26 man squad

[Vortex]

Ratten has lost the plot

[Ghost Like]

Or is Ratten trying to save us match payments? Ratten may even think we need to be shorter in our forward line, Max is actually holding up OK & Bruce is but a memory? Very strange indeed.

[CQ SAINT]

On Thursdays video Ratten mentioned 1 change, referring to Coffield out and Billings in.
With rain a high possibility, a smaller more mobile team is obviously preferred.
So, Billings and Connolly in and Coffield and Battle out.

[Impatient Sainter]

Battle had 21 disposals last week, there must be more to the story?

[Banger9798]

And that was in the rain

[Teflon]

If I were Battle I’d demand a trade
He’ll go to a club that can develop players , he’ll be put in a position (Forward or back) be left to settle and become a consistent good player ....but like Nick Hind
We’ll get some useless pick, select a wild card prospect who either never plays OR who does ok, then plateaus in his development who we’ll then trade and rinse n repeat
IF that scenario for Battle eventuates it will confirm Ratten has zero clue on judging talent and playing them where they’re best suited
I fear for Coff, Clarke, Long......all gone backwards ...

[B.M]

Have we turned on him now?

[saynta]

Have we turned on him now?

Not me but there are a few haters on.SS.

[B.M]

I’m not sold on Ratten

Not saying I’ve jumped off yet, but none fully convinced

Talks in circles a bit.

If they finish this season better than 10 wins given the injury list, it’d be a pass - although not happy with the floggings!!!

[Vortex]

I’m not sold on Ratten

Not saying I’ve jumped off yet, but none fully convinced

Talks in circles a bit.

If they finish this season better than 10 wins given the injury list, it’d be a pass - although not happy with the floggings!!!

I know we have a significant issue with AFL capable players putting pressure on our best 22 and so I'm reluctant to be critical of Ratts however I have questioned his OR the clubs decision to not only NOT drop players like King or Hill when clearly they deserved a spell at Sandy, but to publicly state to the media they will NOT be dropped.

I thought it was incredibly peculiar that Lethlean was holding press conferences to tell the media Hill would not be dropped. The optics of it didn't sit well with me so I can only imagine it caused issue with the rest of the playing group by raising questions around protected species, selection integrity and most of all, the undermining of Ratts. It could have possibly even caused resentment from Ratts.

So if Lethlean felt it was necessary to come out in support of Hill and advise he would not be dropped even though Hill at the time was barely hiding his lack of effort and care over 2 months of footy then surely you have to be consistent and provide the same level of protection for ALL players especially against the backdrop of a club struggling to find 22 AFL capable players each week.

[Scollop]

I’m not sold on Ratten

Not saying I’ve jumped off yet, but none fully convinced

Talks in circles a bit.

If they finish this season better than 10 wins given the injury list, it’d be a pass - although not happy with the floggings!!!

I know we have a significant issue with AFL capable players putting pressure on our best 22 and so I'm reluctant to be critical of Ratts however I have questioned his OR the clubs decision to not only NOT drop players like King or Hill when clearly they deserved a spell at Sandy, but to publicly state to the media they will NOT be dropped.

I thought it was incredibly peculiar that Lethlean was holding press conferences to tell the media Hill would not be dropped. The optics of it didn't sit well with me so I can only imagine it caused issue with the rest of the playing group by raising questions around protected species, selection integrity and most of all, the undermining of Ratts. It could have possibly even caused resentment from Ratts.

So if Lethlean felt it was necessary to come out in support of Hill and advise he would not be dropped even though Hill at the time was barely hiding his lack of effort and care over 2 months of footy then surely you have to be consistent and provide the same level of protection for ALL players especially against the backdrop of a club struggling to find 22 AFL capable players each week.

Yeah but you’re forgetting one thing

Hilly is a bloody good kick!! He never misses a target at training

I’m being facetious obviously…but in a way I am still puzzled at their reluctance to drop Hill for the sake of making a statement and setting the standards for all players. Selection integrity has to exist, otherwise just tell the youngsters not to bother worrying about getting a game in the seniors if they are 21 or under …Or if they were drafted anywhere after the first round of the National Draft

I’m being facetious again regarding first rounders because of course it seems that Maxy is treated a bit differently to our other young blokes. They obviously see Max as crucial to our team success in the near future because of his unique potential as a mobile and agile power forward.

I can understand why the coach didn’t drop Max. I was thinking about it a couple of weeks ago. Maybe dropping him gives him an out and is the soft way of coaching him. I suppose it means that they want him to fight through the challenges and it will toughen him up. Both mentally, but also physically as he learns how to recover and prepare for each week during a full season of games.

I suppose it will help Max to build resilience and he gains valuable experience with each different type of situation. Every opportunity for a possession or a set shot for goal, the better he will be in the long run…and the more flags we will win

[Vortex]

I’m not sold on Ratten

Not saying I’ve jumped off yet, but none fully convinced

Talks in circles a bit.

If they finish this season better than 10 wins given the injury list, it’d be a pass - although not happy with the floggings!!!

I know we have a significant issue with AFL capable players putting pressure on our best 22 and so I'm reluctant to be critical of Ratts however I have questioned his OR the clubs decision to not only NOT drop players like King or Hill when clearly they deserved a spell at Sandy, but to publicly state to the media they will NOT be dropped.

I thought it was incredibly peculiar that Lethlean was holding press conferences to tell the media Hill would not be dropped. The optics of it didn't sit well with me so I can only imagine it caused issue with the rest of the playing group by raising questions around protected species, selection integrity and most of all, the undermining of Ratts. It could have possibly even caused resentment from Ratts.

So if Lethlean felt it was necessary to come out in support of Hill and advise he would not be dropped even though Hill at the time was barely hiding his lack of effort and care over 2 months of footy then surely you have to be consistent and provide the same level of protection for ALL players especially against the backdrop of a club struggling to find 22 AFL capable players each week.

Yeah but you’re forgetting one thing

Hilly is a bloody good kick!! He never misses a target at training

I’m being facetious obviously…but in a way I am still puzzled at their reluctance to drop Hill for the sake of making a statement and setting the standards for all players. Selection integrity has to exist, otherwise just tell the youngsters not to bother worrying about getting a game in the seniors if they are 21 or under …Or if they were drafted anywhere after the first round of the National Draft

I’m being facetious again regarding first rounders because of course it seems that Maxy is treated a bit differently to our other young blokes. They obviously see Max as crucial to our team success in the near future because of his unique potential as a mobile and agile power forward.

I can understand why the coach didn’t drop Max. I was thinking about it a couple of weeks ago. Maybe dropping him gives him an out and is the soft way of coaching him. I suppose it means that they want him to fight through the challenges and it will toughen him up. Both mentally, but also physically as he learns how to recover and prepare for each week during a full season of games.

I suppose it will help Max to build resilience and he gains valuable experience with each different type of situation. Every opportunity for a possession or a set shot for goal, the better he will be in the long run…and the more flags we will win

I tend to agree with your sentiment here Scollop, it possibly turns into a positive for us beyond this season that the club has been forced to leave players in the side to work through their either form issues and/or undertake development at the AFL level when otherwise development would be undertaken using the VFL comp.

Bringing the topic of multiple threads together, the fact club resources have been reduced considerably and the subsequent and significant quality of the VFL comp being decimated, AND our poor list depth, leaving players to develop at the AFL level is probably the best and only option presently available to clubs like ours.

As I say I'm reluctant to be too critical of Ratts and the selectors while the AFL economy recovers, however that still leaves me confused about Battle being dropped.

[Scollop]

Maybe Battle didn’t clean up after himself and left dirty dishes in the kitchen

Maybe Battle is the mole that spilled the beans to Carro about Sebby and Tim taking parental leave

Maybe Battle questioned the club about their support of those two and the clubs support of Paddy taking extended leave or Hilly taking leave and flying to Perth

I’d prefer not to find out if it was any of the above. Maybe he’s sore and they don’t want our opponents to know what his injury concern is, in case he’s required

[B.M]

Maybe Hill is a better player

[Scollop]

Maybe Hill is a better player

So... play Hill or play Battle? That's the selection committee's choice is it? And ...do they play the same position do they?

As far as "Hill is a better player"...I'd hope so on the coin he's on!!

Brad earned his keep today but I'd much rather he played higher up the ground, than floating around half back for his 15-20 handball receives

Hill gets the big bucks (and the plaudits today) but if it wasn't for the likes of Long and Dmac who soften up the opposition (and Battle in some of our games) I don't think we'd have the results of as many wins this year...

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/live-a ... 395710588d

Defenders Dan McKenzie and, unsurprisingly, Ben Long were two players that set the tone in that area. McKenzie bumped Josh Daicos off the ball while the latter was attempting to pick it up, before Taylor Adams was met solidly by Long. Both bumps were legal and fairly executed.

“He’s looking to take a man out,” Brereton said of Long.

“He’s trying to do it fair. He gets low so he stays away from the head. This indicates they’re not just playing with great pressure, they’re just going to put real body heat on them.

“That’s the difference. That’s brilliant, physical pressure. They weren’t just ‘let’s tackle them’, it was ‘let’s give it to them’. And the Pies have to walk off really sore.”

Brereton said the Saints were a “brutal team for two and half quarters”.