Preview Round 10, 2020: Gold Coast v St.Kilda - Metricon Stadium, Thursday 6th August, 8:10PM AEST *RYDER 250TH*

[SaintsSeptember]

This coming round will create some separation, with some of our closest on the ladder playing each other. I think now we should be aiming top 4, not just make the 8. So the coaching team needs to map a program that has us at our peak in critical games. For me, the next 3 are winnable and we should be fielding strong teams in each.

We are top 4.

 

[stfan]

I'll take that.

Thanks for paying Jake's fine. It is most generous of you

 

[Max the great]

Yep. I've had enough. Clear troll.. someone needs to pull the pin on this.

At this point it can't be anything more than a troll...

 

[stfan]

We are top 4.

Though at present there are just 4 points and % between 3rd and 9th , and 8 points and % between 3rd and 13th . So things could change dramatically very quickly.

Though at least our % is on the handy side.

On the upside, with a good win over GC we could be second after our next game.

 

[stfan]

This game is another must win if we want a top 4 position.
Geelong play the Lions this week so it could help us stitch up a top 4 spot if the Lions topple the Cats.
Port and Dogs
Tigers play Port
Dogs vs Lions
Cats vs Port

Port have a very tough set of games coming - they could easily drop the next 3 games

August 10th crunch game Cats vs Saints - we beat the Cats , there will be nothing holding us back.

Except Lions, PA, WCE and Tigers who all also want to finish top 4. We are still to play two of them.

If we are to finish top 4 we need to win the majority of our remaining games as the above 4 teams will be aiming to.

 

[tomjoad]

Just caught up with everything. It's been a heady ol'weekend.
Great win by the boys, but geez, they still make you worry...even with a near 10 goal win .
Think we can and should beat GC...but nothing is a given. GC are not the team they were in the past, and they seem to be far more cohesive than what they have been. It won't be easy...and they have tested us in the last couple of years. Think we'll run over them in the end.
Saints by 10-20 points.

 

[Ricmel]

We are top 4.

Excellent. Stop the home and away season and let's crack on with finals. Top 4! well done boys we did it.

If you didn't catch the sarcasm, I did not mean we should be aiming for top 4 by Round 9 - I was talking about being there at the end of the H&A.

 

[Grav]

The thing is if we keep going best 22 every week & don’t start blooding a few newbies, it would be our luck coming finals time we’d get hit with a spate of injuries.
Imagine these guys playing in the GF with only playing one game or less for the year.
Byrne
Bytel
Roberton
Austin
Abbott
Phillips
McKenzie
Joyce
Connolly
Clavarino
Bell
Langlands
Alabakis

Now I don’t suggest they all get a game, but when you look at that list there are a couple of decent or expected to be decent players amongst it & would fit into our game style pretty well.

 

[StickyMick]

Did anyone else see that injury stat flash up yesterday in the Fremantle and Collingwood game? It measured the number of weeks lost to date to injury per club. We were a league-low at 18 weeks, whereas the top club might have been at 93, and Fremantle was at 78. My point being, amazing what we can achieve with a bit of continuity and chemistry. Credit to the Strength and Conditioning team, along with a bit of good luck of course.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Metres gained...

That's how you are comparing Long and Savage?

Savage has always been able to get big metres gained stats because everytime he gets it it's a long bomb down the line.

He also managed to get 6 turnovers, twice Longs average for the year.

Long is one of our best intercept players averaging almost 7. Savage had 3 last night.

Long is one of our best contested ball winners averaging 7.2. Savage had 4 last night.

Long with an 82% kicking efficiency. Savage had 57%, that's despite most.of his kicks being long which usually result in an effective kick.

Savage wasn't poor by any means, but his game shows exactly why Paton, Long, Coffield etc have gone past him. Just refuses to lower his eyes and hit the target.

Handy depth.

Give it a rest mate - nowhere did I say that Savage was better or worse than Long so perhaps rather than looking for arguments you should actually read the posts and then respond on the basis of the post rather than creating some confected argument to suit your purposes.

So for context purposes here's the original exchange you decided to buy into - please take special note of my "some people are never happy" comment.

 

[gringo2011]

Did anyone else see that injury stat flash up yesterday in the Fremantle and Collingwood game? It measured the number of weeks lost to date to injury per club. We were a league-low at 18 weeks, whereas the top club might have been at 93, and Fremantle was at 78. My point being, amazing what we can achieve with a bit of continuity and chemistry. Credit to the Strength and Conditioning team, along with a bit of good luck of course.

Yeah, I mentioned that last week too. We are having a very good run with injury this year. We haven't had depth tested at all. That said last year injuries gave game time to players who are now best 22 and have pushed some of last years best 22 out to depth. It was a blessing in disguise.

Also as someone said, the ladder is very congested and we have to keep winning to play finals. Every side apart from Adelaide could still make finals with a run of games and any top 4 side could topple out with a run of poor form or injury. Collingwood looked the best side in the comp early on now they sitting 10th with injuries to their best players.

 

[tomjoad]

Did anyone else see that injury stat flash up yesterday in the Fremantle and Collingwood game? It measured the number of weeks lost to date to injury per club. We were a league-low at 18 weeks, whereas the top club might have been at 93, and Fremantle was at 78. My point being, amazing what we can achieve with a bit of continuity and chemistry. Credit to the Strength and Conditioning team, along with a bit of good luck of course.

It's nice to have a season (so far) where we haven't been decimated by injury. The last couple of years haven't been great for us.
I kind of see us a bit like Brisbane from last year. They had a great run with continuity.

 

[gringo2011]

Give it a rest mate - nowhere did I say that Savage was better or worse than Long so perhaps rather than looking for arguments you should actually read the posts and then respond on the basis of the post rather than creating some confected argument to suit your purposes.

So for context purposes here's the original exchange you decided to buy into - please take special note of my "some people are never happy" comment.


View attachment 926106

I don't think it's that controversial anyway. Long has looked like he's promising and building but certainly not outstanding yet. He tends to use run to break lines and get it out to better users, Savage tends to rely on his long kick to clear the ball from danger zones. I thought once Savage settled, and as a side started to run again, Savage hit his short kicks well and set up a couple of goals. If he'd nailed his two goals people would have thought he looked like JJ.

Long is he future but I don't think he demands an instant spot based on his 2020 form. I would leave him out to make him hungry and keep the list fresh. I reckon you should reward winning form to, I'd keep the current side in unchanged unless someone is sore or injured or poor execution of the game plan. To me Geary was probably the weakest link and he won't get dropped. Paddy's hand might push us to make changes.

 

[bird_man]

Give it a rest mate - nowhere did I say that Savage was better or worse than Long so perhaps rather than looking for arguments you should actually read the posts and then respond on the basis of the post rather than creating some confected argument to suit your purposes.

So for context purposes here's the original exchange you decided to buy into - please take special note of my "some people are never happy" comment.


View attachment 926106

You were comparing Savage and Long by their metres gained and implying Savage had a good game because of his metres gained.

I was pointing out what a ridiculous stat it is when not put into context.

I then pointed out why Long and the rest of the backline have gone past him.

Not sure what the issue is.

 

[StickyMick]

Yeah, I mentioned that last week too. We are having a very good run with injury this year. We haven't had depth tested at all. That said last year injuries gave game time to players who are now best 22 and have pushed some of last years best 22 out to depth. It was a blessing in disguise.

Also as someone said, the ladder is very congested and we have to keep winning to play finals. Every side apart from Adelaide could still make finals with a run of games and any top 4 side could topple out with a run of poor form or injury. Collingwood looked the best side in the comp early on now they sitting 10th with injuries to their best players.

Yeah very true. These next six weeks with a condensed fixture will decide whether we will contend at the end of the season. I'm not really going to hypothesise over how we'll do it because I'm just some mug on a forum but.... if we can manage our senior guys where we need to and don't take any unnecessary risks with guys who have niggles then I think we'll be in a pretty good spot in six weeks time.

 

[One 2 Roo]

Danger game for us. Not a ground that we typically play very well, against an opposition who always provide us with some closer matches than we have hoped for.

Last 3 games decided by a total of 7 points!!

Full steam ahead - resting players can wait until the bye.

 

[mightymalaka]

It's pretty simple in my view if the strength and conditioning team see no obvious wear and tear on players that are raring to go you play them every week. We don't have the luxury of messing with our continuity and form.

Footballers play football that's their job and unless there are reasons to rest or manage a player then I don't believe we should stuff around with what's working.
Shorter season also reduces the effect on wear and tear come finals time. Not to mention shortened games. I think clubs have outsmarted themselves with this whole management theory.
Look at Geelong they fiddled with their list last season when they were flying and lost momentum then come finals time they got over run with many of their players underdone when the whips were cracking. Their doing it again this year and it arguably cost them a victory on the weekend.
Plus I think having a young list also helps our boys recover quicker and outside of form and injury we should make as minimul changes as possible to a team that is still learning to play together as a solid unit!

 

[CaptainRisky]

Danger game for us. Not a ground that we typically play very well, against an opposition who always provide us with some closer matches than we have hoped for.

Last 3 games decided by a total of 7 points!!

Full steam ahead - resting players can wait until the bye.

Right with you there , Sure if someone is really sore yes rest but not wholesale changes , that's flirting with danger

 

[CaptainRisky]

The thing is if we keep going best 22 every week & don’t start blooding a few newbies, it would be our luck coming finals time we’d get hit with a spate of injuries.
Imagine these guys playing in the GF with only playing one game or less for the year.
Byrne
Bytel
Roberton
Austin
Abbott
Phillips
McKenzie
Joyce
Connolly
Clavarino
Bell
Langlands
Alabakis

Now I don’t suggest they all get a game, but when you look at that list there are a couple of decent or expected to be decent players amongst it & would fit into our game style pretty well.

Geez lets hope we dont have to play all of them yet , there are a few good back up players in there though

 

[stavro#4]

I’m a big believer in not messing with continuity.

If they are fit. They play unless out of form.

If soccer players can play 3 games in 7 days. I reckon we can get 19-20 through the next 10 days before the bye.

 

[L_W_P]

Could be a management thing for Marshall as well. I wonder how much more taxing a full game as sole ruck is compared to a game where the duty is shared. Could well be a strategy to keep from overworking him.
Plus Abbot by all reports is actually a decent footballer and isn't quite at the Billy Longer level of 'can get a hit out but not much else'. Seems to be capable to take a contested grab and kick a goal.
In the end it wouldn't hurt to give him a run to get some touch and game time into his legs in case we actually do have to depend on him during the rest of the season.

Can certainly see the logic behind it if they decide to rest Ryder and give Abbott a run.

Agreed. I would rest Ryder this week vs GC then swap him in for Marshall against Geelong. Give Abbott a couple of games in a row as the #1 ruck.

He can absorb the body work from Witts and then do his own body work vs whoever Geelong throw in the ruck in 2 weeks.

 

[Joffaboy]

I’m a big believer in not messing with continuity.

If they are fit. They play unless out of form.

If soccer players can play 3 games in 7 days. I reckon we can get 19-20 through the next 10 days before the bye.

They aren't training either. Just recovering and playing

 

[kernelT]

3 games in 10 days, incredible scenes… thankfully we are looking forward to matches and not dreading them.

 

[PostmanBish]

Did anyone else see that injury stat flash up yesterday in the Fremantle and Collingwood game? It measured the number of weeks lost to date to injury per club. We were a league-low at 18 weeks, whereas the top club might have been at 93, and Fremantle was at 78. My point being, amazing what we can achieve with a bit of continuity and chemistry. Credit to the Strength and Conditioning team, along with a bit of good luck of course.

After last season, the Karma bus needs to stop at some different clubs ...

 

[The Punter]

If St Kilda wins on Thursday, it will go to four games above 50% winning record (7-3). This hasn't happened since 2010.

Since then, this is what has happened when we have had that opportunity:

Round 21 2011 (St Kilda record going into the match 10-7-1): Lost to Collingwood
Elimination Final 2011 (12-9-1): Lost to Sydney
Round 17 2017 (9-6): Lost to Essendon
Round 6 2019 (4-1): Lost to Adelaide

Needless to say, an important game and one where the step we take if we win would be huge.