Another Dal Santo Brownlow theory

[philtee]

NDS achieved his best ever Brownlow vote tally, 28 votes, which would have
won the medal in '03, '05, '06 and '08, ahead of luminaries such as Adam Goodes and, er, Adam Cooney.
I think he's had a "breakout" year because of the season-ending injury to Lenny Hayes. Without Lenny's
grunt work in the middle of the ground, NDS has
realised he's had to step up, to win his own footy. This year he's been harder at the footy, at the bottom of
more packs, delivering more bumps and tackles.
NDS has been criticised as being something of a receiver, but this year he's
set himself the challenge of becoming a grunt player, taking his game to a new level, and
the umpires have acknowledged it with their votes.

[SaintPav]

NDS achieved his best ever Brownlow vote tally, 28 votes, which would have
won the medal in '03, '05, '06 and '08, ahead of luminaries such as Adam Goodes and, er, Adam Cooney.
I think he's had a "breakout" year because of the season-ending injury to Lenny Hayes. Without Lenny's
grunt work in the middle of the ground, NDS has
realised he's had to step up, to win his own footy. This year he's been harder at the footy, at the bottom of
more packs, delivering more bumps and tackles.
NDS has been criticised as being something of a receiver, but this year he's
set himself the challenge of becoming a grunt player, taking his game to a new level, and
the umpires have acknowledged it with their votes.

I thought he really started to become more of an inside player in 2009.

We really missed him last year. He would have made the difference in the first GF if he wasn't injured.

[BigMart]

Injury always creates opportunity....

And it has a flow on effect....lenny's injury puts us in a better position in 2012....

Dal Santo stepped up inside.... Steven stepped up .......... Armitage finally got an opportunity....

He's never been a reciever....

Gardiner being unavailable all season helped Ben

At Round 8 everyone was calling for the head of Ben....because he could not ruck, he was getting flogged and most were lamenting his drafting and wanting another ruckman (typically ross dumped him, but only for a week, because he had no other options)
Fast forward three rounds and he was our ruckman for the next ten years and most were glad we took him over cyril...

Thing is
You have to allow player with under 50 games to have poor games....even poor periods....they need to learn
To early to write players off under 23, because they havent played well...and sometimes to early to jump on a player...only to jump back on him
Rhys Stanley is one such player

I can think of 4 players who did not get an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at afl level....lost confidence....and ended up on the scrap heap

Siposs will have poor periods.... It has to be expected....

Problem with Ross.....he had little faith or patience in young players, and believed they weren't ready.....preferring 23-27yo GOP's to play discipline roles......unfortunately it stifled the development of
Armitage, Lynch, Stanley, Heyne, Johnson, Howard......it even spread to drafting....which was worse

[Scollop]

Injury always creates opportunity....

And it has a flow on effect....lenny's injury puts us in a better position in 2012....

Dal Santo stepped up inside.... Steven stepped up .......... Armitage finally got an opportunity....

He's never been a reciever....

Gardiner being unavailable all season helped Ben

At Round 8 everyone was calling for the head of Ben....because he could not ruck, he was getting flogged and most were lamenting his drafting and wanting another ruckman (typically ross dumped him, but only for a week, because he had no other options)
Fast forward three rounds and he was our ruckman for the next ten years and most were glad we took him over cyril...

Thing is
You have to allow player with under 50 games to have poor games....even poor periods....they need to learn
To early to write players off under 23, because they havent played well...and sometimes to early to jump on a player...only to jump back on him
Rhys Stanley is one such player

I can think of 4 players who did not get an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at afl level....lost confidence....and ended up on the scrap heap

Siposs will have poor periods.... It has to be expected....

Problem with Ross.....he had little faith or patience in young players, and believed they weren't ready.....preferring 23-27yo GOP's to play discipline roles......unfortunately it stifled the development of
Armitage, Lynch, Stanley, Heyne, Johnson, Howard......it even spread to drafting....which was worse

+1

[Jacks Back]

+ another 1

[ace]

The umpires were stumped, St Kilda won games in the second half of the season, but the umpires had no idea how they achieved it.
The umpires then had to put someone down as the BOG so it was easy to say NDS because he is always good if not BOG.