Our rookies

[PJ]

Minchington
Dunell
Shenton
Curren

have all showed glimpses

ferguson is developing nicely. archer looks to have stalled.

Apparently Archer looked okay last week (4 goals) after suffering a broken jaw in the praccy games.

Wouldnt give up on him yet; big unit and still only 20 years of age. And I don't think Sandy used him too well over the last couple of years but everything seems to be running a lot smoother these days.

With no disprespect to the previous Sandy coaching staff we seem to have put some better strategies in place regarding saints listed players. Head coach seems a smart man and the players it would seem have bought in. I miss being away from Sandy - fond memories.

[defacto]

do you think we will elevate any rookies at the end of the year?

something tells me were going to cut and cut hard at the end of the year. i think we'll bring in another full alotment of kids + elevate some more.

[PJ]

IMO the cuts will come from the middle tier - Peake, Ray, Armo, etc.

[defacto]

thats what i think too. keep the top end there to help educate the younger players, but cut the middle tier who arent playing regular senior football to make way for the kids.

[Con Gorozidis]

thats what i think too. keep the top end there to help educate the younger players, but cut the middle tier who arent playing regular senior football to make way for the kids.

we will definitely elevate at least one from our rookies (curren ferg dunnell shenton arch minch).

cuts will need to be a spread across the board:

blake/milney/lenny/peake/cj/armo/ray/raph/crocker.

[Sick Nal Danto]

Only cut hard if we have reasonably good draft picks

No point cutting hard if our first pick is 18

[plugger66]

Only cut hard if we have reasonably good draft picks

No point cutting hard if our first pick is 18

We have played one game. We should know where we are going to finsh now, who should be cut and who should be elevated.

[PJ]

thats what i think too. keep the top end there to help educate the younger players, but cut the middle tier who arent playing regular senior football to make way for the kids.

we will definitely elevate at least one from our rookies (curren ferg dunnell shenton arch minch).

cuts will need to be a spread across the board:

blake/milney/lenny/peake/cj/armo/ray/raph/crocker.

Blakey will probably retire
Milney and Lenny will not be cut - probably go around again for another year
CJ - is unlikely to be cut yet
Armo, ray, raph, crocker are all middle tier and all will face scrutiny

IMO

[defacto]

Only cut hard if we have reasonably good draft picks

No point cutting hard if our first pick is 18

well there is. the reason is this draft is apparently the best draft ever. apparently it runs very very deep. have a look at what other super drafts have provided. there is still alot of talent further down the list.

trading could help us get some picks as well.

[gringo]

thats what i think too. keep the top end there to help educate the younger players, but cut the middle tier who arent playing regular senior football to make way for the kids.

we will definitely elevate at least one from our rookies (curren ferg dunnell shenton arch minch).

cuts will need to be a spread across the board:

blake/milney/lenny/peake/cj/armo/ray/raph/crocker.

Blakey will probably retire
Milney and Lenny will not be cut - probably go around again for another year
CJ - is unlikely to be cut yet
Armo, ray, raph, crocker are all middle tier and all will face scrutiny

IMO

Crocker is a developing player not exactly middle tier. I would think we would look at Peake, Polo, Ray, Gram, Raph, Armo, Geary, and even Guys like Wilkes and Simpkin if they fail to play regular footy. None are definite but all need to establish their claims on the list, a bad season from any of those guys and it wouldn't look good for them with a strong draft and a good developing list of youngsters.

[PJ]

What will be interesting is free agency -

will some of the middle tier if not given what they want financially try elsewhere?
will senior players try to up their financial stocks for the last part of their career?
leigh montagna is listed as unrestricted - what does that imply?

we have a very unusual demographic in our squad of very good older tier players that (approx 7 or 8) would be of value elsewhere - will they stay and if they do what does that mean for our salary cap?

[QuestionOfAccuracy]

Dunnell has been the pick of the bunch, for mine.

[Con Gorozidis]

Blakey will probably retire
Milney and Lenny will not be cut - probably go around again for another year
CJ - is unlikely to be cut yet
Armo, ray, raph, crocker are all middle tier and all will face scrutiny

IMO

milney and lendog wont be cut - but may very well decide they have had enough and decide to hang em up.

wilkkesy and simpkin will definitely get another year. probably already for contracted for 2013 anyway.

we need one KPP fwd to replace roo and the future looks pretty bright. Ferg is the great white hope in defence and is only 19. Nothing wrong with Ferg Simpkin Gilbo Cripps and Gwilt as defenders in the future. Nothing wrong at all.

[Winmar]

This thread gives me hope that we don't necessarily need to bottom out to stay in contention (as we did after 1997).

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Definitely don't need to bottom out, IMO.

Forward line going forward looking OK: Roo, Kosi, Stanley, Milne, Siposs, Saad, Milera, Wilkes, Dunell, Minchington, Markworth, Goddard if necessary
Backline going forward: Fisher, Gwilt, Gilbert, Simpkin, Ferguson, Lever, Dempster, Geary, Cripps, Winmar, Newnes, Goddard if necessary
Midfield going forward: Hayes, Dal Santo, Goddard, Joey, Steven, Armo, Gram, Ledger, Ross, Jones, Curren, with Mac and Stanley in the ruck.

Almost certainly need to target height in the draft at the end of the year, though, or in a trade/free agency selection, especially for the forward line, full back and a back-up for Mac and Rhys. Looks like we might have erred in not taking someone like Jackson Paine in last year's draft, though, as someone here suggested at the time. He's looking like an awfully good pick up for Collingwood at 50, playing at CHF already, at just 18.

Think it's fair to say that Curren could be playing AFL if he was on the senior list right now, as far as those on our rookie list go, if the fact Newnes (who has seemingly done much less in the VFL) playing already is any indication.

[Old Mate]

Our senior list is 2 short so i'm thinking 2 rookies will be promoted at years end. I reckon Curren is looking like a strong possibility if he continues his form throughout the season. Again he has lead Sandy's disposals and has been winning the hard ball. I'm only going on stats and reports though.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

At this stage I wouldn't be surprised if Curren, Dunell and Ferguson were all upgraded at the end of the season, depending on how much room we have on our list.

[PJ]

At this stage I wouldn't be surprised if Curren, Dunell and Ferguson were all upgraded at the end of the season, depending on how much room we have on our list.

Does Ferg have to be upgraded or let go next year? How long can you be on the Rookie List?

[matrix]

id be surprised if milne doesnt go around for another year again

[BigMart]

Milne and Hayes will both go at seasons end...

[matrix]

in your opinion

[BigMart]

Would like to see Seb Ross and Tom Ledger to become consistent features of our midfield in 2013.... He needs a position to open up

Who would you rather get rid of

David Armotage or Lenny Hayes

Same goes do Ahmad Saad.....


As good as they are, they cannot go on forever...... There are plenty of examples of champions going on one year two long...
Lenny and Milney and Blakey are all on the other side of the mountain......
If Milney kicks 60 this year, and If Lenny wins another B&F I will change my mind......not sure that will happen

Roo, Kosi and Chips will not be too far behind....perhaps 2013, 2014

[matrix]

who would i rather get rid of?
a player that averages two goals a game for the last 12 years, yeah gee why not, delist him
a player who still contests the ball and gets touches and uses it after knee reco's, averages 22 touches a game and has bled for the club numerous times and who busted a gut so bad he almost got us over the line in a gf?
yeah delist him or tell him he's time is up

he said when he did the last knee he would 100% be back for the next year (this year) and quite possibly play on for another
milne hasnt even hinted about hanging them up that ive read or heard

if they both want to go then what legends and boy will they be remembered
if they want to go around again do you think the club would not want that and would rather play some youth????
you think after this year they would not be wanted or deserve another game/year??

[bergholt]

At this stage I wouldn't be surprised if Curren, Dunell and Ferguson were all upgraded at the end of the season, depending on how much room we have on our list.

dunell can stay on the rookie list for another year so there's no real mileage in upgrading him. (unless we want to give him ten games plus.) curren and ferguson would have to be upgraded in order to keep them.

[saintly]

Milne and Hayes will both go at seasons end...

yeah go on again next year, more like it!