Preview Round 1, 2022: St.Kilda v Collingwood - Marvel Stadium, Friday 18th March, 7:50PM AEDT

[Sun Ra]

I will reserve final judgment to see how the team functions, but must say it is pretty disappointing that over the course of the entire pre season we have not been able to find a way to fit into our structure a very promising (and versatile) young forward who has shown a heap at the level.

Maybe he who shall not be named hasn't shown it enough on the track in the pre-season ? No big deal. If he's good enough he will find a way.
You know this to be true grasshopper.

 

[stavro#4]

I will reserve final judgment to see how the team functions, but must say it is pretty disappointing that over the course of the entire pre season we have not been able to find a way to fit into our structure a very promising (and versatile) young forward who has shown a heap at the level.

I won’t be popular in saying this.

But he was a mid season speculation pick. Looked good in the run home - however, how much do you read into that?

For him to not get a game this weekend it tells me that a) his form is off and b) he hasn’t added enough to his bow to come in over Hayes.

We want 2 rucks of some sort.

Membrey has been our best player all pre season.

King isn’t droppable. He makes us unique.

So, there really isn’t any room.

 

[stavro#4]

 

[kernelT]

Okay so… full journeyman, sweet

 

[FQFjt]

Okay so… full journeyman, sweet

Don't think you can call a guy who has never debuted a journeyman.

 

[stavro#4]

Okay so… full journeyman, sweet

as opposed to what? Playing the kindergarten kids?

 

[FQFjt]

I won’t be popular in saying this.

But he was a mid season speculation pick. Looked good in the run home - however, how much do you read into that?

For him to not get a game this weekend it tells me that a) his form is off and b) he hasn’t added enough to his bow to come in over Hayes.

We want 2 rucks of some sort.

Membrey has been our best player all pre season.

King isn’t droppable. He makes us unique.

So, there really isn’t any room.

You may be right, but King, Membrey and Sharman (on exposed form) looks to be a really dynamic and versatile forward line, with plenty of marking power, and it just seems to me to be a failure of imagination that we can't go with it because of a pesky few minutes of rucking per quarter. If his form is off, then that's another story.

 

[MightySaint]

I won’t be popular in saying this.

But he was a mid season speculation pick. Looked good in the run home - however, how much do you read into that?

For him to not get a game this weekend it tells me that a) his form is off and b) he hasn’t added enough to his bow to come in over Hayes.

We want 2 rucks of some sort.

Membrey has been our best player all pre season.

King isn’t droppable. He makes us unique.

So, there really isn’t any room.

I'm not going to argue on form at all. No idea what's happened over pre-season so will leave the judgement to others. The only game I saw was the intra club where he looked like he always does, really great.

Allow me to melt for a few sentences at this point. I have zero faith in our coaching and football administration because frankly they have given us zero reason to have any faith for the best part of a decade now. 2020 has been well and truly negated by the atrocity that is 2021. What i'd like to see is 22 players represent the saints that are either AFL quality or have the potential to be AFL quality and need the top level experience.

I agree Sharman's form came at the end of the season and may not be repeated, but we also saw with our eyes the following:
1. He knows how to make space in the forward line to get the ball
2. He doesn't drop marks
3. When he gets the ball through #1 and #2, he kicks it through the big ******* sticks (and generally gets it to a teammate when not within goal range)

I'm actually excited about watching him play. Le sigh.

Melt over. See, team hasn't even been announced before round 1 and we have begun. Happy season everyone!

 

[Sun Ra]

Heath Grundy is meditating on this......he's a very hipster, new-age, pseudo-intellectual kinda guy you know.

I hope Hayes pants him.

 

[g_TRAIN]

Most likely Sharman is not playing because the coaches want to send him a message to work harder or something along those lines.

His form in the intra-club was great, his form in the Carlton game wasn't.

Can't really judge him on the Essendon match as he didn't play many minutes.

 

[FQFjt]

Against Sydney and Geelong at the end of last year we went with King, Membrey and Sharman in the forward line and Marshall rucking alone.

 

[Sun Ra]

Against Sydney and Geelong at the end of last year we went with King, Membrey and Sharman in the forward line and Marshall rucking alone.

Just as the end of the world has already happened, the end of last year is no longer now. Nothing Is......

 

[aussierulesrules]

Wangmil and Owens not likely to play yet according to that.

Hopefully that means Bytel is fit, available and going to be picked.

Potentially ideal opportunity for him to get a few consecutive games under his belt, while Clark and Jones are out.

 

[stavro#4]

You may be right, but King, Membrey and Sharman (on exposed form) looks to be a really dynamic and versatile forward line, with plenty of marking power, and it just seems to me to be a failure of imagination that we can't go with it because of a pesky few minutes of rucking per quarter. If his form is off, then that's another story.

We are playing arguably the 2nd best ruck in the league. Who last time he played Marshall 1 v1. He was a huge reason they won the game in the last quarter.

A second ruck is hugely important this week. It’s not a pesky few minutes.

 

[FQFjt]

We are playing arguably the 2nd best ruck in the league. Who last time he played Marshall 1 v1. He was a huge reason they won the game in the last quarter.

A second ruck is hugely important this week. It’s not a pesky few minutes.

There's no way we will be planning on Hayes doing any rucking against Grundy.

 

[kernelT]

Yep I guess seeing as Sharman kicked 10.4 and took 19 marks in 3.5 games… they should probably send him to the VFL to work on kicking more behinds. #SaintsFooty

 

[Sun Ra]

There's no way we will be planning on Hayes doing any rucking against Grundy.

I dunno about that. An accidental knee to Grundy's kidneys ? That's one contest I'd be happy to see early in the first quarter.

 

[Yabadoo22]

From all the tidbits we’ve been hearing I’m expecting us to line up like this:

B: Wilkie battle Webster
Hb: Sinclair Howard hill
C: wood crouch McKenzie
Hf: butler membrey Byrnes
F: higgins king hayes
Foll: Marshall Steele Gresham
Int: Paton Ross

To me there is still 2 spots up for grab, if bytel is fit I’m guessing he takes one of those spots. The last spot will be a small forward/wingman/midfielder I would think. That leaves:

Long (meh)
Kent (meh)
NWM (don’t think he’s ready)
Owens (can’t see him playing if bytel does)
windhager (not ready yet)
Conolly (unlikely due to injuries)

Makes me think they’ll pick either long or Kent which will be disappointing

 

[stavro#4]

There's no way we will be planning on Hayes doing any rucking against Grundy.

What’s the point in him playing if we think he can’t go up against Grundy at any point?

Yep I guess seeing as Sharman kicked 10.4 and took 19 marks in 3.5 games… they should probably send him to the VFL to work on kicking more behinds. #SaintsFooty

If he is as good as you think. It won’t be an extended demotion, will it?

 

[Sun Ra]

From all the tidbits we’ve been hearing I’m expecting us to line up like this:

B: Wilkie battle Webster
Hb: Sinclair Howard hill
C: wood crouch McKenzie
Hf: butler membrey Byrnes
F: higgins king hayes
Foll: Marshall Steele Gresham
Int: Paton Ross

To me there is still 2 spots up for grab, if bytel is fit I’m guessing he takes one of those spots. The last spot will be a small forward/wingman/midfielder I would think. That leaves:

Long (meh)
Kent (meh)
NWM (don’t think he’s ready)
Owens (can’t see him playing if bytel does)
windhager (not ready yet)
Conolly (unlikely due to injuries)

Makes me think they’ll pick either long or Kent which will be disappointing

Brave move only two on the bench. Name them.

 

[Mikevk123]

B Paton Howard Wilkie
HB Hill Battle Sinclair
C Wood Crouch NWM
HF Gresham Sharman Higgins
F Butler King Membrey
FOLL: Marshall Brynes Steele
INTER: Ross, Hayes, Bytel, Long
Sub: Highmore

 

[kernelT]

What’s the point in him playing if we think he can’t go up against Grundy at any point?

If he is as good as you think. It won’t be an extended demotion, will it?

Nothing would surprise me anymore.

Remember when Battle finally had a breakout season playing in the backline, but then we had to watch him struggle on the wing… and then when he actually played a good game was dropped?

Sharman was one of the few things to excited about from 2021, absolutely deserves to be in the side from what he has delivered… but Mason Wood is Wayne Carey now so probably nudges him out.

 

[jwikked]

Okay so… full journeyman, sweet

That'll teach him for taking marks and kicking goals. That's not St Kilda footy.

 

[Yabadoo22]

Brave move only two on the bench. Name them.

Well like I said, if bytel is available I expect him to take one spot. The last spot probably Kent. Plus there is also the sub, which I hate being a first gamer but could be that way. Has anyone got any updates on Kyle lately, I know he is very slight, but is there any chance he could play this season at some stage as a manic pressure forward?

 

[PlayerNumber9]

Nothing would surprise me anymore.

Remember when Battle finally had a breakout season playing in the backline, but then we had to watch him struggle on the wing… and then when he actually played a good game was dropped?

Sharman was one of the few things to excited about from 2021, absolutely deserves to be in the side from what he has delivered… but Mason Wood is Wayne Carey now so probably nudges him out.

So selection is based on what has been delivered in the past, rather than current form? Sharman debuted last year because of his form at Sandy, which he then continued with. Track watchers have been saying for the last month or memories that he’s looked flat in match practice, so I was pleasantly surprised when he played well in the intra-club but he didn’t back it up in the practice matches.

He just needs to find his form and then will be knocking the door down.


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