That was the end of the hope which sprung in 2003

[ralphsmith]

TO me, the resurgence all started in 2003. The coming together or greatness was there to see. After the miserable Watson and Blight years things were going to get better.

At that time, we had young.
Nick Riewoldt
Luke Ball
Xavier Clarke
Nick Dal Santo
Justin Koschitzke





Promising young chaps, who when matured would probably lead us to a flag.


We had the great man Robert Harvey.
Still had Aussie Jones running around.
Aaron Hamil.
Lenny what a f****** legend Hayes




Had this bloke.


Goddard came the next year but took a while to find his feet.

Such hope came from seeing this group of players come in as kids, mature into elite superstars and come so so close to getting this club its second flag. But they didn't.
Too many annoying what ifs always circulate in my mind.

I won't rant too much, but our core group has risen now they have fallen. No grand final win. Damn it is frustrating.
I still had hope for a last hurahh this year, but too many atrociously umpired games have kept us out of the hunt.

I think the players completely lost heart after being robbed by the umpires against collingwood. You could see it last week against the dees.

The camera focused on Nick Riewoldt in the coaches box last night and he had that horrible look knowing he'll never play in a premiership.

And yes, it had to be Geelong to put the final final final nail in the coffin of our hope. Had to be f****** 3 f****** premierships geelong. That f****** team we dominated in 2004. Don't they just specialise in pouring salt in the wound?

Frustration.

I feel very sorry for Scott Watters now. He has inherited a declining list and will probably Tim Watson the team, through no real fault of his own. Just came in at the wrong time and in 2 years will have a list of total duds / old crippled men.

[battye]

Yeah, I'm feeling it too. There was a sense of finality with the loss yesterday; the end of an era.

[tweedaletomanning]

TO me, the resurgence all started in 2003. The coming together or greatness was there to see. After the miserable Watson and Blight years things were going to get better.

At that time, we had young.
Nick Riewoldt
Luke Ball
Xavier Clarke
Nick Dal Santo
Justin Koschitzke





Promising young chaps, who when matured would probably lead us to a flag.


We had the great man Robert Harvey.
Still had Aussie Jones running around.
Aaron Hamil.
Lenny what a f****** legend Hayes




Had this bloke.


Goddard came the next year but took a while to find his feet.

Such hope came from seeing this group of players come in as kids, mature into elite superstars and come so so close to getting this club its second flag. But they didn't.
Too many annoying what ifs always circulate in my mind.

I won't rant too much, but our core group has risen now they have fallen. No grand final win. Damn it is frustrating.
I still had hope for a last hurahh this year, but too many atrociously umpired games have kept us out of the hunt.

I think the players completely lost heart after being robbed by the umpires against collingwood. You could see it last week against the dees.

The camera focused on Nick Riewoldt in the coaches box last night and he had that horrible look knowing he'll never play in a premiership.

And yes, it had to be Geelong to put the final final final nail in the coffin of our hope. Had to be f****** 3 f****** premierships geelong. That f****** team we dominated in 2004. Don't they just specialise in pouring salt in the wound?

Frustration.

I feel very sorry for Scott Watters now. He has inherited a declining list and will probably Tim Watson the team, through no real fault of his own. Just came in at the wrong time and in 2 years will have a list of total duds / old crippled men.

Very good heartfelt post.

[chook23]

hurts

without a premiership

given a period that in our history would be one of our best

2003 - 2011

[clarky449]

It was a fun era. Great memories. G-Train, Milne, Roo, Hammill in the forward line. Those were the days.

[samuraisaint]

Chin up lads.
I thought the boat had sailed at the end of 2007 and we backed up pretty well.

[3rd generation saint]

For this core group, one would have to agree that there ship has probably sailed.
However, it is now up to Pelchen etc to recruit the next group and gradually intorduce them as this group sails into the sunset.
Sadly, this should have been done over the last 3 seasons instead of wasting draft picks picking up hand me off duds from other clubs and giving them games ahead of potential young guns.
Stevens and Armitage should have been played ahead of the likes of Eddie and McQualter.
Have a look at that Geelong side last night, they have been introducing new young players since 07 despite winning 3 premierships, and pawned their duds off, well one or two to us.

[saintspremiers]

Good OP. can't just blame the umps for all the close losses.

The players had the desire but lacked the ability to match the top sides. Mind willing, body not able sadly.

Thank god we no longer have Lyon, and Pelchen will save us from the mire of bottom 4 I'm hoping.

[asaint]

Yes, I am facing the reality that this group will not win a flag. If someone had told me that in 2003, I would not have believed them , I was that confident. Gutted, truly gutted all over again. It is just so hard to accept.

[clarky449]

Good OP. can't just blame the umps for all the close losses.

The players had the desire but lacked the ability to match the top sides. Mind willing, body not able sadly.

Thank god we no longer have Lyon, and Pelchen will save us from the mire of bottom 4 I'm hoping.

You are a fool.

[thejiggingsaint]

What a load of defeatist drivel!!!!! TOUGHEN up for Goodness sake! Okay no flag, s*** happens! the task now is to keep the faith and STICK FAST!!!!! we're on the verge of something BIG! It could well be that this group you've listed have had to lay the foundations for another generation of players. I wouldn't have missed these past ten years for ANYTHING!!! TOUGHEN UP!!!!!! and get behind your club!!!!

[asaint]

Ok. I will toughen up after this weekend. I will never walk away from the club I love , but this weekend is for wallowing.

[SaintSimmo]

WTF is with all the negativity on this forum?
FFS move on, good players come and go, s**t happens!!
Take a look at Geelong, who says we can't do the same thing next year?!!!
This season is gone, get over it you could not honestly have thought that we were going to win the flag this year anyway.
We will improve next year with greater understanding of the game plan, hopefully a better list, and maybe some supporters with some f***ing faith!!

[thejiggingsaint]

Well said!!! Geelong are a wonderful example of what I'm talking about in my previous reply to the OP. In the late 80's to mid-nineties that club had a wonderful list of players...Brownless, Couch, Hocking, Ablett senior etc and they failed to win the big one not once, but FOUR times in 6 seasons. That list was rebuilt several times before the flag was won in 2007 (after missing the eight in 2006) after a forty-four year wait. I refuse to don the mantle of "victim" and to cry over what might have been. All history now, and we're about to embark on ANOTHER period of rebuilding, I for one, am happy with where we're at!

[gringo]

What guys like Roo and lenny and co do is set a benchmark for performance that the new guys need to live up to. We were a disgrace in the 1980s the era I grew up as a kid who didn't understand why we lost every week and every year we got wooden spoons. We somehow from one of the great laughing stock clubs sobered up slipped the disco lights off and joined the professional era and worked some magic. Clubs like the Roos and dogs can't get members when they win let alone lose. We have been up and about as a club for a long time and like anything there are swings and roundabouts. We may be in for some pain we may not, just roll up your socks and keep going. If the chance slipped its history there is always tomorrow and through stability and work we can just reload and battle on. Just harden up folks and stop your bleating.

[thejiggingsaint]

+1

[Teflon]

truly have no idea where we are headed - so hard to predict

There was something bout that Cats loss I just didnt like....maybe it was the first time I've walked away in a long time where all i could say was "we just arent good enough".......I mean we just comprehensively looked inept in that first half....for such a massive game for us.....that's a disgrace. So you are left with........"we just aint good enough".

The only solace I take is..........in 2007 I walked away from Hawks smashing us and felt exactly the same HOWEVER, Riewoldt, Hayes, Fisher, Goddard, Milne were all 5 years younger.....part of me thinks the second coming this time is some way off sadly.

[SainterK]

I agee, Cats game threw me.

Mainly because of how it ended.

Just not used to seeing this side stop trying well before the game is finished.

[Bushman]

Time will tell but I've enjoyed this year so much more than last. I love Scott's game plan and the kids have injected hope and excitement. I watched 5 spoons in the 80's, three in a row!! but this is nothing like those days, I remember Lou saying there was "light at the end of Footscray's tunnel" then Jack piped in and said "yeah and the Saints haven't found the tunnel".

Clearly a number of players need to be moved on (we all know who they are) with the main focus being skills by foot, we've got some great kids who can form a new core over the next couple of years without "bottoming out". The older guys have another 2 to 5 years so plenty of time to bring on the next generation. Next year we should keep the stars, clear out the older guys who make up the numbers and give the young guys 15-20 games to hone their craft.

As samurisaint said "we backed up pretty well after 07. Scott is coaching for the future and Ross coached for next week, both the right guys at the right time IMHO. As always I live in hope and will always love the Saints.

[dcstkfc]

Depressing reading.

[tweedaletomanning]

Maybe, just maybe, the Mayan Calander was in reference to our club.

Makes more sense

[I Love Peter Kiel]

Excellent post, ralphsmith.

Yes, it's been an exciting ride.

We can look back at the last 12 years at Colonial/The Dome/Etihad...an amazing journey.

This present team may well not see a Premiership.

But don't worry, St Kilda Football Club will go on.
Successive generations of supporters and players will continue to strive for that Holy Grail.
The fact that this quest is passed on from father to son gives us a form of immortality.

[thejiggingsaint]

How anyone can post tripe like this after hearing Scott Watters outlining his plans for (quote) "OUR football club" is beyond me! I decided to commit to the Saints when they got their last wooden spoon in 2000. I really think that some of you need to get a grip! (IMHO ) Thank God that the players and coaches have a wee bit more G&D than some of our supporters!

[Dr Spaceman]

I hope for a Flag; I live for a Flag. But I don’t follow the Saints on the understanding that there will necessarily be another Premiership in my lifetime.

I follow the Saints because they were my local team growing up. And I go to the footy to watch the Saints because it’s something that gives me great enjoyment and has done so for 40 years now. I love meeting up with my mates for a few beers before the game and cheering on the team in their pursuit of 4 points. To me it’s a ritual and all I’m looking for is a win each week. Where we end up at the end of the year is simply where we end up.

What happens in 2013 and beyond won’t affect my support of my club or my attendance at matches. After all, like many on here, I’ve been through the 70s, 80s and 90s.

I can’t change things and all I can do is back those who are empowered to run the club, both on the ground and off it. I think those blokes, particularly Watters and Pelchin, know exactly what they’re trying to achieve. But it’s a funny old game, with rules and regulations and luck with drafting and injuries. So at the end of the day there are no guarantees.

But I do think we’re on the right track.

[thejiggingsaint]

GOOD medicine there Doc!!!!!!