Wish list for 2014

[saintsRrising]

Well after a mainly forgettable 2013 (well apart from Jacks & Robertons break-out years and our last game which was for various reasons a great day out for those that turned up) in 2014 I most want to see:

* Some genuine "cream" midfielders picked up. We must use our first 2 picks very wisely, and or do some good trade deals that pick up not juts mids, but guys that have the potential to be future gun mids. At present our midfield lacks depth, and of the younger players Jack is the only one that looks like being elite. One elite mid does not for a successful team make! A great midfielder is absolutely critical to being a good team these days. You can lack in other areas, but if you havea good midfield you can still succeed. But if you do not have a good midfield then you will simply just will not be able to compete week in, week out.

* A young key, back or two. While it would be nice if we could gain a future star....if we can get two solid key backs then with the back-flankers that we already have, that will make a major difference to our defense, and hence ability to win games. We need to be better able to minimise the damage that big forwards like Hawkins, Tippett and Cloke do to us.

* Improved fitness. I don't what happened in 2013, but despite the altitude camp we seemed to be the least fit team in the AFL and struggled to run our games (Coincidence that our new fitness guys was from the dogs who used to have the same problem????)

* Gameplan. Never had a sense in 2013 that there was much of a system going on.

* Break -out years: We need some of our pool of youngsters to step up and "arrive" : Lee, Siposs, Newnes, Saunders, Ross, Wiight, Murdoch, Curren etc... There is good potential...but we need some of the younger players to become the type of players that opposition coaches will have to worry about.


OTHER POSITIONS:

A gun player is a gun player no matter where they play, and will always be welcome. But our biggest two positional deficiences are described above. The other roles we are ok in.

Small Forwards:
In 2013 we played too many anyway. Perhaps to try-out players to be Milne's replacement.

Personally I would like to see more mids played in our forward line. ie Curren who can play as a small forward and also rotate through the midfield.
Schneider if fit is pure cream. Saunders, Joey, Jack all rotating through.

Mediums Forwards:
No one has arrived yet. But Murdoch, Siposs, Markworth and even the taller but very mobile White, Lee and Stanley provide good options to develop.

Tall Forwards:
Roo, Lee, Stanley, Maister...and White for some games.

Medium Back Flankers:
Even if we lose Fisher we have ample: Gilbert, Roberton, Dempster, Simpkin, Gwilt, Duneel, Webster, Ray.

Small Defender:
Geary, Newnes

[mad saint guy]

It will be very interesting to see if Watters persists with the ridiculous 3-4 small forward setup. Mids/utilities who can kick goals should be given preference over specialist forwards (should have been Curren, Dunell and Ledger this year over Saad, TDL and Milera).

What could really drive our improvement is if a few of Wright, Newnes, Siposs, Markworth, Lee, Stanley and Ross can really step up and become consistently influential players. Throw in a solid debut season from a couple of kids and we're at least on the right track.

Here's a somewhat realistic 22 for 2014 that I'd be happy with (assuming we trade Fisher and Dal and get Bruce/Delaney)

B: Dempster, Delaney, Geary
HB: Gilbert, Bruce, Roberton
C: Wright, Hayes, Curren
HF: Siposs, Riewoldt, Montagna
F: Stanley, Lee, Schneider

Foll: McEvoy, Steven, Armitage
Int: Newnes, Ross, Webster
Sub: Pick 3 (Aish/Billings/Kelly)

Emg: Hickey, Gwilt, Ray


It's still a bottom 4 team but it would at least be on the right track.

[SainterK]

Stability...

[bergholt]

* Improved fitness. I don't what happened in 2013, but despite the altitude camp we seemed to be the least fit team in the AFL and struggled to run our games

You don't know what happened? A large percentage of the team were less than 21 or had played less than 50 games. I reckon it's not massively surprising that young/inexperienced players don't have the legs to run out games.

[dragit]

Here's a somewhat realistic 22 for 2014 that I'd be happy with (assuming we trade Fisher and Dal and get Bruce/Delaney)

B: Dempster, Delaney, Geary
HB: Gilbert, Bruce, Roberton
C: Wright, Hayes, Curren
HF: Siposs, Riewoldt, Montagna
F: Stanley, Lee, Schneider

Foll: McEvoy, Steven, Armitage
Int: Newnes, Ross, Webster
Sub: Pick 3 (Aish/Billings/Kelly)

Emg: Hickey, Gwilt, Ray


It's still a bottom 4 team but it would at least be on the right track.

I like that side from a development point of view... Though it makes me wonder what we'd do with Gwilt, Ray, Milera, Maister, Dunell etc... mature guys not getting a game are wasting spots on the list if you aren't close to challenging...

Also think Markworth will fly past Siposs next year for the half forward spot.

Ideally we have 2 mids from the upcoming draft pushing for games next year.

[joffaboy]

No dwarf burning, banging schoolgirls or rape charges would be nice just for a change

[PJ]

It will be very interesting to see if Watters persists with the ridiculous 3-4 small forward setup. Mids/utilities who can kick goals should be given preference over specialist forwards (should have been Curren, Dunell and Ledger this year over Saad, TDL and Milera).

What could really drive our improvement is if a few of Wright, Newnes, Siposs, Markworth, Lee, Stanley and Ross can really step up and become consistently influential players. Throw in a solid debut season from a couple of kids and we're at least on the right track.

Here's a somewhat realistic 22 for 2014 that I'd be happy with (assuming we trade Fisher and Dal and get Bruce/Delaney)

B: Dempster, Delaney, Geary
HB: Gilbert, Bruce, Roberton
C: Wright, Hayes, Curren
HF: Siposs, Riewoldt, Montagna
F: Stanley, Lee, Schneider

IMO Murdoch, White and Markworth will challenge Sipposs for that other spot.
I also think we might get a reasonably highish pick in the exchange for Dal and Fisher. Ray was easily in our best 22 last year and is the right age to lead so pressure on for another spot.

My wish is that our unproven talent start coming to the fore.
Foll: McEvoy, Steven, Armitage
Int: Newnes, Ross, Webster
Sub: Pick 3 (Aish/Billings/Kelly)

Emg: Hickey, Gwilt, Ray


It's still a bottom 4 team but it would at least be on the right track.

[karnaby]

* Improved fitness. I don't what happened in 2013, but despite the altitude camp we seemed to be the least fit team in the AFL and struggled to run our games

You don't know what happened? A large percentage of the team were less than 21 or had played less than 50 games. I reckon it's not massively surprising that young/inexperienced players don't have the legs to run out games.

And, we actual got speed! That stuff we've been crying out for for years.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall that we overran Port in the last quarter (after being very poor in the first half) and Port's fitness guru & their apparent ability to run out games were almost deified by many this year.

I also recall hearing Watters almost longing for our kids to have another one or two pre-seasons under their belts so that they do have the strength and the ability to run out games.

We are rebuilding. It's going to take time.

[Witeout23]

A fair go from the media.

[PJ]

Murdoch, White and Markworth to challenge for forward line possies.

3 picks from 2013 inside the top 30 draft. (Aish or Kelly for #3)

Additional coaching assistance - Neeld??

Vastly improved midfield.

[cwrcyn]

My wish list:

A gun midfielder with pick 3

Josh Bruce to play CHB

Saunders, Wright, Ross, and Webster to really blossom

Murdoch to show signs of becoming our version of Cameron Ling

Schneider, Hayes, Gilbert, Gwilt, and Maister to stay injury free

Siposs to find a position and play a solid season

McEvoy to overcome his niggles from 2013 and play like he did in the first few rounds of this year.

Markworth and Minchington to get at least 6 games each and show they've got what it takes

Curren to show that his 2013 games were no fluke, and for him to blossom into an important midfielder for us

White to stay injury free and get 3 or 4 games toward the end of the season

Hickey to continue his development, and Pearce to player every game for Sandy and put on about 8kg.

Shenton to be given the opportunity of playing some senior football again in the role that Fisher will vacate.

No players hanging out with Dustbin Martin

[jonesy]

I heard a bloke on the radio last night saying next years draft is loaded with quality KPP's. We will be in a good position to get one of the best next year

[evo]

Tap outs to advantage - Jeez I miss Gardi !

[ace]

My wish list
Ross Lyon comes back.
He is still the best coach in the AFL by a mile (1.6km).

He is able to raise above average lists into premiership contenders.

To hell with Watters more attacking style of football (laugh, cough, splutter), we need a group of players that can play team football.

[whiskers3614]

More chance of your first wish coming true than your second or third!

[bobmurray]

I heard a bloke on the radio last night saying next years draft is loaded with quality KPP's. We will be in a good position to get one of the best next year

let's see if they are still saying that this time next year, that's when it counts

[mr six o'clock]

A fair go from the media.

I'd prefer a board with the balls to sue media outlets for broadcasting or printing lies !

[saintspremiers]

No dwarf burning, banging schoolgirls or rape charges would be nice just for a change

There are 17 other clubs for you to support if you have so many unrealistic expectations.

[plugger66]

A fair go from the media.

I'd prefer a board with the balls to sue media outlets for broadcasting or printing lies !

That will make us popular and should certainly help with sponsorship.

[SaintWodonga]

What will have to give up for Bruce?

[kalsaint]

Cloning Lenny Hayes and Nick Riewolt from the 2014 draft.

Ensuring a 10% improvement in 6 of the younger players and seeing the rest improve by an average of 5% (provides opporetunity in future trades and club premiership positioning).

10% improvement in kicking skills or bigger bodies to enable better player protection when using the ball.

[Cairnsman]

My wish list
Ross Lyon comes back.
He is still the best coach in the AFL by a mile (1.6km).

He is able to raise above average lists into premiership contenders.

To hell with Watters more attacking style of football (laugh, cough, splutter), we need a group of players that can play team football.

I reckon our list needs at least 3 more years and 1 finals win before Ross would look at coming back.

[bergholt]

A fair go from the media.

I'd prefer a board with the balls to sue media outlets for broadcasting or printing lies !

Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.

The only way to get good media coverage is to spend a shitload of time cultivating relationships with journalists, and on top of that to make sure that we don't do too much stupid s***. Legal action is a very bad way of trying to get a "fair go" - it just pisses off the media more.

[Cairnsman]

A fair go from the media.

I'd prefer a board with the balls to sue media outlets for broadcasting or printing lies !

Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.

The only way to get good media coverage is to spend a shitload of time cultivating relationships with journalists, and on top of that to make sure that we don't do too much stupid s***. Legal action is a very bad way of trying to get a "fair go" - it just pisses off the media more.

Free liquid lunches with the promise of a good yarn goes a long way too...

[Andreous]

Yes next year will be a bottom 4 (maybe even bottom 2) year. But if all of the lads who showed potential start hitting their strides, Markworth shows a bit of Fyfe in his play, Syposs and White play to their potential and we get a few food players from low picks we could have another era of finals (including grand finals). The thing I like about the current develoing crop is the evenness about it. Most of the Saints history is about worshipping the top five stella stars with the rest of the team not good enough for the Mudgee reserves.
A hard working (Geelong style) of balance and skill on all lines with a few stella stars is what wins premierships. And I Optimistically can see the spring shoots starting to show.

Lyon left us because our list was plummeting and HE could not win a premiership. Would he really have left if he thought we would be in line for top 4 this year. No Lyon saw the writing on the wall and went off for his next opportunity. How many games did the youngsters get under Lyon? Geelong and Collingwood can still blood players through top 4 years, why couldn't the saints.

Broader development is the way to go. Grant Thomas did that. Dal Santo, Maguire and Joey all had pretty scratchy first 50 games, as they were thrown to the Lions (pun intended) as the club developed. The kids have had some small experiences with many showing that they can progress.

Yes next year will be no better but we have started on the next era. I am more concerned that we will probably be reaching for the grand final at a similar time to GWS and GC.