Round 1: Saints (match thread)

[stellation]

For what it's worth I reckon we are a good side. Get rid of a couple of passengers, get the ball into the forward line quicker and, BINGO.

I think you're right. We didn't play well on Saturday night, but I actually liked a few passages of play where we were a little more direct than we have been in the past but skills just weren't as crisp as they could be. A few touch ups to the midfield, not really even wholesale changes, and I think we could make a good run of it this year. Throw some players into the middle that have some decent foot skills, Moore was great getting it in long and I liked Davis pushing further up the ground along the wing as a true half forward because he generally does the same thing- get it in long and quick.

Our forward line structure is awful at the best of times. MOL and Hall need a lot of space to operate in and they usually seem to operate too closely together.

[swantastic]

When was the last time Goodes got less than 10 posessions for a game?....and Bazza still cant take a chest mark.



BTW...This is for you Annie.....Goodes is useless.

[swantastic]

For what it's worth I reckon we are a good side. Get rid of a couple of passengers, get the ball into the forward line quicker and, BINGO.

Spot on Nico.

[TheGrimReaper]

When was the last time Goodes got less than 10 posessions for a game?....and Bazza still cant take a chest mark.



BTW...This is for you Annie.....Goodes is useless.

[swantastic]

To what extent I wonder was this due to Roos sitting on the bench. Hopefully this experiment only lasts one week.

IMHO the reason Roo's was sitting on the bench is that Horse was in charge for the game and Roos was only giving pointers from ground level.If this is the case then we are @@@@@@ when he takes over because our game plan will not change.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

IMHO the reason Roo's was sitting on the bench is that Horse was in charge for the game and Roos was only giving pointers from ground level.If this is the case then we are @@@@@@ when he takes over because our game plan will not change.

See my post in the Sydney V Port match thread

[Norris Lurker]

Some gratuitous spam from LurkerVision....

I had my digital camera at the game - pics are now up here.

(And if anyone's interested, I've also got some pics from the Kangaroos v Essendon game here).

[Nico]

I think you're right. We didn't play well on Saturday night, but I actually liked a few passages of play where we were a little more direct than we have been in the past but skills just weren't as crisp as they could be. A few touch ups to the midfield, not really even wholesale changes, and I think we could make a good run of it this year. Throw some players into the middle that have some decent foot skills, Moore was great getting it in long and I liked Davis pushing further up the ground along the wing as a true half forward because he generally does the same thing- get it in long and quick.

Our forward line structure is awful at the best of times. MOL and Hall need a lot of space to operate in and they usually seem to operate too closely together.

I hate harping on this but we must get players at centre bounce contests who can get the bleedin thing out of the centre cleanly. The opposition must chuckle to themselves every time Bolton, MCVeigh and Mathews go in there. All hang back, are slow thinkers and reacters and seem frightened to be first to it. Bolton hurdled the ball 3 times on Saturday. Lenny Hayes might not be the fastest midfielder but he is a terrier at centre bounces.

We must give our forwards first option at the ball more often.

[Triple B]

I hate harping on this but we must get players at centre bounce contests who can get the bleedin thing out of the centre cleanly.

We've got them, they just don't get in there. Bird, Jack, Moore are all capable of getting in there and actually getting the thing. Kirk is as well, but he sometimes worries more about his man then the ball, but this is possibly a reaction to the centre-clearance-spazzes he has around him helping.

Give them a few rounds to consolidate and pick up the pace of the seniors and I reckon Roos should start to rotate them in where for the first part they will probably get under the guard, avoid a heavy tag and get their hands on the pill.

Live in hope.

[RonClegg1949bro]

I went to the game on Saturday And the frees killed us these umpires are total wankers some of the free kicks were pitiful you cant touch revolt same with kosie the basically if they don't mark it they get a free anyways and i am about tired how we are always getting screwed out of games because of frees its absolute BS at 1 time in the match they were 12 frees in front of us and they will give a free for push in the back to st kilda but when we get pushed and @@@@ its HOLDING THE BALL like we cant win its not right i think we got robbed BAD even thou it wasnt out best game we still would have won if it wasnt for umpires

but the positive out of the game is that keiren played a ripper of a game him and kennelly also he is back to his good form of 05 and 06 and glad to c it we have missed it both of them in my eyes were BOG for us kierens pressure on opponents was amazing and his kicking was just as good and for kenelly his running out of the back line was awesome you forget of how good he is at doing it

What pissed me off MATTENER he cant run with the ball he cost us at least 2 goals cause he trys to take on opponents on but doesn't succeed and he just pissed me off he is hopeless we should have kept the draft pick
also barry hall what is with him he cant seem to mark the ball or kick straight his only goal was thanks to the awesome efforts of keiren and also Lewie gave it up to st kilda to often we could have got a few more goal if he didn't turn it over as much that was disappointing

i think ins and outs should be

Outs
Bevan - done nothing most of the game needs to be dropped to show him no1 is safe no matter if you won a premiership
Mattener - Needs to get his head right maybe a game in the seconds would help him out and send a message saying he will have to work for his spot
Lewie - i know it seems harsh but you want your best possible players out there and he isnt one of them
Ablett - i think he is injured with a groin

Ins
Ed Barlow - I Didn't understand why he wasn't in the round 1 team to begin with
Jesse White - Can Play Ruck with jolly and Forward and that could help us alot because this kid can play
Patrick Veszpremi - All i have heard is good things about this Kid maybe give him a shot he might be a talent
Matthew O'Dwyer - Now he is the kind of player we need he is fast gets a fair bit of the ball and knows where the goals are he would be good in our midfield

The sooner we accept that we are not going to win a premiership this year the sooner we can keep wankers like Bevan out of the team and we have got to give these kids a chance it might be very rewarding because but this is what i think people may think other wise

[Robbo]

They had 25 free kicks just in the midfield. Not saying that they weren't there but it is quite a lot.

[Industrial Fan]

There were too many free kicks both ways. Over, and poorly umpired.

No worse than the Roos Bummers game though.

[RonClegg1949bro]

You mean not our crappy use of the football or our slow, sideways play or our lazy and reckless tackling?

Yeah i know it was that aswell i dnt need to say it we all saw the game well hope so aneways but the frees killed us meaning if they didnt have as many frees in their foward line we would have won

[hammo]

I don't see the need for wholesale changes for round 2.

[Jewels]

I don't see the need for wholesale changes for round 2.

I don't either, that would be the worse possible thing we could do. I'd like to see Bevan out and I reckon a run in the ressies wouldn't hurt Jude, but thats it as far as I'm concerned. I liked the look of Mattner and I thought Lewie played well.