Eight players to return for hot Saints

[SaintWodonga]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... act+bi_rss

Go Saints!

ST KILDA skipper Nick Riewoldt is ready to go. So are Lenny Hayes, Brendon Goddard, Leigh Montagna, Nick Dal Santo, Sam Fisher, Sam Gilbert and Steven Baker.

So, who has to stand down from the team that pulled off the against-the-odds 25-point win against Hawthorn in Tasmania?

Not only will the Saints' match committee agonise over several selections for Sunday's clash against Essendon, they must guard against psychological spot fires flaring among disappointed players.

Veteran defender Max Hudghton, the sole survivor of St Kilda's last Grand Final team 12 years ago, prefers the uncertainty to past seasons when he claimed some senior personnel were automatic starters irrespective of form.

"We've got nearly a full, healthy list, so you can't fit 40-plus players into 22," Hudghton said yesterday.

"There's going to be guys who are desperate week-in, week-out. Guys who are going to be unlucky. But we have to look at it as a team.

"The contributors who don't play in the team play a valuable role in putting pressure on the team to perform. So you can only say it's a healthy thing from that perspective.

"It puts internal pressure on and guys aren't a walk-up start. I mean, there has been years here when guys have been walk-up starts and, what has happened, the club probably hasn't performed on the biggest stage. And that's September."

Maybe, it is Stephen Milne's turn for a breather this round after the lively forward headed for the dressingrooms after the warm-up while the rest of his teammates completed more than an hour of ball drills in steady rain yesterday.

Steven King, Jason Blake, Michael Gardiner, Sean Dempster and Adam Schneider, all part of the win in Launceston, did only lap work.

At Moorabbin, "internal pressure" is the buzz phrase for the scramble for team places.

"We've got a lot of confidence with every player that steps into the team and what role they play," Hudghton said.

"I think it (Launceston win) was an important exercise to see how guys performed and, obviously, they came out really well and stuck to team structures. And with the tackle count so high, it showed everyone contributed.

"At the end of the day, it's for match committee. That's what they're there for. We can only go out and train hard and look forward to the game ahead."

[degruch]

Hope they don't rest Milney...he love tearing his old side a new one.

[SaintWodonga]

Hope they don't rest Milney...he love tearing his old side a new one.

Me too, he's been great with his defensive work and working with Schnider!

[S.A Saint]

If those 8 players come straight back in then i would go with these changes

Riewoldt for McEvoy (him or king but i think they would prefer to king over him at this stage)
Hayes for Jones (got a knock so will probably be rested after a massive season he has had)
Goddard for Begly
Montagna for Eddy
Dal Santo for armo
Fisher for Geary
Gilbert for Steven
baker for maybe milne if they rest him if not then maybe gwilt

personally would like to see armo and steven given another go this week

[degruch]

...personally would like to see armo and steven given another go this week

Agree...can't see the need for bringing all 8 back in. IMO Gilbert is the most important inclusion, the Dons are down on defense too, so maybe Roo gets another week off?

[Mr Magic]

I think Armo will play.
I would expect
Jones
McQualter
Ray

to all suddenly experience 'niggles' that require a week off.

So if 8 come back in, the following will go out:-

McEvoy
Jones
McQualter
Ray
Begley
Steven
Eddy

and 1 other (maybe Gram)

[aussiejones]

Would really like Steven in this week ...... as a show of faith in his future

[SaintWodonga]

Would really like Steven in this week ...... as a show of faith in his future

I think Armo should get another shot too.

[Stillwaiting]

The awful thing about this is no one deserves to go out

Would like to see Steven get another game but cant see who he could keep out

[S.A Saint]

The awful thing about this is no one deserves to go out

Would like to see Steven get another game but cant see who he could keep out

If Eddy plays then i reckon steven or armo would be very very stiff

[SaintWodonga]

Saints' depth to help in finals push01
http://news.realfooty.com.au/breaking-n ... -ei5y.html

[Stillwaiting]

The awful thing about this is no one deserves to go out

Would like to see Steven get another game but cant see who he could keep out

If Eddy plays then i reckon steven or armo would be very very stiff

Steven would be very stiff, most impressed with him, but anyone of those who came in last week would be ublucky to miss out. Great position for the saints to be in

[The Tin Man]

Steven deserves to get a second crack for sure



Post #1

[Stillwaiting]

Steven deserves to get a second crack for sure



Post #1

He will in time not doubt

[Quixote]

^^^ What happened to post number 2 - the MODERATORS??? thread?

Is disappeared before. Pretty sure I saw your name there though?

[Thinline]

Surely Armitage and Steven are worthy of another go.

Perhaps they could stay at the expense (somehow) of Begley and Eddy.

McEvoy will probably have to make way now, cruelly. King comes in.

Actually, I give up. I think you need a degree to figure out how all this is going to work.

[Beej]

I don't see how McEvoy can get dropped after his performance last weekend.

McEvoy was much better than King.

Wouldn't that send the wrong message?

[Thinline]

I don't see how McEvoy can get dropped after his performance last weekend.

McEvoy was much better than King.

Wouldn't that send the wrong message?

Fair point, although King's rucking is significantly better than the more mobile and versatile McEvoy (he played plenty up forward last weekend). This was all a dilemma I pondered for a moment or two. Then I went 'this is too farkin hard, I give up.'

[Moods]

I posted a couple of weeks ago that I thought that McEvoy should be kept in place of King. However despite Maccas great game on the weekend, I admit that I have under rated King's ruck work. Watching the game on TV for the first time in a long time rather than being at the game, the cameras get in closer to the centre clearances. King is clearly superior in this area - and the all important take aways from these centre clearances appear to favour us much more when King is in there compared to Macca.

I love that McEvoy has developed and that he has virtually played every game since about Rd 10. He is definitely a fantasic back-up. However, I reckon King and Gardiner are our best bets.

[barks4eva]

I was rapt when King got 4 weeks, hoped for 6 because I knew it would give McEvoy valuable experience which might be important should he be required later!

McEvoy has shown that he has the goods, which I already knew he had!

King is still probably the better option IN THE RUCK, but McEvoy does better around the ground!

King needs to use his body more and lift his game, because there is a ready made replacement lying in wait!

Same for Armitage in relation to Ball, which is why I'm still totally bamboozled as to why Armitage was not Ball's immediate replacement and as to why Eddy and Geary kept getting selected ahead of him!

I was amazed last year and annoyed as to why Birss and Fiora were getting selected ahead of Armitage and obviously I was correct when I said at the time, Fiora and Birss are a waste of time and space, while Armitage is all about the future!

Armitage should already have had at least 8 games IMHO this season and is the most obvious replacement for Ball, in terms of putting extra pressure on him for his position in the team!

[degruch]

Same for Armitage in relation to Ball, which is why I'm still totally bamboozled as to why Armitage was not Ball's immediate replacement and as to why Eddy and Geary kept getting selected ahead of him!

I was amazed last year and annoyed as to why Birss and Fiora were getting selected ahead of Armitage and obviously I was correct when I said at the time, Fiora and Birss are a waste of time and space, while Armitage is all about the future!

Armitage should already have had at least 8 games IMHO this season and is the most obvious replacement for Ball, in terms of putting extra pressure on him for his position in the team!

Armo was more ordinary than brilliant last year, although he showed enough for us all to be encouraged, he just couldn't get his hands on the ball.

Birss and Fizz tag teamed last year. Birss was good for most of the season and was unlucky (on form) not to get more time...there were obviously off-field issues getting in the way, hence he's no longer a St Kilda player. I'm sure Fizz was put on final notice for his last few appearances, expected to be playing for his career by the coach. Alas, he confirmed he was not up to it.

[Thinline]

Same for Armitage in relation to Ball, which is why I'm still totally bamboozled as to why Armitage was not Ball's immediate replacement and as to why Eddy and Geary kept getting selected ahead of him!

In a nutshell: legspeed.

I get the impression from joining the dots that Ross Lyon likes blokes who can put in an effort at the contest and then get to space hastily thereafter. I suspect the reason Armo's been overlooked and Bally's been cast aside is the fact that neither of them can do what Ross wants often and/or quickly enough.

[Thinline]

Birss was good for most of the season and was unlucky (on form) not to get more time...there were obviously off-field issues getting in the way, hence he's no longer a St Kilda player.

What did Birss do off-field? Do tell!

[Moods]

Same for Armitage in relation to Ball, which is why I'm still totally bamboozled as to why Armitage was not Ball's immediate replacement and as to why Eddy and Geary kept getting selected ahead of him!

In a nutshell: legspeed.

I get the impression from joining the dots that Ross Lyon likes blokes who can put in an effort at the contest and then get to space hastily thereafter. I suspect the reason Armo's been overlooked and Bally's been cast aside is the fact that neither of them can do what Ross wants often and/or quickly enough.

I agree - Lyon has often referred to 'speading from contests' this year and Ball appears to struggle somewhat in this aspect of his game - probably explains that his possession count is rarely above 25 possessions.

I disagree with you Barks4eva. Armo was great on the weekend you're right there. However as a young up and comer his job is to display this form in the magoos as well which from where I sit, is why he was virtually last bloke picked last weekend. I'm not suggesting that Eddy is a better footballer than Armo. But Eddy rarely plays in the centre, so I'm not sure why you keep mentioning it. As for Geary - he more than justified his selection at the start of the year, and was often in our better players. He has dropped off, but I didn't think he was as poor as some on here have suggested last week.

[degruch]

Birss was good for most of the season and was unlucky (on form) not to get more time...there were obviously off-field issues getting in the way, hence he's no longer a St Kilda player.

What did Birss do off-field? Do tell!

Well, he obviously wasn't dropped on form...he was travelling pretty well and there was a fair amount of talk on here as to why he hadn't been included in the team, leading up to the finals. Especially when Fizz essentially took his place in the finals. I can only assume Birss wasn't doing what RL wanted.

However, fater his delisting it was posted on here that he'd taken it quite badly and suffered some issues, which the club was supposedly helping him with. Whether this was a rumour, gawd knows.