Preview Round 5, 2022: St.Kilda v Gold Coast - Marvel Stadium, Saturday 16th April, 1:45PM AEST

[_Maximus_12]

I'm cautiously optimistic, and while Richmond and Fremantle are franking our form somewhat the lapses we had in those games won't stand up against Melbourne, Brisbane or Geelong.

Must win game this weekend, or the narrative is simply same old St Kilda.

We've been mighty impressive in patches, the best I've seen since 2010, but still way too early to be sold on us just yet.

 

[moirae42]

Yeah this is a game we just have to win if we are fair dinkum.

 

[Not another Jack]

Yeah this is a game we just have to win if we are fair dinkum.

Have to win next 3, then the big test comes. Zak already prepping himself for the Dees. We’ll have a great selection for that match


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[Minga]

I really believe our list stacks up to any team - our forward line is our weapon , our backline goes under the radar and our midfield has been rejuvenated because of the inclusion of Gresham and Sinclair just adding that speed.

Just look at the guys we have
Steele - Best and Fairest / St Kilda and All Australian
Hill - Best and Fairest / Fremantle
Crouch - Best and Fairest / Adelaide
Ross - Best and Fairest / St Kilda
Butler - one of the best defensive small forwards
Membery - every team would love him in there team
Sinclair - as close to elite as you can get
Marshall - His ability to pickup possessions around the ground with his contested marking is a game changer
Higgins - Milne like around goals
King - Can change a game in 10 minutes
Ryder - Just a weapon when plays
Wilkie - Gets given tasks every week hand hardly ever loses - have seen him beat Franklin and as we saw last week against Gunston.
Howard - Much maligned, ranked #1 %ers , was so highly rated he Capt Port as a 23yr old you - is our leader down back.
Webster - Another that goes under the radar , hardly ever lowers his colors.
Paton - Coming back from a horrific injury but has the ability to cover the best smalls in the game.
Battle - Is settling in to a position that he will excel at.
McKenzie - Many might just rate him as a fill in but he has shown the fierce attack on the ball that is required and is a elite runner.


Clark - I guy who is just starting to show how good he is.
Billings - A guy that has become a whipping boy but he has shown can be more than a run of the mill player.
Jones - Has the speed and pressure to improve our midfield but another who has suffered with injuries.

To me this is our starting 20 when fit and as you see there is no weak link - a lot of the top teams have one or 2 positions with very average players.

But the game changer for us this year is we have depth and all have claims of coming into the squad without really weakening the team.
Sharman
Highmore
Bytel
Connolly
Wood
Byrne
Linert
Hayes
Long
Owens
Windhager
Milera
Joyce

We play to our potential we are top 4

Looks good when we’re winning, looks bad when we’re losing.

We have the players to get the job done against every team, that’s a fact. But effort, coaching, consistency, decision making, injuries, etc are the difference between the best and the rest.

I think we’re on the right track, and as the eternal optimist we are hopefully trending towards getting that winning culture back at Moorabbin.

 

[Premium]

As long as we play the same brand we will


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I don't want to put a negative on the 1st yr kids in Milera and Windhager but they are not at the stage to produce more output as Clark , Jones and Billings so really I feel our side will only get stronger and stronger as the season goes on.

 

[Mowman]

I don't want to put a negative on the 1st yr kids in Milera and Windhager but they are not at the stage to produce more output as Clark , Jones and Billings so really I feel our side will only get stronger and stronger as the season goes on.

Cmon Man be positive

 

[sammm]

I have a similar feeling about us now to 09 just before people realised we were really good. Looking at the Gold Coast forum, some of their supporters genuinely think this is a 50-50 game.

I hope we go out with absolute respect and planning for them just as we did Hawthorn, but really we should win easily. Our midfield is much more experienced and we are stronger than them in every area of the ground.

Our last 5 games against Gold Coast we won but only by a total of 16 points. So they are tough games to win.

 

[Not another Jack]

I don't want to put a negative on the 1st yr kids in Milera and Windhager but they are not at the stage to produce more output as Clark , Jones and Billings so really I feel our side will only get stronger and stronger as the season goes on.

100% but we need to get games into them otherwise we’ll just crumble when the experienced blokes are out


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[tomjoad]

Our last 5 games against Gold Coast we won but only by a total of 16 points. So they are tough games to win.

There was a thread sometime ago about the Saints biggest rivals. I said Gold Coast. The contests are always close...and at the time we were being heavily linked to Bing. There's a bit of animosity there. We both perceive each other as winnable games. So far we've had their number...but they are improving incrementally, even if it is glacial. For the record, I think we're better and "should" win...but I don't think it'll be a comfortable victory by any stretch.
This will not be an easy game.

 

[tomjoad]

100% but we need to get games into them otherwise we’ll just crumble when the experienced blokes are out


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And without wanting to be too negative...Clark & Jones are injured A LOT. So the more games into the kids the better...Billings, meh. Barely notice him when he's playing anyway...except for maybe two games a year when he flicks the switch. I think he'd be better off shadowing his mate Sinc's to learn and read the game a bit better.

 

[austinnn]

I'm intrigued to see who they put down back to replace Webster. The Suns' small forwards deserve our respect.

Long's talents are best served up front, that's certain.

Why would you move Hill just as he's found his mojo? It's a no for me, and the coaches seemingly agree.

Sinclair: see Hill.

Maybe McKenzie could do a job there for for one week but you're robbing Peter to pay Paul taking him off the wing.

Maybe Ross?

 

[tomjoad]

I'm intrigued to see who they put down back to replace Webster. The Suns' small forwards deserve our respect.

Long's talents are best served up front, that's certain.

Why would you move Hill just as he's found his mojo? It's a no for me, and the coaches seemingly agree.

Sinclair: see Hill.

Maybe McKenzie could do a job there for for one week but you're robbing Peter to pay Paul taking him off the wing.

Maybe Ross?

Didn't Sinc's play the whole game off half back against the Hawk's? 35
possessions as a hybrid HBF/ winger/play maker/& myth type God.
The guy is so versatile, he's the ultimate multitasker. He'll play HBF, but be so much more
I can't believe I wanted him off the books a couple of years ago

 

[wolfpac13]

Historically this is the game we drop after a 'high'.

Must win game. Just need to get it done.

 

[Saints_MarchingIn]

I’ve been thinking about who replaces jweb and I think it has to be Long.

McKenzie might be good but if we move him then we have to move someone else to fill his wing spot.

 

[Grav]

I'm cautiously optimistic, and while Richmond and Fremantle are franking our form somewhat the lapses we had in those games won't stand up against Melbourne, Brisbane or Geelong.

Must win game this weekend, or the narrative is simply same old St Kilda.

We've been mighty impressive in patches, the best I've seen since 2010, but still way too early to be sold on us just yet.

I think the boys have confidence in each other now & are playing as a team, where in those lapses they were’t backing each other.

eg: say Webster & Sincs are nearby, Webster half heartedly goes for the ball worrying about the man he left, unbeknown Sinclair has manned up his man, next time it happens Webster goes flat out knowing his man is covered. The boys now know that their team mates have their backs & can attack the ball, confident “ “ their man is not going to get the pill if there is a turnover.

ONE TEAM

 

[snails13]

6 or more goals in 5 of our last 8 qtrs, with King 4&4,Membrey 3&4,Higgins,Gresham and Hill all with bags of 4.
Continue our form and we shot in.

 

[CaptainRisky]

I’ve been thinking about who replaces jweb and I think it has to be Long.

McKenzie might be good but if we move him then we have to move someone else to fill his wing spot.

Both leak goals when played in the backline , that's why they were moved from there

 

[stavro#4]

It doesn’t have to be pretty. But I hope it’s comfortable

 

[aussierulesrules]

Windhager probably plays on the wing and.half forward

Gresham mostly midfield

Hill will probably rotate wing and half forward.
Did still start on thr wing on a few occassions last week

Someone’s going to have to go back to replace Jimmy there though. Unless we plan on having the 6 remaining back there play 100% game time each.

We’re not going to go with a 10 man forward line and just a 6 man backline. Someone will be going back there for the day.

 

[BrutThough]

Someone’s going to have to go back to replace Jimmy there though. Unless we plan on having the 6 remaining back there play 100% game time each.

We’re not going to go with a 10 man forward line and just a 6 man backline. Someone will be going back there for the day.

It will either be Hill since he played Higgins position last week or DMac and Hill plays wing to replace him.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Someone tweet Damo that since R15 last year Max has kicked 35 goals, from just 12 games.

He said that only Tom Hawkins

26

Tom Hawkins

Age

36

Ht

197cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.2

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

5.5

5star

T

1.9

4star

G

2.1

5star

D

12.7

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

5.1

5star

T

2.1

3star

G

1.6

5star

D

7.8

2star

K

5.6

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.0

3star

G

2.2

5star

is near Daniher since R15 last year, even though Daniher has only kicked 36 goals since then, but from 15 games. Hawkins 45 from 16 games.

Max’s goal-per-game average trumps them both.

And that’s despite the fact he got injured in two of those 12 games, including one where he was absolutely dominating.

 

[PoppedCorn]

Saints by 45

 

[bird_man]

Someone’s going to have to go back to replace Jimmy there though. Unless we plan on having the 6 remaining back there play 100% game time each.

We’re not going to go with a 10 man forward line and just a 6 man backline. Someone will be going back there for the day.

Yeah I'd say it's McKenzie

 

[Minga]

Historically this is the game we drop after a 'high'.

Must win game. Just need to get it done.

To be fair, said the same thing when we versed Richmond and Hawthorn.

It’s the suns (who we tend to beat) at marvel (our home ground), so historically we win.

I’m only cautiously optimistic though, they’ll take some work to beat in the contest.

 

[D2D3]

I'm intrigued to see who they put down back to replace Webster. The Suns' small forwards deserve our respect.

Long's talents are best served up front, that's certain.

Why would you move Hill just as he's found his mojo? It's a no for me, and the coaches seemingly agree.

Sinclair: see Hill.

Maybe McKenzie could do a job there for for one week but you're robbing Peter to pay Paul taking him off the wing.

Maybe Ross?

Seems likely to me it is just a bit of a rotational shuffle more than a hard change. Personally I think its most likely McKenzie, Ross and Sinclair all spend a bit more time in defence and Windhager, Wood, Hill and Gresham spend more time midfeild/wing etc and that accomodates the includion of Higgins and loss of Webster. Rather than a Long or Hill or even a Sinclair ending up spending all their time in defence to cover for Webster. Of course I could end up being completely wrong but that is my expectation.