Cooda been Saints

[spert]

Just having a think about how the Saints could have been a much more successful club over the last few decades, mainly if the club had of been run better from the top down, and some of the brilliant players we had didn't have a screw loose or got sold off etc. We looked great when Patterson was coaching back in the '70s, but Robbie Muir, who was a great footballer when he applied himself, just lost his marbles and blew his career and didn't help the cause, Graeme Gellie was a brilliant midfielder for a brief period, then did his knee and never got the form back, and of course we lost the Elliot brothers and Perovic mainly to financial problems around that time, plus players like Rod Owen come along, highly skilled, could have been a great half forward, but had an air-gap between the ears, same for a few more who decided getting pissed was better than being in a winning team. Steve Baker could have really been regarded as top player and contributed so much more to the team if he hadn't have spent so much bloody time being rubbed out. We could go on, but it really shows that a club needs to be well managed and stable from top down, and it seems we are now, but jeez, how many years were wasted. I like what I see so far under Watters, and I think we might surprise a few critics this season. Anyway, back to my coffee

[mr six o'clock]

couda wouda shouda

.................................................................................................

...................................................................................................move on !

[spert]

I've long moved on, but it's good to look at mistakes of the past to build for the future

[3rd generation saint]

Hey, if Dermot Brereton had lived a kilometre further down the road he would have been zoned to St.Kilda.
But, nothing can be done about it, so why worry about it.

[Enrico_Misso]

If West Coast hadn't changed their mind on the day of the draft and not selected Judd we would have got him with pick 5.

[White Winmar]

The Pascoe brothers. As scary as the Kray brothers.

[Superstar]

If West Coast hadn't changed their mind on the day of the draft and not selected Judd we would have got him with pick 5.

Out of interest who were they going to pick up? Haven't heard that one.

[stinger]

If West Coast hadn't changed their mind on the day of the draft and not selected Judd we would have got him with pick 5.

Out of interest who were they going to pick up? Haven't heard that one.

one of the western australian boys, ashley sampi or graham polak, i presume...but i'm only guessing.....

[Dr Spaceman]

Hey, if Dermot Brereton had lived a kilometre further down the road he would have been zoned to St.Kilda.
But, nothing can be done about it, so why worry about it.

As a youngster I never played for a football club. My participation in the game consisted of kick to kick with some mates and playing a few games for my school house side. This continued through secondary school at which stage I used to drop in to Saints training on the way home and have a kick out on the Linton Street oval. Every now and then I’d slot one through from a good 20 metres out.

What’s that got to do with anything you may ask?

Well around the same time I found out that people living to the north of South Road were actually tied to the Demons.

And so that was it – I simply gave up all ambitions to play VFL.

[3rd generation saint]

Well Dr S, I tanked because Doncaster was zoned to Fitzroy.
Interesting though, I was assistant coach to East Doncaster under 16's in 1982 and we had a pretty good kid playing for us named John Blakey.

[Ralphy]

We where pretty much going to get Dean Cox but the paper work didnt go through in time for trade week

[mildurasaint]

Interesting post. Not sure the change has to do with management but moreso the draft and salary cap. For a while there, we just couldn't compete with the Carltons and Collingwoods because they could attract and pay the best footballers in Australia - Bradley, Kernahan, Hunter etc. etc. and we just didn't seem to be able to do that as much. Things have certainly evened out a bit.

[Enrico_Misso]

If West Coast hadn't changed their mind on the day of the draft and not selected Judd we would have got him with pick 5.

Out of interest who were they going to pick up? Haven't heard that one.

We had pick 2 and 5
WCE had 3 and 6
Freo had 4

Freo was committed to Polak
We took Ball with 2 after Hawth took Hodge with 1 - both clubs scared off by Judd's so called shoulder issues
WCE were similarly spooked and were going to play it safe with I think Sampi.
If they had done that Judd would still have been available at pick 5 and we would have taken him instead of X Clarke to keep Buttterssssss happy.

But the Eagles changed their mind and went with Judd and took the double risk - shoulder and homesickness.
That last minute decision definitely won them a premiership.

What it cost us is not pleasant to think about!

[suss]

We lost on Judd ... but did ok on Dal and Joey I suppose. Incredible to consider the players Geelong accumulated that year: Ablett, Bartlet, Chapman, Stevie J ... unbelievable drafting.

[matrix]

ironically those top 3 of hodge ball and judd have all won flags
only two of them have won a flag at the clubs that first drafted them thou

friggin st kilda
cant take a trick

[matrix]

and then the player that does win one with his second side gets played F*** all in a grannie and isnt on the park when he shouldve been...is left on the bench
so all three shouldve won flags at the clubs that drafted them

typical
friggin st kilda

it could happen to no one else lol

[gringo]

We lost on Judd ... but did ok on Dal and Joey I suppose. Incredible to consider the players Geelong accumulated that year: Ablett, Bartlet, Chapman, Stevie J ... unbelievable drafting.

Some years clubs just arse the draft. Sydney had a run down list then had a few good years recruiting and now have a premiership because of it. For all the crap about their ring ins it's jetta, hannerbury, reid etc that won them a premiership and they still have guys like Rohan to come in. A great few years drafting for them and they are a top side again.

[stinger]

and then the player that does win one with his second side gets played F*** all in a grannie and isnt on the park when he shouldve been...is left on the bench
so all three shouldve won flags at the clubs that drafted them

typical
friggin st kilda

it could happen to no one else lol

only one person to blame too.....even though the lyon lovers won't like it.....

[plugger66]

We lost on Judd ... but did ok on Dal and Joey I suppose. Incredible to consider the players Geelong accumulated that year: Ablett, Bartlet, Chapman, Stevie J ... unbelievable drafting.

Some years clubs just arse the draft. Sydney had a run down list then had a few good years recruiting and now have a premiership because of it. For all the crap about their ring ins it's jetta, hannerbury, reid etc that won them a premiership and they still have guys like Rohan to come in. A great few years drafting for them and they are a top side again.

So does that mean they aresed it or have good recruiters. I will go with second option.

[Dis Believer]

Some years clubs just arse the draft. Sydney had a run down list then had a few good years recruiting and now have a premiership because of it. For all the crap about their ring ins it's jetta, hannerbury, reid etc that won them a premiership and they still have guys like Rohan to come in. A great few years drafting for them and they are a top side again.

Fortunately our drafting seems to be heading down the same path (finally). The past two years the external comments on our drafting seem to be more "gee, they got him at a bargain price", or " they did well to get hold of him that late" rather than "we were surprised whent they took him that high, we didn't rate him at all," which seemed to be much more common a few years back.

[samuraisaint]

Well Dr S, I tanked because Doncaster was zoned to Fitzroy.
Interesting though, I was assistant coach to East Doncaster under 16's in 1982 and we had a pretty good kid playing for us named John Blakey.

Well, I have got to ask. I remember that Ronnie Biggs' son Chris Brent was a fantastic full forward for the mighty East Doncaster in that era. He never wanted to leave East Donnie (kicked 100 goals in 1980), but after years of begging by Fitzroy he went there in the early 80s, kicked a lazy 95 in the U19s, killed teams like Carlton in the magoos, and then disappeared... to Japan.
Just wondered if you could shed some light if you know him, how is the big man going?