Cameron for our first pick? YES!!

[dragit]

Patton is a high level talent. He will become one of the elite forwards of the comp IMO. Too much going for him not to make it. Big guy with vg agility even after the ACL. Very accurate goal kicker and natural leader. The General should be high up on our shopping list.

GWS struggle to attract players and will have to continue being compensated in picks when their talented players demand a trade. A lot of rumours that not many players want to be there hence why GWS are trying to extend current contracts. Shiel is another that is baulking at signing on past next year.

Well we differ a bit in how we regard Patton and what they will get in compensation when some do leave. he looks a bit of a lumberer to me and im unsure huge forwards who dont really lead up the ground will work in todays footy even though it will change. it always does. Also if players do leave I expect GWS to ask for players more than top draft picks.

I'm not mad on Patton either for some reason... Just think he'll be behind Boyd, Hogan, Daniher etc

Could be completely wrong though.

Not that it matters to become a gun footballer, but he just seems like a bit of a dick.

[lloyd21]

Eddie already saying on the radio that Collingwood have plenty of cap space and a 5 year deal would be doable.

oh Eddie must have Maths at broadmeadows.
Cloke Pendlebury Beams Reid. Brown Swan Sidebottom.
Grundy.

Need 2 salary caps .

Saints would have as good chance as any, look around which club has a centre half back who is good young in Victoria ..avail.

Who wants to go there (Gws ) none and it won't be Frawley..not many there .
Would cost a gun 3 way deal required .

[gringo]

Patton isn't worth pick three right now. He might be a gun or a dud still. Cameron is already very good. Tom Lee isn't worth much at the moment despite his high draft position. Performances make your value not your draft number.

[Con Gorozidis]

Patton no certainty still.

To give up pick 3 you'd want at least a certain good player.
not a star but certainly good (eg Dom Tyson)

For pick 3 id want Patton and pick 20.

I still reckon pick 3 ,21,Butcher (or Reid or similar) would do me.
I guess a lot depends on the U 18 champs.

[footynut]

Am I missing something... If a player is uncontracted why do we have to trade. Pick them up in the PSD!!!!

[Con Gorozidis]

Am I missing something... If a player is uncontracted why do we have to trade. Pick them up in the PSD!!!!

That would require two things

1. Wed need to finish last
2. Wed have to convince a player to move from the second or third bottom side to the bottom side.

As it stands if Cameron or Patton nominate for the PSD the Lions will just say thankyou sir.

Sure the player could say he only wants to go to a Melbourne based club but wed probably need AFL approval and therefore a legitimate family reason.

But I guess if we finish below Melbourne and then the GWS player has a legit reason to move to Melbourne we could maybe pull it off...

[Dave McNamara]

My point was that I highly doubt he or any top player ie; Fyfe would want to come to us at the minute.
When we acquired Gehrig, Hamill and co it was on the back of Malcolm Blight's signature and excitement with having picks 1 & 2 in the draft. We also had quite a lot of talent on the list that were in the 23-28 year old category. Right now we have very few players who are ready to play "career best footy".

This year I believe we should go down a similar path to last season and use our picks on the draft. I don't think we will have 3 top 20 picks this season though.

Once we can generate some excitement that will come from Billings, Acres, Dunstan, Templeton and co playing 30-50 games we will me in a much better position to entice a player to play with us.

Excellent post IMHO Aaron! You've encapsulated both the problem in attracting top line players..., and the solution.

Some of our early footy, particularly against that mob who are struggling with having to go cold turkey,
is IMHO more indicative of what we can expect,
than our current form, which is being stymied by injuries in too many key areas.

I reckon, talk to likes of Cameron's manager, and a few others. Hold 'em off till they're outta' contract end of of 2015(?), make any further required tidying up of our cap space... and go for it!!!
If one 'name' player signs,
that becomes leverage to help convince others that things are happening at the Saintas, and to join-in for a chance at making history!


To get 'em interested, we have to sell them not on today, but on the future. And I don't reckon that should be too hard!

[Con Gorozidis]

Yep great post Aaron

I'm afraid there is no shortcut and no messiah.

The only way we are going to get back up the ladder is by weight of numbers from below.
I.e getting another 10-15 young blokes up into the 50-100 game mark and that is going to take us another 3 years (at best if everything goes well).

Only then can we maybe add some icing on the cake with a big name.

I'm afraid there isnt much point buying the icing until you have made the cake from scratch.

[plugger66]

My point was that I highly doubt he or any top player ie; Fyfe would want to come to us at the minute.
When we acquired Gehrig, Hamill and co it was on the back of Malcolm Blight's signature and excitement with having picks 1 & 2 in the draft. We also had quite a lot of talent on the list that were in the 23-28 year old category. Right now we have very few players who are ready to play "career best footy".

This year I believe we should go down a similar path to last season and use our picks on the draft. I don't think we will have 3 top 20 picks this season though.

Once we can generate some excitement that will come from Billings, Acres, Dunstan, Templeton and co playing 30-50 games we will me in a much better position to entice a player to play with us.

Excellent post IMHO Aaron! You've encapsulated both the problem in attracting top line players..., and the solution.

Some of our early footy, particularly against that mob who are struggling with having to go cold turkey,
is IMHO more indicative of what we can expect,
than our current form, which is being stymied by injuries in too many key areas.

I reckon, talk to likes of Cameron's manager, and a few others. Hold 'em off till they're outta' contract end of of 2015(?), make any further required tidying up of our cap space... and go for it!!!
If one 'name' player signs,
that becomes leverage to help convince others that things are happening at the Saintas, and to join-in for a chance at making history!


To get 'em interested, we have to sell them not on today, but on the future. And I don't reckon that should be too hard!

Surely is GWS cant sell him on the future it would be impossible for us considering we probably havent hit the bottom yet.

[PJ]

Here in lies the perfect argument for finishing last...not that I'm saying we should tank....however if we could just manage to lose by close margins and maintain getting games into the youngness....perfect.

I'll be really pissed if we are off the bottom by one game and lose the certainty of the both draft and psd no.1 picks for the sake of 1 insignificant win.

Yes we need to get a winning culture but in all seriousness we need high end talent and the unrest around for several young (under 22 years of age) players may help speed up the rebuild.

[Animal Enclosure]

Don't underestimate the relationship that Trout & Ameet have built with young players that were drafted by other clubs. During their interviews with prospective draftees both guys have apparently been super impressive & left many players with a feeling that they would be very happy being drafted by St Kilda.

It's a very smart & forward thinking approach, especially with so many Victorian kids heading north over the past few years that may eventually want to head home. I do know of one draftee who was no chance to last to St Kilda's pick a few years back, whose relationship with Trout & Ameet was a major influence in him being very keen to get to Seaford last trade period. Which he did.

Re: the question why a young player would leave GWS to come to a club that is currently in a similar position... I'd also consider that a big group of kids with massive ego's can be very off putting for some blokes. Outside of Callum Ward I reckon GWS is threadbare for really strong leaders who can pull out of control egos into line (Mumford was a problem for the Swans- we just rarely heard about it, Heaf Shaw is ...well Heaf Shaw, Josh Hunt was never in the leadership group at Geelong & the other senior players just don't have the reputation to demand respect).

I think next season we are unfortunately going to be right in the mix for last place... that is hopefully going to put us into a position to be super aggressive & try to use that #1 PSD pick to pry someone loose.

I'm a big wrap for Patton... he just needs to be the main man. He's still contracted for 2015 I believe so GWS will command top dollar to prise him loose this year. If they outsmart themselves & he stays on in 2015, he can then be the big fish to target for a reasonable trade or PSD selection (or Cameron for that matter!)

So

2014 Trade
Somehow get Dylan Shiel without giving up our 1st pick.

2014 Draft
Pick 2- Sam Durdin or Hugh Goddard (two most versatile talls)
Pick 20, 38, 56- Best available

2015 Draft
Pick 1- Best available (hopefully an absolute jet of a midfielder)
Pick 19, 37, etc- Best available
PSD
Pick 1- Jon Patton

BOOM!

[Pleasing]

Think Cameron is just ensuring he receives a very big and long contract extension at GWS. He is the most important player on the GWS list and the GWS are the AFL's most important club, money will be found to make sure he is a multi millionaire and the face of the GWS for years to come.

Patton should be our target for 2015 just can't see how he and Boyd work in the same forward line. The new Sydney four tall forward line only works because Buddy Goodes and Reid are all mobile targets with Buddy and Goodes as good on the ground as they are in the Air. Tippet is the stay at home forward you can only have one of those.

GWS are already making compromises to fit these guys in like playing Cameron at CHB last week. Not to mention the guys on their list like Jacksh who can't get a game due to the log jam of KPP they have.

Ideally you want one big monster Key Forward like Hawkins or Cloke and one mobile marking target like Riewoldt or Pavlich. You can have more than one mobile target like Sydney but only one monster.

I like the idea of Patton and Goddard they at least on paper appear complimentary, and Patton will have done his apprenticeship already. They also would compliment the other potential tall forwards on our list already Lee, Sipposs, White and Stanley are all mobile types.

So I am all for Animal Enclosures trade and draft plan for 2014 - 15 would set us up perfectly even if it is a little optimistic

[Old Mate]

According to Robbo (basically said his source is Cameron's manager) Cameron has been offered 8mil over 7 years from GWS and has not accepted it. I'd dare say his decision is made with a particular club/s in mind. I doubt he will be at GWS post 2015.

[dragit]

According to Robbo (basically said his source is Cameron's manager) Cameron has been offered 8mil over 7 years from GWS and has not accepted it. I'd dare say his decision is made with a particular club/s in mind. I doubt he will be at GWS post 2015.

Holy sheet.

Sydney would be funny.

Freo, pies, hawthorn chances?

[FQF]

According to Robbo (basically said his source is Cameron's manager) Cameron has been offered 8mil over 7 years from GWS and has not accepted it. I'd dare say his decision is made with a particular club/s in mind. I doubt he will be at GWS post 2015.

Holy sheet.

Sydney would be funny.

Freo, pies, hawthorn chances?

Freo wouldn't surprise me. Been trying to find a forward for years, and have money to spare from all reports.

You can never rule out some underhanded corruption from Blues or Pies though.

[plugger66]

Don't underestimate the relationship that Trout & Ameet have built with young players that were drafted by other clubs. During their interviews with prospective draftees both guys have apparently been super impressive & left many players with a feeling that they would be very happy being drafted by St Kilda.

It's a very smart & forward thinking approach, especially with so many Victorian kids heading north over the past few years that may eventually want to head home. I do know of one draftee who was no chance to last to St Kilda's pick a few years back, whose relationship with Trout & Ameet was a major influence in him being very keen to get to Seaford last trade period. Which he did.

Re: the question why a young player would leave GWS to come to a club that is currently in a similar position... I'd also consider that a big group of kids with massive ego's can be very off putting for some blokes. Outside of Callum Ward I reckon GWS is threadbare for really strong leaders who can pull out of control egos into line (Mumford was a problem for the Swans- we just rarely heard about it, Heaf Shaw is ...well Heaf Shaw, Josh Hunt was never in the leadership group at Geelong & the other senior players just don't have the reputation to demand respect).

I think next season we are unfortunately going to be right in the mix for last place... that is hopefully going to put us into a position to be super aggressive & try to use that #1 PSD pick to pry someone loose.

I'm a big wrap for Patton... he just needs to be the main man. He's still contracted for 2015 I believe so GWS will command top dollar to prise him loose this year. If they outsmart themselves & he stays on in 2015, he can then be the big fish to target for a reasonable trade or PSD selection (or Cameron for that matter!)

So

2014 Trade
Somehow get Dylan Shiel without giving up our 1st pick.

2014 Draft
Pick 2- Sam Durdin or Hugh Goddard (two most versatile talls)
Pick 20, 38, 56- Best available

2015 Draft
Pick 1- Best available (hopefully an absolute jet of a midfielder)
Pick 19, 37, etc- Best available
PSD
Pick 1- Jon Patton

BOOM!

Can I ask why they would make an impression more than others? And why would it matter anyway? if a player is going to leave a club after a couple of yeears it will be for money or a chance to win a flag. What 2 people said in a meeting a few years ago surely has no bearing especially as the players would have nothing to do with either of them once they join the club. We have no money and havent bottomed out. The way i see it we get players star 2 ways. Drafting them or paying more money than they are worth and a hell of a lot more. We dont really have any other selling points yet. Once we bottom out and start heading up the ladder it will hopefully change and I think it will.

By the way for all those saying lets use the PSD to get a star player can they tell me when that has happened lately. If we Banking on the PSD I reckon we all here will be disapponted.

[Zed]

For the record I like Patton. I reckon he gives a forward line great structure and makes everyone walk taller. I reckon a guy like Milney would love playing alongside a Patton far more than a Tom Lee or Jack Reiwoldt.