Quality depth

[St Ick]

So how does everyone think we should play out this year with getting games into kids.

I think it is too simplistic to simply say play best 22 week in week out.

Ross, Weller, Billings, (Markworth, Lee & Acres - when matchfit), then Milera & Shenton are all showing brilliant signs in the twos and at some stage will deserve a spot in the senior team, so how does it play out?

Do they all just wait for injuries, or do we manage the kids we have in the ones? Would this tactic slow the momentum of the ones playing atm? Or are the likes of CJ, Farren etc due to step aside despite their encouraging form as they wont feature in 5 years time? I understand and agree that there are so many factors involved in getting balances between youth, experience and hardened bodies right but I just dont know which direction they will go.

Its the first time in a long time that we have players either in the two or in the bottom tier in the ones who are actually performing or havibg to perform.

in short, I love our depth, and would love some opinions on how to best manage our list for say, this year and next.

[plugger66]

I said this last year and still think similar this year. We seem to have good depth because there isnt much difference between our bottom 10 in the seniors and our top 10 in the reserves. The problem with that is i think the bottom 10 in the seniors arent much chop at the moment so it seems the depth is good. It maybe good in a couple of year but i reckon the depth at the moment only seems good because we have many ordinary footballers.

As for how we manage it. I think injury, form and resting of players will ensure everyone who deserves a game gets enough game time to prove their worth.

[St Ick]

In years gone by, I thought our bottom 6 or so were not much chop and they only played because noone showed signs in the twos to warrant a promotion. I definitely don't feel the same about our list now.

I think its unfair to say that our bottom 10 arent much chop and thats what makes the next 10 look good. I think those 20 or so (predominently kids) are very even and have the potential to become very good players, with 5 or 6 needing to step up to the elite category for us to really challenge in say 4/5 years. How we manage that will determine if they 1) realise their potential and 2) stick together and grow as a group.

[plugger66]

In years gone by, I thought our bottom 6 or so were not much chop and they only played because noone showed signs in the twos to warrant a promotion. I definitely don't feel the same about our list now.

I think its unfair to say that our bottom 10 arent much chop and thats what makes the next 10 look good. I think those 20 or so (predominently kids) are very even and have the potential to become very good players, with 5 or 6 needing to step up to the elite category for us to really challenge in say 4/5 years. How we manage that will determine if they 1) realise their potential and 2) stick together and grow as a group.

I agree some are kids and thats why i said they mightnt be up to it yet but there is a fair few who wont make it especially if we become a good side. I know there are many on here who didnt rate Mini or Eddy but if they were first or second year players now they would probably be as good if not better than some of the kids getting games now. Stats suggest at least 50% of the young players we have now wont make it. For example is Ross good depth or is he just a ordinary footballer at the moment who may replace another ordinary footballer at the moment. We will find out in a couple of years if it was good depther or just a group of players with similar ability.

[MrCordz]

I'll say one thing - I remember Sam Fisher's first 10 or so games for the Saints - was universally considered a dud - but persistence in selection - from those who saw potential paid off. Suddenly fans (like me) were thinking "ok had a good game this week" then "the boys becoming consistent" ...then "Thank god for Fisher" to becoming the best backman in our team and an "All Australian" - sometimes persistence in selection pays off. Impatience is for supporters to dally over from week to week (which I am guilty of also - but that's the fun of it on this side of the fence/internal club).

[falka]

Good thread this one, thinking the same.

You don't want to gift games, but some players we will need to find out about.
Guys like Dunnell and Milera, we know are good players at vfl, do we get them in for a block of 4 games and say, here ya go, prove yourself?

Personally I wouldn't but some players need opportunity if you believe in what you see.

I agree re jury out if we have real depth or lots of ordinary players.

How many other clubs would be excited about the likes of Ross, Siposs and Murdoch? Or are we just rose coloured glass monocle wearing supporters

Should we tell Jones and Schneider , look ya ok, but your not part of next movement

Looking forward to finding out and I'm sure we won't all agree

Go Saints

[Con Gorozidis]

Its no coincidence that the Cats and Hawks both played off in another VFL GF last year and both are up the top again in the AFL.

Every year I say Sandy are going to be good but this year it might actually be true.

We have some much better kids (Acres, Templeton and Billings) and some good mature guys like Milera, Simpkin, Dunell and Shenton.

Seb Ross is coming on nicely as well...

A flag beckons for Sandy which would be huge for the Saints future development.

[dragit]

A thread to my own heart St Ick, something I bang on about often.
The concept of 'best 22' is relative to the teams situation, it isn't always the 22 that gives you most chances of winning.
People seem to still underestimate the massive vacuum of experience in players under 25 YO. You often hear people suggest that we don't want to turn into Melbourne… but the longer we put off fast-tracking the young guys, the more likely we will become like Melbourne.
If you picked our "best 22" to win every week, there would only be a handful of young guys playing each week and in 2 years time we end up with no older stars and a bunch of young guys with little to no experience.
I wasn't a huge Watters fan, but I appreciate that he was willing to put the long term future of the club ahead of his own win/loss record. Polo, Peake, Clarke, Jones and even Ray were spending time in the VFL at the expense of younger guys who were clearly offering less at the time. Newnes, Murdoch, Saunders, Siposs, Webster were impacting games less than the mature guys playing in the 2's, but they gained essential experience which we are just starting to see pay off now.

No-one (except Luke Dunstan) starts off 'best 22' including all of our AA veterans. I reckon we took too long with Tom Curren, he was banging on the door for 2 years, he could easily have 50 games now instead of what 12?

Jack Billlings is like a Rolls Royce used to plough paddocks at the moment, the sooner we see him with decent AFL experience, the sooner he starts winning matches for us.

As plugger mentioned, only half of the young guys will end up making it, we need to find out which ones ASAP. When someone performs at Sandy for a couple of weeks they should be rewarded and the young guys need to be preferred.

Guys that try hard but can't kick the football won't help us win games of footy.

[saintspremiers]

Its no coincidence that the Cats and Hawks both played off in another VFL GF last year and both are up the top again in the AFL.

Every year I say Sandy are going to be good but this year it might actually be true.

We have some much better kids (Acres, Templeton and Billings) and some good mature guys like Milera, Simpkin, Dunell and Shenton.

Seb Ross is coming on nicely as well...

A flag beckons for Sandy which would be huge for the Saints future development.

Sandy can only do well if our admin and their admin see eye to eye.