Standalone VFL team abandoned - Sandy/Moorabbin deal ...

[SemperFidelis]

From Caro this afternoon ...

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... pgerw.html

Indefinite partnership, pooling of facilities, games at Moorabbin under Saints colours, maintain Trevor barker oval as well, selection restrictions lifted, leaves room for a women's team.

[Bernard Shakey]

Good move by both clubs!

[satchmo]

Surely not THAT Danny Corcoran ???

[Impatient Sainter]

I think its just another indication of how much the club is struggling financially, that they cant afford a stand alone team! Pity really was looking forward to see the team build a VFL following at Moorabbin.

[St Chris]

Really disappointing.

Regardless of how positive the club spins this, we're still gonna have our hands tied in one way or another. Having a stand alone team was the only way to achieve total autonomy.

Sandy is too proud to allow us control of the club, so this is not a total takeover (a la Box Hill & Hawthorn).

Wearing the colours and playing at Moorabbin means nothing, the team will still be Sandringham and they will still be just an affiliated team. Our young Saints will still be the "outsiders".

This was an opportunity to show we weren't a total basketcase club, to provide support for our own 2nds team with all of that handout cash we get from AFL house. But we're not even capable of that....

[Moods]

Really disappointing.

Regardless of how positive the club spins this, we're still gonna have our hands tied in one way or another. Having a stand alone team was the only way to achieve total autonomy.

Sandy is too proud to allow us control of the club, so this is not a total takeover (a la Box Hill & Hawthorn).

Wearing the colours and playing at Moorabbin means nothing, the team will still be Sandringham and they will still be just an affiliated team. Our young Saints will still be the "outsiders".

This was an opportunity to show we weren't a total basketcase club, to provide support for our own 2nds team with all of that handout cash we get from AFL house. But we're not even capable of that....

Agree with all this - and on another note, makes me question further why we are bidding for a women's team? FFS if we don't have the facilities and infrastructure in place to accommodate a women's team then why do we need it so badly? The pies bid for all these things because they have so much cash they don't know what to do with it all - as obviously they are restricted with salary cap payments as there is a lid on that stuff. THey can expand and become this footy giant. Who are we trying to kid. Our first priority should have been getting this VFL team off the ground - nothing else

[sunsaint]

the club is spread between 3 different ovals
And I dont think this announcement bodes well for a womens' team

[White Winmar]

We have no hope of getting one of the women's licences. Only four up for grabs. You'd have to say the filth, pussies, dogs and Dees well ahead of us. Then there's the Tigers at Punt Road, kangas and blues. Then maybe us. All this talk about bayside is just that. Talk. We simply don't have the cash or ready made facilities.

[skeptic]

I reckon this is a great outcome...

The partnership is working well, our players are playing where we want them too and its financially responsible.

There's a reason why they don't have an AFL reserves anymore... It's just not viable. It's all the rage at the moment but most clubs minus the power ones will struggle again at some point or another, and it will fall apart very quickly.

In my opinion you're better getting into something like this... Tough out the teething problems which we have done, and find a way to make it work for both clubs.
IMO that's a great outcome for the directors, admin, coaches etc that have and will continue to skill up to make this work, and the younger/developing players are part of a club with pride, passion and experience playing to win.

I'm guessing I'm going to be on the outer here but I'm wrapt

[Con Gorozidis]

I don't think this is a bad thing. Seems to be working ok. North are going ok without a VFL side and the Eagles and Crows seem to go ok without stand-alone reserves sides.

I would bet that most of the players will be happy to train at Sandy & Moorabbin.

[Impatient Sainter]

Didnt we hear that Sandringham would have struggled to finance their own team also if we left - sounds like its just a dollars and cents decision all round.

[HitTheBoundary]

If they fix the quota system with Sandy then that's the biggest problem fixed already.

But if it doesn't work out, by then we'll have our own ground, and we can go stand alone.
If we want to.

[derby Street]

I don't think this is a bad thing. Seems to be working ok. North are going ok without a VFL side and the Eagles and Crows seem to go ok without stand-alone reserves sides.

I would bet that most of the players will be happy to train at Sandy & Moorabbin.

I thought the Crows had a stand alone reserves side

[saintbob]

I don't think this is a bad thing. Seems to be working ok. North are going ok without a VFL side and the Eagles and Crows seem to go ok without stand-alone reserves sides.

I would bet that most of the players will be happy to train at Sandy & Moorabbin.

I thought the Crows had a stand alone reserves side

The Crows do have their own stand alone reserve side

[saintbob]

From Caro this afternoon ...

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... pgerw.html

Indefinite partnership, pooling of facilities, games at Moorabbin under Saints colours, maintain Trevor barker oval as well, selection restrictions lifted, leaves room for a women's team.

So is it only games at Moorabbin when they wear the Saints colours???

[George27]

I think this is a good outcome. It is important to the development of our kids- and more enjoyable for us supporters - to have a strong Reserves team. The Sandy players - Cook, Noone, Elliott LeGrice, Kreymborg , Simpkin , Dennis-Lane - contribute strongly to that.

Let's look at this week. We have 37 fit players ( excluding Joe Baker-Thomas ) . 22 in the seniors plus one game day reserve. That leaves 14 to play for Sandy. If we were standalone, from where would we get the other nine players ( five on interchange in VFL) ? Whoever they were, they would be way inferior to the Sandy boys. We would be as weak as the pathetic Pies reserves team we thumped a few weeks ago.

[BigMart]

Correct

And it's really important to have mature, big bodied mids to support the developing players

Of the last 15 seasons

Steve Harrison, Damien Carroll, Shane Tregear, James Magner, Myke Cook and Adam Cockie have been the b&fs

All experienced and very good VFL footballers

[Johnny Member]

Surely we can do without the token 'Saints jumpers at Moorabbin' bit though?


I'd much prefer a women's team FWIW.


I love the Zebba in their own right, so I'd far prefer they remain stand alone.

[saintspremiers]

Surely we can do without the token 'Saints jumpers at Moorabbin' bit though?


I'd much prefer a women's team FWIW.


I love the Zebba in their own right, so I'd far prefer they remain stand alone.

How watchable is women's footy? Can they kick the ball a reasonable distance? I've never seen a game so just asking.

[magnifisaint]

I think it's a good fit for both St.Kilda and Sandy. Finnis is no mug so he'd know what would be best for the Saints. He's certainly no Archie "Fookin" Fraser, the most moronic CEO that we've ever had. Put us back 10 years!

[saintsRrising]

While emotionally I think that Saints fans would prefer a stand alone team StKilda is at present, and most likely for many years yet, pretty much a financial basket case. Going it alone these days when you also have to play at different grounds and on different days is a large financial drain.

However the current arrangement has some significant flaws. The proposed deal seems to overcome most of those flaws. Particularly the ability to develop our players not playing in the seniors, and this is key. It will also be nice to see the team in StKilda colours for 3 games per year.

Spend less than you earn is a wise adage. The new arrangement would look to give us most of what we require, but at a lower cost. And as pointed out above there are some pluses. Also the Sandy arrangement does mean they get to play in front of some specatators which would be much lower as a standalone team

[Wrote for Luck]

For fans not enamored with traveling to west Melbourne on a Sunday night to watch the Saints play under lights and second fiddle to gambling adverts with a rooted atmosphere, the stand alone VFL team at Moorabbin was our opportunity to cheer on the red, white and black at our old home ground in a traditional time slot.

That's now f***ed.

[saintsRrising]

For fans not enamored with traveling to west Melbourne on a Sunday night to watch the Saints play under lights and second fiddle to gambling adverts with a rooted atmosphere, the stand alone VFL team at Moorabbin was our opportunity to cheer on the red, white and black at our old home ground in a traditional time slot.

That's now f***ed.

Out of interest why would being stand alone entitle them to play in a traditional time slot? When we played the Pies at their home venue it was not at a traditional time?

Distance wise Moorabbinn is not that far from the TB Oval. So why is that much of a factor?

Advertising would return to Moorabbin if the Saints play any games there including the mooted 3 games.

[Linton Lodger]

I have to say that I'm really disappointed. Nothing against a Women's team, but this was more important, far more important.

Geelong and Footscray are an example of the great benefits of having your own VFL team. Podsiadly would never have been an AFL player otherwise and that's just one example.

I'll use Arryn Sipposs as an example. In my view the kid had loads of potential, far more than say Tom Lynch (our version now at Adelaide). Perhaps his ability to do the work required or attitude were the reason for him not making it, however, having to miss Sandy games or play in their Development squad wouldn't have helped at all. Same goes for Spencer White & others, such as Holmes and indeed Lewis Pierce. A couple weeks ago Delaney was in the Development team and now he's catapulted into the senior team.

Are we to believe that Sandringham with their VFL/VFA history are just going to roll over and become the St Kilda Reserves team? That's what we need a Reserves team, where you're guaranteed a game if you don't make senior selection, playing the same systems on a reasonably sized ground.

[magnifisaint]

I have to say that I'm really disappointed. Nothing against a Women's team, but this was more important, far more important.

Geelong and Footscray are an example of the great benefits of having your own VFL team. Podsiadly would never have been an AFL player otherwise and that's just one example.

I'll use Arryn Sipposs as an example. In my view the kid had loads of potential, far more than say Tom Lynch (our version now at Adelaide). Perhaps his ability to do the work required or attitude were the reason for him not making it, however, having to miss Sandy games or play in their Development squad wouldn't have helped at all. Same goes for Spencer White & others, such as Holmes and indeed Lewis Pierce. A couple weeks ago Delaney was in the Development team and now he's catapulted into the senior team.

Are we to believe that Sandringham with their VFL/VFA history are just going to roll over and become the St Kilda Reserves team? That's what we need a Reserves team, where you're guaranteed a game if you don't make senior selection, playing the same systems on a reasonably sized ground.

How is Spencer White doing in WA?