Autopsy Round 13, 2024: St.Kilda v Gold Coast: #GrabGate2024

[CursingFijian]

I struggle to comprehend people (like our former coach) who criticise coaches for putting in effective strategies to keep the opposition scores low. Why would you not do that if your objective is to win games of football?

This in not solely an AFL phenomenon either. We've seen it in all major sports the world over, as they've become more and more professional and the expectation of winning has become more and more intense, coaches turn to defense to limit opposition scoring.

There was someting carefree and beautiful about pure attacking players, but it takes a really good team defense to carry them in modern sport, so they need to be ultra good.

I feel like our game plan is good and Ross has got our players working hard both ways. We restrict teams well, and generally we are brave coming out of defense. That braveness often looks like devil may care foolishness, borderline incompetence when it isn't executed well.

We also don't have the forward line connection yet, but to be fair we've been unsettled in terms of keeping players on the park. I also think the state of our current list means we have a few players being asked to do more than they are capable.

Caminiti clearly has a forward/ruck role that he is working into well enough, but he needs to clunk more when he gets his hands to the ball and kick straighter. And if Caminiti can't pluck them, we need to find another big bodied contested mark up forward, someone to share the load and create a synergy with Ming.

I like Sharman, but he needs to come on and consistently fit in to the game plan. Plays like a leaping midsize, when we really need him to be more Curnow to McKay. He's got all the tools but just needs to impose himself physically on the contest. He's only 23, so there is time. It took Curnow 5 years before he exploded from a goal kicking point of view, and hopefully our man can build up the physical prowess to really compete against bigger bodies.

 

[gringo2011]

As fans become annoyed with certain players they start to see errors in everything that player does. The scape goat, punching bag or whipping boy etc. They never notice the good stuff.

As we lose more games, and the media increases their pile on, the disillusioned fans also start to see things as being grimmer than they perhaps are. They start watching games with a negative mindset. In doing so they perhaps skim over or totally miss some individual player brilliance and improvement and the growth of the younger group of players.

Mates of mine (passionate Saints members) are saying how hard it is to watch the games. And it is hard to disagree. However I think our current woes have less to do with any dour game plan and more to do will poor to average skills and execution.

Still reckon we’re on the right path and I will celebrate any victories along the way, even if they don’t warrant a 24 hour continuous loop of the replay.

We have a really good rebound back set up. It's as I've said probably the best in the AFL and easily our best line. Even including Bonner for all his haters. Nas, Sinclair, Webster, Wilkie and Battle are all top shelf with their ball use coming off HB. Then Hill, Bonner Henry types that are a combination of run, spread and ball movement coming out of defence.

The side falls down when we have to use the midfielders because without Crouch we are a very weak set up. Marshall is our best player but also part of the problem because without a midfield capable of winning their own ball at an above average rate, we struggle. They are also where the inside 50 kick should be coming from after those running backs link them up.

To me the forward lines a problem but the parts aren't bad with all hands on deck but lack depth cover. Their biggest issue is the midfield to feed them and probably lacking a second high end pressure forward withe fire power.

 

[Jesuswasacarpenter]

The Hill run through the wing and change direction and run into the square, and then hit Mason lace out
That was prime Brad Hill at Hawthorne, and B n F year at Freo he can keep doing that for the rest of the year it was a thing of beauty

 

[austinnn]

We have a really good rebound back set up. It's as I've said probably the best in the AFL and easily our best line. Even including Bonner for all his haters. Nas, Sinclair, Webster, Wilkie and Battle are all top shelf with their ball use coming off HB. Then Hill, Bonner Henry types that are a combination of run, spread and ball movement coming out of defence.

The side falls down when we have to use the midfielders because without Crouch we are a very weak set up. Marshall is our best player but also part of the problem because without a midfield capable of winning their own ball at an above average rate, we struggle. They are also where the inside 50 kick should be coming from after those running backs link them up.

To me the forward lines a problem but the parts aren't bad with all hands on deck but lack depth cover. Their biggest issue is the midfield to feed them and probably lacking a second high end pressure forward withe fire power.

The thing that frustrates me is seeing the lack of movement in the forward line when our mids have possession. They should be leading and presenting but they're usually standing still. People can talk about the slow inside 50s or the lack of talent in midfield to get those decent inside 50s but they've got few good options: either kick to a contest or the hot spots.

We need our forwards to get on their bike and lead more intelligently and that's why we need a top shelf forward coach!

Which clubs have the best operating forward lines, disregarding how good the mids are?

 

[beside the seaside]

The Suns' autopsy thread is a good read. I'll summarise:

 

[Bill Crouse]

The Suns' autopsy thread is a good read. I'll summarise:

You mean their all-in-one preview/ game day/ autopsy thread? I'm sure the 15 Suns supporters (including the 6 AFL employees) were all devastated to have the game they were ahead of for 5 minutes stolen from them. Even with their new super coach and academy pick handouts every year, they still can't win an away game.

 

[CursingFijian]

You mean their all-in-one preview/ game day/ autopsy thread? I'm sure the 15 Suns supporters (including the 6 AFL employees) were all devastated to have the game they were ahead of for 5 minutes stolen from them. Even with their new super coach and academy pick handouts every year, they still can't win an away game.

We have a draft thread.

They have an academy thread where they get to wonder what draft picks they can use to select the players they’re definitely going to get.

Zeke Uwland and Leonardo Lombard the next two in line. Uwland had a big weekend and the commentators were likening him to Gulden. Lombard played in the VFL GF last year as a 16 year old. Got some real Chad Warner vibes.

It’s a different world.

 

[Miha]

We have a draft thread.

They have an academy thread where they get to wonder what draft picks they can use to select the players they’re definitely going to get.

Zeke Uwland and Leonardo Lombard the next two in line. Uwland had a big weekend and the commentators were likening him to Gulden. Lombard played in the VFL GF last year as a 16 year old. Got some real Chad Warner vibes.

It’s a different world.

This will continue. Surely can’t keep then all happy?

 

[The Punter]

This will continue. Surely can’t keep then all happy?

GWS are already there and the GC will get there - if they can get to a critical mass of talent, then they will never fall down the ladder again because they always have enough surplus talent to turn into draft picks then can keep regenerating.

 

[StFly]

GWS are already there and the GC will get there - if they can get to a critical mass of talent, then they will never fall down the ladder again because they always have enough surplus talent to turn into draft picks then can keep regenerating.

Yep, we should be so lucky that the GCS started with portable buildings and nothing at HQ to have to make up ground, because the gifts that get given to people outside of VIC and WA (since Wa existed to give money to VIC) just makes it totally and unbelievably unequal in almost every capacity otherwise.

The AFLs hand is so far entrenched in both entities success it's just not funny, they are covering their investments after all.

 

[gringo2011]

The thing that frustrates me is seeing the lack of movement in the forward line when our mids have possession. They should be leading and presenting but they're usually standing still. People can talk about the slow inside 50s or the lack of talent in midfield to get those decent inside 50s but they've got few good options: either kick to a contest or the hot spots.

We need our forwards to get on their bike and lead more intelligently and that's why we need a top shelf forward coach!

Which clubs have the best operating forward lines, disregarding how good the mids are?

The only thing I can imagine is that we want to stay close to our opponents to keep the ball from bouncing back out as quickly as it came in. It makes no sense that we don't try to get separation.

 

[gringo2011]

We have a draft thread.

They have an academy thread where they get to wonder what draft picks they can use to select the players they’re definitely going to get.

Zeke Uwland and Leonardo Lombard the next two in line. Uwland had a big weekend and the commentators were likening him to Gulden. Lombard played in the VFL GF last year as a 16 year old. Got some real Chad Warner vibes.

It’s a different world.

Lombard looks a good player but actually been a bit average in the last couple of games. Uwland looked good though. Hopefully the trickle down effect happens where we can feed off the scraps.

 

[gringo2011]

GWS are already there and the GC will get there - if they can get to a critical mass of talent, then they will never fall down the ladder again because they always have enough surplus talent to turn into draft picks then can keep regenerating.

That's what they thought about GWS.