Preview Round 10, 2023: GWS v St.Kilda - GIANTS Stadium, Sunday 21st May, 4:40PM AEST

[Miha]

Hello darkness my old friend

 

[gringo2011]

Agree we need an elite midfielder ala Noah Anderson or Caleb Serong that lifts and puts the side on his shoulders when needed ala Bontempelli, Petracca, Neale or Pendelbury. Perhaps Owens, Phillipou or Windhager are those players but we need more top quatity midfielders and have done for decades.

I think you seriously under rate Geelongs midfield from last year. Any team with Sellwood, Dangerfield, Guthrie, Atkins, Blicavs, Holmes, Smith & Duncan are looking pretty solid. The thing with Geelong is they had a number of quality players who shared the load not just the one or two superstars.

I know you have been a long time fan of Mathieson but he is not the answer, he is in the same boat as Bytel. Both are very good VFL players who cant translate that to their AFL games. Both are what I call 'stop & go' players, they dont run and carry and neither can provide the link up outside finish that the better midfielders can.

Mason Wood has been brilliant this year but his lack of speed or zip in close was shown up against Adelaide. As you have stated it would have been nice to have McKenzie on that wing and play Wood behind the ball or forward on the weekend.

Just having a fit & firing best 30 will make a huge difference to our year. If we can ever get McKenzie, Coffield, Hayes, Jones & Billings consistently on the field we will give the better teams a fright. But its a big IF.....any sucessful coach needs their best team available.

Geelong used Holmes and Atkins types along side Guthrie and kept Selwood and Danger for finals. Duncan is a defender for the last few years. They have depth more than really elite talent around the ball. Geelong has great depth along every line with their absolute stars in the attacking roles and a rock solid defence.

Midfield isn't just your 4 on ball centre players these days, it's got the wings moving into the middle and the high half forwards and attacking backs coming up to meet the play too. We need more depth in those roles more than in our centre 4. That's where the Cats have a big advantage over us.

Mathieson is genuinely one of the best players outside the AFL side. He's a more established and better player than Bytel at this stage. He'd genuinely walk up switch out a player if one went down. Bytel is still a patchy almost player at both levels so far. Dow is probably an upgrade too but not sure I'd want to pay anything for him.

 

[gringo2011]

Both Rozee and Butters are full mids this year. Rozee made the transition to midfield last year as did Butters.
Think you severely underestimate the Port midfield group.
Got a very good mix of bulls and spread.
Wines has a brownlow for a reason.

I don't rate the Brownlow over other awards. It's a consistency and accumulation award these days. The superstars with the highest impact don't often win them.

Port are a very good midfield but don't have an absolute superstar in their starting mids. Rozee looks like he might be that long term potentially. I see them similar to Brisbane. Both are excellent but rate the players that Melbourne and Dogs have more because they are absolute top shelf.

Both of those sides have depth and outside players much better than ours. I just don't think throwing another good but not exceptional mid into our mix is going to be a magic bullet. The over all list quality and depth at the Saints needs to be addressed more than the midfield. A good ruck would probably help because you can play an ordinary midfield if you have someone to help feed them.

 

[snails13]

Mcluggage is the most overrated player in the comp. As soft as they come and probably the dumbest footballer I've seen in a long long time.

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Thanks Kane

 

[The Cobra]

How did hotton go? I rewatched some of his highlights this morning. Perfect Zac jones replacement

Probably not going flat out so a bit hard to say but struck me more as a skilled smooth mover than a Jones manic type player (but I could be wrong!)

 

[gringo2011]

You’d like to think King, Webster, Gresham and Billings come in this week, which gives us a better team on paper. However, it also gives us the same problem we’ve had most weeks which is a lack of stability.
Caminiti and Owens have never played with King before so it could take some time for that structure to gel.

Hopefully King even if he comes in rusty attracts the focus away from the others who can then go to town.

 

[gringo2011]

Training today:

• Went for about an hour - typical drills including one commencing with a ball up in the middle with emphasis on clean movement chain by the mids to inside 50 with forwards then required to finish with a goal
• reasonably upbeat vibe
• Keeler, Heath and Steele (bandaged knee) just running relatively easy laps.
• Gresham and Marshall participated in full training as did McKenzie and Hotton!
• Gresham’s kicks out of stoppage still not great - bit surprised one of the coaches didn’t pull him up
• King trained fully I think
• RTB pulled aside a few players for quiet one on one discussions & instruction (Stocker & Ross were 2 I noticed)
• Hayes running laps at a decent pace - seemed to be moving much more freely than last week

Stocker and Ross both had a few bad moments of poor composure so maybe tightening that up. Stocker has been great but the defence looked messy and pressured for the first time in that match.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

I responded to that. Brisbane probably the best of them. Port have Wines who is around Steele level and JHF and a few rolling through that look really high potential. Boak was their star mid for years and he's pretty much a couple of good games a year now.

The midfield that got Geelong into final last year was ordinary but had depth and extended to those wings and high HFF and defensive runners.

Collingwood had Crisp inside and not much else last year. Sydney had the Chad and an ageing Luke Parker. It's your outside talent including those wings, HHF and running defensive players that make midfields these days. Your inside set up doesn't does guarantee success. Dogs and Carlton have elite inside set ups.

DMac was a big loss for us because he added to that pool. Wood stepping up was one of the reasons that we moved up this year. Seb Ross dropping off has made us worse after a great start to the season. Developing those runners like Byrnes will do more than bringing in another inside mid. To me running inside outside mids are what we need. Guys who win contests but are able to cruise on the outside. A real gun inside mid would be handy though.

Noah Anderson would be ideal. I still think we could use a guy like Rhys Mathieson, he was great when he got into the seniors last year but can't get a full time best 22 spot. Can play inside and outside. Worst he's depth, best case he does a Stocker and makes it hard to drop him.

Well done Gringo.

 

[CaptainRisky]

Thanks Cap

2022 was not the only year the AFL named an All Australian side

Jack Steele was also named on the bench when he made it, doesn’t mean he didn’t have a very good year as a midfielder

You're welcome and the discussion Gringo and yourself was about current teams , how far back do you want to go . No need to be so sensitive because i pointed out they only had One AA last year
Anyway our mids suck ATM , we need new blood in there soon or the season will slip away

 

[bird_man]

You're welcome and the discussion Gringo and yourself was about current teams , how far back do you want to go . No need to be so sensitive because i pointed out they only had One AA last year
Anyway our mids suck ATM , we need new blood in there soon or the season will slip away

Not sensitive, just pointing out that Port have more than one all Australian playing through midfield. It’s pretty hard to make an all Australian every year. Once is a good effort for a 22 year old

 

[George]

You should buy it and turn it into a bed and breakfast cafe with a barrel themed decor.

View attachment 1689584
View attachment 1689580

I’m pretty sure the snowtownians would get right behind it and it would be sure to attract a special kind of niche tourist.

And if they wanted to get the full experience they could spend a night in the vault.

Evening cocktails like ‘Acid Euphoria’ and ‘ Limestone Fizz’.

Jesus

 

[CursingFijian]

Jesus

Wept

 

[Dr Spaceman]

You should buy it and turn it into a bed and breakfast cafe with a barrel themed decor.

View attachment 1689584
View attachment 1689580

I’m pretty sure the snowtownians would get right behind it and it would be sure to attract a special kind of niche tourist.

And if they wanted to get the full experience they could spend a night in the vault.

Evening cocktails like ‘Acid Euphoria’ and ‘ Limestone Fizz’.

 

[SteeleSaints]

Geelong used Holmes and Atkins types along side Guthrie and kept Selwood and Danger for finals. Duncan is a defender for the last few years. They have depth more than really elite talent around the ball. Geelong has great depth along every line with their absolute stars in the attacking roles and a rock solid defence.

Midfield isn't just your 4 on ball centre players these days, it's got the wings moving into the middle and the high half forwards and attacking backs coming up to meet the play too. We need more depth in those roles more than in our centre 4. That's where the Cats have a big advantage over us.

Mathieson is genuinely one of the best players outside the AFL side. He's a more established and better player than Bytel at this stage. He'd genuinely walk up switch out a player if one went down. Bytel is still a patchy almost player at both levels so far. Dow is probably an upgrade too but not sure I'd want to pay anything for him.

I'm sorry mate but I strongly disagree re Mathieson he is just a battler nothing more. I watch all their AFL & VFL games closely as I have an interest in the Coleman brothers as I coached their dad and twin brother in the NT.

 

[malevu]

I reckon Steele will be managed. Why take the risk? Windhager is the logical replacement given his stellar effort in the VFL. Gresham was assured of his spot back in the team by RTB in his presser, as long as he gets through training. Maybe Windhager might be stiff again if Gresham plays midfield.

Max for Members naturally. Maybe Webster for Paton. I don't think Billings is in the picture at the moment unless it's as a sub.

 

[gringo2011]

I'm sorry mate but I strongly disagree re Mathieson he is just a battler nothing more. I watch all their AFL & VFL games closely as I have an interest in the Coleman brothers as I coached their dad and twin brother in the NT.

Reckon he looked good when he got into their side last year. How is Deven Robertson going then?

 

[PoppedCorn]

Gee if windy doesn't get a gig then i might have to crank the microwave

 

[George]

Nice little clip from RTB to Steele in today's presser haha

 

[Hubnester]

Nice little clip from RTB to Steele in today's presser haha

If we don't get our shit together we might yet find out whether Steeley can handle the old Ross haha

 

[Saintbloke]

I agree with the injury list part, but at the same time a healthy list breeds competition for spots.

A fit Coffield puts pressure on Paton, Clark, Nas, Webster, Battle to perform.

A fit Jones puts pressure on Bytel, Byrnes, Windy Ross, Crouch etc

A fit McKenzie puts pressure on Wood, Byrnes, Hill

A fit Hayes puts pressure on Membrey, Caminiti, Cordy etc

A fit Billings puts pressure on Butler, Higgins, Gresham, Byrnes, Hill

The fact we haven't even been able to have these guys play VFL most of the year means there hasn't been competition for spots and there hasn't been an ability to drop a few players that haven't performed as well or rest a few who have been sore with niggles.


Adelaide as an example have 3 players on their injury list and only 1 you could argue may get a game and that's McAdam. So they've been able to pick best available on form every week.

Coff and Jones have been out for so long that they not even get gig in the seniors this year, Hayes has played one good game for us, and has not shown much else. DMac would be a bonus, and Billings just needs a string of big games in the VFL. Lyon wasn't involved in recruiting these guys and may not even be interested in putting work into them.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Gee if windy doesn't get a gig then i might have to crank the microwave

Yep, there will be no “might” here

 

[gubby88]

Hammer signs on for three more!!!!

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[George]

King and Caminiti in the forward line on Sunday

 

[snails13]

Reckon he looked good when he got into their side last year. How is Deven Robertson going then?

Brisbane Reserves played all their home games at Moreton Bay Park in Burpengary last season. I live 5 minutes from that ground and went to all their home games
Matheson is a very good VFL player

 

[tomjoad]

Ross Lyon: "I'm not sure Jack (Steele) could handle the old Ross (laughs)"
"I'm glad Steely thinks I'm cuddly....yeah, it might just be a deception though."

Love it.