Where the saints are at.

[saynta]

From afl.com.au





ST KILDA

When still in caretaker mode, new senior coach Brett Ratten made his intention clear at his final press conference for the 2019 season, declaring foot skills and ball movement needed drastic improvement. The Saints have already been moving into match simulation mode (albeit modified), using umpires and playing on smaller, marked-out "ovals" at Moorabbin to help work in close.


Injury list
Logan Austin: Underwent shoulder surgery in April, ruling him out for the season, but has been back on deck for quite some time.

Jack Bytel: Missed the entire 2019 season – his first on an AFL list – after back surgery and is now looking in great condition ahead of 2020.

Nick Coffield: Dislocated his shoulder in round 21 and underwent an operation to repair it. Is yet to resume contact work.

Jarryn Geary: The skipper had a nightmare 2019, undergoing emergency surgery on a corkie to release the pressure which had built up, only to fracture his leg upon return. Is back in training, but as a veteran, on an individual plan.

Nick Hind: Had wrist surgery post-season and is back in training.

Dean Kent: After seriously injuring his quad at training in June and having an operation, Kent is back to full health.

Max King: Suffered a syndesmosis ankle injury mid-year which ended his season, but is back in full training.

Ben Long: Another one who needed wrist surgery after round 23, but is back training.
Ben Long competes in St Kilda's 3km time trial. Picture: AFL Photos

Dylan Roberton: Has been given the green light to return to full training after nearly two years on the sidelines with a heart issue. Is now on medication to regulate his heart, as well as having an internal defibrillator in his chest.

Jack Steele: Is on running duties after having surgery on his kneecap, which he dislocated mid-year, with an eye to returning to contact work in the new year.

Jimmy Webster: Is gradually working off back tightness that has recently restricted him to running.

Christmas Break
The Saints went on leave on Friday and will return on January 11. The team already had their pre-season camp in Barwon Heads on the west coast of Victoria in early December.

Marsh Community Series
Thursday, February 20 v Hawthorn @ RSEA Park
Sunday, March 8 v Collingwood @ Morwell Reserve

And another thing…
The Saints have seemed to employ a new tactic to bring the fun (and discipline) to training. Occasionally, the last players to reach the team huddle at the conclusion of a drill having to take part in a piggy-back wrestling war, the type usually played out in a swimming pool. – Sarah Black"

[Nick_BlueNRG]

We need to be the fittest team in the league. We also need to be the smartest team in the league. We need to look at rotating players at certain stages of the year to keep them fresh and to hopefully avoid injuries.

[Gershwin]

And we need to be innovative in our style of play and not just follow trends as we have for 20 years. I remember when Leigh Matthews and Brisbane won premierships with players with big bums so we bulked up but the new style became fit, running players so we reacted by slimming down. Always a step behind.

[BarryGrogan]

We need to be the fittest team in the league. We also need to be the smartest team in the league. We need to look at rotating players at certain stages of the year to keep them fresh and to hopefully avoid injuries.

Awesome insight dude.

[freely]

And we need to be innovative in our style of play and not just follow trends as we have for 20 years. I remember when Leigh Matthews and Brisbane won premierships with players with big bums so we bulked up but the new style became fit, running players so we reacted by slimming down. Always a step behind.

Just wrote a similar thing in another thread G before I saw this. Couldn't agree more.

[Life Long Saint]

Always a step behind.

Except in 2009. We set trends.
I was at an Auskick coaching clinic in 2010 with two North Melbourne assistant coaches and they were using us as the benchmark on how to set up for creating stoppages and turnovers.