Blight bags Thomas in Biography by Watson

[dragit]

I've done some careful thinking. And come to agree with you on both counts.

It's refreshing to hear someone look into something further and change their mind - I admire you for this.

[stinger]

me too....

[Johnny Member]

Blight was a greedy fool who got caught as was St Kilda - the guy wanted the cash and was over coaching and his methods were well outdated. We made a huge mistake - we tried to buy "cred" in the footy world off a coaching legend who wasnt up for it. Woulda had more luck luring Tom Hafey out from the home...

Thomas was the right man as a CARETAKER coach. That BECAME a problem after he started seeing himself as much more than that...believing his own corporate spin and power he went way out of control.....the club shoulda forced his hand much earlier but Butters and their relationship got in the way. Rod was weak.

Shame cause I still reckon with decent injury management and football nous in the box....that side with a young Gherig, Hamill, younger Harvey and quality youth in Riewoldts, Kosi, Dal, Hayes and co....was a monty for a flag........

Egos destroyed that for mine.

Yup.

I look at it a bit differently.

I don't look back at the whole 'era' as a disaster, or a fail, or that anything was destroyed.

I think we were a really, really good team. We had really good players, and played a great style which choked teams from scoring and also had the ability to blow them away.

The only issue I saw, was that guys were getting hurt and weren't available for selection when we needed them.

To me, that was the only tragedy or disaster that occured.


But really, the intention and plan from day 1 was to play finals for 10 years and hopefully pinch a flag or two during that time.
There was a natural progession of 'nearly making the finals', followed by a couple of top 4 finishes, then a 6th, then missed out, then a 4th, then 2 Grand Finals!

The main thing to remember is, I think, that anything that happened whilst Thomas was there, made no difference to the fact that had we kicked straight and/or had a ounce of luck with the umpires in 2009, we'd have won the flag.
We'd have achieved precisely what the club set out to achieve 7 years earlier.


As a club, we built up over 7-8 years and put ourselves in the best position to be premiers. We were there, we had that chance.


So apart from still being bitterly disappointed about not being able to field a team in 2005 (which I believe cost us the flag), and not kicking straight in 2009 (which cost us the flag), I don't harbour any bad will or ill feeling towards the club at all.
I don't feel that any off-field dramas or 'human related f*** ups' cost us anything.

I just think we were stiff. It'll haunt me for ever, but I just think we were stiff.

However, overall the club managed the entire decade really well I think.

[markp]

Blight was a greedy fool who got caught as was St Kilda - the guy wanted the cash and was over coaching and his methods were well outdated. We made a huge mistake - we tried to buy "cred" in the footy world off a coaching legend who wasnt up for it. Woulda had more luck luring Tom Hafey out from the home...

Thomas was the right man as a CARETAKER coach. That BECAME a problem after he started seeing himself as much more than that...believing his own corporate spin and power he went way out of control.....the club shoulda forced his hand much earlier but Butters and their relationship got in the way. Rod was weak.

Shame cause I still reckon with decent injury management and football nous in the box....that side with a young Gherig, Hamill, younger Harvey and quality youth in Riewoldts, Kosi, Dal, Hayes and co....was a monty for a flag........

Egos destroyed that for mine.

Yup.

I look at it a bit differently.

I don't look back at the whole 'era' as a disaster, or a fail, or that anything was destroyed.

I think we were a really, really good team. We had really good players, and played a great style which choked teams from scoring and also had the ability to blow them away.

The only issue I saw, was that guys were getting hurt and weren't available for selection when we needed them.

To me, that was the only tragedy or disaster that occured.


But really, the intention and plan from day 1 was to play finals for 10 years and hopefully pinch a flag or two during that time.
There was a natural progession of 'nearly making the finals', followed by a couple of top 4 finishes, then a 6th, then missed out, then a 4th, then 2 Grand Finals!

The main thing to remember is, I think, that anything that happened whilst Thomas was there, made no difference to the fact that had we kicked straight and/or had a ounce of luck with the umpires in 2009, we'd have won the flag.
We'd have achieved precisely what the club set out to achieve 7 years earlier.


As a club, we built up over 7-8 years and put ourselves in the best position to be premiers. We were there, we had that chance.


So apart from still being bitterly disappointed about not being able to field a team in 2005 (which I believe cost us the flag), and not kicking straight in 2009 (which cost us the flag), I don't harbour any bad will or ill feeling towards the club at all.
I don't feel that any off-field dramas or 'human related f*** ups' cost us anything.

I just think we were stiff. It'll haunt me for ever, but I just think we were stiff.

However, overall the club managed the entire decade really well I think.

Nothing 'cost us a flag' in 2005, we didn't make the GF.

As far as the GT era is concerned you can only debate what 'cost us' a prelim in 04 and 05, and an elimination final against melbourne in 06.

I reckon had we ever made it to the big day under GT, he would have been shown up and eaten alive... but others will obviously reckon otherwise, and we'll never ever know, will we... so all we have is what people reckon would've happened, but never did.

[Johnny Member]

I reckon had we ever made it to the big day under GT, he would have been shown up and eaten alive... but others will obviously reckon otherwise, and we'll never ever know, will we... so all we have is what people reckon would've happened, but never did.

Sure, there's 'maybes' and 'could haves' everywhere!

But the one thing we do know, is that we pretty much played finals for 10 years in a row (as the club mapped out) and played in 2 Grand Finals (as the club mapped out) and had we kicked straight, would have won 1. Could have won 2 (as the club mapped out!).

So really, I don't see Thomas' era as failure, and I don't see Lyon's era as a failure, and I don't see the past decade as a failure either.
I'm actually proud of the club.

Bitterly disappointed, and still gutted over 2005 and 2009, but still proud that given an ounce of luck we'd have achieved precisely what the club set out to achieve nearly 10 years ago.

Who knows....we still might!

[joffaboy]

Bitterly disappointed, and still gutted over 2005 and 2009, but still proud that given an ounce of luck we'd have achieved precisely what the club set out to achieve nearly 10 years ago.

Why 2005?

We didn't even have a shot at a flag in 2005. You have to make a GF before you have a shot at the flag.

2009 and GF1 2010 will go down as two of the most dissapointing games of my football watching life.

2005, we were done and got flogged by Sydney.

[Johnny Member]

Bitterly disappointed, and still gutted over 2005 and 2009, but still proud that given an ounce of luck we'd have achieved precisely what the club set out to achieve nearly 10 years ago.

Why 2005?

We didn't even have a shot at a flag in 2005. You have to make a GF before you have a shot at the flag.

2009 and GF1 2010 will go down as two of the most dissapointing games of my football watching life.

2005, we were done and got flogged by Sydney.

I'm 35, and have been madly supporting the Saints since I was old enough to remember.

In 97, we were the best team in the comp. But I felt we were just getting started so although I was devastated, I naively assumed we'd be a force for years to come.


But in 2005, we were by far the best team. We'd brained all comers that year, including the eventual premier.
It was the first time since 97, and only the second time in my life that I'd seen a Saints team be the best team in the comp.
When we had something even closely resembling our best team on the park, we were awesome.

But sadly, we just couldn't get them on the park. Not only that either - the guys on the park were bandaged up and limping!
The worst thing was, that right at the end of the year it looked like we would get everyone back...but then it all fell apart.

Goose was rooted, Hamill was gone, Kosi the same, Bally was screwed with his OP by that stage, Gehrig was on one leg, Penny's knee was stuffed, the list just went on and on.

But what made it worse, we were so good that we still came out and beat Adelaide in the final! And on top of that, Fisher broke his foot and Ackland did his knee that night too!

So by the time we limped in to the prelim, we (in my eyes) had absolutely no hope at all. We were cooked.

But as was our fight that year, we kept in it until 3/4 time and finally got overrun.



We were the best team by a stretch that year. Injuries cost us the flag. I know it doesn't matter now, but I'm sure of that.

We'd have wallopped Sydney like we did earlier in the year, and we'd have crunched West Coast.

[markp]

We were the best team by a stretch that year. Injuries cost us the flag. I know it doesn't matter now, but I'm sure of that.

We'd have wallopped Sydney like we did earlier in the year, and we'd have crunched West Coast.

By how many goals?... who would've won the norm smith?

[Johnny Member]

We were the best team by a stretch that year. Injuries cost us the flag. I know it doesn't matter now, but I'm sure of that.

We'd have wallopped Sydney like we did earlier in the year, and we'd have crunched West Coast.

By how many goals?... who would've won the norm smith?

7 goals and 3 behinds, with Gehrig kicking 8 straight and winning the Norm Smith.

I would have been arrested that night for being drunk in a public place and for indecent exposure as I bolted down Linton St naked with a lifesize cardboard cutout of the Big G under my arm!

[asiu]

onya.



so close , so close.