Our mids let Freo exit out of the front of stoppages way too easily last week. They are still getting sucked into the inside and leaving too many opportunities for opponents to get really clean clearances. Hopefully this week, we have a better balance and block off those exits a little better.

If we do that, and control the midfield battle better than we did last week, we can win. Otherwise, we can forget it, St Kilda will cut us up more than Freo were able to.

4 minutes ago, Caligula's cohort said:

Saints will be up for it this week as they honour the late Danny Frawley. This could be a very close contest indeed. 

we beat richmond in the hafey game so i’m still hopeful! So early in the season players will be fully switched on anyway. 

10 minutes ago, Forest Demon said:

Our mids let Freo exit out of the front of stoppages way too easily last week. They are still getting sucked into the inside and leaving too many opportunities for opponents to get really clean clearances. Hopefully this week, we have a better balance and block off those exits a little better.

If we do that, and control the midfield battle better than we did last week, we can win. Otherwise, we can forget it, St Kilda will cut us up more than Freo were able to.

I feel like I’ve gone back in time to 2019.

19 minutes ago, Forest Demon said:

Our mids let Freo exit out of the front of stoppages way too easily last week. They are still getting sucked into the inside and leaving too many opportunities for opponents to get really clean clearances. Hopefully this week, we have a better balance and block off those exits a little better.

If we do that, and control the midfield battle better than we did last week, we can win. Otherwise, we can forget it, St Kilda will cut us up more than Freo were able to.

 

8 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I feel like I’ve gone back in time to 2019.

Have to give them at least another game or two i would think.  Worrying that we weren't covering the outliers very well and getting sucked in too often as highlighted.  Hopefully they fix that in the reviews / on the track and it flows into this week's match.

If Viney is in he needs to connect with our outliers more often as well.  Tends to try and bullock his way through in straight lines a little to often and do too much.  He certainly doesn't have the break away pace or agility of a Tracc or Clarry (when on).

Although when he plays his best i've noticed he does play with more agility and smarts to make and take space at times instead of bullocking straight ahead.  Fingers crossed anyway.

saints by 5 goals. we don't have the small defenders to handle Lonie, Higgins, Butler etc. 

If the oft repeated statement and tactic of the opposition is to push us to the inside of the contest hold your ground and push back FFS how hard can it be.

1 hour ago, MF-C said:

May vs Membrey will be great. Not often these days we get excited for a Key Defender vs Key Forward. 

Our mids vs theirs will be super interesting, if we can slow their pace down we can control the game. They don't have too many talls to mark the bail out kick so I'm expecting Max to cover this (plus he needs a big showing after he was pretty quiet last week). 

Finally - we need to see something from Luke "Dogga" Jackson. I get that he's only played 7 games but I'd like him to start hitting the scoreboard and seeing some real grunt from him. 

 

I think the only realistic way that's going to happen is more possession/control  and less turnovers than them MF.

Also i'm very pleased to see this match being played at Marvel as there just isn't as much space to run the ball and transition as quickly, especially through the "non Langdon" wing) vs doing so at the G.

Whilst Langdon wasn't around in some of the comparative matches under the current format ie, 2019 and prior, at the G.  Now we have him there it at least presents a somewhat more difficult prospect for the Saints to transition mostly through the non langdon side and even more difficult at Marvel vs the G.

I'd say this makes Sat night a bit more of a coin flip vs at the G where i would back the Saints in to win by at least 3 or more.

1 hour ago, Dr.D said:

saints by 5 goals. we don't have the small defenders to handle Lonie, Higgins, Butler etc. 

Unfortunately you are right. I will be interested with selection tonite.

1 hour ago, Dr.D said:

saints by 5 goals. we don't have the small defenders to handle Lonie, Higgins, Butler etc. 

Saints have recruited brilliantly in terms of their small forwards. Buying low in terms of Butler after a poor season and Higgins in terms of a serious health issue. Meanwhile Lonie has improved out of sight and Gresham and Billings are classy.

I rate St Kilda  a top 2 side this year so it’s going to take something special from us to upset them.

Edited March 26, 20214 yr by Bring-Back-Powell

7 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Saints have recruited brilliantly in terms of their small forwards. Buying low in terms of Butler after a poor season and Higgins in terms of a serious health issue. Meanwhile Lonie has improved out of sight and Gresham and Billings are classy.

I rate St Kilda  a top 2 side this year so it’s going to take something special from us to upset them.

Does Nathan Jones get selected to go up against this lot?

This could be one of those games that is won or lost at the selection table.

1 hour ago, Dr.D said:

saints by 5 goals. we don't have the small defenders to handle Lonie, Higgins, Butler etc. 

 

You may be right.  I'm actually more confident of winning this one than the Freo game.   We are 7-3 at Etihad under Goodwin. Shame we didnt get to play there last year.

Our ability to 'connect' was decent last week and if not for errant kicking in the last quarter we'd have won by 6-7 goals. 

Glass half full for now.  With Viney back the midfield will bounce, we play the ground well, handled their small brigade last time and our stars edges theirs.  Demons by 5 goals and stay in the top 4.

last year the disposal stats were very even, but they won the inside 50s 46-30. and centre clearances 11-2. 

Goes to show how well May played (he killed King) and Petracca was our danger forward with 4 goals out of 8. 

I see two pretty even sides but they have the running small fleet of players. Where we may have an advantage is contested ball and greater pressure on the smaller marvel stadium. 

I expect the saints to win but in a close game. we will need our speedsters in Hunt and Pickett to play well I believe. 

2 hours ago, Dr.D said:

saints by 5 goals. we don't have the small defenders to handle Lonie, Higgins, Butler etc. 

While disagreeing with your prognosis. Concur about the underwhelming performance of small defenders with the exception of Neville Jetta. Trent Rivers had some rookie moments where he appeared all at sea. Jayden Hunt's contribution last week has been under some scrutiny here on DL,  but #3 has seemingly eluded the heat of the spotlight. But from where we're sitting needed to be working much harder and had little impact.

Of course the exemplary performance of the tall defenders 'plastered over' some of the obvious cracks.

As a collective those aforementioned gentlemen will need to lift their performance to counter the threat of the saints small forwards.

 

Saints are a run and gun team.  If we can make them play through contests, we can win this.  This means we need to have our defence in top gear and include midfield in this.  Not let them chain more than 3 possessions without having to win a hard contest.

If we do this, the Saints won’t kick an adequate score and they dont have the defence to stop us.

Win the contested ball, and we win the game. 

This will show whether the Dees are fluff, or really do want to win as they have so often said over the off season.

Agree with those that express their concerns regarding Freo being able to waltz out of contests at times just as easily as the Dogs did in the last praccie game.

Concerning is an understatement really. 

I mean. You'd imagine we've addressed it a number of times since 2018/19? 

So confusing.

If we beat St Kilda, I have faith that Goodwin has not lost the players. 

If we lose and lose in the same manner we have for years, this season becomes completely dead until Goodwin goes for mine.

I’d like to see Max dominate tomorrow, should’ve last week against a 1st gamer but was pretty ordinary 

This week He will be up against Shaun McKernan, say no more!!!!

Hopefully he will try jumping at the contest instead of standing there trying to hold out his opponent 

A couple of goals would be nice also

Max has talked the talk all pre season, time to deliver 

3 hours ago, Tarax Club said:

While disagreeing with your prognosis. Concur about the underwhelming performance of small defenders with the exception of Neville Jetta. Trent Rivers had some rookie moments where he appeared all at sea. Jayden Hunt's contribution last week has been under some scrutiny here on DL,  but #3 has seemingly eluded the heat of the spotlight. But from where we're sitting needed to be working much harder and had little impact.

Of course the exemplary performance of the tall defenders 'plastered over' some of the obvious cracks.

As a collective those aforementioned gentlemen will need to lift their performance to counter the threat of the saints small forwards.

 

Salem has to perform ... in close and on the break with some good kicking.

I want Brayshaw to step it up on the wing (dominate) and Langdon to keep up the good work,

I think it will be won in this area of the game.

Gut running, creating defensive pressure, attacking possibilities and connections. 

Trac, Oliver, Viney, Sparrow and Jordan to dominate around the stoppages.

Hopefully,  we can honour the leads and hit our players "lace out".

No unforced errors please.

Support each other, do the one percenters, keep it simple doing the basics and take it on when it's your time.

Go Dees.

 

Edited March 26, 20214 yr by kev martin

My concern isn't so much their forward line, it's the other two thirds of the ground.

If we don't improve our stoppage/clearance game, we'll concede too many easy clearances and May/Lever will only be able to do so much.

Equally, we'll turn it over from our clearances with rushed/hacked kicks and give their half-backs and mids time and space to cut us open on transition.

If we are going to win, it will be by denying them easy clearances and avoiding repeat turnovers in our forward half. 

St Kilda were gritty last week, hung in there and capitalised when GWS choked. That will give them confidence but make no mistake they were second best for most of the game and should have lost. It was an energy sapping slog as well and they have one less day to recover compared to us.

Let’s not talk them up too much. This is a very winnable game.

They have an impressive array of small forwards for sure but we nullified them last year without too much difficulty. We have them well and truly covered in the big man stakes, ruck and midfield. We will win the lions share of possession and as long as we do the basics well, our mids get on the same wavelength as Gawn, decent delivery into our forwards and straight kicking, we will win.

Gawn, Viney, Trac and Fritsch to the fore. May/Tomlinson to keep Membrey/King quiet.

Dees by 4 goals

1 hour ago, JimmyGadson said:

Agree with those that express their concerns regarding Freo being able to waltz out of contests at times just as easily as the Dogs did in the last praccie game.

Concerning is an understatement really. 

I mean. You'd imagine we've addressed it a number of times since 2018/19? 

So confusing.

If we beat St Kilda, I have faith that Goodwin has not lost the players. 

If we lose and lose in the same manner we have for years, this season becomes completely dead until Goodwin goes for mine.

Ah, so this particular round, the win or loss, is predicated only by the players investment in Goodwin? That's an intense read after 2 rounds Jimbob.

Edited March 26, 20214 yr by Engorged Onion

King coming in may strangely suit us. 
Hopefully they go long to him and May/Lever can control the air, as they do so well.

I do fear, like others, that on a fast deck they may have too many quick forward of centre players.

Must improve the clearances without being sucked in like bees to a honey pot, otherwise they’ll get us on the outside.

If we bring the pressure and lift in the clearances, we can take this one.

Here’s hoping for a 2 - 0 start to the year.

20 hours ago, dworship said:

You had me at "a ‘glass half full’ kind of guy", .... purely in a MFC  supporter kind of way.

Seriously; I want to see us use our smarts and what I see as an advantage in "footy Intelligence" to break down their defence

You complete me.

3 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

You complete me.

Happy to be of service