Toast Round 5 = Collingwood 70-64 St Kilda.

[Pera]

Frampton was easily one of our 5 best players today.

I'd have Nick, Josh, Titch, Moore, Murph, Bobby all ahead of him on the day. Not taking anything away from Frampton but those other 6 all were far better for the duration of the game.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I feel like we aren't fit or in great form, but we are still 4-1. Enough individuals are providing enough class and effort and the team is well coached and there's (just) enough coverage from sensible recruiting.

Hate the welter of injuries but in past seasons this usually meant we would be dropping out of the 8.

4-1 against some decent opposition.

Not sure the other top 4 teams have played quite the same quality teams after five rounds.

Humming along nicely despite losing most of our talls….Cameron cox Kreuger Howe begg Dean and now Murphy and mcstay

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

If you have a team of fit but lessor skilled or inexperienced players that's what you maximise. Our previous games have been better as a spectacle so maybe it was the ground and/or the opposition

As someone who had fleetingly watched your first 3 games and noticed you basically played like an around the wings version of us, I had a sneaking suspicion Ross would revert back to his tried and true specifically against us.

Most would argue you played mostly “lesser” opposition in prior weeks which would logically explain the switch once you played us.

I suspect you’ll go dour again against Carlton. But it’ll be interesting to watch.

 

[Collingwoodity]

Not really, Ablett was an absolute bull, Nick is more a slick Ferrari

Nah. Junior was a high half forward flanker for his first few years I think?

 

[Collingwoodity]

Knowing our luck with injuries it will be a torn finger ligament. We never get lucky with injuries.

Pendlebury and Sidebottom are pretty lucky

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

EddieMurphy something else I just realised.

The ground itself probably played a role in the shift. It’s much much narrower than even Marvel so Ross probably didn’t think you could use the wings in the way you normally would.

 

[Collingwoodity]

4-1 against some decent opposition.

Not sure the other top 4 teams have played quite the same quality teams after five rounds.

Humming along nicely despite losing most of our talls….Cameron cox Kreuger Howe begg Dean and now Murphy and mcstay

This. Who we have played has been tough. The only 3 tougher tests are Essendon Melbourne and Carlton (ess and Carlton because they are rivals)

 

[jonbe54]

3.6 to 4.0 in the last but you broke it open early in the 4th after we couldnt take our chances. You guys are good but we are not as bad as everyone thought eh?

Depends on what your taking a poll on . . . playing . . . meh . . . gutter snipe behind the play tricks . . . your team specialises in it and puts its thugs on the honour board.

 

[No SPIN]

3.6 to 4.0 in the last but you broke it open early in the 4th after we couldnt take our chances. You guys are good but we are not as bad as everyone thought eh?

You can only defend in the Lyon style and concede I50 for so long in a game, eventually teams with offensive game plans will break through.
I doubt even you believe this current game plan will win a flag.
So when you get your fwds back, the defensive style will change and be a little more open, but in turn will make you more vulnerable.
Lyon has done fantastically well, but the current style is not the answer to winning a flag IMO.

 

[TheVillageIdiot7]

It was his first AFL game since the 2022 PF, so he will improve.

Yup I’ve got no doubt he will.
His defensive efforts got better as the game went on.

He did his job and the coaches would put a tick next to his name.

 

[jonbe54]

Yup I’ve got no doubt he will.
His defensive efforts got better as the game went on.

He did his job and the coaches would put a tick next to his name.

Agreed he would have been told to work on them while he was serving his time and he's done it so well done young man and keep improving.

 

[Kirby]

As someone who had fleetingly watched your first 3 games and noticed you basically played like an around the wings version of us, I had a sneaking suspicion Ross would revert back to his tried and true specifically against us.

Most would argue you played mostly “lesser” opposition in prior weeks which would logically explain the switch once you played us.

I suspect you’ll go dour again against Carlton. But it’ll be interesting to watch.

The Saints game plan is perfect to defeat Carlton and their slow ball movement which is all aimed at eventually kicking it to Curnow and McKay.

 

[No SPIN]

I hope all the Frampton sceptics have all had a change of heart.
I think his versatility and talent proves it was very shrewd recruiting.

Where does he play when Howe returns is the burning question.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

I hope all the Frampton sceptics have all had a change of heart.
I think his versatility and talent proves it was very shrewd recruiting.

Where does he play when Howe returns is the burning question.

Not sure why he doesn't play back

Moore, Howe, Murphy, Frampton, Quaynor, Noble

Literally perfect blend of Tall, medium and small. Frees up Maynard to go further up to provide more grunt.

 

[No SPIN]

Not sure why he doesn't play back

Moore, Howe, Murphy, Frampton, Quaynor, Noble

Literally perfect blend of Tall, medium and small. Frees up Maynard to go further up to provide more grunt.

Maynard is missing - hence my question.

 

[brysie]

The Saints game plan is perfect to defeat Carlton and their slow ball movement which is all aimed at eventually kicking it to Curnow and McKay.

Both coaches will have tough decisions to make.

Voss prefers a clearance-heavy style that relies on his mids to take territory through clearance. When Carlton played Geelong earlier this season, Voss released the shackles and they played a fast run and gun style through the middle, having seen us play the same way against Geelong the week before.

Lyon is likely to want to clog Carlton's forward line and seek to hit them in transition, the way he did against us in the first half yesterday. At times the Saints looked very polished and dangerous on the break - Lyon knew though that going head to head with us in a shootout would probably slant the game in our favour, as it would minimise our reliance on talls and provide more space for the likes of Elliot, Hill and Ginnivan to run into.

Yesterday's result was mostly pleasing. As McRae said in his press conference, it was a boa-constrictor game and we had to make some adjustments on the fly to eke out a win. The Saints are somewhat similar in their list to us in that they have a combination of very good established players (not as elite as some of ours) and some emerging young talent - they've bought into what Lyon's selling and it's paying dividends early.

Our injuries aren't ideal, however we should be thankful that none so far have been season-ending and if we can continue to bank wins, we should have some fresher players heading into August and September. Injuries also afford opportunities to other players - some take them and go to another level while others confirm what the coaches might already suspect. Next cab off the rank - Kreuger; I'm fascinated to see what he can do if he can get a clear run.

 

[manicpie]

You would think st.kilda won the game according to the media. FMD, they flooded defence all night, what's so impressive about that

 

[TW Sherrin]

Good luck to the sides that try. Adelaide oval played much more like Marvel than the MCG. It will be a lot harder to clog and restrict the wider wings of the G.

Plus until they coward struck on one our defenders and took the brakes off in a hail mary at the end the saints barely scored.

Agree the size of the ground helped the saints clog the middle.

They also had at least 1 extra deep behind the ball so any long entry was contested and usually picked off meaning a lot of long shots at goal.

And they also made sure they had at least 1 and someone 2 goal side of the last defender. This has been standard against us and if the saints executed better the result would've been different.

 

[unplugged]

You would think st.kilda won the game according to the media. FMD, they flooded defence all night, what's so impressive about that

That's what I meant when I said 5 minutes makes a mountain of difference. If we held on for a 4 goal lead like it should've been, St Kilda would've been on a B rating rather than A rating. And the media would be praising us for only conceding 6 goals for the night.

 

[jonbe54]

That's what I meant when I said 5 minutes makes a mountain of difference. If we held on for a 4 goal lead like it should've been, St Kilda would've been on a B rating rather than A rating. And the media would be praising us for only conceding 6 goals for the night.

FCK the media . . . just a handful in the country have and Fkin idea.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

You would think st.kilda won the game according to the media. FMD, they flooded defence all night, what's so impressive about that

I had a patient tell me today the Saints were unlucky to get “pipped”. “Pipped” normally means you were leading and get beaten at the final hurdle, not that you were behind all game and only made it look respectable in junk time after striking and concussing your opponent.

 

[unplugged]

I had a patient tell me today the Saints were unlucky to get “pipped”. “Pipped” normally means you were leading and get beaten at the final hurdle, not that you were behind all game and only made it look respectable in junk time after striking and concussing your opponent.

Hope you gave them some unnecessary acupuncture!

 

[sideswipe]

Hope you gave them some unnecessary acupuncture!

I hope the Sampler scheduled another follow up appointment that wasn't required.

 

[brysie]

Nothing is more certain than the media constructing a narrative and seeking to justify it through selective reporting or analysis.

Gather Round is a case in point - coverage focused on the 'fact' that every game was sold out, thereby justifying the AFL's decision to add an additional round. What everyone knows though is that tickets were sold for double-headers, thereby reducing the actual attendances at games.

There are countless examples of the 'media narrative' - certain sides receive better treatment than others, usually for commercial reasons that are pursued by the AFL and its broadcasters / corporate sponsors.

 

[manicpie]

I had a patient tell me today the Saints were unlucky to get “pipped”. “Pipped” normally means you were leading and get beaten at the final hurdle, not that you were behind all game and only made it look respectable in junk time after striking and concussing your opponent.

I know the media have to talk up s**t sides like st.kilda but that was not a loss to be celebrated. They flooded defence all night, that should be ridiculed in today's football