Autopsy Round 15, 2021: Richmond v St.Kilda *CONNOLLY DEBUT*

[Joffaboy]

1) I wanted Ryder a decade ago. Has always been excellent.

2) unpopular opinion. Byrnes wastes too many disposals. Needs to clean that up. Not a player yet, but boy with experience he will be.

3) Cotchin. Obviously rattled by Dunstan, tries the piss weak cheap shot to put him off.
Last qtr I saw him twice have a look with Dunstan bearing down. Dunstan destroyed him last night

 

[StFly]

Yeah, we certainly didn't get peak Richmond. I haven't seen them that flat for years. One thing you usually get from them is fight, sometimes they cruise then strike but they never put up anything last night. They have done it a couple of times this season where they look a bit disinterested but not for the whole match. It's looking like the end of the reign to me. It will be hard to make top 4 this year and last year they were probably lucky for the weird season making it easier for a battle-hardened side.

That said you can only beat what's in front of you and we did that.

They were us, in essence, everything was just harder than it should be realistically and so when the other mob takes chances and say 3 goals v 5 behinds sounds like a massive gap when that grows by 2 as it's like "now I need 50% more effort to do the same things".

It's like, half time you expect that yep, we've had our fun, the Tigers aren't that far behind and they'll just have 10mins and here's 5 goals with little resistance, it just never happened, and so our chips stuck since they never took the mid, they never repelled with ease and clean use and they never got reward from effort. They just then didn't want to work for it, hell, Cotch spent most match going "it's cold, hits sting, Ima be strong boi!" and leave it to others to get the ball. He made it harder for his fellow mids because he never wanted the actual ball.

 

[Dard Ball Get]

As I bask in my usual celebratory bath of warm baby oil, accompanied by 2 large fresh waffles with fresh cream, maple syrup and bacon bits, I see this - and although the sun is already shining today, it just got a little brighter

 

[StHalfbackflanker]

It's a nice feeling to wake up after a win like that, but let's be realistic here – we'll never be a premiership contender if DMac and Dunstan are at the core of our midfield.

I love those two – they try their guts out every time – but they're papering over the cracks with effort. We have such a significant lack of class through our midfield that we somehow need to address. We've either got silky seagulls like Billings and Hill, or honest triers who only hit targets by fluke.

 

[Sheepey]

If someone could make a compilation of Connelly's kicks that would be great haha. Even if a lot where simply chips around the backline, I remember him kicking a dart into the corridor

 

[lewdogs]

Connelly rising star nom?

 

[aussierulesrules]

Amazing the difference with a team defensive mindset.

View attachment 1164326

Staggering for Richmond to score so little from 79 cracks at it.

 

[Roo Ted 77]

The roast and toast thread on the Richmond board is a thing of beauty.

Demanding the immediate retirement of Houli and Cotchin and play the kids.

Asking for a royal enquiry into how poor Samson Ryan got in ahead of Parker.

Accusing Hardwick of shagging them out of another premiership.

It’s beautiful.

I snuck on there last night and this morning for a look. I thought we were brutal

 

[Pardon me]

Watching a replay.
Q1 - Sinclair run and carry out of D50 with that mullet flowing was glory in motion.
Cotchin is a sniping dog.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Brad Crouch was driving with Tom Highmore and Leo Connolly. Drove the 3 of them to Marvel.

 

[ScrappyDo]

I tend to agree.

If you are going to embrace players like Dunstan then you have to embrace the chaos that comes with him. Dunstan is never going to be the most precise footballer, and his teammates just need to understand that the next possession after his is going to require them to be focussed and ready for anything.

Asking Luke to be precise out of congestion is just setting him up for failure. It’s not a feature of his game and he isn’t Paddy Malone in this regard either. Crouch and Ross also capable of a quick turn and bomb. Ryder and Marshall also often grab and roost from stoppage.

I think we saw an increased preparedness to play dirty ground ball get footy against Adelaide. Little toe pokes and paddles to advantage, more kicking off the ground and slap outs from congestion, followed by quick turn mongrel punts rather than clean takeaways and lace out delivery.

Richmond gets lauded for this style of play all the time. And in the big games where you know the contest is going to be hot, it actually can give you good field position.

There is still a role for the silky users like Hill and Sinclair and Connolly. But embracing the grunts and everything they bring to the table, including the chaos, is good for the team dynamic in my opinion.

There'd be no one happier than me to see Spook revive his career, but we need to draw a line between the chaos element which is fine and the downright bloody terrible element which has seen him in and out of the side.
With Dunny in form we have a good ball winning trio that's been lacking for a long long time. Whilst not fast or flashy it's a solid enough combo to win the battle more than %50 of the time.

Let's not count our chickens just yet though. Our team needs to earn back any offerings of good faith.

 

[jwikked]

Brad Crouch was driving with Tom Highmore and Leo Connolly. Drove the 3 of them to Marvel.

There's something to that I reckon

 

[Elvis Winmar]

One of the things I loved about last night was that we physically targeted the opposition’s captain. It’s such an un-St Kilda move, and it was just so heartening to see. I can’t remember the last time we really roughed up the leader of another club like that.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

There's something to that I reckon

Yea Crouch was on autopilot

 

[Pardon me]

I love how the super brave Richmond defenders all go after the 5 foot nothing Higgins…

 

[St Kilda Death]

Good win. Not sure where this effort and execution have been all year though.

I will point out that good teams need guys like Long and Dunstan playing on the edge. It's even better if they are your captain.

That way the media can call them "Tough, hard, and inspiring" instead of "A Cheap, dirty, sniping dog".

For evidence see;
Mitchell, Sam
Hodge, Luke
Selwood, Joel
Cotchin, Trent

Always disliked those 4, because as you said; dirty sniping dogs.
However all 4 have won 3+ premierships.
So let’s get dirty saints.
Nice guys finish last.

 

[gringo2011]

Sooooo… Connolly had SEVEN marks and ELEVEN disposals in 30 minutes of footy

If he had managed that from a full game you'd say he's had a decent debut.

He looked good but probably need to temper it a bit, he got a few touches as we chipped it around because the game was over already. He looks the goods but I don't think he gets 30 possessions a game every game. He uses the ball well though and didn't look out of place at all.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

As I bask in my usual celebratory bath of warm baby oil, accompanied by 2 large fresh waffles with fresh cream, maple syrup and bacon bits, I see this - and although the sun is already shining today, it just got a little brighter

It would take a hell of a lot of willpower not to have a tin tank in a bath of warm baby oil after a massive Saints win.

 

[CursingFijian]

There'd be no one happier than me to see Spook revive his career, but we need to draw a line between the chaos element which is fine and the downright bloody terrible element which has seen him in and out of the side.
With Dunny in form we have a good ball winning trio that's been lacking for a long long time. Whilst not fast or flashy it's a solid enough combo to win the battle more than %50 of the time.

Let's not count our chickens just yet though. Our team needs to earn back any offerings of good faith.

Whole heartedly agree that it is a fine line. I also know that when Dunstan kicks 30 metre passes off the ground he's in a particularly sweet vein of form <luck>.

My point is that when Dunstan takes possession you can lead out demanding a precision kick and then throw your hands up in the air when you don't get it, or you can close up on your man and find the body, get to the front because you know the next possession is probably likely going to be a scrappy affair.

For Dunstan to become the solid, inside, heavy lifter we want him to be will require considerable commitment and effort from his teammates.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

One of the things I loved about last night was that we physically targeted the opposition’s captain. It’s such an un-St Kilda move, and it was just so heartening to see. I can’t remember the last time we really roughed up the leader of another club like that.

And he didn’t ****en like it either. Hahahahah

 

[gringo2011]

1) I wanted Ryder a decade ago. Has always been excellent.

2) unpopular opinion. Byrnes wastes too many disposals. Needs to clean that up. Not a player yet, but boy with experience he will be.

3) Cotchin. Obviously rattled by Dunstan, tries the piss weak cheap shot to put him off.
Last qtr I saw him twice have a look with Dunstan bearing down. Dunstan destroyed him last night

Byrnes is far from the finished article but the traits he has are going to make him a very good player at least. He's got a huge footy IQ, always puts up second and third efforts, stands defensive side of his opponent at contests naturally, plays to back up teammates and talks and instructs others. You can get more composure with the ball as experience comes but he has the intangibles naturally. He's played 8 games and missed most of this year with a bad hamstring tear and no real development in his first year. He might not be there yet but he's a blue chip stock. I'm so confident that he'll be good that I'll call it early....he'll end up a captain one day. Just has the right attitude.

 

[malevu]

First things first. What a great win for the club after all the unfair sh.it the media put us through in the last couple of weeks (thanks Caro). It was a tonic for all of us. Players, coaches and fans.

Now for my comments I was going to post last week but never got round to it. One brilliant, unexpected win shouldn't change a season reflection this far in.

The reality is that we aren't going to play finals this year because we aren't quite good enough. Surprisingly that doesn't particularly bother me. Believe me as a 50 year-long suffering Saint I don't say that lightly. Like most of us I'll take 8th place and a ten goal Elimination Final loss any year as an indication of a decent year. But not this year. The reason being is three fold.

1. Last year we were probably the 5th best team in the comp on the back of a 10 win - 7 loss home and away campaign. We were then all hopeful of a top 4 finish this year and secretly dreamt of the Holy Grail. However, the comp is much stronger this year. Whilst Geelong, Port and Richmond are around the same mark as in 2020 we have seen great improvement from Melbourne, Bulldogs and Brisbane. All of those three teams now are significantly better than us. Add in a lurking Eagles who are slowly building and a much improved Sydney and a slip down the ladder for us was predictable. Unless we ourselves improved.

2. Well what happened ? Crouch and Higgins strengthened our list but we have been decimated with significant injuries to key players. There's no need for me to list them here as we all know them. Clearly Marshall, Gresham and Paton headline a long list. It's led to inconsistent, confidence lacking performances.

3. Thanks to the AFL we were handed a murderous fixture. Double up games against the 2020 grand finalists and away games against the Eagles, Port, Brisbane, GWS, Sydney and Geelong.

So what does that tell me ? A tougher, deeper competition this year, a killer fixture and a horror injury run meant we were always going to be up against it. Even with better luck eighth place was about the best we could hope for. In my opinion no team will win the flag from the bottom half of the eight this year. The good teams bat too deep and there will be no easy games for anyone after week one of the finals. That's why I'm not concerned about us missing out this year.

What does concern me though is that we have to finish this year out strongly with an eye to 2021. Six months ago we were lapping up the media referring to us as a "destination club". A string of 10+ goal losses soon wipes that idea out. In order to have a decent chance in the next trade period we must finish the year strongly. With away games to come against Brisbane, Eagles and Geelong that is a real concern. Obviously we must get the points in the games we have a good chance in - Collingwood, Carlton, Sydney and Freo. A win against Port is a chance IF we get to play them at Marvel.

A strong finish to the year and 10/11 wins won't get us into the finals but it will consign those pathetic early season performances to a distant memory. Hopefully, outside talent will then still see us as a decent place to come to.

Apologies for the long post. Enjoy the weekend watching the Tiger's replay. Got to say that it was much better watching Ryder/ Marshall competing against them than it was watching Carlisle be jumped over by Pickett in the ruck like the last time.

 

[StCicatriz]

battle i thought worked very very well on the wing. 21 disposal!!!

 

[gringo2011]

As I bask in my usual celebratory bath of warm baby oil, accompanied by 2 large fresh waffles with fresh cream, maple syrup and bacon bits, I see this - and although the sun is already shining today, it just got a little brighter

The umpires couldn't have tried any harder, by far their best three players. Even Dusty on DMac, Dusty was never told to stand and DM was told to play on before he'd had time to go back and take his kick.

 

[Ducky Tie]

battle i thought worked very very well on the wing. 21 disposal!!!

It was a good game from him. He showed how his attributes can be effective on a wing. My concern is that he does that about once a month at best on a wing and Ratts will use it as justification to continue on with the idea. I'd love for it to consistently work out, but I just don't think he is a genuine wingman.