Goodbye 2017

[damienc]

Well, that was the year that was.

The year that could have been.

Season 2017, is well and truly cooked for the St Kilda football club.

Only the mostly wildly optimistic, make that impossibly optimistic, would dare to predict we have any hope of winning the next two games, or any games after that, based on what’s happened over the past fortnight.

Port Adelaide in Adelaide and the Dees? Yeah right.

The reality is, make that the grim reality, we won’t be playing finals footy or anywhere near it, this year. And that is incredibly disappointing.

We needed to bring our A + game to the SCG to have any chance against the Swans. We came with our C game. Our blokes weren’t up for it or up to it.

Jake Carlisle had a night he’d prefer to forget but he wasn’t alone. Jake’s been fantastic for us all year. One bad game doesn’t define his season.

So what’s gone wrong?

Our players and our coach talk about Saints footy, but Saints footy seems to be a blue print we hand to the opposition to beat us over the head with.

The Swans did not have to play more than average footy but they applied pressure to our pressure points and we had no answer.

It was the same last week against the Bombers. Worsfold and Longmire are good coaches who do their homework. Instead of being the ones to pressure other sides we were the ones under pressure and we don’t know how to handle it, at the present time.

It seems to me that we have a very inflexible game plan. It’s fantastic when it works and useless when it doesn’t.

Most alarming we don’t have a plan B. No alternative back up plan we can implement to get us back on top of the opposition. Instead we fold meekly without even firing a shot.

I have not been one to criticise our coach, or his staff, but at the moment they look like a group of people who are being asked some serious tactical questions but appear to have no answers.

I was also deeply disappointed that Richo failed to mention Rowan Marshall at his post match press conference.

I can understand that he was disappointed in the team effort. So was every St Kilda supporter.

Marshall showed a bit in his first AFL game, in my view.

I was hoping Richo might have said that. I also hope Marshall gets another chance in Adelaide.

One final thought.

I also hate to say it, but I think Roo and Joey should hang up their boots at the end of 2017. Both have been incredible warriors for the club but for them to play on inhibits our development. Others may disagree but that’s what I think.

Sorry to say it, but I am one deeply disappointed Saints supporter. I’m sure I’m not alone.

[Sainternist]

You certainly aren't alone. I can't remember feeling this disappointed since losing our last final in 2011.

The Swines have proven to be a real nemesis since 2005.

[kosifantutti]

Yes no chance. Five games to go and out of the 8 on percentage.

[WellardSaint]

very insightful post from damienc.

Not overemotional, just measured, logical points and well put.

Yes, why not mention Marshall? He could have said a few words of encouragement or at least acknowledge the lad.

[longtimesaint]

We will probably miss the eight but it has been a season of upsets and form fluctuations and it is still possible.
With West Coast losing today we are still on equal wins with eighth team.
If we could get on a roll it is still possible as 12 wins will probably make it

[saintspremiers]

We will probably miss the eight but it has been a season of upsets and form fluctuations and it is still possible.
With West Coast losing today we are still on equal wins with eighth team.
If we could get on a roll it is still possible as 12 wins will probably make it

Um with 12 wins it would be a percentage race.

We have another soap-on-a-rope game against Port. Unless we thrash about three teams our percentage will be rooted after round 23

[ace]

Realistically we go into 4 of our last 5 matches a underdogs.
We probably need to win 4 of those 5 matches to play finals
We should beat Norf at Etihad
West Coast at Etihad we are a chance
Port Adelaide in Adelaide
Melbourne and Richmnod at the MCG
We probably finish on 10 wins 12 loses
Hawthorn may well climb over us to force us into 12th
Collingwood will try but Buckley will keep us safe.

We get picks 7 and 8 ahead of free agent trading.
We can expect to come out of that with picks 8 and 9.
Which will become around 9 and 10 as the draft progresses and academy picks queue jump us.
Or we trade, remembering that although we have Hawthorn's first rounder we have no second rounder.

[Zed]

We finished with 12 wins in 2016.
In 2017, We said goodbye to a couple of undersized champ defenders in Fisher and Dempster and replaced them with taller options in Carlisle and Brown. No complaints.
We strengthened the midfield with Koby and Steele
We finally got improvement from Billings
We had a good run with injuries again
We went backwards - go figure.

[Sainternist]

We probably finish on 10 wins 12 loses.

Now that would be a very disappointing finish.

Would be good to at least finish off with a "winning season" (11 wins or more) record.

[saintspremiers]

We finished with 12 wins in 2016.
In 2017, We said goodbye to a couple of undersized champ defenders in Fisher and Dempster and replaced them with taller options in Carlisle and Brown. No complaints.
We strengthened the midfield with Koby and Steele
We finally got improvement from Billings
We had a good run with injuries again
We went backwards - go figure.

Much harder FIXture but otherwise all true

[Johnny Member]

Not sure why this warrants its own thread to be honest.

Could have been posted in any of about 15 the threads that already exist.

[Sainternist]

Not sure why this warrants its own thread to be honest.

Could have been posted in any of about 15 the threads that already exist.

I think OP wanted to vent his spleen, which seems perfectly understandable.

[Ellaandjohn]

Will make it with 12 wins


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[Bruce G McAbee]

Become of our poor percentage we need to win one game more than those ahead of us. We are essentially 1 game out of the 8.
Bet we now regret finishing off some of those teams we could have belted through the season.

[Yorkeys]

G'day Alan, the Board thinks there should be a briefing for the fans and sponsors about where the team is at and where its going, any real positives to look forward to?

Well Matt, uhm arr, our review processes are best practice and really piss poor efforts only serve to sharpen the focus on Mondays. I feel we are really close to understanding why the team appears to be stagnating.....

Goodo Alan, but how about making the finals......

Cant focus on outcomes Matt, its the process....

Ok Alan, so about the process of appointing a senior Coach.....any thoughts on criteria....

[Linton Lodger]

If we win 4 of our last 5 we play finals.

[WellardSaint]

G'day Alan, the Board thinks there should be a briefing for the fans and sponsors about where the team is at and where its going, any real positives to look forward to?

Well Matt, uhm arr, our review processes are best practice and really piss poor efforts only serve to sharpen the focus on Mondays. I feel we are really close to understanding why the team appears to be stagnating.....

Goodo Alan, but how about making the finals......

Cant focus on outcomes Matt, its the process....

Ok Alan, so about the process of appointing a senior Coach.....any thoughts on criteria....

Alan has to insert 'positive' , 'pleasing' and 'strong'

Matt: Alan, why does the team fall in a heap and panic when they face any sort of pressure?
Alan: <crickets chirping>

[The Fireman]

if we dont do well in the draft..goodbye 2018

[Bernard Shakey]

if we dont do well in the draft..goodbye 2018

It's not about the draft, it's about how well we trade those picks!

[The Fireman]

if we dont do well in the draft..goodbye 2018

It's not about the draft, it's about how well we trade those picks!

same same

[SoopaSaint]

Seems to me we started the year OK... with a few games of our 'brand' on display in the first half of the season. Then it was back to making excuses and being asked to be patient. Sydney is patient... 6 weeks worth of it! Having mediocrity shoved down your throat leads to people looking forward to the 'feed' - rather than demanding more. I have given-up watching the Coach's media reviews and his Member's Messages after the game. I am so frustrated with being told about 'process.' Football is NOT about process! It's about preparing the run-out a game... getting your hands ON the ball and then delivering it to YOUR man. Simple. Yabby had the right sentiment... you can barbecue 'em... you can roast 'em... you can even fry 'em - but in the end they are only sausages! Let's not overcomplicate this people.

[WellardSaint]

Seems to me we started the year OK... with a few games of our 'brand' on display in the first half of the season. Then it was back to making excuses and being asked to be patient. Sydney is patient... 6 weeks worth of it! Having mediocrity shoved down your throat leads to people looking forward to the 'feed' - rather than demanding more. I have given-up watching the Coach's media reviews and his Member's Messages after the game. I am so frustrated with being told about 'process.' Football is NOT about process! It's about preparing the run-out a game... getting your hands ON the ball and then delivering it to YOUR man. Simple. Yabby had the right sentiment... you can barbecue 'em... you can roast 'em... you can even fry 'em - but in the end they are only sausages! Let's not overcomplicate this people.

My last Members Message was the game before Bulldogs. I stopped looking at ANY Saints emails after that.
Watching Richo was like watching Turnbull or Shorten being interviewed on TV.
We know we lost, we think we know why, don't need him stating the bleeding obvious in a boring monotone

[bigred]

Season was blown in the first half of it. The run home was always going to be tougher and we didn't bank enough wins.

Dropped too many games we should have won through pathetic set shot goal kicking.

Don't forget our dreadful conversion rate.

These last couple of games have been unacceptable.

[thejiggingsaint]

We finished with 12 wins in 2016.
In 2017, We said goodbye to a couple of undersized champ defenders in Fisher and Dempster and replaced them with taller options in Carlisle and Brown. No complaints.
We strengthened the midfield with Koby and Steele
We finally got improvement from Billings
We had a good run with injuries again
We went backwards - go figure.

+1

[Bruce G McAbee]

Regarding Saturday night, Hawthorn were the only team that has beaten Sydney since they started this run. I woder if Nr Richardson spent anytime watching that game to see how Hawthorn did it.
Actually it wasn't hard, they beat Sydney at their own game, came prepared and executed it.