Post Match. Saints punish Pies . All comments.

[Gerry Cooper]

A few thoughts

It's becoming painfully obvious that our two old champs are just about done. Sidebottom is barely making it to and exiting contests, and his disposal has dropped off. I thought that coathanger might have got him a week or two but it looks like its hasn't. He needs to go back to the twos and find some touch or a new role.

Pendlebury isn't much better. Maybe he's better as an impact sub?

Crisp looks like he is always trying to do too much. I havent seen him like that before.

Naicos is playing bruise free footy, His tackles are weak and I havent seen him underneath a pack for a while.

Elliot is really putting in. Say what you like about him now but no-one can say he doesnt give a hundred percent right to the end.

Keep playing Reef even if he isn't delivering. He tried a couple of things up the ground that shows he has a creative mindset to him besides kicking goals. The more he plays the better he is going to get and he has a big upside we havent seen much yet.

Same with McCrae. He should be starting every week.

We have some bad habits at present - disposal into the forward line is a non directed bomb all to often. Schultz showed us how to do it in the last quarter with a long flat entry that went straight to I think Darcy Cameron (or Bobby). Those floaty high bombs have the backmen queuing up to spoil. its terrible.

Get used to attacking the ball in threes like we used to. Too often players are not making efforts to get to 50/50 contests and there is a lot of ball watching going on.

I wouldnt mind some 1 on 1 footy from time to time also. We need to build accountability. Zoning is fine when it works but it cant be the only thing we do.

This wasn't a terrible loss (tho I hate losing to St Kilda more than anyone else) there were some reasonable to good passages of play but the Faints were able to snuff out our momentum with the help of ex Saints Player L. Fisher and his mates. We may not have seen the end of this slump yet, so its time to hang tough and make the hard but necessary decisions that will ensure our future will be brighter soon.

[RudeBoy]

Saints are a good side, but not a great side. Losing to them is proof we are in deep shit. Forget all this nonsense about us being "a little off" our game. In truth we are a long way off and something is rotten in Denmark.

It's time for Fly to demonstrate he is indeed a great coach. He must restore that manic and frenzied attacking style, which has been our hallmark for the past 2 seasons....and he needs to do it this week!

[Pies4shaw]

He’s already demonstrated that he’s a great coach. He now has a fresh challenge.

[Piesnchess]

IN Fly we trust.

[Big T]

Everyone has bad weeks at work. I’m sure the boys will improve. But I feel we are hamstrung by a lack of quality talls and I can’t see a way around that.

Interesting to see Schoenmakers bog in the vfl. That’s the lad I thought we would take with our last pick.

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

Thought I'd leave it for a couple of days, but I can't hold back any longer.

Put a fork in Sidey, he is cooked.
He was really, really struggling to get back and forth on the wing, I am quite surprised more haven't made a point of it.

As for Pendles, almost unsighted! Very unlike him.
I fear they have done what almost every old champ warns against; going one year too long.

Same for Howe really.

Otherwise not that concerned, would rather be an honest tryer than top 4 material and not win the flag...although would be nice if we had access to our 1st round pick....

[Haff]

Way too early to be very negative.

You underestimate Nick’s powers…

[1eyedpie]

^^ Bit harsh on Pendles….. he was probably our fourth best player on the night. He contributed to a third of our centre clearances (3) had 10 contested possessions, 3 intercept possessions had 4 score involvements and 1 goal assist.

It is an unhealthy reliance on an ageing warrior we need more from other players to step up und take the mantle away from Pendles for contested possessions, clearances, ground ball gets and inside 50 score involvements.

[What'sinaname]

Everyone has bad weeks at work. I’m sure the boys will improve. But I feel we are hamstrung by a lack of quality talls and I can’t see a way around that.

Interesting to see Schoenmakers bog in the vfl. That’s the lad I thought we would take with our last pick.

Rarely, if ever, does nearly everyone at work have the bad day at the same time.

[Piesnchess]

Thought I'd leave it for a couple of days, but I can't hold back any longer.

Put a fork in Sidey, he is cooked.

He was really, really struggling to get back and forth on the wing, I am quite surprised more haven't made a point of it.

As for Pendles, almost unsighted! Very unlike him.

I fear they have done what almost every old champ warns against; going one year too long.

Same for Howe really.

Otherwise not that concerned, would rather be an honest tryer than top 4 material and not win the flag...although would be nice if we had access to our 1st round pick....

Just four games, 4 games ago, Sidey kicked a magnificent long goal, to win us a Premiership. how quickly we forget. ! Daniher kicked last goal, if not for Sidey, we were done, fact . Look, hes out of sorts now, agreed, but time to manage him, rest him, play him as a sub, same as Pendles. Both will retire at seasons end, anyway.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

If we some how gain murphy back and select fin i have pies just getting over brisbane at the gabba

[shawthing]

100% saying for a long time now that we must and must bring in the kids and we have plenty.
If not its will 1990s all over again.
Re juvenate is the key from now.
Use the older players as the back up from now.
And finally have a vision and look to the future.

So where are all these mythical kids coming from? Our VFL team was poor last year and the cupboard is bare. We might have 4-5 kids who will get a game this season, but I wonder just how many will go on to play 200 games for us. I doubt very many at all. Our list is paper thin. Even with our success last year I was saying the same thing. What's worse is we've continually traded away our best raft picks in recent years - for what?

Compared to the Giants, Swans and even Brisbane our list is threadbare - especially for talls, and especially for KPFs.

Thank goodness we won the flag last year, because the next one will be a long time coming. Mark my words.

[shawthing]

IN Fly we trust.

You keep believing that mate. He can't kick a footy out there though.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

I have faith in Fly.

Time we topped trading away first round draft picks tho.

But VFL side starting to look the goods again

Like that to transpire to the AFL.

[shawthing]

Just four games, 4 games ago,

That's a bit rich. the 4 games is irrelevant. It's actually six months and that can be an eternity for a veteran.