Why does it always have to end in a thrashing?

[SydneySainter]

We either win, or we get flogged. It’s rare that we lose by a meager two or three kicks.

This is why star players keep snubbing us. They don’t want to play in a team that consistently gets thumped.

As ludicrous as it sounds, I wonder if the St Kilda brains trust is getting a little too used to this seemingly inevitable outcome. Is Richo a coach under pressure, or is he coach who coaches knowing that he’s contracted to 2020?

[Con Gorozidis]

We are just a subsidiary of AFL hq.
We are run like a company in administration.
We don't make our own decisions.
Finnis is an AFL plant.
Richo probably knows he is safe because the AFL have decided they want stability.
Everything else is just marketing to sell hope to us plebs.
From the AFLs perspective we are a spot on the fixture.
A game to meet broadcasting obligations.
A side for other teams to beat.
That's about the extent of it.
Absolute irrelevant minnows.
The gold coast are more relevant than us.

[Drake Huggins]

Indeed, Con. We played Norf for the irrelevant cup last week and got thumped"

[shanegrambeau]

We are just a subsidiary of AFL hq.
We are run like a company in administration.
We don't make our own decisions.
Finnis is an AFL plant.
Richo probably knows he is safe because the AFL have decided they want stability.
Everything else is just marketing to sell hope to us plebs.
From the AFLs perspective we are a spot on the fixture.
A game to meet broadcasting obligations.
A side for other teams to beat.
That's about the extent of it.
Absolute irrelevant minnows.
The gold coast are more relevant than us.

It does seem a bit like this sometimes. Gold Coast and GWS are more important than north melbourne too. The numbers rationalists don't care about heritage or heart or history even though fans and players only grow from its base. No Tasmanian team still. Disgrace.

[WellardSaint]

i suggest, and it's just my opinion,
that when a team is getting monstered, the players can get disheartened and
1. fail to make second efforts to spoil/chase
2. play for survival- their own skin, not support a team-mate

it's human nature to make mistakes under intense pressure.
The champion teams can absorb pressure and stand firm.

Pre-season camps are usually gruelling to teach players to learn resilience.
Except Dees players, who in summer prefer museum and art gallery tours.

[saintspremiers]

Nailed it Con.

But we can’t keel travelling like this until the end of 2020, even under “offical AFL” control?

Would be a total disaster, even the AFL wouldn’t allow that.

[ctqs]

Why does it always end in a thrashing? Simple. They give up. They have no pride or carefactor. There's no other reason to stop trying. They should know as well as anyone the importance of percentage.

[oh when the]

The Club accepts it
We don't demand success

[oh when the]

I believe the Club thinks its work is done when the team runs out
Successful Clubs know their work starts when they run out.

[ROLS-LEE]

For bulk parts of the game we had control. It just seemed that each goal we kicked needed to be masterfully created were the crows scored with ease. How many gettable goals were points.
I think our forward line is very suspect and our game plan to get it in there is not much better.

[Saintmatt]

For bulk parts of the game we had control. It just seemed that each goal we kicked needed to be masterfully created were the crows scored with ease. How many gettable goals were points.
I think our forward line is very suspect and our game plan to get it in there is not much better.

Yep. That's about it. Everything we do requires serious struggle. The one area that absolutely astounds me is our kick-ins after an opposition behind is scored. We will either (a) take a short kick quickly and then hoist it high and long to a 1 on 3 (outsized) contest on a wing or (b) we'll just hoist it high to 60m out to a 1 on 3 (outsized) contest. In each case - our best case is a pack mark; our acceptable return is a constest that spills over the boundary and our more regular outcome is a soft posession out the back for a repeat inside 50 entry where our defenders are all out of position. I watch tons of footy and we are the worst team by a mile at launching an offensive motion from a behind; our coast to coast goals occur roughly in line with Halley's Comet.

Back on to thrashings though ...

Compare the Hawks to us on the weekend. They played the reigning premier and kept fighting to the death- from regularly being 5 goals down - to gain some respectability on the scoreboard. 13 points is pretty honorable. Percentage nicely protected. We, on the other hand, just bend over and wait for the inevitable against last year runner's up. Apart from the now quite widely acknowledged C Grade Ammos skill level - we just don't fight to protect our position - in front or behind. Really lucky to lose by only 49 ... % hammered again.

[freely]

Why does it always end in a thrashing? Simple. They give up. They have no pride or carefactor. There's no other reason to stop trying. They should know as well as anyone the importance of percentage.

This. I don't know what we stand for any more. And I can't point to a single player apart from Dunstan that doesn't look as if he'd just as soon play for some other team.

We need a clear sense of direction. It can't be that every player we pick is rubbish. I firmly believe that there are plenty of other clubs who could turn them into solid performers - but it takes persistence and a solid game plan. Look at the way Geelong have persisted with Rhys - he's no superstar but they've given him a role and if he plays that role, he'll keep getting a game - and everyone else in the team can rely on him to at least do that. Our boys seem to be being encouraged to play on instinct - well, that's all well and good, but when they're up against it they're all just running about like headless chooks. I hated the way Ross Lyon turned all our stars into role players - but suddenly now I get it. Because when the chips are down, you know exactly what you have to do - keep playing your role. Leave it up to the brains trust to decide when the role changes. Instead of that, we're relying on somebody popping up and doing something brilliant (don't hold your breath!) - what we need is for every player to have a very clear idea about what they're required to do when that doesn't happen. Martina Navratilova said it doesn't matter how good you are when you're at your best - it's how good you are at your worst that counts.

[spert]

No leaders. You could see a lot of players dropping their heads in the second half against the Crows- they gave up. I can't see how anyone could be inspired to bust a gut listening to Richo- nothing personal, but he must the most uninteresting, uninspiring coach I have heard speak in big time sport.

[mbogo]

I personally believe that a really great coach - like a Leigh Matthews - would know how to draw players to his vision, have them play to his style, fight for every point of percentage and have a strategy forward and back to make the correct decisions. He would be firm when a player shows no fierceness or refuses to throw himself into the fray.
We have no decision-making strategy, no idea of how to kick out - no on or off-field leadership that is visible - aside from Ross and Steven. This falls into the coaching domain, there is no doubt in my mind - when they are up and about - which kind of seems more random and increasingly more remote - they can match it with anyone. Last year against Geelong we could have won!
It's clear where the buck stops - at the pleasings and positives when there are none! (Only one pleasing mentioned this week I noticed.)
So the players are lacking confidence in everyone around them - IMO body language here is louder than any words. We have plenty of players who can play at the highest level. They lack faith and confidence in the game style - and simply fall away. It is terrible for all their careers - not to mention us fans and the attendances!
I can add that - when they continually kick it to the opposition or out on the full - with simple skill errors - that I feel like pulling out my own teeth out of frustration! No wonder no one is turning up to the games and the players lose impetus.

[spert]

I personally believe that a really great coach - like a Leigh Matthews - would know how to draw players to his vision, have them play to his style, fight for every point of percentage and have a strategy forward and back to make the correct decisions. He would be firm when a player shows no fierceness or refuses to throw himself into the fray.
We have no decision-making strategy, no idea of how to kick out - no on or off-field leadership that is visible - aside from Ross and Steven. This falls into the coaching domain, there is no doubt in my mind - when they are up and about - which kind of seems more random and increasingly more remote - they can match it with anyone. Last year against Geelong we could have won!
It's clear where the buck stops - at the pleasings and positives when there are none! (Only one pleasing mentioned this week I noticed.)
So the players are lacking confidence in everyone around them - IMO body language here is louder than any words. We have plenty of players who can play at the highest level. They lack faith and confidence in the game style - and simply fall away. It is terrible for all their careers - not to mention us fans and the attendances!
I can add that - when they continually kick it to the opposition or out on the full - with simple skill errors - that I feel like pulling out my own teeth out of frustration! No wonder no one is turning up to the games and the players lose impetus.

I'm bashing the coach a bit, but I am really peed off at a coach who doesn't get the best out of players who have a lot to offer- no superstars there, but still a good spread of talent- a team who is really switched on, playing with direction and playing to the best of their abilities will have some success. Cars have steering wheels for a purpose- even a Ferrari will run off the road if the driver takes his hands off the wheel, no matter how powerful or brilliant the design.

[Bruce G McAbee]

Name me one player who is a match winner for us? We have no one. Bad recruiting, picking McCartin ahead of Petracca is going to haunt this club for some time to come.
No heart, no drive, not just from the players but admin as well.