TonyK
CibbuanoLyon has faith in Saints
June 9th 2008 00:58
ST KILDA can still play finals football this season despite losing by 27 points to the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome on Sunday, accrding to coach Ross Lyon.
The Saints have now slipped to 10th place on the AFL ladder, but Lyon believes his side can still have an impact in the second half of the season if they learn to play consistent football.
"We are 5-6 and the obvious question you ask is, 'Are your finals over?' Well, clearly it makes it more and more difficult, but we need to get to work on things," he said.
"We need to be competitive for four quarters and at the moment we are inconsistent in that.
"If we can build our consistency, clearly we are going to be in a lot of games of footy. At the minute it's frustrating for myself, and the group, the inconsistency in our football.
"We are not giving away the season, we are 5-6.
"Deep down I still feel if we can get it right. Let's not worry about the ladder at this point even though we are all clearly aware of it."
The Saints dominated the opening term on Sunday but failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, booting a wayward 3.6, with skipper Nick Riewoldt the chief offender.
St Kilda then fell in a heap after quarter-time, managing just two goals in the second and third quarters as the Bullldogs piled on nine majors to put the result beyond doubt.
"We really need to work on our finishing in front of goal because we could have had a bit more scoreboard pressure on and then who knows?" Lyon said.
"It's hard to talk about the emotion of it but the facts are there that he (Riewoldt) is missing some opportunities.
Lyon said that Riewoldt was disappointed with his performance and was working hard to improve his kicking in front of goal.
"What I do know about Nick is he will work really hard to improve it. He got better as the game went on but there is no one more disappointed than Nick."
Lyon said the main difference between the two sides on Sunday was the fact that his team "slaughtered" the ball while the Bulldogs were typically slick.
The Saints tinkered with their midfield setup in the final quarter, introducing Jason Gram, Brendon Goddard and Adam Schneider
The final term saw the Saints turn a 41-point deficit at three-quarter time into a 27-point loss, and Lyon admitted his side needed to inject some pace into the middle.
"We do need to build through there. We need to recruit speed."
The Saints were without Robert Harvey (calf) and Steven King (back tightness), who were late withdrawals against the Bulldogs. Both are expected to play against Sydney at the SCG on Saturday night, while Steven Baker is also a chance to return.
Injury prone ruckman Justin Koschitzke will have scans on his left knee after hyper-extending it in the second quarter but Lyon was confident there was no serious damage.
The Saints have now slipped to 10th place on the AFL ladder, but Lyon believes his side can still have an impact in the second half of the season if they learn to play consistent football.
"We are 5-6 and the obvious question you ask is, 'Are your finals over?' Well, clearly it makes it more and more difficult, but we need to get to work on things," he said.
"We need to be competitive for four quarters and at the moment we are inconsistent in that.
"If we can build our consistency, clearly we are going to be in a lot of games of footy. At the minute it's frustrating for myself, and the group, the inconsistency in our football.
"We are not giving away the season, we are 5-6.
"Deep down I still feel if we can get it right. Let's not worry about the ladder at this point even though we are all clearly aware of it."
The Saints dominated the opening term on Sunday but failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, booting a wayward 3.6, with skipper Nick Riewoldt the chief offender.
St Kilda then fell in a heap after quarter-time, managing just two goals in the second and third quarters as the Bullldogs piled on nine majors to put the result beyond doubt.
"We really need to work on our finishing in front of goal because we could have had a bit more scoreboard pressure on and then who knows?" Lyon said.
"It's hard to talk about the emotion of it but the facts are there that he (Riewoldt) is missing some opportunities.
Lyon said that Riewoldt was disappointed with his performance and was working hard to improve his kicking in front of goal.
"What I do know about Nick is he will work really hard to improve it. He got better as the game went on but there is no one more disappointed than Nick."
Lyon said the main difference between the two sides on Sunday was the fact that his team "slaughtered" the ball while the Bulldogs were typically slick.
The Saints tinkered with their midfield setup in the final quarter, introducing Jason Gram, Brendon Goddard and Adam Schneider
The final term saw the Saints turn a 41-point deficit at three-quarter time into a 27-point loss, and Lyon admitted his side needed to inject some pace into the middle.
"We do need to build through there. We need to recruit speed."
The Saints were without Robert Harvey (calf) and Steven King (back tightness), who were late withdrawals against the Bulldogs. Both are expected to play against Sydney at the SCG on Saturday night, while Steven Baker is also a chance to return.
Injury prone ruckman Justin Koschitzke will have scans on his left knee after hyper-extending it in the second quarter but Lyon was confident there was no serious damage.
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