Autopsy Round 4, 2023: St.Kilda v Gold Coast

[aussierulesrules]

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

end of this year I hope Steele, Crouch and Ross are pushed out of the middle by Windy, Owens and Philippou because those three are getting 30 and 2 goals every week. Would be hilarious to see 3 highly paid and rated midfielders playing at sandy behind 3 kids due to meritocracy.

edit: before you say I'm crazy nick daicos and sam walsh pretty much became the best players in their team within a year or two. if we struck gold with these three and they were as good as walsh/daicos by the end of the year all at the same time no reason they couldn't be our 3 best players

Steele could be in there for another 5 years, Crouch & Ross for 2 to 3. Good luck with that hypothesis.

 

[BrutThough]

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Owens has now polled votes in 2/4 games this year.

Very impressive.

 

[Diehard Saint]

All players start with a clean slate now that we have a set-up capable of maximising output and consistency. I see Billings and Jones a bit like Mason Wood, consistency and injury have marked them down but if you could find the spot and they put in the work they could both be stars.

Seb Ross with some faith in him and some direction has exploded. The whole side was in a torpor for a decade. I want to see these guys get a go in a side with momentum and energy. If players of that level become your depth you are in a great place.

In all probability, most players, especially the ones who have been around a little while and can compare, can see the vast chasm in coaching nous between what we had and what we have now. Players are not stupid, pretty sure they can see when a game plan is not working.

RTB just has an aura about him as a very successful coach ( and he is, lack of a premiership notwithstanding) and they know that he knows what he is talking about. And if they didn’t, they certainly do now after the past 4 rounds. Especially when Saints legends, sitting next to him on the coaching box, obviously have a tremendous amount of respect for him.

After a decade of pretenders, we now have a contender.

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

It's very clear that Seb is essentially captaining the midfield in Steele's absence. Crouch is the other senior statesman in the middle, but he seems much quieter and focused on his own game (no criticism).

People forget he was vice captain and acting captain for most of the time that Geary was out with those ****ed injuries near the end of his career. With his newfound confidence in himself he’s clearly able to handle it better

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Steele could be in there for another 5 years, Crouch & Ross for 2 to 3. Good luck with that hypothesis.

Most likely yes but if it happens what a story it would be. Look at how Tom Mitchell brownlow winner was out of favour pendles now playing some strange half back role

 

[bergholt]

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Totals

18: Sinclair (3 games voted in), Wilkie (3)
17:
16: Wood (3)
15:
14:
13:
12:
11:
10: Higgins (2), Owens (2)
9:
8:
7:
6: Marshall, Steele
5:
4:
3: Crouch
2: Battle, Phillipou
1: Butler, Byrnes, Hill, Ross

 

[Circus]

oh, this is a fun game. i was in Turkey in 2009.

I was in Timor-Leste by myself because my wife had flown home with dengue fever.

Big decision before the game, go to a pub/restaurant full of non footy people but with a backup generator for the inevitable power failure, or stay in my unit to focus on the game but have at least one major power failure. Stayed home and the power only failed after the game had finished.

I also resolved to not drink until the game had started, but pre-game nerves got the better of me so opened a beer a couple of minutes before the bounce and realised I was on my fourth a couple of minutes later.

When Goddard took the screamer I genuinely thought we were going to win and behaved as if we had. Would have looked absolutely bizarre to anyone watching.

 

[hangdog]

Ratts had a habit of making them look like they should be delisted then putting them somewhere that they played well in again. Battle, Webster, Ross, etc. Billings and Coffield were both going badly still. Ross had a better year last year but he was a multiple B and F winner before Ratts came. Most were demanding that he be delisted on here for most of Ratts time.

Yeah, I guess in the case of Ross especially he brought out the worst and then the best better of him.

 

[hangdog]

If there was any knock on Byrnes & Hill, it was their lack of pressure. Under RTB & the three Amigo's, they both have elevated enormously.
Byrnes kicking is a bit hit & miss like Zac Jones, but in saying that, some of his kicking last night, were elite bullet passes.
Byrnes won the 'Nab league medal' in his draft year, not the most talented player, but his determination, gut running & speed is second to none.

If...

Ross and co is getting this type of improved footy out of Wood, Ross, Owens, Caminiti, Byrnes, Clark, Paton, Bytel, etc...

Then...

What will he get out of Jones, Coffield, Hayes, Billings and McKenzie?

I've gotten so excited by the work of the guys above and Pou, Sinclair, Crouch, Marshall etc. that I've failed to consider the injured blokes might get 10-25% better also.

Edit: Added Billings. I can't believe I forgot Billings!

 

[hangdog]

oh, this is a fun game. i was in Turkey in 2009.

Malaysia 2010

 

[aussierulesrules]

If...

Ross and co is getting this type of improved footy out of Wood, Ross, Owens, Caminiti, Byrnes, Clark, Paton, Bytel, etc...

Then...

What will he get out of Jones, Coffield, Hayes, Billings and McKenzie?

I've gotten so excited by the work of the guys above and Pou, Sinclair, Crouch, Marshall etc. that I've failed to consider the injured blokes might get 10-25% better also.

Edit: Added Billings. I can't believe I forgot Billings!

Exactly my thoughts. It seems like strange logic to think that they’d get the best out of so many who are currently not injured, but will for some reason not get the best out of those who happen to currently be injured.

Not to mention the fact that added competition for spots alone will bring the best out of most/all those who are coming back, as they’ll know they won’t just be walk-up starts any more.

Plus the motivation of wanting to be a part of this exciting team who are going places.

 

[gringo2011]

Exactly my thoughts. It seems like strange logic to think that they’d get the best out of so many who are currently not injured, but will for some reason not get the best out of those who happen to currently be injured.

Not to mention the fact that added competition for spots alone will bring the best out of most/all those who are coming back, as they’ll know they won’t just be walk-up starts any more.

Plus the motivation of wanting to be a part of this exciting team who are going places.

I guess there is always a bit of a worry when you tinker with a winning formula. The lesser lights might be working harder than their best 22 replacements. By the time frames on their returns I Don't think they are rushing to put others back in.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I guess there is always a bit of a worry when you tinker with a winning formula. The lesser lights might be working harder than their best 22 replacements. By the time frames on their returns I Don't think they are rushing to put others back in.

I think with every game we win without them their return dates are being pushed back so that they can get fitter and fitter before they return.

When any of them return we can probably take it as a given that they’ll be fit af, and of course nice and fresh for the remainder of the season.

So if the young ones start to tire, we can replace them with rock-hard fit experienced guys, who are hungry to play.

Plus of course we can expect to keep getting injuries, so a lot of them will slot back in replacing someone who’s injured. Then it will be their spot to lose.

 

[Hayes4PM]

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My terrible sudoku brain is thinking one coach had to give Mitch Owens the 5 votes.

(Sinclair has to get one of the “4’s”, Owens can’t get to 8 votes without a “5” because one of the “4’s” is already allocated… My brain hurts having to do maths again.)

 

[aussierulesrules]

My terrible sudoku brain is thinking one coach had to give Mitch Owens the 5 votes.

(Sinclair has to get one of the “4’s”, Owens can’t get to 8 votes without a “5” because one of the “4’s” is already allocated… My brain hurts having to do maths again.)

Yeah that’s right-on. Sincs got 5 and 4, Mitch got the other 5, and a 3. Higgo 4 and 2.

 

[sammm]

I guess there is always a bit of a worry when you tinker with a winning formula. The lesser lights might be working harder than their best 22 replacements. By the time frames on their returns I Don't think they are rushing to put others back in.

I wonder, when the lesser lights have to make way for King, Membrey, Steele etc would they be upset? Will they think there is no selection integrity?

 

[bird_man]

 

[Hayes4PM]

View attachment 1655922

That’s a good team. HOWEVER, put Sinclair on ball SEN you cowards. N Daicos a statistical giant, squibbed a few moments though and flopped for a push in the back dive. Just sneaking into the team for me.

 

[OxSaint]

Great team performance again.

I would have never have picked that Dougal would look one of our weakest links over the first month. I know he hasn’t been awful but has looked lazy with his defensive positioning and given up goals that could have easily been prevented. He has some turnovers in him as well. If we can cut the turnovers from Dougal,Nas and stocker in half we will be very hard to score against.

I am starting to think Dougal isn’t the fullback to take us to a premiership.

 

[Diehard Saint]

So if the young ones start to tire, we can replace them with rock-hard fit experienced guys, who are hungry to play.

Plus of course we can expect to keep getting injuries, so a lot of them will slot back in replacing someone who’s injured. Then it will be their spot to lose.

No sign of that yet, they’re clearly on a total high.

 

[gringo2011]

Great team performance again.

I would have never have picked that Dougal would look one of our weakest links over the first month. I know he hasn’t been awful but has looked lazy with his defensive positioning and given up goals that could have easily been prevented. He has some turnovers in him as well. If we can cut the turnovers from Dougal,Nas and stocker in half we will be very hard to score against.

I am starting to think Dougal isn’t the fullback to take us to a premiership.

Shhh I just told Joffa that no-one pots him.

 

[Mowman]

Shhh I just told Joffa that no-one pots him.

I thought he was pretty good Saturday and got better as the game went on

 

[DougalHoward]

I thought he was pretty good Saturday and got better as the game went on

It's Wilkie showing him up making him look bad

 

[Mowman]

It's Wilkie showing him up making him look bad

Wilkie took at least 2 marks where Howard put himself between Wilkie and Suns player so Wilkie could take an easy mark