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View Poll Results: Where will the saints finish in 2021?

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  • Top 4

    1 7.69%
  • 8th to 5th

    7 53.85%
  • Just outside of the 8

    4 30.77%
  • Bottom 4

    1 7.69%
Results 1 to 12 of 12
  1. #1
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    Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    For the second off-season in a row St Kilda was a big trade period winner. But are the Saints ready to contend for top honours in 2021?

    Few clubs improved more than St Kilda in 2020.

    And after another big off-season at the trade table, the Saints will be eyeing a deep September run in 2021.

    But how far can this group go?

    Lauren Wood looks at the off-season moves, the game plan, the coach, the best 22 and more in our off-season series.

    INS: Jack Higgins, Brad Crouch, Shaun McKernan, James Frawley, Matthew Allison (pick 26), Tom Highmore (pick 45)

    OUTS: Nick Hind (traded), Ed Phillips (delisted), Matty Parker (delisted), Doulton Langlands (delisted), Ryan Abbott (delisted), Jack Bell (delisted), Jack Mayo (delisted), Logan Austin (delisted), Jonathon Marsh (delisted), Shane Savage (delisted), Nathan Brown (retired)

    COACH STATUS:

    Brett Ratten is much-loved at Moorabbin and rightly so after taking the team to its first finals series in more than a decade. Contracted until the end of 2022, Ratten is under little pressure after reinvigorating the team in 2020. In fact he can further enhance the model of the second-chance saloon by pushing the Saints further into the finals series. His example could see more clubs willing to appoint a coach who has been axed by a rival team.

    GAME PLAN:

    Speed thrills for the Saints. They actively sought more foot speed in the 2019 trade period, nabbing the likes of Bradley Hill, and while the former Hawk and Docker didn’t fire in the finals, it caught on.

    The team likes to keep the Sherrin moving and applies pressure to go with it — shades of Richmond’s successful model of recent years.

    They love to mark and play-on, but going forward must avoid cheap turnovers. They pay the price when opposition sides are allowed to mark the ball and given control.

    Accuracy had for a long time been the shortcoming of the Saints, but they turned that stat around in 2020, returning the highest shot-at-goal accuracy. It all came down to the ease of the kick.

    Under the guidance of forward coach and premiership Hawk Jarryd Roughead, the focus of the Saints became to generate shots closer to goal. It allowed the likes of Dan Butler, Max King and Tim Membrey to reap the rewards.

    TRADE TABLE REPORT:

    It was another fruitful year with list boss James Gallagher — who only took on the role in 2019 — steering the ship like an old hand. Supported by senior figures Simon Lethlean and Graeme Allan, Gallagher kept hold of a top-30 pick while also securing free agent pair Brad Crouch and Shaun McKernan. The icing on the top was applied late when Jack Higgins made the shift from Punt Road on the final day of trade period. Higgins is the second small Tiger forward to join St Kilda, following Butler, and will add more forward pressure and speed. Two big trade periods in the past two years mean the Saints have their focus set squarely on the now. A finals win this year showed that strategy had already began to bear fruit.

    THEIR 2020 DRAFT HAUL:

    Matthew Allison (pick 26) is a 194cm athletic marking forward who could take time to develop before the Saints would consider playing him alongside Max King, while pick 45 Tom Highmore led the SANFL for intercept marks this year, so Saints fans will hope he can follow the path blazed by Cal Wilkie. The Saints’ top picks of recent years are starting to bear fruit, with King, Hunter Clark and Nick Coffield all taking another big step in 2020.

    PLAYERS THEY CAN REINVENT:

    It will be interesting to see what happens with Seb Ross. With the injection of Adelaide free agent Brad Crouch into the midfield, what of the vice-captain? Maybe he will take a leaf out of Jarryn Geary’s 2020 playbook. Ross kept Brisbane star and Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale to zero clearances for the first time in five years during the season, so his defensive work is a serious asset at coach Ratten’s disposal. Maybe he could be used as a defensive forward. Jade Gresham — whose 2020 was plagued by a serious back injury — has been open about his midfield ambitions and could push in there given the arrival of goalsneak Jack Higgins. And what of Hill? Maybe it’s not exactly a reinvention rather than a reinvigoration that is needed because the former Hawk and Docker fell short of expectations for a player of his ilk. He did a lot of running this season, unfortunately, it was often without the ball.

    READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

    If you’d said 18 months ago that Jack Steele would be one of the premier midfielders of the club — let alone the competition — you would have been shouted down. But he thrived and is hungry for more, potentially taking another step towards the captaincy. Hunter Clark and Nick Coffield will only continue to develop, and expect Callum Wilkie to do the same. Rowan Marshall has shown a rapid improvement in the past two years and if he continues on that trajectory, he can begin to stamp himself as one of the pre-eminent ruckman in the competition.

    BEST 22 FOR NEXT SEASON:


    B: Jake Carlisle, Dougal Howard, Ben Paton

    HB: Nick Coffield, Callum Wilkie, Hunter Clark

    C: Bradley Hill, Brad Crouch, Dan Hannebery

    HF: Dan Butler, Tim Membrey, Jade Gresham

    F: Jack Billings, Max King, Josh Battle

    R: Rowan Marshall Zak Jones Jack Steele

    Int: Jack Sinclair, Seb Ross, Jack Higgins, Jarryn Geary

    CHAMPION DATA SAYS:

    Good: The Saints averaged 38 points from their forward half chains – ranked second.

    Bad: The Saints leaked defensively at times across 2020, conceding a score from 42 per cent of their oppositions inside 50 entries – ranked 14th defensively.

    FINISH THE LAST FIVE YEARS:
    2016: 9th. 2017: 11th. 2018: 16th. 2019: 14th. 2020: 6th (semi-final)

    TAB PREMIERSHIP ODDS: $17

  2. #2
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    I really like the Higgins pick up. On record as seeing Crouch as mostly empty calories with only occasional damage factor. I wouldn’t have gone near him personally, but maybe he fills a need for them. McKernan and Frawley...meh. Think Ratten is a really good coach who’ll get them onside. King should take another step on his way to being a top level forward. Marshall is top notch and helps the middle of the road midfield hugely. Reckon they’ll be around the 5-8 mark again.

  3. #3
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    Can’t see them going backwards, and if King kicks on, they could push up into top four 4 considerations.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

  4. #4
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    Over achieved this season. They only fell over the line against us after almost our worst performance for the year. Saints really can't afford an injury to any of their key players and teams get injuries.


    I think they will go backwards next season. A bit like Melbourne the last couple of years, although no club gets on such good terms with themselves after one good season the way Melbourne do.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


    I have, yeah Ted, you big gobshite

  5. #5
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    Ha Ha hats off to the bottom 4 voter. Why?
    The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.

  6. #6
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    I voted for a 5-8 placing.

    History suggests that there will be at least one new entry in the top 4, often from beyond the 8 in the previous season.

    The top 5 from last season still looks strong and arguably some of the sides may be stronger in 2021 eg Lions and Cats, Tigers are well, the Tigers and Eagles and Port looking again good and home ground advantage.

    I think the Pies will drop out of the 8, replaced by one of the Blues, Giants, Freo or even the Suns.

    Arguably Saints face the same issue as the Dogs - each has to really improve relative to the top 5 sides and leapfrog them.
    The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.

  7. Likes jeemak, BornInDroopSt'54 liked this post
  8. #7
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    8th to 5th for me. I think they will see the status quo on improvement as the new coach and new faces to the playing group boosted things along. Ryder will be another year older as will Hannebery and both have injury history so a lot depends on Ratten and if he can keep the group improving but they have gone and brought themselves a look.
    Don't piss off old people
    The older we get the less "LIFE IN PRISON" is a deterrent...

  9. #8
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    9th-12th, caught a few unaware with a new coach and game plan, did have another good off season but they are stacked with also rans
    If you kicked five goals and Tom Boyd kicked five goals, Tom Boyd kicked more goals than you.

    Formerly gogriff

  10. #9
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    They are very likely to plateau and perhaps even slip out of the 8 but they've quickly reshaped their list and have a good blend of height and pace. They will miss Ryder unless he makes a quicker than expected recovery.
    I look forward to Bulldog vs Saints games over the next couple of years as a real measuring stick for us
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

  11. #10
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dry Rot View Post
    Ha Ha hats off to the bottom 4 voter. Why?
    That wasn't. I just don't rate them. Had a bit of a dream run in 2020 and I don't think that they will replicate it. And when things go wrong in football they really go wrong, the footy gods are nasty, spiteful bastards.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


    I have, yeah Ted, you big gobshite

  12. #11
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    Quote Originally Posted by Twodogs View Post
    That wasn't. I just don't rate them. Had a bit of a dream run in 2020 and I don't think that they will replicate it. And when things go wrong in football they really go wrong, the footy gods are nasty, spiteful bastards.
    This should be footnoted by the idea that Richmond weren't any good after they a won a long awaited flag
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

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  14. #12
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    Re: Can St Kilda make another jump in 2021?

    Quote Originally Posted by GVGjr View Post
    This should be footnoted by the idea that Richmond weren't any good after they a won a long awaited flag
    Yep they struggled to win two of the next three.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


    I have, yeah Ted, you big gobshite

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