Autopsy Round 10, 2022: Adelaide v St.Kilda

[gringo2011]

I’ve never been one to be overconfident but we should win easily. I’d love to see the stats on hit to disadvantage last night would have been a record. Should have played another mid last night and not Milera but that’s just me.

They played really well against the Dees yesterday. They looked better than us against them.

 

[plugger66]

Then they should pay them more money and build up the infrastructure and incentive pathway in the younger levels, imo! Not knee-jerk ridiculous woke rules every 12 months which fracture the integrity of the game.

No rule changes this year which is good. Kids get good money for umpiring and there structure. Unfortunately less and less kids are doing it mainly because of social media. The good thing is abuse is way down in local footy this season so hopefully that gets more kids into it.

 

[Joffaboy]

They have absolutely no accountability to the viewers, fans and teams.

I’m sure they review and we’ve heard of blokes being dropped to the vfl (exceedingly rare tbh) but we rarely if ever hear them come out and admit they had a poor night etc.

The thing Australians hate about soccer is the diving and playing for free kicks.
This has crept into AFL with teams like Bulldogs and Adelaide, dropping at the knees and leading with their heads to draw high tackles.
This was highlighted pre season by the umpires and was supposed to be officiated, however they allowed it and paid it time after time. It is making the game unwatchable. I can't watch Bulldogs games because of their diving, won't watch Adelaide if they go down that path.
AFL crap on about protecting the head, but then we have these faking players trying to get hit high.
It is unseemly and weak and these divers and head drivers playing for frees need to be stamped out of the game before we look like the soccer sissies.

 

[plugger66]

They played really well against the Dees yesterday. They looked better than us against them.

If that’s how footy worked then freo should have won last week. Do you think the dees attitude would have been the same against us and them?

 

[Joffaboy]

That golden era at least had some massive wins to off-set the heart stoppers. Watching the 2022 Saints is like being water-boarded.

Didn't like the big wins over Richmond and Hawthorn?

 

[11men1cup]

It's amazing to me that I reckon half our team was having an off night but they all came together to get the win, by any means necessary. Shows real character that no matter how off some players are, to never count us out.

On Pixel 4 XL using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[gringo2011]

Don’t know whether we were a midfielder short last night but we didn’t set up that well around the stoppages. Really missed Steele who can hold up the oppo when it’s going their way. Last night too many times the Crows walked the footy from stoppages. Steele would usually stifle the clean clearances when it’s not entirely going our way. I just think it will take a few weeks to get the balance in the middle right. Maybe Ross starts in the middle more or they try a DMac in there to play as a defensive minded mid.

Steele offers so much pressure on the opposition too. Their midfield walked it out last night and when they rebounded it went end to end without anyone slowing it. A better side would have won that by 10 goals. I hope Bytel can come in, we couldn't win that first touch despite the ruck advantage.

 

[gringo2011]

Didn't like the big wins over Richmond and Hawthorn?

Not big enough. I want those good old fashioned 10 goal wins and regularly. We don't seem good at punishing sides when we have the advantage. I feel like outside those we always keep sides in the match.

 

[plugger66]

Not big enough. I want those good old fashioned 10 goal wins and regularly. We don't seem good at punishing sides when we have the advantage. I feel like outside those we always keep sides in the match.

If we are coming from behind which we have a lot this year aren’t they keeping us in the match?

 

[triggering bro]

Steele offers so much pressure on the opposition too. Their midfield walked it out last night and when they rebounded it went end to end without anyone slowing it. A better side would have won that by 10 goals. I hope Bytel can come in, we couldn't win that first touch despite the ruck advantage.

Steele has been such a staple at our stoppages for years, it’s going to take a bit of time to adjust. The most noticeable thing was the Crows players setting up on their defensive side of the stoppage, reading Ryder’s taps & walking it out. I’m sure Ratt will go through the footage with our mids throughout the week.

 

[Joffaboy]

No rule changes this year which is good. Kids get good money for umpiring and there structure. Unfortunately less and less kids are doing it mainly because of social media. The good thing is abuse is way down in local footy this season so hopefully that gets more kids into it.

Really happy to hear that. Was talking to a Rugby referee yesterday who told me he would hate to umpire AFL as it is so subjective.
Watching football at ground level I am amazed umpires get anything right. I go home fuming at decisions watch the replay and then see how many 'bad' decisions were correct.
I thought the umpiring poor and inconsistent, our tackling was also off, however as I stated when players lead with their head to draw frees, it leaves me cold. Win on merit not cheating and fooling an umpire.
All round a dirty night for tackling, diving, umpiring and the game in general.

 

[gringo2011]

Not just you. I agree. NAS is going to be a super player but at the moment he’s not doing enough - understandably for a kid. We definitely needed as close to a Steele replacement as we could get and I’m hoping Owens and/or Bytel play a blender today. Ratts mentioned last night that Owens is very close. Perfect game to give him a second go or get Bytel back in.

Nas does the sublime or the terrible and nothing in between. That will come with experience but he's a luxury right now. I'd play one of him or Windhager and Windhager is much more reliable at this stage. He's contesting anything that comes near him. Even his OOTF was after he got slung and dumped....which was a free for Adelaide.

 

[seasonedsainter]

Another great win, a lot has been said about the individual players already. For me, I'm finding the cohesiveness of this years Saint team really pleasing. That's an all-round effort, coaching players execution.

Also the fact we no longer roll over is just excellent. We can weather some punches, rope-a-dope and blow teams away in a short-period. That's a really great sign and also keeps us in most games.

Overall we're just much better to watch too!

Probably b/c we're ******* WINNING!!

Get over Norf and into the Bye, much needed I'd say.

 

[gringo2011]

Steele has been such a staple at our stoppages for years, it’s going to take a bit of time to adjust. The most noticeable thing was the Crows players setting up on their defensive side of the stoppage, reading Ryder’s taps & walking it out. I’m sure Ratt will go through the footage with our mids throughout the week.

They have really good on ballers who win contests so it was always a danger. We don't get many games to sort it out. Brisbane is going to smash us if we don't work it out soon.

 

[Teflon]

Yeah agreed, he really doesn't quite seem to be right for the way we want to play at the moment. If Highmore has a good game today then I agree, bring him in as he's a better intercept mark, better rebounder, though presumably a bit slower. I like Patto but feels like he needs some time in the twos to reset.

I’d rest Webster before Patton
Patton can lock on a small
Webster struggle to do that
Picket killed Webster in Melb game Patton went to him and did a job

 

[gringo2011]

Billings looks cooked already? Harsh. 2 games back. One good one bad but all the wingers and half forwards were down last night.

He looks like he's unfit and heavy legged already. Not cooked forever just doesn't look like he's fit enough yet. I don't think he goes out next week but if he has another down game like that he should come out for a bit of a break to get fit at Sandy. You can't carry too many players in footy especially if they aren't high impact.

 

[CaptainRisky]

Such a strange game.

I turned the commentary off after quarter time when they went on about the holding the ball free that should have gone to Adelaide. In the second half I realised I'd been dropping my game on the music front, put on some Neil Young and we improved a bit. Then in the last quarter I chucked on Van Morrison's Moondance, said to my wife "this has been ******* shocking to watch but if we win from here it won't matter let's just bring good vibes", Van lifted and so did the Saints.

The umpiring is not even worth talking about it was so bad. It was like every 40-60 free went their way, they only had to win the ball to get a high tackle free.

Having said that we were weak and lacked intensity for most of the match.

It looked like a loss for 95% of the game so we'll take the win. No two ways about it. All things considered, a good win.

Spot on , the boys just thought they only had to turn up , that attitude will bring us un done

 

[plugger66]

He looks like he's unfit and heavy legged already. Not cooked forever just doesn't look like he's fit enough yet. I don't think he goes out next week but if he has another down game like that he should come out for a bit of a break to get fit at Sandy. You can't carry too many players in footy especially if they aren't high impact.

I’d suggest he is fit. Clubs know all those details so only they would know but common sense suggests you don’t play a player unfit off a fair few injuries. Just needs more game time and as suggested second game back can be a struggle.

 

[PostmanBish]

I’d suggest he is fit. Clubs know all those details so only they would know but common sense suggests you don’t play a player unfit off a fair few injuries. Just needs more game time and as suggested second game back can be a struggle.

I reckon the bye is going to be pretty-much perfectly placed for us ... couple of weeks figuring out how to try and cover the absence of Steele ... a few games back into Jones and Billings ... a break for Roma, who still looks pretty banged up.

Hopefully we can really get up for the Kangas and finish the first half 8-3 - would be a great result.

 

[bergholt]

True but he’s been good for all the other games.

When there’s selection pressure fringe players don’t always get more than one bad game.

 

[gringo2011]

It all starts in the midfield, fix that then the backline is under less pressure and forward line will function better. Having said that the following players should be on notice:
Backline : Paton and Webster - error prone
Mid: Milera - just doesn’t get enough ball and we need an inside mid
Forward: Long, Billings, too little impact when and doesn’t win there own ball enough.

We can’t swap all 5 players, suggestion will be
In: Butler/Higgins; Bytel/Owens; Highmore
Out: Billings; Milera; Paton

One thing that the Crows did well was set up like Melbourne with a lot of numbers peeling back to the defence then counter running. It constipated all our forward entries. Because they were short it put them in danger of King getting on his bike but otherwise it was a fantastic performance from them.

Guys like Long, Coops, Wood, resting rucks etc couldn't find space to lead into and it also meant that we tried to move the ball forward in a rushed way which meant that it came in un directed and easy to read.

Not having many options for smalls to score made it all fall on Kings shoulders. Gresham had to get up the ground to help the mids so we had Long as the only small forward. Coops isn't defensive enough to play where he can't get on a lead.

 

[Murraj1966]

People have extremely high expectations of Billings tied to his draft position when the reality is that he's just not that good and never really has been except for a game against the Dogs in 2015 and parts of the 2017 season.

 

[plugger66]

I reckon the bye is going to be pretty-much perfectly placed for us ... couple of weeks figuring out how to try and cover the absence of Steele ... a few games back into Jones and Billings ... a break for Roma, who still looks pretty banged up.

Hopefully we can really get up for the Kangas and finish the first half 8-3 - would be a great result.

Yep and hopefully Clark back before the bye so he gets a game under his belt then 2 weeks of training.

 

[gringo2011]

Yes because that will help. And you know why many aren’t dropped. Because there is no depth in umpiring. And why is there no depth. Because less and less kids are umpiring.

Well making the fans frustrated and them becoming the centre of attention does make it more attractive to kids. They need to be respected but respect is earned and hiding them from criticism isn't the answer.

 

[gringo2011]

TBH Mason Wood could go out before Sharman.

Structurally Sharman usually helps but the forwards need a restructure. Coops could be in trouble. Butler and Snags probably walk straight in so that puts his spot instantly under pressure.