Round 1 , 2011

[saintsRrising]

B: GEARY -- DAWSON -- GWILT
HB: FISHER -- TARRANT-- MILES
C: DAL SANTO -- HAYES -- MONTAGNA
HF: SCHNIEDER -- GILBERT -- GRAM
F: STANLEY-- RIEWOLDT -- STEVEN

FOLL: McEVOY/GARDI -- GODDARD -- JONES

Int: RAY -- ARMITAGE -- SMITH -- PEAKE/HEYNE/RAPH


We need more players capable of rotating through the midfield, and to be quicker overall.


Milne I am angsting over. One GF he was ok in...the other poor, but then again FP in a team that is being dominated is prbably the hardest postion to play.

I think Steven gets a gig to see if he can rotate through the midfield as well.

I have put Tarrant is as I suspect Lyon will go for one player from another club...anyones guess as to whom that would be.....

[saint75]

Steven is one of the players that I am really excited about seeing more of next year. He has that 'x' factor about him. Loved watching him this year.

Thought he may have been an inclusion in the finals this year, but after reading a post from Plugger66 stating he had OP (though never sure whether Plugger66 is joking of shite stirring half the time), his inclusion seemed unlikely.

Not sure about the Tarrant. Collingwood is his preferred destination and Hawthorn is pursuing him vigorously.

[saintsRrising]

Not sure about the Tarrant. Collingwood is his preferred destination and Hawthorn is pursuing him vigorously.

The Pies do not need him. Their two young talls will just get better.

Hawks and Blues would be keen on him. He has stated though that his number 1 priorty is to try a and win a flag.

[mad saint guy]

Don't see why we'd go for Tarrant. The one thing we did do well in both grand finals was shut the tall Collingwood forwards down. Dawson's last three matches have been AA full back quality, Gwilt has arrived as a top 10 player, Blake is always reliable and Fisher/Gilbert can play tall if necessary. Not to mention Miles and Simpkin pushing for a spot.

Not saying Tarrant would be bad for us, I just think we would get much better value going for a quick, skilled midfielder or half forward. I wouldn't mind us having a look at Veszpremi, McKinley, Gamble, Djerkurra and Sherman.

Agree that Baker is finished, McQualter needs to work his way back into the side and Eddy should be behind Armo, Steven and Smith. Kosi needs a big pre season if he wants to keep his apot ahead of Stanley and McEvoy.

[Moccha]

Tarrant!

You've got to be joking!

One step forward 3 back! More wallpaper over the cracks

I'd rather Simpkin step up

[vacuous space]

I really doubt that RL will make 7 or 8 changes to the side. I doubt we'll go for Tarrant as we don't really need another key defender - tell me the name of a key forward who tore us up in finals.

If I were to tip a side for round 1, it would look like this:

Dempster* - Dawson - Gwilt
Blake - Fisher - Baker*
Gram - Hayes - Goddard
Montagna - Riewoldt - Gilbert
Milne - Koschitzke - Schneider
Gardiner* - Dal Santo - Jones

McEvoy* - McQualter* - Peake* - Ray

The six guys who have asterisks are the only guys who I think would realistically be under any kind of threat. Dempster and Baker might get pushed by Miles, but I'd still guess that RL will go with the veteran performers. Gardiner (provided he goes again) and McEvoy would be subject to any kind of decision to play an extra runner. McQualter could get pushed by Steven up front. Peake will have to fend off Armo, Smith and Steven pushing for senior spots.

[stevie]

I've had a few thoughts about this - all my opinion.

From Round 1 we have to play the young guys - Stanley, Steven, walsh, Lynch,etc. Even if we lose a few games while doing it, so be it. We'll still be good enough to make top 4. Other teams did it this year, the Pies especially - their young guns aren't any better or worse than ours.
Remember the Tassie game last year? All those guys came in and did the job, then that was it.

I think we should try some different guys in different posirions - the main one? ROO TO CHB!!! BJ to FF, Chips up fwd too...
Ok, bear with me, Roo has the talent to play down back. Its something new and could be a huge move for him and the club. He can match it motor, skill and strength wise with any forward. Can kick long into the fwd line wihout any goal pressure - can drift down to kick the odd goal.
BJ could kick a ton with the right delivery and luck. He has all the skills and kicking nous that Fev has(had?) at his best. He could still go on the ball if needed. Chips is good value up fwd, and throw in Rhys, Jack, milney and Schnieds for a speedy fwd set up.
Kosi first ruck, rotating with Ben and Rhys from bench to fwd pocket.

As i think up more, i 'll post it.

[#1GILL]

I think we should try some different guys in different posirions - the main one? ROO TO CHB!!! BJ to FF, Chips up fwd too...

[stevie]

I think we should try some different guys in different posirions - the main one? ROO TO CHB!!! BJ to FF, Chips up fwd too...

100%

[#1GILL]

I think we should try some different guys in different posirions - the main one? ROO TO CHB!!! BJ to FF, Chips up fwd too...

100%

Bizarre!

[FQF]

B: GEARY -- DAWSON -- GWILT
HB: FISHER -- TARRANT-- MILES
C: DAL SANTO -- HAYES -- MONTAGNA
HF: SCHNIEDER -- GILBERT -- GRAM
F: STANLEY-- RIEWOLDT -- STEVEN

FOLL: McEVOY/GARDI -- GODDARD -- JONES

Int: RAY -- ARMITAGE -- SMITH -- PEAKE/HEYNE/RAPH

Blake will not lose his spot.

At least two of Gardi McEvoy and Kosi will play (assuming no injuries) every game. You seem to think just one of them will.

Stanley cannot hold up a second ruck role.

Milne will definitely not lose a spot.

Dempster will always be in contention.

Tarrant will not be playing at the Saints.
The drafting priorities will be one quality midfielder and an additional forward option. Not Tarrant.

I think Walsh, given that he has learned the basics and will have another preseason, will be ahead of Stanley in his development due to his physical maturity.

Gilbert will not play permanently as a forward, but he might go there more often than he has in the past. Expect him to have put in much time improving his disposal.

[saintsRrising]

Look I am deliberately stirring the pot a bit....

But we need to start Round 1 with an eye on the end of the year.

The Bad News is that Pies most likely are going to be better this time next year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only thing the Pies are losing are some of their depth players., many of whom are not likely come back into 22. A few will retire..a few will be delisted...a couple like Fraser may have some trade value. So unlessa plague of injurioes strike the Pies will be better as their younger players will have another season into them.

Cats I expect to be worse..but not dramatically so. Dogs will be similar with more kids coming though. Hawks could push up if they can improve their defence. Freo could be on the surge if their youngters can surge again from this year.

But Pies will be better.

So to be competitve we need ways to improve. Just treading water with players like Mini will not be good enough.

Scoreboard pressure is always important....and now that teams area bit more adept against our press we need to be able maud=facture more goals.

If we do not improve we may well make the GF again..but it equally may well be a similar outcome to this week.

[bobmurray]

I really doubt that RL will make 7 or 8 changes to the side. I doubt we'll go for Tarrant as we don't really need another key defender - tell me the name of a key forward who tore us up in finals.

If I were to tip a side for round 1, it would look like this:

Dempster* - Dawson - Gwilt
Blake - Fisher - Baker*
Gram - Hayes - Goddard
Montagna - Riewoldt - Gilbert
Milne - Koschitzke - Schneider
Gardiner* - Dal Santo - Jones

McEvoy* - McQualter* - Peake* - Ray

The six guys who have asterisks are the only guys who I think would realistically be under any kind of threat. Dempster and Baker might get pushed by Miles, but I'd still guess that RL will go with the veteran performers. Gardiner (provided he goes again) and McEvoy would be subject to any kind of decision to play an extra runner. McQualter could get pushed by Steven up front. Peake will have to fend off Armo, Smith and Steven pushing for senior spots.

Yep....

keep putting faith in guys who have failed in the big one twice...

we can be the bridesmaid for ever as long as we show faith in the same
players year in year out...i'm hoping that that team is nothing like the one
that plays in round 1 2011....let alone round 26...2011

trouble is.....i won't remember this post by then.....

[To the top]

We have to take pressure off our core of very good footballers by adding fresh talent.

We may trade for a player or 2 and that may impact - but the reality is that no drafted player will have an immediate impact - unless they are already proven juniors in the SANFL or WAFL senior competitions.

I would go for:-

Miles Dawson Gilbert
Fisher Simpkin Gwilt
Gram Goddard DalSanto
Clarke Koschitzke Ray
Schnieder Riewoldt Steven
Gardiner Hayes Montagna
McEvoy Jones Armitage Stanley

Only 2 players over 30 (the required Gardiner and Hayes) and the remainder with plenty in front of them for the required re-load.

Simpkin (I think) was 2nd in the Sandringham B&F and at 191 cm and with a pre-season could release Fisher to a genuine "Maxwell" role.

Ray I like over-head = dangerous forward plus he can play as the defending forward as required.

Age will weary the likes of Milne, Blake and Baker and this is the opportunity we must take to improve our spread and our pace- so that we too can go sideways and forward - not backwards and forward which is now shown as fraught with danger - as Carlton, Essendon (twice) and Collingwood (twice) showed us this year.

[matrix]

who is that at CHB in the o.p??

[#1GILL]

We have to take pressure off our core of very good footballers by adding fresh talent.

We may trade for a player or 2 and that may impact - but the reality is that no drafted player will have an immediate impact - unless they are already proven juniors in the SANFL or WAFL senior competitions.

I would go for:-

Miles Dawson Gilbert
Fisher Simpkin Gwilt
Gram Goddard DalSanto
Clarke Koschitzke Ray
Schnieder Riewoldt Steven
Gardiner Hayes Montagna
McEvoy Jones Armitage Stanley

Only 2 players over 30 (the required Gardiner and Hayes) and the remainder with plenty in front of them for the required re-load.

Simpkin (I think) was 2nd in the Sandringham B&F and at 191 cm and with a pre-season could release Fisher to a genuine "Maxwell" role.

Ray I like over-head = dangerous forward plus he can play as the defending forward as required.

Age will weary the likes of Milne, Blake and Baker and this is the opportunity we must take to improve our spread and our pace- so that we too can go sideways and forward - not backwards and forward which is now shown as fraught with danger - as Carlton, Essendon (twice) and Collingwood (twice) showed us this year.

I don't think that we'll leave out Milney.

[Thinline]

We've got too many backmen. Tarrant a definite no. Quick, med sized target hitting mids is all we need. Gilbert fwd, Kosi ruck, Stanley forward, Miles/Geary/R Clarke fight out a spot as a running backman.

[plugger66]

Its happening again. Same as last year. Milney out of the side and like last year those saying that will again be proven WRONG.

[Thinline]

Its happening again. Same as last year. Milney out of the side and like last year those saying that will again be proven WRONG.

I want Milne as a midfield roatation. Laugh me down if you want, but his best game all year was the QF when he played higher up the ground. He has a robust body, unlike all the others he can spot and hit a target, and he could be effective. A thought anyway...

[bobmurray]

who is that at CHB in the o.p??

i think it's a typo

or it could be the hack the kangaroos drafted with the same name....
which would mean we traded for him

[plugger66]

Its happening again. Same as last year. Milney out of the side and like last year those saying that will again be proven WRONG.

I want Milne as a midfield roatation. Laugh me down if you want, but his best game all year was the QF when he played higher up the ground. He has a robust body, unlike all the others he can spot and hit a target, and he could be effective. A thought anyway...

At least you have him in the side.

[vacuous space]

keep putting faith in guys who have failed in the big one twice...

I'll take a GF loss over not being there, sting as it might. I think any notion that we have to get worse to get better is misplaced and playing kids just because the Pies did is just foolish. I don't believe the Pies won because they had vastly more talent, I believe they executed their system better. If you can't find comparable GOPs on their premiership team, you're just not looking.

I think a lot of the chatter here is typical blame the bottom-6 stuff. I don't think there was much our least talented players could do while Lenny and co were getting destroyed in the middle. We're not going to move those guys. Moving others because they got trounced would be just strange. What would Steven have done in Eddy's place? I'm tipping not a whole lot of anything. Then again, I don't think bringing in newer and fresher deck chairs would have saved the Titanic.

We need to tweek the gameplan - that much is obvious. We might opt for a few personnel changes, but it won't be many. I doubt we'll be particularly active in trade week. We'll put our best team out there each week and try and win enough games to make finals, then try and get through finals. RL isn't going to nuke this team. Anyone so overcome with emotion after the loss that's expecting wholesale change might as well cancel their 2011 membership now.