Where are we headed?

[OneEyedSainter77]

Both next year and the future.

Next year? See us heading down. Not to tank or anything but I see 2009 as more of a development year.

Get some of our younger players some much needed experience, finish around 7th-9th.

There's a lot of key areas we need to work on next year and I think we need to get stuck into these.

Future? Good. For now. Our core group is actually quite good - we need to develop our fringe and younger players to make a solid 22.

I don't think we need to bottom out, but maybe just try some new things next year, have an intense review of the entire list and staff and then have another crack in 2010.

Reasons.... I don't think 2009 is the season to have a crack. We won't get close to the top three next year (who will remain the top three from this year)

So I think we should make next year a transition year. I'd like to make the finals because then we give our younger players a chance to get some finals games under their belt.

Thoughts? (Boy I hope I don't get in trouble for this)

[Lenny_Hayes7]

Agree 100% Can't add anythin else because you said it all in the OP Very nice post!

[JeffDunne]

Where are we headed?

I belive this week it's Seaford but you might want to regulary check for updates on this.

[Teflon]

Good thread....aside from the hilarious glib humour on show....

I've been wondering this myself...we are in a good position (have a solid foundation and some very good players in core) but yet a bad spot (we need to support this core with talent NOW not in 3yrs and its hard with GC etc coming in)

What do you do?

Target kids, hope your core hangs on/round and spend next year developing?

Trade, target mid age 25-28yr olds with a view to reloading for another crack in 09?

To do number 2 your gonna lose picks
To do number 1 you could see yourself slide for more than a year as the kids take time to come while your core starts to age....

Earning your cash now Roscoe...

[Saints Premiers 2008]

the core alone will get us in the 8 and will continue to for the next few years

the rest is up to the youngen's and the footy gods

[Teflon]

the core alone will get us in the 8 and will continue to for the next few years

the rest is up to the youngen's and the footy gods

I put that post up and dad said "SP will know the way"

You never let me down.

[Saints43]

Target kids, hope your core hangs on/round and spend next year developing?

This is a massive issue hardly anyone seems to consider when going with the 'get some games into kids' line.

Lenny Hayes may only have three years of football left. Does it ever occur to people that he may not want to hang around while we clear out/rebuild the list so that someone else can have a crack at winning a flag when he's retired?

It's a fine line between building for the future and not disenfranchising the current top players. Especially with the compromised drafting period coming up. With the cream of the youth being denied to most clubs proven players - particularly those with an expectation of playing on for another four/five years will be heavily targeted IMO.

[Winmar7Fan]

the core alone will get us in the 8 and will continue to for the next few years

the rest is up to the youngen's and the footy gods

I agree I think also add the fact we should be a better settled and structured team now with our coaching side of things, we will go into next season as we finished this one rather than as we started.

It may sound silly with how well we finished up, but I'd like to think we had our slump and back step earlier this year and are now on our way up.

[spert]

I think we will flop around positions 4-9th unless we have a big cleanout and start recruiting to cover our obvious weaknessess. Much work needs to be done, especially in the midfield and forward line. Some smart recruiting for the future is definately a must. Barker and Rock as assistant coaches should come under scrutiny, whereas Simon Madden seems to have done well in ruck coaching for us.

[brown-coat]

We're good enough to make finals but not to take the next step.

We made the prelim so no drastic measures will be taken to rebuild, bolster or boost the list.

We'll beat the blues, richmond, melbourne etc and win a couple of games against top 8 sides.

We'll never really impress anyone and we won't do anything that's considered ahead of the pack.

Another meh year coming up i suspect, unless it all just magically clicks...

[WayneJudson42]

Fitness and conditioning is on the way up

Players have added a defensive aspect to their game

Never assume that Cats Hawaks or Dogs are unbeatable.. coz they are.

Going for a total rebuild and accepting 2009 as a rebuild year and playing kids for the sake of it will be a waste of our core group's talent IMO.

No point kids coming thru and then Hayes, Roo & Co being to old to go for a flag. All you need is 3 new players blooded a year... more if they are up to it.

With have a good core group, and with some improvement from within, and recruiting, we should be more than competitive over the next 3 to 5 years.

All you need is an injection / imporvement in talent from 3 to 4 players and the results will be extraordinary.

[RodKeoghsLoveChild]

Too many of you guys have your head in the sand. Optimism is one thing but blindly following your team is another.

Bottom 6.

[St. Luke]

No reason why we can't go further in 09.

Hawthorn finished 11th in '06,

Saints finished 6th in '06,

Hawthorn finished 5th in '07

Saints finished 9th in '07

Hawthorn finished 2nd in '08

We finished 4th in '08

To me it looks like we're still on the march.

[FortiusQuoFidelius]

..."SP will know the way"

SP = Sam Phisher???