Autopsy Steele - 200 ,

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

I reckon bring in Keeler for next week and play him in Tauru's role in defence, stick Tauru up forward - he's good at making a contest even if he's very unlikely to kick a bag at this point. Keep Heath in (though that's not going to happen given he was subbed at half time) and drop Jones. Adds an extra tall and gives us some flexibility with ruck and forward and defence.

agree, stick him forward with one goal, bring it to ground front and centre for higgins and hall

(or just clunk it wtvr)

 

[SG34]

Some people scoffed when I suggested looking at the coach after the Melbourne game.

Fact is, we played 3 putrid quarters in that game and only when we looked out of it did thy throw the playbook out the window and let players go for it. We have since played another 8 putrid quarters with perhaps the most unattractive game plan in the AFL.

Why are we playing "go slow" footy in dead rubbers, where wins only make our draft position worse and we are completely missing the opportunity to see what this team can do when let off the leash a bit.

In my view, RTB knows only one way and it is not working. Coaching staff needs a shake up.

I tend to respectfully disagree with most of this, although you are not alone. Some quarters of the media are right there asking the same questions - why, if they can play a more direct and attacking game for a quarter, don’t they play that from the first bounce? And to which you say dead rubber, who cares about losing (presumably) , just ‘play your shots’ in cricket parlance.

Well, firstly, I suggest we want to win the game and coming out ‘swinging the bat’ to continue the cricket metaphor, might get us a few Sam Konstas moments, but as the disclaimer in the Sports Bet ad says, ‘You lose more than you win’.

We’ve seen a few teams climbing off the bottom in recent years trying this before the pandemic years. North and Essendon if I remember, and although those same pundits in the press applauded the move, it wasn’t long before those teams were bleeding from big losses.

I’m no coach and only made it to the under-15c team, but I suspect that the “open floodgates” approach works only at the end of games and it’s a gamble.

It’s a bigger priority to train the team in disciplined defensive regimes for the long run. Learn to block the oppo by being a poker player with a poker face so to speak, and then, when that window opens or the match situation demands it, take a swing.

We often see teams who lose by 30-45 points really stick with a more highly fancied opposition for three quarters before falling away. This is because they decide to have a swing at the end - and end up getting punished for it. It doesn’t make the news as much as the miracle wins.

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Yep. Want to give the Saints fans some hope at the end of the Season?... put Alix forward for a game and hopefully he can kick a couple.

 

[SG34]

He likes his Vikamin C

 

[Jade Buddha]

Surely Dodson comes in next week. Play marshal forward for all I care. Dodson deserves a game.

If he comes in it’s likely he plays the same role as Heath - Forward/relief ruck.

 

[Jade Buddha]

We won the game due to some individual bits of brilliance by Naz Sincs and Hall. The one touch at speed open the game up and we scored as a result.
3 wins is 3 wins. Beat an improving Ess it will be 4 on 4. You can only beat what is out there. Rich just lacked the polish that we did when required. Vaustln is our Wilkie Taranto our Steele, Prestia McIntosh Nank and Hopper and are all good footballers so they have some talent but they are meat potatoes types.

They flooded and we kicked it to the big blokes.....their big blokes. No Owens really hurt us today.

Tarau what a great battle with a good player in Balta that was a highlight.

A lack of Pou and Wilson impact a low light. Garcia and Boxshall did some good/many things,

I like Hammer in the side as you know what you are going to get pity he could not play forward as there would have been more ground balls and a few sore tall Tigers.

If you seriously look at the ladder we are better than those below us and improving on those above us.

Being so short up front means flooding is a way to beat us, hust Richmond were not clean enough on the rebound to hurt us.....good teams would have won that game by 6 goals and there is sadly SFA we can do hence why we are trying to recruit ready made players in a tall back Alir and a ruck TDK.

Allows Marshall to go forward and be a target more often if King is on the side lines. Allows Hammer to play forward if Alie and Howard are available blah blah blah.

On RTB, Sheedy was hated by some players didn't stop him being a great coach. If Enright who is senior coach in waiting didn't think RTB was any good he would be gonski.

Watching to see where he and Naz go at end of year will be as good as indication as anything about playing groups belief in RTB and where we are going as a club.

Agree with a lot of that except that the gap was only close because of 2 things. Our poor conversion in front of goal (Mase Wood a big culprit) and our dumb bombs directly to defenders on their own. Other than that it would have been a smashing.

 

[LuckyBounce!]

So many bang on about Richmond’s kids but were younger and with less experience than them yesterday!

Nothing to see here…

 

[Saintbloke]

Agree with a lot of that except that the gap was only close because of 2 things. Our poor conversion in front of goal (Mase Wood a big culprit) and our dumb bombs directly to defenders on their own. Other than that it would have been a smashing.

That bombing to no-one or a defender has been going on for ages and has cost us games. It's a fault in our play and should have been addressed at coaching level by now.

 

[The Punter]

Thoughts:

• Owens is important.
• Funny because my son watching from home on the TV thought the opposite, but at the ground I thought Hill was just about our best. He's never going to have good hands however.
• Steele important in the last.
• Won the game because we were cleaner in the last quarter than Richmond.
• I'm going to pump the brakes on Tauru a little: when he makes a mistake, they tend to be massive ones. That's why I liked his game the week before: it was less a matter of balancing what he brings to the table against what he removes. Consistency will be the key for him.

 

[puppy_dog7]

I missed the 1st quarter and most of the 2nd, thought it was a strange decision to sub off Heath we had no height.in the forward line and were then forced to play Pou deep forward who probably had the same impact as Heath. I see from the stats Heath wasn't getting near it but Henry only got 4 disposals in a half as well

Henry needs the gametime, as does Phillipou. I would rather have subbed off Zak Jones instead

 

[phantom13]

Im not overly concerned about yesterdays game but Christ it was a slog.

All the holes and issues seem to be ones we are trying to adress (King forward, kids developing in the midfield etc) but we are awful to watch in that mode.

 

[malevu]

Look at some of the recent sides to get into the eight, Hawthorn and Adelaide. A lot of mid table finishes before making the move. Alternatively North have been down for like a decade.

Just not sure it's as important as many think.

I agree. Cellar dwellers always struggle to attract gun players through trading. You need to sell hope for future improvement. Only wins can do that. Players like Callahan, Butters, Rowell etc won't come to a team that's only likely to win a handful of games. If the Hawks had've tanked last year after being 0-5 Battle would've stayed with us. Instead Hawthorn were able to pitch a final's dream to him.

TDK will only come because of an monster contract offer. Getting excited over pick 3 instead of Pick 7 whatever is putting way too much importance on our drafting capability. Without access to high end picks we've probably drafted as well as anyone in the last 4 years, aside from the father-son Xmas presents handed out to Brisbane, Collingwood and the Dogs.

 

[phantom13]

I agree. Cellar dwellers always struggle to attract gun players through trading. You need to sell hope for future improvement. Only wins can do that. Players like Callahan, Butters, Rowell etc won't come to a team that's only likely to win a handful of games. If the Hawks had've tanked last year after being 0-5 Battle would've stayed with us. Instead Hawthorn were able to pitch a final's dream to him.

TDK will only come because of an monster contract offer. Getting excited over pick 3 instead of Pick 7 whatever is putting way too much importance on our drafting capability. Without access to high end picks we've probably drafted as well as anyone in the last 4 years, aside from the father-son Xmas presents handed out to Brisbane, Collingwood and the Dogs.

There is a balance though.

Winning a bunch of games in August when the seasons done, especially the way we did Saturday won’t help us sell a finals dream to anyone.

 

[The Punter]

Personally I think while there was little to be gained from winning a game like we did on the weekend, the loss would have been a set back. So it was sort of avoiding the loss to a team like Richmond in a game like that, that was the benefit of winning.

We sort of need to really avoid losing poor quality games against poor teams. I think it sets younger players back.

 

[Saints4ever]

For everybody that jumps up and down about needing high draft picks.

How’s that working out for North Melbourne?

I like our build, keep the momentum going and we will draft who we draft.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

That bombing to no-one or a defender has been going on for ages and has cost us games. It's a fault in our play and should have been addressed at coaching level by now.

Still waiting for them to notice it.

 

[SG34]

There is a balance though.

Winning a bunch of games in August when the seasons done, especially the way we did Saturday won’t help us sell a finals dream to anyone.

Disagree. All wins matter. If we plummet at the end of the season, we get more crap from the AFL, all for ‘prospects’ that might go bad or go away. For a team like us, win, and win every little chance we get.

 

[phantom13]

Disagree. All wins matter. If we plummet at the end of the season, we get more crap from the AFL, all for ‘prospects’ that might go bad or go away. For a team like us, win, and win every little chance we get.

Im not sure any FAs or supporters are getting all hot and bothered over Saturdays win TBH but sure.

 

[StCicatriz]

We need Ross the Boss's top 5 shittest games of all time.

 

[Windtagger]

Boxshall rising star nom

 

[SaintersUnite]

We get it you hate Ross

I’m so happy one of my comments has become a running gag

 

[hayes]

Bit late to this one but first of all how the coaches can set a game up like that just boggles the mind. Whether we went too far with it or not that game style will take us nowhere. There isn’t much time left in the season and that was a complete waste.

Garcia again shows so much to be excited about IMO. Speed, ball use, decision making, he’s got it all.

I thought the use of Wilson and Phillipou was horrendous. Dominate in the midfield in the VFL then come in and play as forwards, they’re two of our most exciting youngsters and should be looked after better than that IMO.

Tauru. I try not to get too excited about young players until they’re at least 3-4 years in these days but he looks like a player who could be offered 1.7 million by someone someday. Massive fan of his, build the backline and the club around him.