Captaincy

[Saints43]

Or does the GF only count?

After you've played in three over two seasons - pretty much.

[Moods]

Or does the GF only count?

After you've played in three over two seasons - pretty much.

What about those blokes who got us there in the past 2 years? They can't all of been pathetic considering in two of the grand finals we finished behind by 12 points in total. If both GF's (09 and 10 markI) had gone the way of the GF replay I could kind of understand people's despair.

[Moods]

The funny thing is if this thread was around a week before the finals 99% of people would pick Rooy.

Is it still a week before the finals?

Some people have had their opinions swayed by what they saw in the finals.

Let us all know if that's OK.

Have your opinion then but that opinion is clearly not correct. So you want a new captain because our current one struggled in one GF and was pretty good in the other. Do we change captains next year if BJ struggles for the first 5 weeks or are the finals the only consideration?

How'd he go across all three he's played in?

IMO his heroics of clearing the forward line (despite having had little impact) played a large part in us losing 2009.GF1 he was OK. GF2 was poor.

When BJ has captained the club in three GFs people can get back to you with an assesment.

How do we know that the 'clearing of the fwd line' was all of Riewoldts doing? How do we know that this tactic didn't come from the coaches box?

[ChicagoSaint]

When BJ has captained the club in three GFs people can get back to you with an assessment.

and there it is already, the buzzword for 2011 -- "assessment".

ghrrr

[Dr Spaceman]

The funny thing is if this thread was around a week before the finals 99% of people would pick Rooy.

Is it still a week before the finals?

Some people have had their opinions swayed by what they saw in the finals.

Let us all know if that's OK.

Have your opinion then but that opinion is clearly not correct. So you want a new captain because our current one struggled in one GF and was pretty good in the other. Do we change captains next year if BJ struggles for the first 5 weeks or are the finals the only consideration?

How'd he go across all three he's played in?

IMO his heroics of clearing the forward line (despite having had little impact) played a large part in us losing 2009.GF1 he was OK. GF2 was poor.

When BJ has captained the club in three GFs people can get back to you with an assesment.

How do we know that the 'clearing of the fwd line' was all of Riewoldts doing? How do we know that this tactic didn't come from the coaches box?

As I alluded to earlier.

Do Saints players look at BJ streaming through traffic, or taking speckies and go “that’s not badâ€

[Saints43]

Or does the GF only count?

After you've played in three over two seasons - pretty much.

What about those blokes who got us there in the past 2 years? They can't all of been pathetic considering in two of the grand finals we finished behind by 12 points in total. If both GF's (09 and 10 markI) had gone the way of the GF replay I could kind of understand people's despair.

No-one has used the word 'pathetic' to describe our players.

Roo is the best paid player at the club. He should be the best performed player (in a salary capped competition). And he is most times. But there is a pattern (or co-incidence perhaps) where he doesn't perform at anywhere near his capabilities in GFs. We have a pretty large sample considering how many a player can expect to play in over his career.

To be honest I'm not fussed if he is captain or not (have only defended others right to the opinion). I'm more concerned with the focus we have on him considering GF performances.

The matches leading up to the last day are important. But they are for nought, in terms of history, if players don't perform on the last day.

And we have a number of players who haven't performed on the last day.

I would be asking questions of others before Roo (hardest job in the team) but people have a right to be concerned whether we lose GFs by 12 or 56 points.

[Beej]

Whoever has the most respect from the playing group should be captain and only the inner sanctum would know the answer to that.

Personally, I would be surprised if BJ was held in a higher esteem than Roo as a person, a player or a captain.

I've heard Lenny say so many times when talking about Roo - "he's our leader".

Obvious words, yes, but you don't really hear that sort of thing coming out of other clubs.

[Kilda]

Grant Thomas worked hard to emphasise that many players can lead by example on the ground. I say stick with Roo- that guy is so committed to the cause and his dedication & professionalism is second only to Banger. BJ and Lenny - just by being who they are- will inspire by their actions as well.

We have bigger issues to contend with than who has the letter 'c' placed after their name on the team sheet.

[rexy]

Ridicoulous thread, BJ would be a brilliant captain and so would Lenny, but the coaching staff and the leadership group elected Roo because he is the right man for the job.

End of story.

[SainterK]

I've expressed my opinion previously, in the thread on this topic a couple of weeks ago.

I just want to say that I don't think it's fair that people assume that because some of us may have opinions about the captaincy, that somehow that equates to rubbishing Roo.

It's possible to think that someone else would be a good leader, without thinking that Roo is a terrible one.

[Moods]

I've expressed my opinion previously, in the thread on this topic a couple of weeks ago.

I just want to say that I don't think it's fair that people assume that because some of us may have opinions about the captaincy, that somehow that equates to rubbishing Roo.

It's possible to think that someone else would be a good leader, without thinking that Roo is a terrible one.

I'm not sure anyone believes that BJ or Lenny would be bad leaders. In fact it's my opinion that they are probably just as good. I just reckon if you changed captains now, regardless of how much ppl tried to spin it, ie relieve Roo of his responsibilities, concentrate on his footy, etc etc it would be perceived not only by the wider footy community but the players within the club, as a vote of no confidence in Roo after failing to win the last 2 flags. It would destabilise the club and the team. The team appears united in what they are trying to achieve. There doesn't appear to be little splinter groups. THere just doesn't appear any logical reason to change captains, so if there was a change of captaincy, it would create waves. If Roo was always injured, had lost form, or was in trouble outside of the footy club I could understand all this. He is everything we could possibly want in a leader and yet ppl are still not happy.

For mine Lenny is too old and BJ can still be a little hot headed/undisciplined for captain. From outside looking in, he appears just a little too intense, much like Nathan Buckley in his early days. Don't get me wrong, I reckon in a couple of years it would be the perfect time for BJ to lead, just not yet.

[SydneySainter]

I've expressed my opinion previously, in the thread on this topic a couple of weeks ago.

I just want to say that I don't think it's fair that people assume that because some of us may have opinions about the captaincy, that somehow that equates to rubbishing Roo.

It's possible to think that someone else would be a good leader, without thinking that Roo is a terrible one.

I'm not sure anyone believes that BJ or Lenny would be bad leaders. In fact it's my opinion that they are probably just as good. I just reckon if you changed captains now, regardless of how much ppl tried to spin it, ie relieve Roo of his responsibilities, concentrate on his footy, etc etc it would be perceived not only by the wider footy community but the players within the club, as a vote of no confidence in Roo after failing to win the last 2 flags. It would destabilise the club and the team. The team appears united in what they are trying to achieve. There doesn't appear to be little splinter groups. THere just doesn't appear any logical reason to change captains, so if there was a change of captaincy, it would create waves. If Roo was always injured, had lost form, or was in trouble outside of the footy club I could understand all this. He is everything we could possibly want in a leader and yet ppl are still not happy.

For mine Lenny is too old and BJ can still be a little hot headed/undisciplined for captain. From outside looking in, he appears just a little too intense, much like Nathan Buckley in his early days. Don't get me wrong, I reckon in a couple of years it would be the perfect time for BJ to lead, just not yet.

Good, constructive answer.

Isn't that one of the points of a forum? Constructive debate? At no stage did I say that Roo was a bad captain, or that I wanted the coach sacked.

Why must it be so hard to discuss matters like our club's captaincy without others dismissing it as a shameless attack on our beloved club?

[Mr Magic]

I just remember the vision on the replays of both GFs this year, when the players grouped together before running through the banner.
Roo addressed tham and there was not a single player who wasn't staring at him intently, listening to what he was saying.
IMO the players reiterateded then and there that Roo is our Captain.

Any discussion of who should follow him is premature IMO.
I have enough faith in him as a mature, level-headed adult, with the Club's best interests in mind, to decide when he should retire from that leadership role.

[St. Luke]

Hayes or Goddard would make superb captains...but it's still Roo for me!

No more disruptions to club or team...let's just get the job done!

[iwantmeseats]

LOL WUT??

How old is the OP? Dumbest thread ever.

[Thesaint35]

Maybe if we started kicking it to Rooey and hitting him on the chest in the big games his stats might be different-I could name about 10 other clubs that he would walk into and captain straight away

[Con Gorozidis]

Ridicoulous thread, BJ would be a brilliant captain and so would Lenny, but the coaching staff and the leadership group elected Roo because he is the right man for the job.

End of story.

Forever? Or just until he retires?
Its now time for BJ. Roo had 5 years as skipper. A good stint.

[WinnersOnly]

Showed no leadership at all . Curled up his toes without even a shot in anger! I agree it is time to look at a replacement - someone with a bit of fire in there belly when things aren't going well. BJ or Lenny will always get my vote. Roo is great but needs a bit of mongrel in him which he doesn't have ...

[plugger66]

Showed no leadership at all . Curled up his toes without even a shot in anger! I agree it is time to look at a replacement - someone with a bit of fire in there belly when things aren't going well. BJ or Lenny will always get my vote. Roo is great but needs a bit of mongrel in him which he doesn't have ...

Yep that would be a good look. Replacing maybe the best player in the AFL who has captained the side to 2 GF's in a row. Yep that will do wonders for the club. I dont get it anyway. If BJ is captain why would other players perform better in the GF?

[Thinline]

Showed no leadership at all . Curled up his toes without even a shot in anger! I agree it is time to look at a replacement - someone with a bit of fire in there belly when things aren't going well. BJ or Lenny will always get my vote. Roo is great but needs a bit of mongrel in him which he doesn't have ...

That's quite funny. Well done.

[ChicagoSaint]

Its now time for BJ. Roo had 5 years as skipper. A good stint.

+1
the club has to be forward thinking.

[Dr Spaceman]

I dont get it anyway. If BJ is captain why would other players perform better in the GF?

Don't know p66.

I've asked a couple of times myself but the pro BJ & pro Lenny posters have not responded.

Maybe it's obvious and we're just to dumb to see it.

[plugger66]

I dont get it anyway. If BJ is captain why would other players perform better in the GF?

Don't know p66.

I've asked a couple of times myself but the pro BJ & pro Lenny posters have not responded.

Maybe it's obvious and we're just to dumb to see it.

Well i am dumb but you are a Doctor. Surely you understand why they would play better.

[Dr Spaceman]

I dont get it anyway. If BJ is captain why would other players perform better in the GF?

Don't know p66.

I've asked a couple of times myself but the pro BJ & pro Lenny posters have not responded.

Maybe it's obvious and we're just to dumb to see it.

Well i am dumb but you are a Doctor. Surely you understand why they would play better.

Yes you'd think so wouldn't you.

But every part of me reckons nothing changes. BJ & Lenny can't do any more than they're doing already and if that doesn't inspire team mates then I don't know that a change in job title is gonna make much difference.

[ChicagoSaint]

it's simple really. it's a young man's game and becoming more so. BJ is a better player and thereby in pure terms a better leader, he's younger, he's a midfielder and it's time.