The new look backline (they can all kick)

[Joffa Burns]

The difference in the backline to the last three seasons is chalk and cheese.

The beauty is they are now all very good by foot, Clark, Coffield, Paton, Carslile, Howard, Battle, Wilkie & Long. You are more than comfortable when the ball is in their hands that a good decision will be made and a target hit.

Too often Geary was the go to man out of the back half and as much as I am a fan of the Skipper, I'd rather see the ball in the hands of any of the above coming of half back than Geary, McKenzie or even Savage & Webster.

Wilkie is a revelation, he quietly touched up one of the competition superstars on the weekend who on paper looked to quick, nimble and skillful a match up, he is the modern day Max Hudgton with better foot skills. More coaches votes for Wilkie me thinks!

Nate Brown filled his role as negator, but Howard offers a who new dimension, he's big, quick, courageous, athletic and a competitor. He could be AA in the next two years if he continues this development.

Even when out-marked a couple of times by Dixon he was in the contest and dirty at getting beaten.
Also see him directing traffic to the other backs and looks like a leader, would not be surprised to see him in the leadership group next season.

Coffield and Clark are class, Long the hard edge and freakish skill factor and Paton the solid skilled blue collar worker, Wilkie the no frills reliable guy who gets the job done with two quality talls as well.

Regardless of deficiencies in the middle, I would not be moving Clark this season other than short bursts.
Leave him where he is as his confidence sky rockets.

[shanegrambeau]

I am glad to read that.

You have to wonder what happened seasons end 2019 when Sydney smashed us in the second half.
Franklin kicked four. Nate Brown was playing on him.
McCartin a few...who played on him? Carlisle?
Papley 2...same question.

Savage (who I am led to believe is a wonderful kick) played, Webster played, and this was the Sam Rowe honorary game. I presume he played back. But they were farewelling a couple of their greats in Kerin Jack and McVeigh. We obliged them in the fairytale department.

We were level at half-time would you believe. Totally wiped out in the second half.

https://www.zerohanger.com/fulltime-syd ... 455-33636/

[CURLY]

Love Patton and Coffields overhead work too.

[SaintPav]

Patton is really beginning to grow on me.

Good skills and excellent OP.

[stkfc1]

Paton has won me over last few weeks. He reads the play really well, excellent mark for his size and always takes the right option and a reliable kick. Id like to see a bit more attack from him but that will come. Coffield on the other hand is starting to take games on, he'll make some mistakes but it's worth it. Wilkie is just a dead set gun defender as is Carlisle and Howard. I think Clark will go into the midfield, he's just too good not too, but I'd want to find his replacement. Maybe it's just a matter of rotating players through there.

[cwrcyn]

Speed and skill. That seems to be the prerequisite. Coughing it up in the back half has had me ripping my hair out for decades. This is the first time ( assuming Geary stays out of there) that we've had six defenders who can kick. It makes a massive difference. It's not only saving us goals kicked against us, but giving us opportunity to create more of them for ourselves.


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[To the top]

You build Premiership sides from the back in my experience

We are now playing the back 6 I have been promoting - albeit Patton has come from the clouds to join Coffield, Clark and Long

I don’t know where Roberton is at this juncture but in the normal course Wilkie keeping Roberton out is its own statement

Then we have Austin and Claravino

Howard is everything my PA sources spoke to

[Munga]

Top ten kicking effiency, all defenders make the list!

1. Wilkie 88.9%
2. Coffield 84.1%
3. Geary 81.8%
4. Sinclair 80%
5. Carlisle 78%
6. Long 77.5%
7. Howard 75.8%
8. Paton 73.4%
9. Battle 72.4%
10. Roberton 71.4%

Clark comes in at 12 which is surprising, but he spends time up the ground and his kicks seem more wow and damaging.

[IluvHarvey]

Top ten kicking effiency, all defenders make the list!

1. Wilkie 88.9%
2. Coffield 84.1%
3. Geary 81.8%
4. Sinclair 80%
5. Carlisle 78%
6. Long 77.5%
7. Howard 75.8%
8. Paton 73.4%
9. Battle 72.4%
10. Roberton 71.4%

Clark comes in at 12 which is surprising, but he spends time up the ground and his kicks seem more wow and damaging.

Clark will take the game on a lot more than the other backmen.
Also not to be negative because that's not what I intend but we do love a good switch in the backline, which will always boost the Kicking efficiency percentages.

[saintsRrising]

Yes I am loving our new backline.

And while Geary is used for specific negating match ups both forward and back with all the others we have a pool of players who can all play on for many years yet. And they are just going to get better and better as they play together more.

Also you know that we have talent down back when a player as good as Robbo is not getting a look in. And Robbo is both and attacking and negating player.

Even if Clark moves into the midfield, we still have ample quality for down back.

[Vazelos]

The difference in the backline to the last three seasons is chalk and cheese.

The beauty is they are now all very good by foot, Clark, Coffield, Paton, Carslile, Howard, Battle, Wilkie & Long. You are more than comfortable when the ball is in their hands that a good decision will be made and a target hit.

Too often Geary was the go to man out of the back half and as much as I am a fan of the Skipper, I'd rather see the ball in the hands of any of the above coming of half back than Geary, McKenzie or even Savage & Webster.

Wilkie is a revelation, he quietly touched up one of the competition superstars on the weekend who on paper looked to quick, nimble and skillful a match up, he is the modern day Max Hudgton with better foot skills. More coaches votes for Wilkie me thinks!

Nate Brown filled his role as negator, but Howard offers a who new dimension, he's big, quick, courageous, athletic and a competitor. He could be AA in the next two years if he continues this development.

Even when out-marked a couple of times by Dixon he was in the contest and dirty at getting beaten.
Also see him directing traffic to the other backs and looks like a leader, would not be surprised to see him in the leadership group next season.

Coffield and Clark are class, Long the hard edge and freakish skill factor and Paton the solid skilled blue collar worker, Wilkie the no frills reliable guy who gets the job done with two quality talls as well.

Regardless of deficiencies in the middle, I would not be moving Clark this season other than short bursts.
Leave him where he is as his confidence sky rockets.

Excellent Summary you are on the ball with your observations.

[Sanctorum]

I second that Vazelos, Joffa has nailed it. This is by far the best back 6 that St Kilda have had for as long as I can remember, even in the glory years of late 90s and 2009/2011, so probably best ever!

It's a real credit to the club's football department and coaches the way they have developed the list and upskilled the younger blokes. Both Ben Paton and Ben Long have been revelations, Nick Coffield is a star in the making, Howard and Wilkie rock solid and even Jake Carlisle is starting to get back to good form.

Hunter Clark in my view is going to be playing through the midfield in the long term, which opens up an opportunity for Ed Phillips to slot into the team down back.

By these reckonings it means that some of the "old hands" Roberton, Webster, Savage and Geary are unlikely to feature in 2021 onwards.

[ace]

Love Patton and Coffields overhead work too.

A bit better overhead than Gilbert McAdam.

[WellardSaint]

I second that Vazelos, Joffa has nailed it. This is by far the best back 6 that St Kilda have had for as long as I can remember, even in the glory years of late 90s and 2009/2011, so probably best ever!

It's a real credit to the club's football department and coaches the way they have developed the list and upskilled the younger blokes. Both Ben Paton and Ben Long have been revelations, Nick Coffield is a star in the making, Howard and Wilkie rock solid and even Jake Carlisle is starting to get back to good form.

Hunter Clark in my view is going to be playing through the midfield in the long term, which opens up an opportunity for Ed Phillips to slot into the team down back.

By these reckonings it means that some of the "old hands" Roberton, Webster, Savage and Geary are unlikely to feature in 2021 onwards.

Roberton worked his ring off in the backline for years.
But for his health's sake, as well as team balance, he's better off on the sidelines, sadly.
'Prefer others' in racing parlance.
Others have grabbed their chance.

Webster is a brave warrior, who can forget when he went back with the flight n got cleaned up in a great spoil. Everyone got around him. But Paton, Coffield, etc have grabbed the spots.

Savage has been loyal, hard working and valuable. But I can't see him crow-barring anybody out of the back 6.

Geary? I won't comment because I've been against him for ages anyway.

[ace]

I have no problem with Savage kicking but McKenzie and Webster are butchers.
Ratten has said he hates butchers.
These two are probably available to trade.
Here you go Carlton, they will look good with Newnes in a losing team.

[Devilhead]

They say Defence wins Championships - we just need a few more midfielders now

[SaintPav]

This is by far the best back 6 that St Kilda have had for as long as I can remember, even in the glory years of late 90s and 2009/2011, so probably best ever!

Big call given our defensive performance in 2009.

Under Lyon the Saints had the best defensive season in 50 years of any team, averaging 63 points against.

We had a pretty good backline with players like Baker, Gilbert, Fisher, Blake, Goddard, Hudghton, Gram, Dawson.

Sorry to be a party pooper but they were very good and while the current team looks pretty good, they still have a lot to prove.

[terry smith rules]

This is by far the best back 6 that St Kilda have had for as long as I can remember, even in the glory years of late 90s and 2009/2011, so probably best ever!

Big call given our defensive performance in 2009.

Under Lyon the Saints had the best defensive season in 50 years of any team, averaging 63 points against.

We had a pretty good backline with players like Baker, Gilbert, Fisher, Blake, Goddard, Hudghton, Gram, Dawson.

Sorry to be a party pooper but they were very good and while the current team looks pretty good, they still have a lot to prove.

thank you and exactly

for goodness sake comparing this back line to the 09/10 one is ridiculous, yes history may show otherwise but right now...no