Preview Round 9, 2020: St.Kilda v Sydney - Gabba, Saturday 1st August, 5:10PM AEST *PRIDE GAME*

[gringo2011]

2012. Lenny Hayes 250th game.

WTF, that's worse than I thought. They have been a good team for a long time and we haven't but that's a proper domination.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Well I may as well buy into it as well

Parker - yep fumbly not a great game but given it was first up for the season in a tough position that no one can really nail down suggests he warrant's another run. If he can play as he did last year that's enough for him to be a starting 22

Coffield - not his best game but copped a heavy knock so I can excuse him a bit. Worked his way back into the game - but given the way he's developed he won't get dropped for a while unless he has a couple of shockers in a row.

Paton - now here's an interesting one. Certainly nothing wrong with the way he's playing and developing. Solid usually reliable . I certainly see him as the logical replacement for the "Geary" role BUT on the basis of form alone he is the most vulnerable of our defenders.

Since we have no idea what the coaches instructions are its hard to know whether he is being asked to be the more defensive of our defenders but I reckon he's lacking the attacking drive that we could be getting from someone like Savage.

 

[triggering bro]

Paton has played every game this year. I don’t see how he’s not in Ratts immediate plans. He leads the club for intercept possessions & is only behind Long for average per game. If there’s any defender that is vulnerable (when Long returns) its Geary who will most likely get pushed forward/midfield as a defensive stopper.

 

[BrutThough]

WTF, that's worse than I thought. They have been a good team for a long time and we haven't but that's a proper domination.

Its been a complete domination.

In the 10 games we've played against them since then, our average losing margin has been 55 points. The closest we've got to them was 16 points in Wellington in 2013, which is also the only time they didnt score over 100 points.

 

[saintsgirl5]

He had 7 touches...

Mate, it’s not all about how many touches you have!!! That’s the old Saints. If you have a read in the autopsy thread Of last weeks game thread you’ll see a post that has an article that delves into not only the person who has the ball but what his teammates around him are doing.
The Saints have progressed this season and it’s about working for one another on the field to achieve a win.

 

[Joffaboy]

Parker did nothing and was fumbling alot...Coffield had 7 touches. Paton turns it over common sense. Do u watch games?

Fumbled a lot apart from the 8 intercept marks.

You do realise its not a backmans job to get 'touches' but to stop the opposition from scoring goals?
Port scored six and zero in the last.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

WTF, that's worse than I thought. They have been a good team for a long time and we haven't but that's a proper domination.

It's not pretty viewing:



We haven't got within 7 goals of them in 8 years.

Buddy usually accounts for 5-9 of those so...

 

[D2D3]

Paton has played every game this year. I don’t see how he’s not in Ratts immediate plans. He leads the club for intercept possessions & is only behind Long for average per game. If there’s any defender that is vulnerable (when Long returns) its Geary who will most likely get pushed forward/midfield as a defensive stopper.
View attachment 921953

Yeap Paton is not going everywhere. Neither is Coffield.

I could convieably see a Parker for Battle coming back from injury situation, otherwise only forced changes if any.

 

[BigPowerForward]

Mate, it’s not all about how many touches you have!!! That’s the old Saints. If you have a read in the autopsy thread Of last weeks game thread you’ll see a post that has an article that delves into not only the person who has the ball but what his teammates around him are doing.
The Saints have progressed this season and it’s about working for one another on the field to achieve a win.

Spot on Saintsgirl5. Every player on the ground spends the majority of the game without the ball in their hand. What every player does when they are not in possession of the ball is just as important as what they do when they have the ball in hand. A few weeks ago Marshall took a mark in our forward line and went back and kicked a goal. Marshall gets the stat and credit for kicking the goal but very few people saw the block that Lonie put on Marshall's direct opponent that allowed Marshall to find space and mark. Lonie does not get a stat for that block but it was instrumental in creating the opportunity for Marshall to kick the goal. These types of actions are regularly happening all over the ground and do not count as possessions but they are extremely important for team success. If you're just looking at how many possessions a player gets, then you're really not looking at the full picture.

 

[SaintRick88]

Paton has played every game this year. I don’t see how he’s not in Ratts immediate plans. He leads the club for intercept possessions & is only behind Long for average per game. If there’s any defender that is vulnerable (when Long returns) its Geary who will most likely get pushed forward/midfield as a defensive stopper.
View attachment 921953

That’s a pretty settled back 7 if you ask me... Hopefully for quite some time too. With some comfortable depth if ever required.

 

[gilbert the best]

hill has been looking proppy the last couple weeks, they might give him a rest this week.

 

[CaptainRisky]

Its been a complete domination.

In the 10 games we've played against them since then, our average losing margin has been 55 points. The closest we've got to them was 16 points in Wellington in 2013, which is also the only time they didnt score over 100 points.

This is exactly why we need to worry about one week at a time not looking into the crystal ball and dreaming , you lose a game like this and you can forget any finals

 

[Grav]

It's not pretty viewing:

View attachment 921981

We haven't got within 7 goals of them in 8 years.

Buddy usually accounts for 5-9 of those so...

Yeah but nor was this until 2 weeks ago. Zac Jones to get a BOG, Saints by 37pts.


Adelaide Oval Record
———————————- ——————————————————————————-—- P.—————— W ———————-L.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Seeing Paton and Coffield mentioned as potential outs is right up there with Trump suggesting bleach is a tasty option to rid yourself of the rona.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Seeing Paton and Coffield mentioned as potential outs is right up there with Trump suggesting bleach is a tasty option to rid yourself of the rona.

Just had a nasty mental picture of Trump and Mav Weller.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Just had a nasty mental picture of Trump and Mav Weller.

Mav was ahead of his time... although I'm not sure Rona effects your date as much as it does your lungs, heart, etc.

 

[triggering bro]

The double ruck combination worked a treat against Port Adelaide and, with the seven-day break, should be given another opportunity against Sydney. Seb Ross looked sore with a calf late in the game but is expected to be right, while inclusions Jack Sinclair and Nick Hindwere solid. Dean Kent and inclusion Matthew Parkerwere quiet, and it could force the Saints to reconsider Jack Lonie who was dropped. Josh Battle(cheekbone) will be a test, but the Saints may tread with caution with a five-day break to follow. Ryan Byrnes and Jack Bytel are waiting should a midfielder need a break, while Jonathon Marsh and Daniel McKenzie played zero and limited minutes respectively in the scratch match.

 

[PostmanBish]

The thing is, your comment on Parker has merit. He really didnt do much and the limited times he did contribute, he fumbled a lot or made poor decisions. Him being dropped would be completely warranted.

I tend to cut Parker a little bit of slack given it was his first top-level game in just about 1 year (Round 20 vs Adelaide last August was his last game), and between off-season surgery, no proper magoos, and the COVID disruption, it's bloody hard to hit the ground running on a dewy night against the ladder leaders.

He did put pressure into some contests, set up a goal, and earned the free which led to another. Maybe not a "spectacular" game, but not outright poor, and worth giving another to see how he steps up to the pace ... that was only his 18th game, and he's still only 24, so I am not writing him off just yet.

Yes at this stage in his career, Coffield can be hot or cold. He has some moment in the game where he didnt impact contents or mis positioned himself. And he didnt get many possessions but the few he did get were quality. His previous game against Adelaide was excellent and he received coaches votes for his efforts. Someone like Coffield won't be dropped after one okay game.

So far, I think Coff has had a solid season - occasionally gets caught out, but he's only played 25 games, and not yet 21. He's another one who isn't going to get better playing scratch matches - he's going to get better by being out there, playing on guys with more experience, making the odd mistake, and learning from it. You can see from the post-match footage that Ratts went straight into mentor mode with him - he's not going anywhere unless he gets hurt, is my take.

But you then invalidate your entire viewpoint when you continually - week after week - wanting to drop Paton despite him continually perform well and doing nothing that warrants his omission. Paton was great - his third quarter performance was a large reason we were still in the game at 3/4 time. His steady performances week after week show that he isn't inconsistent.

Ironically, Paton likely gets this attention because he just shows up and does his job without being noticed - he's not a highlight reel of "positive" moments - so his mistakes get noticed more than all the solid work he does. Exactly the sort of player who will fly under the radar with opponents for years, and then, at a key moment, is going to explode with something completely unexpected which swings a critical game out way, I'm thinking.

The great thing about the team right now, frankly, is that we're yet to see it completely "click" for extended periods - we're getting 10 minutes here, or a quarter there ... if this squad can really click across the whole 22 for 3-4 quarters, it's going to be the most exciting St Kilda outing in a decade. The fact we've got a positive ledger without the team being fully developed, in a crazy, messed up season, is absolutely gravy.

 

[BrutThough]

It's not pretty viewing:

View attachment 921981

We haven't got within 7 goals of them in 8 years.

Buddy usually accounts for 5-9 of those so...

He always miraculously recovers to give us a bath.
I'm not ruling out him somehow recovering him from the injury he has and kicking 6 this weekend until the game starts.

 

[PostmanBish]

Mate, it’s not all about how many touches you have!!! That’s the old Saints. If you have a read in the autopsy thread Of last weeks game thread you’ll see a post that has an article that delves into not only the person who has the ball but what his teammates around him are doing.
The Saints have progressed this season and it’s about working for one another on the field to achieve a win.

If anything, the narrative this year is about sacrificing for the team, rather than padding out cheap stats. We're seeing guys sacrifice their personal stats to go and neutralise an opposition threat. We're also seeing guys do a lot of selfless running which doesn't show up in the supercoach points, but creates the turnover, or opens up the space that our ball carrier runs into.

I don't give a damn if our players have the worst stats in the league, as long as we're competitive in games, and win as many as we can ... as it sits, the only game where we were out of it early was Collingwood ... plus two disappointing fadeouts which I'm sure we've learned from.

 

[BrutThough]

I tend to cut Parker a little bit of slack given it was his first top-level game in just about 1 year (Round 20 vs Adelaide last August was his last game), and between off-season surgery, no proper magoos, and the COVID disruption, it's bloody hard to hit the ground running on a dewy night against the ladder leaders.

He did put pressure into some contests, set up a goal, and earned the free which led to another. Maybe not a "spectacular" game, but not outright poor, and worth giving another to see how he steps up to the pace ... that was only his 18th game, and he's still only 24, so I am not writing him off just yet.



So far, I think Coff has had a solid season - occasionally gets caught out, but he's only played 25 games, and not yet 21. He's another one who isn't going to get better playing scratch matches - he's going to get better by being out there, playing on guys with more experience, making the odd mistake, and learning from it. You can see from the post-match footage that Ratts went straight into mentor mode with him - he's not going anywhere unless he gets hurt, is my take.



Ironically, Paton likely gets this attention because he just shows up and does his job without being noticed - he's not a highlight reel of "positive" moments - so his mistakes get noticed more than all the solid work he does. Exactly the sort of player who will fly under the radar with opponents for years, and then, at a key moment, is going to explode with something completely unexpected which swings a critical game out way, I'm thinking.

The great thing about the team right now, frankly, is that we're yet to see it completely "click" for extended periods - we're getting 10 minutes here, or a quarter there ... if this squad can really click across the whole 22 for 3-4 quarters, it's going to be the most exciting St Kilda outing in a decade. The fact we've got a positive ledger without the team being fully developed, in a crazy, messed up season, is absolutely gravy.

I thought Parker was incredibly poor and still question how his (lack of) form in the scratch matches even warranted him being selected in the first place. I'd be disappointed if he kept his spot this week, especially if Battle is fit to go. But even then, I'd still prefer Lonie or a Marsh type playing instead of him as I think they have much more to offer the side.

Paton is the type of player who will quickly make is way to 150 games before anyone realises who he is. Someone the coaches love but the general AFL community is blind too. He just a no fuss player who does his job every week, and every club needs someone like him.

 

[PostmanBish]

He always miraculously recovers to give us a bath.
I'm not ruling out him somehow recovering him from the injury he has and kicking 6 this weekend until the game starts.

What money on Sydney standing a cardboard cutout of Buddy on the 50 metre line to try and throw us off our game?

 

[BrutThough]

What money on Sydney standing a cardboard cutout of Buddy on the 50 metre line to try and throw us off our game?

Knowing our luck, a bad kick in defence would rebound off that cut out and sail through the goals in the last minute to win Sydney the game.

 

[Impatient Saint]

IMO if Ross is fit he plays. The only change this week should be Battle for Parker.

 

[StCicatriz]

i reckon Patton has had his moments this year and people questioning if he should be dropped off the back of those games had some merit, but you can't question his form over the last couple of games. he's been stellar. one of the best performed down back.

it's a bit like coffield, you could mount an argument for him earlier on, to be dropped, but you can't do it now. he's really been solid down there.

tbh i think both players and steele have been helped by geary being used as a bit of a mr fix it. it's freed all three up. geary has been used up forward, down back and even in the midfield as a tagger. so it's allowed those guys to settle into one position and concentrate more on their own game.

which is incredibly pleasing. to have such young players start to cement them selves as best 22. that's what we need.