7 days and the clock is ticking...

[Moods]

Ray, Dempster and Peake = we need all 3

A gree with this,would like to keep Zac as well but these 3 are the most urgent of the group mentioned.

Don't agree. those 3 are probably very much worth retaining. the one player we can't lose is Zac. Bag him all night long, but he gets the job done consistently. He was our best player in the finals last year with BJ. Full back is just about the only specialist position left in the game - and we look like losing ours.

[plugger66]

Ray, Dempster and Peake = we need all 3

A gree with this,would like to keep Zac as well but these 3 are the most urgent of the group mentioned.

Don't agree. those 3 are probably very much worth retaining. the one player we can't lose is Zac. Bag him all night long, but he gets the job done consistently. He was our best player in the finals last year with BJ. Full back is just about the only specialist position left in the game - and we look like losing ours.

Yep but people dont care about that because we have so many other options like Howell and Lawrence.

[SaintPav]

Ray, Dempster and Peake = we need all 3

A gree with this,would like to keep Zac as well but these 3 are the most urgent of the group mentioned.

Don't agree. those 3 are probably very much worth retaining. the one player we can't lose is Zac. Bag him all night long, but he gets the job done consistently. He was our best player in the finals last year with BJ. Full back is just about the only specialist position left in the game - and we look like losing ours.

Yep but people dont care about that because we have so many other options like Howell and Lawrence.

Doug Cox?

[plugger66]

Ray, Dempster and Peake = we need all 3

A gree with this,would like to keep Zac as well but these 3 are the most urgent of the group mentioned.

Don't agree. those 3 are probably very much worth retaining. the one player we can't lose is Zac. Bag him all night long, but he gets the job done consistently. He was our best player in the finals last year with BJ. Full back is just about the only specialist position left in the game - and we look like losing ours.

Yep but people dont care about that because we have so many other options like Howell and Lawrence.

Doug Cox?

Isnt he on Military service?

[SaintPav]

Ray, Dempster and Peake = we need all 3

A gree with this,would like to keep Zac as well but these 3 are the most urgent of the group mentioned.

Don't agree. those 3 are probably very much worth retaining. the one player we can't lose is Zac. Bag him all night long, but he gets the job done consistently. He was our best player in the finals last year with BJ. Full back is just about the only specialist position left in the game - and we look like losing ours.

Yep but people dont care about that because we have so many other options like Howell and Lawrence.

Doug Cox?

Isnt he on Military service?

Still? I think he would be retired by now.

BTW, losing Zac in some way would be alomost the equivalent of losing McEvoy. ie no ready replacement.

How many defenders do we have that we know can hold key forwards including Cloke and Buddy to 2 or 3 goals max all things being equal?

Pay the bloke what he wants and delist Raph. If that's not enough, delist Polo as well. He is worth it.

[PJ]

I'm not so sure that Zac is the hardest to replace. Jason Blake could do that job while a Simpkin or new player is developed. Zac did a job no doubt and I beleieved he was bagged often when he'd really done little wrong but I'm not so sure he's indispensible.

[SaintPav]

I'm not so sure that Zac is the hardest to replace. Jason Blake could do that job while a Simpkin or new player is developed. Zac did a job no doubt and I beleieved he was bagged often when he'd really done little wrong but I'm not so sure he's indispensible.

No one in this world is ireplacebale (except loved ones) but it is all relative

Blake has been a good player for us but he is not as good as Zac in this regard and it wil really leave us exposed.

I would rather have Zac than Polo and Raph. But, it is not that simple because it all comes down to list management as P66 mentioned above.

[gringo]

I'm not so sure that Zac is the hardest to replace. Jason Blake could do that job while a Simpkin or new player is developed. Zac did a job no doubt and I beleieved he was bagged often when he'd really done little wrong but I'm not so sure he's indispensible.

Still think Blake is ok as a tall tagger or third tall defender but would be a big ask for him to be a full time FB. Simpkin may look smaller than he is but looks too short as a FB. maybe Rhys needs to do a dustin Fletcher?

[matrix]

good lord zac isnt exactly matty scarlett

got helped in most one on ones due to no strength
yeah played a few good finals games
but if he wants to go into the draft it will not see us plummet to the bottom of the table ffs
oh no the world is ending!

[PJ]

First 4 pics need to go on the best youth but I'd be happy for us to be a bit speculative at 60 and 68 - I think there may be a few discounted AFL players and overlooked lower league guys. Possibly even a good sized player that can develop as a FB, skill sets are really quite different to what is generally sought after. Zac was a reject and was able to adapt pretty quickly.

[busso mick]

Not sure if this has been highlighted before, in todays West Australian paper.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/ ... for-peake/

[saintbrat]

Sean Dempster, third in last year's best and fairest and the highest priority among the out-of-contract Saints, is understood to have agreed in principle to a new contract. Dempster and the club are finalising the precise terms - two years or three - with an announcement expected next week.

Full-back Zac Dawson has yet to sign the new offer of a contract on reduced terms and could yet choose to delist himself from the Saints by the second list lodgment on Friday.

''I think we have been really successful in re-signing a lot of our key players. We will make some announcements next week about that,'' club chief executive Michael Nettlefold said.

''We have had a plan there and we have had some work to do. We would like Zac to be a part of that but ultimately these are decisions for players as much as they are clubs.''

Brett Peake has re-signed at the Saints, reportedly for two years, Farren Ray seems likely to follow suit, while Dean Polo, Raph Clarke and Jason Blake are still to be re-signed.



Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... z1cn8toXnM

[Enrico_Misso]

Simpkin is a ready made replacement for Zac.
Has played the last two years at FB for Sandy and done a good job.

[bobmurray]

Simpkin is a ready made replacement for Zac.
Has played the last two years at FB for Sandy and done a good job.

I'm not convinced your right based on what i've seen of Simpkin so far

[saintsRrising]

Simpkin is a ready made replacement for Zac.
Has played the last two years at FB for Sandy and done a good job.

Though Zac has 4cm and 5kg on him.

[Bernard Shakey]

Simpkin is a ready made replacement for Zac.
Has played the last two years at FB for Sandy and done a good job.

Though Zac has 4cm and 5kg on him.

When did you measure and weigh Zac? Zac has been nowhere near the 95kg he's listed at for a couple of years. I would be prepared to wager Tom is about 3kg heavier than Zac and quite a bit stronger.

[Eastern]

I'd expect that the club will have things finalised by Monday or Tuesday with an announcement within 24 hours of their decision. My guess is that we will know what is going on by late Wednesday !!

[bobmurray]

I'll be a bit disappointed if they all re-sign. If they do the team stays relatively the same, if they don't all re-sign we evolve.....

[plugger66]

I'll be a bit disappointed if they all re-sign. If they do the team stays relatively the same, if they don't all re-sign we evolve.....

You actually dont have to play them. Id rather they all stay and put pressure on the other guys. Wont matter though as Zac will go to Freo.

[gringo]

I'll be a bit disappointed if they all re-sign. If they do the team stays relatively the same, if they don't all re-sign we evolve.....

You actually dont have to play them. Id rather they all stay and put pressure on the other guys. Wont matter though as Zac will go to Freo.

agree plugger, I think it leaves us at best a player short and our depth down back compromised. same as if we lost any of our rucks.

[Junction Oval]

We need back-line stability going into next year, as the priority will clearly be on improving our attack.

With Zac looking as though he may be gone and Blake still hanging out (but nowhere to go), we don't want to be looking for a fullback.

[Gershwin]

I think that Blake can adequately replace Dawson and I would like to see a backline position open up for a Cripps or Ledger.
The likes of Clarke, Gram, Geary just clog up the list.

[gringo]

My guess is that we will be watching someone like Sellar and hoping that we can put him straight in if Zac goes. pelchen will be planning some fall back you would hope.

[bergholt]

I think that Blake can adequately replace Dawson and I would like to see a backline position open up for a Cripps or Ledger.

cripps and ledger are both very small and seem to be naturally attacking players - why would you want to turn them into defenders?

[The Jeff]

My guess is that we will be watching someone like Sellar and hoping that we can put him straight in if Zac goes. pelchen will be planning some fall back you would hope.

Pelchen is definitely one for the creative solution. I have no doubt the Saints won' budge on their offer to Zac and will enact their contigency plan if he walks. I also really hope 'Plan B' is a good one because Zac is a mightily important part of our structure, whether you like him or not.!