OFFICIAL TEAM (when known) discussion thread

[savatage]

Probably our best side for the year.

[The Sainter]

What a backward step picking Gehrig. His last 2 games in the firsts were shockers plus very ordinary down at Casey. He has bad hands, is over 32 and averages only 2 goals in games when we have got beaten throughout his career with us.
We must start looking towards our future and he is not part of it. Yes, i realize he may well star against the Tigers ( what's new) and people on this forum will have a go at me but let's face it, against good hard tackling sides he becomes a liability as the opposition backs just run off him very easy creating so many chances for their forwards. The other two inclusions make our side look so much stronger in my opinion.

[mick13]

What you say is true, but whos to say he won't be dropped again next week?

Although I can see him kicking a huge bag, which will make it hard to drop him for the week after. Then he'll go back to doing jack s*** with a good defender on him.

I wanna see Allen play sometime this year.

[Ralphy]

What you say is true, but whos to say he won't be dropped again next week?

Although I can see him kicking a huge bag, which will make it hard to drop him for the week after. Then he'll go back to doing jack s*** with a good defender on him.

I wanna see Allen play sometime this year.

who woudl he be on against collingwood.?

[Shaggy]

With the exception of Armoo we have a very mature team playing.

I don't see the blooding of players for our future in the team picked.

St Mart was correct that Raph and Gwilt (or at least one) should have been picked this week.

GT was happy to carry a weak link if they performed in the twos with the hope that they would become guns. Majority would fail but learn from playing AFL and they knew that they would be given another chance if they performed at Casey and learn from the experience.

On paper we have a great team to beat Richmond. But where is the upside? With the exception of Armoo all the players should already be at their peak

We have selected a team that will not win us the premiership but can beat Richmond (which is just getting off the bottom rung). Have we stooped that far to steal 4 points.

2 years ago we were the best team in the comp.

We are like the Dockers with our selections.

[Wollongong_saint]

With the exception of Armoo we have a very mature team playing.

I don't see the blooding of players for our future in the team picked.

St Mart was correct that Raph and Gwilt (or at least one) should have been picked this week.

GT was happy to carry a weak link if they performed in the twos with the hope that they would become guns. Majority would fail but learn from playing AFL and they knew that they would be given another chance if they performed at Casey and learn from the experience.

On paper we have a great team to beat Richmond. But where is the upside? With the exception of Armoo all the players should already be at their peak But that team is not going to win us the premiership even if it may produce the 4 points.

We are like the Dockers with our selections.

That is total BS in my opinion. We need to pick players to win games. Is planning for the future more important than winning now? That's a worry. Mature players at their peak......I'd look at that as a huge positive.
Time will come for young players to be blooded. It needn't be a priority now.

[Shaggy]

With the exception of Armoo we have a very mature team playing.

I don't see the blooding of players for our future in the team picked.

St Mart was correct that Raph and Gwilt (or at least one) should have been picked this week.

GT was happy to carry a weak link if they performed in the twos with the hope that they would become guns. Majority would fail but learn from playing AFL and they knew that they would be given another chance if they performed at Casey and learn from the experience.

On paper we have a great team to beat Richmond. But where is the upside? With the exception of Armoo all the players should already be at their peak But that team is not going to win us the premiership even if it may produce the 4 points.

We are like the Dockers with our selections.

That is total BS in my opinion. We need to pick players to win games. Is planning for the future more important than winning now? That's a worry. Mature players at their peak......I'd look at that as a huge positive.
Time will come for young players to be blooded. It needn't be a priority now.

Fair enough. Alternative view.

But make no mistake the Tigers are blooding. Not just one player and we used to also.

The team selected against the Tigers will not win the premiership. It may get us the points but there is no upside.

I suppose we do not have to face the embarrasment of losing to the Tigers. But we should beat the Tigers anyway with some blooding.

[Wollongong_saint]

The team we have selected is one of the best on-paper teams we have seen in the last decade. If they can't win a premiership then I don't know if a Saints team ever will. They're playing badly at the moment. But including inexperienced players isn't going to fix that. Stability is the key.
Let's focus on the now, worry about rebuilding when we are down in the dumps (like Richmond have been)

[Spinner]

f*** we have some numb skulls on this forum.

These changes are the best I've seen since RL became in charge.

And what is even more pleasing, is the emergencies.


Just a few points;

Gehrig - I think he was made out to be a scape goat, and wasn't playing that badly to begin with. Nethertheless, do people actually understand how hard it is to drop down to a different team, play on a different ground, with different coaches and players.....and actually perform? The bloke is a forward. Not superman.

SO clearly, I just don't understand how 'posters' can argue as to 'what has he done' in terms of his call up to the senior side.

C Gardiner - Lucky. I thought his decision making, especially in the first term was pathetic. Got it great, decision and execution was bad.

Raph Clarke - Pretty stiff.

[Shaggy]

f*** we have some numb skulls on this forum.

These changes are the best I've seen since RL became in charge.

And what is even more pleasing, is the emergencies.

Numb skulls some of us are. But no I am not pleased that some of the emergency list (which represents our up and comers) are on the emergency list.

The team selected is of course designed to win the game against the Tigers. Are we that desperate?

Against the Cats I fully understand. Against the Tigers you must be kidding.

[bigcarl]

Gehrig - I think he was made out to be a scapegoat, and wasn't playing that badly to begin with..

agree. he was sort of the sacrificial lamb, an attitude i despise.

it's difficult to argue against gehrig's inclusion when you factor in that he's averaging five a game against richmond in his last seven outings against them.

also, the performance of our forwards last week was hardly inspiring.

to me our insistence on going to riewoldt at all costs has been a bigger problem for longer than fraser's lack of "forward pressure".

i wouldn't be in the least surprised if riewoldt gets a run further up the ground this week (wing) where he can use his enormous endurance to our best advantage.

richo's been playing that role beautifully for the tigers and it hasn't even stopped him kicking goals.

Raph Clarke - Pretty stiff.

agree. he'll be back before too long and i don't mind the idea of him playing forward.

[Sainterone]

Lets's hope that the Train has a great game and kicks a bag (or hands off a couple of bagfulls) and that Goose takes a few grabs and starts to get his confidence back...

[The Sainter]

Hey Spinner because you disagree with someone's views on this forum don't call them numb skulls. What makes you so correct? I commented on Gehrigs performances against Footscray and Geelong which were woeful plus no form at Casey yet he is put straight back into the seniors. What about that statement that makes me a numb skull??? It's a blind man who sees only what he wants to see Spinner.

[To the top]

"Mature players at their peak"

Or past their peak?

That is the question.

I repeat, the strength of this team THIS year and next will be in the ability of the 3 Emergencies (R. Clarke, Allen & McEvoy) plus the likes of Steven and Howard putting pressure on, and over taking, the likes of Baker, Milne, Birss, Dempster, C. Gardiner and Gehrig.

Because Baker, Milne and Gehrig are amongst the most mature players at the Club (and have not delivered the ultimate success, too often going missing in the big games) and Birss, Dempster and C. Gardiner could not command positions with competitor Clubs, Clubs which have moved on past these players.

In regards King & M. Gardiner, St Kilda had no option as our only rucking prospect was played as a forward at Casey (and how hard did Gehrig find that?) and then moved on - when Rix should have been the one moved on, surely?

Schnieder did get a regular game at Sydney, so fingers crossed.

In regards Rix, at half time in a Suburban League last week, I saw a young lad probably about 13 or 14, medium build for his age who could actually mark against opposition in kick to kick at half-time whilst jumping and at the top of his jump, and his hands stroked the ball as he let the ball come to him and he controlled it. Like Mark Waugh taking a slips catch!

Never looked like not marking every pill he went for, and had the ball onto his left foot in a flash, correct drop punt spin and deadly accurate including on acute angles.

Thought to myself that there are AFL players who can not do those things, including players at St Kilda.

[bigcarl]

Never looked like not marking every pill he went for, and had the ball onto his left foot in a flash, correct drop punt spin and deadly accurate including on acute angles.

sign him up

[Spinner]

Hey Spinner because you disagree with someone's views on this forum don't call them numb skulls. What makes you so correct? I commented on Gehrigs performances against Footscray and Geelong which were woeful plus no form at Casey yet he is put straight back into the seniors. What about that statement that makes me a numb skull??? It's a blind man who sees only what he wants to see Spinner.

I didn't agree with 'someones' views...I disagree with a range of views collectively.

I don't remember singling you out. Wait, I didn't.

SO don't that that comment so literally. Cos im sure in actual fact you are not a numbskull. What ever that may be.

[Saints Premiers 2008]

its the team that would win the flag plus king...

[Otiman]

Fair inclusions and exclusions I would say.

Fair as in equitable? or fair as in Poor/Fair/Average/Good/Excellent ?

[ace]

Shaggy is bang on when he says Armitage is the only inexperienced player.
That means that he is the only player with an excuse.
If the rest of the team and the coach can't perform it is because they have the experience but failed to deliver.
Victory by a large margin is the only acceptable outcome this week.

[matrix]

i wouldnt have picked birss......

hopefully the big G Train is damn well fired up this week.
anything less than 5 goals is not good enough imo
sorry big fella, love ya, and u are a cult figure at our club, but u need to be destroying teams with bagfuls of goals.

[Little Dozer]

how did Blake get dropped instead of Goose. Didn't Blake play quite OK last week, whilst Goose has shown NOTHING this year so far...

How did a horribly out of form Gtrain get in? Does he think
we can monster Richmond like previous years??

FFS Lyon, what message does that send out to the team?

Reputation, reputation, reputation (sorry from 2 years ago FFS!)

FFS wake up Lyon!

NB. I look forward to Big Mac's debut with the (no doubt) late withdrawal of Gardy, that's a positive either way!

Blake got dropped because he isn't an AFL footballers bootlace! Gtrain gets a recall because of his excellent record against the Tiges. And Goose is a quality CHB coming back from a horrific injury. Wake the hell up!!!

[tweedaletomanning]

The tigers will fancy themselves...but i'll be surprised if we didn't sqaush them like bugs...This should be our biggest win this year. Saints $1.50.. great value i say...No doubt we'll see the REAL saints this week.

[Huzzad]

f*** we have some numb skulls on this forum.

These changes are the best I've seen since RL became in charge.

And what is even more pleasing, is the emergencies.


Just a few points;

Gehrig - I think he was made out to be a scape goat, and wasn't playing that badly to begin with. Nethertheless, do people actually understand how hard it is to drop down to a different team, play on a different ground, with different coaches and players.....and actually perform? The bloke is a forward. Not superman.

SO clearly, I just don't understand how 'posters' can argue as to 'what has he done' in terms of his call up to the senior side.

C Gardiner - Lucky. I thought his decision making, especially in the first term was pathetic. Got it great, decision and execution was bad.

Raph Clarke - Pretty stiff.

Hear hear. Best list and best changes. Best team for the job by far.

[groupie1]

G did some nice work for Casey last week - set up 4 goals, created a target. Part of forward pressure is bringing the ball to ground and he does that well. Plus, he has kicked goals this year.
The HeraldSun says G is out of form (because he was dropped) and people just believe it and take it for granted.
I personally hope to see him go on ala A Lynch

[plugger66]

Gehrig - I think he was made out to be a scapegoat, and wasn't playing that badly to begin with..

agree. he was sort of the sacrificial lamb, an attitude i despise.

it's difficult to argue against gehrig's inclusion when you factor in that he's averaging five a game against richmond in his last seven outings against them.

also, the performance of our forwards last week was hardly inspiring.

to me our insistence on going to riewoldt at all costs has been a bigger problem for longer than fraser's lack of "forward pressure".

i wouldn't be in the least surprised if riewoldt gets a run further up the ground this week (wing) where he can use his enormous endurance to our best advantage.

richo's been playing that role beautifully for the tigers and it hasn't even stopped him kicking goals.

Raph Clarke - Pretty stiff.

agree. he'll be back before too long and i don't mind the idea of him playing forward.

Rooy on the wing. I think that is the first time you have mentioned that but you are right. Get him as far away from goal so we dont kick it to him. Why use our best forward on the forward line.