I know its early in the season but this is what I've seen so far:
Positives
tackles and 1%: saints have been ferocious at the ball and at the man, best include Dal, lenny, goose, max, v2 and hammer who have hit the ball and the man as hard as any one can do legally.
8/10
forwards: from the 'thrusts' into the forward 50, i'd say they are not in the right place at the right time, Adelaide and Richmond picked us off with relative ease time and time again, with easy marks and spoils 30 to 40 metres out directly in front, where x, dal, lenny et al have delivered time and time again. FG has looked a little lethargic and hammer often doesn't let the ball 'stick' double clutching at marks. Adelaide and richmond time and time again set up their attacks from our half forward/their half back line. There is no doubting the endeavour of Hamill, Snowey, Kosi (v adelaide), yapper and co, but their drilling needs more work. Also our accuracy has been average, we had something like 8 more shots than adelaide and a swag more than richmond, but missed a few easy set shots from 20 to 30 metres (none were as bad as richos though
) 6/10
Centre: Our strongest suit, yet to be tested against the bears, essendon, west coast etc who are like us well equiped, thommo, banger, ball, goddard, black, dal etc, a talented and skilled line up, played well against the crows, and richmond. have a tendency to, when the game speeds up, to make silly turnovers.
Needs more experience and drilling, but getting good 8/10 (brisbane 10/10, collingwood 8.5/10 by comparison)
Defence: traditionally our weakest area, we've had good defenders, but rarely 'click' as a unit, and often collapse under pressure. I think against adelaide the defence held up well, and against richmond, picked off their midfielders with relative ease. Richo could have torn us apart with some great marking, but his finishing probably broke the spirit of his midfield, I can't see us getting such a forgiving forward with lucas, hird and lloyd roaming the forward 50. goose, penny, and blake will be our tall defenders, whith the couragious v2 in the back line, will it be good enough against essendon? i don't think so, its up to the midfielders to win the ball and protect our defence. 6/10
The game plan for st kilda is to win the ball in the middle and attack, a flawed plan no doubt, but one that suits the perfect glass tops played on these days. Should we make the GF, and play in torrential rain on a mudsoaked MCG, I think we will get destroyed, we spent years translating from waverley to ducklands, and now we are 'ducklands' specialists on last years form, good tacklers, good spoilers, and fast breakers, none of the skill and grace of winmar and macadam running around the wings at the big park feeding loewe, obie and lockett and heaters. I think its up to our midfield to score as many goals as our forwards and that has found us often undone out west and in city of churches.
against richmond and adelaide we controlled the corridor, but found the foe easily running the ball into their forward line through the wings! Richmond found they were turning the ball over time and time again when they kicked it inboard, but when they ran around the wings, they had a clear path.
I can't see sheeds and lethal missing this point, or malty for that matter.
we are a one trick pony so far,and for much of the end of the last season, when we got caught in a quagmire at sleepy hollow.
win at ground level, kick and run = simple and effective, win most games...win a flag? we need a plan b and c. watch how essendon and brisbane change tactics in 45 seconds, sure they lose games, but for proffessionalism and execution you can't go past sheeds and lethal. even pagan by comparison is a one trick coach (although it is a good trick!)
Positives
tackles and 1%: saints have been ferocious at the ball and at the man, best include Dal, lenny, goose, max, v2 and hammer who have hit the ball and the man as hard as any one can do legally.
8/10
forwards: from the 'thrusts' into the forward 50, i'd say they are not in the right place at the right time, Adelaide and Richmond picked us off with relative ease time and time again, with easy marks and spoils 30 to 40 metres out directly in front, where x, dal, lenny et al have delivered time and time again. FG has looked a little lethargic and hammer often doesn't let the ball 'stick' double clutching at marks. Adelaide and richmond time and time again set up their attacks from our half forward/their half back line. There is no doubting the endeavour of Hamill, Snowey, Kosi (v adelaide), yapper and co, but their drilling needs more work. Also our accuracy has been average, we had something like 8 more shots than adelaide and a swag more than richmond, but missed a few easy set shots from 20 to 30 metres (none were as bad as richos though
) 6/10Centre: Our strongest suit, yet to be tested against the bears, essendon, west coast etc who are like us well equiped, thommo, banger, ball, goddard, black, dal etc, a talented and skilled line up, played well against the crows, and richmond. have a tendency to, when the game speeds up, to make silly turnovers.
Needs more experience and drilling, but getting good 8/10 (brisbane 10/10, collingwood 8.5/10 by comparison)
Defence: traditionally our weakest area, we've had good defenders, but rarely 'click' as a unit, and often collapse under pressure. I think against adelaide the defence held up well, and against richmond, picked off their midfielders with relative ease. Richo could have torn us apart with some great marking, but his finishing probably broke the spirit of his midfield, I can't see us getting such a forgiving forward with lucas, hird and lloyd roaming the forward 50. goose, penny, and blake will be our tall defenders, whith the couragious v2 in the back line, will it be good enough against essendon? i don't think so, its up to the midfielders to win the ball and protect our defence. 6/10
The game plan for st kilda is to win the ball in the middle and attack, a flawed plan no doubt, but one that suits the perfect glass tops played on these days. Should we make the GF, and play in torrential rain on a mudsoaked MCG, I think we will get destroyed, we spent years translating from waverley to ducklands, and now we are 'ducklands' specialists on last years form, good tacklers, good spoilers, and fast breakers, none of the skill and grace of winmar and macadam running around the wings at the big park feeding loewe, obie and lockett and heaters. I think its up to our midfield to score as many goals as our forwards and that has found us often undone out west and in city of churches.
against richmond and adelaide we controlled the corridor, but found the foe easily running the ball into their forward line through the wings! Richmond found they were turning the ball over time and time again when they kicked it inboard, but when they ran around the wings, they had a clear path.
I can't see sheeds and lethal missing this point, or malty for that matter.
we are a one trick pony so far,and for much of the end of the last season, when we got caught in a quagmire at sleepy hollow.
win at ground level, kick and run = simple and effective, win most games...win a flag? we need a plan b and c. watch how essendon and brisbane change tactics in 45 seconds, sure they lose games, but for proffessionalism and execution you can't go past sheeds and lethal. even pagan by comparison is a one trick coach (although it is a good trick!)
