St.Kilda

[Joel]

Well I'm a Collingwood supporter, but honestly St.Kilda really blew it tonight! How could the blow the lead of 5 goals in the last quarter? Shows a lack of character, and I never thought I would say this, but I really feel for Tim Watson. I don't think he could be blamed for the loss tonight. Unless he made a stupid move in the last quarter which I wouldn't know seeing as though I followed the Last Quarter via AFL Live. St.Kilda where is your heart?

 

[sainter]

Joel,

I just got home from the match tonight and I am certainly not in the mood to sleep so I thought I would check out what is being said here.

As for having no heart, I think you only have to have saw Max Hudghton walking off the ground absolutely distraught to see that they are hurting. He summed up the way we are all feeling.

As for your comment about Tim Watson, tonight is the first time where I can specifically pinpoint a positional move that cost us the game. To have Spider Everitt and even Robert Harvey and Andrew Thompson deep in the forward line in the last quarter and to throw Tim Elliott, who had hardly played all night, into the ruck against Wynd basically cost us the game. There was no doubt that we were had thrown everything into our third quarter and were always going to have them close the gap.

I am sure you would acknowledge that when a side is as low on confidence as we are at the moment, it is much easier to lose a game in the balance than to win.

I am too disappointed at the moment so I'm outta here.

Although I do want to say that Jason Blake was great in his first match and Brett Knowles is showing why so many of us wanting him in the team earlier.

Play more kids Tim!

 

[servo]

Saints with another last 1/4 fade out.

It has been going on for years with them so you cant blame Tim Watson, he just got there.

The only difference between this game and their last one is that against the Crows they were already 2 goals down going into the last 1/4. Lost the 1/4 by 5 goals and the game by 40 pts. Same last 1/4 as this one.

No coaching move lost it. Some of the players need a concience check. Sure some of the younger players like Hudgedon are wearing their hearts on their sleeves and are obviously hurting, but the senior players have been doing this for years. They had a good year in 97 but lost the GF with a second 1/2 fade out again. The ultimate hurt. Have those players learnt? It appears not.

They just keep blaming the coach, & in the case of Stan Alves, actively worked against him. We all have a 2nd team we have a soft spot for and mine was the Saints but I gave up on them a while back when I considered the prevailing attitude there. Not unlike that at Richmond.

 

[Grendel]

Yea sainter, you nailed it. Wynd destroyed (sorry to bring it up again so soon) you by giving first use to West and co in that last Q. Everitt killed them in the 3rd, what was Watson thinking? Harvey while short of match fitness if given the last ten minutes across half back or on the ball may well have saved it for you. Where was he, stuck in a forward pocket. Elliot seems a goer (havent seen a lot of him so cant really say to much) but it was clear from the first few contests against Wynd he would struggle. Dermie and Jason both questioned why Spider was wasting his time down forward if it was not going to come down to him.

Really this was something that they should never have lost. Dont know where to now for the Saints some kids I guess might be the only way left to salvage something out of the season.

Sainter, what chance of a BIG clearout at seasons end, Brown/Jones/Young the like and rebuilding? Or will Watson go before any players do?

 

[Hanse Cronje]

Tim i've got your $5000 in a brown paper bag. Meet me at the G tomorrow and well talk about next weeks fix. The move with the kid to the ruck really did the job. Warney and Waugh got a piece of the action as well.

 

[Slatts]

I was watching the last quarter, to me there was one pivotal moment which saw a probable two goal swing to WB. Young was kicking into fifty to Elliot(which you all seem to blame) who was all alone. The kick went way over his head, what a shocker! Everyone knows the end result, WB whisk it down the other end goal!
Even though my thoughts are neutral on STK, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. What does poor timmy say to the players after that performance. Glad I'm not in his shoes.

------------------
Essendon 2000
Who will stop them?

 

[sainter]

Grendel, since last night I have heard that Spider was completely stuffed at the beginning of the last quarter and had to be moved to the forward line. Still, I suppose it is a little frustrating to see the opposition clear the ball out of the centre time and time again while Spider is standing at full forward.

As for your comments regarding our need for a big cleanout, I hope we do. For the next 13 games we will have a club of players that know that their futures are on the line. I hope Watson persists with playing the young players but at the same time, not only plays them but gives them same game time. Poor Tony Brown plays well in the VFL, gets promoted to the seniors, is given 10 minutes on the ground and then is dropped again. Doesn't exactly pave the way for a player to gain some confidence.

I was very happy with Aussie last night. For the first time, the club did the right thing and gave him an extended period of 4 weeks in the reserves rather than one week in, one week out. While he is not near his best, he fought and ran hard and really put in.


As for the players to go, I think the players who have the most to be concerned with are the middle tier of players. Too many of them are resting on their achievements of 1997 which as we know, didn't amount to anything because we didn't win.

Who knows. A good cleanout of players, the first few picks in the 2000 draft and the further development of guys like Lenny Hayes and co to complement Harvey, Burke and Spider and we will once again have the nucleus of a team to challenge the very best.

 

[Roos_for_2000]

I think 4th quarter fadeouts are becoming a problem for not only St.Kilda, but many other teams too.

Just look at the last two games last nite...
- RICHMOND were leading by 5 goals at 3/4 time...and ended up only winning by 9 points.
- ROOS also by 5 goals and to win by 3 points only. As a roos supporter I'd hate to say this, but if the game was played for another 10 mins...Adelaide would've overun us.

Both teams last nite should've buried the opposition, but let them get back in. Unlike St.Kilda though, they were able to hang on.
I don't know what the problems are...is it laziness? cockyness? or fitness problems?
But it has to be fixed.

 

[Grendel]

Just a thought on spiders fitness, fair enough he did a power of work in the first three Q's.
Still he did pretty much nothing at all in the last. Rest him at full forward for 10/15 minutes at the start of the last and surely his fittness base should be good enough to go back on ball for the last ten minutes of the match? If he cant do that then either his commitment to the team should be looked at or your fitness coach is lacking something.
By the way I dont blame Tim Elliot for the loss, he tried hard, thing is he wasnt effective enough to stop Wynd. The coach should have seen that and tried some tactic to stop Wynd's dominace.

 

[colley31]

Roos_For_2000

I too was disappointed at the way the Roos finished the last half of the quarter. At the 19 minute mark, we were 5 goals up and the quarter went for some 36 minutes, at which the Crows came back at us. I don't think it's laziness or cockiness, I think the problem is between the head, and that the attitude of the players, not only ours, but any team that is a couple of goals up at a late stage of the game, that they take the foot off the peddle, which brings it back a fitness thing. I suppose the positive thing, was that we played some pretty awesome footy last night, and we did come away with the points...

 

[Joel]

Fair enough about the heart bit, but I still think half the team doesn't have their heart in it!

 

[sainter]

Finally!

 

[The Dutchman!]

Onya Sainter!

But we don't want you running into too much form prior to the game next week!

 

[Joel]

Well done Saints!!! Hope you don't win too many more though.

 

[Shinboners]

Hey, well done Saints!

What a way to finish too in that last quarter.....Sainter, I hope you've lost your voice from singing the club song over and over.

Also noticed that Watson was dragging players (Everitt, Leowe etc.) for indescretions in the first half....it's classic Pagan.

 

[sainter]

I just got back from the Trevor Barker Oval after watching the saints VFL side get thumped by Sandringham. Back to a bit of reality!

But it was great last night. The song started at the 20 minute mark of the 4th quarter until well after the conclusion of the match.

Despite the first half being one of the worst I have seen, it was so good to not only see the old guard of Loewe, Harvey and Burke fire but Hall, Jones, Davis and other younger players do well.

Even Monky was good!

Dutchman, hopefully you will have a good win tonight. I may be living in fantasy land, but the opportunity to have a go at the undefeated bombers is an exciting prospect.

 

[Chelt_Eagle]

Its weird how a team has gone from this, to almost premiership favourites in just 4 years.

 

[Total Package]

Its weird how a team has gone from this, to almost premiership favourites in just 4 years.

It's not that weird. Its called being at the bottom for years and handed draft picks.

Brisbane Lions 1998 Wooden Spoon. Only 5 Wins for Season
3 years later... first of their 3 in a row.

 

[SaintsSupporter]

True. It happens a bit more than people think, and will continue to happen.

 

[Kildonan]

Its weird how a team has gone from this, to almost premiership favourites in just 4 years.

It didn't happen by accident. This has been a concerted effort by the St Kilda Football Club under the guidance of Butterss and especially Thomas.

But the real credit goes to the commitment of the players themselves.

 

[jefffff34]

Tim i've got your $5000 in a brown paper bag. Meet me at the G tomorrow and well talk about next weeks fix. The move with the kid to the ruck really did the job. Warney and Waugh got a piece of the action as well.

That fine wit of Seindude is back!