Autopsy Round 7, 2024: Port Adelaide v St.Kilda

[MrFoster]

Said many times, our problem is we can’t win the ball in contest CLEANLY,
for this to happen you need a 3-4 mids who can win contests consistently and cleanly then break forward.

Due to the lack of personnel, all our midfield does is fumble, hospital hand pass to the next poor soul, or hack kick it forward blindly..as a result, our forward entries are shocking, we can’t transition the ball effectively unless there’s a free man (means his opponent are also free on turnover)

We need at least another 2-3 steele types (but maybe with a bit more speed) to be able to compete. And a proper tap ruckman in the mould of Ryder will help massively too

 

[CursingFijian]

We will generally be at the bottom end for attracting players as we can't compete with the big VIC clubs, so we must draft. Not many big name players are falling over themselves to live in Cheltenham either.

Now this is really depressing stuff. Are you suggesting we should have gone to Tasmania 10 years ago, so we could have become a destination club.

We can’t just lie down and accept our lot. We may as well give up right now or take a 20 year break like the Rabbitohs did.

 

[ScrappyDo]

You can and obviously do go in with game plans but these were acts of sheer stupidity, no football IQ at all. It’s like saying we’re going to isolate king, you look up and he’s being double teamed, smart player checks down and hits an open target. Anyway if you get a chance to watch the first quarter again you’ll see just how bad it was, only port missing easy shots saved us from a much bigger deficit.

Oh I'm not excusing the stupidity. There was plenty of it from the usual offenders.
I'm just saying that a given action can have multiple causes. Stupidity, inexperience, a lack of composure or a lack of other options can all produce the same outcome.
Some of that can be fixed with experience and coaching, some never get over it.
In the case our 2 primary senior offenders, well I'm convinced they're just dumb kents. And we'd do well to get rid of them at season's end as it only takes one fly to ruin an ointment.

 

[Yawkey way]

Couldn't agree more.

Another sign of an immature side is how we tackle. Saints swarm 3+ players at the ball carrier (no communication) and can't stick their tackles (conditioning/experience).

We swarm and swarm frantically, leaving the opposition with free players on the outside to cut us up.

Getting sucked into contests they can’t impact and leaving space for the opposition, looks just like under 10’s. There’s not one part of the field at present where we have the balance right and it shows. Can’t kick a winning score, can’t stop the opposition forwards and we have a second rate midfield.

The only highlight for me this season has been Wilson, his ability to cover the ground is sensational. What a weapon he’ll be when we’re a better side, actually I’m looking forward to seeing him when we can field something approaching our best 22.

 

[EddieMurphy]

Right, so the fact the we lost tonight by less than 2 kicks with Port being the beneficiary of some of the most ridiculously one-sided umpiring ever witnessed, we would be 1-6, according to your narrative??

Play last night's game 10 times and our average loss would be around 5 or 6 goals.

 

[LifestyleSaints]

Play last night's game 10 times and our average loss would be around 5 or 6 goals.

Play like last night and we are no certainty to beat Norf. I honestly think we are a bottom 4 team again. I am so shocked as to how bad we are....

 

[Yawkey way]

We will generally be at the bottom end for attracting players as we can't compete with the big VIC clubs, so we must draft. Not many big name players are falling over themselves to live in Cheltenham either.

The bayside suburbs are highly desirable and stacked with players from across the league so I’d say living in them with a casual short drive to training is as good as it gets. When you compare it to other clubs who has it better ?

Imo what holds us back is we’re currently not in contention, we play at marvel and we don’t play the blockbuster marquee MCG games that give players that big crowd prime time stage.

There will come a time when we should push all our chips in but imo that time is still a least one more likely two years away.

 

[beside the seaside]

Play like last night and we are no certainty to beat Norf. I honestly think we are a bottom 4 team again. I am so shocked as to how bad we are....

Sorry, play like we did to lose by ten points against Port Adelaide in Adelaide and we'll lose to North who are one of the worst teams in recent memory?

Has rational reasoning gone out the window?

 

[Sainter1873]

It’s not all doom and gloom. When a team plays this many young, inexperienced players, there’s going to be plenty of mistakes.

Port has elite midfielders and it showed at crucial moments. We didn’t get smashed in stoppages but our efficiency inside 50 is far too low; 57 versus 37 per cent. Won’t win many matches with that number. Until we tighten that up, we’re going to struggle to beat anyone.

It's frustrating but we’re not a bottom six team and talk of a rebuild is silly. Assess us when we get back King, Henry, Crouch, Wood, Webster, Clark and Dow for a period of time.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Hodgey “iT wAS thE rIgHT CalL”

Omg! Missed most of the game as I was out, so missed this moment.
My TV breathes a sigh of relief

 

[phantom13]

Omg! Missed most of the game, so missed this moment.
My TV breathes a sigh of relief

I think the biggest moment of incompetence from the umpires last night was asking for a score review, in a behind (so not if it was touched) to see if this ball crossed the line.



Bearing in mind the commentators noted the afl had said they were aiming to reduce score reviews at the start of the game.

Mate, balls in the middle of the ****ing cheer squad

 

[DougalHoward]

Braaahton's biggest asset is the number of roads leading out of it. It's fine for the cashed up retired bogans, but not not young people.
Still, better than the evolutional sewage outlet of Beaumaris.

sunny3193

 

[TheJackal]

Stocker has played his best footy not a the small defender. Hopefully see a better Stocker when Webster comes back in.

He's been asked to do one of the hardest jobs in footy whilst the 3 other 'smalls' in the backline are there for their playmaking abilities over their defending.

Funny thing about Stock is that he is a real leader/very focal on the training track. His kicking WHEN ON is among the best at the club. Seriously penetrative and bullet like and can absolutely roost it. The issue with him is consistency with the kicking under pressure, which is high due to the fact he has to play so defensively thanks to Jimmy.

 

[Saint Watto]

I think I am starting to hate Port Adelaide (and fans) as much any team I’ve ever hated. Getting close to Geelong levels.

All aboard the train SG.

I've hated Port or years.

My Therapist says that's completely normal.

As you were he says.

I follow what he says.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Now this is really depressing stuff. Are you suggesting we should have gone to Tasmania 10 years ago, so we could have become a destination club.

We can’t just lie down and accept our lot. We may as well give up right now or take a 20 year break like the Rabbitohs did.

We should be at Junction oval and homed at the G for the sake of attracting players but obviously that won't happen.
Our current pathway is the right one FWIW. We somehow do well with player retention so taking kids like Nas, Pou, Wilson, JVE, Keeler and Collard out of regional shit holes is a good method of maximising our drafting talent. I'm surprised we haven't taken more Sandy Dragons but can't complain about the drafting, though we do have King, Stocker, Byrnes, Chito and Windy, but should have snagged Visintini last year.
As the policy is only 2 years old it's yet to bear fruit and l suspect bayside locals are more trade targets than draft targets.
Tassi will never be a destination club but they will pay overs for talent whilst building. Ari was very a good investment in that regard, and l hope we take another this year and next to build a piggy bank.

 

[ScrappyDo]

sunny3193

Don't worry. He'll get the message..

 

[Saint Watto]

Liam Henry too. Dow injury has been frustrating, because he's exactly what we lack also

Incredibly(ala normal for the Saints) bad luck for us.....Henry is the "weapon" we need and with Dow....we just don't know with him yet.

With Dow the anticipation is killing me.

 

[ScrappyDo]

View attachment 1972196

It was in.

 

[Sainter1873]

It was in.

There was an angle taken from behind the player and it looked in. Was close though.

 

[kick it lace out]

We will not be a contender until we address our midfield. Right now it’s the worst in the league, and that’s got nothing to do with injuries. The reality is we do not have any elite midfielders, even amongst those that are currently out injured. It will take time to either (a) draft and develop these or (b) entice players from other clubs to join us. Unfortunately, I feel this journey will require (even more) patience.
We also need to find some additional key defensive stocks. Howard isn’t up to it, Cordy is serviceable at best, and Wilkie & Battle are forced to play well above their height. Not sure about Van Ess as from what I’ve seen from him at training, his kicking is heart in mouth stuff. As far as the other tall stocks currently on our list goes, I’m not convinced that Keebler will make it, and as far as Allison goes, I’d be surprised if he’s still on our list come season’s end. Again, what this shows is complete incompetence of our list management and hence that’s why Gallagher and co. were shown the door. I get the sense that the review exposed this and that Ross has been given the mandate by Bassett to come in and start again. For the first time in a long time, I feel as though management &the football department are all on the same page, and I wasn’t surprised by Bassett’s recent comments re: timing of picking up free agents. We are that far away from being a contender, it makes no sense to go out and and spend big money on free agents right now. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if we put one of our better players on the trade table come season’s end in order to secure an additional top 10-20 pick. Let’s face it, Ross has proven that he can coach a side to be competitive, so hitting the draft for more elite talent while still remaining competitive makes sense to me.

 

[phantom13]

There was an angle taken from behind the player and it looked in. Was close though.

Nah, the angle from behind ran inside the boundary line, was evident it was out, even DBJ went to give the ball back

 

[TheNewEnsign]

Nah, the angle from behind ran inside the boundary line, was evident it was out, even DBJ went to give the ball back

DBJ's confusion was champagne comedy in a game that close. I don't have a problem with the call though, it's impossible to know whether it was truly in or out and I'm happy for umps to make a call.

 

[SG34]

100% agree, looks lost in the guts. Give him a run in the VFL to sharpen his skills against lesser opposition and give Owens more of a run in the middle in the meantime.

Did you see his handball receive in the second, great position, running straight towards goal about 50-60 out? Nicely collected ad I thought, ‘yeah, here we go’ and yet turned straight into an ambush and was easily stripped of the ball. There was no Dusty ‘don’t argue’ hand and there was no Powell-Pepper Mac truck, no JHF/Dangerfield power shimmy..just completely stripped. I know it’s not his fault and I know he is just one of so many overwhelmed players who are really pushing the envelope to be competitive at this level and are thus looking terrible (Byrnes, Socker), , but gee, we must be in dire straights if someone cannot help Pou negotiate these ambushes and stamp some authority.

 

[Saint Watto]

Weird thing is though, with the next 3 games winnable, we could be 5w-5l near the midway point.

It's an absolutely bizzare thought.

You could actually classify the next 6 games as "winable"

If....we lose no more troops....and keep getting others back.

 

[Saint Watto]

View attachment 1971980

Gold there Tyrian.

I wonder if we could get a priority pick or 2 thrown in??????