Hi Saintsational......again. Its been a long time!

[dragit]

Hey Grant, (not trying to give you a hard time) just wondering if you feel like some of the early contracts (bally etc) you were a part of set an unsustainable precedence of paying top dollar for our stars?

Losing BJ was disappointing, but do you think the 'Geelong' model of pay structure is the way to go? Clearly we ran out of cap space in a drastic way of the past 4-5 years...

Do you like what Pelchan is upto list-wise?

[loris]

Lovely to have you back Grant............... I'll let rogerwa know you're back and he'll possibly start posting on the site again. Gee it will be like an old school reunion!!

[saintbrat]

Lovely to have you back Grant............... I'll let rogerwa know you're back and he'll possibly start posting on the site again. Gee it will be like an old school reunion!!

ah Roger and Grant leads me to unfortunate memories...

put on the spot by the first and speechless for the second - all in the name of passing on information to SS

[gringo]

Welcome back GT. I think you are probably entitled to feel pretty hard done by from your coaching career. You came close and in the end got sacked just as you were on the cusp. History shows you went close but I still wonder sometimes if the stability had been there we wouldn't have progressed. I think you were pretty unlucky with luke Penny too, his body stands up and you may have been the greatest footy story of all time. He trained like a rolls royce just couldn't get on the park enough. Instead your remembered as a bad guy who rolled Blight with out due process.

I reckon you and Watters have a similar list style, he seems to be building a team able to attack from all angles. After watching some of the games you coached recently you had assembled a fantastic attack squad. We certainly had a more entertaining brand of footy under you.

[whiskers3614]

Where are all the Lyon lovers/Thomas bashers today?

[BackFromUSA]

Welcome back Grant.

Many of the original Saintsationalists are still here but post less frequently due to the lack of tolerance for differing opinion and the petty fighting that results.

Personally I just try to keep my nose out of others people's business and pop on for a read and sometimes share some news or speculation.

I would love your opinion on some of the new recruits.

I am very excited about Tom Hickey who with Rhys could combine to be the most athletic ruck / forward combination in the next few years.

Do you think Ben McEvoy could be converted into playing as a backman on power forwards like Tippett, Pettrie etc.

Do you think Lee and White will become the twin towers for the next generation?

Which midfielders do you feel can step up this year and beyond? Ross? Ledger? Newnes? Or someone from this years draft?

Would love your opinion.

[magnifisaint]

Where are all the Lyon lovers/Thomas bashers today?

Exactly what I'm thinking. Afraid to call a spade a spade

[Eastern]

Hey Thomo, There's still a group of us who have a quiet beer in the Whitten Bar prior to the start of our Home games. Why don't you come up and jion us one day/night, especially on the occasion that Roger ventures over from Perth for his once a year visit? !!

I'll keep it in mind

Good. Your shout !!

[matrix]

thanks for the response to my question StThomo.

pretty good that he is at least trying to answer every question thrown at him too.

5 pages and no thread hijacking yet
unheard of

[whiskers3614]

bit of luck in 2004/2005 and his statue would be next to Tommy Bent's.
moreover that other fella who shall remain nameless would be assistant coach at Nar Nar Goon!

[saintjake]

This is the real GT?
This is actually really cool!

Wouldnt mind seeing him weigh in on the plugger66 and big carl debates

[Munga]

Good stuff Grant, love your work.
How much do you hate Wanganeen? Two goals out of his arse, I'm still not over it!
To me you were almost heaven sent. The club was in the toilet when you started. You changed the culture and injected St Kilda passion in to the kids veins, you made they guys walk taller and think like winners. I just hope we won't go backwards now, but I think Watters is on to a good thing.
What do you think of the kids we've picked up in the last year or two? Who are our future young leaders?

[saintspremiers]

Quick question Grant. Do you think that our lack of a specialist fullback will have a significant imapact this year?

Given there are not too many super full forwards maybe not but we still require a couple of power guys down there. Im still shitty we let Goose go. How handy would he have been over the last couple of years?

Goose may be a top bloke but is finished as a top line footballer IMO.

He lacks lateral movement and is also a bit slow. Sure he gives his all, but his body just isn't up to it anymore sadly.

The Bears are a rubbish team which makes him look better than he is.

[StThomo]

Hey Grant, (not trying to give you a hard time) just wondering if you feel like some of the early contracts (bally etc) you were a part of set an unsustainable precedence of paying top dollar for our stars?

Losing BJ was disappointing, but do you think the 'Geelong' model of pay structure is the way to go? Clearly we ran out of cap space in a drastic way of the past 4-5 years...

Do you like what Pelchan is upto list-wise?

Complete rot - with respect. Our cap was in saintsational order. Our players were not paid top dollar by any means. Speak to Cooky & Bomber and they will tell u they followed our model, on field and off.

[StThomo]

Lovely to have you back Grant............... I'll let rogerwa know you're back and he'll possibly start posting on the site again. Gee it will be like an old school reunion!!

Hello again Loris say hi to Roger. He is a very good Saints man

[SaintPav]

Is it just me or is all this all just a bit NQR?

[StThomo]

Where are all the Lyon lovers/Thomas bashers today?

I'm ok with bashers.. As long as its considered rational and not personal.

[StThomo]

Dont want to sound like i am sucking up to you Grant but what you and the the Saints did for one of my best mates family when their mother died after being hit by a car was one of the best things any footy club could do. Arranging for players and yourself to visit the family at their home, getting the family in the rooms after the game even though we had lost to the WB and even having a tribute on the banner that day. Craig still has the photo taken that day on his fridge.

Hey Plugger66. Say hi to Craig and family. My daughter Ally is great mates with Craig's daughter Georgia. They go to school together.

[StThomo]

Welcome back Grant.

Many of the original Saintsationalists are still here but post less frequently due to the lack of tolerance for differing opinion and the petty fighting that results.

Personally I just try to keep my nose out of others people's business and pop on for a read and sometimes share some news or speculation.

I would love your opinion on some of the new recruits.

I am very excited about Tom Hickey who with Rhys could combine to be the most athletic ruck / forward combination in the next few years.

Do you think Ben McEvoy could be converted into playing as a backman on power forwards like Tippett, Pettrie etc.

Do you think Lee and White will become the twin towers for the next generation?

Which midfielders do you feel can step up this year and beyond? Ross? Ledger? Newnes? Or someone from this years draft?

Would love your opinion.

Hi USA good to hear from you again. Hope u r well. Don't have any opinion on recruits. Don't know them well enough.McEvoy died in wool ruck and future captain option. Great hands.

[StThomo]

Good stuff Grant, love your work.
How much do you hate Wanganeen? Two goals out of his arse, I'm still not over it!
To me you were almost heaven sent. The club was in the toilet when you started. You changed the culture and injected St Kilda passion in to the kids veins, you made they guys walk taller and think like winners. I just hope we won't go backwards now, but I think Watters is on to a good thing.
What do you think of the kids we've picked up in the last year or two? Who are our future young leaders?

Caused Aussie Jones early retirement. Just great play and our bad luck.

[SaintPav]

Good stuff Grant, love your work.
How much do you hate Wanganeen? Two goals out of his arse, I'm still not over it!
To me you were almost heaven sent. The club was in the toilet when you started. You changed the culture and injected St Kilda passion in to the kids veins, you made they guys walk taller and think like winners. I just hope we won't go backwards now, but I think Watters is on to a good thing.
What do you think of the kids we've picked up in the last year or two? Who are our future young leaders?

Caused Aussie Jones early retirement. Just great play and our bad luck.

That would have been Adam Schneider who did that one year later as well. Aussie was very loose.

[Jayman7]

G'day Grant,

Welcome back to Saintsational, I thoroughly enjoyed your original chat sessions and the exciting brand of footy we played under your guidance. I love how many of your initiations (ala the South Africa culture trip/local community camps) were taken to by the AFL with no recognition where the idea came from.

As a Taswegian I felt disappointed in how the Saints didn't really embrace us during the couple of seasons they played down here. I know the Launy ground dimensions may not have suited our style, but our performances were generally below par there and it seemed like a soft and convenient excuse when the saints pulled the plug on the Tassie fans after taking the Gov $. I can't say I'm wrapped to see us playing in NZ next year and can't help thinking Tassie should of been our second 'home' as everyone knows our rich history with the Saints (Baz Brooks the exception).

Thanks for listening,
Jay

[stinger]

Instead your remembered as a bad guy who rolled Blight with out due process.

by whom???...not by me....or by the pro gt lobby on this forum.......i'm sure grant is well aware of which posters bagged him after he got the flick and are now sucking up to him

[stinger]

Where are all the Lyon lovers/Thomas bashers today?

Exactly what I'm thinking. Afraid to call a spade a spade

some of them are now trying the brown nose approach, i'm afraid....

[saintdooley]

Hello Grant.