Please explain - heraldsun article about the flag-window

[thefatdork]

Hi All,
I reckon the journo has been reading this forum in the last week or so.
His "frank" assessment of our drafting and prospects seem to have come from many of the comments posted on SS in the last week or so. Is it plagiarism or just "facts" that anybody could see?

Personally, I think that we are planning for the future but also don't think our window is closed yet - but maybe the next few rounds will change my view and the loss to GCS knocked my optimism back a bit. I think Scotty is also in this frame of mind and if things don't go well, then I suspect team selection will change to reflect the future needs of the club.
It would be fantastic to prove that we are still a flag-threat in the next few years and I hope we start to prove the doubters wrong with a win against the Tigers.

Here's the link to access the whole article
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl ... 6612399849
Go Saints!!!
TFD

[saintbrat]

Wallsy's had a go about the Window-- and Goddard
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... 2h9u4.html

[paddy]

its correct, but they forget that serious struggles on field will end up in our membership numbers dwindling...

we already like 5k members fewer over last few years

[Teflon]

all truth in those reads.

we all know it.

Lee for pick 12 is a massive gamble...
McEvoy needs to go up another level and we shouldve grabbed a back up ruckman and quality mids last draft....we are to thin midfield and it shows in how we win clearances/move the ball.

[kosifantutti]

Lee for pick 12 is a massive gamble...
.

would be a massive gamble if it was accurate.

[saintspremiers]

its correct, but they forget that serious struggles on field will end up in our membership numbers dwindling...

we already like 5k members fewer over last few years

Spot on.

Imagine if we finished bottom 4 this year. We struggle to get much more than 25K members in 2014 such is the softness of our supporter base.

[Fishsticks]

Lee for pick 12 is a massive gamble...
.

would be a massive gamble if it was accurate.

Correct. No mention of picks 24 and 43 that also came with him.

[SunburySaint]

its correct, but they forget that serious struggles on field will end up in our membership numbers dwindling...

we already like 5k members fewer over last few years

Spot on.

Imagine if we finished bottom 4 this year. We struggle to get much more than 25K members in 2014 such is the softness of our supporter base.

Correct, but I sure as hell will sign up every year

[spert]

We should do OK this year, but if our veteran players just cruise along and do just enough to get a game, then it won't help the cause. I think we are expecting more from McEvoy, Armo and Steven than they can probably deliver, but they don't seem to have the tanks to go the next step. So that leaves our midfield under serious under pressure due to a lack of any elite runners coming through, and reliance on veterans. Young guys like Newnes and Siposs will keep improving, and I would like to see another young mid getting more games starting now, but the club has gone the cautious route this round and hoping our veterans can deliver..not sure about that. The window is open for every team at the start of each season, and from memory, I have been reading articles about our window closing since the end of 2004. Let's hope we crack a win tonight and keep winning as it attracts potential members, and our current members and supporters need show a bit more passion and turn up to games .

[saintly]

all truth in those reads.

we all know it.

Lee for pick 12 is a massive gamble...
McEvoy needs to go up another level and we shouldve grabbed a back up ruckman and quality mids last draft....we are to thin midfield and it shows in how we win clearances/move the ball.

Teflon, it was not just a straight swap Lee for pick 12

Pick 12 was traded for Tom Lee, Pick 24 (Nathan Wright), Pick 43 (Josh Saunders). GWS went on and used Pick 12 to select Kristian Jaksch. What is to say he will turn out better then all of Tom Lee, Nathan Wright and Josh Saunders?

[stinger]

Hi All,
I reckon the journo has been reading this forum in the last week or so.
His "frank" assessment of our drafting and prospects seem to have come from many of the comments posted on SS in the last week or so. Is it plagiarism or just "facts" that anybody could see?

Personally, I think that we are planning for the future but also don't think our window is closed yet - but maybe the next few rounds will change my view and the loss to GCS knocked my optimism back a bit. I think Scotty is also in this frame of mind and if things don't go well, then I suspect team selection will change to reflect the future needs of the club.
It would be fantastic to prove that we are still a flag-threat in the next few years and I hope we start to prove the doubters wrong with a win against the Tigers.

Here's the link to access the whole article
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl ... 6612399849
Go Saints!!!
TFD

i think you are right...here's a quote from ss...amended somewhat..but taken from here nevertheless....no credit given though..


"But for the bounce of a ball in 2010, or an audacious toe-poke in 2009, you might have a second premiership cup sitting in the trophy cabinet at Seaford."

[stinger]

its correct, but they forget that serious struggles on field will end up in our membership numbers dwindling...

we already like 5k members fewer over last few years

Spot on.

Imagine if we finished bottom 4 this year. We struggle to get much more than 25K members in 2014 such is the softness of our supporter base.

Correct, but I sure as hell will sign up every year

me too mate....same for my family...except the youngest who hasn't recovered from the lost grannies yet....

[lloyd21]

As frustrating as it was to miss our chance , the media is dominated by journo's who support 2 club's Collingwood/Essendon they will always have negative thoughts with Stk.
We all on this forum know only too well our history is littered with missed opportunities, however think the current board at the Stkfc is the best we ever had.
The club has to really work hard on Mornington peninsula area for it's future.
The club has to lobby with all its strength to get the AFL to buy Etihad.
Really happy with the Pelchen /Elshaug/Bains combination in selection of players & look forward not back, hence why the word "character" is being used for players recruited.
I am happy with Watters as he is a " development coach " as we know more than any supporter flags are hard to win but with " persistence" the club will succeed.

[Richter]

all truth in those reads.

we all know it.

Lee for pick 12 is a massive gamble...
McEvoy needs to go up another level and we shouldve grabbed a back up ruckman and quality mids last draft....we are to thin midfield and it shows in how we win clearances/move the ball.

We need to regenerate nearly everywhere.... before last year's draft period

- our established mids were 32, 28, 28, 24, 22
- our only established tall forward was 29

It's harder to fathom why you traded pick 12 for Tom Lee, who kicked 60 goals in the WAFL last year. While the worry is the quality of your young midfielders, you seemingly have an endless supply of forwards.

Rubbish. We had one established Tall forward at the end of last year. Nick Riewoldt who is now 30 yo. Kosi is gone and Maister of questionable afl quality. Tom Lee is only 22.

It's obvious to me that it was sensible to invest in Talls first as they take longer to come through, and that it is worthwhile trying to blood some young players alongside Riewoldt rather than wait until he retires. My expectation is that Tom Lee will get chances to play alongside Rooey as this year progresses, and will get more chances next year. Whilst White will get chances more in 2014-16.

[matrix]

who cares what some prat writes in some rag

the chance has gone
2009 and 2010 was our chance
everything happens in cycles (usually)

we wont win a flag in the next 4 years at least
and im ok with it
ive never seen one anyway so how much more heartache is there to have?
its been 50 years in a few more years
if it took 60 it wont hurt any more

i faced up to the fact lenny and roo would not win a flag in their careers after the final siren in GF2

[SunburySaint]

Spot on.

Imagine if we finished bottom 4 this year. We struggle to get much more than 25K members in 2014 such is the softness of our supporter base.

Correct, but I sure as hell will sign up every year

me too mate....same for my family...except the youngest who hasn't recovered from the lost grannies yet....[/quote]


I have only watched the 09 game once and gone nowhere near the 2 in 2010... even though my stepdad, who is a filth fan, keeps inviting me over to watch both the games....

[dragit]

It's harder to fathom why you traded pick 12 for Tom Lee, who kicked 60 goals in the WAFL last year. While the worry is the quality of your young midfielders, you seemingly have an endless supply of forwards.

Rubbish. We had one established Tall forward at the end of last year. Nick Riewoldt who is now 30 yo. Kosi is gone and Maister of questionable afl quality. Tom Lee is only 22.

Exactly, decent key forwards are the hardest players to find IMO… how many very good ones are there at the moment? maybe 10?

We were clearly completely devoid of up and coming key forwards before this year, hence drafting a couple with early picks.

Pretty brainless to argue against adding more key forwards, if you are advocating a rebuild.

[evertonfc]

I don't think anyone here is under any illusions about where the team is at.

I don't think anyone here is under any illusions about how the media will guillotine certain players. I mean, poor Blakely wouldn't get a game at GWS, so of course he's going to get questioned here.

We deserve the scrutiny. We have to answer it on the field.

No more excuses - just get on with it.

[Sobraz]

Walls' article was fine, not much wrong with it... Thought a but harsh questioning whether Roo could've chased harder last week... He was one who busted a gut, as usual, but that's no biggie...

However, as much as he'd like to think BJ left for a club on the rise, it is fact that he left for the $'s, and the $'s only... Had about as much to do with going to a potentially successful club as Mitch Clark's decision to go to Melbourne.. It's about time that this was accepted, and the only question remains with St.Kilda, in that, did they do the right thing in not paying him what he wanted??

My opinion is we did...

As for the other article, that's been shut down brilliantly on bigfooty and not even worth the paper its printed on... Garbage journalism.

[thejiggingsaint]

Errrrrrrrrr? just WHO cares? what some hack or other (OR for that matter genuine respected journos) think of our prospects? Couldn't give a continental! GO SAINTS!!! (to hell with the rest!)

[evertonfc]

Walls' article was fine, not much wrong with it... Thought a but harsh questioning whether Roo could've chased harder last week... He was one who busted a gut, as usual, but that's no biggie...

Yeah, I thought the same. Didn't he run 120m just to make a contest in the forward line after being on the last line?

That said, one tackle isn't great. Need to be putting hands on the opposition - creates mental pressure as much as actual pressure.

However, as much as he'd like to think BJ left for a club on the rise, it is fact that he left for the $'s, and the $'s only... Had about as much to do with going to a potentially successful club as Mitch Clark's decision to go to Melbourne.. It's about time that this was accepted, and the only question remains with St.Kilda, in that, did they do the right thing in not paying him what he wanted??

Not really bothered by what outsiders say or think on Goddard.

He's a St Kilda champion.

We didn't offer him the contract he was offered elsewhere. They probably do have a better chance than we do. They'll be paying a 32-year old $700,000 per season.

We now get a big bundle of cash to play with at the end of this season (combined with Gram and Koschitzke [released or down-sized to 80-100k], that's about $1.5m freed up).

[St Chris]

It's a really easy crack at the moment. Same guys who probably gave the Dogs a clip on the way down last year, or continue to lay the boot into the Dees. No real insight in their writing, just spewing out column inches of generalisations and outside appearances.

Everyone knows we have an aging list, no real elite junior talent coming through etc. If thats the general consensus, the "average" footy supporter will read this and it will just consolidate that view.

I'd like nothing more than to prove the doubters wrong. But if we are to drop off the pace this year, i'll look forward to seeing a few kids run around, and take our medicine. It had to come at some stage, we have had an unprecedented run of success from mid-2003 until 2013. A few years back down the bottom to load up is a small price to pay for the last decade IMO.

[stinger]

Spot on.

Imagine if we finished bottom 4 this year. We struggle to get much more than 25K members in 2014 such is the softness of our supporter base.

Correct, but I sure as hell will sign up every year

me too mate....same for my family...except the youngest who hasn't recovered from the lost grannies yet....

I have only watched the 09 game once and gone nowhere near the 2 in 2010... even though my stepdad, who is a filth fan, keeps inviting me over to watch both the games....[/quote]

i reckon with those grounds i could get you off a manslaughter charge......unless we got a pie judge....no chance of getting any filth supporters on the jury though...most of them can't read or write and have criminal convictions.....

[st.byron]

We should do OK this year, but if our veteran players just cruise along and do just enough to get a game, then it won't help the cause. I think we are expecting more from McEvoy, Armo and Steven than they can probably deliver, but they don't seem to have the tanks to go the next step. So that leaves our midfield under serious under pressure due to a lack of any elite runners coming through, and reliance on veterans. Young guys like Newnes and Siposs will keep improving, and I would like to see another young mid getting more games starting now, but the club has gone the cautious route this round and hoping our veterans can deliver..not sure about that. The window is open for every team at the start of each season, and from memory, I have been reading articles about our window closing since the end of 2004. Let's hope we crack a win tonight and keep winning as it attracts potential members, and our current members and supporters need show a bit more passion and turn up to games .

Agree with the guts of what you've written Spert, but I can't see anyone being allowed to just cruise along and get games under Watters.

The hole in our list in the 23-28 age group is massive and we have Lyon to thank for that on the back of generally absolutely rubbish recruiting during his tenure. The older guys are past their best and the generation a few years after them is nowhere to be seen, leaving the young guys under 23 with higher expectations and pressure to accelerate their development.

[bobmurray]

We are in for a couple of frustrating seasons, we will max out on whipping boys and every now and then someone will re-type our
draft history just to rub it in.....