Review Saints vs Cats review

[Saintbloke]

It was a winnable game, and really, those who didn't put in for the last quarter in an important game should go the the VFL for a refresher. Definitely not a team the rise, just standing still.

 

[NarklesHelmet]

• Hickey would want to have been really sore because, while I get the logic of why Longer is a better physical match for many of the league's ruckmen, this week wasn't the time to bring in Longer, more like against the big guys like Mummy and Goldstein. Longer is a liability in our counter-attacking chains, it is as simple as that. As a team that relies on quick movement in transition, Longer should really only come in if we feel a ruckman will physically destroy us. Short to medium term, a Hicky/Marshall combo could work well so that Bruce is saved from his 2nd ruck hell.
• Minch was absolutely fantastic, showed what a small forward should do.
• Steven and Ross good
• Long goes to Sandy to hopefully tear it up and force his way back in a few weeks.
• Nathan brown phenomenal. Great recruiting by us, he just wins his match-up every week, gave Hawkings an absolute bath.
• Professional sport is unforgiving and all about moments. Last year against the Cats, the moment belonged to Gresh with his freak goal. Tonight with score level in the last quarter Gresh didn't take control of the moment and the game was lost from then. He's been great this year but a harsh reality check for him today. Sure he'll learn from it though.
• Pretty tough loss to stomach and the type we will rue come finals time. To play finals, we need to jag a few wins in games we are maybe not expected to. We have used up one of those opportunities this afternoon and it stings because it was there for the taking.

 

[Paddy2014]

Out: Long, Longer and Dunstan
In: Sinclair, Hickey and Stevens

Dunstan 11 and 12 disposals the last 2 weeks is pathetic for a midfielder. Has to be dropped! If it was Acres he'd be banished for a month.

Long needs more time to develop in the VFL. Will be a good player, just not ready yet.

Longer.. just does nothing apart from hitouts. And he couldn't even win them. Hickey is miles ahead it's not even funny. Hope he's right to come back in next week.


We ran out of legs in the last and duckwood and Danger just took over.
Don't rate Geelong, they are seriously reliant on those 2 to get them across the line everyone else in that midfield are just front runners. If they lose either one of them to injury they will struggle.

Longer great for 2 1/2 quarters after what......16 months out? Ran out of petrol tickets but didn't give up. Long yeah whatever. Second game. Dunstan agree, goes in and out of games too often but this isn't new either.

 

[StKing11]

- Great first 3 quarters but doesn't mean much if you fall off a cliff in the last, reminded me of the Port game in Round 1 of last year. Very disappointing because we're past the point of honorable losses.

- Shambolic umpiring in the 1st half, handed the Cats two goals in the 1st quarter and gave Selwood his usual armchair ride. The less said about the 50 against Joey the better. A couple of bad calls went our way as well.

- Ross' composure is just off the charts good, really starting to see the Pendlebury comparison which I believe Scott Watters made early in Seb's career. He was fantastic.

- Steele, Acres and Billings all decent games but each made a few mistakes. They're the guys that will take us to the next level once they put it all together.

- One of if not the worst game I've seen Gresh play, but he has enough credits in the bank. Needs to start finding more of the ball considering he is at least a small part of the midfield rotation.

- Long is promising but hasn't done much at all and should go back to VFL with Sinclair taking his place.

- Dunstan did a few nice things but 12 disposals and 2 tackles just isn't good enough after a quiet one last week, hope to see Koby take his place next week.

- Longer looks exactly the same player we remembered him as, battles in the contest but offers nothing around the ground. Happy for him to get another game regardless.

- Robbo and Webster butchered it at times which really hurt us. Robbo still really good otherwise.

- And f***ing West Coast the flat track bullies are getting smashed by the Hawks, FMD! Not only hurts our draft pick but plays them into form to beat us next week in Tassie, all of a sudden looks like a tough game as they rarely lose there.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Carlisle, Roberton and Brown have been fantastic so far imo

 

[Roadto2018]

As I said at the end of the gameday thread I liked Longer's game, made some mistakes sure but just went in so hard to so many contests and was huge for us in that first half in terms of us doing well in the midfield, think he more than deserves another week.
Dunstan just not good enough against he good sides, tell him to watch Tom Mitchell on TV next week and see how to play that role. Koby for Dunstan next week.
Billings just lacking that finishing touch atm, reckon it'll come, went nuts when he got run down because Steele has to be telling him he's hot there, can't just let him get mown down. He, Steele, Acres, Gresh are just not quite there yet, not far away though, especially when Steele gets a full pre season.
Brown probably our best today, genuine crime Hawkins ended ups with two, Carlisle was OK but needs to be better and he will when he's back into the groove of things a bit more.
Ross is becoming a serious gun, made a couple of errors today but was terrific, one of the best games I've seen him play, just can't wait till we've got a more complete midfield to support him and Steven, who was already very good today particularly in the first half.

At the end of the day, we played well (bar the last 15 mins obviously), we just got beaten by a better side who played a terrific last quarter, led absolutely amazingly by Selwood who played one of his best 2nd halves ever, not much we can do about that until we're a better side but it's coming guys.

 

[VDS66]

Minch did more in one game than Lonie has all season. Far more versatile.

 

[Geary Is GOAT]

My feelings went down hill very fast from that sitter dropped by gresh


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Best kick of Gilbert's career and it got dropped!

 

[PaddysurDaddy]

• Hickey would want to have been really sore because, while I get the logic of why Longer is a better physical match for many of the league's ruckmen, this week wasn't the time to bring in Longer, more like against the big guys like Mummy and Goldstein. Longer is a liability in our counter-attacking chains, it is as simple as that. As a team that relies on quick movement in transition, Longer should really only come in if we feel a ruckman will physically destroy us. Short to medium term, a Hicky/Marshall combo could work well so that Bruce is saved from his 2nd ruck hell.

agree. I accept that he might have just been too sore to play though, but he would have done well I feel

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Through Ross was ok today. Seemed to have a bit of the ball

 

[saints2066]

Lots of talk about players, but any thoughts on gameplan? Is our style to taxing, I think we should hand pass more and spread at times, and mix up our gameplay. Too often we long bomb into fwd 50. Be good to have elite clean skills by hand under pressure, something we don't have. Dunstan sometimes has quick hands, but doesn't use it enough.


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[Saint_J]

Gresh deserves his spot, he's that unpredictability we need in F50. It won't be popular opinion but I don't think our forward line can work with all of members, Bruce and Paddy - not until our mids can create some space and pinpoint chest passes inside 50 anyway. Bruce in the ruck is a complete liability, should be a priority to identify a solution.
I don't think longer had a big of a mare of a game as most but agree Hickey offers more. Koby will find a debut for us this week, too many players went missing at the pointy end. As I said in the game day thread; review, regroup and smash those hawks!!

Gresh may need to be managed, did a few horrible things. Little impact but hate torching a guy on one average game.

 

[mightysainters]

Positives: Steele, Carlisle and Roberton
Negatives (pathetic games from): Weller, Bruce, Longer and Grescham

 

[Kilroy]

Jeez mate lets call a spade a spade. Long put in probably THE most insipid game of football every seen in afl. Gresh = stinker.
At least Dunstan has some bursts, to put them in the same category is just wrong.

Ease up, Buddha. Your anger will only hurt yourself

 

[#gosaintas]

what a disappointing way to finish. Apart from the obvious dropping of Dunny, I would leave the team alone. Sinclair or Koby in and that's it. Great first 3 qtrs. Second ruck is such a huge problem for us but there's no easy answer...

Back them in to fight back.

 

[Louis Slungpue]

Pretty ridiculous that

 

[PaddysurDaddy]

Gresh was just trying to do a little too much, kept getting ahead of himself. Which is silly because he doesn't need to 'try' and create, he just does it naturally.

 

[holllywood]

In the game til the last quarter but felt the ball was played in their half after half time.

Selwood and Danger were huge and it felt they had more numbers around the contest and they evaded our tackles a lot easier than we evaded theirs.

When we kick Long into our f50, like we did all game, it would be nice if one of our forwards was a pack marker but all our forwards just go up for the mark with no one left to crumb.

Thought our defence held up pretty well despite the score line because they did seem to slice us up on turnovers from basic skill errors such as missed marks (Steele) or easy missed goals (Bruce).

The day made worse by Eagles being the biggest bunch of front runners just after 20 other Geelong blokes not named Selwood or Dangerfield.

 

[Saint_J]

Positives: Steele, Carlisle and Roberton
Negatives (pathetic games from): Weller, Bruce, Longer and Grescham

steel really?
Weller pathetic?
did we watch the same game?

 

[PaddysurDaddy]

Gresh has been ordinary this year. Just like Dunstan why should he be gifted games. A humbling stint in the vfl might do both of them some good.


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Been ordinary? He was basically our best player against the Dees and played well last week. Far from ordinary. If I go off your 1 post above as my sample size you've been pretty bloody ordinary too

 

[StCicatriz]

deflating

i dont know what to say

 

[Jade Buddha]

Ease up, Buddha. Your anger will only hurt yourself

Not angry at all K. Just calling what I saw. Did Long actually get one possession? Gresh was poor there is absolutely no denying it. I wouldn't drop him but he'll seriously need to lift.

 

[Saint12]

Longer great for 2 1/2 quarters after what......16 months out? Ran out of petrol tickets but didn't give up. Long yeah whatever. Second game. Dunstan agree, goes in and out of games too often but this isn't new either.

Far from great

 

[Superduperouzel]

The Hickey v Longer debate rages. Why not for once play them in the same team and see how they fare on the day and be done with it ?
Longer won the hitouts but didn´t see him do much around the ground. Did he take a mark ?

 

[Roadto2018]

Positives: Steele, Carlisle and Roberton
Negatives (pathetic games from): Weller, Bruce, Longer and Grescham

How can you mention pathetic games and then say weller and Longer had them but not mention Dunstan who was at his usual ineffective best and Long who barely got near it, Longer went in as hard as anyone today.