gringo2011
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My Richmond mate noticed him this year and said he’ll win a Brownlow one day. Called Dusty at about the same age and got laughed at by us all.
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My Richmond mate noticed him this year and said he’ll win a Brownlow one day. Called Dusty at about the same age and got laughed at by us all.
gringo2011
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He will develop but he’s not cruising. He’s consistently improved every year. Saying that he has to improve is insulting and insinuates a lesser effort.
- May 11, 2019
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Yep, I think he will at least be consistent on last year.
Massive tank, and extremely fast, if he isn't contributing then it means he's going to the wrong spots on the ground. To me, thats a coaching problem, drill it into his subconscious where he needs to be and he will beat his opponent there.
I certainly don’t consider him a “write-off”, and like I said earlier, he’s virtually like a “new recruit” for us next year (as I thought was well short of his previous seasons best footy, for the great majority of his game-time this year), but I’d be reasonably surprised if he’s the answer for us long term.
I have two main concerns.
1: He’s now played 83 games of footy (not all full of course) and STILL hasn’t managed to crack 25 disposals yet.
2: If you’re not someone who accumulates significantly, you’d better be high-impact per disposal, and unfortunately Paddy is one of the worst kicks of anyone who plays midfield in the league.
His KE at one stage this year was at a putrid 42% or so, and while he got it up to a lees putrid 49% by the end, his career KE is 48%, and that’s bad for anyone, let alone someone who doesn’t rack up loads of the ball.
The career KE of Zak Jones for instance is 66%, and this year he went at 64%, and plenty think he’s a shocking kick.
So if he’s going to make it long term, he’s probably got to fix both of those issues (unlikely), or start racking them up so much that it doesn’t matter if he’s missing half his targets by foot.
That’s good to hear. Even if he doesn’t make it long term, if he’s significantly better next year than he was this, that’s at least going to help us in the short term.
- Nov 7, 2012
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Nas is an interesting conundrum. I see him as pretty similar to Trent Alexander Arnold and how he plays at Liverpool.
Of course it's a very different sport, but their roles within their teams have strong similarities. They are both nominally defenders and (for now) best used behind the centre but with licence to be attacking, in fact depended upon to be a major attacking weapon. They are also occasionally a little unaccountable in the defence with a capital D; loose on their direct opponent, easier to get past, inconsistent at tracking back compared to other more meat and potatoes defenders.
Both teams are set up for this and the key backs - or CBs in Liverpool's case - know they will have to pick up the slack. In St Kilda's case luckily we have Wilkie to help out who is so accountable that he actually used to be an accountant, but just as with Liverpool, occasionally oppo coaches target their area as the most vulnerable and it sometimes pays off.
Both Nas and TAA have a unique remit that belies the traditional nature of their position; if you make him more dangerous you're essentially turning him into a midfielder and you'll need to bring on an extra defender or accept the extra vulnerability. If you make him more destructive and round his game out more, you're probably limiting how effective he can be as a weapon.
So do we really need "more" from Nas? What kind of "more"?
This isn't to say he can't possibly improve, he isn't the finished article yet, but it will be interesting to see if we keep using him in defence the way we have, or whether he'll eventually transition to the midfield fulltime. I think TAA was used more as a midfielder in Klopp's last year with mixed results, but there were other reasons for that and anyway they are two different players. I think it's worth a try, especially if we can get a decent replacement on that right HBF.
Of course it's a very different sport, but their roles within their teams have strong similarities. They are both nominally defenders and (for now) best used behind the centre but with licence to be attacking, in fact depended upon to be a major attacking weapon. They are also occasionally a little unaccountable in the defence with a capital D; loose on their direct opponent, easier to get past, inconsistent at tracking back compared to other more meat and potatoes defenders.
Both teams are set up for this and the key backs - or CBs in Liverpool's case - know they will have to pick up the slack. In St Kilda's case luckily we have Wilkie to help out who is so accountable that he actually used to be an accountant, but just as with Liverpool, occasionally oppo coaches target their area as the most vulnerable and it sometimes pays off.
Both Nas and TAA have a unique remit that belies the traditional nature of their position; if you make him more dangerous you're essentially turning him into a midfielder and you'll need to bring on an extra defender or accept the extra vulnerability. If you make him more destructive and round his game out more, you're probably limiting how effective he can be as a weapon.
So do we really need "more" from Nas? What kind of "more"?
This isn't to say he can't possibly improve, he isn't the finished article yet, but it will be interesting to see if we keep using him in defence the way we have, or whether he'll eventually transition to the midfield fulltime. I think TAA was used more as a midfielder in Klopp's last year with mixed results, but there were other reasons for that and anyway they are two different players. I think it's worth a try, especially if we can get a decent replacement on that right HBF.
- Nov 7, 2012
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Needle movers - players whose improved form from 2024 to 2025 will have the biggest positive impact for St Kilda:
King
Owens
Windhager
Steele
Philippou
Clark
Dow
Caminiti
Sharman
Of course if they all improve it's great, but I reckon if this 9 have a much better year in 2025, and the ones that had a good year in 24 do as well next season, the sky is the limit!
King
Owens
Windhager
Steele
Philippou
Clark
Dow
Caminiti
Sharman
Of course if they all improve it's great, but I reckon if this 9 have a much better year in 2025, and the ones that had a good year in 24 do as well next season, the sky is the limit!
- Nov 7, 2012
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- Nov 7, 2012
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- Bristol City FC, Urawa Red Diamonds FC
By the way, what is the name of that seriously shithouse hairstyle and mo combo that young blokes like to rock these days that Patrick Said is exhibiting in that photo? Not as bad as mullets and hipster facial hair but rather pathetic nonetheless. It makes them look like victims and softies. These guys will be severely embarrassed in years to come when they look back at photos of themselves with their limp-arsed perm and bumfluff. Then again, young men's hairstyles have rarely been anything other than embarrassing throughout the last 50 years. Good job I look magnificent.
Agree with all them (although Windy’s ongoing hamstring issues are a significant concern) and one other I’d add to that list is Butler.
Kicked our 2nd-most goals in 2023, but then missed virtually the entire preseason this year, with two surgeries, but seems to be very up and going this preseason, and was back training before he had to be by the looks of it, so he could be another who’s noticeably better than he was this year.
Henry another, if he’s fully fit.
Michael Goodinski
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- Apr 10, 2021
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There's a delicious and savage irony in that, isn't there, Saint Watto? Karma in action. The lesson in that? Anything to do with Collingwood is bad!Here's another good one....heard it during the season.
Jack Dyer hated Collingwood so much.....he refused to watch black and white movies.
Which is all he had for most of his life.
Michael Goodinski
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I was just thinking that as well. Great minds and all that......
Michael Goodinski
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I was told it was to give salary cap relief. That sounded plausible until I was reminded it was Carlton, after all.
When have they ever adhered to the rules? Maybe they ran out of paper bags.
I’ll go as far as adding Stocker into the midfield rotation as well. He showed against Geelong that his midfield craft is strong. That clearance in the middle where he tackled Stewart and won the ball before handling to Wilson to goal from the 50 was deliciously good.
That period forced the coaching group to get creative with our midfield mix and in doing so produced a few little gems, Stocker's output being one of them.
- Jun 17, 2018
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I find Stocker to be undervalued and often unfairly maligned here for some reason (Byrnes another one) I don't know why, but he's often talked about as one of the first to be dropped. Personally think he's been a very good pick up for us.
He looked good in the mids when played there. Unfazed and got to work, just like he's been doing since joining us two years ago.
He looked good in the mids when played there. Unfazed and got to work, just like he's been doing since joining us two years ago.
Verdun
Premiership Player
- Oct 16, 2011
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Great post would add one more to round it up to 10 - Wilson.
His pace is his weapon if his disposal improves will improve the Saints (I already rate him very highly)
- Nov 7, 2012
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Agree they are needle movers but i DID restrict the list to players who didn't have a great 2024 otherwise I would have added plenty more.
I consider Henry to have had a good season because he did really well in all the games he played, but for sure if he's playing 23 games we're a much better team. Been a great pick up.
- Nov 20, 2022
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Very important year for Dow, he could be in danger of sliding behind the likes of Caroll, Hall and Boxhall (who I do like the look of all 3)!!
- Oct 19, 2017
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As an aside, one of Phil Krakouer's kids had a truly bizarre kicking style. Almost like double hand throwing it on the boot.
- Nov 20, 2022
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We’re not the finished product yet but the boss is moulding a list with emphasis on elite run & spread…if we can get the ball use right that’s when we’ll get some attention!
Think if Stocker can improve his endurance (reason why he was played as a half back at Carlton and Saints), he can definitely cracked the midfield rotation. Another ready made big bodied mid.
- Nov 20, 2022
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Being a tad cynical, why has it taken 7 years for Dow to get in “great nick”?
- Nov 20, 2022
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Very confident Clark will be a regular…Windhager the tagger if we go with one
