St. Kilda v Melbourne - Match Preview & Team Selection

[DeeZee 7,397]

Love that centreline of Toumpas, Watts and Tyson.

I also would prefer Blease to Byrnes, but maybe Roosy is sending a message to Bleasey that he needs to improve his tank.

[hardtack 10,537]

Why is Byrnes in the team?

Yeah, I surprised Roos didn't consult the Demonland experts before giving Byrnes and Pedersen a game.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,241]

Big Jake had better have some extra weetbix - he will be doing a lot of work.

[Young Dee 1,303]

New year, fresh hope... Until you see spuds like bail, spencer, jones, Byrnes and Terlich still getting games.

What I'd give for some aggro and mongrel as well. Plenty of nice boys there with Hogan, Viney and. Kent missing. A very soft side. Thank goodness we're playing sandy zebras' midfield.

Bail and Terlich have the ability to turn it on (Bail rarely though).

Spencer, Jones and Byrnes seem duds to me. I can't believe we offered Jones 3 years (as if they didn't learn from Jamar's/Pedersen contract)

Edited March 20, 2014 by Young Dee

[Maggot 1977 263]

Agreed Chippy - no chance Vince is HBF - very excited and confident of a win here !!!

[Biffen 12,943]

Pedo for the Coleman.

[Little Richard 6,262]

Pedo for the Coleman.

'Pedo' for multiple charges and a conviction.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Disappointing side for round 1 for mine, too many players not AFL standard.

No fault of anyone, we can only work with what we have.

[beelzebub 23,377]

The smell of desperation emanates from Seaford . Dont expect much from Gilbert...very underdone currently

Gunna be a hard year being a Sainter

[Satyriconhome 10,878]

From training today, you will see I had Matt Jones in the 25, he's earned it, he was excellent today, speed on the outside, let's leave the vitriol about Bail, Pedersen, Spencer and Byrnes till after the game if it is warranted, JKH will be sub, so Byrnes knows perform or else, we have a new coach who will have given each player a specific role, if they don't do it, he,they and we know they won't be there next week, that is the only promise Roos has made

[Maggot 1977 263]

C'mon Jabberwock, now is not the time for such negativity. Agree there are a couple of blokes that may not be up to AFL standard but the nucleus of a competitive unit is there for all to see. To think of the out and out duds we had running around in 2012 & 2013 this side is the first of 23 steps in the right direction.

[dees189227 12,394]

I just want to see JKH start. We need his excitement in the game and a samll forward to start

[stingrays 24]

Sandringham Zebras beat St.Kilda in a practice match sometime in the 1960's. Back then many VFA players could earn more in the VFA rather than play in the VFL.

Some trivia, but interesting.

[beelzebub 23,377]

From training today, you will see I had Matt Jones in the 25, he's earned it, he was excellent today, speed on the outside, let's leave the vitriol about Bail, Pedersen, Spencer and Byrnes till after the game if it is warranted, JKH will be sub, so Byrnes knows perform or else, we have a new coach who will have given each player a specific role, if they don't do it, he,they and we know they won't be there next week, that is the only promise Roos has made

far too much reality.... go to the naughty corner

edit :except i really dont dont get Byrnes..lol

Edited March 20, 2014 by beelzebub

[Satyriconhome 10,878]

On Byrnes, my take is this, he is the most experienced, so he gets first crack, Roos has one player who can take his place as sub and two as emergencies, simple perform or else

[Deestroy All 14,266]

Byrnes is due for a good game, been 4 years since his last one.

But seriously, a win would be massive, just for my general happiness.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

For all the whinging about how poor the MFC side ( and is not great), St Nick aside, that has to be the weakest StK side in 10 years. No names and nobodies.

Disappointed if MFC don't come home with the points.

[Maldonboy38 6,403]

I thought Byrnes would make it. I can see him doing really well with some good coaching and a clear game plan. He played in 2 premierships with a good coach and a clear game plan.

Rapt to see Ro Bail get a go, really love his energy, pace and hardness.

I feel for Sammy Blease but he will be the first player in for round 2 for any player who performs poorly. I would have had him ahead of Michie.

Pederson has been a total spud up until Roos arrived. Since then he has trained with intensity, and thrown himself into every game.

Not a great team with a genuine lack of forward power, but Fitzy may cause a lot of problems with the Saints equally weak backline. Howe is the one the Saints have to cover.

I expect a fairly poor standard game in the first half, and then one of the teams to pull easily away in the second half. It feels more likely to be the Dees.

[InVINCEable 358]

If you look at who is lining up on who, we should wreck them

http://www.afl.com.au/news/teams

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

we should win this, they are very average on paper.

[Nasher 33,616]

Bail I thought was a certainty on pre-season form. I'm surprised that people are talking about him as if he were a surprise. I don't love him by any stretch, but is clear best 22 at present for mine.

[Generation dee 1,336]

we should win this, they are very average on paper.

As an old coach of mine would say pregame- "games of footy aren't won on faaaarking paper".

St kilda look weak, but last year port looked average and had a new coach who had them all on the same page. Alan Richardson strikes me as a quality manager of players, and I could easily see st kilda coming out with a lot if pressure and the younger players having a lot of appetite for the contest. Gee we need to win. Another off season in the news regarding our trading and our injuries, we really need a good solid win to get that excitement back.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,053]

Bail I thought was a certainty on pre-season form. I'm surprised that people are talking about him as if he were a surprise. I don't love him by any stretch, but is clear best 22 at present for mine.

Agreed. Roos clearly likes his workrate and ability to find space in the forward 50. If he were a better set shot I'd be happier, but he's been doing a good job.

[Satyriconhome 10,878]

My quote won't work, Roh Bail told me he has been working with a guy with a terrible set shot, Jack Watts, to improve his set shots

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

My quote won't work, Roh Bail told me he has been working with a guy with a terrible set shot, Jack Watts, to improve his set shots

95% of the battle is getting the set shot, he is good enough to do that fairly often, just seems to get nervous to me, little voices in his head making it hard