Clint Jones ..TDL .. And wait for it !

[Middo]

Really losing the plot at selection Jones just should not play , TDL again should not play and Maister in front of Lee I'm not so sure . Our midfield better show up this week it could get ugly !!

[st_Trav_ofWA]

isnt Lee still injured ??
didnt we struggle to get our hands on the footy last week ? for all Jones faults he can find the footy even if he butchers it its better than a clean possesion the other way ...
as for TDL he really couldnt do much worse than Saad has been the last 4 weeks

[Middo]

Lee was named best for Sandy out of a poor bunch , Ledger surely offers more looking to the future as we all know what we get with Jones and now that's not a great deal. TDL in front if Saunders ?

[st_Trav_ofWA]

i reckon Ledger may be on borrowed time ...
Lee might be back from injury but is still a longer term prospect so cant blame the club for going for the harder more seasoned Maister ...

as for TDL he was dropped a while back for poor form and to his credit has been getting in the goals for sandy ... that shows he has earnt his way back ... does saunders offer more ? im not sure the selection pannel dont think so

[Dr Spaceman]

isnt Lee still injured ??
didnt we struggle to get our hands on the footy last week ? for all Jones faults he can find the footy even if he butchers it its better than a clean possesion the other way ...
as for TDL he really couldnt do much worse than Saad has been the last 4 weeks

We all want our kids to play.

We all want out kids to be guns.

Particularly when our premiership challenging era is over and we're facing time in the doldrums.

And so it's disappointing when some of them are overlooked. I get that. I too would like to see Lee and Murdoch getting a chance.

But having said that, I agree with what st_Trav says here. Guys like Jones, Maister & Denis-Lane are on our senior list and are receiving remuneration from the club and should not be excluded from the selection process.

There's got to be a blending and we've got to be a bit patient.

[jonesy]

Even more perplexing is the fact that jones has slaughtered Harvey like no other player over his 350 game career, yet he was dropped last week, only to be brought back the next week????

Strange at best

[Toy Saint]

Even more perplexing is the fact that jones has slaughtered Harvey like no other player over his 350 game career, yet he was dropped last week, only to be brought back the next week????

Strange at best

Deamons got busted for tanking...

[Middo]

Even more perplexing is the fact that jones has slaughtered Harvey like no other player over his 350 game career, yet he was dropped last week, only to be brought back the next week????

Strange at best

Deamons got busted for tanking...

I'm thinking playing Jones may be tanking ...

[mad saint guy]

isnt Lee still injured ??
didnt we struggle to get our hands on the footy last week ? for all Jones faults he can find the footy even if he butchers it its better than a clean possesion the other way ...
as for TDL he really couldnt do much worse than Saad has been the last 4 weeks

Jones is averaging 8.4 contested possessions and 3.6 clearances per game this year. In Ledger's ONLY full senior game ever he had 21 disposals, 11 contested, 5 clearances, kicked a goal and set one up. It's obviously not much to go by but the only full game Ledger has ever played is significantly better than your average game from Jones this year.

There is no logic in our selection and I have lost a lot of faith in Watters

[8856brother]

The photos Saad has must be of Ledger and Mrs coach.

[Con Gorozidis]

The coach is desperate for the 4 points this week

[Solar]

Got a feeling most saints fans are starting to lose faith in SW. Interesting time because those selections are eye boggling!!

[chook23]

Lee was named best for Sandy out of a poor bunch , Ledger surely offers more looking to the future as we all know what we get with Jones and now that's not a great deal. TDL in front if Saunders ?

Ledger is a SPUD

[rexy]

Lee was named best for Sandy out of a poor bunch , Ledger surely offers more looking to the future as we all know what we get with Jones and now that's not a great deal. TDL in front if Saunders ?

Ledger is a SPUD

Ledgers VFL form is quite good, not sure what the issue is?

[WellardSaint]

Trav, the father of TDL was at the pub last week. He was also there at the bumbers game.
Be careful bagging TDL, remember the Karalee when we all bagged CJ and said he should handball cos he can't bloody kick, and Jonesy's parents were amongst our group?
Just sayin'

[Hurricane]

Based on the highlights on the website Lee played pretty well. As a mature age recruit he needs to get as much game time as possible because when Roo and Milne retire in a year or 2 and Maister is playing at West Perth again the forward line will need to look to Lee and Spencer White to kick our goals. While the vets are there the kids need to play along side them so they can see how its done up close.

TDL has VFL form behind him and has more than justified his selection.

BANG BANG

[sasaint]

Lee was named best for Sandy out of a poor bunch , Ledger surely offers more looking to the future as we all know what we get with Jones and now that's not a great deal. TDL in front if Saunders ?

Ledger is a SPUD

Care to elaborate? We are in desperate need for an in and under mid.

[dragit]

I actually have no problem with Maister being in the side, but I really think he needs to come back via the VFL to gain some touch & confidence. He's not exactly Fraser Gehrig, but he has been rushed straight back into the senior side after a month off injured… when the reality is he hasn't clocked up 50 games of AFL footy yet.

I feel sorry for the bloke, being plonked in the side against Adelaide, then subbed out, missed as an emergency last week, now back in again. The guy needs a good couple of full solid games at Sandy to get his timing back, and confidence in his marking.

CJ, well I have been a pretty consistent critic, but I guess with Lenny out & Armo down, we are pretty short on grunt players… would prefer to get a look at Ledger or Curren.

Dennis-Lane I can't understand the recruitment, but I do support promoting players that are performing well at VFL, and although Saad had a shocker last week, I think he has been better than Milne overall this year with a lot more upside. If Saad performs at VFL, I hope he comes back in at the expense of Milne (unless Milne starts blitzing obviously). Watching Carlton last night was another reminder that specialist small forwards are really going out of the game… Schneider is probably closer to the type of player that can crumb and finish, but also set up 5-6 more with precise kicking and decision making from half forward/wing. His 10- 12 possessions are worth a lot more than any of our other small forwards. RIP crumbing goal sneaks…

[Cairnsman]

Got a feeling most saints fans are starting to lose faith in SW. Interesting time because those selections are eye boggling!!

I got a feeling that most fans are starting to accept that we are in a rebuild phase and are really happy with the players that SW has managed to already blood in only a season and a half. I got a feeling that most fans are happy to have such a good developer of players as their coach in a rebuilding phase. I got a feeling that when we are ready to climb the ladder again that the fans will then be able to judge the coach on other things like his structures, game plan and match day tactics.

[Con Gorozidis]

My hope is we bank the 4 points tomorrow.

Then the Board says ok SW - you are the man take us fwd until the end of 2014 at least. Lets officially start planning our 2015 finals side starting now.

[gringo]

isnt Lee still injured ??
didnt we struggle to get our hands on the footy last week ? for all Jones faults he can find the footy even if he butchers it its better than a clean possesion the other way ...
as for TDL he really couldnt do much worse than Saad has been the last 4 weeks

Jones is averaging 8.4 contested possessions and 3.6 clearances per game this year. In Ledger's ONLY full senior game ever he had 21 disposals, 11 contested, 5 clearances, kicked a goal and set one up. It's obviously not much to go by but the only full game Ledger has ever played is significantly better than your average game from Jones this year.

There is no logic in our selection and I have lost a lot of faith in Watters

I watched Ledger closely in I think it was the last game of 2012 against Carlton and he was pretty poor and uncompetitive- it shows stats can lie. CJ is a coaches pet because he does the 1%ers. He is an ordinary kick but the guy busts a gut to make every contest and lays shepherds and will hold up opponents so the better mids can get first hands on the ball. He's a work horse not a rolls royce but he does a job.

if he was so bad he wouldn't get games. When ledge gets that kind of competitive streak in his game he will be first picked. he should actually model his game on guys like CJ or Magner who just go hard despite the fact that they aren't perfect kicks.

[Beekay]

I love how MSG calls Lee a spud, but keeps pleading for Ledger to be played.

No idea, young son.

Ledger is a try hard AFL footballer. Not fit to tie Mark McGough's laces.

Though our selections are fairly average and uninspiring, no doubt.

[mad saint guy]

I love how MSG calls Lee a spud, but keeps pleading for Ledger to be played.

No idea, young son.

Ledger is a try hard AFL footballer. Not fit to tie Mark McGough's laces.

Care to elaborate?

Ledger - excellent VFL form, good in the tiny amount of opportunity he's been given at AFL level, fills a desperate need.

Don't think I've ever called Lee a spud, but he has been poor in pre season games, poor in H&A games and average in the VFL. A tall forward who regularly gets outbodied, drops marks and misses shots on goal isn't much use to us. I'd dearly love for him to turn things around but I just haven't seen any signs to suggest he'll be an AFL player.

[mad saint guy]

I watched Ledger closely in I think it was the last game of 2012 against Carlton and he was pretty poor and uncompetitive- it shows stats can lie. CJ is a coaches pet because he does the 1%ers. He is an ordinary kick but the guy busts a gut to make every contest and lays shepherds and will hold up opponents so the better mids can get first hands on the ball. He's a work horse not a rolls royce but he does a job.

if he was so bad he wouldn't get games. When ledge gets that kind of competitive streak in his game he will be first picked. he should actually model his game on guys like CJ or Magner who just go hard despite the fact that they aren't perfect kicks.

In that game he started as sub and played the last 40-45 minutes. He had 10 touches (5 contested) and 3 clearances. Not sure how you could call that uncompetitive for a kid in his 6th game with 34% TOG. I don't see any issue with his 'competitive streak' either, he attacks the ball and the opposition with much greater intent than most on our list.

This perception that he clearly can't be any good because he's not being played annoys the hell out of me. There are players get games over better players every week, otherwise the no team would ever change except for injuries and suspension. Seriously, what more can he do other than train hard and perform well in whatever level he's played at?

[westcoast]

I'm with you MSG, the point you make is very succinct.