Preview Round 9, 2022: St.Kilda v Geelong - Marvel Stadium, Saturday 14th May, 4:35PM AEST

[bird_man]

Battle and Wilkie are #1 and #2 at the club for marks so far this season. The third man intercepting defender, in actuality, is one of these two.

Not every mark is an intercept mark though

Both of those guys only rate average for intercept marks according to AFL stats (2 a game)

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Like Dmac. I believe dmac’s success story genuinely lifted the vfl lot to give it their all. Sinclair too. No reason why kent can’t play if he genuinely plays better than the other smalls. Owens and Bytel and Byrnes know there’s a place for them if they can earn it. Sharman and Highmore will keep plugging away because they know they can make it back in

We know what Kent gives us in the ones though... he's not going to get any better now. The fumbled marks and kicks out of bounds aren't gonna stop. Gears is probably in a similar boat. There's nothing wrong with our smalls anyway... only injuries will create opportunities & I'd rather see them give Kyle or Peris a go before going back to blokes like Kent.

As for Owens, Bytel, Byrnes, Sharman & Highmore, well it's a good sign that they now have to really dominate for extended periods before they get a look in.

It's time for Highmore IMO. We are really missing a intercept marking option with Battle & Wilkie so often caught up in more negative defensive roles. I love Benny Paton but reckon he needs a spell.

 

[g_TRAIN]

Battle and Wilkie are #1 and #2 at the club for marks so far this season. The third man intercepting defender, in actuality, is one of these two.

Neither are that good at intercept marking though.

We don't have any players in the top 20 in the league for intercept marks.

 

[cooperrules]

Trial connelly as the pressure forward. Hes got pace to burn. Butler doesnt kick goals anyway. 8 possies 2 tackles at 63%. Surely connelly could better those stats and offer some midfield relief if neccesary. I will see myself out

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Trial connelly as the pressure forward. Hes got pace to burn. Butler doesnt kick goals anyway. 8 possies 2 tackles at 63%. Surely connelly could better those stats and offer some midfield relief if neccesary. I will see myself out

only reason I'd disagree is that Connolly it seems from Batch's reports is being moulded to become Sinclair 2.0. Batch says he's been basing his game around Sinclair and has those similar traits of run and carry from the backline and having an elite kick to go with his pace.

If you put him up forward he doesn't have that room to kick INTO the forward line.

 

[longlivelenny]

Liebert has been decent for us but I really really hope they bring in Highmore before him. They offer fairly similar offensive ability but Tom can really take some good intercept marks which Lienert can't. Plus he's a bit younger.

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[Klaatu]

NWM probably needs to miss this game, have been watching him closely and i'll give him a little slack beacuse of his age but he appears to avoiding body contact when he needs to tackle just a small observation he will get better but! not against Geelong this week they will exploit it,bring him back for the Adelaide game.

 

[Plugger35]

I don't mind the idea of bringing in Lienert or Highmore to strengthen our defence, it also gives us the option of playing Battle as a defensive forward to shut down Stewart. He did a great job of doing that to Haynes in our must win game against GWS back in 2020 but they may be reluctant to move him out of defence when he has been playing so well there.

 

[aussierulesrules]

As I said the other day, if we want a like-for-like replacement for Butler, then Windhager could be a legitimate option there.

Against GWS he laid 7 tackles and had 71 pressure points (2nd most on the ground, 4 less than Steele, with only 4 others on the ground with more than 50), and against Port he laid 3 tackles and had 50 pressure points, which was the 4th most for us (only Steele, Ross and Butler had more).

Either he or Long could play that role.

 

[AirWinmar]

Great point. Showed last year he can play

Byrnes was killing it in the vfl as well. I'd say he should be the next person in line on form. Been kicking a few goals as well. I'd try him in Butlers spot on hf

 

[MickG88]

Did they just completely ignore Oliver's staging? Despite every fan saying it was a bad look for the game? Melbourne are the new Geelong ump faves.

No Melbourne are the new Hawks. The period where they won three grannies in a row was so biased towards the Hawks it was hard to fathom.

 

[MonsterEatsPilot]

I reckon we are a huge shout this week. Our formline is definitely misleading given we played on a bowl of porridge in a sauna, followed by a team that are absolutely flying.
QUESTION: I'm a L2 premium bay member that is hoping to get a saints mate in with me this week, does anybody have an unused L2 barcode that they would be happy to share?

 

[Veer Right]

Trial connelly as the pressure forward. Hes got pace to burn. Butler doesnt kick goals anyway. 8 possies 2 tackles at 63%. Surely connelly could better those stats and offer some midfield relief if neccesary. I will see myself out

Wouldn't be the worst thing suggested on here. His kicking is a weapon that sets others up. Would be stoked if he got a game.

 

[Plugger35]

No Melbourne are the new Hawks. The period where they won three grannies in a row was so biased towards the Hawks it was hard to fathom.

At least those teams had to win premierships to get the gold pass treatment from the umpires, the Bulldogs got it before they won a premiership, in fact that's the reason they won one and they have been getting an armchair ride ever since despite being an average side.

 

[AirWinmar]

Neither are that good at intercept marking though.

We don't have any players in the top 20 in the league for intercept marks.

I reckon both can be good intercept markers - especially Battle, but having only 1 true kpd means those 2 need to help each other out a lot reducing their ability to intercept

 

[Tommy Wigs]

At least those teams had to win premierships to get the gold pass treatment from the umpires, the Bulldogs got it before they won a premiership, in fact that's the reason they won one and they have been getting an armchair ride ever since despite being an average side.

100%.

 

[prophetic1]

Great point. Showed last year he can play

So did SHARMAN.......but for a variety of wonderful reasons, despite our need for diversity up forward, he remains shackled to SANDY. I know people explain that with his apparent need to learn various aspects....but just his capability proven at the higher level you'd think now we are loosing, with KING and co not getting the return we need right at this minute, he would be seriously considered!

 

[prophetic1]

Not sure the depth looks average, Sandy are winning and playing well. In the past they've been shit and we've had no good players in those games, right now there are plenty that deserve a game. From the weekend you have Billings Clark Highmore Lienert all guys that have played ones and played well also Byrnes who has been dominating.

Don't get why you'd say it looks average, to me it looks very good at the moment mostly thanks to our lack of injuries.

Perhaps the net gain for ins and outs is average! Maybe its not that they aren't quite good its just the fact that no one particular obvious in, solves the issues at a degree that would make a point of difference. ! Although many of us would argue over degrees..... maybe the net general average increase doesn't appear to be there! Just a thought!

 

[prophetic1]

Wouldn’t they think exactly the same? I will disappointed if we lose but to me they certainly should be favourites. We haven’t really played that well for a few weeks now. Our forward pressure has dropped right off which is a worry.

Just as a theoretical scenario....if say a SHARMAN was capable of great pressure acts and forward 50 tackles.......then that combined with his capability to give us diversity to Goal through his totally natural talent to mark and kick straight with admirable efficiency............he then would be a perfect in?
In my simple logic it would seem so,...

Forgive me trying to simplify what we are looking for.... I'm still learning obviously....... I'm trying to understand requirements in a nutshell!.......but we don't really have anyone. I guess that's why they have him working to improve that side of his game.! Worthy of a spot imo, just for the current part of his game that is outstanding when selected in the vicinity where he has shown he suits.

That and a brilliant intercept defender and another ball busting gifted disposer of a mid. Three requirements to come from SANDY? No doubt others would identify a plethora of other needs!

 

[jwikked]

NWM probably needs to miss this game, have been watching him closely and i'll give him a little slack beacuse of his age but he appears to avoiding body contact when he needs to tackle just a small observation he will get better but! not against Geelong this week they will exploit it,bring him back for the Adelaide game.

He's been doing that since he debuted. I thought he should have been dropped because of it, but his ball use makes up for it - for now.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Not this week but this is the back half I'd love to see at some stage this year

Wilkie Howard Paton

Webster Adams Highmore

 

[Minga]

Not this week but this is the back half I'd love to see at some stage this year

Wilkie Howard Paton

Webster Adams Highmore

You’d prefer Adams in over Battle this year?

Can’t see that happening.

 

[plugger66]

You’d prefer Adams in over Battle this year?

Can’t see that happening.

Battle is still young and probably in our top 5 this year. Adams would be bottom 2 or 1. No idea why we would want to even think about that change.

 

[plugger66]

Just as a theoretical scenario....if say a SHARMAN was capable of great pressure acts and forward 50 tackles.......then that combined with his capability to give us diversity to Goal through his totally natural talent to mark and kick straight with admirable efficiency............he then would be a perfect in?
In my simple logic it would seem so,...

Forgive me trying to simplify what we are looking for.... I'm still learning obviously....... I'm trying to understand requirements in a nutshell!.......but we don't really have anyone. I guess that's why they have him working to improve that side of his game.! Worthy of a spot imo, just for the current part of his game that is outstanding when selected in the vicinity where he has shown he suits.

That and a brilliant intercept defender and another ball busting gifted disposer of a mid. Three requirements to come from SANDY? No doubt others would identify a plethora of other needs!

No we don’t have a small tackling forward to replace butler but I don’t think Sharman provides close to what we need at the moment. Billings doesn’t either but is just a better player and more versatile. Yes you are right we do need those type of players as well. Maybe not intercept defender more a big bodied defender.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Wow take a kid from the under 19's , give them a handful of VFL games and they become best 22.
Especially the talls , they develop faster i hear.