Preview Round 8: Saints vs Crows

[Terror Time]

Would like to see Jones and Maister in the team but don't want that to be at the expense of the rugby scrum approach we had across the field against the blues. Keep our fleet of runners!

Jones in for Wright.

Maister should play but who gets dropped for him? Milne I hope not. One of our runners I hope not. Give him another weeks rest.

 

[Nutsngum]

Would like to see Jones and Maister in the team but don't want that to be at the expense of the rugby scrum approach we had across the field against the blues. Keep our fleet of runners!

Jones in for Wright.

Maister should play but who gets dropped for him? Milne I hope not. One of our runners I hope not. Give him another weeks rest.

Honestly dropping one of the smalls might be best and based on form from the Carlton game it would probably be Milera. Saad seems to have started to recapture his form and this confidence will hopefully see him put it on 100% again. Milne is similar but might be slower. Its a hard decision, particually if the rumors of Milera wanting to return to Adelaide are true.

 

[The Enemy Within]

Tom Lynch will be lucky to kick 1 goal this week, so he kicked 10 on the worst defensive side in the comp big deal.

 

[Baldur]

While we are considering matchups for Dangerfield. What about what Watters did against Carlton when he put Dal on Judd. Put Dal on Dangerfield. Thereby dragging Dals tag with him and creating an extra for us in the midfield. The Crows may be expecting it and react by moving the tag to Monti. But then we can move a tagger to Dangerfield and let Dal of the chain.

 

[BUTTON 92]

Tom Lynch will be lucky to kick 1 goal this week, so he kicked 10 on the worst defensive side in the comp big deal.

I hear this from alot of opposition supporters however the highest bag kicked on GWS until Lynchys 10 was only 7. So I think some credit is due. He was also in very good from for the 3 games before that one anyhow.

 

[Falchoon]

So, for mine, it's all about structure. We need more in the inside, and we need more in the forward line.

Out: Wright (inj) , Milne/Milera (preferably Milne)
In: Jones/Ledger/Curren, Maister (PLEASE be fit, Beau!)

If Maister can't come in, I'd settle for Lee... and if Lee can't come in, well, fine, bring in TWO inside mids: Jones and Ledger/Curren. I already thought we were short an inside mid against Carlton, and that was BEFORE they took out Jones (AND Saunders!).

True, but for three quarters we made them look slow in the midfield.

 

[Falchoon]

Guys, Milne is not going to come out of the side. It is very obvious that Watters wants to maintain the top tier hierarchy as much as possible in order to have the youth something to actually play up to, the fact Kosi has been played is proof of this.

Milne for all his bad (egotistical) decisions still kicked two goals in a low scoring game and had a good effort across the field in general. He is not going to change mentally at 33yo and 250+ games and the only thing you can do is wait for his body to catch up to him like last year which, in my opinion, is starting to happen.

Milne played ok without the ball, with the ball he needs to be directed to only kick standard drop punts, the across the body stuff is too risky away from 30 metres out - and opens us up completely when it doesn't come off.

Risk/Reward.

 

[The Punter]

Jones in for Wright - Ray or Geary to the back seven.

No other changes unless some of the kids can't handle the 5 1/2 day break (Ross, Newnes or Webster).

 

[aussierulesrules]

Extremely winnable game this one.

We almost beat them over there last year (when they had Tippett monstering us and kicking 5 and also Taylor Walker and a currently out of form Porp contributing 5 goals between them as well) and then beat them comfortably over there in the NAB Cup (albeit when we had a considerably stronger team in), so this game ought to hold no fears for us. Not suggesting that it is a game we "should win" or that it will be a walk in the park, because I don't expect for a second that it will be, especially since we are not kicking high scores at the moment (due to the rather defensive way we're playing) and because we are coming off a short break, but it is very, very winnable.

Tom Lynch kicked 10 in their walk in the park last week, but he is the type that we actually have multiple ideal match-ups for (Fisher- who probably used to monster him at training and intra-club matches), Gwilt (who Tom is not much taller than), Dempster (who would wear him like a glove), Roberton (who is taller than him and would probably also wear him like a glove and has a similarly big tank) and Stanley (who is 4 inches taller than him, much quicker and much more athletic), so if he's the best they've got up forward then I'm far from worried about that area of the ground. Jenkins I see as more of a likely threat given he is much taller and stronger, but he's probably similar to Hampson, who Rhys kept quiet last week.

Other than them, Dangerfield looms as a threat when he pushes forward, but if Gears goes with him in the midfield, as I expect he will, then he will not feel uncomfortable if he is dragged into defence on Patty, as that is where he has of course played the great majority of his career. I see Dempster (who at 191cm is that little bit taller than Danger) as the ideal match-up for Patty there though, so if he gets across to him when he pushes forward that will be ideal I think.

Fair to say this match is likely to be decided in the midfield. Can we afford to not have CJ in there this week, after we got beaten by 10 in the clearances count last week without he and Lenny in there? Ray did OK on Monday, but not so well that I would say he is safe from being left out this week, so a lot will probably depend on the "team balance" that saw CJ left out last game and of course the match-up's.

Dal to Sloane would be a good start for mine. Maybe Joey to Thompson.

Who comes in for Wright?

Dunell is probably the ideal one if we want "like-for-like" as he has apparently been playing down back in the VFL and brings good run and speed and was emergency on Monday night, but Jimmy W could also play that role for the whole game, so we don't necessarily need to bring someone in to play that role. Dunell has done well in the sub role though and he deserves a crack in the seniors very soon I reckon. CJ another possibility, as are Saunders and Murdoch (Brodie less likely I would have thought) and of course Beau, if he is fit.

I felt that we were really lacking another strong marking presence and option in the forward line on Monday night, as Hickey and Sippa only popped up now and then and would love to get Beau back in there whenever he is ready, to create a double-threat with Rooey. If Sippa is going to be playing deep at FF, as he was for much of Monday's game, then I would much prefer Beau (with his extra height, strength and marking strength) to be playing that role, as I much prefer Arryn playing that 3rd or 4th lead-up or flank role, as he was against Collingwood the week before.

Milera may be an option to come out for someone, especially if want to get Beau in there, but I would be inclined to want to play him with the game being in his home town of Adelaide, where he played one of his very best games last year.

Lots of different ways we can go, as has been the case all year.

Go Sainters!

 

[Squizz]

Milne played ok without the ball, with the ball he needs to be directed to only kick standard drop punts, the across the body stuff is too risky away from 30 metres out - and opens us up completely when it doesn't come off.

Risk/Reward.

Yep. Some of his long standing habits are compounded when his field kicking errors lead directly to opposition goals. They had him playing way up the ground in that Schneider-type role. He ain't Schneider when it comes to passing the ball.

Walker's early running goal came after a horrid low percentage pass by Milne.

Their next scoring shot came after a missed tackle from Milne. I'm not even sure what he was thinking - just ran straight past with one arm. Luckily McLean missed a relatively easy shot.

On the wing he shanked a kick and spotted up a Carlton player in the middle of 3 Saints.

In the second half he did a great run from half back and then gave a hospital pass to Ray, who could've been spoiled and put out of action if Kruezer had even a flicker of Michael Gardiner in him.

The commentators talk a bunch of crap at times - but they were spot on with the comment that the whole stadium knew Milne was going to take the man standing the mark on. It was only luck that Garlett didn't kick the goal from the turnover.

The stats people were very generous with only 2 clangers (shoud've been 4 as a minimum), although to be fair they missed a score assist when he tackled a player and set Siposs up to snap his goal.

 

[The Enemy Within]

Jones in for Wright perfect match up on Thompson as Thompson rarely plays as a permenant forward.

 

[The Enemy Within]

And your defence is super impressive? Rhys stanley on Jenkins will be fun to watch.
Dont know who you guys are going to play on lynch, he runs a marathon most games, none of your backmen will be able to keep up. Presti mark 2 will wear riewoldt like a glove aswell

A lot better than GWS and Stanley will do well on Jenkins

 

[aussierulesrules]

If only we are so lucky

Roberton also has a massive tank, is taller and quicker than Tom and has been at least as good as Tom has been this year except in this last week, if not better (almost without question better). Then we have the likes of Dempster who is an almost identical height to Tom and has shut down far far better than Lynch over the last few years. He didn't get in the AA team last year, or play in 5 grand finals and a premiership, for no good reason.

If you take out his game against a "basket case" in GWS, Tom had 13 goals in his 15 AFL games and two in 3 games for the year. So until he starts to play that sort of footy against teams that are not at that time a young and inexperienced "rabble", getting demolished, he is someone who is good for a goal a game against the other AFL teams and hardly someone we'll be shaking in our boots against, especially since we know how he plays and who shut him down best at training and intra-club games, from him having been here for years.

He will almost certainly get some lead-up marks up the ground though, thanks to his big tank. He definitely has that going for him, so we will need to have someone with a big tank on him, but thankfully we have multiple options for him.

 

[jangofett]

A lot better than GWS and Stanley will do well on Jenkins

The matchups for our backline is pretty obvious i think. Talia v riewoldt, otten v siposs, rutten v hickey? brown v milne, laird v saad, smith v milera

Not sure about the other end of the ground though.
We rotated 16 players through the forward line last week, we are pretty unpredictable at the moment.
i think we will see Fisher v Jenkins, stanley v Mckernan, dempster v porpoise, Gwilt v Lynch. And what about when dangerfield goes forward? wow wee thats a hard match up.

Fisher likes to play lose, so maybe jenkins can get on top. Stanley and Mckernan will probably break even, without having much of an impact. Gwilt should bring his runners. Porpoise has been struggling, so dempster might rebound quite easily. Roberton probably gets the rotating midfielder in the fwd line like a wright or kerridge. A lot of things are uncertain. Your biggest worry is when dangerfield goes forward

 

[jangofett]

Roberton also has a massive tank, is taller and quicker than Tom and has been at least as good as Tom has been this year except in this last week, if not better (almost without question better). Then we have the likes of Dempster who is an almost identical height to Tom and has shut down far far better than Lynch over the last few years. He didn't get in the AA team last year, or play in 5 grand finals and a premiership, for no good reason.

If you take out his game against a "basket case" in GWS, Tom had 13 goals in his 15 AFL games and two in 3 games for the year. So until he starts to play that sort of footy against teams that are not at that time a young and inexperienced "rabble", getting demolished, he is someone who is good for a goal a game against the other AFL teams and hardly someone we'll be shaking in our boots against, especially since we know how he plays and who shut him down best at training and intra-club games, from him having been here for years.

He will almost certainly get some lead-up marks up the ground though, thanks to his big tank. He definitely has that going for him, so we will need to have someone with a big tank on him, but thankfully we have multiple options for him.

Hes not a big goal kicker, weve acknowledged that. Hes not exactly even playing as a forward at the moment. Hes all over the ground, been in the midfield and the backline. Just think hell be a hard match up because he covers a ridiculous amount of ground.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Your biggest worry is when dangerfield goes forward

I'm not worried, just respectful. I would consider Dempster to be about as a good a match-up for Dangerfield (when he's playing forward) as anyone in the comp, though. He's completely shut down the likes of Cyril Rioli, Eddie Betts, Alan Didak (when he was good) and so on in the past, who are super-quick and also very agile and nimble and at 191cm has also played on the likes of Buddy Franklin and Jack Riewoldt, who are much taller than Danger. In fact, I dare say Sean would have played on Patty when he's been playing forward against us in the past. The fact that he can play so well on almost anyone, of any size, is one of the things Watters has been so impressed by with Sean, who is also deceptively quick (not as quick as Patty, but far from slow).

Dangerfield is going to be a dangerous match-up forward for any team, but we have someone who is really well suited to playing on him back there.

It is also likely that Geary will get the job on him in the midfield, after keeping Sidebottom to 10 possies two weeks ago and Murphy to 17 on Monday night and he of course has spent most of his career in the backline, so he at least won't feel uncomfortable back there if Danger pushes forward and we aren't able to get someone like Dempster to him in time.

As for Lynch, if he does play up the ground closer to the midfield, we certainly won't be playing Gwilt on him and Roberton with his huge tank and extra height (194cm) would be the obvious match-up. I think Tom's better than some on here are giving him credit for, due to how much ground he is able to cover and how he seems to read the play well and use it reasonably well, but he is not a Kurt Tippett or Taylor Walker, with their big contested marking, who are the types that have given us a lot of trouble in the past 18 months.

 

[Persevering Saint]

As I said on the Lynch thread, Roberton will go to lunch on Lynch. He has the tank for Lynch, easily, and is fine form.

As for Jenkins, look, he's a great young tall for you guys... but let's not go crazy, here. He's played 18 games, at 11 disposals and 1.3 goals. Even this year, he's still averaging 12 disposals with 1.7 goals, with best return of 2 goals against Brisbane (ooh, I'm shaking in my boots...). He's a great young lad, and I loved what I saw for your mob when I saw him live in the NAB tri-team game earlier this year. But to subtly suggest the 197cm Jenkins will leave the 201cm Stanley in the wake of his magnificence, is a touch-much.

 

[Tongue In Cheek]

We rotated 16 players through the forward line last week, we are pretty unpredictable at the moment.
i think we will see Fisher v Jenkins, stanley v Mckernan, dempster v porpoise, Gwilt v Lynch. And what about when dangerfield goes forward? wow wee thats a hard match up.

Please explain why you think Gwilt will be sent to Lynch?

PS. "New member as of today" with 11 posts and 6 on our board... keep it nice

 

[Persevering Saint]

Roberton to Lynch? interesting. I reckon gwilt will. Roberton doesnt look like he has the aerobic capacity to play on lynch. You guys will lose simply because you wont be able to stop dangerfield

As a person living in Adelaide, this just SO typifies the big-fish-in-small-pond mentality of this city when it comes to footy. The inexplicable assumption of Ditz and Roo (Ricciuto), KG, Jars, etc, that the rest of the AFL exists to serve the Crows and Power.

Please, the reason you think we have nobody to stop Dangerfield, is because you have no idea who we DO have. And the reason for that, is because the only games this city discusses, focuses on, or has any clue about, are the games involving Adelaide's two teams. Which means you have no basis on which to claim knowledge of Roberton or any of our players, how we'll stop you team.

All I know is that your precious bunch of feathers have been plucked 4 times this year already, only one less time than us. Your wins have been against the Giants (just like us), the Doggies (who we haven't played, but should easily beat), and the Lions (again, who we haven't played). Two weeks ago you were beaten by Carlton, the team we just won over, by over 30 points.

 

[Coconut_twirl]

I really like the idea of Geary playing Clinton Jones' role. Jones represents the past, not the future of St.kilda going beyond 2013.

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

As a person living in Adelaide, this just SO typifies the big-fish-in-small-pond mentality of this city when it comes to footy. The inexplicable assumption of Ditz and Roo (Ricciuto), KG, Jars, etc, that the rest of the AFL exists to serve the Crows and Power.

Please, the reason you think we have nobody to stop Dangerfield, is because you have no idea who we DO have. And the reason for that, is because the only games this city discusses, focuses on, or has any clue about, are the games involving Adelaide's two teams. Which means you have no basis on which to claim knowledge of Roberton or any of our players, how we'll stop you team.

All I know is that your precious bunch of feathers have been plucked 4 times this year already, only one less time than us. Your wins have been against the Giants (just like us), the Doggies (who we haven't played, but should easily beat), and the Lions (again, who we haven't played). Two weeks ago you were beaten by Carlton, the team we just won over, by over 30 points.

We could have flogged Carlton had we have kicked straight as well. I think we are a chance this weekend but not real confident with the game in Adelaide.

 

[Baughb]

In: Jones
Out: Wright

Ray can play as a half back runner, which he has done pretty well throughout his career. Not as athletic as Wright but better aerial skills. That said I hope Wright can come back as soon as possible.

Clearly we faded out in the fourth on Monday and most of that stemmed from the lack of contested possessions/clearances in the centre. Jones is fitter than most and has had a weeks rest so dropping off late in the game isn't an issue. He's shown he's pretty damn good at getting first touch this season so he should help our developing mids out.

I'd like Maister back in the team if he's fit but I think we'd have to drop Hickey to accommodate him as Hickey, Roo, Maister and Siposs might be a bit too top heavy. If we did bring him in I think Siposs would go back, Jones in for Wright and Maister in for Ray/Newnes/Ross/Milera- that puts us down one runner though. Give Hickey at least another week as he looked pretty good in patches against Carlton and needs some consecutive games. Give Maister a run in the VFL for a week or so to test his fitness.

Webster to start, Milera puts on the vest.

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

The only one in your team that has the tank for lynch is riewoldt. Only one that can cover as much ground.

Jenkins had 9 shots on goal against Hawthorn playing on stratton and Lake. Rhys Stanley will get a bath

You guys lost to gold coast, dont get ahead of yourselves.

Ill add that jack steven looks like an A grader, kerridge will probably match him up

Please.. Ffs

 

[joop]

Roberton > lynch
Geary > Danger
Joey > Sloane
Ross > Thompson
Dal > outside

cant believe so many people are saying bring Jones back in, i thought Monday night showed how much we dont actually need him. geary can take his role and it frees someone else up.

 

[Persevering Saint]

The only one in your team that has the tank for lynch is riewoldt. Only one that can cover as much ground.

Jenkins had 9 shots on goal against Hawthorn playing on stratton and Lake. Rhys Stanley will get a bath

You guys lost to gold coast, dont get ahead of yourselves.

Ill add that jack steven looks like an A grader, kerridge will probably match him up

You're coming in here, after three games against sub-standard opposition, acting like your players are some kind of invincible demi-gods, and you're accusing US of getting ahead of ourselves!?! I'm actually laughing.

I only thank God that I actually know and work with Crows fans, who show that not all of them are as ignorant and arrogant as you (even if a helluvalot of them are...).

I'm not wasting my time replying to any more of your posts. Run along...