many small midfielders. And of course, there were the WA fans screaming for us to find a way to grab Liam Ryan.

Maybe we could have convinced the Eagles to upgrade 13+ 21 into pick 8? Grab Coffield at 7, Higgins at 13 and Ryan at 21?

I think we ended up pretty alright in the end though. A fair few 'misses' from that first round.

Plenty (myself certainly included!) were hoping for some kind of stuff up that left Cerra available at one of our picks too.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

Feeling heaps smarter already which after a few Friday after work beers is some effort. Thanks for your return!

Thanks bra

 

[aussierulesrules]

I saw a mate's nephew today and had a long chat. He played North VFL last year. He says Wood is a great trainer but thinks he lacks killer instinct and drive in games. Also said he does good stuff but often butchers it. He was being tactful but you sensed he wasn't overly impressed by him. Thought Pittard was stiff and thinks Polec will come good and is an outstanding player who got punished for being a one way player.

He's close mates with O'Brien from Carlton and Jye Caldwell. Said the Saints had Caldy wrapped up, told him he was our number one trade target but rang back and dropped our offer when we got Crouch over the line while Essendon upped theirs. Sounds like Caldwell wasn't overly happy with us.

O'Brien got told by Collingwood that they'd chase him if they lost Stepheson but went cold. The nephew trained at Port and played SANFL with them and rates Dougal Howard really really highly as both a player and competitor. Said he's a Goddard style finger pointer but plays with huge passion and has scope to be elite and a great guy off field.

Good stuff G-bung. When you say we "dropped our offer to Caldwell", do you mean we withdrew our interest altogether, or reduced the $ ?

 

[BrutThough]

I remember all the talk about us being right into Coffield. He was a lock.

The debate was who we would take with the other pick.

A lot of us wanted Bonar as a big bodied mid, or Fogarty as a forward option. There was hesitation about Stephenson due to his heart and Clark was seen as another HBF. I think a few people wanted Higgins based on his U18 stats but were worried about having too many small midfielders. And of course, there were the WA fans screaming for us to find a way to grab Liam Ryan.

Maybe we could have convinced the Eagles to upgrade 13+ 21 into pick 8? Grab Coffield at 7, Higgins at 13 and Ryan at 21?

I think we ended up pretty alright in the end though. A fair few 'misses' from that first round.

The funny part is our recruiters were opposite to this board with Clark being the absolute lock.

Hunter said podcast last year that his manager guaranteed to him a month out from the draft that we were going to take him with pick 7. Our recruiters just loved him.

 

[gringo2011]

I'm still unconvinced by Long tbh. Not an amazing lockdown defender, not an amazing user of the ball, doesn't get very much of it for a supposedly more attacking hbf, runs himself into trouble far too often, gets suspended like Baker. I just don't think he gives as much as people are saying, especially compared to someone like Webster who is a better defender, better user and better accumulator.

I like what he brings, just wish there was more of it. He's probably 2 more possessions a quarter off being a gun rebound defender. He's there to step around players and set up the reload. Ratts seems to like a short kicking game so that they hold possession. It's actually very hard in to hold on to the ball and not bomb away and he's composed enough to keep possession and dish off to the good users. His kicking is neat and his vicious streak is good.

Webster is more a run and rake a long kick straight over the midfield type of rebound defender. I think like Savage he'd need to learn to kick short or won't play.

 

[gringo2011]

Good stuff G-bung. When you say we "dropped our offer to Caldwell", do you mean we withdrew our interest altogether, or reduced the $ ?

Reduced the offer apparently. He laughed and said he might be saving face because he'd got 5 years on crazy money to go to the Dons. He said that Caldy'd told his mates he was going to be a Saint already before that though. He sounded like he wasn't impressed with our communication from what I extrapolated from it.

He said Newnes is loved by the coaches at Carlton and didn't think O'Brien would get a run this year. Might be worth a look.

 

[gringo2011]

The funny part is our recruiters were opposite to this board with Clark being the absolute lock.

Hunter said podcast last year that his manager guaranteed to him a month out from the draft that we were going to take him with pick 7. Our recruiters just loved him.

A few of us loved Clark on here.