Autopsy The good, the bad and the oh dear v St Kilda

[mighty mick]

Agree with a lot of the comments on here about Archer. Had a tough time with that long term injury and was wondering if he'd be able to come back from it. Had a good game down back.

 

[scottywiper]

Wardlaw was epic today. McKercher needs to be up ground. Ridiculous having him physically outmatched down back all the time. Corr actually did ok. Zurhaar ok. Archer limited but love his intent.
Stevo stank. Jy tried but is a turnover machine. Powell didn't do much. LDU looks checked out . I wish I shared Buckey's optimism about Drury. Fisher more of a turnover machine than Jy. Shiels? Why? Tucker, no.
Xerri tries but actually has zero chemistry with the mids.
Pink with the best pass into F50 of the season was not on my NMFC bingo card for 2024. Shame Larkey fluffed it. He was probably in shock, to be fair.
I'd love to be lauding an improved effort, but I think the Saints are just bog average.
Players laughing at final siren. No thanks.

 

[justroyal]

Time for that pretender to take off that number and give it to the rightful owner

 

[SaintersUnite]

Yeh, you campaigners aren’t going anywhere. Mid table rubbish.

Unnecessary comment after I’ve attempted to provide you with some positivity.


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[Horizons_00]

Well when you refuse to draft or play pressure forwards, that’s what happens.

We were better with Phoenix and Turner in the side last year.

But we’re trying lol

 

[SnowRoo]

So Fish ...... the worst and most useless 30 touch game in history?

Still an insane liability in defence, and despite the stats no useful offence either.

How many years did we give him???

 

[tazaa]

That was our best chance for a win.

-Fisher is horrible. Just a horrible anti-North footballer.
-Wardlaw was best on. He and Sheez need to get fitter and run that midfield.
-Larkey is out of form. Burning Zurhaar for an easy walk in goal was unforgivable.
-our structure looked okay at times with Scott on the wing and someone able to give an option
-Simpkin doesn’t have a role or spot in this team
-Corr and McDonald actually were quite good.
Corr dominated King. Had him in his pocket all day
-Tucker, Shiels and Stephenson offer nothing to the side. Nothing.
Stephenson should be delisted and paid out at seasons end.
-LDU looks like someone who is hating his footy and doesn’t want to be there. Like a frustrated Alpha having to play with kids and a useless ruck
-I hope Goad is an elite ruck because if we carry Xerri as the number 1 going forward then this rebuild is going to be butchered. Horrible footballer.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

So Fish ...... the worst and most useless 30 touch game in history?

Still an insane liability in defence, and despite the stats no useful offence either.

How many years did we give him???

He has to get out of the side. He has not a defensive bone in his body. Only hope is that he can be trained to chase in the front half.

 

[scottywiper]

I remember when Stephenson had 30+ and a goal against WC off a wing. Was probably best afield.
Wow has he regressed.

 

[DaveyBoy123]

Did anyone else find it "convenient" that we received 3 free kicks in the last 20 seconds of the game!? It was almost as if it was scripted. 2 of them were for literally exactly the same things that were called "play on" in the 1st half.

 

[Spud11]

Agree with a lot of the comments on here about Archer. Had a tough time with that long term injury and was wondering if he'd be able to come back from it. Had a good game down back.

He was as filthy with himself when he gave away the 50 as you were in the 94 prelim, Micky.
Bloody good sign

 

[fusion]

Back home already, because I squibbed it and left at the 20 minute mark.

Not going to dwell on the negatives.

Wardlaw - unbelievable attack on the ball. Loved his game. Had a few down weeks, and I think that's probably a fitness/young player thing, but he's going to be great.

X was good, Comben too. Archer a better defender than Biggy, so that's another win.

Simpkin showed a bit more. We played Sheezel in the middle and Scott away from the backline, so getting a bit tactically better.

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

Whipping boys report card

Corr: started with a classic silly free and trailed his opponent by 20 metres etc but from there he improved and was actually pretty decent.

Fisher: loves a blind hack kick out of the backline which goes straight to the opposition. Used the ball better late when he was up the ground. Don't want him in defence again unless there's an outbreak of the plague.

Lmac: probably his best game of the year, which is somewhat of a case of being damned with faint praise. Was solid.

Stephenson: got a few touches late. Too late, hopefully, from keeping him from joining his near-namesake in the reserves. Wouldn't be fussed if we didn't play him again.

Scott: one of his better games. Still prone to an unforced turnover but his kicking did improve as the game wore on.

Tucker: got his usual 14 possessions, with just 3 of those coming in the 2nd & 3rd qtrs combined. Still can't shake the idea that he's just a shitter, modern day version of Sam Gibson

Sam Gibson

Age

38

Ht

185cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.2

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

10.1

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

16.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

6.0

4star

M

6.0

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.8

3star

. Just wish he went as well as his fellow Darcy that plays for the saints.*


*I was hoping we'd draft Darcy Wilson but it wasn't to be. He'd almost instantly be our best winger. Plus he's a BFNAAK and a relative of both Mick Nolan and a certain poster on here.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

When people try to spin our all-too-common hopelessly uncompetitive games as just what happens in a rebuild, I think this is the sort of game they're actually thinking of - still barely in it once they got scoreboard separation early in the second quarter, still letting the opposition transition the ball through the midfield far too easily on occasion, still stuffing up the skill execution side of things too often... but, crucially, with some actual investment shown and actual glimpses of sustained competitiveness. That shouldn't feel like a positive (a loss like this is not a 'good loss' or 'moral victory' or whatever, merely the kind of mundane defeat you'd normally be disappointed by but accept will happen when young and rebuilding), but given the depths we've plumbed over the last few years, I'll take it.

Wardlaw has obviously shown signs of what we can produce already, but he found more ways today to use his manic intensity to create, and really I think what lift we had largely stemmed from him - outstanding game today. Not sure if it was just a consequence of the Saints' dour style of play, or maybe the complete inability of the umpires to remember that holding the ball is a rule in this sport, but one thing I've been heavily critical of this year is how readily we give up easy possession from stoppages - there's basically no null option, either we win it or lose it and if it's the latter we're defenceless - and today we seemed much better at neutralising the contest, which if we can carry that forward should help stem the rough patches plenty.

Backline looked to benefit from having Archer down there, worth persisting with. As is, bizarrely, Pink as a forward - presented well, perfect hit-up kick to Larkey from the HFF (dropped...), competes, and the structure almost immediately seemed to work smoother with him there. +1 for selecting players who err on the side of overzealousness over guys who show up only to collect their paycheque - the balance is still awry there (a few decisions made today by players who seemed to care more about padding their portfolio than the team option...), but it's a step in the right direction.

Really important now that this becomes the minimum standard. Mistakes will happen, energy levels will flag occasionally, everybody understands that for a team in our predicament - but the kind of effort and interest shown today needs to be non-negotiable.

Good post.

You are right this needs to be the minimum standard but what will happen next week is that the players and coaching group will take satisfaction in the 'improvement' today and they will come out next week and get flogged by twice as much. You can read this like a book.

They will then say - we are young and we expect to be up and down during the season - and the happy clappers will lap this up.

In reality we have been shit for 8 weeks - we are miles off any other team and from I can tell we have no discenerible game plan - no plan to even offer a competitive effort other then hoping some individuals play a good game.

Clarko just looks a shadow of his former self in the coaches box - almost a 'shocked to be sitting here' type of look. How could this happen on my watch - I'm a great coach!

Well Clarko show us you are a great coach and do something to get us within 5 goals of another team - that's all we are asking - just a 5 goal loss will do.

 

[justroyal]

That was our best chance for a win.

-Fisher is horrible. Just a horrible anti-North footballer.
-Wardlaw was best on. He and Sheez need to get fitter and run that midfield.
-Larkey is out of form. Burning Zurhaar for an easy walk in goal was unforgivable.
-our structure looked okay at times with Scott on the wing and someone able to give an option
-Simpkin doesn’t have a role or spot in this team
-Corr and McDonald actually were quite good.
Corr dominated King. Had him in his pocket all day
-Tucker, Shiels and Stephenson offer nothing to the side. Nothing.
Stephenson should be delisted and paid out at seasons end.
-LDU looks like someone who is hating his footy and doesn’t want to be there. Like a frustrated Alpha having to play with kids and a useless ruck
-I hope Goad is an elite ruck because if we carry Xerri as the number 1 going forward then this rebuild is going to be butchered. Horrible footballer.

I’m with you regarding Xerri. I believe we’re probably few, but, **** me there is nothing there to suggest he wants to be the full time ruck. Because to do that, you can’t just tap and try shove campaigners. I’ll give him credit on his tackling for sure, something Goldie could never do but Jesus. Some finesse and forward thinking would be great

 

[Ligma]

did Philipou even play?

 

[Kciza]

This experiment of playing outside flankers (Fisher, McKercher, Scott, to a lesser extent Sheez) as defenders needs to end. We're slowly getting there with the inclusion of Hardeman and Archer but we can only afford maybe one down there

 

[Nylex]

Arch should play every game this year from here on.

Found our lock down back pocket

 

[tazaa]

I’m with you regarding Xerri. I believe we’re probably few, but, * me there is nothing there to suggest he wants to be the full time ruck. Because to do that, you can’t just tap and try shove campaigners. I’ll give him credit on his tackling for sure, something Goldie could never do but Jesus. Some finesse and forward thinking would be great

11 tackles today. That means that’s 11 times the opposition has the footy. And we don’t.

For an AFL ruck, surely the priority is to be giving your teammates first use and win the clearance.

He would have to be the most frustrating footballer we’ve had in a long time.

 

[Horizons_00]

We were never going to win this. The only way if saints fall below us which no team can drop as low as we currently are

Look at this lazy disgusting effort. I heard it was almost record number uncontested marks at 3 quarter time




No players are marking up and just allowing space and no pressure

This is not a game plan issue FFS, this a team that has no drive or intent to defend.

This is pathetic to think the club thinks this is acceptable?! We’re watching a professional sports team right?!

 

[winalotroos]

Wardlaw was fantastic tried hard all day, Corr gave King a bath Archer was very good must keep playing him McKercher and Sheez was very good and will get better with more time in the middle, I thought big X will be one of the better big men in. Year or two, Suvva had a coulda been day.

Everyone has said this every week but McDonald is a liability in that team, Stevo was hopeless.

I must say I saw good signs today, I do think we are closer to a flag than StKilda

 

[LB2Snake]

Whipping boys report card

Corr: started with a classic silly free and trailed his opponent by 20 metres etc but from there he improved and was actually pretty decent.

Fisher: loves a blind hack kick out of the backline which goes straight to the opposition. Used the ball better late when he was up the ground. Don't want him in defence again unless there's an outbreak of the plague.

Lmac: probably his best game of the year, which is somewhat of a case of being damned with faint praise. Was solid.

Stephenson: got a few touches late. Too late, hopefully, from keeping him from joining his near-namesake in the reserves. Wouldn't be fussed if we didn't play him again.

Scott: one of his better games. Still prone to an unforced turnover but his kicking did improve as the game wore on.

Tucker: got his usual 14 possessions, with just 3 of those coming in the 2nd & 3rd qtrs combined. Still can't shake the idea that he's just a shitter, modern day version of Sam Gibson. Just wish he went as well as his fellow Darcy that plays for the saints.*


*I was hoping we'd draft Darcy Wilson but it wasn't to be. He'd almost instantly be our best winger. Plus he's a BFNAAK and relative of both Mick Nolan and a certain poster on here.

Was dead keen on Wilson as well……remember on draft night it coming up to our pick at 20 and Leake and Wilson still there, was convinced we’d end up with one of them.

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

So Fish ...... the worst and most useless 30 touch game in history?

Still an insane liability in defence, and despite the stats no useful offence either.

How many years did we give him???

Grab ball boot ball to opposition every time.

 

[berniemccarthy]

I'm not sure if pink is the answer but we looked better with a 2nd key tall.

McDonald wasn't great but was okay. I've hated him all year so feel like I should be fair.

What a game by Wardlaw.

LDU continues to disappoint based on the eye test, relative to my expectations from him.

LDU hard tagged all day. CBA setup is no one blocks for him. Ludicrous.

 

[DuckYeah]

Unnecessary comment after I’ve attempted to provide you with some positivity.


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**** off campaigner