Round 3 v Western Bulldogs, Saturday Night @ Etihad Stadium

[hayes]

Apart from the third quarter you seemed to still be playing scrappy insipid ross lyon style football. You played better than us all game and had a few lucky things go your way but really other than the third quarter you were uninspiring, just my opinion, take it with a grain of salt.

I would've thought that was more Bulldogs football than us. Your team kicked something like 20 goals combined in the two previous games? We had multiple scoring shots in every quarter, don't mistake your teams inability to kick goals as Ross Lyon football because we were still kicking them.

 

[mysainters]

I don't reckon the defensive kicking was so bad.

It's just different.

Different for us as fans to see defenders taking the game on rather than purely killing the contest, different for them in the sense that they completely have to reprogram how they play.

We can focus on a couple of tired kicks (keeping in mind our defenders had a ridiculous amount of possessions compared to the 10 or less they'd have probably had in the past) or is there any way of finding out how many score involvements they had individually?

So many times they played in front, marked or created a turnover resulting in a Saints possession, played on and we scored a goal.

 

[mysainters]

On top of that they are a one man team in the middle.

How good is Boyd?

I'd love him at our club, always plays well, their kids just need to watch how he goes about it and they'll turn things around.

Speaking of the middle.

Anyone find the comments by Watters on TSFS today interesting regarding Dean working well with the stoppages and setups?

Saints were ordinary in the middle for much of last year, so good to see it's actually becoming a contest, and some effort is being put into how they structure up.

It's really turning around, signs are good, and the younger players are finding so much more of the clearances.

Not meaning to disrespect our midfield coach last year, but even the Pies have been struggling in this area this year. Games are won in the middle these days, contested ball and clearances are so significant, you really need someone who knows how to win on the inside. Dean seems to have been a good pickup in this regard.

 

[Plugger35]

Dollhouse ( spelt the German way ) seems a bit of a show pony. Seems that most players with dreads are.

He might be a bit of a show pony but at least he had a crack, not sure you could say that for some of his teammates.

Hard to believe how much the Dogs have dropped off from a couple of years ago. I expected a much tougher game than what we got last night.

Can't complain with an easy win though, much more enjoyable when you don't have the stress of a close game.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I don't reckon the defensive kicking was so bad. It's just different.

Different for us as fans to see defenders taking the game on rather than purely killing the contest, different for them in the sense that they completely have to reprogram how they play.

We can focus on a couple of tired kicks (keeping in mind our defenders had a ridiculous amount of possessions compared to the 10 or less they'd have probably had in the past) or is there any way of finding out how many score involvements they had individually?

So many times they played in front, marked or created a turnover resulting in a Saints possession, played on and we scored a goal.

It wasn't necessarily them though. I'm talking about whoever was making the choices when bringing it forward from half back and with the way teams push numbers back these days, it could be anyone making that decision with the ball across half back. But if it was them, they'll need to improve their decision making, vision and be braver with their kicks, which they hopefully will. Time and again whoever was kicking for us didn't kick it to the obvious one who was on their own, forward of them, which gave the Bulldogs extra time to push back hard and crowd our defence, or it caused an unnessary 50/50 contest, instead of an easy, uncontested mark in a dangerous position, that we could power forward from.
We did an awful lot right last night, but we also missed an incredible number of tricks.

 

[thomas_m18]

To think we were playing prelims together less than two years ago...

On Polo, I hate that he's probably taking Ledger's spot in the side, but he hasn't been bad, and he deserves to stay. I would hope that he can take another step in his game though, as if he doesn't Ledger will soon overtake him.

 

[Some Idiot]

I would've thought that was more Bulldogs football than us. Your team kicked something like 20 goals combined in the two previous games? We had multiple scoring shots in every quarter, don't mistake your teams inability to kick goals as Ross Lyon football because we were still kicking them.

8.10 to 4.9 in 3 quarters. St Kilda controlled the flow and pace of the game the entire time and for 3 quarters they created a slow, scrap heap of a game.

 

[aussierulesrules]

To be fair though, we were coming off a 6 day break and have another 6 dayer coming, so we completely switched off for most of the last quarter. Your boys didn't really look like scoring a goal before that and got 3 very cheap ones at the end, when we looked to be just trying to conserve energy and not get injured, which flatters those scores for the 3 quarters you've mentioned.

 

[hayes]

8.10 to 4.9 in 3 quarters. St Kilda controlled the flow and pace of the game the entire time and for 3 quarters they created a slow, scrap heap of a game.

Just the fact that we were having shots on goal and actually trying to score is a big difference from the Ross way. All of our fans agreed we were unwatchable at the best of times, now we're actually enjoying watching our team play.

Blake still has the habit of looking backwards and sideways whenever he gets the ball though but he'll suffice until Gwilt is ready.

 

[Value Added]

Don't let's poor too much manure on Ross. With a bit of luck we could have snagged two flags under him.

 

[mysainters]

Don't let's poor too much manure on Ross. With a bit of luck we could have snagged two flags under him.

Is that you Lenny?

http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/newsId/133153/Default.aspx

I'm not sure even Lenny will stop fans enjoying the theatre of it all.

I liked Lyon, so I won't boo.

However I can't guarantee that if the team keeps this kind of progress up, that I won't be pondering if a bit flair and dare didn't have to be a naughty word during his tenure.

 

[Sunshine Saint]

Very satisfying round. Appreciate that Western Bulldogs have come back from previous years, but having said that everyone said the same of last weeks opponents Gold Coast Suns and they nearly beat Essendon yesterday.

Stanley is poised to be a power influence with the Saints. He has grown in confidence and results in each game.

Lenny, how much we missed you last year. Was that one of the best tackles you have ever seen? What a champion

Simpkin, is it my imagination, or is he moving and playing like Max Hudghton? Thank god Dawson is gone and we can play Simpkin. We will get many many years from him.

And to Ro$$ Lyin, I will be booing the tv screen. I have no time for liars, cheats and frauds. Yes he nearly got us two flags, but he left in disgrace. No good grace from me.

 

[Fehring]

Dollhouse ( spelt the German way ) seems a bit of a show pony. Seems that most players with dreads are.

I was just saying to myself last night that he'll lose the fancy hair once he can actually hold his place on talent.

He is a ducker, and very good at it.

No idea why the Saints are falling for the trap (other than that it takes more effort to apply the tackles), as he got about half a dozen frees when we played Williamstown last year in the VFL.

Once that "trick" is countered, we'll see what's left.

That said, I think he has plenty of talent and there's plenty more than the ducking. I like his hardness and he's got plenty of pace, so I think he's a keeper.

 

[Highlander35]

8.10 to 4.9 in 3 quarters. St Kilda controlled the flow and pace of the game the entire time and for 3 quarters they created a slow, scrap heap of a game.

Pretty sure 18 scoring shots to 9 indicates you blokes weren't trying fantastically hard.

With 6.6 to 1.5 at half time, and us moving the ball pretty damn well, I'm surprised at the fact you're such a sore loser.

Just because we "chose" (which we didn't) to play a scrap of a game doesn't mean you blokes had to play along. Think back to round 5 2010. You blokes, chose to play like shit, chipping the ball around then, bombing it into our wall rather than running to the 50 and taking potshots.

if we swapped jumpers, people would say that the bulldogs were exciting like from 08-10 and the saints were boring like circa 10-11. Deal with it. The bulldogs played shithouse, and while we were still poor, we took the game on, and played attractively.

 

[Noidenous]

8.10 to 4.9 in 3 quarters. St Kilda controlled the flow and pace of the game the entire time and for 3 quarters they created a slow, scrap heap of a game.

St.Kilda were allowed to control the game through constricting space/angles around the ball carrier. This was the direct result of a poor gameplan from the Bulldogs. Too much handball, meaning that as soon as one gets chopped off or falls short, of course it hits the ground and play continues on. Much higher chance of the ball being held in to a pack, bringing more players to contests through stoppages.

A comparison of the Bulldogs best 3 quarters against St.Kilda's 'worst' 3 quarters in terms of score doesn't indicate anything. The best quarter for the Bulldogs was junk-time. The most important 3 quarters don't include the last in this game. 2 goals to 13 up to 3/4-time. Also, rushed behinds aren't scoring shots. Enough said.

 

[FlyingSledghamer]

I can't believe how glim some supporters are, sounds like people are trying to find excuses to why we just absolutley dismantled the dogs.

Forget about the last quater, game was already dusted by then.
I think thats the best 3Q's of football weve played since 2010. Our pressure on the ball carier and closing off space was first class. We choked the hell out of the dogs for those 3q's. We made them look like crap cause of our unrelenting pressure and willingness to win the contested ball.
Big Props to Watters and the team. Only 2 rounds in and already seeing signs of thier game plan working so well.

Big Welcome back to Armo, Hayes and Roo. They were super impressive.

To see Armitage making such an impact at the contests, it gives me hope! Ive waited a long time to see him explode. This could be the year for him.
Hayes spectacular, yet again And Roo, wow, I wrote him off this year, but he looks back too, moving and marking so well.

Things are looking up saints. Dont be so glim.

 

[sammm]

Geary was impressive tonight.

Fisher was courageous and impeccable on the rebound.

Next week should be great. Lyon knows us.
Now is the time for the "know your enemy know yourself" game plan.
I hope Watters talks with the players quite a lot in preparation.

Lyon might know us, but from what i am hearing the sainbts are playing a little differently to last year. if so, then it will be harder for him.

we al will know lyon's style of play. just look at the freo game yesterday!

 

[hayes]

Ross won't recognize half the players out there.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Apart from the third quarter you seemed to still be playing scrappy insipid ross lyon style football. You played better than us all game and had a few lucky things go your way but really other than the third quarter you were uninspiring, just my opinion, take it with a grain of salt.

I always take the opinion of "some idiot" with lots of salt.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

I was just saying to myself last night that he'll lose the fancy hair once he can actually hold his place on talent.



That said, I think he has plenty of talent and there's plenty more than the ducking. I like his hardness and he's got plenty of pace, so I think he's a keeper.

He's the kind of players some teams find handy to pick up, but in a team like StKilda he would be accentuating the kind of issues we have with Jones, Polo, and Peake.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Our pressure on the ball carier and closing off space was first class. We choked the hell out of the dogs for those 3q's. We made them look like crap cause of our unrelenting pressure and willingness to win the contested ball.

Those things certainly were first class and in that regard they might have been the best 3 quarters we've played since 2010, but it's also about what we do when we have the ball that's important and that left an awful lot to be desired on a lot of occasions.
Were you at the ground, because you see a lot more there (especially from a higher vantage point that isn't too far back) than you do on the TV and there were loads of times when we made a huge mess of golden opportunities to either score a goal, or hit someone who was on their own, with a pass? The Doggies were far too ordinary to make us pay for those mistakes, but stronger teams will not be.
Beating the Doggies is all well and good, but I know I and a lot of others look at us with regards to how we will go when playing the likes of Carlton and Hawthorn, because it's a premiership we want, not just beating up on teams that are in disarray.
Not making the most of our golden opportunities has already cost us at least one premiership in the past 3 seasons and I for one don't want us to go on making those mistakes and potentially cost ourselves another one.

 

[saintsrfreak]

Those things certainly were first class and in that regard they might have been the best 3 quarters we've played since 2010, but it's also about what we do when we have the ball that's important and that left an awful lot to be desired on a lot of occasions.
Were you at the ground, because you see a lot more there (especially from a higher vantage point that isn't too far back) than you do on the TV and there were loads of times when we made a huge mess of golden opportunities to either score a goal, or hit someone who was on their own, with a pass? The Doggies were far too ordinary to make us pay for those mistakes, but stronger teams will not be.
Beating the Doggies is all well and good, but I know I and a lot of others look at us with regards to how we will go when playing the likes of Carlton and Hawthorn, because it's a premiership we want, not just beating up on teams that are in disarray.
Not making the most of our golden opportunities has already cost us at least one premiership in the past 3 seasons and I for one don't want us to go on making those mistakes and potentially cost ourselves another one.

Use paragraphs mate, a wall of text doesn't look that appealing

 

[aussierulesrules]

I did use paragraphs, 4 of them. 3 of them were only 2 lines each.
I take it you mean spaces between them? I do that when what I write is longer than just 9 lines. I'll give doing it for shorter posts some deep thought, though.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I concur with A2R there, man. Fair content, but hard to slog through in that format.

Look, last week against the "magnificent" Crows, the Dogs came close, yet we thrashed them. This week, the "stunning" Bombers almost got beaten by the Suns, whereas we smashed them.

That leaves the Port game, and they've often had the woods on us.

I'm telling you all, we're going alright.

 

[Hammers_Saints]

Matthew Boyd may have had the most ineffective 40+ possession game I have ever seen to be honest, glad we don't have him at our club but unhappy I don't have him in my dreamteam.

I think the best part of the night was when we gave rubbish delivery into the forward line and I said don't worry about it we will kick a goal because they'll cough it up, sure enough they did and it fell to Montagna for an easy goal. Watching that passage of play and our intesity and our pressure at the contest was the best I had seen from us since R2 2009 against Adelaide which was the turning point game for us.

Also I'd add that I absolutely love Simpkin's work and how he is willing to attack the ball as a defender, at times he coughed it up a bit by footy but when you looked at the turnover kicks he was making the decision was right and the accuracy was right but he was just over hitting them by a couple of metres and putting the players up the ground in the wrong position. To be honest though, that is something which he will improve on as he gets a greater feel for the game and will soon adjust and start hitting those targets.

Can't wait for Freo next week and have a great sense of optimisim about my football club once again this season