Prediction The data tells us Sinclair and Steele will be elite and 2018 will be huge

[Ricmel]

View attachment 401090

Sick of the melts about having no elite talent in the midfield

To be fair - we don't. Steven on the edge of being elite but as we are today, we have some players with potential.

 

[Kilroy]

My sources tell me 2018 will be hugh.

 

[saintbill]

I think in 2 years Since will be in our top 5 players. He is that good.

Better prospect than Gresh, Acres & Dunstan IMO. JB the only young bloke I rate higher. When we get Kelly this will change of course.

 

[Saint Watto]

When we get Kelly this will change of course.

I admire your optimism saintbill.

 

[Armoooo]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2017-08-22/Three-Jacks-named-in-the-22under22

Good to see 3 saints in this squad (sincs, steele, JB), although would have been good if Paddy, Gresh, Goddard, Acres were in there as well at this time

Have a feeling all 3 will make it

 

[Richter]

I agree with the premise of the OP. That the main improvement in the Saints will come from the young midfielders (ok Billings is a forward). They all played in the last 5 games (vs Roos, Demons, Eagles, Power, Swans). Here's their average stats from those games...

________Age__Disp._Goals_Tack._SC_____Comment______
Dunstan - 22.6 - 27.4 - 1.0 - 5.2 - 105.6 [Big step up last 5 games]
Sinclair -- 22.6 - 20.2 - 1.0 - 3.8 - 84.6 - [Poor game vs Swans]
Billings -- 22.0 - 24.4 - 1.0 - 4.4 - 103.2 - [Mid. numbers as a fwd!]
Acres --- 21.10 - 23.6 - 0.6 - 3.4 - 79.4 - [2 x 30+ games]
Steele -- 21.8 -- 24.4 - 0.6 - 8.4 -- 99.8 - [A tackling machine!]

Freeman's a wild card of course, and if we could add the 22.6yo Josh Kelly then that would be one hell of a young midfield core to base our team of the next 5-7 years around.

 

[saints2066]

Great optimism, so why the hell didn't we beat Melbourne, to make finals when we easily outclassed them last year?


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Kilroy]

Melbourne having a serious bout of stage fright right now.

Murphy's Law?

 

[Richter]

Great optimism, so why the hell didn't we beat Melbourne, to make finals when we easily outclassed them last year?


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

Because Melbourne are also a team on the up and we don't have a God-given right to beat every team year on year...

None of Riewoldt, Fisher, Dempster, Montagna or Armitage played in round 21 this year compared with round 6 in 2016.

Compared to last year the improvement in our younger players has to be matched against the loss/drop off of some senior players... hence explaining the relatively similar mid-table finish in 2017.

 

[saints2066]

Melbourne having a serious bout of stage fright right now.

Murphy's Law?

Melbourne aren't that good, which makes it even worse losing to those flogs...


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[RoundCubic]

Melbourne, Essendon and Dogs have leg speed off halfback which has killed us this year particularly when we aren't kicking it accurately.
Slower teams top 8 beat it by kicking straight and tackling which we have failed at it's also why GC have looked better against us then other teams.
This run off halfback creates overlap and unpressured forward entries which results in either running goals from 40-50m or marks from 30-40m out. The most depressing goals are when the overlap lasted so long they chipped it to a player on a better angle.

The last Melbourne game we didn't gain composure til they were 5 goals up then after getting control we ran out of legs with Kobe injured and our young midfield.

It's depressing though looking at the stats from the game we lost because of Clangers and Goal kicking.