18 walk ups

[BackFromUSA]

We have 18 walk up starts:

Gram
Jones
Dawson
Hayes
Baker
Montagna
Riewoldt
Schneider
Gardiner
Goddard
Gilbert
Ray
Koschitzke
S. Fisher
Dal Santo
Blake
McQulater
Milne

On yesterdays hit out, the remaining 4 spots should be made up from:

- McEvoy (over King)
- Steven
- Geary or Armitage
- Peake

The team would look like this:

Baker Dawson Blake
Gilbert S.Fisher Ray
Gram Hayes Montagna
McQualter Riewoldt Goddard
Schneider Koschitzke Milne

Gardiner
Dal Santo
Jones

McEvoy, Peake, Steven, Armitage / Geary

The selection of Armitage vs Geary will depend on match ups and weather

[saintsRrising]

Disagree on there being so many walk-ups...but yes those 18 are all very likely.

Failure to work-hard and play the "St Kilda" way could well see other grab their spots.

Mini was great last year...but Steven wants his spot. Not saying that Mini will miss out, but make no mistake that competition is fierce.

HBF has all of Raph, Peake and Demspter competing...

[markp]

The team would look like this:

Baker Dawson Blake
Gilbert S.Fisher Ray
Gram Hayes Montagna
McQualter Riewoldt Goddard
Schneider Koschitzke Milne

Gardiner
Dal Santo
Jones

McEvoy, Peake, Steven, Armitage / Geary

Quality.

And from what I saw yesterday Peake does look the goods.

[ausfatcat]

Agree there aren't that many walkups, Gram, Ray, Mini, Blake and a few others are far from assured a place week in week out.

[saintsRrising]

Agree there aren't that many walkups, Gram, Ray, Mini, Blake and a few others are far from assured a place week in week out.

Yes..as you say Ray will need to be on top of his game as Peake can als play the running player role...albeit ina different way to Ray.

[maverick]

Agree there aren't that many walkups, Gram, Ray, Mini, Blake and a few others are far from assured a place week in week out.

Gram, really, wow, must have had a terrible pre season, I wonder if Chapman is a walk up start at the Cats....
Blake is a definite.

Agree on Ray and Mini though.

[Moods]

Agree there aren't that many walkups, Gram, Ray, Mini, Blake and a few others are far from assured a place week in week out.

Gram, really, wow, must have had a terrible pre season, I wonder if Chapman is a walk up start at the Cats....
Blake is a definite.

Agree on Ray and Mini though.

If Gram was anything like the player Chapman is I would be ecstatic. Surely you're not basing Gram's 'walk up start' status on the basis of a good game in the granny? Chapman, when half fit, is an AA hff/MIDFIELDER - Gram provides good run off the HBF with questionable disposal if not concentrating.

[maverick]

Agree there aren't that many walkups, Gram, Ray, Mini, Blake and a few others are far from assured a place week in week out.

Gram, really, wow, must have had a terrible pre season, I wonder if Chapman is a walk up start at the Cats....
Blake is a definite.

Agree on Ray and Mini though.

If Gram was anything like the player Chapman is I would be ecstatic. Surely you're not basing Gram's 'walk up start' status on the basis of a good game in the granny? Chapman, when half fit, is an AA hff/MIDFIELDER - Gram provides good run off the HBF with questionable disposal if not concentrating.

They had similar GF's, I thought you were only as good as your last game....

[Milan Faletic]

The team would look like this:

Baker Dawson Blake
Gilbert S.Fisher Ray
Gram Hayes Montagna
McQualter Riewoldt Goddard
Schneider Koschitzke Milne

Gardiner
Dal Santo
Jones

McEvoy, Peake, Steven, Armitage / Geary

Quality.

And from what I saw yesterday Peake does look the goods.

Agree. Peake, McEvoy and Steven looked great.

[Longwayfromhome]

Can't believe there are some people on this site still doubting that Blake is a walk up start in the 2010 side.
Probably the same supporters who deem Milne to be past it yet put up with the mediocre efforts of our full forward when it come to crunch games.
IMO Blake would be one of the first ten players chosen week in week out and has been for a long time.
If we are looking at players that are on the edge of selection then look at Clarke, Kosi and King. Sorry forgot to say IMO.

[Moods]

Agree there aren't that many walkups, Gram, Ray, Mini, Blake and a few others are far from assured a place week in week out.

Gram, really, wow, must have had a terrible pre season, I wonder if Chapman is a walk up start at the Cats....
Blake is a definite.

Agree on Ray and Mini though.

If Gram was anything like the player Chapman is I would be ecstatic. Surely you're not basing Gram's 'walk up start' status on the basis of a good game in the granny? Chapman, when half fit, is an AA hff/MIDFIELDER - Gram provides good run off the HBF with questionable disposal if not concentrating.

They had similar GF's, I thought you were only as good as your last game....

Great in theory. So if G. Ablett had played a shocker in the GF then he is a doubtful starter. Roo didn't play his best game in the GF - doubtful starter?

I just don't buy that theory. Loved GRammy's game in the GF - but let's be honest he was playing on probably the cats last player picked in Varcoe. I base my opinion from the whole season, and put extra emphasis on the big games. THat's ALL the finals, not just the GF as many on here are prone to do - ie rating Ball higher than he played last year based on the GF.

I have stuck up for Gram on here in the past. But I am hoping he will take an extra step up this year. Getting suspended last year for a game for unprofessional preparation re injury really disappointed me - and I interpreted that to mean that Gram can be prone to general laziness overall, (meaning that this was the last straw) and the leadership group had had enough. GRam certainly is an important player for us, but if his form started to slip I'd like to think he wouldn't be afforded the leeway of our genuine 'walk up start' players.

Personally I see about 6 -10 players as walk-ups. (By walk-ups I mean that they are selected even after a prolonged period such as 3-4 games of below standard form) There are regulars in that team but they have to keep performing. THAT is why we are a strong club at the moment - there is competition for positions.

[maverick]

Agree there aren't that many walkups, Gram, Ray, Mini, Blake and a few others are far from assured a place week in week out.

Gram, really, wow, must have had a terrible pre season, I wonder if Chapman is a walk up start at the Cats....
Blake is a definite.

Agree on Ray and Mini though.

If Gram was anything like the player Chapman is I would be ecstatic. Surely you're not basing Gram's 'walk up start' status on the basis of a good game in the granny? Chapman, when half fit, is an AA hff/MIDFIELDER - Gram provides good run off the HBF with questionable disposal if not concentrating.

They had similar GF's, I thought you were only as good as your last game....

Great in theory. So if G. Ablett had played a shocker in the GF then he is a doubtful starter. Roo didn't play his best game in the GF - doubtful starter?

I just don't buy that theory. Loved GRammy's game in the GF - but let's be honest he was playing on probably the cats last player picked in Varcoe. I base my opinion from the whole season, and put extra emphasis on the big games. THat's ALL the finals, not just the GF as many on here are prone to do - ie rating Ball higher than he played last year based on the GF.

I have stuck up for Gram on here in the past. But I am hoping he will take an extra step up this year. Getting suspended last year for a game for unprofessional preparation re injury really disappointed me - and I interpreted that to mean that Gram can be prone to general laziness overall, (meaning that this was the last straw) and the leadership group had had enough. GRam certainly is an important player for us, but if his form started to slip I'd like to think he wouldn't be afforded the leeway of our genuine 'walk up start' players.

Personally I see about 6 -10 players as walk-ups. (By walk-ups I mean that they are selected even after a prolonged period such as 3-4 games of below standard form) There are regulars in that team but they have to keep performing. THAT is why we are a strong club at the moment - there is competition for positions.

It's your theory not mine, Gram was BOG in the biggest game of his career, if only about 10 others did the same we wouldn't care now...

[borderbarry]

Amd dont forget Gram in the pre-season competition grand final that we won recently. Again B.O.G.

[vacuous space]

I reckon the OP is spot on about the 18. I can't see any of those players not being selected round 1 if healthy. If somebody's underdone they might get a run in the twos. Otherwise, I see all 18 of those guys in our best 22 no questions asked.

The only problem with BFUSA's 22 as I see it is the defence. It wasn't exactly encouraging at the IS to see all those defenders not taking part. Clarke going down made it even worse. If the season started today, we might have to play Gwilt, or even Miles, back there. Taking Gram or Ray out of the midfield isn't exactly ideal. I'd say if I have one concern, it's small defence. IMO it was our biggest problem in the GF and unless somebody steps up, we don't have any more answers now than we did then.

[ausfatcat]

I reckon the OP is spot on about the 18. I can't see any of those players not being selected round 1 if healthy. If somebody's underdone they might get a run in the twos. Otherwise, I see all 18 of those guys in our best 22 no questions asked.

Thats a oxymoron, walkup starters, no questions asked, and underdone will be in the two's......

[Moods]

[
It's your theory not mine, Gram was BOG in the biggest game of his career, if only about 10 others did the same we wouldn't care now...

Well actually no - it's your theory. You said a player is only as good as their last game. I disagree. THat's way too simplistic a way of looking at things.

[vacuous space]

Thats a oxymoron, walkup starters, no questions asked, and underdone will be in the two's......

It's hard to walk up if you can't walk.

If they're available, all of those 18 would be in the team. That's all I'm saying.

[maverick]

[
It's your theory not mine, Gram was BOG in the biggest game of his career, if only about 10 others did the same we wouldn't care now...

Well actually no - it's your theory. You said a player is only as good as their last game. I disagree. THat's way too simplistic a way of looking at things.

Correct I said a player is only as good as his last game, I'll qualify that with, especially if its the biggest game of their career.

The theory I was talking was where you changed it to a player that played a poor game didn't warrant a start, ie Roo. All I said was that someone that starred can hardly be left out unless they were injured or had one hell of a poor pre season.

No player is immune from being dropped if form falls away, but Gram has as many brownie points as anyone on the list except maybe Roo and Lenny.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

form is everything !! all player have to earn their spot walk up starts sounds like what Luke Ball wanted .....

[plugger66]

Agree there aren't that many walkups, Gram, Ray, Mini, Blake and a few others are far from assured a place week in week out.

Excellent post. the only thing wrong with it is that most of those are assured of a place in the side.

[Quixote]

Raph Clarke playing 2nds for 2010??

Don't think we would have even MADE the GF without him.

[Ghost Like]

IMO it was our biggest problem in the GF and unless somebody steps up, we don't have any more answers now than we did then.

IMO our biggest problem was conversion & capitalising on our weight of possession for the first 3 quarters. I can handle letting a quality forward like Chapman get his 3 or 4 goals provided the rest of our defence keeps their forwards under control.

I think we had the answers, we just spelt poorly.

I believe Gram, Ray & Blake are 'walkups' if there is such a thing, not convinced there is though in Lyon's eyes. We do have a couple of elite, Roo & Lenny as well as a few more that would get games in every other club, BJ, Joey, Sam Fisher, Dal, possibly also Gilbo & Kosi.

Still as Ross said at Riva (paraphrasing), those Senior Players (GF side) have their spots and do not want to give them up so it's up to the younger ones to take them. I take that as, if a player does not commit to Saints Footy and lets their standard slip then he will be replaced by those hungry to play seniors. I like the thought of Peake, Steven, McEvoy, Armo, Lynch & even Heyne, Stanley & Miles busting their guts for a crack...we can only benefit IMO

[BigMart]

Stephen Milne.....no walk up....he needs to provide more against quality opponents and in big games.....and his old habits die hard, the other night he still showed signs of stupidity.

If he plays well enough, he will take one of the two small fwd spots.....against Mini, Schnieder.....who both can deliver more in terms of team footy....Milne has had a great career and in form is a dangerous player, if he is held he becomes a liability and the other parts of his game are not good...he is not reliable and his best and worst are poles apart

Armitage will NO doubt play......Geary and Steven will compete for another rotation through the middle....

[saintsRrising]

I reckon the OP is spot on about the 18. I can't see any of those players not being selected round 1 if healthy. If somebody's underdone they might get a run in the twos. Otherwise, I see all 18 of those guys in our best 22 no questions asked.

The only problem with BFUSA's 22 as I see it is the defence. .

Problems imply possible changes...

1/ The OP did not mention as a Team for Round 1 (thought that may have been his intention).


2/ I cannot see Lyon resting on his 2009...with a steady as you go approach. He will want to make changes in order to improve.

* You have flagged a small defender as a weakness (or at least a guy that can play on small forwards (our options there would appear to be Dempster, Miles or possibly Peake....unless someone like Steven is played in a new position)0
* Lyon has flagged more pace and run...and a mid that can spread more than Ball.
* The HFF role saw regular experimentation in 2009...I cannot see why that will not continue until Lyon achieves to his thinking a better functioning unit.

3/ I agree that the 18 is most likely...but not certain (ie walk-up starts). I note that for example that Raph is not amongst the and in 2009 Raph was given several goes by Lyon to get a place in the team..

4/ IF we get Jesse Smith up and about I would see him pushing into the team


Now I do not expect our 2009 team to be turned on it's head. But I do expects some tweaks...


And for example if both of Armo and Steven have stellar NAB Cups and Lyon decides to play both of them plus Peake...and then what if Geary really plays well too?[/url]

[fugazi]

Gram is in our top 10 players IMO.

Not sure Mini is a walk up start yet.