Preview Round 8, 2019: St.Kilda v West Coast - Marvel Stadium, Saturday 11th May, 7:25PM AEST

[mightymalaka]

Beggars can't be choosers at the moment- even if dunstan isn't damaging enough when he gets it- he still gets it.

I just checked and every win we've had this year we either won the possession count or practically broke even.
Conversely, in every loss this year- we've had ~15% less of the ball than the opposition.

We came into the year very skinny on midfielders who get the ball.
Noone has stepped up so far in regard, and jack steven out turns this major weakness into a massive weakness.

We need the ball in our hands more before we start worrying about how 'damaging' or effective the blokes are who have it.

I agree!
But i think the Birdacious one was talking about Phillips!

 

[VDS66]

Sounds like all you coaching geniuses need to band together, overthrow the staff down at Moorabbin and sit on each other’s laps in the box on Saturday night.


Go Saints




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So jealous that you can get away with comments like that...

 

[jwikked]

Dermie tipped us to win by 3 points.

Wonder if he’s been tipping us since he started. Didn’t pay much attention the last few weeks.

 

[ScrappyDo]

It was interestingto hear Rooey's thoughts on why we seem to still bomb the ball long so often. He thinks there is no other option due to our slow ball movement from the back line, which does make sense. Not sure why we were doing it last year though when we were moving the ball faster.

Anyway, I do think the bombing long is more of a game plan issue rather than a personel one.

Definitely. Bad habbits also though.

 

[WhiskySaint]

Not sure I love the ins. Brown yes, but Phillips and Dunstan both have poor disposal which against a well drilled WCE zone could be an issue.

I do like Dunstan though (although I think we are better without him currently) and I’m excited to see another young player get his chance.

 

[Saintbloke]

It was interestingto hear Rooey's thoughts on why we seem to still bomb the ball long so often. He thinks there is no other option due to our slow ball movement from the back line, which does make sense. Not sure why we were doing it last year though when we were moving the ball faster.

Anyway, I do think the bombing long is more of a game plan issue rather than a personel one.

The forwards are mostly not running hard enough to present and demand the ball, or run hard to get in the clear, so those coming down the field are hanging on waiting for option that doesn't happen- they get pressured and the result is a bombing kick or a innefective handball. Our forwards seem to want to play the more man-on-man and try and outmark, but it's not working- over to you coach..its bloody basic footy.

 

[The_Steadier]

Not sure I love the ins. Brown yes, but Phillips and Dunstan both have poor disposal which against a well drilled WCE zone could be an issue.

I do like Dunstan though (although I think we are better without him currently) and I’m excited to see another young player get his chance.

Poor disposal beats no disposal.

Last 2 weeks the crows and giants both had the ball in their hands nearly 20% more than we did.

 

[ScrappyDo]

So jealous that you can get away with comments like that...

Life isn't easy with a criminal record..

 

[pebblesofsand]

What's Phillips defensive skills like? Any chance he gets a run with role on Gaff when he's on the field?

 

[mightymalaka]

What's Phillips defensive skills like? Any chance he gets a run with role on Gaff when he's on the field?

That would be the only reason i can guess that he is in the side this week!
S'pose not a bad idea, if he can pull it off and do a good job, then it's a great idea!

 

[MrFoster]

Very surprised with Phillips coming in, i would have gone Hind or kept Hunter in the team!
Won't matter in the end though!

We WILL Win!

Philips is a good link up player when transitioning from defence. He is also a very good runner;can spread and find space easily to receive the ball in the midfield. Hind has done well in VFL, but can he play mid in AFL? Can he defend against a very dangerous Eagles forward line with smalls in Cripps, Ryan?

 

[gringo2011]

It was interestingto hear Rooey's thoughts on why we seem to still bomb the ball long so often. He thinks there is no other option due to our slow ball movement from the back line, which does make sense. Not sure why we were doing it last year though when we were moving the ball faster.

Anyway, I do think the bombing long is more of a game plan issue rather than a personel one.

I said similar from watching at ground level. We have a game plan that involves nearly every player from up the field folding back to help defend through the midfield and backline line. We use effort to overcome a skills deficit. The plan is great but a really good side like Adelaide / GWS can leave their structure in place with 4 defenders staying put while we leave one forward isolated among them

When we work the ball back to our forward line we are waiting for our forwards to get into position while their mids are pressuring our ball carrier. The player with the ball is waiting for options to get to position because otherwise there is a huge outnumber. Bruce and Membrey set up and the ball gets dropped on them. The problem is that they have an outnumber still and they screen our forwards out and come in for an easy intercept. It repels back over our heads and often it's gone too fast to reposition all our players back into defence so it exposes us the other way as well.

 

[gringo2011]

The forwards are mostly not running hard enough to present and demand the ball, or run hard to get in the clear, so those coming down the field are hanging on waiting for option that doesn't happen- they get pressured and the result is a bombing kick or a innefective handball. Our forwards seem to want to play the more man-on-man and try and outmark, but it's not working- over to you coach..its bloody basic footy.

I actually totally disagree with that, our forwards are harder running than most. We make them play up the ground. A player like Tex Walker never has to leave the forward 50 because they trust their players and structure. Ours are all shot from working all over the ground.

 

[WhiskySaint]

Poor disposal beats no disposal.

Last 2 weeks the crows and giants both had the ball in their hands nearly 20% more than we did.

Yes, kind of and maybe, given that most scores are from turn over ball these days.

Anyway, I would have preferred to see Hind over Philips because his disposal seems to be a bit better. Hind also finds more of it at vfl level (25 disposals to 21) from the stats I’ve seen.

On Dunstan, IMO the midfield has worked better without him this year. Let’s see how he goes though.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

I agree!
But i think the Birdacious one was talking about Phillips!

Who also gets the ball OK compared to Clark.

 

[Sully111]

Just for something wildly different, i'm tipping that if we kick the ball well, both for goal and field kicking, we'll go ok... if not... another frustrating loss.

 

[mightymalaka]

Who also gets the ball OK compared to Clark.

Clark gets it ok in the VFL too!
Much like Dunstan it's pretty hard for Clark to get the pill when his arse is on the pine nearly half the time!
Both have avg TOG's in the 60-65%.....Which you may have guessed by now is the pet hate of mine, esp for midfielders!

 

[Roadto2018]

Pretty confident, if we play the way we did in that middle half last week we'll win because there's simply no way we can be as inefficient going forward as we were last week. Would also help if the other team don't play on high quality stimulants and go at 110% disposal efficiency in the first quarter like GWS did.

 

[Crusty Undies]

Just for something wildly different, i'm tipping that if we kick the ball well, both for goal and field kicking, we'll go ok... if not... another frustrating loss.

Revolutionary.

 

[cooperrules]

What's Phillips defensive skills like? Any chance he gets a run with role on Gaff when he's on the field?

Not sure about that but he does seem to get a lot of his possies defensive side of the play.

 

[Hayes4PM]

Right, so what’s a pass mark for Spook? 20 Disposals, 15 CPs ???

He’s there for contested possessions, clearances and tackles really, which are pretty important now with Steven out. 12-18 contested possessions, 4 - 8 clearances and 4 - 8 tackles is what you’d be hoping for as your contribution from Spook. I think for him, this year, 25 possessions a game with those contested, clearance and tackle numbers above would be good, if he can get in the upper end that would be very good.

 

[Grav]

I had a dream last night that we won this game 395 - 270. Is it an omen?


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Funnily enough mate, I too had a dream we won, but it was to get into the GF...

Wow! I had a dream last night that I had one too, suppose at my age thats all I can do, dream.

 

[BrutThough]

Hmmmm! I wonder why?
Do you subscribe to the theory, it's because he has no tank?

Or are you just as baffled as some of us who have been watching closely from afar now as to another possible reason?
Seeing this never seems to be a problem in the VFL or the rare times he has been given a TOG more in keeping with most midfielders
In the seniors?

Partly because he doesnt have another position to play in. Partly because we have other midfielders who we would prefer to start over him i.e. Ross and Steele, and we wouldn't want all three starting together too often. Partly because he gets banged up a lot.

 

[BrutThough]

Dermie tipped us to win by 3 points.

Wonder if he’s been tipping us since he started. Didn’t pay much attention the last few weeks.

He tipped GWS last week.

 

[mightymalaka]

Partly because he doesnt have another position to play in. Partly because we have other midfielders who we would prefer to start over him i.e. Ross and Steele, and we wouldn't want all three starting together too often. Partly because he gets banged up a lot.

I would agree with the last one!
Don't necessarily agree with the first 2 points! Imo he can play as a defensive forward as well, he has proved he can hit the scoreboard much more than Ross and Steele!

Will concede it's not ideal to have a starting midfield of Steele, Ross and Dunstan as their is a distinctive lack of line breaking speed within the three!
But no reason why they can't all rotate through there in a more even spread though, and of the three i would argue Dunstan is just as capable if not more
Than of playing in another position in short bursts!