Autopsy Round 4, 2025 - Saints upset Port in Adelaide!

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

Lol, he is not ready, hurt a leg and was blown halfway through the last and was benched.
Give the kids a break.

no breaks, straight in, full game in the guts, only allowed off under the blood rule

 

[Grav]

Loved how RTB with seconds to spare, had to hide his huge smile with his hand while sitting in the coaches box.
You could just see he was super proud of the boys. (gotta love cuddly Ross)

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Selection will be interesting. I like Keeler but surely we can't keep playing him when he's so easily beaten in marking contests, and is just thrown aside in the ruck unless he can get a run and jump at it. Butler and Henry will have to keep banging the door down while Higgo, Collard and Hall keep performing. From training reports it sounds like King is nowhere near ready but we need another big target up forward so I'd go with Boyd replacing Keeler. I'd basically instruct him to treat overhead marking contests like the ruck - palm it down to the advantage of Higgins/Collard/Hall/Owens.

Out: Keeler, Byrnes
In: Boyd, Steele

B: Webster, Wilkie, Stocker
HB: Nas, Caminiti, Sinclair
C: Hill, Steele, Wilson
HF: Higgins, Sharman, Wood
F: Collard, Owens, Boyd

Foll: Marshall, MaCra, Windhager
Int: Jones, Hall, Garcia, Hastie
Sub: Travaglia

 

[Munga]

I noticed Hammer gets caught out with his reaction time for his opponent on the lead. It's his 3rd game as a KPD and we are getting him to learn on the job. That said, incredible intercept marking and reading the play once the ball is in the air. Super exciting prospect and easy to forget his age and inexperience.

Yeah pretty much agree but I think it's not so much reaction time but more identifying the leading lane and space and making sure his opponent doesn't take it. The team can help here, but end of the day he must protect the space. But he'll learn quickly and apart from that he's been a fine defender with little experience back there. I'm actually impressed.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Ahhh Monday morning after a grand Saints victory...

 

[Ads734]

Selection will be interesting. I like Keeler but surely we can't keep playing him when he's so easily beaten in marking contests, and is just thrown aside in the ruck unless he can get a run and jump at it. Butler and Henry will have to keep banging the door down while Higgo, Collard and Hall keep performing. From training reports it sounds like King is nowhere near ready but we need another big target up forward so I'd go with Boyd replacing Keeler. I'd basically instruct him to treat overhead marking contests like the ruck - palm it down to the advantage of Higgins/Collard/Hall/Owens.

Out: Keeler, Byrnes
In: Boyd, Steele

B: Webster, Wilkie, Stocker
HB: Nas, Caminiti, Sinclair
C: Hill, Steele, Wilson
HF: Higgins, Sharman, Wood
F: Collard, Owens, Boyd

Foll: Marshall, MaCra, Windhager
Int: Jones, Hall, Garcia, Hastie
Sub: Travaglia

Ik Ross mentioned how small we are but I’d honestly consider going smaller. Henry/butler in, the issue is who plays second ruck.

Instead of trying to compete with their tall defenders go small like the hawks fwds.

It’s a real area of strength for us ATM. Unless king is healthy.

Webster Wilkie stocker
Sinclair Camaniti Naz
Hill Steele Wilson
Windy wood Owens
Higgins Sharman hall

Marshal McRae Garcia

Byrnes jones Collard Henry (butler sub)

Out Trav Keeler

We actually have a severe oversupply of quality smalls now. I just do which way we go. Butler is first choice imo but can’t drop Lance.

I think Trav goes just because he was last in.
If one of the smalls goes then I think Lance just gets the nod ahead. Geez tho , tough tough selection.

This is even before king comes in

So our forward depth chart

And smalls depth chart.

1. King
2. Higgins
3. Owens
4. Sharman
5. Butler
6. Henry
7. Collard
8. Hall
9. Keeler
10. Said



Bear in mind this isn’t including wood or Wilson who have spent a lot of time forward.

 

[falkstar]

My god. I love this kid and would likely be available at our first

I would love someone like Collard as a high impact forward who could come in and make an impact and at 185 be a real dangerous forward as our small forwards whilst ok, lack that real crazy X factor. So would have to be our first pick. Obviously would need to know his go home factor, but with Henry and Hill from WA there as well might be helpful. Possibly with our 2nd pick land another WA boy potentially.

I was on Collard Train early. September 13 2023 Draft thread. My boy

 

[Fehring]

Classy, gutsy win yesterday. Went toe to toe with their A Grade mids and came out on top. As Ross said in his presser, we got beaten in the air, not on the ground. Who saw this coming after round 1!

When we got tired in the second half, our run collapsed and we started bombing long. Naz's little dribble miskick to Sincs was still great b/c it broke the line, which we hadn't been doing much of.

Obviously Macrae was extraordinary. Hugo's first half in the centre was great, and I thought Darcy Wilson bounced back hard from last week and played with a maturity beyond his years. Marshall was great, but when he did two of his long bomb centre clearances, there was a mid right next to him who we could have handpassed to.

Collard and The Adelaide Hater were electric. At this stage, Butler will need to climb over Hall to get into the side.

Caminiti and Keeler were absolutely smashed. King back this week is crucial - we had no one to mark those long kicks down the line in the second half. Still, nine goals from smalls, three goals from third talls (Owens and Sharman) and one goal from a pretend tall forward (Wood) is a good day's work! What a win.

 

[Ads734]

A few more notes.

I remember Chris Judd said that your strengths as a junior will be your strengths as an AFL player. One thing I think you’ll find with Lance, is despite many traditional smalls like Butler and Snags, Lance on top of being a skilled crumber is also a great leading small. Simmilar to Charlie Cameron. I think as he builds into his career we will see it come on. He’s just got such great separation and acceleration.

Similarly, re Trav , we’ve seen his hands be great in close but his marking and aerial game will start to show. Simmilar to Pou late last year.

To me it’s super exciting to see the little glimpses of those strengths. Lance is gonna kick a bag one game this year and I can’t wait.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

Selection will be interesting. I like Keeler but surely we can't keep playing him when he's so easily beaten in marking contests, and is just thrown aside in the ruck unless he can get a run and jump at it. Butler and Henry will have to keep banging the door down while Higgo, Collard and Hall keep performing. From training reports it sounds like King is nowhere near ready but we need another big target up forward so I'd go with Boyd replacing Keeler. I'd basically instruct him to treat overhead marking contests like the ruck - palm it down to the advantage of Higgins/Collard/Hall/Owens.

Out: Keeler, Byrnes
In: Boyd, Steele

B: Webster, Wilkie, Stocker
HB: Nas, Caminiti, Sinclair
C: Hill, Steele, Wilson
HF: Higgins, Sharman, Wood
F: Collard, Owens, Boyd

Foll: Marshall, MaCra, Windhager
Int: Jones, Hall, Garcia, Hastie
Sub: Travaglia

Interesting. Could we play Ari forward or do we persevere with Keeler?
Do we bring the Hammer back into the forwards?

 

[Ads734]

Cramp?

Lol Wilson doesn’t cramp.

 

[gringo2011]

I think when the game was on the line - having a player like Macrae is something we haven't had in years.
A genuine inside A grader who elevates the other players around him. Maybe during Steele's AA years? But this feels different. He still has ALOT of football ahead of him and he's changed our midfield's trajectory for 2025 at least.

Macrae is just so stable and solid. Players play better around him because he seems like he's got it all under control at all times. He really was the ideal player for us. We haven't had an A grade prime-mover mid for so long.

 

[gringo2011]

I really want to be 4-4 at worst. Means we have to win one of: GWS away, Dogs at home, Brisbane at home, Freo at home. All tough ones but sneaking one would be fantastic.

With reinforcements I'd hope we could knock off all of those sides. GWS probably the trickiest but we have stayed in SA and I'm imagining we are eyeing off the W. GWS are really hit and miss, they are a great list but they still give off a bit of a don't give that many shits vibe.

 

[gringo2011]

Very worried about Hogan next week, if Caminiti plays like he did today.. Hogan will kick 8.

King & Henry in / Keeler & Jones out

What a win! After round 1 I thought we were in for a very long year. GWS are right up there, will be a good test to see how good we really are. Hope King gets up as Taylor & Co would destroy Keeler.

Watch how Hammer played, those leads from Georgiades were text book. That's delivery inside 50 and holes in the defence that cause those. He can't just hang off a player. Giving them clean delivery inside 50 is what will give Hogan goals.

We got out of jail without Steele but it would be handy if he could get up for this week. We had to sacrifice a few players to stop Port.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Great win - built on speed of ball movement in the first half and desperate defence in the 2nd. I50 efficiency way up around 60%

Not sure how long we can run with only Wilkie and Caminiti and the sole tall defenders and Keeler as a fwd/ruck.

Not many options down back but if King is still unavailable maybe Max Heath to replace Keeler if we really want to pursue the policy of testing youth. Bigger body deep fwd and a stronger body at the centre circle.

I know they were running Wines as mobile 2nd ruck but I hated seeing Mitch back doing ruck duties.

Was it Butters or Rozee that Garcia sat on their a*** during the push and shove. Loved it

 

[stavro#4]

inject it into your veins this morning with salty Kornes.

 

[gringo2011]

Also, just rewatching the 1st quarter and Connor Rozee the absolute enforcer threw a swinging arm/punch to the face of a downed Byrnes after Darcy Byrne - Jones had just tackled him.

Two high contacts, both reportable offences, and absolutely "nothing to see here" for the home town darlings. Putrid umpiring.

I saw that too. The umpiring was doing their best to keep Port in it. Then the media are trying to out Nas for shaking a jumper. Rozee looked like he deliberately hit Byrnes in the face after he'd already had a high hit.


The ridiculousness of Jones getting holding the ball when he was clothes-lined was outrageous too. They get a free goal when they didn't even stick the high tackle. A few umpires probably need a month in the VFL and their betting accounts looked at.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Interesting. Could we play Ari forward or do we persevere with Keeler?
Do we bring the Hammer back into the forwards?

I'm not sure if Arie would be much more competitive than Keeler. Has similar issues with physicality/strength at the moment. Despite conceding a few, I think Hammer is progressing very well for a raw young key defender and should be allowed to settle there - we've seen how being thrown back and forth worked for Battle and Sharman.

Bit of a shame that Heath is injured as he's shown that he can be a presence up forward at times. We just need a tall target who can be a long bomb option at times and bring the ball to the ground. Unfortunately Keeler just gets outbodied and beaten in the air too easily at the moment. A fit Jack Hayes sure would be handy.

It wouldn't surprise me if we rush an underdone and unfit King back, TBH.

 

[stavro#4]

I'm not sure if Arie would be much more competitive than Keeler. Has similar issues with physicality/strength at the moment. Despite conceding a few, I think Hammer is progressing very well for a raw young key defender and should be allowed to settle there - we've seen how being thrown back and forth worked for Battle and Sharman.

Bit of a shame that Heath is injured as he's shown that he can be a presence up forward at times. We just need a tall target who can be a long bomb option at times and bring the ball to the ground. Unfortunately Keeler just gets outbodied and beaten in the air too easily at the moment. A fit Jack Hayes sure would be handy.

It wouldn't surprise me if we rush an underdone and unfit King back, TBH.

Heath?

Heath hasn’t shown a single thing that makes him look close to an AFL gig.

At this point he would be one of the first names for a delisting at seasons end.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

My guess is King (hopefully) back against the dogs on Sunday week.

 

[#1_pigeonracer]

If you are still pumped up don't listen back on Kane's take this morning. Still 'holding' on a bottom four finish for us and only banged on about how mid field vs. mid field the result didn't make sense.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Heath?

Heath hasn’t shown a single thing that makes him look close to an AFL gig.

At this point he would be one of the first names for a delisting at seasons end.

The kid has kicked a bag of 5 at VFL level despite clearly being best suited to playing ruck. 43 goals from 50 VFL games, has had 59 hitouts in a game.

Was he not named emergency at times last year? That suggests he was pretty close to an AFL gig. Still only 22 years old. Not many rucks have accomplished anything at that age.

 

[okeydoke7]

That’s a win that will leave me happy all week.

Fantastic result for us.

But let’s not let the winning form paper over the Ryan Byrnes cracks in the backline.

 

[moirae42]

inject it into your veins this morning with salty Kornes.

Salty AF.

 

[MightySaintas]

That’s a win that will leave me happy all week.

Fantastic result for us.

But let’s not let the winning form paper over the Ryan Byrnes cracks in the backline.

he and Keeler look ready to go.
Henry and Steele ins hopefully. Leaves us a bit short though and King not ready so will be interesting to see what they do.
Maybe Keels gets another week and King back in a fortnight.
I'm going with
ins: Steele and Henry
outs: Byrnes and Hastie