Anyone interested in what Grant Thomas thinks?

[SainterK]

Just curious, found his article on our recent off field drama's, wondered if it was worth posting or would it cause to much of a stir?

I am not a fan of being a trouble maker, I would post most things that I may find on the Saints, but I realise when it involves this guy it doesn't always end up very polite.

[Teflon]

nah dont worry bout it.

weve now put in place a "misdeameanour KPI" to lift the necessary club governance procedures from management set benchmarks that offer us a holistic vantage point from which to eschew previous occurances.......

Im sure its very "consultantish"....

[evertonfc]

GT is - and always will be - a highly regarded member of the St Kilda family.

He also works in the media and writes informatively for NineMSN and does an excellent job on Footy Classified.

If you want to post his views, go for it. Only the bizarre types - who can't help but blame him for everything - will have a problem with it.

The rest of us are thankful for his contribution to the football club and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Those who don't like him can ignore him. Those who rate what he thinks can read on.

[Teflon]

GT is - and always will be - a highly regarded member of the St Kilda family.

He also works in the media and writes informatively for NineMSN and does an excellent job on Footy Classified.

If you want to post his views, go for it. Only the bizarre types - who can't help but blame him for everything - will have a problem with it.

The rest of us are thankful for his contribution to the football club and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

What about the bizarre types that feel the incessant need to spring to his defence?

BTW - Im sure the "highly regarded St Kilda family" you speak of doesnt speak for all Saint fans.....

But alas, yes as far as media love-ins go.......your post is consistent to say the least....

[SainterK]

Sure, just checking....enjoy

Oh for the record, I have no problems with his expressing opinions. It's great he feels he can express himself on matters relating to St Kilda, without caring if people perhaps judge him as bitter and jaded.

I just thought it interesting he didn't have a view on the Stokes situation, it also happened at the beginning of the year yet he didn't feel the need for a whackety whack whack.

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?bl ... ments=true

[saint66au]

Those who don't like him can ignore him.

Umm yeah...good luck with that

[evertonfc]

What about the bizarre types that feel the incessant need to spring to his defence?

I'm certainly not coming to Grant's defence. I just find it so odd how many times people still go wild with rage whenever his name is mentioned.

He came to us in the post-Watson/Blight era (good grief), turned the club around and instilled some pride in a club that was a walking joke. Just leave him be.

There's no need to defend him. Similarly, nobody should feel the need to attack him.

I wasn't referring to you, Teflon, in my prior post. You just happened to press 'submit' before me.

[saintsRrising]

Luke Ball is an outstanding footballer and at a bare minimum should have attracted a prized draft choice

Yes all 16 current AFL coaches were clearly wrong....including the 15 non-StKilda ones as not one of them decided to cough up a prized draft pick for him.

[saintsRrising]

Obviously Ross's mentors and advisors have convinced him that he urgently requires outside speed to take the next step towards a premiership.

mmm sour grapes there......

I will give GT a tip..RL is the one that sets the scene...

When RL FIRST started one of the criteria he stated he wanted was "more run through the middle"....

So hardly "urgently"...

[falka]

NO.

I dont see what is so confusing.

Of course there is no clarity with Lovett. They cant say we sacked him because of the charge and that he is a knob and the players hate him, then we will get sued. Hence the fact it is all wishy washy.

Ball went at pick 30 and no earlier and struggled for 4 years, so clearly not highly regarded in the real world.

Nice blokes dont win flags

[plugger66]

Obviously Ross's mentors and advisors have convinced him that he urgently requires outside speed to take the next step towards a premiership.

mmm sour grapes there......

I will give GT a tip..RL is the one that sets the scene...

When RL FIRST started one of the criteria he stated he wanted was "more run through the middle"....

So hardly "urgently"...

You really do have issues dont you? For the sake of your sanity you need to let it go.

[joffaboy]

Obviously Ross's mentors and advisors have convinced him that he urgently requires outside speed to take the next step towards a premiership.

mmm sour grapes there......

I will give GT a tip..RL is the one that sets the scene...

When RL FIRST started one of the criteria he stated he wanted was "more run through the middle"....

So hardly "urgently"...

You really do have issues dont you? For the sake of your sanity you need to let it go.

yes I agree. Nothing wrong with what GT surmises here. I am sure RL would consult with his advisors (i.e. the members of the footy dept) before making decisions.

It would be foolish not to. And, dare I say it, something that GT himself has been acused of time and time again.

I dont think you have to be a footy expert (and I am certainly not one) to see that we lacked outside pace. We went for Brett Peake and Andrew Lovett, both exactly what we need if pace is required.

Seems GT is pretty much spot on here.

[stinger]

Just curious, found his article on our recent off field drama's, wondered if it was worth posting or would it cause to much of a stir?

I am not a fan of being a trouble maker, I would post most things that I may find on the Saints, but I realise when it involves this guy it doesn't always end up very polite.

yeah post it mate...seeing i'm still banned from the general forum.....despite claims to the contrary.....it will give me something to really enjoy....


oops...you already have...teach me not to read the whole thread first....


ps...have to agree with grant 100%.....spot on the money as usual....

[Beej]

13 pages.

[SainterK]

I'm with Falka, I just don't understand what is confusing about the Luke Ball situation.

[barks4eva]

Just curious, found his article on our recent off field drama's, wondered if it was worth posting or would it cause to much of a stir?

I am not a fan of being a trouble maker, I would post most things that I may find on the Saints, but I realise when it involves this guy it doesn't always end up very polite.

yeah post it mate...seeing i'm till banned from the general forum.....despite claims to the contrary.....it will give me something to really enjoy....


oops...you already have...teach me not to read the whole thread first....


ps...have to agree with grant 100%.....spot on the money as usual....

Everyone already knows you need hardness in and under to win a premiership,........ no amazing revelation there, from Captain Obvious!

The modern/current AFL game also requires pace and leg speed!

At least we now have a real McCoy coach who is trying to supply BOTH!

[barks4eva]

NO.

I dont see what is so confusing.

Of course there is no clarity with Lovett. They cant say we sacked him because of the charge and that he is a knob and the players hate him, then we will get sued. Hence the fact it is all wishy washy.

Ball went at pick 30 and no earlier and struggled for 4 years, so clearly not highly regarded in the real world.

Nice blokes dont win flags

Agree 100%!


The pissant would or should know this, more snakeoil for the easily conned!

[meher baba]

Pretty odd comments by GT IMO.

I don't really understand what the idea that we have "done Lovett a favour" is meant to mean, nor why Lyon should be singled out for criticism by GT about a decision that would seem to have been made in the club HQ/boardroom with a view to minimising the damage to our public reputation.

Perhaps he is criticising Lyon for preventing AL from training with the team, thereby giving the club little choice but to get rid of him asap on whatever grounds it could manufacture. But I had assumed that there was plenty of truth in the rumour that the players had collectively refused to train with AL.

As for his comments about Ball: I share his view that the club didn't really try that hard to hang on to him. And (although I have been frequently howled down on here for suggesting it) I too think Lyon and the club have been evasive and touchy about the whole business.

But how could he have been traded for a "prize draft choice"? As I understand it, we could conceivably have gotten good draft picks from a couple of clubs, but Ball refused to go anywhere but Collingwood, and Collingwood refused to trade anything worthwhile for Ball.

If what he is saying is that the club lowered Ball's trade value by making it crystal clear to the AFL world during the second half of 2009 that we didn't really rate him, then I would go along with that to some extent.

I find interesting GT's statement that Lyon perhaps would rate Ball more highly if he wasn't led astray by "mentors" (Walls? Smith?) and "advisors" (presumably Drain) into thinking that he needs more outside speed.

Like sRr (can't quite believe I am agreeing with him for once) I thought that Lyon had made it clear that he was looking for speed up the middle. Whether Lovett would really have provided this, I'm not sure.

Still, GT is right in general. Ball is the sort of guy who will contribute significantly more than 1/22 of what it takes to win the biggest games. He did this in the GF last year, despite clearly being on the outer with the coach. So I too wish we'd done more to hang onto him.

[SainterK]

So really GT has been equally evasive MB

In what way do you think the club has been evasive and touchy?

However we feel about Ball, it would have done him no favours if the club had aired his faults.

In fact, the footy world (and some on here) thought it was already saying to much by saying he had a contract on the table and walked, now we want Ross to expand further?

In fairness, sometimes you just can't win.

[WinnersOnly]

The issue with BALL was that he was grossly over paid comparitive to his team output which GT signed him up for. This created a false sense of worth for Luke and when RL attempted to correct this inbalance Luke got the sooks and left. Its as simple as that - Luke was a worthy player but still had physical restrictions and not at his asking price which caused friction between him and RL.

I imagine RL had heard Luke was leaving the club before the GF which just heightened the issue.

I do agree with GT that you still need ball winners to win big contests and I dont belive RL or the club handled either the BALL or LOVETT recruitment transactions well !

[SydneySainter]

Meh, haven't the slightest interested in what GT has to say. The media seem to love his appinion because he stirs the pot, but overall, never thought he was more qualified to a be 'footy expect' than the average ex-coach.

[stinger]

Pretty odd comments by GT IMO.

I don't really understand what the idea that we have "done Lovett a favour" is meant to mean,

i think he might have been alluding to how lovett escaped a bullet...or 38 bullets each time he trained with the club.....would have destroyed someone with the proven weak character that lovett possesses........

[stinger]

Meh, haven't the slightest interested in what GT has to say. The media seem to love his appinion because he stirs the pot, but overall, never thought he was more qualified to a be 'footy expect' than the average ex-coach.

he's a bit more than just an ex coach...proven pple manager and someone who knows how to push buttons......obviously......

[markp]

I think St Kilda has done Lovett a favour

?

Their reasons for taking the decision are flimsy and fuzzy and to be perfectly honest I am still unaware of the basis for the decision taken.

??

Aren't 'reasons' and 'basis' for taking a decision the same thing?

Somewhere between turning up late for a prescribed training session and bringing the club into disrepute (I can only assume for bad publicity relating to the alleged rape incident) seem to be the misdemeanours adjudged by the club.

Not aware that he was arrested for being drunk in public, and did not immediately inform the club about the 'incident'?



Re Ball;

Once again Ross has been evasive, quite defensive and touchy over this issue, all because of a lack of clarity

Where?

Club had a view of player's worth that did not match up with that player's view... he leaves. End of story.

He is the senior coach and is empowered to make decisions of this nature - he should not have to defend his actions if he was completely transparent.

See above... really pretty bizarre and biatchy.

I do not have the luxury to understand exactly what has been said behind closed doors

Ah... now it's starting to make sense....

however I cannot possibly believe any of the hogwash I've heard.

Does that include from the filth and Ball camp?

Luke Ball is an outstanding footballer and at a bare minimum should have attracted a prized draft choice.

Yeah right... especially when he would only go to one club... and that club is collingwood!

Obviously Ross's mentors and advisors have convinced him that he urgently requires outside speed to take the next step towards a premiership. I will argue until the day I die that it is in fact "inside hardness" that wins premierships, not outside speed.

Meeooow!

Great that he knows what wins premierships, it was just bad luck that he never got a crack at one.

[stinger]

interesting......human nature that is.....how one's perceptions are governed or clouded by prior events, brain washing and emotions......

...some look at what grant printed and see common sense if not actual pearls of wisdom......others look at the same printed words and see only a steaming pile of sh!t.....