Prediction Do you think St kilda will make the 8 in 2018

[aussierulesrules]

Problem with this is it all requires best case scenarios - across just about every player in the team? Steven has to be injury free, 6 or 7 "youngsters" have to step up, 3 or 4 have to have break out years.

Well I didn't say it would be easy, I think it's extremely safe to say that plenty will absolutely need to go right for us to take a significant step forward this year (especially with another prick of a draw), but I didn't say that all 7 of the young ones I mentioned had to step up, just that that was how many we had entering those prime breakout years (the same stages that Bruce, Seb and Skunk all improved markedly for instance, from what I would say were lower bases) and that if say 3 or 4 of those 7 really stepped up, that would take us a long way to improving.

The likely scenario is we will cop injuries

Of course we're likely to cop injuries, which is why I've said previously this preseason that I see our range this year as being anywhere from about 5th to bottom 4, depending on what sort of injury run we get.

I don't imagine it will take many injuries or significant injuries to key personnel to kill our chances of making the 8 (as they pretty much did last year), but that's no surprise, for the 2nd least experienced list in the comp.

In fact it is not really our youngsters that need to have a big year. The most likely path to finals is our more established group.

Well that is highly debatable I believe and Richo for one has certainly been saying that he believes the young ones need to step up if we're to take the next step this year, but that doesn't mean that I believe that if they don't improve much we can't make the 8.

And part of the reason why is exactly what you've said here:

If Carlisle, Membrey, Bruce, Savage, Steven, Ross, Roberton, Hickey and Armitage have great years we will make the 8.

This is very likely to be true and this is part of what I was referring to in my original post where I said "and so-on and so-on", and it's a big part of why I completely believe that we have what it takes to make the 8 this year, because I believe there are numerous ways that we could improve enough to take us from just outside the 8 to just inside at a minimum.

It's not like everything went right for us last season and everyone played to their potential.

Plenty didn't go well or according to plan and we got hit by injuries to those we were least suited to losing, or having well below their best, and yet we still won 11 games, were 10 points up inside the final 70 seconds of another and led another for the first 114 minutes.

It's not like we're coming from way back and absolutely everything had to go right for us to even be a chance to make finals.

 

[Fehring]

In 8 quarters of preseason footy we have had pass marks in 2.

Results not important but the performances not exactly a confidence boost.

We had great performances in our pre season games last year. The truth is that pre season games are not about winning, so the team is not putting things together as it normally would as it experiments with ideas and positional changes. And they're not tapering (neither are their opponents), which makes it even harder to judge.

 

[TheBalls]

We had great performances in our pre season games last year. The truth is that pre season games are not about winning, so the team is not putting things together as it normally would as it experiments with ideas and positional changes. And they're not tapering (neither are their opponents), which makes it even harder to judge.

I wasn’t so concerned about the results as I was about the general skills and game plan that we were attempting to execute.

We looked like witches hats against Melbourne for large parts of the game.

I hope you are right though and it was experimenting that didn’t quite work out.

Personally I’m not feeling overly negative, just pointing out that others cause for concern is justified.

I hope your take on it turns out to be right.

 

[Premium]

There is no way we make finals this year - we don't use the ball well enough. We turn it over too much. We'll beat the bottom 6 clubs but will lose to the top 6 clubs. I fear we are stuck in mediocrity for a while as we need more quality players on the list.

Maybe we find some of these players from the 18-23 year olds we have on the list but it won't be for another 1-2 years IMO

smoke , i fear you are looking at our team all wrong - we no have a team of young kids about to prove everyone is wrong - our back line is as good as any teams , our forward line will be one of the strongest we have had for a long time and now have young mids coming of age , steele , acres , dunstan , sinclair , billings , gresham etc - i can't wait till the 24th.
just look at the teams

west coast - will not have any chance of making the 8
magpies - can we see them improve on last year - no
roos - long way to go
suns - no
blues - improving - but no
dogs - no back line or forward line - no
dockers - could surprise
hawks - we are ahead of them
lions - looking good but not yet
port - we will be ahead of this lot - stacked the team with rejected players with no heart

then look at the crows , way over rated - they have lost brodie smith and lever their best 2 backs , have a aging betts and a very average taylor walker - i expect to roll the crows in round 3

and on our day we can beat anyone - the only 2 sides i worry about are gws and swans

we will be in the finals

 

[plugger66]

smoke , i fear you are looking at our team all wrong - we no have a team of young kids about to prove everyone is wrong - our back line is as good as any teams , our forward line will be one of the strongest we have had for a long time and now have young mids coming of age , steele , acres , dunstan , sinclair , billings , gresham etc - i can't wait till the 24th.
just look at the teams

west coast - will not have any chance of making the 8
magpies - can we see them improve on last year - no
roos - long way to go
suns - no
blues - improving - but no
dogs - no back line or forward line - no
dockers - could surprise
hawks - we are ahead of them
lions - looking good but not yet
port - we will be ahead of this lot - stacked the team with rejected players with no heart

then look at the crows , way over rated - they have lost brodie smith and lever their best 2 backs , have a aging betts and a very average taylor walker - i expect to roll the crows in round 3

and on our day we can beat anyone - the only 2 sides i worry about are gws and swans

we will be in the finals

That's a pretty biased outlook. I reckon our backline is only average just like and mids. The forward line has great potential but 3 marking players worry me. As for your opinion of other sides well again its a little biased. I hope you are right but it isn't going to be anywhere as easy as it seems you think.

 

[STK2020]

Our hopes are high but Rounds 3 , 4 and 5 will answer our questions in 2018 .

 

[VDS66]

Its an opinion. Go and rain on your own parade instead of correcting everyone's posts.

That's a pretty biased outlook. I reckon our backline is only average just like and mids. The forward line has great potential but 3 marking players worry me. As for your opinion of other sides well again its a little biased. I hope you are right but it isn't going to be anywhere as easy as it seems you think.

 

[plugger66]

Its an opinion. Go and rain on your own parade instead of correcting everyone's posts.

No I will do as I want unless you are the boss. Then I will still do as I want. Are you a headmaster?

 

[VDS66]

No I will do as I want unless you are the boss. Then I will still do as I want. Are you a headmaster?

No but you should be because you act like one.

 

[Mowman]

No but you should be because you act like one.

Are you 2 still at it ?

 

[VDS66]

Are you 2 still at it ?

Shut up mofo or I'll start sending you pm's

 

[Smoke_Me_AKipper]

smoke , i fear you are looking at our team all wrong - we no have a team of young kids about to prove everyone is wrong - our back line is as good as any teams , our forward line will be one of the strongest we have had for a long time and now have young mids coming of age , steele , acres , dunstan , sinclair , billings , gresham etc - i can't wait till the 24th.
just look at the teams

west coast - will not have any chance of making the 8
magpies - can we see them improve on last year - no
roos - long way to go
suns - no
blues - improving - but no
dogs - no back line or forward line - no
dockers - could surprise
hawks - we are ahead of them
lions - looking good but not yet
port - we will be ahead of this lot - stacked the team with rejected players with no heart

then look at the crows , way over rated - they have lost brodie smith and lever their best 2 backs , have a aging betts and a very average taylor walker - i expect to roll the crows in round 3

and on our day we can beat anyone - the only 2 sides i worry about are gws and swans

we will be in the finals

I love your optimism and you make some fair points - lets say I was pretty down as I was watching the Melbourne game during the first half. I think all will be revealed in rounds 3-5. That should give us a fair idea of what is going on.

I just wonder if you are a year or so out from being right

 

[SufferingS8INT]

Although our JLT games were almost unwatchable, I’m surprisingly optimistic about this season. The main reason is that we’re ‘off the radar’. Gary lion had us finishing bottom six on SEN breakfast. He then said that our most likely time to break into finals was when “Riewoldt and Montagna and Armitage and Steven” were in the team. Does he know that Steven and Aaron ARE in the team?? My point is the pressure is slightly of us as a team (but more on Richo as coach!)

Last years expectation I think got to our young list. 2016 we were underdogs and we overperformed. 2018 is the year we really take everyone by surprise, even us saints fans!

 

[Mowman]

That's a pretty biased outlook. I reckon our backline is only average just like and mids. The forward line has great potential but 3 marking players worry me. As for your opinion of other sides well again its a little biased. I hope you are right but it isn't going to be anywhere as easy as it seems you think.

Great reason to chase McGovern then

 

[Premium]

I love your optimism and you make some fair points - lets say I was pretty down as I was watching the Melbourne game during the first half. I think all will be revealed in rounds 3-5. That should give us a fair idea of what is going on.

I just wonder if you are a year or so out from being right

thks smoke , we will see what our team is like by round 5 - i hope everything goes ok , because it looks like our fellow sainters are already sharpening the knives for richo - the guy has finally got a squad that runs deep and has talent

 

[plugger66]

Great reason to chase McGovern then

Lacks run and skill. Good reason to chase others


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[Mowman]

Lacks run and skill. Good reason to chase others


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Doesn't lack run
All Australian
2016, 2017
Would be our best defender by the length of the straight

 

[plugger66]

Doesn't lack run
All Australian
2016, 2017
Would be our best defender by the length of the straight

Yep and he would cost over a million. And plays very similar to Carlisle. Doesn’t solve the fb issue that means we need another tall. As I said good basketball side.


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[VDS66]

Yep and he would cost over a million. And plays very similar to Carlisle. Doesn’t solve the fb issue that means we need another tall. As I said good basketball side.


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Worth every penny...

 

[plugger66]

Worth every penny...

So if Sloane wanted to come and we couldn’t get both where would you go. I would take Sloane 7 days a week.


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[Premium]

our back line isn't to bad if you ask me
carlisle is in the top bracket of chb's
roberton is well better than average
geary is a back pocket player who is the best runner in the team
webster has shown he can gather a lot of possessions when he is on his game and the guy is still young

brown is a good stopper - but lacks rebound , however we have 3 guys now who could fill his position when right - austin , goddard and clavarino

and our other half back position we have savage , newnes , coffield , white , mckenzie , rice , patton and most probably a few more you could throw in there.

hopefully our kicking problems will not be exposed again - move gilbert out of the back line , montagna's chip kicking out of the back line will not be there , so the only guy who isn't the greatest kick is geary , however if he gives it off to a savage or a webster we should be able to roost it to our running mids like acres , sinclair , billings , steven , armitage , ross , dunstan and steele.

 

[Premium]

So if Sloane wanted to come and we couldn’t get both where would you go. I would take Sloane 7 days a week.


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sloane is a champ , but don't we have enough slow inside mids - koby stevens , armitage , dunstan , i thought we were after speed , like a kelly or gaff type for outside run.

hey no doubt the guy would be about the best mid in our team , but couldn't we go for some speed - id rather a young fiorini or a mcluggage - not some guy who will be turning 29 and has a couple years left

 

[Premium]

sloane is a champ , but don't we have enough slow inside mids - koby stevens , armitage , dunstan , i thought we were after speed , like a kelly or gaff type for outside run.

hey no doubt the guy would be about the best mid in our team , but couldn't we go for some speed - id rather a young fiorini or a mcluggage - not some guy who will be turning 29 and has a couple years left

can't wait for pluggers reply to this one

 

[Mowman]

can't wait for pluggers reply to this one

Or this one

 

[plugger66]

sloane is a champ , but don't we have enough slow inside mids - koby stevens , armitage , dunstan , i thought we were after speed , like a kelly or gaff type for outside run.

hey no doubt the guy would be about the best mid in our team , but couldn't we go for some speed - id rather a young fiorini or a mcluggage - not some guy who will be turning 29 and has a couple years left

Yep speed first but Sloane isn’t slow. Can play outside a little. The difference between him and our other inside players is he will be tagged the others won’t so Steven gets off the leash. If there is a speedy outside mid who is at least very good I’d chase him as well


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