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Armoooo wrote:Ray seems to have fallen out of favour a bit
I'm glad you mentioned that, Armoooo and welcome back. I hope you're namesake is the great story of 2010 since Luke doesn't want to be.
I reckon Farren Ray has slipped under the radar after the GF. He did not have a great game. I'm not, for one minute, isolating his performance. Just surprised that none of the usual critics who have panned Milney, Schneider, Raph and Dempster, have not put Ray in that basket. I stress again I am not having a go at him. I think he is a required player. I will question his emotional energy. He will benefit from experience. He seemed nervous in all of the finals. I thinkl a lot of our players will benefit from the GF experience.
Whether LB comes back will have a bearing on our bench make-up (armitage & steven next) but it will be interesting to see who makes way for Lovett if indeed he is best 22 - Raph seems to be the out of favour for most and probably the more obvious but we know have several players that can play more than one role. It certainly puts pressure on the Geary, Dempster, Eddy group so pre-season will be interesting - Ross is asking them put their hand up. If luke stays we will probably be stronger for the short term but I'm not sure it is in our long term interests.
I've never seen a bad St.Kilda player - that's just how they are.
McQualter did a job in the F50 as a defensive player - jagging about a goal a game in the process - and should have had 2 in the GF.
How many times did he get his hands on the pill per game? Was usually on or about double figures from memory.
THIS is the area for improvement and where improving our attack and attacking options, adding 1 to 2 goals more per game, will come into play - hence Lovett was a priority and there was no mucking around. First round pick, no worries. Done. Tells us something doesn't it?
Then there is Steven who will establish, initially as a small forward with some mid-field time, in 2010. And he will be ultra dangerous, including defensively.
So there are 2 small, quick and highly skilled attacking players to fit into the 22 - meaning 2 such players from 2009 will struggle for a game.
Peake would not surprise me if groomed as 30 year old Baker's succesor - because the likes of Gram and Clarke are really too valuable up the field to restrict them to defensive roles on the likes of a Lovett - which most other teams seem to have and where we have now corrected the deficiency - although we did have the unfortunate X Clarke who was probably more catagorised as a defender but Peake's body size (height and weight) and actually playing gave Peake the advantage so X Clarke is gone.
The key will be Maguire and his ability to impose himself in the key outer defensive position releasing S Fisher from that responsibility.
Plus our 2 experienced ruckmen bringing their games to the park whilst McEvoy and Stanley continue to develop.
Ball will struggle for game time unless he improves his pace, urgency and ball handling skills especially by foot, and especially at our home ground games - where they are both home and away so there will probably be 15 of them.
Hence McQualter and Ball are absent from the 'wish list' team I would look to have on the park as a first preference in season 2010.
As are a couple of others in the transition where Dawson replacing Max is the template for the future health of this Riewoldt, Hayes and Koschitzke led team.
Time stops for no one including because the game is eternally evolving.
Except one Robert Harvey, but what an absolute legend he was doing what he did over all those years!
FB: S Baker Z Dawson J Blake
HB: S Gilbert S Fisher F Ray
C: J Gram L Hayes A Lovett
HF: B Goddard T Walsh N Dal Santo
FF: A Schneider T Walsh S Milne
R: M Gardiner L Montagna C Jones
I: B McEvoy A McQualter N Riewoldt J Koschitzke
Em: R Clarke, S King, D Armitage
Two Tommy Walshs is not a mistake - that's how good he is.
So if the powers that be were satisfied with our F50 smalls, being Milne, Schnieder and McQualter why have they gone 'Don't argue, we want Lovett' on Day 1 and then gone Peake (albeit I think Peake will finish in defence)?
And what do you do with the multi talented Steven?
Leave him in the VFL for yet another year?
I do not think so.
I happen to think Milne and McQualter's positions are where we need the improvement - and, to me, the trading has confirmed that opinion is also held among those who do matter.
Then we have the need for Lynch to impose himself because most agree that the reliance on Riewoldt and Koschitzke without a 3rd option except Gardiner dropping forward is a structure problem - and how many have failed to lock down this position including by a defensive work load - including the likes of Dempster, Gwilt, C Gardiner etc. etc. Even Sam Fisher and the references to Gilbert who is just too valuable back.
Lynch, as a first round Draft Pick, has the size and the mobility to finally 'nail' that elusive '3rd tall' position in our forward line - which will also allow Koschitzke to roam further afield taking his releiving grabs as necessary.
We have to introduce as we did with Zac and Max because that is where the solidity of our mounting challenge to win the ultimate prize comes from - and then to continue to consistently challenge in search of yet more glory.
Some of the 2009 team will go by the way side in 2010 - because if they do not we are in trouble.
The 20% improvement required will not come exclusively from the 22 who represented St Kilda on GF Day.
I tell you who I'd like to see playing next year and making an impact (Okay I realise that last part is redundant...anyone who makes a decent enough positive impact is fine but you catch my drift)
Goose
Steven
Lovett
Walsh
Like to see McEvoy play a pivotal role, I was impressed with him this year
Armo
Not too fussed about getting Peake in there, although extra leg speed couldn't help, I'm just not sure that with all these ins I'm hoping for that there will be enough people who deserve to be dropped. A good problem to have I suppose! I was originally fanatical on keeping Ball when he first announced he wanted to leave, but now I think I'm 50/50 - I'd be pleased if he stayed, but not too disappointed if he left either.
Has exceptional hands as demonstrated by his below the knees work, particularly when marking.
But he is only a kid and that shows in his primary function - ruckwork, where he can not yet hold position against strong, experienced bodies.
I would expect 2010 to be another development year with some forward line forays at AFL level thru the season to test his development - and Stanley will be close behind him with maybe a senior appearance in 2010 to excite us as to his abilities no matter the lack of bulk.
We would look for Gardiner ang King to replicate 2009 including in availability - and for McEvoy and Stanley - and McGrath - to continue to mature in their bodies and find the physical presence ruckmen need.
You know what, we actually have quite a lot of pace on our list now...
And it's only going to get better in the coming years.
ROBERT HARVEY A.K.A The Great Man, Banger, Harves, Ol' Man River...
384 games, 4 B&F's, 3 EJ Whitten Medals, St.Kilda Captain, 2 Time Brownlow Medalist, 8 Time All Australian, 2nd Highest Brownlow votes poller.... The greatest of ALL TIME!!
