Every four weeks we have reviewed every club but with the mid season break, we will go into more details with our monthly review of each club. We will review the year so far, what the year remaining looks like and also which players have been disappointing and which players have been a shinning light.
Gardiner & Kings form has allowed Kosi to provide another much needed target up forward.
We would love your comments as it makes us accountable and helps us to create a better service in what Kick2Kick provides. So please give us your thoughts and opinions on what we have written and discussed.
St Kilda Saints Mid Season Review
12 wins 0 losses, 173.65%
The season is a success so far but in the back of most fans minds is the year 2004 where they won 10 straight and then failed to reach the Grand Final. However this year the signs look likely that it wont happen again.
- They have a coach with a well rounded game plan.
- More even playing stocks including ruckman who can dominate and give their midfielders first use of the ball.
- Backline not just relying on regular injured men of Hugdton & Goose.
- Kosi able to play FF.
- Supportive board getting along with the coach (Should just add no Grant Thomas).
The real test would be when they play sides with a bit of pace (Geelong, Essendon & Essendon) as Carlton in round 12 exposed them. Most are waiting for the round 14 Geelong match to see if they can earn the right to be a real premiership threat. I think they are…
Goddard, Montanga, Dal Santo & Kosi are all playing their best football of their careers. Need McEvoy to improve with King out for a few more weeks along with Gram to play consistent as he is one of the few pacey Saint players.
Jared Brennan & Clarke the subsitute ruckman have found great consistency this year
Brisbane Lions Mid Season Review
7 wins, 5 losses, 105.33%
Brisbane where always going to be the ‘unknowns’ of the year with their new coach but similar team list. The result? A top four spot looking likely even with the amount of injuries they have to their key defenders & ruckmen. They continue to win and impress in the hard games (St Kilda & the Hawks in Tasmania).
To get the top four spot, they will need to win most of the hard away games in Port, Fremantle, Collingwood & Essendon as well as their home games.
Getting some of their injured players back will also be required, even though you can cover them for the short term. They need Merrett, Patful & Drummond down back along with either Charman or Leunberger back in the ruck. Clarke & Brennan have impressed and look like finding the consistency they needed to progress their careers. Yes I am saying Brennan has been consistent this year…
Adelaide Mid Season Review
7 wins, 5 losses, 100.19%
I wrote the crows off with their negative defend and worry about scoring later game plan but with the sign of a good coach Neil Craig admitting he needed to change the way his team play & they have came out & kick some goals. Before the Carlton game they only scored over 100 points once but since then they have scored over 100 points 4 times in their last 5 games.
Adelaide have a tough end of the season (round 18-22 – Geelong, West Coast, Collingwood, Hawks & Carlton) so the next 4-6 games are important that they win as many as possible to set up their final chances.
The next generation of Walker, Tippett, Knights, Doughty, Dangerfield & Porplyzia have been the highlights of their mid season revival. Tippett must became a 40+ goal scorer for Adelaide to be a real threat though.
Jarrod Waite's injury was a big blow with his ability to play all over the ground.
Carlton Blues Mid Season Review
6 wins, 6 losses, 114.75%
They know they are coming, was their pre season catch call and so far they have not lived up to the hype. With a realitivly easy draw of only having to play ST Kilda, Geelong & the Dogs once I thought they would have been higher on the ladder.
We know what to expect from Judd & Fevola (the good, bad & the ugly) but what we have got from Gibbs, Yarren, Houlihan, Santana, Fisher etc has been disappointing at best.
However they do have the fixtures in their favour with 3 out of the last 10 games against current top 8 sides and only having to travel outside Victoria twice. Top four still is a chance with their current healthy percentange.
Gibbs, Grigg, Browne, Walker, Houlihan and the rest of the second/ third level of Carltons list need to show more. Betts has stepped up this year into one of the best forward pockets of the league.
Your mid season review of these Four clubs
Let us know what you think of how these four clubs are going half way through the season. Are ST Kilda & Carlton the real deal and can the forward line of Adelaide provide a consistent score in the finals? Can the Lions afford to go into finals without a reconised ruckman
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June 17th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
The Lions are the talking point for me. They have had injuries in key areas with ruckman and KPP in the backline going down yet still sit in the top 4. I thought Voss would be good and I thought that the Lions would be good but I didn’t think it would come until next year at the very least. surely the ‘roos or tigers will have to jump on Buckley now.
the Saints worry me because i don’t think that they can go any better then what they have already. Geelong will improve when they get Ottens, Harley, Taylor etc, back. The Dogs have a big youth movement pushing them along at the moment and Murphy, Welsh, Williams and Cooney will get better. The Hawks and Pies have plenty of improvement left as do the Lions. The Saints have had a dream run with injuries and are playing superb footy. However, against the Blues and Lions they have looked very much beatable and as Jer said the game against the Cats will be the big test to see how far they have come.
Adelaide are brilliant, as i wrote in the season preview, they are always in the mix. they never completely bottom out and always promote the youngsters and they should be commended for that. Again this season we have seen guys like Petrenko, Otten, Mackay and Walker step up and play solid football. from a doggies supporter it hurts to say this but they are a super organisation.
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June 18th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Brisbane have showed why using injuries is just an excuse imo. With Charman, Drummond, Leunberger, Patful & Merrett out you would excuse them to loose by 30+ to Carlton & to Hawthorn down in Tassie but they did not!
I also heard that on the bus down there, all the players where whinging and J Brown got up and said that “everyone who whinges will be penelised $50″. Now thats a sign of a real captain…
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June 19th, 2009 at 9:48 am
i think st kilda are alot better of a team than in 2004, however i don’t beleive in them yet. if they can beat geelong, the bulldogs again, then ill agree they are the real deal. but i just find they are not consistent in every game for four quarters. they cannot lapse against geelong, the bulldogs or in the finals. they need to get that out of their game
Brisbane are doing well…not really a premeirship contender unless they get more consistent but i am impressed with what they have shown
Adelaide need a new coach, but they have an exciting looking list. it will be interesting to see how they go for the rest of the season.
Carlton for me are still developing. i think they should have a few more wins but i think if they make the finals this year and maybe get a win they will have acheived alot. i think next year they will be better though
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June 19th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Apart from playing both Geelong & St Kilda again in the last 10 weeks, Saints (and Carltons) fixtures are pretty soft so it should ensure that both teams win more than loose in the last 10 weeks.
Think Geelong & the Dogs where both handed a rough draw having to play in Perth twice in three weeks….
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June 19th, 2009 at 11:33 am
why do adelaide need a new coach?? is making the finals every year not good enough for you??
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June 19th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Interesting Mike…
I think Craig has reinvented him and the side (original article) into more of an attacking side (last four games over 100 points) due to the forward line of Otten, Knights, Walker, Tippett, Porps & Dangerfield. Tippett needs to take the next step into a consistent marking tall and if he does, it will be even more dangerous (imo) than the Dogs.
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June 21st, 2009 at 6:29 pm
he has done well, but lets not forget, he’s been with the crows for four whole years and made the finals all four times yes.
but another coach did the same, Terry wallace coached the bulldogs into 4 finals series in a row but couldnt deliver. then the club sank big time and wallace failed miserably at yet another club, the tigers.
Craig has done well yes, but Adelaide are no Geelong or St kilda, and i have a hard time beleiving they ever will be. yes their forward line could be very dangerous but they don’t have the midfield of the top 3 teams. i cannot see the crows winning a premiership under craig. hopefully for his sake he can prove me wrong, but i still think they may need a fresh face at the helm of the team…
St Kilda have had an easy draw imo, theyve played some good teams but they’ve had it easy.
the dogs and geelong have had it a bit more rough…and i am desperate to see these two teams face off in the grand final. i think it would be an epic battle
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June 22nd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I have to agree that under Craig while Adelaide have been consistent, they never looked likely to win a premiership under him.
However he never had a forward line and this year he at least has some players who can provide consistency (Porps), big man to kick to (Tippett) & some unperdictability that can provide something exciting (Walker).
In regards to the midfield, Dangerfield, Otten, Knights etc have something but think they are a year or two away from being a top 4 side. By then Edwards & McLeod will be gone…
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June 23rd, 2009 at 9:24 am
yes…i will agree that they have alot of potential. but we all know that that is not enough. Fremantle have had massive potential and never done a thing. Richmond has had potential, but again has not delivered.
I’m not sure that Craig is the man to take them, or get them close to a premeirship. i think he has done a good job, but maybe he needs to step down and give it up to a coach who can
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June 24th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I agree that potential only gets you so far. But luck (injuries, close games etc) & board consistency also helps. If Adelaide had more luck in injuries you could have added Burton & Hentshell (spelling??) to the forward line as well…
They also got bundled out of the finals in 2007 by a goal after the siren and lost several preliminary finals by less than 2 goals against the Eagles.
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