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Reality Check?

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saintberra said:
After reading into a lot of threads, it seems to be a common theme that perhaps we are over-hyping this season/next season.

Do we need a reality check?

I believe that we will be a better team, skills wise, this year but I do not think we will get close to those teams from 1-6. We will be lucky to get 7-8 and I think the more likely scenario is that we will finish near Hawthorn around the 9/10 mark.

I think we will just scrape past Melbourne in round one, but I don't think it will be indicative of how either team will perform this year. Melbourne, barring injury, will probably place higher than us.

Unlike a lot of other teams, we do not have any elite players. Steven is not A+, he is closer to A- (and he's probably the highest-rated player on our list). Our "young guns" have shown signs of becoming "guns" but have not hit it. It's not likely that suddenly all of them will hit their potential this year, nor next year. We may get an elite player this next off-season, but it is no certainty. If we do not, our premiership window will be pushed even a little bit further away - most likely in contention in four years time.

I am always someone that enjoys a glass-half empty life. It means that when things go better than expected I tend to be happier. It's nice to read articles being posted saying "Saints will push the top 4" but lets be honest, we'll be lucky to hit top 8.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
What a crock of shit.

We won't get close to the teams that are 1-6?! Are you joking?! Last year we beat Geelong - prelim finalists; And also beat the Dogs - Premiers. Should have beaten Hawthorn too if it weren't for the cheating ****ing umpire.

We finished outright 9th with 12 wins & missed 8th spot on the ladder by a measly 9.5%...

We've now added very good 2 KPDs, something we've lacked for 5 years & also added 2 inside mids to bolster our contested ball & clearance numbers.

Everyone in our forward line is under 25yrs of age - Bruce, McCartin, Weller, Billings, Membrey, Gresham, Wright, Acres & open to at least another 5-10% more improvement if things up field are better, which they are with the likes of Steele & Stevens in the guts, as well as a fit again David Armitage.

Then there's the fixture.We play 14 games at Etihad - there's at least 11 wins. 2 at the G - Melbourne & Richmond - should be 2 wins. Then some other games interstate - should beat Hawks in Tassie & Dockers in Perth. Should beat Port in Adelaide

I have us winning at least 15-16 games meaning we'll finish between 4th & 7th based on last years final standings.

We have depth, we have smart players & we have a very smart coach. The only thing that will stop us making finals is injuries to key players &/or blokes becoming complacent. I don't think the latter will happen because Richo would address it quick smart.

Now bring on finals in 2017!
 

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The Acres hate is getting weird on this board lately. Short memories considering how he put the much hyped young midfield of Melbourne to the sword last year. The conventional view is that he is over-hyped on the board but there seems a growing band of haters willing to take a pop at a kid who has barely started his career.
 
saintberra said:
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Why thanks for asking, I always wondered why traffic works the way it works, I mean, you have a stretch of a road right, this road goes on, and on and on, and on. Some roads join together before splintering again and some are like trees with branches so the branches can grow into more roads to places. Why then, when one is going straight on this road that doesn't really end, they are stopped?

When I am stuck in these situations, I am with the thought that there is someone up ahead, probably in a Lexus, maybe half eating caviar from the back seat ashtray as their chauffeur drives them places under instruction to drive quicker to cool the wine and slower so that they can eat that caviar in peace with the sound of the wind on the windows, giggling as they hear the car horns behind them. Disappointed of this, the second car in the train keeps going into the side lane trying to road rage the Lexus , thus blocking all lanes and shitting everyone off behind them. Because the alternative is that the road is sentient and laying itself up ahead and we are far too quick for its self replication, and it makes me want to drive up median strips to the front of the chain, stop, go the boot, get out my tyre iron and beat the shit out of the driver at the front screaming how they need to do better and not be a selfish asshat.

Instead I sing out of tune to the radio, in between "Hi Melbourne" and "Get #$%^ed and @$%^ off Melbourne" and "well at least you welcome me back home real estate sign meant to sell shit." and heavy sighs because something something no food for 6 hours makes me grumpy.

Oh, you meant on the footy?

Uhhh.

Professional sports people v professional sport people with a ball that is oval shaped and the angles that can be used on just that ball alone without buff people running at buff people attempting to wrestle them into freeing said ball so they can test these angles via booting the living bejesus out of it?

It's a game, games are meant to be fun. So long as they like being out there, and they try their best, then I am happy and content if things don't work out, disappointed sure, because they tried and it wasn't good enough or things didn't work out, or you sit there and hear your name for the 745th time that day and instead of being polite and saying "yes, how can I assist you?" you say "if this is not important I wall take my stapler and your tongue will meet your tonsils" and shit happens. There's always tomorrow, always next week, always another chance to make amends, to do better, to be better.

It's also a glass.
Filled with liquid.

It is not a bowl, which contains stars of luminescence and techniclour sounds of emotion.

bergholt said:
What makes a thread "unnecessary"? I'd rather have more than fewer, that way I can choose what to read and don't have to slog through hundreds of posts about topics I don't care about every couple of days.
Click to expand...

If it contains this question line, it is generally unncessary because the point of the thread has sailed to the second start on the right and crocodiles and clocks as far as the eye can see.
 
StFly said:
Why thanks for asking, I always wondered why traffic works the way it works, I mean, you have a stretch of a road right, this road goes on, and on and on, and on. Some roads join together before splintering again and some are like trees with branches so the branches can grow into more roads to places. Why then, when one is going straight on this road that doesn't really end, they are stopped?

When I am stuck in these situations, I am with the thought that there is someone up ahead, probably in a Lexus, maybe half eating caviar from the back seat ashtray as their chauffeur drives them places under instruction to drive quicker to cool the wine and slower so that they can eat that caviar in peace with the sound of the wind on the windows, giggling as they hear the car horns behind them. Disappointed of this, the second car in the train keeps going into the side lane trying to road rage the Lexus , thus blocking all lanes and shitting everyone off behind them. Because the alternative is that the road is sentient and laying itself up ahead and we are far too quick for its self replication, and it makes me want to drive up median strips to the front of the chain, stop, go the boot, get out my tyre iron and beat the shit out of the driver at the front screaming how they need to do better and not be a selfish asshat.

Instead I sing out of tune to the radio, in between "Hi Melbourne" and "Get #$%^ed and @$%^ off Melbourne" and "well at least you welcome me back home real estate sign meant to sell shit." and heavy sighs because something something no food for 6 hours makes me grumpy.

Oh, you meant on the footy?

Uhhh.

Professional sports people v professional sport people with a ball that is oval shaped and the angles that can be used on just that ball alone without buff people running at buff people attempting to wrestle them into freeing said ball so they can test these angles via booting the living bejesus out of it?

It's a game, games are meant to be fun. So long as they like being out there, and they try their best, then I am happy and content if things don't work out, disappointed sure, because they tried and it wasn't good enough or things didn't work out, or you sit there and hear your name for the 745th time that day and instead of being polite and saying "yes, how can I assist you?" you say "if this is not important I wall take my stapler and your tongue will meet your tonsils" and shit happens. There's always tomorrow, always next week, always another chance to make amends, to do better, to be better.

It's also a glass.
Filled with liquid.

It is not a bowl, which contains stars of luminescence and techniclour sounds of emotion.



If it contains this question line, it is generally unncessary because the point of the thread has sailed to the second start on the right and crocodiles and clocks as far as the eye can see.
Click to expand...
Dude, I just finished watching The Killing Joke. That post was thoroughly Jokeresque.
 
NarklesHelmet said:
The Acres hate is getting weird on this board lately. Short memories considering how he put the much hyped young midfield of Melbourne to the sword last year. The conventional view is that he is over-hyped on the board but there seems a growing band of haters willing to take a pop at a kid who has barely started his career.
Click to expand...
Who is 'hating' on Acres? Saying that he is being over-hyped isn't 'hating' on him. You said it yourself he is a kid who has barely started his career so can we stop talking about him like he's the second coming.

He has lots of good attributes, his physical attributes like his height and decent pace for his size make him a serious prospect. His strength in his hips and ability to stand up to a tackle is tremendous and his work up forward is pretty decent as well. Like you said his Melbourne game showed what he could become.

But at the same time he's been inconsistent. IIRC he got dropped after that Melbourne game when everything that made his Melbourne game great seemed to disappear the following week. His disposal is average, not great, not poor either. And there have been questions over his work ethic, including this preseason.

You aren't an 'Acres hater' for recognizing these flaws.

I don't think there's a growing band of haters, I think there's a growing band of people telling others to chill out on the unwavering praise. Seriously the amount of times iv seen him compared to Fyfe or calling him 'our Fyfe' is ridiculous.
 
StFly said:
Why thanks for asking, I always wondered why traffic works the way it works, I mean, you have a stretch of a road right, this road goes on, and on and on, and on. Some roads join together before splintering again and some are like trees with branches so the branches can grow into more roads to places. Why then, when one is going straight on this road that doesn't really end, they are stopped?

When I am stuck in these situations, I am with the thought that there is someone up ahead, probably in a Lexus, maybe half eating caviar from the back seat ashtray as their chauffeur drives them places under instruction to drive quicker to cool the wine and slower so that they can eat that caviar in peace with the sound of the wind on the windows, giggling as they hear the car horns behind them. Disappointed of this, the second car in the train keeps going into the side lane trying to road rage the Lexus , thus blocking all lanes and shitting everyone off behind them. Because the alternative is that the road is sentient and laying itself up ahead and we are far too quick for its self replication, and it makes me want to drive up median strips to the front of the chain, stop, go the boot, get out my tyre iron and beat the shit out of the driver at the front screaming how they need to do better and not be a selfish asshat.

Instead I sing out of tune to the radio, in between "Hi Melbourne" and "Get #$%^ed and @$%^ off Melbourne" and "well at least you welcome me back home real estate sign meant to sell shit." and heavy sighs because something something no food for 6 hours makes me grumpy.

Oh, you meant on the footy?

Uhhh.

Professional sports people v professional sport people with a ball that is oval shaped and the angles that can be used on just that ball alone without buff people running at buff people attempting to wrestle them into freeing said ball so they can test these angles via booting the living bejesus out of it?

It's a game, games are meant to be fun. So long as they like being out there, and they try their best, then I am happy and content if things don't work out, disappointed sure, because they tried and it wasn't good enough or things didn't work out, or you sit there and hear your name for the 745th time that day and instead of being polite and saying "yes, how can I assist you?" you say "if this is not important I wall take my stapler and your tongue will meet your tonsils" and shit happens. There's always tomorrow, always next week, always another chance to make amends, to do better, to be better.

It's also a glass.
Filled with liquid.

It is not a bowl, which contains stars of luminescence and techniclour sounds of emotion.



If it contains this question line, it is generally unncessary because the point of the thread has sailed to the second start on the right and crocodiles and clocks as far as the eye can see.
Click to expand...


Ah Fly thanks for the laugh mate :D:thumbsu::thumbsu::thumbsu::thumbsu::thumbsu:
 

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NarklesHelmet said:
The Acres hate is getting weird on this board lately. Short memories considering how he put the much hyped young midfield of Melbourne to the sword last year. The conventional view is that he is over-hyped on the board but there seems a growing band of haters willing to take a pop at a kid who has barely started his career.
Click to expand...
More than happy with how he is going, I thought he showed some good stuff last year and think he will be a Very Very good 200 + game player for us.
 
Don't really think Acres gets 'hyped', just think most supporters are excited to see what he can do/be in another 10-20 games time....

FWIW, these are his 2016 numbers. Those last 5 games are very encouraging & he's only played 26 games all up so far

IMG_5357.PNG
 
StFly said:
Why thanks for asking, I always wondered why traffic works the way it works, I mean, you have a stretch of a road right, this road goes on, and on and on, and on. Some roads join together before splintering again and some are like trees with branches so the branches can grow into more roads to places. Why then, when one is going straight on this road that doesn't really end, they are stopped?

When I am stuck in these situations, I am with the thought that there is someone up ahead, probably in a Lexus, maybe half eating caviar from the back seat ashtray as their chauffeur drives them places under instruction to drive quicker to cool the wine and slower so that they can eat that caviar in peace with the sound of the wind on the windows, giggling as they hear the car horns behind them. Disappointed of this, the second car in the train keeps going into the side lane trying to road rage the Lexus , thus blocking all lanes and shitting everyone off behind them. Because the alternative is that the road is sentient and laying itself up ahead and we are far too quick for its self replication, and it makes me want to drive up median strips to the front of the chain, stop, go the boot, get out my tyre iron and beat the shit out of the driver at the front screaming how they need to do better and not be a selfish asshat.

Instead I sing out of tune to the radio, in between "Hi Melbourne" and "Get #$%^ed and @$%^ off Melbourne" and "well at least you welcome me back home real estate sign meant to sell shit." and heavy sighs because something something no food for 6 hours makes me grumpy.

Oh, you meant on the footy?

Uhhh.

Professional sports people v professional sport people with a ball that is oval shaped and the angles that can be used on just that ball alone without buff people running at buff people attempting to wrestle them into freeing said ball so they can test these angles via booting the living bejesus out of it?

It's a game, games are meant to be fun. So long as they like being out there, and they try their best, then I am happy and content if things don't work out, disappointed sure, because they tried and it wasn't good enough or things didn't work out, or you sit there and hear your name for the 745th time that day and instead of being polite and saying "yes, how can I assist you?" you say "if this is not important I wall take my stapler and your tongue will meet your tonsils" and shit happens. There's always tomorrow, always next week, always another chance to make amends, to do better, to be better.

It's also a glass.
Filled with liquid.

It is not a bowl, which contains stars of luminescence and techniclour sounds of emotion.



If it contains this question line, it is generally unncessary because the point of the thread has sailed to the second start on the right and crocodiles and clocks as far as the eye can see.
Click to expand...

Magnificent!

(I hope you refrain from posting when you finally come down; that will be one epic bummer.)
 
Glen Buterol said:
If we go 0-2 ima lose my shit & start throwing shade at any campaigners in my way
Click to expand...
Don't stress, We will be going into Rnd 7 with a 6-0 record for a top of the table clash with GWS who will also have a 6-0 record
 
LonietoMcCartin said:
Who is 'hating' on Acres? Saying that he is being over-hyped isn't 'hating' on him. You said it yourself he is a kid who has barely started his career so can we stop talking about him like he's the second coming.

He has lots of good attributes, his physical attributes like his height and decent pace for his size make him a serious prospect. His strength in his hips and ability to stand up to a tackle is tremendous and his work up forward is pretty decent as well. Like you said his Melbourne game showed what he could become.

But at the same time he's been inconsistent. IIRC he got dropped after that Melbourne game when everything that made his Melbourne game great seemed to disappear the following week. His disposal is average, not great, not poor either. And there have been questions over his work ethic, including this preseason.

You aren't an 'Acres hater' for recognizing these flaws.

I don't think there's a growing band of haters, I think there's a growing band of people telling others to chill out on the unwavering praise. Seriously the amount of times iv seen him compared to Fyfe or calling him 'our Fyfe' is ridiculous.
Click to expand...

I don't literally mean hate of course, more the Dave Chappelle use of the word... It just seems that a few people get annoyed at how excited many are about the kid and are taking a view that is pretty extreme the other way (I'm mainly thinking of Brian and the bloke above comparing the kid to Cale Morton). I was merely pointing out that a young bloke isn't going too bad if he played his best game against the midfield that is talked up so much in Melbourne's and that calling him a plodder or a Cale Morton clone is pretty extreme.
 

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Mowman said:
More than happy with how he is going, I thought he showed some good stuff last year and think he will be a Very Very good 200 + game player for us.
Click to expand...

What gets me is the impatience.
Yeah, I know, we are all desperate for success but I vividly remember it taking a few seasons for BJ, a #1 pick, to come into his own. There were plenty of naysayers about him at the time.
Gaz Jnr, Jobe Watson, a couple of others that took a while. Some on here wanted to trade Seb and/ or Billings in the Carlisle deal while the club always said Seb was going to be a slow burn, and Billings looks right on the cusp this season. Not everyone can be a Riewoldt from day 1.
We've seen more than a few glimpses of what Acres can do, often when games have been in the balance, and signs of what he can become, but jeez, at 26 games he's an AFL infant.
Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
 
Diehard Saint said:
What gets me is the impatience.
Yeah, I know, we are all desperate for success but I vividly remember it taking a few seasons for BJ, a #1 pick, to come into his own. There were plenty of naysayers about him at the time.
Click to expand...

In hindsight, BJ's attitude and fundamentals were always good. I'm not convinced the same is true of Acres.

But I'm happy for patience to be the word of the day with respect to Acres. Unfortunately that only seems to apply to his detractors. His boosters aren't "patient", they think he's going to be Nathan Fyfe. Getting ahead of yourself like that sounds pretty impatient to me. So as reaction to that, I'll be impatient the other way.

(The Cale Morton comparison is a bit hyperbolic, but he got 4 Brownlow votes his first year, averaged 19 or 20 disposals playing 20 games each of his first three years. He was miles ahead of Acres at the same age. He only started looking likely to fail a bit later.)
 
I'm not concerned or worried about how we'll go this year. If we flop, I'll essentially laugh it off. It's a game, it's a sport, and I honestly believe 2018 onwards is our time. We're definitely over-hyped at the moment. I only need to think back to some of those road trips or the 2nd half against Sydney (less than a season ago) to remember the journey we're on. HOWEVER!

There's just something indescribable about the Saints at the moment; there's a secret, hopeful whisper in the salty air that anything's possible, and rightly, that's given us all massive erections (or the female equivalent).

Bring on 2017!
;)
 
Last edited:
bergholt said:
In hindsight, BJ's attitude and fundamentals were always good. I'm not convinced the same is true of Acres.

But I'm happy for patience to be the word of the day with respect to Acres. Unfortunately that only seems to apply to his detractors. His boosters aren't "patient", they think he's going to be Nathan Fyfe. Getting ahead of yourself like that sounds pretty impatient to me. So as reaction to that, I'll be impatient the other way.

(The Cale Morton comparison is a bit hyperbolic, but he got 4 Brownlow votes his first year, averaged 19 or 20 disposals playing 20 games each of his first three years. He was miles ahead of Acres at the same age. He only started looking likely to fail a bit later.)
Click to expand...

Comparisons are odious, why don't we just let the kid be himself?
Unless you actually know Acres it's probably a little harsh to talk about his attitude and fundamentals and compare them to anyone. (I believe stavro#4 mentioned that he had a very good preseason on an earlier post.)

It has been reported that he was initially a pretty shy kid, and if he appears lackadaisical in his approach and on field, well I would just mention one other player...Dal.

I'm not expecting him to be "our Fyfe". I just want him to be "our Acres."
For whoever is saying he's going to be our Fyfe, it's not impatience, it's the hope that he can realise his potential and become our own home grown star.

My point is that, as supporters we are a pretty impatient lot, understandable in the light of the Saint's history, but to write off kids in the infancy of their careers is just ridiculous.
 

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