Crunch game

[Blasé]

i think in this competition being so even, that most games are fairly difficult, but i think this match is the most important so far.

reasons being:
1. if we lose, that will be 2 in a row, which could begin a run of losses similar to last yr.
2. st kilda are a good top 4 team, confident and getting some of their snr players back.
3. st kilda have a forward line consisting of 2 of the best kp forwards in the comp. it will be difficult for us to match up considering we have only one genuine tall defender being croad (forget brown, i can't see him matching up on either - riewoldt too tall, gehrig too strong).
4. we're backing up after a trip to perth.

but i think we can win, because we can get on top in the midfield giving us control of the tempo of the game and allowing us to structure up to have a loose man in front of gehrig.

we've shown much this season and with the right attitude can win a game that will give us much more respect from the footy world and will go a long way towards making the finals.

 

[jarmanmagic]

In my opinion, our goal kicking conversion is letting us down. Bulldogs and Freo was ours for the taking. But poor kicking let us down. We are applying reasonable score board pressure to be respected by the opposition, but not kicking goals.

Same deal with Saints. If we kick a good percentage of our shots at goal, we win.

It's a very simple game.

 

[col44]

Bring Smith back to run around with St Nick and give Gilham first shot at the G Train.

Upmost priority must be made to allow Croad and Brown/Hodge to help out with double teaming the bog fellas. Having Jacobs back will be huge as he reads the play better than most, I can see him taking a few timely grabs in front of Gehrig.

This is one game I don't mind some good old fashion flooding. Get numbers back run hard forward and kick plenty of goals.

They've got some guys that run the lines and kick long (Montagna is probably the pick of the lot) so we need to make sure we're back helping out.

Isolate Buddy as much as possible and really look to the midfield and Boyle to get the rest. Hopefully we can kick 14 goals and that should be enough.

and yes this game is a MONSTER.

Go you good things!

 

[xellis]

G train is a big strong unit. Right now, we don't have a defender to go with this type of player. Maybe Roughie could be an option to go to him???

 

[jarmanmagic]

G train can be stopped, if the supply to him is minimised. Mid fielders shoulder the responsibilty here.

It's a simple game.

 

[Heropsychodreamer]

G train can be stopped, if the supply to him is minimised. Mid fielders shoulder the responsibilty here.

It's a simple game.

Dont tell me that Campbell Brown is going to be put on the G train. Surely something like 15ch and 40 kg advantage!.... just in the head!

 

[jarmanmagic]

Nah, but Brownie will be in the way of the g train and his supply, that is guaranteed. I think we need to play Croad on him. For the simple fact that g train won't chase.

We definetly have the backline to challenge the Saints, no doubt about it.

It's our goal kicking which is letting the opposition in the game. true story.

Hodge, Lewis & Mitch to own this one. These are games that we need those players to show some authority.

 

[Heropsychodreamer]

Nah, but Brownie will be in the way of the g train and his supply, that is guaranteed. I think we need to play Croad on him. For the simple fact that g train won't chase.

We definetly have the backline to challenge the Saints, no doubt about it.

It's our goal kicking which is letting the opposition in the game. true story.

Hodge, Lewis & Mitch to own this one. These are games that we need those players to show some authority.

Croad has been successful on Reiwoldt in the past... maybe Gilham on Big G... with Hodge and Brown helping out

 

[jarmanmagic]

Add the possibility of Jacobs returning.

Just need to convert on the other end. Have I mentioned that already?

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Croad on Gerhig, and, maybe a little out of left field, but hodge on riewoldt? Riewoldt might be taller, but hodge would easily run with him, and has the added bonus of being able to be moved into the midfield and rotate with somebody in there.

 

[Burgoise]

Brown is in unbelievable form put him on the G-Train his aggression will prevail

 

[SodaPop]

G train is a big strong unit. Right now, we don't have a defender to go with this type of player. Maybe Roughie could be an option to go to him???

Robert Cambell should start on him...he proved last year he's more than capable of holding a gorilla forward (B Hall).
This leaves only Taylor in the ruck but if we bring in McEntee who's been playing well in the VFL then we'll be able to machup really well.
Craod - Nick
Brown - milne
Murph, Jacobs and Gilham to clean up the rest!

 

[ViperV10]

In the last four games against St Kilda (of which we have lost them all) Gehrig has averaged four and a half goals, and three behinds (funnily enough, also half a goal......). He always seems to dominate against us, no matter what.

Gehrig is the key. Stop him, and we go a long way to beating them.

 

[mule]

Brown is in unbelievable form put him on the G-Train his aggression will prevail

If we put Brown on Fraser, whoever St Kilda play next week will be happy.

i can see big Fraser getting the shits with Brownie and snapping him one

 

[tommyk72]

If we put Brown on Fraser, whoever St Kilda play next week will be happy.

i can see big Fraser getting the shits with Brownie and snapping him one

Unfortunately I think that if that happened Brownie would end up getting a couple of weeks for thumping him back...

 

[Cynic]

i can see big Fraser getting the shits with Brownie and snapping him one

Apparently Gehrig is out suspended .

 

[Cosmo Kramer]

i
2. st kilda are a good top 4 team, confident and getting some of their snr players back.
quote]

They aren't a top 4 team especially without players like McGuire, Houghton, Hayes, Baker, Hamil(probably wont play football ever again), raphael clarke to name a few. They are competing for a sopt 6-8 just like us. Definatley a crunch game especially with the month in front of us.

As for the 2 dangerous fowards.

Nick-Gilham/Jacobs
Fraser-Croad (although cambell brown would be angry enough to play on him)

and also

Milne-Ladson is the logical choice

 

[macdaddio]

we shouldve beat the dockers, doggys, we are a better side than most give credit. franklin had 5 shots at goals. if score atleast 4 of those we could very well have won. dickson had 3 shots at goals againts the doggys if kicked all 3 we couldve won. our midfiled is destroying other clubs we just need to be more calm when shooting for goal....is we had willo we would be 6-1.. i have no doubt about it. and the best thing about it is that all our kids are winning for us.. and one more thing why is vanders still our captain, please can some body tell me why,
go hawks

 

[Roughie]

we shouldve beat the dockers, doggys, we are a better side than most give credit. franklin had 5 shots at goals. if score atleast 4 of those we could very well have won. dickson had 3 shots at goals againts the doggys if kicked all 3 we couldve won.

But you have to put in perspective if Freo kicked the goals that went out on the full as well? You can always say what if, what if, what if? But the thing is you dont know how the opposition could have responded if a goal was kicked. They could reply with a flurry of their own. We lost games that shoud have been won, Freo should never have been let back in and we tend to never play well after half time bar one game this year.

 

[Blasé]

i
2. st kilda are a good top 4 team, confident and getting some of their snr players back.
quote]

They aren't a top 4 team especially without players like McGuire, Houghton, Hayes, Baker, Hamil(probably wont play football ever again), raphael clarke to name a few. They are competing for a sopt 6-8 just like us. Definatley a crunch game especially with the month in front of us.

As for the 2 dangerous fowards.

Nick-Gilham/Jacobs
Fraser-Croad (although cambell brown would be angry enough to play on him)

and also

Milne-Ladson is the logical choice

You're the only one that picked up on that debateable logic. they do miss those players, but hamill isn't part of the plans, and they've been top 4 without him.
reason i would still rate them a chance for top 4 is that wc, adelaide definitely and then st.kilda would be competing with port, sydney and freo for the 4th pos. second reason is that they have a better coach than last yr, and they still did ok last yr. third they have a seasoned list with experience of making finals, so would be aiming pretty high.

your matchups are what i would expect if we went man on man, and the riewoldt one is the problem, and as people have pointed out, croad has done well. as i said, assuming we get on top in the midfield, i would have a loose man in front of gehrig (can't do it to riewoldt, runs too much). consequently put a weaker matchup on gehrig
ie.
riewoldt - croad
loose man hodge/jacobs/brown/smith/roughead
(probably in the order i'd be looking at)
gehrig - gilham

 

[macdaddio]

But you have to put in perspective if Freo kicked the goals that went out on the full as well? You can always say what if, what if, what if? But the thing is you dont know how the opposition could have responded if a goal was kicked. They could reply with a flurry of their own. We lost games that shoud have been won, Freo should never have been let back in and we tend to never play well after half time bar one game this year.

true, but i still think if we had of playd freo here we would never let them back in the game, and won convincently. i went to the doggys game and its like when we on fire we realy destroy them, but silly mistakes and turn overs cost us the game. we can be a real force if we can just keep our composure when it gets tough especially againts good oppositions..

 

[Roughie]

true, but i still think if we had of playd freo here we would never let them back in the game, and won convincently. i went to the doggys game and its like when we on fire we realy destroy them, but silly mistakes and turn overs cost us the game. we can be a real force if we can just keep our composure when it gets tough especially againts good oppositions..

^ I think the composure, and the mistakes will stop as the team gets more experience and the guys start thinking that we CAN win games and we MUST play 4 quarters and clean teams clocks in the final quarter to do so.

Yes we are playing at a much better level this year and I think the general AFL community is loving how we play, but we need to beat a contender before were anything.

 

[Fastback]

We'll win this one.

Have watched the Saints a few times this year. They love Telstra dump as it's nice and compact. They rebound well through the middle and kick it long & direct to Gherig and Riewoldt with Milne & co at the foot of the packs.

However it's at the G, where we play our best footy. It suits our runners as we are now adept at moving the ball & switching effectively on the bigger ground. Roughie should be called back to join Boyle & Buddy to expose their lack of defensive talls. Goddard is a massive out, playing as their quarterback and general spoiler filling the hole inside 50. With Hudghton and Maguire also missing expect us to work them overtime in this area.

We should be stinging after the Freo loss and owe the Saints after 4 years of hidings.

Hawks by 25.