Game Updates (melb vs stks)

[mighty_sainters]

How is the game going on tv??
Any standout players, anyone really struggling.
It is currently half time and the score is 49-39 in favour of the saints

 

[Kildonan]

Melbourne are a pathetic rabble.

They are playing so badly that it is difficult to tell if we are playing well or if we are just ordinary.

Saints endeavour is beyond reproach - we have coralled Melbourne's run again and again and again. Our tackling is first rate.

We still seem to lack that murderous approach where we should annhilate them on the scoreboard but they are still close enough to get a sniff if they get a few goals.

 

[mighty_sainters]

thanks stkildadonan,

Good result 31pts
Positive points with the running players working exceptionaly well together

 

[Kildonan]

Lukey Ball copped another nasty knock to the head - from a shepherd by Matty Whelan. He watched Luke come at him (Lukes eyes were on the man with the ball) and Whelan went to block the unsuspecting Luke but stupidly caused high contact - not deliberately - in fact he hurt himself in the incident (jaw and neck) but it was so avoidable that I wouldn't be surprised to see the tribunal sort out a reckonning on it.

Man of the match was probably Big Frase (4 goals).

Great tagging by Blake on Cam Bruce, Attard on Aaron Davey (kept him verrry quiet).

Great endeavour by all the boys - at the man with the ball and at the ball.
They tired themselves out and the game degenerated somewhat - will derive considerable benefit from it.

Early in the match - Xavier Clarke was ripping through them - easily best on field for the first half. Milney was busy early too.

Matthew Clarke showed he still has a fair bit of footy left in him.

Goddard was good, and Baker, so was Fiora (especially late), Montagna too, Leigh Fisher had a handy game, Banger came good late.

Many of the defenders didn't get good stats - but they chased and blocked and generally thwarted the more fancied Melbourne attack. The Saints cramped their running game and shut out Melbourne's strength.

Kosi took a ripper of a mark in the last, his was a servicable game - he showed glimpses of brilliance. Dal Santo was tagged well early but he contributed more and more as the match went on. Lenny played a reasonable game without starring.

 

[roostersgal4eva]

It was great to see McGuire back - I'd bet that saints fans would be estatic

 

[M_I_G]

Lukey Ball copped another nasty knock to the head - from a shepherd by Matty Whelan. He watched Luke come at him (Lukes eyes were on the man with the ball) and Whelan went to block the unsuspecting Luke but stupidly caused high contact - not deliberately - in fact he hurt himself in the incident (jaw and neck) but it was so avoidable that I wouldn't be surprised to see the tribunal sort out a reckonning on it.

Man of the match was probably Big Frase (4 goals).

Great tagging by Blake on Cam Bruce, Attard on Aaron Davey (kept him verrry quiet).

Great endeavour by all the boys - at the man with the ball and at the ball.
They tired themselves out and the game degenerated somewhat - will derive considerable benefit from it.

Early in the match - Xavier Clarke was ripping through them - easily best on field for the first half. Milney was busy early too.

Matthew Clarke showed he still has a fair bit of footy left in him.

Goddard was good, and Baker, so was Fiora (especially late), Montagna too, Leigh Fisher had a handy game, Banger came good late.

Many of the defenders didn't get good stats - but they chased and blocked and generally thwarted the more fancied Melbourne attack. The Saints cramped their running game and shut out Melbourne's strength.

Kosi took a ripper of a mark in the last, his was a servicable game - he showed glimpses of brilliance. Dal Santo was tagged well early but he contributed more and more as the match went on. Lenny played a reasonable game without starring.

how good was gehrig , looks to be in top form and fitness, was all over the field,played great,4 goals and i think 3 posters. have to be happy with kosi's return, good effort. dont know bout ur assessment of fiora, sure he got a bit of the ball, but he didnt have much of an impact and looked very sloppy. just imagine how much better you'l go if milne can get accurate, he was playing great early on but his kicking is shocking, really needs to work on it. x clarke was outstanding and goddard continued his top form from last year

 

[Fehring]

Melbourne are a pathetic rabble.

They are playing so badly that it is difficult to tell if we are playing well or if we are just ordinary.

It was us playing well. It was the first time in a long time that I've looked at us and thought that we were executing a reliable game plan. We tackled amazingly and crowded the ball, but we weren't defensive: our plan was to move the play - whether in possession of the ball or not - in our direction. And we did it superbly.

Man of the match was probably Big Frase (4 goals).

Fraser's goals were irrelevant. it was the havoc he wrought and the space he created by running everywhere. Clearly our best player.

 

[Roo-Boy]

Congratilations Sainters a well deserved win

 

[Asgardian]

Good game guys, plenty of good signs for the Saints, and was great to see a fair dinkum game of footy.

 

[bubblegoose]

Baker's constant attention and pressure on the man all over the ground was awesome. Stuff you probably wouldn't see on TV, worked bloody hard.

 

[irish_setanta]

Well done Saints great first up win, think you could be in for a great year.

 

[bubblegoose]

We tackled amazingly and crowded the ball

Welcome back Lenny

 

[hyperswivel]

Good win last night fellas, though my tipping is off to a bad start.
Lots of people around this office think you'll go all the way this year. Best of luck to you, classy team & classy supporters in Saint Land.

 

[PoidaCat]

Thanx guys! I was at the match with my brother who is a Saint's supporter. My tipping is now a perfect %100.

Looks like an long ski season ahead for Melbourne supporters.

 

[bergholt]

Gehrig looks better than he has for a coupla years. If he keeps moving like that (and kicks straighter) he'll win the Coleman and play on next year.

The importance of X Clarke stepping into that inside midfield rotation can't be underplayed. It's too much to expect Hayes, Ball, Thompson to do all the grunt work in and under, X can really add to that cause he thinks fast and goes like a steam train.

Fiora and Montagna looked good receiving, there's definitely a place for them in the side doing that but not sure how much use they are when the momentum's against us. They need to keep running all day (as they did) and also make less mistakes, but showing something at this point.

Brett "JA" Moyle played a great shutdown game, him and Bakes could be a good tagging combo if he keeps his application up all year. Also pleasantly surprised at JB really contributing - he can't kick but he'll go all day long. And Grammy showed that he can play a stopping role as well as an attacking one; that's really important for flexibility.

Andy "Nickname" McQualter is first dropped, I'm still very unconvinced that he's gonna have what it takes, especially at Moyle seems to have gone past him as if he was standing still.

Good to see plenty of other midfield contributors, what with Hayes, Dal, Bally all performing between about 50 and 70%.

I reckon we're gonna run out of spots for talls, if this is any indication of Rossy's gameplan. Only six true talls last night - M Clarke, Rix, Gehrig, Kos, S Fisher, Maguire - and that's about all you want for a hard-running game. I reckon if you put Riewoldt and Hudghton into that side, at the expense of smalls, the team starts to lose its legs.

But a lot more optimistic than I expected, this morning.

 

[catman2006]

Well done saints shut melbourne down and then your midfield destroyed them.

 

[hulld]

well done guys.

a really impressive performance without riewoldt, maxy and a few guys coming back from long term injuries

 

[Kildonan]

Thanks roostersgal4eva, McKinleyISgood, Roo-Boy, Asgardian, irish_setanta, hyperswivel, PoidaCat, catman2006, and hulld for the congrats.

Good luck to all of your respective clubs too.