There's one week until the bye. Usually, we see the bye as an opportunity for players to rest, relax and recharge for the season's final stretch. But this year, it takes on some importance. It will need to be a period in which the coaches and players work out how to play competitive football again.
But that's in a week's time. We face the Saints this week at Etihad. I see the game as one where a lot could go wrong and little right. Even a win will be dismissed by most, probably including me, as another victory against a poor team. By the same token, a loss would be catastrophic. Not just in terms of ladder position, but in terms of confidence for the future.
I don't think we will lose. The Saints are a poor outfit. The coach can't decide whether they're rebuilding, ageing stars are nearing the end and their young players are so-so. Yet they have shown a capacity to be competitive at times. They defeated Carlton. They pushed the Pies and Swans. Their last 2 weeks, however, have stripped their season of any real meaning with losses against the Dogs and Roos.
You'd expect them to be pumped up for this one. They'll think they have a chance, especially in Melbourne. But, despite Monday's misery and our horrible losses at the start of the season, we have beaten every bad team we have faced. Well, there was the Port debacle, but they looked half-decent at that stage. Regardless of our lack of form, pace, desire, intensity or pressure, we should prevail.
It has been a strange week for the club. John Worsfold gave a snarky press conference in which he refused to answer whether he still had the 'desire' to coach. I don't know about you, but I find that rather disturbing. When a team has appeared disinterested for large swathes of a season the last thing you want to see is a non-committal coach. This is beginning to appear like the end of an era...
He was also asked about Lecras' form to which he replied "break your arm and then try and play football". Okay, but should he be playing then if he's still struggling with his arm? He really hasn't offered much at all since returning. But alas! He's been left out of Sunday's game. As has Darren Glass.
St Kilda
B: Dylan Roberton, James Gwilt, Jack Newnes
HB: Sean Dempster, Rhys Stanley, Nathan Wright
C: Jarryn Geary, Nick Dal Santo, Jimmy Webster
HF: Farren Ray, Nick Riewoldt, David Armitage
F: Stephen Milne, Beau Maister, Tom Hickey
Foll: Ben McEvoy, Leigh Montagna, Jack Steven
Int: Trent Dennis-Lane, Sam Dunell, Sebastian Ross, Clinton Jones
In: B.Maister, C.Jones, T.Dennis-Lane, S.Dunell
Out: S.Fisher (foot), J.Ferguson, Arryn Siposs, Ahmed Saad
West Coast
B: Blayne Wilson, Eric Mackenzie, Sam Butler
HB: Shannon Hurn, Mitchell Brown, Matt Rosa
C: Adam Selwood, Scott Selwood, Daniel Kerr
HF: Ashton Hams, Jack Darling, Chris Masten
F: Dean Cox, Josh Kennedy, Josh Hill
Foll: Nic Naitanui, Matt Priddis, Luke Shuey
Int: Brad Sheppard, Andrew Embley, Andrew Gaff, Jacob Brennan
In: A.Hams, J.Brennan, B.Wilson
Out: D.Glass (hip), M.LeCras (arm), Mark Hutchings
Blayne Wilson will make his debut. Needless to say, I don't know anything about him. Well, except that he's a human being of the male gender, who uses one of his feet to kick the ball and two hands to mark. Hams and Brennan also return.
Finally, it would be amiss not to mention the fact that this is the Maister-Bowl. We were devastated when the man formerly known as Beau (I literally forgot his former surname).....Wilkes snubbed us for the Saints. Part of the exemplary class of 2008, he played a spell-binding 20 games for the club, kicking a record-haul of 1 goals and contributing to an era which will never be forgotten.
Let's hope the guys can hoist the Maister-Bowl high at the end of the day.
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