SaberFang

Pendles was being tackled from behind, then blatantly ducked/nudged his head against the laws of physics straight into the tackler's arm. Umpire immediately paid a free kick to him 40m out directly in front of Pies' goal. Saints player cracked it, dumbass umpire looked at replay and goes, "yeah, he probably ducked, but it's a free kick."

When you've got protected species like Selwood and Pendlebury making an art of dropping the knees and ducking for frees, yet it's treated as a joke by the entire industry, there's a serious issue. Not to mention the total glossing over, and almost applauding, of Mitchell and Hodge's dirty off-the-ball tactics... because they're "champion players!"

Rooting for the Saints all the way. They play footy like they enjoy it, not like it's a miserable chore. First quarter over and 10 goals kicked, and the players don't even seem to be out of first gear; just imagine if we'd played with this bare minimum of effort last week.

Absolutely pathetic from Pendles there, and after all the publicity about Boekhurst's shameful diving. Captains don't do [censored] like that.

It's amazing how other lowly teams like St Kilda and Collingwood make scoring look so effortless. 5 goals in the first 7 minutes of the game, all through running and effort. With the exception of fleeting moments in the GWS game, everything about our team looks timid and slow. We still over-possess and seemingly do everything possible to make kicking goals a difficult chore.

[censored] wonderful.

Sadly you wonder if winning the Rising Star was a poisoned chalice. You certainly don't see Cripps lowering his head despite some bad losses this year, he's just getting on with [censored].

There's an element of Frawley-ism creeping back into the team. The whole "waiting for improvement" copout, while refusing to accept their own inability to compete is a big part of the problem. It was Frawley two years ago, Howe last year. I'd hate to see the same crap from Tom McDonald and Hogan from here on. Be a part of the solution, not the problem!

Nobody is saying that now let alone in 10 weeks.

Frankly I was staggered we went to all that trouble to get ahead of Essendon in the draft then didn't take him, but it is what it is. The list managers determined Oliver fits our list profile better, and they really haven't set a foot wrong so far. The Toumpas/Wines draft would've hung over their heads like a black cloud. Ultimately I'm confident both will become elite players, albeit different types. The question is really whether we'd prefer the next Dangerfield/Fyfe or the next Pendlebury?

Roos promised us a team of competitors. We did not have a team of competitors in the second game of the year. That's a Premiership coach failing the litmus test spectacularly. It's his job to ensure the players selected are competing on match day and he failed. Especially when countless posters here called the inevitable result. SURELY the coaches saw it coming unless they, too, live in a bubble of delusion.

There's absolutely no cohesion in the forward line, that much is clear. Why is it so hard to have marking targets in different quadrants of the forward 50, and crumbers ready to pick up the pieces? It's staggering how inept we look in marking contests (which shouldn't be happening in the first place, but our mids seem incapable of kicking low and fast).

[censored] oath it should happen. Don't even care if it loses us the game, a statement must be made for this club to show it has any culture or backbone. It is absolutely egregious that any players went in with this attitude and should be punished appropriately.

For the love of Christ, WHY is it so hard for the players to kick pinpoint passes to him instead of bombing it (where 3 opposition players can just crash into him and make marking impossible). It's so bleedingly obvious, I can't begin to comprehend why, how, or who is implementing this ridiculous forward entry approach. And why is nothing changing?!

Who gives a [censored]. Plays for the drug cheats and I hate his guts as a result. We all know we'd have taken him if we had pick 5 as well as 4.

[censored] no.

Sadly yes, the bottom clubs simply can't afford these kinds of losses in the current climate of the AFL. Saints performance tonight in Riewoldt's 300th is pathetic in its own right, but at least they had a dip. The Bulldogs are also miles ahead of the garbage opposition we played today.

The same posters who heckled down others for even suggesting we could lose to their VFL top-ups, even after last year's NAB cup loss. The laughable arrogance of expecting to win before the match even started, for a team that simply does not deserve to have any arrogance. Today was the result.

You mean the team we beat last year at the G? Once they leave Etihad their shine wears off, although they are clearly, inexplicably, miles beyond us as far as cohesive teams go.

Amusingly I thought the exact same thing. Immediately after that press conference and the questions about winning 2 in a row, this deep pit of despair formed in my stomach. Maybe Dees supporters just have a sixth sense after all?

Especially when they get a gap year, pick 1, and a reinjection of their entire senior list next year. Funny that if any club proclaimed they were voluntarily dropping their 12 best players for an entire season to get pick 1, they'd be fined millions and stripped of draft picks. Today's loss is disastrous for membership, player recruitment and earning respect.

Exactly, the entire mindset today was braindead. All we had to do the entire day was attack, attack, attack. Their total lack of structure would've killed them with an inability to defend. But no, clearly that was too [censored] obvious a plan.

Wonder if his manager was on speed dial this afternoon?

We could win next week by 40 points, we're that bloody inconsistent. Everyone expected a belting after the horrible Saints loss last year; we ended up beating Geelong in Geelong. When was the last time Norf won rounds 1, 2, and 3?

It's amazing the way this club sucks you in, begging supporters they're earning back your respect after years of becoming numb. Then every year they find a new way to break your heart and [censored] down your throat. This is just the first of many this year, I'm frankly astonished we didn't lose in the last 5 seconds last week.