Well, that sucked.
Last week I wrote in the equivalent thread that our midfield was pathetic. Against a Freo team missing a number of their best mids, our midfield got slaughtered through the third quarter. This week we were missing one first choice midfielder (Goddard) yet got completely pantsed.
Lots of them got possessions (Watson 29, Stanton 29, and Zaha, Myers, Howlett and Merrett all got 19 or more) but the effectiveness just sucked. We actually shaded them on the I50 count (44 vs. 42) yet lost decisively. How many times as soon as we had the ball did the Saints have 3-4 extra players in defence - every time. Yet again and again when St Kilda got it - even when it wasn’t a fast break - they still had one on ones up forward. Our midfield just did not work hard enough. It had no penetration.
The half back flank also got a lot of the ball, but generally they struggled as the lack of midfield support inside the F50 and on the ball carriers meant clean delivery to an open forward line. No defence can handle that. But exacerbating those errors were the number of goals given away by either the defence or mids in the back half who coughed it up - often when no pressure was on them at all. Our turn overs truly cost us.
I don’t know what is wrong with the midfield. With Stanton’s and Watson’s level dropping this year, maybe we are far more reliant on Goddard. Myers has been steady, but Howlett, Zaha, Hocking, Jerrett have been up and down. Heppell has been great up until a little way through the third quarter last week. But this is where it is won or lost, and currently they are being killed by the opposition midfielders.
Forward Line
I think we saw the cost of Carlisle playing ruck today - he just had no run left what so ever. Very bad day. JD was for me one of the good signs - presented well, took some good marks, but just had nowhere to kick to when he did. And the marks were up the ground. Hardingham is showing his effectiveness is nullified when someone can stop his aerial threat - maybe teams have worked him out. Chapman was too far from goal and Jetta only bobbed up for a couple of good moments. We really miss Belly.
But overall, we did not have enough of a threat until the last 5 minutes. We scored what, 2, 3 goals for over an hour of playing time? Pretty terrible.
Poo.
Feel gutted after this, was finally feeling we were moving away from this sort of performance, dont know what else to add, just gutted…
JD didn't impress me today, but he's a kid, he's not the saviour yet.
Over 50 media experts tipped us to win.
BB experts tipped us by at least a bazillion points.
Have we entered yet another parallel Universe?
The score?
Outworked! They ran harder defensively, got more players to contests and have a forward line consisting of Reiwoldt.
2 goals in a half is terrible. Anzac Day is now a make or break game.
Reckon the players tipped themselves to win as well.
The stuffing around with the ball, kicking it backwards etc can’t be what they are training. They have to take more risks and attack.
Ashby looked good, though I’m thinking teams try and play through the sub with fresh legs which exacerbates their stats.
I didn’t see any possession football across half back and just keep control of the footy and then get a mark inside 50. Nuthin. Prefer the other game plan.
Anyway.
Tune in next week for the big one.
Oh wtf for the last part.Outworked! They ran harder defensively, got more players to contests and have a forward line consisting of Reiwoldt.
2 goals in a half is terrible. Anzac Day is now a make or break game.
Poo.
With visible stink lines
Mods will merge this... I typed too slowly - was no other thread at the time, but I can see no option to delete...
Looks like we will be flying under the radar for a while yet 
Why does it have a small i?
It is possible that the bug going around this week may have affected the players. Even having a cold can reduce efficiency. Who knows.
Im going to give them the benefit of the doubt.
1 forward line dysfunctional.
2 game plan broke down
3 they worked harder than us.
4 what a difference a good key forward makes
5 delivery into forward line terrible.
6 tag on heppell worked for them
■■■■■.
Bad loss. Real bad.
I think some tough calls need to be made for Anzac Day, really think Howlett is in poor form, and is just a player, future needs to be Ashby, Kav or Zerrett.
Carlisle really needs TOmmy Bell back, rucking has just taken it out of him.
I still think he can be a gun CHF
I still think We will win Anzac Day