Is our Match Committee f#%king drunk???

[Wrote for Luck]

Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)

Underneath our frustrations may be that a number of young players either haven't played enough, or haven't come on, or have been unlucky with injury. This should have been a big development year where we needed these players to step up and show something for 2018. Only White imo has done that but now even he's out:

McCartin (concern)
Hickey (shockingly gone backwards)
Freeman (who admittedly done pretty well considering, but still without a game, and injured)
Rice (would have been good to see him this year done well in VFL)
White (should be in the team last two games)
McKenzie (no signs)
Long (no highlight reel)
Goddard (shocker)
Pierce (massively backwards)
Minchington (injury)
Marshall (should have had a run)
Wright (in and out)

I won't put Battle in this list who isn't ready and quite bizarrely picked a few weeks ago.

[st.byron]

Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)

Underneath our frustrations may be that a number of young players either haven't played enough, or haven't come on, or have been unlucky with injury. This should have been a big development year where we needed these players to step up and show something for 2018. Only White imo has done that but now even he's out:

McCartin (concern)
Hickey (shockingly gone backwards)
Freeman (who admittedly done pretty well considering, but still without a game, and injured)
Rice (would have been good to see him this year done well in VFL)
White (should be in the team last two games)
McKenzie (no signs)
Long (no highlight reel)
Goddard (shocker)
Pierce (massively backwards)
Minchington (injury)
Marshall (should have had a run)
Wright (in and out)

I won't put Battle in this list who isn't ready and quite bizarrely picked a few weeks ago.

Looking at that list really does make me wonder about the quality of our player development. Completely agree with the OP.

[Saintmatt]

Quote from Richo: "it's positive and pleasing that we are really strong and committed to the process. We had a really positive and pleasing third quarter against Melbourne and if you discount the first quarter, as I have done, we won the game. Whitey has been very positive and pleasing and he is part of future. That's why he was dropped.

North are a really strong and committed side even though they've lost 9 out of their last 10. We need to bring our best to win."

You missed the overuse of "incredibly" - in adjective form - too. As in, "my media offerings are incredibly bland and quite frankly, cringeworthy. I have no doubt our supporters are rightly embarrassed by them"

[WellardSaint]

Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)

Underneath our frustrations may be that a number of young players either haven't played enough, or haven't come on, or have been unlucky with injury. This should have been a big development year where we needed these players to step up and show something for 2018. Only White imo has done that but now even he's out:

McCartin (concern)
Hickey (shockingly gone backwards)
Freeman (who admittedly done pretty well considering, but still without a game, and injured)
Rice (would have been good to see him this year done well in VFL)
White (should be in the team last two games)
McKenzie (no signs)
Long (no highlight reel)
Goddard (shocker)
Pierce (massively backwards)
Minchington (injury)
Marshall (should have had a run)
Wright (in and out)

I won't put Battle in this list who isn't ready and quite bizarrely picked a few weeks ago.

Looking at that list really does make me wonder about the quality of our player development. Completely agree with the OP.

^^^ I will say nothing except point to my signature.

However, I am confident that I will get abused by some on here as a "Henny Penny" the sky is falling type of pessimist.

[saintsRrising]

I think there are two things at play.

1/ That despite the crowing by the List Management Team, that their drafting of kids has not been as good as it needs to be if you want to be a Top 4 Team.

2/ That more youth has not been played when opportunity presented (and I am not talking about being silly about it with wholesale playing of kids, but for example not playing Rice when he had that really good patch of form rather than just naming him in the emergencies for weeks on end).


The coach and club would seem to have focused too much on winning a flag this year. And yes while in theory this is a worthy goal, it was completely over-estimating the capabilities of our list.

We have played top 8 teams 11 times this year, but have only won 3 times. And while this yes does point to a difficult draw it also does show that we are off the mark at present.

Now there has been some bad luck with Paddy's concussion and Goddard''s foot, or even the ankle injury that put Freeman out'. However I find it very difficult to believe that if our target is as stated a Premiership by 2020 that we have not gotten some more games into some players who may be part of that. And conversely too to test them out at the highest level to see if they are not.

Rice in particular had a hot patch before having some minor injuries that cooled him. Now just because he was playing Geary's role at Sandi I see that as no reason to have not tried him out in the seniors. He is a good ball user and kick and could have been blooded in other roles.

NoK too in a season where our small forwards have been underwhelming could easily have been tried out in that role if they deemed him still too small for the midfield.

Marshall only one game? The one game he did play he went ok. Again what was our priority? 2017 or in rebuilding out team to be at our best in 2020?

Now yes if we were a genuine contender you could understand sticking with the old hands as much as we have. But we are not and so to me 2017 will be a year of opportunity missed in that we did not use it to develop more of our youth. In 2017 our coaching team have backed the wrong horse.

[WellardSaint]

saintsrising's post
brings some pertinent points that can not be denied, he is bloody bang on the mark here.

I suggest they brought Long in early this year more as a gesture of faith in him,
it was gifted rather than earnt.

They insist on playing injured players like the Candle in the Wind #44
when he cannot compete or offer anything positive (oh that word again)

Very poor judgement. The coaches junta- there is confidence in your own processes, and then there is damn stubborn denial.
I suggest strongly that it is the latter at play.

[WellardSaint]

Tigers were laughed at for players like Ty VIckery,
I suggest we have many of our own underwhelming underachievers
and we have far too many of them, who are like a millstone around the neck,
holding back the team and costing us games.

[saintspremiers]

Good teams blood players and still win enough games to make the eight. We haven't mainly because we drafted and/or developed poorly.

Looking at that list we could easily deist 8 players without any fuss.

[saynta]

Last week, opening few minutes.
Mav gets the ball, runs into goal, sees Membrey alone in the goal square but ignores him and kicks across goal to a marking contest which Bruce loses. I scream out some obscenities to the dill. Ball gets cleared down the other end where Acres who is still half asleep tackles the freekick taker and incurs a 50 metres penalty resulting in a goal. I put my head in my hands.
I knew then after only a few minutes we were f***ed. Season that at times had promised so much up in smoke.

And the two clowns get picked again this week whilst White gets dropped.

Such is the life we choose.

[saintsRrising]

I suggest they brought Long in early this year more as a gesture of faith in him,
it was gifted rather than earnt.
.

As I think that as our focus needs to be on rebuilding I do not mind at all when they brought Long in that first time. In fact this is what we need more of.

So for example Battle being given a game is good. He will now know better what the level is that he needs to improve to bea first 22 player.

The second time around I think that some others could have been tried.

As we are rebuilding I do not expect (though I hope!) that any of the kids will instantly make it.

As we are rebuilding I am just very concerned that over the year that we have not put enough games into some of younger players. Again not wholesale playing them, but yest getting some games into more of them when opportune.

[Linton Lodger]

It is a perplexing change, I understand that whilst we're technically a chance of making Finals, we cannot blood youngsters, but! White one ordinary game on the back of three good ones and he's out?

I would suggest that the obvious change was Weller out and Lonie in. Mav has just had a run of poor form, doesn't appear to be moving over the ground comfortably and it doesn't appear that he goes well playing deep forward.

Instead after a woeful kicking display, we drop someone who is elite by foot!

[SaintPav]

Where can we voice our disappointment at this decision - Seriously - if it was not Roo's last home game - I WOULD NOT BE GOING ON SUNDAY - F@rk them - if they can't look to the future I am tempted to not renew my membership - we do not get to many games - but I still pay for seats and Social Club - over $500.00 per year for two memberships - and they serve up this sh!t - No more - Not on my watch - this is a pathetic decision

They had better come out an say that White is in a wheelchair - because even if he has a niggle - they have carried Weller through worse - and this game will be one that White can learn from the buzz and excitement surrounding Roos last game.

THIS P!SSES ME OFF!!!!!!!!!

Not f@rking buying tickets to the Best and Fairest - because it is unfair that our best were not on the field every week!!!!

You're not settling a great example, Dad.

Did you miss taking your meds?

[fugazi]

Why drop White...one of the few kids to show real promise

[Yorkeys]

I hope this in line with the thread, more than less, and it draws heavily on hindsight . Last night it struck me that Tom Lynch the red head was a Saints player. I think Membrey is better - but by how much. We (Ross Lyon) let TL leave some time ago rather than develop him. Forgive the sacrilege, but would it have been better for Roo to retire last year. I understood the rationale for another year was to groom a CHF and Roo would play wing and tutor others how to be the important link player. But neither has happened and he won't be able to hand hold next year. We all adore him but the opportunity to let Marshall have a go has been lost in 2017. As I say, hindsight. I also think we have some "litmus test" players. Saints cannot go deep into finals imo if Savage and Weller are in the team, notwithstanding how serviceable they are on occasions. Acres is heading into that category, I fear but hope I'm wrong (as I usually am). I remember Robert Eddy, great housemate but how could you win a GF with him playing half back. AR has taught pressure and tackling but that doesn't directly translate to goals and to live by that you need a big side, and we are not. I am concerned about the ordinariness of the team, tactics, skills and the support cast. If White and Marshall could not get into the team for Saturday, when - if ever. BTW Hawthorn just resigned a ruckman named McEvoy that has a couple of premierships to his name.

[Jacks Back]

I don't believe young players should necessarily be gifted games for the sake of it.

However, White deserves to keep his place on form.

Dreadful decision unless there are other issues we don't know about.

Hey StPeter, Before you ring your bell,
He's been down to Sandy town, Done his time in hell.

[Saintmatt]

And we're back.

Thanks Match Committee - failed midget with a trick bag Lonie for Gilbert. There's a like for like.

Maybe thought about that target hitting B White guy? Or the (at lest at VFL level) target hitting Bailey Rice? Both of whom are running defenders. Let's instead go for a flaky in and out small forward.

What are we hoping to learn about Lonie that we don't already know?

Seriously - I don't want to but I feel like I want give up after this idiocy. How much does a logical person have to put up with? Who are the muppets running this show?

[dragit]

[StPeter]

Ridiculous decision to prefer Lonie to White this week.

White did more in his three games than Lonie has shown in his whole career!

[Bernard Shakey]

We're tanking!

[The Fireman]

Your not on your Lonie

[fugazi]

And we're back.

Thanks Match Committee - failed midget with a trick bag Lonie for Gilbert. There's a like for like.

Maybe thought about that target hitting B White guy? Or the (at lest at VFL level) target hitting Bailey Rice? Both of whom are running defenders. Let's instead go for a flaky in and out small forward.

What are we hoping to learn about Lonie that we don't already know?

Seriously - I don't want to but I feel like I want give up after this idiocy. How much does a logical person have to put up with? Who are the muppets running this show?

WTF?
Can anyone explain the love affair with Lonie. He can't even kick small forward goals, can't stick a tackle, gets outmarked in any contest and has no penetration with his kicks...what IS his purpose?

Brandon Barry White on the other hand has exactly what we need to develop...long accurate kicking.

[SuperSaint]

No wonder our player development has gone backwards. Selection decisions this year have made me question Richardson's coaching ability and I doubt him now as the right man to take the club up the ladder.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

He's a world-class stager though.

[David-Lee]

Maybe its the last look at Lonie...? So White is out as he is safe for years to come but give Lonie 1 more to show something or he's cut from the team?

Also I like the enthusiasm of Yorkey saying Membrey is better than Tom Lynch...maybe one day but not quite yet.

[GregPackhamsHeadband]

Surely it's a last ditch attempt to boost Lonie's value at the trade table. I wonder how Brandon White's feeling right now. Way to break a kid's spirit, Richo. Nietzsche was wrong. What doesn't kill you makes you weaker for the next time, when you do get killed.