Selection Dilemma this week...

[saintspremiers]

Hey DS in next year's starting 22 you have no gun trades/recruits.

Remember We have Pelchen our Saviour!

[ThePunter]

All good problems... just have to ensure the right decisions are made.

How is it a good problem when we are 6-6?

Plenty of options, plenty of depth.

We didn't really have many options towards the end of last year with nearly all our younger players injured.

[bergholt]

I honestly don't think we are a genuine threat this year…

Therefore I feel like fast tracking younger guys is probably now more important than putting the 'best' 22 out every week.

i tend to agree that we're not a threat, but it's too soon for the coach to give up. if we lose this week and next then definitely - and tbh i'm not sure that would be a bad thing given the supposed strength of this draft. we've seen enough in our current kids to know we're halfway to a future, so it would be great to pick up a couple of other quality kids to build towards a strong 2016 side.

[borderbarry]

I would still be letting Jimmy find his form and match fitness at Sandy. All the other defenders are in better form than he is at the moment.

[Thinline]

NORTH (tricky)
DONS (tough)
LIONS at the Gabba (ok)
SWANS at the SCG (tricky)
DOGS (fine)
PIES (tough)
DEES (fine)
CATS at Etihad (tricky)
GIANTS (fine)
BLUES at Etihad (ok)

You'd reckon we'll have to do better than an even ledger on the downhill.

That means at least one serious upset and no silly buggers during the winnables.

Makes for a tough old year when you lose games you shouldn't let slip. Port, Freo, Richmond and even (at a stretch) Hawthorn...

Four games there for the taking...Three we really shoulda iced.

BUT from here if we win what we should, pick off the Cats and pinch one back off the Dons then all of a sudden we might run sixth with a full list in a year where a spot outside the four may still have clout...

The fine line...

Personally I see final round vs Carlton as the one that will decide our fate.

[Thinline]

As for selection issues, I just hope we somehow find room for Ray. He's been flying in the magoos, I'm hearing.

[dragit]

I honestly don't think we are a genuine threat this year…

Therefore I feel like fast tracking younger guys is probably now more important than putting the 'best' 22 out every week.

i tend to agree that we're not a threat, but it's too soon for the coach to give up. if we lose this week and next then definitely - and tbh i'm not sure that would be a bad thing given the supposed strength of this draft. we've seen enough in our current kids to know we're halfway to a future, so it would be great to pick up a couple of other quality kids to build towards a strong 2016 side.

I'm not saying give up by any means, more that we will gain more from trying to win with Stanley, Saad & Simpkin in the side than trying to win with Kosi, Milne & Blake… If that is what it comes down to.

We've played plenty of youth this year, so can't complain too much… but we had a very old side against Adelaide and lost anyway… I don't see the point in scraping into the 8 at the expense of getting experience into guys that will have to completely take over in 2 years.

Big Mac isn't dominating yet, but I would hate to see him out of the side say if Gardiner or King were still battling on for us…

I also think Ledger/Ross would just learn so much from playing alongside Lenny, Dal & Co… the more games with these guys the better, before they retire.

I do understand the problems of gifting games without form, but when you have a look at Milera & Saad, Milera played one decent game in the VFL, Saad was average, yet they have both risen when playing alongside the best. Ledger has been consistent in the 2's and sooner or later I think we'll need to have a look at him in the 1's, maybe he'll lift to the top level too… Newnes hasn't been amazing thus far, but I bet he's learnt a hell of a lot more from his AFL matches than in his VFL ones…

I bet Selwood & Pendlebury are better footballers today because they were thrown in the deep end right from the start, learning the game alongside the best…

We are not in a position to wait 3 years for Ledger to win a frosty miller before giving him a go, it needs to start now.

[bergholt]

...we might run sixth with a full list...

a full list? every year there are long-term injuries, and so our luck in not hitting any so far this year seems unlikely to last all the way through.

last year we were only missing five at the bye: hayes, gardy, blake, stanley, cripps. after that:

- gwilt did his knee
- ledger, crocker, mcqualter and ferguson missed the rest of the year
- siposs was injured for a couple of months
- winmar and eddy missed a month

there will be season-ending injuries, we just don't yet know who they'll be.

[SainterK]

Been some shocking injuries this year, lots of season ending ones. Hope they don't rush the kids, the game appears harsh these days even on the more mature bodies.

[SainterK]

I would still be letting Jimmy find his form and match fitness at Sandy. All the other defenders are in better form than he is at the moment.

You reckon he has been that bad Barry?

Thought his kicking has been really good again and he was fine v Adelaide?

[rexy]

Milne still on track for a 50 goal season, or close to, this is the benchmark for a small forward and I dont think he is going anywhere. Definately some Dilemmas though, Id like to say Millera Saad Milne Reiwoldt Kosi and Sippos with Stanley to come back through the 2s and preassure Kosi or Sippos. Schneider up the ground more as either a HB or wing, Simpkin back at FB which probably means Blake has to go but that doesnt seem right? Still think Gram is really border line but I dont know if that is clouded by how frustrating I find him to watch?
decisions decisions
Good luck to match comittee

[bigcarl]

I would still be letting Jimmy find his form and match fitness at Sandy. All the other defenders are in better form than he is at the moment.

You reckon he has been that bad Barry?

Thought his kicking has been really good again and he was fine v Adelaide?

He was better against Adelaide, I agree. He was good, but so was Raph I thought. Hope it doesn't develop into an either-or scenario as
I reckon there is room for both of them.

Raph looks like a winger to me with Gilbert on the other wing. They're both tall and quick.

[Thinline]

...we might run sixth with a full list...

a full list? every year there are long-term injuries, and so our luck in not hitting any so far this year seems unlikely to last all the way through.

last year we were only missing five at the bye: hayes, gardy, blake, stanley, cripps. after that:

- gwilt did his knee
- ledger, crocker, mcqualter and ferguson missed the rest of the year
- siposs was injured for a couple of months
- winmar and eddy missed a month

there will be season-ending injuries, we just don't yet know who they'll be.

Too true.

I was trying to establish a best case scenario...an ambit claim, if you will...

Never know, we might fluke it.

[shmic_s]

If Stanley is fit:

B: Gwilt, Fisher, Dempster
HB: Gram, Blake, Goddard
C: Gilbert, Hayes, Clarke
HF: Saad, Riewoldt, Armitage
F: Milne, Sippos, Stanley

Foll: McEvoy, Steven, Dal Santo
Int: Jones, Montagna, Geary, Schneider (sub)

Not unlike my 'best' team.

B: Gwilt, Fisher, Dempster
HB: Clarke, Blake, Goddard
C: Gilbert, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Saad, Riewoldt, Armitage
F: Milne, Kosi, Stanley

Foll: McEvoy, Steven, Dal Santo
Int: Jones, Sippos, Geary, Schneider (sub)

By the end of the year. Will be good for our future to see:
Milera pushing out Milne
Simpkin pushing out Blake

[stkfc1]

sounds like Roo doubtful this week according to SEN (take it for what it's worth), Wilkes might get a run after all unless Stanley suddenly comes up.

[matrix]

so if we have not a sniff this year
and we would rather play stanley saad sipps over the likes of kozi blake milne etc

are we then therefore putting the old boys out to pasture?
thats it then?
coz if the kids fire, and do alright they keep the spots and the 'old boys' are gawn then, yeah?

might as well pay them out the remainder of the contract now or tell them thats it, vfl for you blokes now, no more seniors for you dead wood tossers?

wow

harsh

[SaintPav]

sounds like Roo doubtful this week according to SEN (take it for what it's worth), Wilkes might get a run after all unless Stanley suddenly comes up.

Worth zero..

also, can't believe Watters either...

[dragit]

so if we have not a sniff this year
and we would rather play stanley saad sipps over the likes of kozi blake milne etc

are we then therefore putting the old boys out to pasture?
thats it then?
coz if the kids fire, and do alright they keep the spots and the 'old boys' are gawn then, yeah?

might as well pay them out the remainder of the contract now or tell them thats it, vfl for you blokes now, no more seniors for you dead wood tossers?

wow

harsh

Not exactly as I was intending,

The opposite end of that is we keep playing all of Kosi, Milne, Roo, Hayes, Dal, Joey, Fisher, Blake, Clarke, Dempster, Jones, Gram & Schneider - 13

+ 7 younger regulars in Steven, Armo, Geary, Gwilt, Gilbert, Goddard, McEvoy,

So that leaves 1 starting spot & one sub to try and get games into Simpkin, Stanley, Siposs, Milera, Saad, Newnes, Cripps, Ledger, Ross

We'll be lucky if any of that 28+ brigade will be at the club in 2015, should we just play them all until they retire together? Carry on old boys…

If a younger player came in and fired keeping out a 30 year old, wouldn't you think that is a good thing?

I loved Bakes, but I'm glad he didn't go on any longer, Geary may still be in the 2's…

If Kosi is taking marks and kicking goals, then awesome, but apart from gold coast, he has kicked one goal and 14 marks in 4 matches… how many weeks of that should we cheer on?

I am beginning to get more worried, the more I think about it. 2012 is the least of our worries, I think we should be fair dinkum and face the fact that we are re-building, not vying for the flag. It should have started last year.

[borderbarry]

The experienced defender who has been letting us down this season is not Jimmy Gwilt or Raph Clarke or Jason Gram, but Gilbert. Admittedly he has had some good patches, but over the season so far he has been a disappointment.

[Little Dozer]

The experienced defender who has been letting us down this season is not Jimmy Gwilt or Raph Clarke or Jason Gram, but Gilbert. Admittedly he has had some good patches, but over the season so far he has been a disappointment.

Gilbert has been disappointing since 2009. If he can't get on to his left side he is a liability and the opposition knows it.

[Sobraz]

The experienced defender who has been letting us down this season is not Jimmy Gwilt or Raph Clarke or Jason Gram, but Gilbert. Admittedly he has had some good patches, but over the season so far he has been a disappointment.

Gilbert has been disappointing since 2009. If he can't get on to his left side he is a liability and the opposition knows it.

Was very good in his most recent match against the Crows...

[desertsaint]

Hey DS in next year's starting 22 you have no gun trades/recruits.

Remember We have Pelchen our Saviour!

Simpson! (no one has heard of him yet - will be a star)