OMG I had a shocking nights sleep and some strange dreams which were very nightmarish!

This how it unfolded as I dreamt the following!

In this edition of "Outside the Fence" I interviewed St. Kilda Champ Nick Riewoldt after his sensational game yesterday!

PF: Congratulations Nick on a fine game yesterday 24 Quality possesions 7 Contestested 18 uncontested, 14 marks and 3 Goals

NR: Thanks Fence!

PF:  Wow 18 Uncontested possesions was anyone actually playing on you??

NR: Ah um ahh yeah sort of

PF: For a man of 32 or is it 33 you certainly play a lot younger and by that I mean the energy and exuberance you displayed were reminiscent of your younger days.

NR: Well the fitness dept are very good and I do keep myself very fit!

PF: You certainly like playing against Melbourne eh Nick?

NR : Yes I don't mind it actually I seem to have some luck and play well against them

PF: Yes you would think after all the times that you have dominated against them they would have a definate plan to put someone on you that sticks like glue?

NR: Yeah well I wouldn't know about that.

PF: Nick you have a very good nucleus of great young players Acres, Steven,Billings, Membrey was a revellation are you happy with this

NR: Absolutely

P.F Well Nick Congratulations again on your fine BOG Performance

NR: Thanks Fence and if I can just say Jesse Hogan is a potential superstar and I also thought young Christian Petracca showed some encouraging signs for a first gamer as well!

PF: Always a gentlemen Nick, good call and good luck for the rest of the season.

NR: Thanks Fence

THEN I WOKE UP AND THE NIGHTMARE WAS OVER!! Till we play him again!

Edited April 30, 20169 yr by picket fence

We are his bunny.

What?!

He didn't mention how odd it was that new recruit Clayton Oliver wasn't selected in our side?

Edited April 30, 20169 yr by mrtwister

I agree wholeheartedly with your Night Mare PF he "did us like a dinner", my family and half the stadium were yelling "someone" get on St Nick but I guess "someone" wasn't playing, certainly TMac and Lumumba gave him plenty of space and a wide berth and they did it for four quarters. the saints supporters around us just got noisier and noisier...cringe cringe !!

Just like they gave his cousin far too much space the week before. Unfortunately, our only match up for him on a height & endurance basis is as loose as a sieve. 

Don't give a stuff about how we zone but to not pay a champion of the modern era no respect whatsoever is an absolute disgrace!

Hope Roosy tore Dunn and McDonald absolute shreds because i have never seen a game where Reiwoldt continuely had so much space with no one within 30m of him.

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

OMG I had a shocking nights sleep and some strange dreams which were very nightmarish!

Uncle Bitter wasn't in these dreams was he, Fence?

Gave Lumumba a bath. Tmac wasn't much better on him. We will beat the saints when he finally retires.

1 hour ago, Adzman said:

Gave Lumumba a bath. Tmac wasn't much better on him. We will beat the saints when he finally retires.

No one was on him that was the problem. Our new zone has dfenders pushing up to hold the ball in our fwd 50. When that doesn't work and the Aints got the ball, their run and spread meant they simply looped a handball or kick over the top time and time again. Reiwoldts running skills and endurance ensured that he was always a link in a chain. They had 18 uncontested marks in their fwd 50 FFS. 

Our inabiilty to adjust this during a game is just diabolical. The coaches had no answers and the players were a rabble on the field, not knowing where to go or who to pick up. There was no man on man or any attempt that I could see to alter the trajectory of the contest. The first 3 Aints goals were a warning shot and they did nothing to counteract it. Just stuck to the dumb game plan that wasn;t working.

IN essence our tackles didn't stick and our players didn't run both ways. SOme of the tackling was amateurish and allowed the Aints time and time again to dish off to a runner on the outside.

Poor coaching by our box. 

 

2 hours ago, jnrmac said:

No one was on him that was the problem. Our new zone has dfenders pushing up to hold the ball in our fwd 50. When that doesn't work and the Aints got the ball, their run and spread meant they simply looped a handball or kick over the top time and time again. Reiwoldts running skills and endurance ensured that he was always a link in a chain. They had 18 uncontested marks in their fwd 50 FFS. 

Our inabiilty to adjust this during a game is just diabolical. The coaches had no answers and the players were a rabble on the field, not knowing where to go or who to pick up. There was no man on man or any attempt that I could see to alter the trajectory of the contest. The first 3 Aints goals were a warning shot and they did nothing to counteract it. Just stuck to the dumb game plan that wasn;t working.

IN essence our tackles didn't stick and our players didn't run both ways. SOme of the tackling was amateurish and allowed the Aints time and time again to dish off to a runner on the outside.

Poor coaching by our box. 

 

spot on jnr. the lack of changing backline defensive structure was just staggering. even an u12 side could see they needed to go man on man in defence and start getting in their space with a good dose of niggle

5 hours ago, daisycutter said:

spot on jnr. the lack of changing backline defensive structure was just staggering. even an u12 side could see they needed to go man on man in defence and start getting in their space with a good dose of niggle

Too bloody true,  an under 12 Coach would have picked this Up!!

He's been destroying us since day dot. I remember he booted 10 against us in a losing side mid 2000s.

I found out why Nick was so good against us, he grew more arms!

Absolute champion who has stuck with the club through thick and thin.

Amazing, uplifting presence.

Riewoldt is a champion who destroys us every year. Our young forwards should be made to watch tapes of his work rate and attack on the football on a daily basis.

The fact that the coaching staff didn't think he was worthy of a direct opponent beggars belief, and calls into question their suitability to be running the team.

8 minutes ago, poita said:

Riewoldt is a champion who destroys us every year. Our young forwards should be made to watch tapes of his work rate and attack on the football on a daily basis.

The fact that the coaching staff didn't think he was worthy of a direct opponent beggars belief, and calls into question their suitability to be running the team.

Actually this happens time and time again. Not just with Reiwoldt but players who cut us up every time we play them. It's a different pilosophy were we in the outer say 'let's make sure Reiwoldt and Montagna don't kill us like they always do' but the coaching staff say 'let's stock with the game plan we are trying to implement for the longer term'. Reiwoldt is too good a player to leave running free against our inexperienced backline. It was cringeworthy to see Jetta, Wagner and even Hunt have to race in to do a one-on-one with Reiwoldt.

Well at some point when it's not working there needs to be a readjustment if we want to win the game. If we are working on a plan for the longer term and are happy to forego winning the game then that's one thing. But we have been doing this for a decade now and 2016 is when we have aimed to make finals according to PJ.

 

19 minutes ago, poita said:

Riewoldt is a champion who destroys us every year. Our young forwards should be made to watch tapes of his work rate and attack on the football on a daily basis.

The fact that the coaching staff didn't think he was worthy of a direct opponent beggars belief, and calls into question their suitability to be running the team.

Agree and it doesn't take a radical change of game plan to go man on man with someone who is cutting you up.

Happened with Joe Daniher. Happened with Boomer.

What makes it worse - Tom Mac could have had some influence on the game if he played on him.

Or the bloke playing CHF who had one mark for the day would have been more useful running with him.

Tom McDonald was born to play on players like Nick Riewoldt (tall, judges the ball well and can run all day), not zone off on him and chase cheap kicks up the ground.

 

On 4/30/2016 at 8:43 AM, picket fence said:

PF: Congratulations Nick on a fine game yesterday 24 Quality possesions 7 Contestested 18 uncontested, 14 marks and 3 Goals

Loved this Picket - In doing the maths, I'm guessing one of his uncontested possies wasn't a quality one!

I cant understand why but on several occasions during the game TMac would sprint towards the ball like an under 11's player and St Nick would sprint the other way, so that he would be in perfect position with no opponent. TMac would get caught in no-mans land  and watch as the ball got delivered over his head or around him to St Nick who either kicked a score or passed it on to another saints running player. Dumb, Dumb football that you  start to coach out of players while they are still in the under age comp's. I try to understand the "zoning" and "the press" etc.. BUT at some stage in a game when you are getting your pants pulled down shouldn't a senior player like TMac say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, I am going to stay on my man??

7 minutes ago, Umpire Please said:

I cant understand why but on several occasions during the game TMac would sprint towards the ball like an under 11's player and St Nick would sprint the other way, so that he would be in perfect position with no opponent. TMac would get caught in no-mans land  and watch as the ball got delivered over his head or around him to St Nick who either kicked a score or passed it on to another saints running player. Dumb, Dumb football that you  start to coach out of players while they are still in the under age comp's. I try to understand the "zoning" and "the press" etc.. BUT at some stage in a game when you are getting your pants pulled down shouldn't a senior player like TMac say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, I am going to stay on my man??

Because they played dumb footy....chasing soft, selfish, undisciplined possessions.

 

21 minutes ago, Umpire Please said:

I cant understand why but on several occasions during the game TMac would sprint towards the ball like an under 11's player and St Nick would sprint the other way, so that he would be in perfect position with no opponent. TMac would get caught in no-mans land  and watch as the ball got delivered over his head or around him to St Nick who either kicked a score or passed it on to another saints running player. Dumb, Dumb football that you  start to coach out of players while they are still in the under age comp's. I try to understand the "zoning" and "the press" etc.. BUT at some stage in a game when you are getting your pants pulled down shouldn't a senior player like TMac say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, I am going to stay on my man??

Yeah i hope others in the stands heard me when i screamed at him to stay on Nick, he certainly didn't.

The overlap of St Kilda was great, they worked their butts off to get into space, i just cannot understand where our players were, I mean you see the turnover and the spread of the opposition and what would the first instinct be?  Chase and chase hard.  What is their first instinct?  Again it comes the the "Someone else can do it" mentality.

 

42 minutes ago, Umpire Please said:

I cant understand why but on several occasions during the game TMac would sprint towards the ball like an under 11's player and St Nick would sprint the other way, so that he would be in perfect position with no opponent. TMac would get caught in no-mans land  and watch as the ball got delivered over his head or around him to St Nick who either kicked a score or passed it on to another saints running player. Dumb, Dumb football that you  start to coach out of players while they are still in the under age comp's. I try to understand the "zoning" and "the press" etc.. BUT at some stage in a game when you are getting your pants pulled down shouldn't a senior player like TMac say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, I am going to stay on my man??

You know the reason why?? Because either the Brains dept or Mc Donald thought that they would run with their own game come whatever may!! As I have said he is a limited footballer with no real football nous! He is athletic, and can take an occasional mark , but his decision making is deplorable and as stated countless times he doesn't use his body to outposition his opponant. In fact he is frequently outpositioned in one on ones!

Edited May 2, 20169 yr by picket fence