Preview Round 10, 2022: Adelaide v St.Kilda - Adelaide Oval, Saturday 21st May, 7:30PM AEST

[CaptainRisky]

That's nice.
He had 18 contested possessions yesterday, that's Petracca territory.
He averaged 11 in 2019.

Like everyone who thinks that Windhager, who i agree had an excellent game, can step in for Steele despite not excelling in tackles, contested ball or clearances.

Smile mate , you know you want too

 

[bird_man]

No Petracca's career average for contested possessions is 11.06

Career averages don't tell the full story as most players (like Petracca) will often start out of the midfileld and take a few years to get going.

He averaged 14 last year which is elite

12.4 in 2020 with shorter games

Oliver is the beast though, averaged 17 last year which is amazing

17 would be a day out for any of our players

 

[SaintsSeptember]

No Petracca's career average for contested possessions is 11.06

OK. So you prove my point. No-one is actually sustaining 18 contested possessions every week.
In any event , i figure that was a pretty special game by Crouch. I hope he remains in good form, but i don't think he'll be that good week after week.
If you think he will be good on you.

 

[Mowman]

Career averages don't tell the full story as most players (like Petracca) will often start out of the midfileld and take a few years to get going.

He averaged 14 last year which is elite

12.4 in 2020 with shorter games

Oliver is the beast though, averaged 17 last year which is amazing

17 would be a day out for any of our players

It was more to point out that Crouch is more than capable of stepping up like he did Saturday with Steele out, and has done it more than 4 times his career

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Career averages don't tell the full story as most players (like Petracca) will often start out of the midfileld and take a few years to get going.

He averaged 14 last year which is elite

12.4 in 2020 with shorter games

Oliver is the beast though, averaged 17 last year which is amazing

17 would be a day out for any of our players

Exactly , 18 for Crouch was outstanding.

 

[gringo2011]

OK. So you prove my point. No-one is actually sustaining 18 contested possessions every week.
In any event , i figure that was a pretty special game by Crouch. I hope he remains in good form, but i don't think he'll be that good week after week.
If you think he will be good on you.

Either way, Crouch has stepped it up this year. He's probably been better than Steele in 2022 IMO. That was an outstanding game but even if he just continues his averages for this season he'll make a massive difference.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

We still need Jones to blow off the cobwebs, or for whoever comes in for Steele to allow us to get a solid contribution in the middle.

 

[Premium]

Crouch has had maybe 4 games like that in his career.
I wouldn't want to be relying on him to do it every game.

Crouch and Sinclair have been by far our most consistent players this year and Crouch is the only player in our team that has averaged 30 touches a game over a season so I can't see why he can't keep up the form and with the resurgence of Ross I wouldn't be negative on what these guys can do.
They seem to lift when needed , Steele is a massive loss but it is time all of the players lift to make up for it.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

Gears
To come in and play midfield this week.
Yes midfield.

 

[Mowman]

Gears
To come in and play midfield this week.
Yes midfield.

 

[Joffaboy]

We’re witnessing the beginning of a st Kilda myth. Like Jack Billings soft and seb Ross slow. Repeated long enough it’ll pop up every single thread 50x until it’s truth

If Ross is slow, the Cats mids must have been running backwards.

 

[Premium]

Either way, Crouch has stepped it up this year. He's probably been better than Steele in 2022 IMO. That was an outstanding game but even if he just continues his averages for this season he'll make a massive difference.

What so good about Steele is he makes his player work for his possessions through the shear number of tackles he lays and now Crouch is doing the same that is why they are 1 and 2 in the AFL in tackles.

We still need Jones to blow off the cobwebs, or for whoever comes in for Steele to allow us to get a solid contribution in the middle.

I don't know who they will bring in but with our starting mids of Crouch , Ross and Gresham will now have to play solid for 4 quarters and the only one that has , has been Crouch. Ross and Gresham had a unbeieveble 3rd quarter against the Cats and if they can produce it over a few more quarters we shouldn't be in to bad of shape , even though losing our best player will hurt for sure.
As you say hopefully Jones starts to improve his output and he is heading that way.
I do think if we don't win center clearances they ring the changes like they have been with giving Sinclair a run through the middle and the way he is playing he could just about do anything atm.
The improvement in Sinclair has been sensational , he is just about our most penertrating player and every time he gets it he uses it well.
Another guy who has been outstanding is Wilkie , he played on a in form Cameron and held the guy to one goal which is impressive.

 

[stfan]

Gears
To come in and play midfield this week.
Yes midfield.

Well I prefer the non-tanking approach of playing Windy, Byrnes or Bytel for Steele.

 

[plugger66]

We can spin crouch doing this and Owen doing that but let’s face it steele is a huge out. We can go with a youngster and they will not have any interest to the opposition so crouch or Ross get extra attention. We can go with sinclair who will worry the opposition but will relieved with his form off half back. It’s down to one positional change or two. I’d go with the young guy and then if that doesn’t work sinclair goes in there. And just because it didn’t effect us after half time on Saturday doesn’t mean it works again. The opposition now have all week to work out their options. If we do go with a younger player in the middle then I certainly wouldn’t be playing Milera.

 

[Premium]

Hate to say it but at 34 he might be able to run all day but his speed off the mark has gone and Plugger shows more speed running to the DimSim counter.

 

[Premium]

We can spin crouch doing this and Owen doing that but let’s face it steele is a huge out. We can go with a youngster and they will not have any interest to the opposition so crouch or Ross get extra attention. We can go with sinclair who will worry the opposition but will relieved with his form off half back. It’s down to one positional change or two. I’d go with the young guy and then if that doesn’t work sinclair goes in there. And just because it didn’t effect us after half time on Saturday doesn’t mean it works again. The opposition now have all week to work out their options. If we do go with a younger player in the middle then I certainly wouldn’t be playing Milera.

It's going to be interesting what they come up with.

 

[Premium]

It's going to be interesting this week with Crouch playing his old side , I really think they will try and knock him around a bit to put him off his game.
Crows have always been a hard team to beat and it's going to be a tough game.

 

[Premium]

I'd disagree with that and think it's one of the main reasons why he isnt in this team.

I agree with you Brut with the numbers he has racked up in the VFL actually how many are really effective , I think Bytel is the better user but he just has to start racking up the stats like Byrne.
Byrne is a little fighter and has a heart bigger than a lot of the guys running around and there has to be a reason he is not playing and it could well be his disposal.

 

[Ducky Tie]

I'd be surprised if there were many changes. NWM in for Steele is all I reckon. Windhager as the fifth mid. Gresham's CBA's up a bit. Billings probably forward a bit more. I think Long looks far better in the defensive forward role than Butler has at all this year. Butler's pressure numbers are good, but it's hard to demand a spot in the side when you're only offering one quality. Long's defensive intensity is great, and he also is offering an offensive threat when playing forward.

 

[Premium]

I'd be surprised if there were many changes. NWM in for Steele is all I reckon. Windhager as the fifth mid. Gresham's CBA's up a bit. Billings probably forward a bit more. I think Long looks far better in the defensive forward role than Butler has at all this year. Butler's pressure numbers are good, but it's hard to demand a spot in the side when you're only offering one quality. Long's defensive intensity is great, and he also is offering an offensive threat when playing forward.

Long stays in for sure he has been very good and But I see Butler coming in to take Higgins spot this week.

 

[Ducky Tie]

Long stays in for sure he has been very good and But I see Butler coming in to take Higgins spot this week.

I don't know if we need two defensive pressure forwards. I'd probably prefer to play Billings up forward more and have NWM on the wing than Butler up forward and Billings on a wing. Could see them bringing Butler in though.

 

[plugger66]

I don't know if we need two defensive pressure forwards. I'd probably prefer to play Billings up forward more and have NWM on the wing than Butler up forward and Billings on a wing. Could see them bringing Butler in though.

Not sure he gets enough of the ball on the wing to be an automatic in. I’d rather play another mid and keep the wings how they were last week.

 

[Ducky Tie]

Not sure he gets enough of the ball on the wing to be an automatic in. I’d rather play another mid and keep the wings how they were last week.

Yeah he doesn't rack it up. 14 from him a week (not including the game he was sub) is ok without being great. He brings up a different weapon with the penetration of his kicks though. I'd probably rather 14 from him - which I'm sure will improve - than 20 from a Bytel/Byrnes on the inside. Also allows Windhager to get more time in the middle as that fifth mid.

 

[Ads734]

This is such a myth. His kicking is fine. Just has an unusual action. Myth has spread on here since pre-draft based on a few highlight videos.

No it’s not a myth. Under pressure it’ll go to poop. The ball drop is way to high, the grip is off, I want him to succeed. I do. I also think it’s possible to improve his kicking as well.

 

[Ducky Tie]

This is such a myth. His kicking is fine. Just has an unusual action. Myth has spread on here since pre-draft based on a few highlight videos.

I don't think it is a myth. He looks really impressive with a bunch of weapons, but in the three or four VFL games I've seen this year, his kicking is pretty messy. Not just in style but in output. I think he looks like he has the tools to be an inside beast with strong forward ability, but the kicking will be something to work on I think.