Who gets in

[Impatient Sainter]

Jaxons given AR's insistence on pressure acts all over the ground will Paddy maintain his position going into the season proper. The kid is a long way off with his 2nd efforts and pressure which were very poor against Power. He obviously has no tank at all as he looked gassed after each lead with nothing left if he didnt mark the ball?

If AR has is consistent with the whole team then Paddy is a long way off playing round 1 IMO ....

[jaxons]

Jaxons given AR's insistence on pressure acts all over the ground will Paddy maintain his position going into the season proper. The kid is a long way off with his 2nd efforts and pressure which were very poor against Power. He obviously has no tank at all as he looked gassed after each lead with nothing left if he didnt mark the ball?

If AR has is consistent with the whole team then Paddy is a long way off playing round 1 IMO ....

A certainty to play Rd 1.

[saintspremiers]

Jaxons given AR's insistence on pressure acts all over the ground will Paddy maintain his position going into the season proper. The kid is a long way off with his 2nd efforts and pressure which were very poor against Power. He obviously has no tank at all as he looked gassed after each lead with nothing left if he didnt mark the ball?

If AR has is consistent with the whole team then Paddy is a long way off playing round 1 IMO ....

A certainty to play Rd 1.

Good.

I'm also looking forward to Gilbo being selected for round 1 and seeing how many threads that can create.

[To the top]

If you are going to attack Gilbert and what he brings then what about all of McKenzie, Dempster, Geary and Savage from the trial match against PA?

Our defence was held together by Carlisle, Brown, Gilbert and Roberton under the pressure of entries because we butchered the ball as much as we did.

[magnifisaint]

We made Melbourne look good.

[Myron Gaines]

Jaxons given AR's insistence on pressure acts all over the ground will Paddy maintain his position going into the season proper. The kid is a long way off with his 2nd efforts and pressure which were very poor against Power. He obviously has no tank at all as he looked gassed after each lead with nothing left if he didnt mark the ball?

If AR has is consistent with the whole team then Paddy is a long way off playing round 1 IMO ....

A certainty to play Rd 1.

Wtf is going on with Acres mate?

[Bluthy]

I don't know why people expect Paddy to be Cryil Rioli all of a sudden. He's a big pack splitting unit who's job is to make sure the ball comes to ground as a minimum and make defenders pay a price and he did that. For a big guy I find him pretty creative with good disposal and good ball use. He seems to be keeping his feet better now. All the forwards to me seemed to only be going at 75% - there wasn't a huge amounts of leads and hence a lot of bombing in. Almost like they trying to see which of the mediums and smalls could lock the ball in our forward line.

[Con Gorozidis]

I have said it before but having a side with Armo Dunstan and Ross still worries me a fraction.
As individual players they are all good but as a unit they are less so.
Too similar imo.
That's why we need Acres and hopefully Freeman.
The current set up still leaves Jack Steven with too much to do.
Opposition sides will pretty quickly work out that if you can stop Steven you stop the Saints.
He is still our best player by a country mile.

[Freebird]

I have said it before but having a side with Armo Dunstan and Ross still worries me a fraction.
As individual players they are all good but as a unit they are less so.
Too similar imo.
That's why we need Acres and hopefully Freeman.
The current set up still leaves Jack Steven with too much to do.
Opposition sides will pretty quickly work out that if you can stop Steven you stop the Saints.
He is still our best player by a country mile.

This - all good players but too much the same

[borderbarry]

ai am disappointed with Paddy at the moment. He is our full forward, and his job is to be our leading goal kicker. To my knowledge the most goals he has kicked is three and that was in the inter club game when Battle kicked five. If we are looking for the best players for round one, I would be giving Battle a go in the last two practice matches.

[st.byron]

ai am disappointed with Paddy at the moment. He is our full forward, and his job is to be our leading goal kicker. To my knowledge the most goals he has kicked is three and that was in the inter club game when Battle kicked five. If we are looking for the best players for round one, I would be giving Battle a go in the last two practice matches.

Crikey some folks have unrealistic expectations. He's still 20 years old. 17 games. Just starting his 3rd year in the system with some injury interruptions in the previous two years. Because he was a #1 draft pick he's supposed to be a superstar already and if he's not, then drop him.
He needs to get games and experience into him.

[To the top]

Don't get me wrong because I hope that Josh Battle turns into a player who puts pressure on Membrey for the 3rd tall.

But with a DOB of 1/09/1998, at 193cm and 89kg he is not the next Tony Lockett - at least at this stage of his career.

McCartin DOB 19/04/1996 194cm and 95kg

Bruce DOB 8/06/1992 197km and 102kg

Membrey DOB 26/05/1994 188cm and 88kg.

In fact, to those awaiting the next "Plugger", I don't think we will ever see one.

Or the game played the way it was when Tony played - given he was given the occasional start in the ruck.

[st.byron]

Jaxons given AR's insistence on pressure acts all over the ground will Paddy maintain his position going into the season proper. The kid is a long way off with his 2nd efforts and pressure which were very poor against Power. He obviously has no tank at all as he looked gassed after each lead with nothing left if he didnt mark the ball?

If AR has is consistent with the whole team then Paddy is a long way off playing round 1 IMO ....

A certainty to play Rd 1.

Wtf is going on with Acres mate?

After the first praccy game, Adam Kingsley said Acres just missed out, will play this week and needs to work on his disposal.

It's in this interview from 8.00 minutes.

http://www.saints.com.au/video/2017-02- ... m-kingsley

Kingsley speaks well. Comes across as smart and straightforward.

[Myron Gaines]

Jaxons given AR's insistence on pressure acts all over the ground will Paddy maintain his position going into the season proper. The kid is a long way off with his 2nd efforts and pressure which were very poor against Power. He obviously has no tank at all as he looked gassed after each lead with nothing left if he didnt mark the ball?

If AR has is consistent with the whole team then Paddy is a long way off playing round 1 IMO ....

A certainty to play Rd 1.

Wtf is going on with Acres mate?

After the first praccy game, Adam Kingsley said Acres just missed out, will play this week and needs to work on his disposal.

It's in this interview from 8.00 minutes.

http://www.saints.com.au/video/2017-02- ... m-kingsley

Kingsley speaks well. Comes across as smart and straightforward.

Thanks. I did see that interview. I just think it's a bit of a cop out that he needs to work on his disposal skills cos the team is littered with others that require the same if not more improvement. What concerns me is that Acres should be in our best team however evidently he isn't. He was one of our better players in the latter part of last season & showed plenty in the earlier parts of the season only to be constantly dropped. It definitely feels as though Blake has a target on his back at the club and isn't afforded the opportunities that other are.

[st.byron]

Jaxons given AR's insistence on pressure acts all over the ground will Paddy maintain his position going into the season proper. The kid is a long way off with his 2nd efforts and pressure which were very poor against Power. He obviously has no tank at all as he looked gassed after each lead with nothing left if he didnt mark the ball?

If AR has is consistent with the whole team then Paddy is a long way off playing round 1 IMO ....

A certainty to play Rd 1.

Wtf is going on with Acres mate?

After the first praccy game, Adam Kingsley said Acres just missed out, will play this week and needs to work on his disposal.

It's in this interview from 8.00 minutes.

http://www.saints.com.au/video/2017-02- ... m-kingsley

Kingsley speaks well. Comes across as smart and straightforward.

Thanks. I did see that interview. I just think it's a bit of a cop out that he needs to work on his disposal skills cos the team is littered with others that require the same if not more improvement. What concerns me is that Acres should be in our best team however evidently he isn't. He was one of our better players in the latter part of last season & showed plenty in the earlier parts of the season only to be constantly dropped. It definitely feels as though Blake has a target on his back at the club and isn't afforded the opportunities that other are.

I share your optimism re Acres' potential. Don't reckon there'd be any players with targets on their backs although I recall him being dropped a couple of times for breaking team rules, so maybe he's got a bit of work to do to prove himself to the coaches.

[saintbob]

Acres is a lock for me.

He finished last season very well. His intraclub game was not good though.

He has the pre-season games to grab a spot in the 22.

Intraclub games are s***!!!

Some players just cant play against their own team mates, but absolutely thrive against real opposition and I reckon Acres is one these.

[Jacks Back]

Jaxons given AR's insistence on pressure acts all over the ground will Paddy maintain his position going into the season proper. The kid is a long way off with his 2nd efforts and pressure which were very poor against Power. He obviously has no tank at all as he looked gassed after each lead with nothing left if he didnt mark the ball?

If AR has is consistent with the whole team then Paddy is a long way off playing round 1 IMO ....

A certainty to play Rd 1.

Wtf is going on with Acres mate?

After the first praccy game, Adam Kingsley said Acres just missed out, will play this week and needs to work on his disposal.

It's in this interview from 8.00 minutes.

http://www.saints.com.au/video/2017-02- ... m-kingsley

Kingsley speaks well. Comes across as smart and straightforward.

Thanks. I did see that interview. I just think it's a bit of a cop out that he needs to work on his disposal skills cos the team is littered with others that require the same if not more improvement. What concerns me is that Acres should be in our best team however evidently he isn't. He was one of our better players in the latter part of last season & showed plenty in the earlier parts of the season only to be constantly dropped. It definitely feels as though Blake has a target on his back at the club and isn't afforded the opportunities that other are.

8cres
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjARA6_GSm8

[mightysainters]

Surely the people knocking Mccartin are taking he piss.. Surely!!

This kid has shown that he has an enormous amount of potential.. Enormous.. He's 20 years old and playing the toughest position on the ground who has had injuries..

He has some of the best hands in the business and is a great kick of the footy..

[BigMart]

We want Paddy to be a champion, yes? Not a Jack Watts

After all he was a #1 pick

Yes he is 20 turning 21

Let's compare his output to other champion key forwards over time

J.Brown
T.Lockett
M.Richardson
W.Tredrea
N.Riewoldt
C.Grant
W.Carey
M.Lloyd
B.Hall
A.Lynch

Is he comparable?? I haven't really checked... but I'd say not

[skeptic]

We want Paddy to be a champion, yes? Not a Jack Watts

After all he was a #1 pick

Yes he is 20 turning 21

Let's compare his output to other champion key forwards over time

J.Brown
T.Lockett
M.Richardson
W.Tredrea
N.Riewoldt
C.Grant
W.Carey
M.Lloyd
B.Hall
A.Lynch

Is he comparable?? I haven't really checked... but I'd say not

He could still be the full forward of his generation and the worst of that lot

[samoht]

Why can't Battle play in the forward pocket - at least in the preseason games?
McCartin at FF.
Membrey is good at ground level. I think we can end up with a balanced forward line with the inclusion of a medium and a small player alongside four strong marking targets.
This way you don't play the second goal-kicking ruckman - you play one ruckman. No resting ruck men.

Battle may be young - but he's extremely fit and at around 90kg he's got an AFL ready build. He's ready to go.

He's also the stay-at-home type - so when McCartin moves around the ground, you will always have a marking target close to goal up forward.

[Winmar]

Given the forward options we have I'd be surprised to see Battle play more than a game or two. Even Paddy and Membrey haven't always been in the side previously. I'd like to see what he can do though.

[Vazelos]

Acres will be a gun for this football club, has more upside than just about anyone in the midfield. He has to play for mine.
Mc Cartin once it all clicks will be an awesome sight, not sure if it will be this year or next but it's coming!!

[saintbob]

Acres will be a gun for this football club, has more upside than just about anyone in the midfield. He has to play for mine.
Mc Cartin once it all clicks will be an awesome sight, not sure if it will be this year or next but it's coming!!

+1

[borderbarry]

I am not knocking Paddy as much as trying to make a case for Josh. Five goals at 18 in his first turn out for the club is pretty good. I would like to see how many others hve managed it at 18.
If Battle does not get run this week,I would suggest the club are either keeping him under wraps for round One, (unlikely) or frightened he might embarass them by outscoring Paddy again.