Mulligan or trend?

[older saint]

Loved RL press conference, measured , calm and direct.
He says this was a mulligan ( whether behind closed doors he said the same thing who knows)?

The week before against North most almost scoffed at how bad we were and then we serve that first qtr up is a little concerning.

My own theory is somewhere between the 2 - we are no longer fitter than everyone else, which clearly got us a few early wins and confidence which was needed. We now though have been found out by something that everyone acknowledges is lack of skill and class. We have used the least amount of players which is surprising seeing our injury list. This has created a scenario though where a few are starting to look fatigued as not used to this work load before and form has dropped. Now with some returning from injury the opportunity presents to "shake things up " a little.

I try to do this without bias (so ignoring those continually questioned on here - Ross, Crouch, Membrey, Butler, as well as those who get pumped up more than a Sam Smith costume - Sharman, Campbell, Heath). Also dont want to make too many changes in one hit.

Out: Membrey (inj), Paton (feel Webster is a slightly better version of this position), Phillipou (looks Fatigued), Sharman (good v North , poor yesterday lowest pressure rating)

In: King, Webster , Billings , Windy

Huge game this week - Go on the road and win Was a mulligan, go to GWS and lose then form drop off.

[axcellence]

Gresham?

[Vortex]

I predicted at the start of the season the word rebuild would build into the conversation, I firmly believe Ross knew this was the case too and had an unexpected fun ride with some early wins but now the hard work begins.

The unknown is the magnitude of the rebuild.

Restump
Rewire
Restoration
Relocation

Lose the next few and the conversation will ramp up.

[Scollop]

Loved RL press conference, measured , calm and direct.
He says this was a mulligan ( whether behind closed doors he said the same thing who knows)?

The week before against North most almost scoffed at how bad we were and then we serve that first qtr up is a little concerning.

My own theory is somewhere between the 2 - we are no longer fitter than everyone else, which clearly got us a few early wins and confidence which was needed. We now though have been found out by something that everyone acknowledges is lack of skill and class. We have used the least amount of players which is surprising seeing our injury list. This has created a scenario though where a few are starting to look fatigued as not used to this work load before and form has dropped. Now with some returning from injury the opportunity presents to "shake things up " a little.

I try to do this without bias (so ignoring those continually questioned on here - Ross, Crouch, Membrey, Butler, as well as those who get pumped up more than a Sam Smith costume - Sharman, Campbell, Heath). Also dont want to make too many changes in one hit.

Out: Membrey (inj), Paton (feel Webster is a slightly better version of this position), Phillipou (looks Fatigued), Sharman (good v North , poor yesterday lowest pressure rating)

In: King, Webster , Billings , Windy

Huge game this week - Go on the road and win Was a mulligan, go to GWS and lose then form drop off.

I hear what you’re saying, but if you take off the rose coloured glasses, you’ll see the glass is closer to empty than full

Our form is not good. We are the worst performing team (last 5 weeks) out of ALL the sides in the top 8.

The inclusions of King, Webster, Billings and Windy will improve the side. I have no doubt about that, but I’d like to see Jack Bytel get a full game if Steele is ruled out for next week. Either that or one of either Ross or Crouch miss out…or both!! We can handle GWS without them

[cwrcyn]

Our back half is solid and our forward half has sufficient talent. It's the middle of the ground where we need more elite talent and leg speed. Most of us on here have been concerned in recent years by our one paced, workmanlike midfield and it's in ability to stack up against the top midfield outfits in the comp

What do we need to transition to a top 4 outfit?

Two young, quick, and damaging midfielders

One tall (198cm+) and powerful key defender

Ross Lyon knows we need more talent, and his year of exploration he will start to sort out which ones are going to take us forward and which ones are not up to the task or are merely filling a role because there is no one else.

I had no expectations coming into this year.

Aside from the wins on the board, the thing that brings me a sigh of relief is that we finally have some decent young talent to work with.

[older saint]

Gresham?

If fit comes back in as has something we lack - explosiveness from contest

[bigcarl]

Out: Membrey (inj), Paton (feel Webster is a slightly better version of this position), Phillipou (looks Fatigued), Sharman (good v North , poor yesterday lowest pressure rating)

In: King, Webster , Billings , Windy

I’d be happy with those changes, plus Gresham will come in if fit.

I think we take a mulligan. If you start badly interstate you are cooked. Have to take the crowd out of the equation and with it the umpires. But Ross knows that.

I look forward to seeing King and Caminiti operating in tandem and hopefully both Owens and Windy getting some major midfield minutes
We’re not the finished article yet, that’s going to take time

[asiu]

i'll play


Restump
already ticked off

Rewire
ahead of schedule

Restoration

further material arriving : tick
material on hand : tick

assessment of maintain/replace existing structure ongoing

risk assessments against project viability ... low

weather : onside

karmic dues owed : paid


Relocation

already here and will be in another 150 years





therefore 'n ipsofacto













put a map of tassy on him

in thanx
for our blessings to come

[Otiman]

The writing has been on the wall since the Port game. It's definitely a trend.

Shades of 2022, it is up to Ross and co. to get the team back on track.

Expect to see some Ratten supporters and stick their heads up, with knives out for Ross if we don't.

[The G Train Legacy]

i'll play


Restump
already ticked off

Rewire
ahead of schedule

Restoration

further material arriving : tick
material on hand : tick

assessment of maintain/replace existing structure ongoing

risk assessments against project viability ... low

weather : onside

karmic dues owed : paid


Relocation

already here and will be in another 150 years





therefore 'n ipsofacto











put a map of tassy on him

in thanx
for our blessings to come

Nice jumper. The colours of the Aboriginal flag and our original colours. I see what they're doing there, very clever.

[The G Train Legacy]

The writing has been on the wall since the Port game. It's definitely a trend.

Shades of 2022, it is up to Ross and co. to get the team back on track.

Expect to see some Ratten supporters and stick their heads up, with knives out for Ross if we don't.

Nothing like 2022, we're still the 5 or 6th best team in the comp at the moment. Barring further injury disasters, we will play Finals. May not be Top 4 yet, but we're definitely a far better unit than last year.

[magnifisaint]

Looks like a trend. 3 lower lows.

[perfectionist]

I'm trying to work out who had the Mulligan, Adelaide or us. Certainly, they seemed to have a free shot on many occasions. Time will tell whether our game was a "one-off" but things didn't look too good the week before. I note that we are $1.67 favourites against GWS away. It seems the bookies still have faith.

[Otiman]

Nothing like 2022, we're still the 5 or 6th best team in the comp at the moment. Barring further injury disasters, we will play Finals. May not be Top 4 yet, but we're definitely a far better unit than last year.

We were flying at the Bye, then fell over in similar fashion. After the first two losses it was "it's ok we are still a good side and will bounce back". Clear to say we didn't bounce back.

[Sanctorum]

The jury is still out deliberating whether or not the current team is better than the 2022 iteration, as last year after round 9 St Kilda were also 6-3 with only a slightly lower percentage (116.7 v 120.8) and as we all remember, after round 11 they were sitting pretty (8-3) in 4th place and 123.77%. Defence was also very good - 3rd lowest points againts.

I'm sure if you were to look back at the comments on SS in June 2022 you'd find a chorus of praise for the team and master coach Brett Ratten

What I would say is that the overall skill levels of the players this year appear to have improved, but still a very long way off the standard displayed by Adelaide yesterday. In fact, I think by and large the Saints have not played all that well even in some of the games they have won, certainly not anything to write home about...

From memory yesterday was the first game that St Kilda actually lost the clearances this year, the big problem, and it's MASSIVE, is the appalling conversion of all the many forward entries, which has cost the team dearly. Yesterday they had 49 inside 50s but just 21 shots on goal (43%), compared to Adelaide 53 and 34 (64%).

With those sorts of stats it is obvious that St Kilda are going to struggle to play finals in 2023, even if they get that far.

Will Max King's return be the solution?

I have long held the view that the combination of King and Caminiti as two power forwards is the key to the team's success this year and while it might take a couple of games for them to perfect the synergy of Hawkins/Cameron or Lynch/Riewoldt etc, if that comes off we should see a commensurate improvement in the inside 50s stat.

The final point in this conversation is that in 2023 Mitchito Owens has stepped up to borderline elite level, Nasiah Wanganeen Milera has improved markedly, Bradley Hill is responding to the new coach, Mason Wood is playing out of his skin and new recruit Mattaes Phillipou has shown plenty of potential that he will be champion in a year or two.

[desertsaint]

Didn't think we'd make the 8 in oct, jan, or now. But have more belief going forward than this time last year. We just got ahead of ourselves on here. Just hope lyon plays the kids and focuses on development, as a higher priority than chasing a 7 or 8 spot in finals. We'll never know if injuries forced his hand, but seeing cami brought straight back in was a positive.

[WellardSaint]

Which former coach said 'if we park that first qtr'...
Calling it a mulligan is just wanting to ignore the elephant in the room.

They need to work out why it happened or it will happen again against Cats, Dees, Swans...
And we'd struggle to beat Hawks and Blues now.
We failed to dominate Norf, so we aren't as good as we thought we were

[Impatient Sainter]

= Trend and it all starts with our terribly slow midfield, plus we obviously cant sustain the level of effort required for the game style.

The Mulligan is we are slowly getting the cavalry back and should be able to reset at some point, but I dont expect it to be immediate.

[Vortex]

Expect to see some Ratten supporters and stick their heads up, with knives out for Ross if we don't.

The knives would be directed at the wrong person then.

As I have said since Lyon was contracted, he will have absolutely the same problem Ratts had, and that is, he is the coach of St Kilda. And within that major challenge is being able to procure a list capable of challenging, it doesn't get any more complex than that.

Hence my humorous references to Lyon's magic wand and the magic trick he has that sooooo many other coaches don't possess with regards to procuring a GF list at a poor club.

Absolutely love Lyon, as a coach and as a personality, I even have an immediate family member who has a business relationship with him so I get awesome insight. But I can assure you he understands the points I make above better than anyone else and he knows the list needs a lot of work.

As I keep saying, the list will look totally different in 3 to 4 years.

[Scollop]

Expect to see some Ratten supporters and stick their heads up, with knives out for Ross if we don't.

What’s the point of that. There’s no bringing him back.

The CEO and president and the footy directors just need some meetings with coaches.

Put the heat on Ross and his assistants.

Ask some questions about list management and potential delistings

Ask some questions about match committee decisions and if they align with potential delistings

[Yorkeys]

Looking for deep meaning in a press conference is foolish. It's a set piece, largely to allow public humiliation of the losing coach.
Even if a golfer is allowed a Mulligan the humiliation of an airy or shank remains as does the flawed technique.
We have a lot going for us but structural flaws. Battle as talented as he is is not big enough week in week out for CHB.
Howard is mediocre. When he plays poorly we can't really compensate. Oppositions can exploit him.
Our forwards have no synergy, the sum of the parts is less than the worth of the individuals.
We do the amateur analysis on here. We note moments of individual brilliance or great efforts then conclude that individual can't be replaced. But stats show the usual forwards line up cannot team together very well. It's an act of faith that Membrey and Butler are automatically picked. And we lose.
I think the walk up start forwards are King, Caminiti, Higgins, Owens and a fit Billings. Wouldn't mind Windhager in there as well.
There has to be reshuffling of the forwards and maybe trying Cordy as a key back.
Coaches will be going through the permutations now.

[chook23]

i'll play


Restump
already ticked off

Rewire
ahead of schedule

Restoration

further material arriving : tick
material on hand : tick

assessment of maintain/replace existing structure ongoing

risk assessments against project viability ... low

weather : onside

karmic dues owed : paid


Relocation

already here and will be in another 150 years





therefore 'n ipsofacto











put a map of tassy on him

in thanx
for our blessings to come

Nice jumper. The colours of the Aboriginal flag and our original colours. I see what they're doing there, very clever.

NOT OUR ORIGINAL COLOURS

[Saints58]

Gresham?

If fit comes back in as has something we lack - explosiveness from contest

We have a explosive and hard nosed player who can play in midfield in Owens but he is rucking this will wreck him he needs to go on ball now that caminiti and king will be there.

Out should be Sharman, Membery, Patton who is terrible last few weeks and I hate to say it but Ross I really like him but is struggling maybe a stint in the 2s will help.

Not sure what is wrong with battle but he gives up a lot of goals each week with sloppy defence and poor kicking he is on fringe of being out.

I really don't think there will be any changes except King as RTB will not make the call on some players he likes.

IN King, windhager, bytel plays not sub cordy for his flexibility if he needs to ruck or even go to KPD

[saynta]

Expect to see some Ratten supporters and stick their heads up, with knives out for Ross if we don't.

The knives would be directed at the wrong person then.

As I have said since Lyon was contracted, he will have absolutely the same problem Ratts had, and that is, he is the coach of St Kilda. And within that major challenge is being able to procure a list capable of challenging, it doesn't get any more complex than that.

Hence my humorous references to Lyon's magic wand and the magic trick he has that sooooo many other coaches don't possess with regards to procuring a GF list at a poor club.

Absolutely love Lyon, as a coach and as a personality, I even have an immediate family member who has a business relationship with him so I get awesome insight. But I can assure you he understands the points I make above better than anyone else and he knows the list needs a lot of work.

As I keep saying, the list will look totally different in 3 to 4 years.

You have a rellie who has a business relationship with lyon? Sure you do. Just like your PhD and the thousands of dollars you were putting on the bar. All bulls***. As I have said before, if you said that it was raining outside, I still wouldn't pack an umbrella.

For what it is worth, all 18 lists will look different in 3 to 4 years FFS. f****** stating the bleeding obvious.

Enough of your crap, it has become boring and repetitious.

[saynta]

i'll play


Restump
already ticked off

Rewire
ahead of schedule

Restoration

further material arriving : tick
material on hand : tick

assessment of maintain/replace existing structure ongoing

risk assessments against project viability ... low

weather : onside

karmic dues owed : paid


Relocation

already here and will be in another 150 years





therefore 'n ipsofacto











put a map of tassy on him

in thanx
for our blessings to come

Nice jumper. The colours of the Aboriginal flag and our original colours. I see what they're doing there, very clever.

NOT OUR ORIGINAL COLOURS

You are 100 % correct.