Autopsy Round 8, 2024: St.Kilda v North Melbourne

[Ephemeral Hope]

who was better in their first year? Wilson or Pou? We were all really big on pou all of last year and this pre season now obviously everyone’s a little disappointed with his second year blues but how do they compare?

 

[BrutThough]

who was better in their first year? Wilson or Pou? We were all really big on pou all of last year and this pre season now obviously everyone’s a little disappointed with his second year blues but how do they compare?

Easily Wilson. His past 2 games, in particular, were better than Pou's best games across all of last season.

 

[BrutThough]

Is that even true?

No.

 

[sammm]

I have to say that yesterday was the first time in many years that I watched a game without that anxiety of “we are gonna lose”. Even when we started slowly, I still knew that we were gonna get home conformably in end. It was a strange feeling to have, especially because of our inconsistent start to the year and deflating injuries to key players - we had plenty of reason to worry going into this game. Is this what it feels like for normal person who don’t let the result of a game dictate your emotions for the entire weekend?

Plenty of the individual and overall game analysis has done already, but just wanted to highlight a couple of things. It was good to score over 100 points, but majority of the score came from individuals we didn’t expect to hit the scoreboard. Wilson, Hill, Hayes, Wood and the other young fellas scoring makes us more dangerous. Plenty has been said about Kingy, but I am in the camp of letting him get some consistency after a number of frustrations stopping him from getting a proper run at it this year. His start to the year was strong and I am confident he can get back to that very quickly. As has been mentioned, he did get some unfair treatment by defenders yesterday and could have easily had a day where he kicked 4+ and got good ride from the umpires. Would love to see him who his athleticism and get up the ground and lead back into the F50.

However, this leads me to my last point. I still reckon the l elephant in the room is our skill level. We have some great players who can use it well, but we have some butchers who stand out like pigs nuts when they link up in a positive chain. Whether it’s Bonner turning it over at CHB or any of our mids failing to hit a kick inside 50, we need to improve this if we are to be a good team in the future. I can understand why King and others would be frustrated with the delivery they get. That’s a skill issue tho. Some blokes will never get to the level they need to get to, but watching games this year has allowed me to realise that most of the kids have the ability to play at the level. Most of them have only shown moments, but that is enough. We aren’t winning the flag this year, but it’s incredibly important to be competitive and fast tack the development of the kids that will drive this club in the years to come. Windy, Nas, Chito, Pou (even tho he is really struggling), Hastie, Garcia, Wilson etc look to have what it takes to play at the level required. Just need to keep bringing talent in - whether that’s nailing your draft picks or being competitive enough to attract free agents.

Another elephant in the room.
The lack of skills is the same problem form Ross v1

 

[Otiman]

Just watched the presser.
ONE journo asking questions? What is that?

Probably a response to last week when Ross started berating the journos and asked them questions.

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

So when LDU gets here who gets to keep the #9?

Not enough love for Windhagers game today, and his last two weeks. Really starting to nail down his role in the middle. against the North mids who are of the same age he really impacts, and I think as his body matures he will start to even up and dominate against some of the better mids in the competition. Looks like his star has risen above his good mate Mitchito's again.

Wilson is so enjoyable to watch. And Garcia and Hattie providing some nice cameos as well. The kids pulled their weight today.

I'm pretty confident Max will come good. It's just a frustrating period in his development, but I'm not sure any more exactly how good he actually can be. Just need him to be a 60 goaler.

Hayes, Wood, Webster all solid ins. Definitely made the team so much better structurally. Having a lead up, clunk and kick it forward is just so, so good. The fact Hayes is industrious and dynamic in the ruck is an added bonus.

Hopefully, a couple more enjoy another solid whiteout for Sandy tomorrow and can work their way into the team next week.

Anywho, I think we should take Howard off the trade table this week. I wonder who we put on it?

Windy has been 100% under appreciated this year. He’s been performing to the level of a senior mid. He’s outgrown the young player praise for 10-15 touch games and now those are disappointing by his standards. If he and Owens can keep leapfrogging each other in development each year we’re set

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Easily Wilson. His past 2 games, in particular, were better than Pou's best games across all of last season.

I think I’m trying to stay calm with Wilson. Been hurt too much hyping up first year players. But yeah he does genuinely seem like he’s playing a role and not just there for experience. I think his output could be said to realistically match what JB or jones or gresh could provide in the same position had they still been in our best 22 this year.

 

[magd2992]

My son grew 5 cm between his 18th and 19th birthdays. He stopped growing after that.

I grew 5cm watching Wilson’s game yesterday too.

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Actually our forgotten man Hunter Clark

11

Hunter Clark

Age

25

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.3

3star

D

16.0

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.9

4star

D

13.2

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

. Do we think he could play better than Wilson as that inside outside mid? If it came down to them in the best 22 who do we think would add more to the team

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Jack Hayes says he has the solution

Hayes is 28 y.o, King is 23y.o

 

[ScrappyDo]

Bonner deserves to go play for Sandy until he can produce a "zero clanger" game.

He's a loose cannon under pressure to me.

Yeah he's a poor defender and woeful under pressure. Put him on a wing to seagull and if e can't do that then out. Better to play a kid.

 

[Diehard Saint]

his approach. I think he’ll end up splitting his time between the midfield and forward line, looks more of a midfield bull to me but apparently prefers playing forward.

If he prefers to play forward then he’s got to learn how to kick goals.
If Pou needs a sprint coach, Owens can do a lot worse than getting a kicking coach in the off season.

 

[Cairnsman]

Hayes is 28 y.o, King is 23y.o

Hayes is the man to lead our forward line then?

 

[Cairnsman]

Pooey Angus out
King on notice
Hunter Jones in

I get the sense Jones might struggle to get picked by Ross again

 

[Remboy]

You’re the one saying he doesn’t have any midfield attributes. Saying he is too slow. Another one Josh Dunkley. I’d also love to know what evidence there is of Owens being slow. You are so damn overly critical of our young players.

Mitch’s biggest problem is that he is a good forward meaning he didn’t develop as a mid in the twos like Windy did last year.

In half a season he's gone from being the next big thing to being slow and can't kick. I can't wait until someone starts saying he's too soft.

 

[littlecreatures]

That was then, wouldn't be the first player to go through significant growth spurts and lose attributes, he a massice unit these days and looks sluggish is my point and doesn't look anything like a full time midfielder is the point I'm making, too sluggish to be a full time midfielder...you need to be a little zippy for that full time midfielder role, he's almost growing into a KPP and possibly has one more growth spurt left in him which can still happen around the 21 year old mark

Most of them start sluggish mate, they’re not starting in amateurs at Collegians. It’s why mid minutes are needed to develop to the level needed. Even Daicos needed it, Reid will need it. Cart before the horse.

To be honest, when it really comes down to it, the issues the supporter base has with players like King, Owens, Pou etc is really down to managing expectations. There’s times where the criticism is just overblown, particularly when the collective team underperforms.

 

[Diehard Saint]

I get the sense Jones might struggle to get picked by Ross again

And that’s ok if we get better output from others.
His ideal position may be the sub.

 

[Simple Jack]

Another thing well done to the saints fans at the game for drowning out the Roo supporters boos of J-Webb with cheers was very noticeable on the TV

I may have joined them after one of those horrific turnovers just quietly...

 

[marcus1232]

I may have joined them after one of those horrific turnovers just quietly...

He got them out of the way early at least

 

[Saintos The ITK]

I get the sense Jones might struggle to get picked by Ross again

I think so too. Maybe why he’s trying his ring out in the vfl to make himself hard to ignore.

 

[Michael Goodinski]

I grew 5cm watching Wilson’s game yesterday too.

Only 5cm magd2992? I haven't experienced "personal growth" like that which Wilson caused since watching a young Roo in 2002.

 

[StFly]

So as I could only watch the replay, I decided "why not watch this at 2x speed!" to speed up that process of review. As such;

Spectacle still really shizen, even with people rapidly speaking the amount of whistles and stop start and "people lolling on the ground" is just absurd. If the AFL wanted to speed up the game and make it cleaner they have it arse end backwards at present, it's hack kicks and cheating out the back after someone falls over their own feet only.

Still evident that we are a "stupid" midfield grouping, in that we have NFI how to read a tap and are consistently a step behind opponents on clearance, that being said, when oppo get the ball you're more than likely to at least get scragged to all hell, so, at least they have that I suppose.

And in summation of that 2x view; we really are our own worst enemies sometimes, a lot of that was "this looks good' into an event that happens where someone just straight forgets they're an AFL footballer and give the ball back to the oppo for no good reason.

 

[Saintbloke]

Actually our forgotten man Hunter Clark. Do we think he could play better than Wilson as that inside outside mid? If it came down to them in the best 22 who do we think would add more to the team

I think Hunter might struggle to get back in.. just seems to be injury-prone and has now looks like he has a sore knee at the Sandy game.

 

[Saints TV]

Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

I think Hunter might struggle to get back in.. just seems to be injury-prone and has now looks like he has a sore knee at the Sandy game.

heck. He was our future pendles a few years ago. Remember those weaves and ducks through traffic? The goals against hawthorn