Max perfect match up for Chapman

[saintkid]

Hi all,

Had to post my thoughts on the disappointment of Max not being selected in the team for any of the finals. I was wishing he would take Raph Clarke's position and I honestly believe if Max played on Chapman, he would not have been the matchwinner yesterday. Clarke was very poor in the Grand Final yesterday and I think Ross Lyon got it wrong in not playing Max. His second efforts defending are better than Clarke's first efforts!
I am also sad of the way Max has bowed out of the game as he is a champion player and deserved better. It would have been an inspirational final game for him and he would not have let the team down. Thanks for ALL the memories Max, we will miss your fearless and desperate play.

[HarveysDeciple]

Chapman is a midfield crumber, would have lost Max in traffic.

We needed 2 steven Bakers. Max is a star, but would have been smashed apart by chapman.

[plugger66]

Max has been a great player but I think the pace of yesterdays game proved that RL made the right the right selections. Even though other players were found out under the pressure Max just would not have been fit enough to run out the game yesterday. The pressure was the most I have ever seen in a game.

[chook23]

In relation to Max on chapman.........rubbish IMO

Max underdone........body gone....not the player he was (but people keep thinking Max still at his career best)

would have been run of his feet

[vacuous space]

When was the last time Max actually played on a small? People keep trotting out the 'he can play on smalls' line, but he hasn't done it for quite a while. Max has played exclusively on talls since before RL took over. He probably hasn't played on a small since Penny's knee broke down.

[Sainternist]

sadly, i don't think max would have bared much impact on this game, if he had of been selected. ross lyon and co got the best possible on the park, imo.

[saintkid]

Just my opinion. Really thought Max's spoiling and second efforts would have been more useful than Clarke's game contribution yesterday.

[Rice Paper]

Max would have been killed by Chapman.

Raph played the role he was expected and coached to play. When he was tackled by Rooke for the first goal, it was Fisher's fault, he should have sheperded Raph, protect the ball carrier. Instead Fisher went looking for the cheap handball like he had when he got 40 pos. against Collingwood.

We need to get another fast defender into the backline, someone like Luke Miles who has got good leg speed and a very good kick.

[BakesFan]

I love Max as much as anybody... but given yestrday's conditions I'd say Armo would have still gotten in ahead of Max.

[HarveysDeciple]

Raph is the easy target for those who don't understand football all that much.

He played badly yesterday, but he's the first target.
Anyone who thinks Max could have played on Chapman doesn't watch Aussie rules all that much.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Max has been a great player but I think the pace of yesterdays game proved that RL made the right the right selections. Even though other players were found out under the pressure Max just would not have been fit enough to run out the game yesterday. The pressure was the most I have ever seen in a game.

Max could have easily played on Hawkins, freeing up Blake to play on whoever Raph was playing on. Raph has been a "ticking time bomb" all year and yesterday he "exploded".
I agree that Max wouldn't have been the ideal match up for Chapman, but I'd certainly also have put him on Ablett, when he went to the goalsquare. Gilbert gave away a crucial free to Ablett in the marking contest. I dare say Max wouldn't have.
We not only lost Max's shut down ability yesterday, but also the spirit and passion and leadership and experience and all the other "intangibles" he brings to the table.

[GrumpyOne]

Enough of all this.

What would all the Max-includers have said if he had done his hammy in the first five minutes?

Best possible team was out on the park.

Enough of the What-Ifs.... we lost..... now bring on 2010.

[plugger66]

Max has been a great player but I think the pace of yesterdays game proved that RL made the right the right selections. Even though other players were found out under the pressure Max just would not have been fit enough to run out the game yesterday. The pressure was the most I have ever seen in a game.

Max could have easily played on Hawkins, freeing up Blake to play on whoever Raph was playing on. Raph has been a "ticking time bomb" all year and yesterday he "exploded".
I agree that Max wouldn't have been the ideal match up for Chapman, but I'd certainly also have put him on Ablett, when he went to the goalsquare. Gilbert gave away a crucial free to Ablett in the marking contest. I dare say Max wouldn't have.
We not only lost Max's shut down ability yesterday, but also the spirit and passion and leadership and experience and all the other "intangibles" he brings to the table.

Well i suggest to you that RL didnt think Max could play on anyone yesterday and as such wasnt given a game. To those people with amazing hindsight can you go back one week and remember that Raph played well but now we we want him dropped after yesterdays event. if they have that much amazing hindsight they probably would have also know we were going to lose by 12 points yesterday.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

There has been talk in recent weeks about how badly Tom Harley has been going, yet they stuck with him, because he too brought all those "intangible" things to the table. They didn't hang a highly respected leader, who's given his all to his club, out to dry, simply because he was on the bad side of a "line ball" selection. We did that to Max, who was still being spoken about as a possible inclusion, by Ross, as recently as this week.
How did it work out?

[saintkid]

Max has been a great player but I think the pace of yesterdays game proved that RL made the right the right selections. Even though other players were found out under the pressure Max just would not have been fit enough to run out the game yesterday. The pressure was the most I have ever seen in a game.

Max could have easily played on Hawkins, freeing up Blake to play on whoever Raph was playing on. Raph has been a "ticking time bomb" all year and yesterday he "exploded".
I agree that Max wouldn't have been the ideal match up for Chapman, but I'd certainly also have put him on Ablett, when he went to the goalsquare. Gilbert gave away a crucial free to Ablett in the marking contest. I dare say Max wouldn't have.

OK maybe I don't know matchups as well as some others here but I know when someones defensive efforts are A grade. Clarkes efforts are certainly not and I believe this would have been a better option to play Max on Hawkins. It was not that long ago when Max destroyed an in form Fevola after kicking 8 goals the week before in Brisbane and single handedly winning the game for the Blues. Max on Hawkins would have been a win for the team.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Well i suggest to you that RL didnt think Max could play on anyone yesterday and as such wasnt given a game. To those people with amazing hindsight can you go back one week and remember that Raph played well but now we we want him dropped after yesterdays event. if they have that much amazing hindsight they probably would have also know we were going to lose by 12 points yesterday.

So Max went from kicking the asses of the likes of Brendan Fevola, Lance Franklin, Brad Johnson, etc earlier in the year, to not even being able to play on Tom Hawkins, just like that?

[plugger66]

There has been talk in recent weeks about how badly Tom Harley has been going, yet they stuck with him, because he too brought all those "intangible" things to the table. They didn't hang a highly respected leader, who's given his all to his club, out to dry, simply because he was on the bad side of a "line ball" selection. We did that to Max, who was still being spoken about as a possible inclusion, by Ross, as recently as this week.
How did it work out?

Yet you want to drop Raph for Max after Raph did well a week ago. That would do wonders to Raph. Harley played something like 15 games so he was match hardened. Max wasnt.

[Enrico_Misso]

I don't think Max could have run Johnno down like Zac did in the Prelim.
So we might not even have made it.

Let's face it Max is past his best.
He had some opportunities this year, esp the Hawthorn game where he was acting captain, but played ordinary.
That was his chance to force his way in.
Fact is he wasn't up to it.

Let us remember him for the champion and stalwart he was over so meny years.
And his great and dignified departure speech today.

[gringo]

max is always going to be a legend at st kilda and one of the most loved but his body has let him down at the end of his career.

Taking a sentimental favorite into a GF is not a good idea. Dawson is a good young player and will develop nicely, how he got through the finals with the pressure saints fans put him under is unbelievable.

He made a couple of mistakes but was really solid -imagine if we had all backed him and built him up.

I think Raph Clarke was one of our best contributors against the Dogs as well people have short memories, no one is out sniping Riewoldt after he didn't fire in the GF.

[bozza1980]

max is always going to be a legend at st kilda and one of the most loved but his body has let him down at the end of his career.

Taking a sentimental favorite into a GF is not a good idea. Dawson is a good young player and will develop nicely, how he got through the finals with the pressure saints fans put him under is unbelievable.

He made a couple of mistakes but was really solid -imagine if we had all backed him and built him up.

I think Raph Clarke was one of our best contributors against the Dogs as well people have short memories, no one is out sniping Riewoldt after he didn't fire in the GF.

I'm with you, Raph was close to if not our best defender against the Bulldogs and was solid in the big one.

For some reason he is one of the few players that needs to have a perfect game or it proves he is not up to AFL level.

[degruch]

Sorry, IMO Max played exactly where he should have yesterday. I love the guy, but aside from his efforts on old favourites Fev, Lloyd, etc. this year, he just wasn't up to it. He produced his worst form for the end of the season, then got injured, then it was too late to get him back up to scratch. Grasping at straws...our forward line was the problem, not the backline.

[bozza1980]

Had to post my thoughts on the disappointment of Max not being selected in the team for any of the finals.

I am also sad of the way Max has bowed out of the game as he is a champion player and deserved better.

Thanks for ALL the memories Max, we will miss your fearless and desperate play.

I am with you on all of these points, fantastic servant to the club, wholehearted contributor and one of the few players that would know for certain that they got the best out of themselves because they gave absolutely everything every time they played.

I was wishing he would take Raph Clarke's position and I honestly believe if Max played on Chapman, he would not have been the matchwinner yesterday. Clarke was very poor in the Grand Final yesterday and I think Ross Lyon got it wrong in not playing Max.

However on these points I strongly disagree.

Clarke was one of if not our best defender in the Prelim, no way no how should his position been in doubt.

Max would not have stopped Chapman, we'll forever be able to what if about him playing on Jarman in 1997 however rest assured Max on Chappy in 09 would not have changed the result.

Raph wasn't poor in the GF, he wasn't our best, wasn't even in our best 10 but this does not make his day a poor one. However apparently if he makes a mistake or gets tackled because his team mate doesn't sheperd he should be hung drawn and quartered.

[bozza1980]

Sorry, IMO Max played exactly where he should have yesterday. I love the guy, but aside from his efforts on old favourites Fev, Lloyd, etc. this year, he just wasn't up to it. He produced his worst form for the end of the season, then got injured, then it was too late to get him back up to scratch. Grasping at straws...our forward line was the problem, not the backline.

Spot on.

[jacko_sainter]

i think our backline was very good yesterday. we kept geelong to few scoring chances but unfortunately they actually took thoses chances. we didnt.. simple as that. it was like geelong hawks 2008. they were robbed in that match because they couldnt kick straight.

i think if bartell didnt go onto hayes at quarter time we'd have won. jimmy was too good for our boy we were overall the better side.

[bigred]

There was only one "what if" from that game and it was in front of goal.

The end