Autopsy Essendon v St Kilda (Round 23)

[Diehard Saint]

Isnt he the worst kept secret for the Tassie gig?

Don’t think so. Who knows if / when they ever get a team together.

 

[SaintsofSteel]

Gees we looked a tired and a switched off group to start the game, if you didnt know any better you would suggest they got some disappointing news throughout the week. But I guess a win is a win and as Steele stated it helps the younger group learn that winning culture. We really only turned the switch on for possibly a quarter of the game the rest of the time the Bombers were hungrier and were first to the ball.

Windhager really stepped up in the 2nd and for the remainder when we needed it and got us back into the game, Steele battled on manfully but gees he is so slow now, he has lost more than 5 yards of pace hes pedestrian. Nas gave a bit again in the last 1/4 out of the middle but otherwise I thought the Bombers mids got the chocolates.

Higgins did well with limited opportunities, as did Sharman and Woods. One mention is that Sharman is the worst handballer of anyone else in our side. The number of times he completely misses a team mate at critical times and turns it over is ridiculous.

Dodson looked comfortable and competed well which was a major bonus.

I have major reservations about Collard, I dont think he makes it and personally would trade him at season end.

My biggest concern with tonights game is the noticeable gap between our mature players and the group who are meant to rocketing us up the ladder next year and so on. Tauru, Travaglia, Wilson, Phillipou, Boxshall, Garcia have a long way to go before they will consistently influencing games. Then we have Woods, Hill, Steele and Macrae who are all just about cooked and will be lucky to get another decent season out of them. I really believe they will fall off a cliff much sooner than the club will have planned for.

We lack marking strength in our forward half and to just put all that burden on a returning King won't be fair. We will desparately need to find another goal kicking tall forward if we are going to compete with the better teams.

Then if we lose Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera the best player to pull on a Saints jumper in a number of years, I cant see any significant ladder movement for years ahead. As apart from Nas we have a team of battlers nothing more....

After watching the post game interviews Im convinced Nas is gone, so it made watching a very ordinary win even more of a shitty evening.

 

[StFly]

First quarter was a bit shit, but other than the consistent slow starts even when its been highlighted that it's slow so do better, hey worked their way into it from there which was promising to see.

Dodson looks likely but as you'd expect from a first game in, the speed got to him and he was just too loose, still decent debut.
Box, good, Hugo good, Higgins gets no love but presented well and was the gel upforward, Sharman unlucky but there, Collard a brilliant sub choice, has impact.

Game was just meh though, both sides with makeshift forward lines so scoring was a mess, both dropped behind the ball Essendon a bit more so why bother retaining structure just run it and per usual, dogs breakfast in rulings to make the visual rather bog average mostly.

Still, great to get away with a win, great to get some games into the kids, one more round to go for last drinks for the season so let us hope that they finish it off with a bang.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

I'm tired, boss.

So am I.

Its a long way home

 

[beside the seaside]

Said in the other thread but Pou needs a big off-season. Doesn't look fit at all. A shadow of himself at the moment.

There's some exciting young mids amongst it. Windy was good again, really liked Garcia at times. Nas is on another level, the thought of losing him is sickening.

Tauru and Hammer are really inconsistent at the moment. Hopefully both can improve over the off-season.

 

[gubby88]

So am I.

Its a long way home

you're only going to pakky, I will on the train till after 1 am to traralgon lol I'm exhausted hahahah

 

[Banger9798]

you're only going to pakky, I will on the train till after 1 am to traralgon lol I'm exhausted hahahah

Good effort

 

[SaintTwitch]

At the game tonight, 25 beers got me through dealing with some Essendon mates. Can’t wait until Wingadeen Madera goes to port

 

[Pardon me]

Played like a team with one eye on their Bali end of season trip.
Take the win, the 4 on the trot and fuel the juggernaut for another week.
Everything else will only ruin your mental health.

 

[CHBench]

My biggest concern with tonights game is the noticeable gap between our mature players and the group who are meant to rocketing us up the ladder next year and so on. Tauru, Travaglia, Wilson, Phillipou, Boxshall, Garcia have a long way to go before they will consistently influencing games. Then we have Woods, Hill, Steele and Macrae who are all just about cooked and will be lucky to get another decent season out of them. I really believe they will fall off a cliff much sooner than the club will have planned for.

That would be the 2021 draft class to bridge the gap... Losing 2/3 would be something

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

you're only going to pakky, I will on the train till after 1 am to traralgon lol I'm exhausted hahahah

I spent 22 minutes waiting for a train at Southern Cross.

Although its a bitter sweet departure from Southern Cross. Its the last time Ill be catching the Pakenham line post football from Southern Cross.

Next year its Metro Tunnel

 

[Broski]

Looks like it might be one more game of watching Nas run around in RWB. I’d be dumbfounded if he re-signs.

 

[SaintTwitch]

I spent 22 minutes waiting for a train at Southern Cross.

Although its a bitter sweet departure from Southern Cross. Its the last time Ill be catching the Pakenham line post football from Southern Cross.

Next year its Metro Tunnel

I spent 40 minutes waiting for a replacement bus back to Geelong, only for it to stop all stations. Harden the fk up.

 

[smooth_mover]

This post was written in my head at quarter time when we were losing tonight. For the last 15 years I have lived in a somewhat overly optimistic (but deep down I knew the truth) state of hope for the future, tonight for the first time in a long time, I saw and felt the future. The bones are there and rapidly getting meat on them. Where as previously I thought it might kick in a little later, I don't just hope but feel quite confident (caveats) we are likely on the move next year.

There was a confidence, and a competence in our play, especially our midfield (NWM, Hall in particular) tonight that also seemed to bleed into the other players lifting everybody as a whole. Sure, we have no height/key position players in the team atm and we have a frustrating ability to miss a tonne of easy set shots that leave the door wide open. But in the same way you know when you are watching the better teams, they might be down at times, you know they aren't really out of it and are likely coming back at some point because they are just a better team. This is how I felt watching tonight. This is not insignificant, because previously you just kind of hoped we would scrap our way back (and sometimes we would), but watching tonight, they made me feel confident they would.

We have been screaming for a midfield for a long time and whilst not the finished product, it feels like our bigger issues are now elsewhere but not so insurmountable. Somewhat for me justifies the Dalrymple, you take the best player available manifesto.

Caveats include:
Nas stays
Half our senior players and emerging talent dont walk out the door
Less injuries to key positions again
Yeah I know Essendon, but there was something that felt deeper to it tonight that supercedes the superficiality of beating a shit team, not the result but the vibe (It's Mabo).

 

[sauce_head]

If we have a walk out we might be the same next season.

Don’t believe the click bait. Log off for a while.

 

[El HOSS]

It seems that the air has well and truly gone out of the tyres for season 25.

If last week didnt feel like a win, **** knows what tonight feels like.

 

[Saintsydney]

Looks like it might be one more game of watching Nas run around in RWB. I’d be dumbfounded if he re-signs.

Nas is a guy who is going to be on at least $1.2m next year - maybe $2m - so about 2-3 x the prime minister- So let’s just assume he’s not f#cken stupid
Why would anyone expect him to say something in a post match interview that disclosed what he would be doing next year IF that information has yet to be officially disclosed ??
Given it’s about the biggest story in AFL football right now?
So his interview in my books means nothing

 

[sauce_head]

Nas is a guy who is going to be on at least $1.2m next year - maybe $2m - so about 2-3 x the prime minister- So let’s just assume he’s not f#cken stupid
Why would anyone expect him to say something in a post match interview that disclosed what he would be doing next year IF that information has yet to be officially disclosed ??
Given it’s about the biggest story in AFL football right now?
So his interview in my books means nothing

Agree.

I’d much prefer NAS I my team than Albo, so id not even pay him that much. I mean he can’t even work out if he supports Hawthorn or Sydney…

 

[Pardon me]

It seems that the air has well and truly gone out of the tyres for season 25.

If last week didnt feel like a win, **** knows what tonight feels like.

Feels like 4 in a row?
I swear half you campaigners have the memories of goldfish.
We beat Geelong round 2 and smashed Freo in round 8.
Pushed the hawks to within 20 and the cats at their crapola ground to 5 goals. Lost to the swans by under a kick.
Fair enough we've had our fair share of shockers: Round 1 against the crows, both games V the dogs and the game against West Coast.
We've also smashed the Tiges and then beat Port at their home ground and currently 4 on the trot.
For every poster saying we're bottom 4 and bemoaning doom and gloom, I challenge you to actually go back through our "fixture" and have a look at the results - and the players we've blooded.
It's easy to sit back and say we're cooked and "X club representative needs to go" but the reality is we arent that far off the 8.
This isnt a personal crack at you El Hoss but it is the straw that has broke the back.
The negativity without facts is downright draining, time for another extended break I think.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Feels like 4 in a row?
I swear half you campaigners have the memories of goldfish.
We beat Geelong round 2 and smashed Freo in round 8.
Pushed the hawks to within 20 and the cats at their crapola ground to 5 goals. Lost to the swans by under a kick.
Fair enough we've had our fair share of shockers: Round 1 against the crows, both games V the dogs and the game against West Coast.
We've also smashed the Tiges and then beat Port at their home ground and currently 4 on the trot.
For every poster saying we're bottom 4 and bemoaning doom and gloom, I challenge you to actually go back through our "fixture" and have a look at the results - and the players we've blooded.
It's easy to sit back and say we're cooked and "X club representative needs to go" but the reality is we arent that far off the 8.
This isnt a personal crack at you El Hoss but it is the straw that has broke the back.
The negativity without facts is downright draining, time for another extended break I think.

Thank heavens for a positive post.
I feel like I’m drowning in all the doom and gloom.

 

[jumperfan]

Shite game but beating the Injectors always makes my week

 

[Ads734]

Hugo will be our next All Australian midfielder. Love everything about him. Him and Vike actually stand up for themselves. I just wish Sincs, Wilkie and Steele would do the same.

 

[jwikked]

'I thought it was a struggle all night': Lyon

Watch St Kilda’s press conference after round 23’s match against Essendon

www.afl.com.au

 

[Parkysp]

Back from the game. Happy to win but like so many times over the past 3 years, i've left Marvel with so many questions and most the same....Probably the same as the bottom teams we've just beaten. How? What? Where? When? All the pieces of a jigsaw. The one piece we can all see that is the beacon to draw all others together and yet that may go. sigh

I don't know body language or word smithing but Nas goes and it kinda feels like we are back to way more questions than answers.

I don't love our game day coaching and I'm not convinced that is all on RTB. Our ball movement is putrid. No our movement full stop is putrid. I hated Dougal kicking out. Sincs is f*ing atrocious at it. Meanwhile at the other end if we score a point we give up half the field every time. Why?

I understand that AFL coaching is a closed shop of "you don't understand as you didn't play" but I'd love to sit next to ex players with a coaching bent and get them to explain to me how sitting so far off your opponent wins you more games than you lose.

We are in a wasteland. Sorry to sound down. Having being subjected to Windy Hill too many times as a young person i'm usually happy beating Essendon but the hill just seems too hard to climb. An off season and I'll be back. Hopefully with Nas but if not will still be at most games.

 

[SG34]

Anyone think we missed Hunter tonight?

I think we were noticeably worse off tonight than in the previous skid row encounters we've won over the past weeks
.

Special note that I saw Sincs give Garcia the ‘look ahead’ instruction when receiving and passing to Coops.