We desperately neecd a couple of Talls

[damienc]

If the St Kilda Football Club needs a key, tall defender and another ruckman as the coach seems to think, who can the club realistically expect to recruit? Does it hinge on losing BJ to be able to afford to recruit well? Please don't interpet this as a desire on my part to offload Brendan Goddard. I think he is fantastic and would love to keep him.....but.....

Clearly the club needs to change or nothing changes. The current playing group is not going to deliver a premiership. We've got some promising up and comers but they will take a while. Tom Simpkin is great but too small to be a key positional player. A lot of our established stars are looking towards retirement. Where/who is the X factor that we need to make the difference against the Hawthorns and the Geelongs and those loathsome Magpies?

Who should we be targeting? I am talking about an established name. Who/what do we need? Where are they going to come from? Or are we three years away from anything good? Seems to me this is something that keeps being said about the Saints. Sorry i want success and I am sick of waiting.

[The Bluff]

Interestingly mick malt house said carlton need the same thing.we might rue beating them on the weekend as they now have the pick before us.

[rexy]

Think people are to quick to look at personnel as the major change needed. A lot of improvement can be made through game plan, fitness, discipline, belief and momentum! We may need a KP back with a bit of size and possibly a second ruck to support Mac and pressure Stanley but I don't think we need Madden Silvagni and 3 years to be a threat!

[damienc]

With the greatest respect I thought we had a good game plan this year, a fit team, discipline and belief. Maybe not momentum because we lost too many games. Granted the margins were not big but wasn't it obvious that we just didn't have the talent? I mean we are not playing in the finals.

[Teflon]

Interestingly mick malt house said carlton need the same thing.we might rue beating them on the weekend as they now have the pick before us.

yes.......I lament that also....lets hope we dont out smart ourselves so we can "feel good"in the off season.....

apparently that win over a near dead carlton side has suddenly transformed our younger players from a development perspective....please...

[kimberly saint]

How many fullbacks of size and sum ability are there out in the vfl wafl sanfl ??, there must be a half handy one floating around, thats missed the ship .
Its been said before surely we can use two draft picks on a state leauge ruckman and fullback, and save our high picks on the best young talent available .

[Con Gorozidis]

every club in the afl wants a few more good talls. there are plenty of rubbish talls but hardly any good ones.
they are rare as hens teeth. this is why i always defended zac.

[plugger66]

Interestingly mick malt house said carlton need the same thing.we might rue beating them on the weekend as they now have the pick before us.

yes.......I lament that also....lets hope we dont out smart ourselves so we can "feel good"in the off season.....

apparently that win over a near dead carlton side has suddenly transformed our younger players from a development perspective....please...

Where did you read that. I thought most people were just happy to beat Carlton. i dont think to many went overboard about the win. Anyway it matters little what we think. I will have a guess and say the coaches didnt go overboard and they are all that matter.

[Legendary]

I think a key defender is the #1 priority ... we got exposed a few times this year and whilst it got a lot better when our back 6 was settled, we are still one genuine key defender short of where we need to be.

Obviously we need a 2nd ruckman in case something happens to McEvoy, but someone from a lower league should be able to do the job ... Sikora from Sandy would be a good pickup. Hopefully Lever develops.

Long-term we need a key forward, but Roo and Stanley have at least another 2 years together so that's not quite as pressing - but I reckon we will take one with our first draft pick.

[shmic_s]

A key defender that can make our best 18 is the priority.

A back-up ruckman, (eg. Josh Fraser, Sikora) that could come in and cover McEvoy if he's out.

I would like 2 tall forwards picked in the draft. One with our 1st or 2nd pick, another a bit later. Saying that, with our 1st round draft pick we have to go best player available.

[WinnersOnly]

I keep reading how people believe we need a ruckman to support McEvoy. Ben's major flaw is that he has no leap hence he will never develop into a reasonable tap ruckman. IMO we need a ruckman to replace Ben and give Ben time to develop his strengths with Sandi.

I still cant believe that firstly we let our only tall defender go and then went into 2012 thinking we could cover him. Mr Pelchen and his team are meant to be the gurus in this field, but blind freddy could see that this and our rucking division were major holes. Basically those decisions cost us any chance of remaining competitive in 2012...

[borderbarry]

I agree that we need a first ruckman, not a third or whatever. Ben is just not good enough at the hit outs.

[gringo]

I'd love to have Haratuku -Leigh brown type forward ruck back up. Menzel could be a Chris Judd drifter because of his knees but might be too dangerous. I would love to see us recruit a big Full back ready to go, we could leave simpkin, Dempster and Gwilt back along side the new tall and move Fisher to CHF rooey and Stanley deep.

[kimberly saint]

can we get away with leaving kosi in the reserves for the year as our back up ruck man, and draft a young foward instead ?

[plugger66]

I keep reading how people believe we need a ruckman to support McEvoy. Ben's major flaw is that he has no leap hence he will never develop into a reasonable tap ruckman. IMO we need a ruckman to replace Ben and give Ben time to develop his strengths with Sandi.

I still cant believe that firstly we let our only tall defender go and then went into 2012 thinking we could cover him. Mr Pelchen and his team are meant to be the gurus in this field, but blind freddy could see that this and our rucking division were major holes. Basically those decisions cost us any chance of remaining competitive in 2012...

Yep play Ben at Sandy. he had a very good year for a ruckman of any age as the stats show but for someone so young he had a great year. I just love it when people have an opinion about a player and what ever that player does the person will never admit fault. Perfectionist has it over Jack and you have it over Ben. Please watch the game and if that is an issue look at his stats. They are very good.

[WinnersOnly]

I keep reading how people believe we need a ruckman to support McEvoy. Ben's major flaw is that he has no leap hence he will never develop into a reasonable tap ruckman. IMO we need a ruckman to replace Ben and give Ben time to develop his strengths with Sandi.

I still cant believe that firstly we let our only tall defender go and then went into 2012 thinking we could cover him. Mr Pelchen and his team are meant to be the gurus in this field, but blind freddy could see that this and our rucking division were major holes. Basically those decisions cost us any chance of remaining competitive in 2012...

Yep play Ben at Sandy. he had a very good year for a ruckman of any age as the stats show but for someone so young he had a great year. I just love it when people have an opinion about a player and what ever that player does the person will never admit fault. Perfectionist has it over Jack and you have it over Ben. Please watch the game and if that is an issue look at his stats. They are very good.

Plugger you are in the negative on the opinion stakes and the credibility of Julia Gillard - I cant believe Im bothering to answer you normally I have your posts hidden. BUT I will say it again I dont believe Ben McEvoy will EVER make a quality tap ruckman. The only filler to his stats sheet this year is when he would have been rucking against opoosition No 2 ruckman and even then it was 50 / 50. Watters is continually saying we haven't won a hitout count all year and that we need another key ruckman - smell the roses Plugger !

[shmic_s]

McEvoy will improve in hitouts. He needs to continue to increase his strength and learning how to use it.
He can run all day and is better around the ground than most big men. His leadership has been talked about and seems to always been cool under pressure IMO.

We will move forward with Ben IMO, will be happy to eat my words if Watters sees differently.
I think a reserve ruckman is what we will be after.

[plugger66]

I keep reading how people believe we need a ruckman to support McEvoy. Ben's major flaw is that he has no leap hence he will never develop into a reasonable tap ruckman. IMO we need a ruckman to replace Ben and give Ben time to develop his strengths with Sandi.

I still cant believe that firstly we let our only tall defender go and then went into 2012 thinking we could cover him. Mr Pelchen and his team are meant to be the gurus in this field, but blind freddy could see that this and our rucking division were major holes. Basically those decisions cost us any chance of remaining competitive in 2012...

Yep play Ben at Sandy. he had a very good year for a ruckman of any age as the stats show but for someone so young he had a great year. I just love it when people have an opinion about a player and what ever that player does the person will never admit fault. Perfectionist has it over Jack and you have it over Ben. Please watch the game and if that is an issue look at his stats. They are very good.

Plugger you are in the negative on the opinion stakes and the credibility of Julia Gillard - I cant believe Im bothering to answer you normally I have your posts hidden. BUT I will say it again I dont believe Ben McEvoy will EVER make a quality tap ruckman. The only filler to his stats sheet this year is when he would have been rucking against opoosition No 2 ruckman and even then it was 50 / 50. Watters is continually saying we haven't won a hitout count all year and that we need another key ruckman - smell the roses Plugger !

I would back that even people who dont like me would say i have you well and truly covered in the opinion stakes. Some of your gems have the comedy of Flying High but you arent actually trying to be funny. Dont get the credibility of Julia Gillard. What has credibility got to do with it? I would hide your posts if it was about knowledge of the game because I am actually dumbed down by your knowledge but i like reading your post for the comedy aspect. Look at the ruck stats and get back to me.

[skeptic]

don't bet it on it plugger

[plugger66]

don't bet it on it plugger

Well you should read his last 50 posts. Just knocks everything. if you like that well good luck and to be honest if you agreed with me then I wouldnt value my opinions.

[Freebird]

don't bet it on it plugger

+1 does a lot of tugging 66

[Spud02]

With Ben first ruck (barring injury), Rhys to give him a spell, and Kosi and Blake as back-ups, not sure we desperately need another ruck. IMO we should take the best player available.

[andrewg]

I keep reading how people believe we need a ruckman to support McEvoy. Ben's major flaw is that he has no leap hence he will never develop into a reasonable tap ruckman. IMO we need a ruckman to replace Ben and give Ben time to develop his strengths with Sandi.

I still cant believe that firstly we let our only tall defender go and then went into 2012 thinking we could cover him. Mr Pelchen and his team are meant to be the gurus in this field, but blind freddy could see that this and our rucking division were major holes. Basically those decisions cost us any chance of remaining competitive in 2012...

This comment is f****** ridiculous

[andrewg]

I agree that we need a first ruckman, not a third or whatever. Ben is just not good enough at the hit outs.

This is even more f****** ridiculous

[Old Mate]

Of course we need another ruckman (or two). Ben is the only pure ruckman on our entire list. That doesn't mean we use our first pick, not even our first two or three picks but we need to look at getting backup for Ben incase he goes down again and we have blokes like Blake rucking full games. Stanley is more of a forward who can ruck, same goes for Kosi however he's very poor as a ruckman. Pick one ready made ruckman from a state league and then another young one to develop even if we rookie him.