Preview Round 2 - GWS v St Kilda [Saturday 21 March 2026 • 4:15 PM (AEDT) • Engie Stadium]

[Vacuous Space]

I've said the same about playing Hall through the middle but there's also the argument he's SO good at half forward role it'd actually be stupid to move him. Maybe the coaches are rapt with his play and just want more of the same from him.

I think that you answered your own question there. Hall was responsible for 6 goals and his scoring assists would have been a higher again. Mids getting first use is important but quality delivery inside 50 is so hard to find. He basically runs end to end with the play like a wing anyway but he's not at the coalface.

I respect those arguments, but I would prefer him to spend as much of the game with ball in hand as possible. Ultimately, I don't think we're talking about a massive change - he had 6 clearances on the weekend, so he's clearly getting up around stoppages. Here's his possession heatmap:


So, as you said, he's clearly pushing into the middle (and beyond) a lot anyway. My preference would be to have his class around the ball.

Macrae forced change means there will be a different mix this week, so it will be fascinating to see what we do.

 

[Tyrian Lonestar]

Structure and systems were shocking in the last 2 weeks. Silvagni, Wilkie, Tauru and Hammer are too tall to play in the same back 6.

100%
Release the Viking fwd and let him fly

 

[Tyrian Lonestar]

You can go thru any game and cherry pick outcomes where you would expect player to have done better (and that goes for ANY side).

When the end margin is tight these outcomes come into sharper focus - because fault for the result is laid

So is it an effort by Sinclair, or Silvagni off the left foot twice - and the raft of other "mistakes"?

My view remains that we have a first choice 23 who are competition competitive - including structure.

Absent Marshall, King, Clark, Howard and Henry (and Byrnes as our best depth player by far), we are found wanting including on the score of structure (so 3 of those players over 199cm and where you do not have replacements running around in the VFL, so you compensate with Caminiti because he is 196cm).

Past that 23 (which has space for a couple of kids - so Tauru, Wilson, Hall, Phillipou and I would have Keeler on the bench in a full strength 23 because he is versatile and can create a mismatch on height) we have a couple of depth players with some experience (from Carlton so recruited as depth not as first choices, obviously) then a bunch of kids.

And that is why we are exposed, competitive, but exposed with 5/6 absentees

Our key forwards were Sharman and Owens - plus Keeler when not rucking against Gawn!!!, so 10 games versus how many before you get to physical dimensions.

We had others with "L" Plates, Boxshall, Gauci and Caminiti, who were all exposed at the level, so composure.

So too much is falling to our remaining core players.

Then Phillipou, Macrea and Ryan are impacted by injury (and probably Wanganeen-Milera from the first half of the Collingwood game).

So we are further weakened.

It may very well be that the likes of Banfield, Collard, Dodson et al plus those in our first 23 come on and turn out to be significant players, but at this stage they require experienced and class players around them.

This is what went wrong post Lyon Mark 1, we had our established side of excellent players and some role players not at the level (and why we lost Grand Finals) BUT very little coming along behind them, establishing at AFL level under the shadows of greats (and we know who they were). We once had Riewoldt and Koschitzke as kids playing alongside Gehrig and Hammil with their class and experience.

Before you get to the structure of the side and where structure makes the likes of Owens and Sharman so dangerous all over the ground.

This is not to make excuses but to realistically give an overview.

There were many individual moments and given we lost by 2 goals, fixing about 2% of the basic skill errors OR system setup fwd or def would have meant a win in either or both of the first 2 matches

 

[gringo2011]

12 point game

It would be a very handy circuit breaker anyway.

 

[gringo2011]

I respect those arguments, but I would prefer him to spend as much of the game with ball in hand as possible. Ultimately, I don't think we're talking about a massive change - he had 6 clearances on the weekend, so he's clearly getting up around stoppages. Here's his possession heatmap:

View attachment 2555028
So, as you said, he's clearly pushing into the middle (and beyond) a lot anyway. My preference would be to have his class around the ball.

Macrae forced change means there will be a different mix this week, so it will be fascinating to see what we do.

Whatever we are doing looks pretty much ideal. A bit of time on ball, a lot of impact in the forward half and moving up with the play.

 

[Sir Owens]

I’m convinced we’re not that bad and I’ve tipped us again this week.

Surely we’re due to take our chances inside 50.

Saints by 17

 

[sauce_head]

All this talk about not defending the goal line. It happens dozens of times last year. I remember saying that I would station Butler on the goal line straight after each centre bounce. He’d add more value that way. Then he could run back and slingshot with the ball. I was only half joking.

But the goal line thing has been an issue for more than last week. I have a sneaking suspicion all club supporters feel this way, but I think it’s legit with us.

 

[Ads734]

All this talk about not defending the goal line. It happens dozens of times last year. I remember saying that I would station Butler on the goal line straight after each centre bounce. He’d add more value that way. Then he could run back and slingshot with the ball. I was only half joking.

But the goal line thing has been an issue for more than last week. I have a sneaking suspicion all club supporters feel this way, but I think it’s legit with us.

I’m more concerned about the 666. Cost us a goal too. Between the two issues. There’s two goals, winning margin was what….13 points. Just dreadful from the lads.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

We need three of him.

Should of picked up Tom Blamires & Jackson Voss

 

[teenagerampage]

Can't win without Ronnie

 

[tommo7]

Tauru forward solves a lot of our problems I think. Marking option up forward and better balances out the backline (one tall too many atm imo).

 

[feelthepou]

I think the video footage of the goal line Sinclair goal is a little deceiving, yes someone should have been on the line but the angle of the camera to me makes it SEEM like it was gettable but wouldn't have been. A talk should have been there in any case then it's a moot point but I don't hink Sincs even if he was there could have stopped it.
I like the sound of box in for MacRae and finch, banners or trav coming in for box's vacancy, and stocker for Carroll please. It's depressing how much the last few weeks have been

 

[bergholt]

Should of picked up Tom Blamires & Jackson Voss

Blamires doesn't look like an AFL footballer to me tbh

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Blamires doesn't look like an AFL footballer to me tbh

Playing alright for Norf

 

[The_Steadier]

Release the Viking fwd and let him fly

...In the vfl- sure.

Marshall back this week- keeler is a non-entity, marshall up fwd and tdk resting fwd isn't.

The solution to us being too tall down back is not to make us instead too tall up fwd.

We haven't been able to keep the ball in our fwd 50 at all this season- both the pies and dees spat the ball out after almost all our i50s way too easily and quickly.

Keeler out for marshall.
Viking out for stocker.

Replace macrae in the guts with boxshall- and replace boxshall up fwd with someone... anyone who can actually create some small fwd pressure and lock the ball in our forward 50, even occassionally.

 

[CursingFijian]

My prediction is that we will be stung after the last two weeks and have a crack...

But we will just come up short, be 0-3 and have made no real progress.

--------------------

In terms of the games so far, we did enough to win both games in some key factors. 23 more inside 50's than Collingwood, scored 107 against Melbourne.

But it's the decision making and ability to win key moments that has let us down so far. The scary thing is that it's difficult to improve the collective decision making of a playing group. You can improve skills and structures.

I'm pretty flat after being up and about all summer.

Decision making in key moments across lots of scenarios can absolutely be trained.

Getting a man on the goal line on a set shot should be a team value not an individual one. And a good team organises and doesn’t just expect. A good team will have a small on the goal line if no big is around. Trainable? Absolutely.

Same with manning up elite kicks when the opposition have marked on our midfield line.

Same when our poorer kicks have the ball in our defensive zone.

 

[CursingFijian]

Box has been doing a lot of 1% stuff on the wings and getting smashed for his efforts.

His disposal isn't brilliant, but he is your inside mid in the Macrae mould, feeding it to the Nas/Flanders/Hill outside types.

Wood used to be so solid overhead, he needs that back to give him a spark and point if difference.

Sharman needs to be allowed to lead with some smarter forwards blocking around him. Too often he is caught behind two opponents trying to jump over them from three deep. Its such a low percentage play and he is fantastic on the lead.

With the bye, I doubt Ryan gets up - same for Pou. Why risk Pou after his injuries last year and coming back too soon?

Interestingly, across the whole team the Box is only behind Max Hall for pressure acts, but way down for contested possessions on a level with Jack Carroll.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

100%
Release the Viking fwd and let him fly

 

[gringo2011]

Should of picked up Tom Blamires & Jackson Voss

Jackson Voss probably plays for Carroll. I always rated Blamires, he was a jack of all trades and quite good at most things. Not sure where he'd be playing if we took him. I guess it would be the same HB spot. Not sure how North used him but I think it was HB from what I heard.

 

[gringo2011]

Decision making in key moments across lots of scenarios can absolutely be trained.

Getting a man on the goal line on a set shot should be a team value not an individual one. And a good team organises and doesn’t just expect. A good team will have a small on the goal line if no big is around. Trainable? Absolutely.

Same with manning up elite kicks when the opposition have marked on our midfield line.

Same when our poorer kicks have the ball in our defensive zone.

The back 6 looks pretty terrible so far. Really unbalanced and out of synch. I thin k it comes with playing together but we probably need a tall out and someone like LOC or Stocker in.

 

[Saintbloke]

The back 6 looks pretty terrible so far. Really unbalanced and out of synch. I thin k it comes with playing together but we probably need a tall out and someone like LOC or Stocker in.

I think the whole team looks a bit slow, back middle and forward- maybe except Hall and Nas who can burst and do damage, but we have no real burst players who quickly run and spread. Melbourne guys ran us off our feet last week, and the Collingwood players did the same in the third quarter in that game.We have a lot of stayers but not sprinters.

 

[Joffaboy]

Sack Lenny

 

[Saintos The ITK]

We’re bombing it out of defence, bombing it forward, dropping marks, missing handballs, and fluffing easy goals. Nothing a SuperCoach shouldn’t be able to sort out in a week.
Saints by 0.1

 

[akaifu]

A report from our VFL game against Casey

 

[akaifu]