- Joined
- Apr 27, 2009
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- AFL Club
- St Kilda
As it is usually the case when a team loses a big game / final / grand final, people tend to over react, try and trade everyone, change the game plan, sack the coaches, staff and waterboy. St Kilda has been prone to doing this over the years, but I guarantee you that this coaching group and admin are here for a long while yet - Rossy is special.
Anyways, I see a lot of crap flying around here, most of it is absolute garbage and is based on 1 game, 1 error. Sure, it was the game, but don't let that distract you from the big picture. It doesn't make or break a player. I want to cover a few things because people are losing their minds it seems
Milne - Here, I think the opinions are definitly warranted. He has really, really struggled to perform in finals. Year after year, it's been a problem for him, like Leon Davis. Some players just cant cut it, or get more attention, or struggle with the pressure. Milne is a great H&A player, and is a required player, but his spot needs to come under some fire. Jack Steven and Xavier Clarke should be the ones he is told are coming for him. I don't think he will be traded (who to, firstly?) and you don't just delist a player who kicks 50+ goals pretty regularly, and averages 2 goals a game in H&A. But something must change if we're in the finals in 2010 - either he is told that 1 bad game = relegation, or, he just gets the chop in r22. I don't think his role is a vital one that can't be replaced
Clarke - His GF was much like most of his games. A few glaring errors, that for some reason always look worse with him, a few good things and his usual laconic efforts. It's just how he is. The coaching staff have persisted with him for some time, and who knows if this is it for him. Yesterday was his first really bad final, and yes, a bad time for it to happen, but at least he has shown the ability to perform in a crunch final. Those are the players you want - given the choice in a final, i'd pick him over Davis and Milne, and im dead set serious about that. I can't see the coaches getting rid of him, unless some other team asked about him. Personally, if ya'll hate him so much and think he's hopeless, why don't you step back and consider that it might be an indictment on the team that he is in the 22?
The game plan - Don't doubt this style for one second, not one second. It held up very, very well yesterday. The defence was solid as usual - 80 points isn't a huge amout, and consider that that last goal came with nobody on the mark. I think we kept the run of no individual kicking more than 3 goals against us. It is a simple game plan, beleive it or not and it wil hold up against anyone, anytime in any condition. If executed correctly. Look at the raw stats - take away the scoreboard and you'd think st kilda would have flogged the cats. Unfortunately, it just came down to bad kicking, it really is as simple as that. They hit the goal, we didn't. Both teams were great, and we were arguably better for majority fo the game, but in the end some class and experience and that bald bugger was the difference. This game plan can carry average players and doesn't require heaps of superstars to do it. That's why sydney can go around without bottoming out, and it's why we will too. It isn't a gimmick like clarkos cluster (yes, its a zone somewhat, but really, it's just hard work to get the ball back), and it isnt like the cats and bombers plan hat requires amazing skill to link up over and over.
Dawson/Hughton - Spot on call from Rossy, spot on. Dawson got himself to 2 contests at different points in the game to spoil. The last was amazing, but unfortunately Scarlett got his toe to it, it was just that kind of game. 1 inch in it. 1 on 1 he held his own, kepy mooney pretty quiet and didn't allow him to be too influential. Yep, he had that horrible clanger on the goal line (even tho it was a flipping point), and got caught HTB once, that happens. It's afl, it's mistakes. Nobody is immune to them. He IS the future of our FB position, and will be better for it and i don't think he embarrased himself at all. Take a step back, his game was pretty handy. We have a 7-8 year FB sitting there with finals and a GF experience, that's invaluable. We have shown faith in him, and it will be rewarded. I love Maxy, we all do. but he wouldn't have changed the game because it didn't come down to our defence falling apart, the forwards did.
Riewoldt, Hayes and co - Our top line, elite guys stood up. I say no more, they are gold
Bally - Not enough said on his game. He was SUPEB early on, and I nearly got a wood seeing him in the centre square in the opening bouce, it's like Rossy read my mind. 20+ disposals, tackles and a heap of clearances. I love this bloke, and he has fought back and will have a Dal Santo esque comeback in 2010, mark that one down.
Dempster - Was disappointing, but was given a role that IMO didn;'t suit him. He should have been on chappy IMO, but unortunately wasn't. I wouldnt be delisting him, or trading him. I think he is def a fringe player, and a handy depth player to have. He has performed on the big stage before, it was just unfortunate that this time he didn't do so well. Don't judge him on 1 game. He must continue to work, but trust me, there are far worse fringe players.
Baker - Gee, he is going to be hard to replace. Get Geary to move in with him and follow his every move. He must become the new Bakes, this guy is superb. Superb.
The Future - This is not the end. It truly is the beginning. Look at who our best players are, and how old they are. There is 2-3 good, top seasons left in this team. After that, it will take super human efforts to keep up. But this game plan allows for that, and Lenny has 2-3 left in him, Roo as well and then Kosi and Fish are next oldest with Joey. Relax, and don't fool yourself that it is the end. There is time, and if they commit and work hard, we will be thereabouts for the next few septembers.
Trading in - Everyone seems to want everyone and is willing to do whatever to get it. Take another step back (that's about 3 so far lol) and look at what is missing overall, not just from yesterday. Lead up forward. Oh, that's right, Lynchy is there. Check. A small fwd/chapman esque guy. Oh, Jacky boy. Check. Rucks. Check. Inside mids. Check.... We have them there. I think Lovett should be one we target. Some true pace to go with Lou would be great. Him, or a bigger bodied defender. We need to release BJ to be a pure mid. A PURE mid. Gee, I wish Goose was healthy. Fish probably needs to become a pure CHB, and we get Lovett to become the bloke who runs out of the backline.
St Kilda and its fans for too long have overraected to these kinds of things. Now is the time to stick around, be strong and persist with something we know is good. FFS, flags are hard to win, it can be 1 inch that is th difference. We have the players, the plan, the admin and a freakin mastermind at the helm. NOW is the time to be true to the club motto
Finally, don't forget that we came up against a juggernaught this weekend. They are superb. They made 3 GF's in a row, and if they weren't arrogant in 08, they'd have won that and I rkn we'd have won 09 if they weren't so damn determined. I almost blame Hawthorn for y'day
... The cats were flipping hungry this season after tasting defeat for themselves.
Our boys have tasted it too now for themselves. Not via the fans who've been waiting, but they've tasted it for themselves. That's vastly different to losing a prelim, or thinking about 97 or the fans.
And they're hungry.
Anyways, I see a lot of crap flying around here, most of it is absolute garbage and is based on 1 game, 1 error. Sure, it was the game, but don't let that distract you from the big picture. It doesn't make or break a player. I want to cover a few things because people are losing their minds it seems
Milne - Here, I think the opinions are definitly warranted. He has really, really struggled to perform in finals. Year after year, it's been a problem for him, like Leon Davis. Some players just cant cut it, or get more attention, or struggle with the pressure. Milne is a great H&A player, and is a required player, but his spot needs to come under some fire. Jack Steven and Xavier Clarke should be the ones he is told are coming for him. I don't think he will be traded (who to, firstly?) and you don't just delist a player who kicks 50+ goals pretty regularly, and averages 2 goals a game in H&A. But something must change if we're in the finals in 2010 - either he is told that 1 bad game = relegation, or, he just gets the chop in r22. I don't think his role is a vital one that can't be replaced
Clarke - His GF was much like most of his games. A few glaring errors, that for some reason always look worse with him, a few good things and his usual laconic efforts. It's just how he is. The coaching staff have persisted with him for some time, and who knows if this is it for him. Yesterday was his first really bad final, and yes, a bad time for it to happen, but at least he has shown the ability to perform in a crunch final. Those are the players you want - given the choice in a final, i'd pick him over Davis and Milne, and im dead set serious about that. I can't see the coaches getting rid of him, unless some other team asked about him. Personally, if ya'll hate him so much and think he's hopeless, why don't you step back and consider that it might be an indictment on the team that he is in the 22?
The game plan - Don't doubt this style for one second, not one second. It held up very, very well yesterday. The defence was solid as usual - 80 points isn't a huge amout, and consider that that last goal came with nobody on the mark. I think we kept the run of no individual kicking more than 3 goals against us. It is a simple game plan, beleive it or not and it wil hold up against anyone, anytime in any condition. If executed correctly. Look at the raw stats - take away the scoreboard and you'd think st kilda would have flogged the cats. Unfortunately, it just came down to bad kicking, it really is as simple as that. They hit the goal, we didn't. Both teams were great, and we were arguably better for majority fo the game, but in the end some class and experience and that bald bugger was the difference. This game plan can carry average players and doesn't require heaps of superstars to do it. That's why sydney can go around without bottoming out, and it's why we will too. It isn't a gimmick like clarkos cluster (yes, its a zone somewhat, but really, it's just hard work to get the ball back), and it isnt like the cats and bombers plan hat requires amazing skill to link up over and over.
Dawson/Hughton - Spot on call from Rossy, spot on. Dawson got himself to 2 contests at different points in the game to spoil. The last was amazing, but unfortunately Scarlett got his toe to it, it was just that kind of game. 1 inch in it. 1 on 1 he held his own, kepy mooney pretty quiet and didn't allow him to be too influential. Yep, he had that horrible clanger on the goal line (even tho it was a flipping point), and got caught HTB once, that happens. It's afl, it's mistakes. Nobody is immune to them. He IS the future of our FB position, and will be better for it and i don't think he embarrased himself at all. Take a step back, his game was pretty handy. We have a 7-8 year FB sitting there with finals and a GF experience, that's invaluable. We have shown faith in him, and it will be rewarded. I love Maxy, we all do. but he wouldn't have changed the game because it didn't come down to our defence falling apart, the forwards did.
Riewoldt, Hayes and co - Our top line, elite guys stood up. I say no more, they are gold
Bally - Not enough said on his game. He was SUPEB early on, and I nearly got a wood seeing him in the centre square in the opening bouce, it's like Rossy read my mind. 20+ disposals, tackles and a heap of clearances. I love this bloke, and he has fought back and will have a Dal Santo esque comeback in 2010, mark that one down.
Dempster - Was disappointing, but was given a role that IMO didn;'t suit him. He should have been on chappy IMO, but unortunately wasn't. I wouldnt be delisting him, or trading him. I think he is def a fringe player, and a handy depth player to have. He has performed on the big stage before, it was just unfortunate that this time he didn't do so well. Don't judge him on 1 game. He must continue to work, but trust me, there are far worse fringe players.
Baker - Gee, he is going to be hard to replace. Get Geary to move in with him and follow his every move. He must become the new Bakes, this guy is superb. Superb.
The Future - This is not the end. It truly is the beginning. Look at who our best players are, and how old they are. There is 2-3 good, top seasons left in this team. After that, it will take super human efforts to keep up. But this game plan allows for that, and Lenny has 2-3 left in him, Roo as well and then Kosi and Fish are next oldest with Joey. Relax, and don't fool yourself that it is the end. There is time, and if they commit and work hard, we will be thereabouts for the next few septembers.
Trading in - Everyone seems to want everyone and is willing to do whatever to get it. Take another step back (that's about 3 so far lol) and look at what is missing overall, not just from yesterday. Lead up forward. Oh, that's right, Lynchy is there. Check. A small fwd/chapman esque guy. Oh, Jacky boy. Check. Rucks. Check. Inside mids. Check.... We have them there. I think Lovett should be one we target. Some true pace to go with Lou would be great. Him, or a bigger bodied defender. We need to release BJ to be a pure mid. A PURE mid. Gee, I wish Goose was healthy. Fish probably needs to become a pure CHB, and we get Lovett to become the bloke who runs out of the backline.
St Kilda and its fans for too long have overraected to these kinds of things. Now is the time to stick around, be strong and persist with something we know is good. FFS, flags are hard to win, it can be 1 inch that is th difference. We have the players, the plan, the admin and a freakin mastermind at the helm. NOW is the time to be true to the club motto
Fortius Quo Fidelius
Finally, don't forget that we came up against a juggernaught this weekend. They are superb. They made 3 GF's in a row, and if they weren't arrogant in 08, they'd have won that and I rkn we'd have won 09 if they weren't so damn determined. I almost blame Hawthorn for y'day
... The cats were flipping hungry this season after tasting defeat for themselves.Our boys have tasted it too now for themselves. Not via the fans who've been waiting, but they've tasted it for themselves. That's vastly different to losing a prelim, or thinking about 97 or the fans.
And they're hungry.
