Despite the injuries, we still played some good football and definitely had our chances to win the game, if not for our bloody inaccuracy. Lyon is trying to instill his preferred style of play into all the saints players. As compared to the hawthorn game, we were more attacking and direct, but still managed to maintain the defensive side of our game. If and when we get key personnel back, the football world will be shocked to witness the type of football stkilda can manifest. It will be a mixture of sydney and west coast i imagine..
Other positives:
Game time to
Armitage - you can just see glimpses of his pending brilliance, with time and experience he will develop into a key player no doubt.
Koschitzke - he has played 9 games in a row!
Gilbert - playing some good football. Very impressed for his 5th or 6th AFL game. If he puts on size, he has the height (194cm) to play key position, but could see him as a running backman or even a wingman.
Gwilt - getting better as a key backman. Keep in mind he has only played around 10 games of AFL football, give the lad a chance. He's doing a sh*tload better than zac dawson or brett thornton or any of those bums. He might be better suited somewhere else, but we are yet to determine that position. In the interim he has been servicable. Might stand up as the 3rd key backman when hudgton retires and maguire/s fisher hold down the main defensive posts.
Hayes - simply inspirational, robert harvey like. The rest of the footballing community please take note.
Blake and
Rix -despite their critics, I was reasonably impressed with their keen efforts. Rix is improving as a tap ruckman. Blake is becoming a decent tagger.
Another huge ask next week against geelong. Harvey out is no help. If we kick straight who knows.. So very frustrating when we don't capitalise on our opportunities.
Goal kicking is a controllable element stkilda needs to work on. Our innacuracy has featured in other games this year, but has hurt us none more so than against freo.
