CursingFijian
Knight of the Square Table
Seasons greetings, Sainters!
It's that time of the year again, when we're all basking in that post-draft, pre-christmas positivity. We're feeling good and we're looking great. Houses are being trained to the ground and we're unsure whether or not we should keep the F word out of our 2022 projections lest we put a pox on the club before a single ball has been handballed in anger.
But let's be honest here, the disappointment of missing out this year is well behind us and there is a growing expectation that we improve enough for another finals tilt next year. How deep into September we can go is another issue, but we just expect to be there.
If we are expecting our relative improvement to be sufficient enough for us to overcome another tough fixture and sit among the top 8 my question to you is where will that improvement come from and who is going to drive the rise?
HOW DO WE STACK UP?
So how do our team averages stack up in various statistical categories? Below is a list statistical measures with our ranking. I have put the minor premiers - Melbourne - ranking in brackets for an easy comparison.
Top 6
Hitouts - 4th (1st)
Marks - 6th (16th)
Freekicks For - 6th (9th)
Tackles Inside 50 - 4th (1st)
Tackles - 3rd (1st)
Middle 6
Disposals - 7th (8th)
Kicks - 8th (10th)
Inside 50 - 10th (2nd)
Clangers - 12th (16th)
Uncontested Possessions - 7th (15th)
Contested Marks - 12th (3rd)
Marks Inside 50 - 10th (2nd)
1%ers - 10th (14th)
Bounces - 7th (14th)
Stoppage Clearances - 7th (5th)
Contested Possessions - 11th (1st)
Intercepts - 11th (1st)
Goal Accuracy - 11th (14th)
Turnovers - 7th (13th)
Rebound Inside 50's - 12th (9th)
Bottom 6
Freekicks Against - 14th (11th)
Handballs - 12th (9th)
Goals - 13th (4th)
Behinds - 13th (1st)
Goal Assists 16th (11th)
Disposal Efficiency - 14th (17th)
Center Clearances - 17th (8th)
Metres Gained - 15th (1st)
Goal Effiiciency - 14th (7th)
Shot Efficiency - 15th (1st)
Shots on Goal - 14th (1st)
Score Involvements - 16th (11th)
WHERE CAN WE GET BETTER?
I think it would be fair to say that a large chunk of our prime movers are still learning a little bit about each other and you would hope that some of our marquee recruits over the last three years take another step forward in this regard. There is no doubt that all the great premiership sides play with a real team spirit that allows them to play to each others strengths and capabilities. I think our team has evolved so rapidly over the last three years, and combined with injury we really haven't been able to get our best players together for significant stretches of games. I also think the decision to bring in youth is very smart as it will allow the more mature players to settle into the team and start to build a real rapport. Crouch, Jones, Higgins, Highmore, Sharman and even Bytel can all make significant strides through just getting more games with the core group.
COACHING & DEVELOPMENT
Our game plan still seems to be evolving. This is probably the weakest aspect of my understanding of footy but I thought the game plan got exposed early in the year with two unexpectedly large losses to the Bombers and the Tigers, before an embarrassing 111 point capitulation to the highly fancied Doggies less than 8 months after we turfed them out of the 2020 finals. I think at that point the club put everything on the table for review, including the coaches and the game plan. Dialled back the run and gun at all costs midway through 2021 and worked very hard on team defence. The second Richmond game really showcasing our newfound commitment to working together defensively. Hopefully, as the team settles the game plan tweaks are reduced and we start to play with a clear and identifiable brand. Going in to his 3rd year in the system Brett Ratten (& Brendon Lade) really need to bring a winning plan immediately that allows the players to work on their roles and achieving some consistency. Expecting Corey Enright to inject a little more and hopefully Damian Carroll can assist the younger players to find their feet as quickly as possible.
It's also going to be a baptism of fire for Nick Walsh to get the boys primed and conditioned to be able to see out games from Round 1. But Saints fans bemoaned our lack of fitness leading in last year and will be expecting marked improvement in that regard. We don't really how he gets that done it just needs to be better.
INJURY & PLAYER MANAGEMENT
Only 13 players played more than 75% of the season for the Saints this year for a multitude of reasons. But we had a significant number of key players who struggled to get to the ones, let alone find form. Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel, Zak Jones, Rowan Marshall, Paddy Ryder, all had interrupted seasons and were unable to find their best form. While Jade Gresham and Ben Paton both missed the best part of the entire year.
MIDS
Simple lets be better at the contest and in clearances.
Our contested work around the ball is still lacking, and that was before we shunted our third best player in this metric to the premiership winning side. Jack Steele, Brad Crouch and Rowan Marshall continue to lead the way in this regard, but we really need a few more to start showing more intent over the ball. Zak Jones, Jack Billings and Seb Ross are 3 older players who could do more, and we probably need Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel & Ryan Byrnes to find more of their own ball. And of course we are all looking forward to Jade Gresham's return from injury to have a big impact in this space.
Our centre clearance work has been woeful for a long while and needs to improve markedly. Patrick Ryder and Rowan Marshall staying fit would help enormously. And Brad Crouch, Zak Jones and Bytel perhaps the other three who really need to stamp their ground at centre bounce. Having first use and sending the pill inside 50 off restart is vital and the Saints shine when we can get on top in the middle.
FWDS
In a nutshell we just need to kick more goals. Achieving this may be a little bit more complicated than spiking the conversion rate, although we know that obviously helps. We badly need to boost the number of shots on goal, which is directly tied to the quality and frequency of our inside 50 entries. Again we need better connection between some of our prime ball carriers and our leading forwards.
I think our tackle pressure in the forward 50 is on point and the balance between talls and smalls is good. There is real depth especially after Cooper Sharman demonstrated what he can do late last season. While Dan Butler only needs just another half a goal a game to be amongst the best in the league, Ben Long needs to either kick more goals or create more goals otherwise he should be on the outer. Max King's organic growth is probably the most exciting thing to anticipate. Max brings real marking power to the team, and if he can get better supply and lift his goal kicking efficiency then he should easily kick 50+ in a season. If Scoops and Skunk can both find a way to play in the same side then our intent around goal will have defences scrambling to cover.
BACKS
The defensive line is fairly settled. Dougal Howard and Callum Wilkie are the two pillars down back with both players engaging in one on one contests close to 70 times more than any other Saints players, and winning nearly 3 out of every 4 of those contests. Jack Sinclair had a wonderful year and ranked first in the team for intercept possessions, and I hope he continues in the same vein. Nick Coffield & Thomas Highmore are the two players who can really drive growth in the back half if they continue to track upwards.
THOUGHTS?
Anyway I'm keen to know where you think the improvement will come from and who are the key players in your minds.
It's that time of the year again, when we're all basking in that post-draft, pre-christmas positivity. We're feeling good and we're looking great. Houses are being trained to the ground and we're unsure whether or not we should keep the F word out of our 2022 projections lest we put a pox on the club before a single ball has been handballed in anger.
But let's be honest here, the disappointment of missing out this year is well behind us and there is a growing expectation that we improve enough for another finals tilt next year. How deep into September we can go is another issue, but we just expect to be there.
If we are expecting our relative improvement to be sufficient enough for us to overcome another tough fixture and sit among the top 8 my question to you is where will that improvement come from and who is going to drive the rise?
HOW DO WE STACK UP?
So how do our team averages stack up in various statistical categories? Below is a list statistical measures with our ranking. I have put the minor premiers - Melbourne - ranking in brackets for an easy comparison.
Top 6
Hitouts - 4th (1st)
Marks - 6th (16th)
Freekicks For - 6th (9th)
Tackles Inside 50 - 4th (1st)
Tackles - 3rd (1st)
Middle 6
Disposals - 7th (8th)
Kicks - 8th (10th)
Inside 50 - 10th (2nd)
Clangers - 12th (16th)
Uncontested Possessions - 7th (15th)
Contested Marks - 12th (3rd)
Marks Inside 50 - 10th (2nd)
1%ers - 10th (14th)
Bounces - 7th (14th)
Stoppage Clearances - 7th (5th)
Contested Possessions - 11th (1st)
Intercepts - 11th (1st)
Goal Accuracy - 11th (14th)
Turnovers - 7th (13th)
Rebound Inside 50's - 12th (9th)
Bottom 6
Freekicks Against - 14th (11th)
Handballs - 12th (9th)
Goals - 13th (4th)
Behinds - 13th (1st)
Goal Assists 16th (11th)
Disposal Efficiency - 14th (17th)
Center Clearances - 17th (8th)
Metres Gained - 15th (1st)
Goal Effiiciency - 14th (7th)
Shot Efficiency - 15th (1st)
Shots on Goal - 14th (1st)
Score Involvements - 16th (11th)
WHERE CAN WE GET BETTER?
I think it would be fair to say that a large chunk of our prime movers are still learning a little bit about each other and you would hope that some of our marquee recruits over the last three years take another step forward in this regard. There is no doubt that all the great premiership sides play with a real team spirit that allows them to play to each others strengths and capabilities. I think our team has evolved so rapidly over the last three years, and combined with injury we really haven't been able to get our best players together for significant stretches of games. I also think the decision to bring in youth is very smart as it will allow the more mature players to settle into the team and start to build a real rapport. Crouch, Jones, Higgins, Highmore, Sharman and even Bytel can all make significant strides through just getting more games with the core group.
COACHING & DEVELOPMENT
Our game plan still seems to be evolving. This is probably the weakest aspect of my understanding of footy but I thought the game plan got exposed early in the year with two unexpectedly large losses to the Bombers and the Tigers, before an embarrassing 111 point capitulation to the highly fancied Doggies less than 8 months after we turfed them out of the 2020 finals. I think at that point the club put everything on the table for review, including the coaches and the game plan. Dialled back the run and gun at all costs midway through 2021 and worked very hard on team defence. The second Richmond game really showcasing our newfound commitment to working together defensively. Hopefully, as the team settles the game plan tweaks are reduced and we start to play with a clear and identifiable brand. Going in to his 3rd year in the system Brett Ratten (& Brendon Lade) really need to bring a winning plan immediately that allows the players to work on their roles and achieving some consistency. Expecting Corey Enright to inject a little more and hopefully Damian Carroll can assist the younger players to find their feet as quickly as possible.
It's also going to be a baptism of fire for Nick Walsh to get the boys primed and conditioned to be able to see out games from Round 1. But Saints fans bemoaned our lack of fitness leading in last year and will be expecting marked improvement in that regard. We don't really how he gets that done it just needs to be better.
INJURY & PLAYER MANAGEMENT
Only 13 players played more than 75% of the season for the Saints this year for a multitude of reasons. But we had a significant number of key players who struggled to get to the ones, let alone find form. Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel, Zak Jones, Rowan Marshall, Paddy Ryder, all had interrupted seasons and were unable to find their best form. While Jade Gresham and Ben Paton both missed the best part of the entire year.
MIDS
Simple lets be better at the contest and in clearances.
Our contested work around the ball is still lacking, and that was before we shunted our third best player in this metric to the premiership winning side. Jack Steele, Brad Crouch and Rowan Marshall continue to lead the way in this regard, but we really need a few more to start showing more intent over the ball. Zak Jones, Jack Billings and Seb Ross are 3 older players who could do more, and we probably need Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel & Ryan Byrnes to find more of their own ball. And of course we are all looking forward to Jade Gresham's return from injury to have a big impact in this space.
Our centre clearance work has been woeful for a long while and needs to improve markedly. Patrick Ryder and Rowan Marshall staying fit would help enormously. And Brad Crouch, Zak Jones and Bytel perhaps the other three who really need to stamp their ground at centre bounce. Having first use and sending the pill inside 50 off restart is vital and the Saints shine when we can get on top in the middle.
FWDS
In a nutshell we just need to kick more goals. Achieving this may be a little bit more complicated than spiking the conversion rate, although we know that obviously helps. We badly need to boost the number of shots on goal, which is directly tied to the quality and frequency of our inside 50 entries. Again we need better connection between some of our prime ball carriers and our leading forwards.
I think our tackle pressure in the forward 50 is on point and the balance between talls and smalls is good. There is real depth especially after Cooper Sharman demonstrated what he can do late last season. While Dan Butler only needs just another half a goal a game to be amongst the best in the league, Ben Long needs to either kick more goals or create more goals otherwise he should be on the outer. Max King's organic growth is probably the most exciting thing to anticipate. Max brings real marking power to the team, and if he can get better supply and lift his goal kicking efficiency then he should easily kick 50+ in a season. If Scoops and Skunk can both find a way to play in the same side then our intent around goal will have defences scrambling to cover.
BACKS
The defensive line is fairly settled. Dougal Howard and Callum Wilkie are the two pillars down back with both players engaging in one on one contests close to 70 times more than any other Saints players, and winning nearly 3 out of every 4 of those contests. Jack Sinclair had a wonderful year and ranked first in the team for intercept possessions, and I hope he continues in the same vein. Nick Coffield & Thomas Highmore are the two players who can really drive growth in the back half if they continue to track upwards.
THOUGHTS?
Anyway I'm keen to know where you think the improvement will come from and who are the key players in your minds.
