Other St Kilda Saints: Chasing '2'
- Thread starter brobest
- Start date
- Tagged users None
🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.
- Thread starter
- #2
Ratten hoping to Surge with Saints!
It sure must be hard work being a St Kilda fan. Still stuck on that single premiership claimed way back in 1966, a second flag seems years away.
A resurgence in the early 2000s and into the end of that decade has been replaced by more years of mediocrity. The Saints' last finals appearance came in 2011.
Rather than continuing to build through the draft, they have added some more mature players like Zak Jones and Paddy Ryder to their existing young talent. Former Carlton coach Brett Ratten has been appointed the latest man to try to make it all come together.
Ratten said "We go into every season as an equal, you can look at previews, worry about predictions and let that get inside your mentality. However we have a group here that are ready to box all that out and play some footy"
It has been nine long seasons since St Kilda last featured in the AFL finals. Many would expect that trend to continue in 2020.
There were some encouraging moments last season. Three wins in a four-game stretch under Ratten late in the year, including a triumph over finals-bound Western Bulldogs, showed they are capable of some good football.
Most St Kilda fans will only have seen archive footage of that one flag. While it may be a while until they contend again, they could expect to push for the fringes of the top eight this year.
- Thread starter
- #4
Finals Run Starts Here!
Its a brave call, maybe foolish but thats the cry coming out of the Saints camp as Round 1 nears. The Saints head to North Melbourne in high spirits after a pair of Marsh Series wins, hoping to get their 2020 Home and Away Ladder off to the best start.
Club Captain Jarryn Geary said "The boys are in this together, there is no doubt that we have the right attitude and the group is one of the most talented ive lined up with. We are focused on ourselves, we are looking towards the Finals and its that motivation which will get us through the tough times"
The Kangaroos themselves are coming off an average 2019 season, but with Cunnington still at the club and guns such as Tarrant and Brown, there is little doubt that a good start could see North sneak a place into the 'Eight'.
St. Kilda will be determined to start well, its a game that may seem insignificant to many onlookers but the chase for number 2 begins!
Its a brave call, maybe foolish but thats the cry coming out of the Saints camp as Round 1 nears. The Saints head to North Melbourne in high spirits after a pair of Marsh Series wins, hoping to get their 2020 Home and Away Ladder off to the best start.
Club Captain Jarryn Geary said "The boys are in this together, there is no doubt that we have the right attitude and the group is one of the most talented ive lined up with. We are focused on ourselves, we are looking towards the Finals and its that motivation which will get us through the tough times"
The Kangaroos themselves are coming off an average 2019 season, but with Cunnington still at the club and guns such as Tarrant and Brown, there is little doubt that a good start could see North sneak a place into the 'Eight'.
St. Kilda will be determined to start well, its a game that may seem insignificant to many onlookers but the chase for number 2 begins!
Log in to remove this Banner Ad
- Thread starter
- #5
The was a slight rally before the half as St Kilda closed the gap but at the break, the Roos still held a healthy 16pt lead, as the home fans at Marvel Stadium could enjoy their pie on top.
However that all changed in the 3rd, the Saints came out fast and would score 5 goals in a quarter that saw them not only close the gap but head into the last, leading by 1pt as Ben Long came off the bench to score 3 of his 4 goals in the fightback.
Long said after the game "We felt good and seemed to be the stronger team at the time. Obviously we fell off, but thats the consistency factor we need to find in order to see these games through"
Sadly that was as good as she got for the Saints, they would muster just one more goal in a dogged 4th, whilst North would chisel away at the scoreboard, before themselves sealing the win with a late goal by Shaun Higgins, giving them a battling 68-62 win and leaving the Saints with more questions than answers at the end of the game.
"You have to play to the horn, every minute, every possession" said Ratten. "We failed to do that, its no good me standing here praising the boys for that 3rd quarter when I know we failed to make the most of it".
Its a tough one to take on opening week for the Saints, they will regroup in the hope of getting things back on track vs West Coast, as an 0-2 start with Richmond on the way could put paid to any hopes they had for 2020 just weeks into the season.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #6
That winning feeling returned to St Kilda as they again rallied from a deficit, stopping the Eagles in their tracks thanks to Max Kings 4-goal haul in the 3rd turn. West Coast held a slender lead during a sluggish opening half as neither side found their rhythm and would share just 5 goals.
However in the 3rd, the Saints put themselves in control, scoring 5 goals to 1 and taking a 16pt lead that would be enough to see them through. Brett Ratten said "We had strong words at the half, the players knew that we had more to give and credit to them they followed that through"
The Saints ensured there would be no heartache in the 4th this time, matching Wests' 2 goals and holding firm as their defense stepped up to see the home team to the finish. West Coast will look back on a matchup that they dominated statistically only to fall down when it counted and thats putting the footy between the sticks.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #7
Daniel Rioli led the Tigers to a nailbiting win over St Kilda, as the Tigers proved their worth, scoring 6 in a second half that saw them overhaul the Saints. Rioli would lead Richmond with 3 goals, as he took command with both Martin and Riewoldt having relatively off nights for the Tigers.
Long would himself score 3 for the Saints, but they were unable to hang on to a lead they had throughout the 1st half, as weary legs took over and the AFLs most dominant force stalked its prey.
Rioli spoke after, saying "They took us by surprise, coming up strong early and if it wasnt for us digging in, they could have sailed away. But once we hit our stride, there are few teams that can hang with us and that was the case tonight as although the scoreline suggests otherwise, we felt pretty comfortable out there"
A 2nd loss for the Saints leaves them once again having to ask questions of themselves. Melbourne comes next and there needs to be a response from St Kilda before the season crashes out of control.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #8
Chalk up a 3rd loss for the Saints as Melbourne prevailed as the teams went toe to toe at Marvel Stadium. Hopes were high for a 2nd St Kilda win as they peppered the Demons defense, scoring 8 in the first half to take a 1pt lead into the break, as Melbourne themselves ticked over the scoreboard on the back of a solid effort by Petracca.
In contrast the 3rd turn was quiet, both teams held firm with a few behinds trickling through, as the game was fought for in the guts of the field. Yet a familiar outcome was ahead for St Kilda fans, as although they looked to take command in that 4th, it was the Demons who exorcised the win thanks to a late goal from Brayshaw, leaving the Saints at the wrong end of the Ladder with a 1-3 record.
Dan Butler (3-goal night) "We can only blame ourselves, its becoming a recurring theme and we all have to go back and look at what we can do as individuals to make up for this shortcoming".
Aaron Vandenberg (Demons) "Viney had a huge game for us in there, he was the glue in the 3rd as we began to tire. The coaches said to us that the Saints are burning out late in games, so we just had to hang in and get our rewards at the end there"
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #9
A romp on a hazy evening for the Cats as Geelong belied their 1-3 record to score 100+ on the Saints, who now slip to a 4th loss in 5. The scoreline would have looked out of the question after the 1st turn, with the Cats trailing 6-7, but that would be the end of any Geelong impotency.
6 goals came in a 2nd that saw the Cats stretch out to a 41-13 lead and although the Saints would find their scoring boots in the 2nd half, Geelong never stopped, adding a further 10 goals to their tally to claim a 44 point win and get their season back on track.
For St Kilda it was a result in the making, their close run things saw them burn out tonight and the reality of sitting at 1-4 at almost the quarter mark of the Ladder, leaves them well on the outside looking in.
Brett Ratten snarled "Thats not the footy im expecting from my boys. They have to start taking a look at themselves here, we have given up games this year and tonight we just gave up full stop. Credit to Geelong for kicking on tonight, but we are in a bad place right now"
3 Cats would kick 3+ goals each, Quinton Narkle going off with 5. It was a statistical nightmare for the Saints, losing out 50-11 on Marks as they lost out in all the key categories once again at the horn.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #10
Finally St Kilda get back into the win column with a sound win over Adelaide, as the Crows were condemned to their 5th loss of the fledgling season. Max King once again found his scoring stroke with 3 snags as the Saints made the most of their ANZAC day sellout.
Overall it was a deserved win, the score worm sat kindly in favour of the Saints as although Adelaide remained in touch, there was never any danger of the Saints giving this victory away.
2 goal' Jack Billings said "Alot has been talked about us in a negative light, but internally the group we have has dealt with this and is prepared to work towards our targets. Today will give us more confidence as we head into the meat of the season, we need to stay in touch and give ourselves a shot in the run-in"
Its a small stepping stone for the Saints, but after a few loses that shouldnt have been, this win will mean alot more to the struggling club.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #13
From the high of beating Adelaide to the low of a thumping this round, the Saints continue their struggling ways as Collingwood eased to a 4th win, never looking in trouble thanks to the efforts from Elliott, Thomas and Mihocek who all snagged 3 a piece.
Once again Ben Long did his part for St Kilda, racking up 4 in a game for the 2nd time. But it was not nearly enough, the Saints coming up well shy by three scores at the horn.
Steele Sidebottom of Collingwood was delighted "Its a big win for us, they came into the game with a little momentum and a loss would see them tie us at 3-4. We need to get our season moving in the right direction and this sets down a marker for that"
On the other side of the coin, a desolate Jarryn Geary said "We are in a hole, theres alot of boys in our locker room asking more questions than they need to. Sometimes we overthink things, but the basics of it is playing footy with the fundamentals and we need to find that again"
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #14
They dont come around often but tonight the Saints and Blues played out a draw, with the Saints almost throwing away victory before snagging a draw from the jaws of defeat. Carlton were down big through the opening 3 turns and it looked for all intent and purposes that the Saints would wrap up win number 3.
However the Blues had other ideas and would grind away at the lead on the back of Will Setterfield and Matt Kennedy scoring 4 of the Blues 5 goals in the quarter. This run from the Blues would actually see them go into the lead in the final minute, leaving the Saints fans stunned as yet again tired legs looked to have killed their chances late in a game.
But with a final long punt toward the box, it was Max King who reached up and grabbed a desperate mark, to give him an after the horn kick from 20 to tie it. Fortunately he did and the spoils would be shared in a dramatic evening at Marvel Stadium.
Last gasp hero Max King said after "It feels like a loss, I dont think we can take anything from that. I mean you cant give up leads like we are, we need to control the footy and not continue to hope our scrappy style will get us anywhere. Its another round where we fall further away from the Top 8"
- Thread starter
- #15
It was barely a contest as the Saints continue to look toward yet another Wooden Spoon, slipping to a 6th loss as the GWS Giants controlled all 4 turns with ease.
There was a brief uptick by St Kilda in the 3rd as they closed the gap to within 7, but the Giants turned another gear and made good on the win, keeping them on track for a Top 4 finish.
The get out for the Saints here was the missing of Geary, Billings and Carlisle as suspension and injury begin to add further woe to the club. However there was no excuses made by Brett Ratten, who didnt mince his words: "Im not going to stand infront of you and give you all a sob story about tonight. We have to think about where we want to go as a group"
- Thread starter
- #16
The Saints slump continues at full steam as the Dockers sailed away with the win, comfortably keeping the Saints ashore and keeping their Top 8 hopes very much alive.
At no point did St Kilda look threatening enough to cut Freo down, yet another sign that there are significant problems at the club as they head toward adding to their record collection of Wooden Spoons.
Fremantle led by Jesse Hogan and Rory Lobb outworked the Saints, winning out in all the key contests as the battle raged up the guts. Hogan said "Look we knew the Saints were in a funk, so we came here, set our gameplan out and executed it. I think thats the mindset we have to have, look after ourselves and that way the results will fall into place"
- Thread starter
- #17
Half a season in the books for the Saints as they hoped to mark the occasion with a turning point performance. Alas it couldnt have been worse, just 1 behind in the 1st, just 1 goal by the half, it was a romp for Port Adelaide in the blazing sun.
There was a rally by the Saints in the 2nd half, especially the 4th as they doubled their goals tally in a fighting run that saw them get to within a goal. But it was all too familiar and all too late for them, losing yet again and with just 2 wins from their opening 11, the club will need a refresh from top to bottom.
For Port, it was an important win to keep them on the cusp of the '8' but they will worry about how the Saints closed the gap fast in a frantic 4th. Brett Ratten said "Well the boys stepped up like we asked them too, they were embarrassed today but took charge in the 4th and however minor, we have to use that as motivation as we move forward"
St Kilda now head into a bye week, a chance for the club to regroup and focus on having a solid run in their final 11 fixtures.
- Thread starter
- #19
Saints Use Bye Week to Heal
Its been tough, rough and down right miserable for all connected to the Saints this season, losing 8 of 11 and wasting what many believed was to be a season for the team to challenge for a Finals place.
However as with all teams, the Saints have had their injury problems, notably in the past couple of weeks missing Membrey, Billings and Ross from the starting list. All are expected back within 2 weeks, but its an ongoing sign that not all at the club is how they want it to be.
Coach Brett Ratten spoke about not wanting to use injuries and suspensions as excuses; "All teams deal with this and we should be as well. Of course you have a regular group that you want to be out there but we have a list we feel we can rely on"
Expectations for the Saints for the remainder of the season will be low, its very unlikely that the team can put a run together to get to the Finals, but with some momentum to head into 2021, maybe there can be a feel good factor around the club with a few positive results.
Its been tough, rough and down right miserable for all connected to the Saints this season, losing 8 of 11 and wasting what many believed was to be a season for the team to challenge for a Finals place.
However as with all teams, the Saints have had their injury problems, notably in the past couple of weeks missing Membrey, Billings and Ross from the starting list. All are expected back within 2 weeks, but its an ongoing sign that not all at the club is how they want it to be.
Coach Brett Ratten spoke about not wanting to use injuries and suspensions as excuses; "All teams deal with this and we should be as well. Of course you have a regular group that you want to be out there but we have a list we feel we can rely on"
Expectations for the Saints for the remainder of the season will be low, its very unlikely that the team can put a run together to get to the Finals, but with some momentum to head into 2021, maybe there can be a feel good factor around the club with a few positive results.
🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.
FootyFanaticCareers
Debutant
This is awesome man!If anyone has any tips or things they think I can improve on here, feel free to let me know. As a UK based fan its hard at times to come across as knowing anything about the sport!
Love your work! How did you get the pictures if you are simming?