Anyone hear Ross Lyon on Grandstand ABC?

[defacto]

if freo and st kilda are smart they would bury the hatchet and actually form an alliance of sorts. they can train at our grounds when over here and us theirs.

theyre up when were down and we will be up when they are down

[Moods]

I asked the question about Footy First takeover and were howled down by the baying mob.

Look at our recruitment under Butters compared to this mob.

Apologies accepted from the all of you who tried to bully me on here because i asked the hard questions of this mob.

Look at our finances under Butters and our development and compare them to Westaway and his rabble.

I feel vindicated.

Our terrible recruiting started in 2004. As soon as we had some on field success, no one at St Kilda seemed too concerned with drafting and developing young talent.

Here are our national draft picks from 2004-2006

McQualter
Ackland
McGough
Gwilt*
Gilbert*
Rix
Raymond
Sweeney
Armitage*
Howard
Allen
Ferguson

Three players in three years is a terrible record, coupled with the fact that we traded Pick 17 for Fergus Watts and Heath Black for Aaron Fiora. Our deplorable recruiting was an issue long before Footy First arrived. At least they improved football department spending and went after the best fitness staff in the business while we were challenging. If we had a decent conditioning and injury prevention program from 2004-2006 we may well have scored our second flag. Our injury list in September in each of those years was horrific. Butterss and Thomas did some great things for St Kilda but they also severely neglected crucial aspects of running a professional footy club.

Read this from MSG and didn't bother reading the rest of the thread. Sums it up perfectly. Yes we didn't have early draft picks from 04 onwards - but we just haven't recruited well compared to a couple of clubs in the same position as us - ie Sydney, Cats and hawks. Even Gwilt was speculative and plucked from obscurity. How have the cats managed so well and we've been awful in this area? The cats have their stars retire and a youngster just steps into the breach. We lose BJ and get a couple of key injuries and the whole team falls apart. I think BOTH administrations sat back and thought there was going to be a flag in there time, so all would be forgiven.

Some of our trades have been great with Schneides, Gardiner, Dempster, and to a lesser extent Ray. Our drafting has been woeful though.

[linz]

Cut the crap everyone. He's a good coach and with all things being even we would have won 2 flags. Simple as that.

[vacuous space]

Yes we didn't have early draft picks from 04 onwards - but we just haven't recruited well compared to a couple of clubs in the same position as us - ie Sydney, Cats and hawks.

Sydney have one listed player remaining from the 04-06 drafts, Geelong have four and we have three. The Hawks obviously have more, but they had 6 top-10 picks in that period, so not really comparable. The big difference is Geelong hit jackpot with Selwood and Hawkins while Sydney found players in other areas. We haven't really added a star player in a decade.

[Greg T]

Cut the crap everyone. He's a good coach and with all things being even we would have won 2 flags. Simple as that.

Agreed, he'll get a flag sooner or later...