It’s not just in the ruck - he’s much improved around the ground. We used to pot him as being a one trick pony but his all round game has been steadily improving. It’s been gratifying to watch his confidence grow. Has developed really good second efforts and would have been useful at both ends of the ground - Freo have some tall dudes.


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Here is the deal I don’t want the team the fail. There is nothing wrong with me on that score.
What Freo and the Saints have done this year is become harder to play against when the opposition have the ball.
We are a work in progress in that area and Voss is 6 games into this tenure and must be given time to develop a system so we are hard to play against when the opposition have the ball in space.This takes time and patience
If we break even or lose the clearences against a good team like Freo we won’t win.


There is an assumption by many on here and people within the club that we are good enough to challenge the better teams. Right now we are a long way off that.
It’s also an assumption that the players bought to the club on big money and long term contracts from free agency and trading away picks would see us up there
It’s a false assumption on the last 28 games of evidence .

Saad cost us a first rounder still over 3 years ago is a one dimensional player playing in defence
Williams a ridiculous 6 year deal on huge money based on his game against Collingwood in the 2019 Preliminary Final. With just under 5 years to go he has shown he can only play like Saad in defence and both guys don’t impact the game that much
Setterfield not on as much but cost us a second rounder and pick 43 . He clearly isn’t up to it. Tried as an inside mid and a failure now on a wing and can’t play there either
Martin three years left on a deal and can only play one position and doesn’t impact enough. Is a very reactive player. He doesn’t make things happen. He doesn’t command the footy.
McGovern 2 years left and cost us plenty. Really has done nothing and cost us 3 picks.
Cerra cost us a first and third rounder. He looks a reasonable player and is still young
Hewitt looks a good pick up but Cerra and Hewitt arnt the problem because our midfield is ok

Add all the other players from other AFL clubs that have come to us. I think I counted 19 on our list.
Most are busts. I like Young but guys like Fogarty are simply list cloggers. There are too many of them

Then you have a guy like Plowman who was a pick 3 as a junior and has played well over 100 games for the club
Compare him to Luke Ryan who was a pick 66 from Coburg
Compare Lachie Schultz a pick 57 to Jack Martin who was a pick 4
Cox was a pick 41 from Woodville West Torrens
The Saints have many players who are blossoming who are finally delivering who came from similar background and are showing that they have the ability to be part of a game plan that is hard to play against.

There is an assumption that we have such a talented list that eventually it will happen.
That’s all it is an assumption and as every week goes by and these blokes continue to not implement what Voss wants then they need to be dropped and have their contract not renewed.
This hasn’t happened in the past .
O’Brien was given a contact last year. Seriously that’s a joke.

It’s still early days but if things don’t improve then these well paid players need to be dropped and guys like
Philp
Honey
Stocker
Carroll
Given extended time just like the well paid ones have been granted

Surely it starts with Carroll for Setterfield this week

6 games in our best is marginally better than last year because of the improved depth in the midfield
Our worst is still much the same

Oh and how many years now have we let dangerous smalls waltz in to goal from a D50 stoppage? Happens all the @#$%&! time. No one manning up or goalside.

Staggers me that we still can’t get basic things like this right.

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We are on our way back...

Moving the deck chairs is exactly what will happen if williamson is recalled
He's been tried and found out.

Have you watched Willo in the VFL?
He had 3 good touches in 4th Qtr, but the previous 7 Qtrs have not been VFL standard.
Please, not Williamson.
We need smart players

Carroll looked great yesterday, but he was average against the Tigers last week.
Need to bring players in when they have strung a few good games in a row, otherwise its just more of moving deck chairs.

The issue is our top 6 AFL listed players in the VFL are not better than our bottom 6.

LOB and Carroll would be our best 2 to consider

Stocker, Phip, Kemp, Dow, Williamson Fogarty are nowhere near it...and Akuei can't get his hands on the ball.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Here's the deal

Keogh expects every single trade to be a success or the club is a disaster.

Singling out Saad is bizarre.

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

Voss had the chance after the hawthorn game to implement some non negotiable standards but didn't. He also should have realized we were opened up with speed through the middle and again did nothing about it.
Our poor attitude has reared its ugly head again. We have reverted back in just a few games to our fumble panic stricken weak selfish team we have been for ever or seems like we have been for ever.
Time for the boss to implement some changers and if he misses his chance we are fubar again.
Look at Mitchel, i despise that arrogant grin of his but he knows strike when the iron is hot.
Oh like we realized after the hawthorn game we lack speed

Bit harsh on Stocker Bondi. Thought he was very solid yesterday. Got plenty of it, gave us drive and also defended well.
Also thought Carroll was our best Q1 against Richmond - had 11 or 12 touches. He was workman like from there but it was his first game for the year so that's understandable. He went up another gear yesterday and has more class than all of our "bottom 6" put together.

But he keeps dropping chest marks he should swallow. Not good enough. Great teams in their prime don't have players making these repetitive mistakes.

There is a lack of accountability in this side and Cripps and Voss need to churn the list until they find players who are prepared to give 110%.

I loke owies but his dropped chest mark at a crucial time was just terrible. IMO he shat himself. He will get a reprieve but he's now on notice.

Williams kick in. My God. Someone with so much experience kicks to a mate surrounded by 4 Dockers. Terrible.

Setterfield. This has been going on for weeks now. I can't recall the last time I saw a player lack so much grunt. He looks like he should be knitting with the old ladies. His fight is just not there. Repeatedly loses one on one's.

Durdin. I know he's a midget but he simply must compete in aerial one on ones. He will never take the mark but at least contest and maybe the other guy won't mark it one day. Just pitiful. He did this last night and last week. FFS contest. David can at least unsettle Goliath with a bit of effort and grunt. Take that little angry look off your face and actually play angry. Not good enough.

Newnes. I gave him a pass last week bec he was the one who delivered to Charlie to kick the match winner. But time and time again his reaction times on the field and kicking skills just arent at the elite level needed.

Cottrel is another one I have backed and again lst week the one on one mark against a top flight opponent at the death was impressive but last night he was the invisible man alongside Sandra Bullock. Not good enough. Not enough fight. Weak.

Fisher. This guy shows off too much trying to out do the opposition when dummies and side steps but more times than not ends up outdoing himself. And the handball to the ground last night was just shit. Again at an important time in the game . Good teams make less mistakes. Fisher did SFA good last night.

Young. Yeah we know you're young and need a couple more years in yhe gym but @#$%&! me dead your efforts one on one arm shameful. Fkn harden up and COMPETE. You and Durdin and Setterfield need to be sent to a hard arse boot camp.

Not hard enough and not hungry enough and not trying long enough is the total sum of the team but it's largely driven by the bottom six who just contribute @#$%&! all. Voss needs to wield the axe until he finds players with ticker.

Oddly enough and I suspect I'm on the extreme outter here but I'd keep Boyd. Yes he panics and makes mistakes but it's game 3 you have to expect that. But 2 things he has is speed and a degree of grunt. Theres a reason he has been given a chance in multiple weeks now. Maybe he needs more time in the VFL but I reckon his speed and his want for the contest place him ahead of many of our pea heart players.

carrol and stock are a grade above VFL. Both should be in the seniors asap.

The injury to Pitto did hinder us a lot. We knew it was going to at the time.
Great opportunity for Tom to shine, and I thought that was his best performance for the club despite being out of form.
I saw signs that Tom is going to be a beauty one day, not soon.

Yes we had the 4 best possession players on the ground and won the clearances but we were going backwards and sideways from the break whereas Pitto has been helping us forge our way forward.

There was a breakdown between mids and forwards.
Forwards didn't adjust and lead up to create connection.
The ball didn't go deep enough, often enough.

Now to Sydney Blue stating Walsh had 30 nothing possessions, that is not right.
He got the ball in tough circumstances and motored away. That is a god given talent.
He looked up, like every midfielder did, and there was nothing ahead presenting.

Our transition game is a problem. Players further upfield are not presenting.
Where's the numbers? Fitness issue? System issue? Yes to both.
It was too easy for Freo to run the ball out of our forwardline.
That says to me, the mosquitoes Durdin Owies and Fisher failed to apply pressure. They failed again...enough!!
Motlop time.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

We didn't play well because we didn't present and that's because we didn't have good running players further up the ground.
Saad and Williams for a 2nd week in a row tried their guts out to break lines and cut the opposition by changing angles but.....no one for the next hit up presented.

BUT, other than the result, and the bottom 6-8 players disappointing it wasn't all bad.

4 snaps to goal from them were very arsy.
We allowed them to have loose small forwards free.
Schultz had 6 shots on goal. 3 easy marks on his own.
Switkowski isn't that good and he had 4 shots at goal
Lobb was hit up with sizzling passes and lucky goal behind the defemce.
Taberner's only goal came from a Weitring fist that didn't get to the boundary line.

We can beat Freo, and many other teams.

Only 6 games in to Vossy's tenure. Take a deep breath.

Think about the players we had representing our club for a second:

Parks, Boyd, Cottrell, Newnes, Fisher, Setterfield, Newman, Owies and Durdin...and I love what Durdin did in first 2 rounds pre covid, but he's gone missing too.

Martin wasn't the problem, but he has to nail the set shots he's constantly missing or someone like Honey will take his place when fit and in form.

Freo, and StKilda are the big improvers this year, and we are not far off them. We are a Top 8 side imo.

Jack's spirit and competitiveness was sorely missed. Pitto was missed, Charlie was on his own after Harry injured himself.....McDonald, Marchbank, McGovern, Kennedy, Cuningham would have added class and stability last night, but we need to fix up our transition game. Did I mention kick ins?

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Boyd has been in better form than Stocker in the VFL, but Boyd isn't AFL ready.

Philp isn't setting the world on fire in the VFL but he's got the speed we need to inject in this team. Honey's speed will be helpful too, but he's not even playing VFL.

Dow isn't showing the AFL qualities I'd expect. Acunulation of disposals is onlt half the story. Connection is more important and he lacks direction imo.

LOB vs Newnes ... neither AFL material for a Top 8 side....now that's moving deck chairs.

Motlop, Carroll and maybe LOB to be considered for AFL time.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I missed that criticism. Yep bizarre.

I thought Saad and Williams are the only 2 who put the burners on and give us some creativity, week in week out.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Our strength of our midfield is what Freo attacked - pressure and more pressure leading to fumbles and nearly connections so if we did get it out it was a hack not to put forward advantage…and if we didn’t get it out it was turned over.

Our forwards need it delivered on a platter / advantage, and our midfielders need the time (& composure) to make the platter - rare tonight.

Our plan and adherence of Richmond game has wilted under the ongoing pressure of the season.


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I'm just saying Stocker isn't in good form...yet. He needs to find "touch".
He's in my best 18 when fit and in form.I think everyone is desperate to have him in the team sooner than later, freeing Doc to a wing.
Just saying it as I saw it Jonno. I like the description of him as solid in the 2nd half.
Half is all the senior team is playing too, so go figure if Stocker would improve us.

He did some good things yesterday, and actually got better as the game wore on.
I thought he was not switched on again in the first quarter. Fumbled a bit but showed strength.

I couldn't give 2 hoots if Stocker replaces Boyd.
Would Stocker have closed down Schultz? I don't know, but I doubt it.

Like you, we all want to replace the bottom 6 with better players.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Every week I list my bottom 6 in the post mortem, so here goes:

Start from the weakest, and I can't include injured duo Pitto or Harry.

Durdin
Boyd
Parks
Fisher
Setterfield
Owies

I don't think Cottrell and Newnes set the world on fire either.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Food for Thought.

Reminds me of what Hird did back in that game carrazzo got smashed by Loneghan. Extras around the midfield to close us down.

How do we get around that problem? Do it back to them I guess.

We need to have the wings involved more to give them something wide....HB's

Pitto does help us get the ball to the front of the contest, back footing our opponents.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I like what Voss is doing and the way we are trying to play.

Although there are a lot of little things we need to improve my biggest issue is quality depth and having enough players that contribute for 4 quarters week to week. We simply rely on too few players

Until we solve this we aren’t a Top 4 side

Over the next few weeks I hope to see McDonald McGovern Carroll Kemp Motlop Silvagni Stocker Kennedy in the side along with a fit Pittonet who is vital. They will make us a lot better

POW

Agree with everything you said. I'm glad you didn't hold any punches. Well said. Dropped Chest marks is a form issue.

HTFU or FO

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

We lost to the team that is second on the ladder after losing our ruckman in the first quarter, Silvagni and Kennedy out of the side injured and Harry dragging his bottom lip.
I know one player shouldn't make a big difference but it does. At the moment our game is built around clearances. It's what gets us territory and scores. Once Pittonet went down, we lost our area of potential dominance.

As for Jack Martin, he kicked and/or set up 3 of our first 4 or 5 goals. Kicked one, handball to a player for another and kicked the ball to the 3rd. At least Martin competes and makes things happen. Most of our forwards couldn't make a mistake because they didn't get near the ball.
Don't buy into the bullshit negativity of Keogh. He dropped a @#$%&! chest mark. At least he tried to make things happen and he generally did.

I also understand the frustration with the Williams turnover but I give him credit for having the guts to take the kick.
We're 3-4 goals down with 10 minutes to play. Would you rather he take the long bail out kick that comes straight back? We had to take risks and he took one. Yes it was a disappointing outcome but give me that courage over risk free bullshit 50 metre bail out kicks to their ruckman everytime.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.