Dal's now gone :(

[Newman]

Sad ... next year we won't see Dal, Kosi, Blake, Milney, Big Boy, Saad running around and we will sit back and watch as BAll, Goddard and Dal Santo no doubt enjoy finals footy. Oh yeah, we can look forward to Nick playing his guts out ... and kicking behinds. Feel kinda gutted. A lot of my faces have now gone. Hate this FREE agency business

[On the Ball]

I think everyone needs to put Dal's playing performances aside here and understand that there are current StKFC players who no longer want to be at the club. Like others, out of loyalty to his team mates, he wanted to stay, but given there is so much sh!t going on at Seaford, can you blame him for wanting out? From a business point of view, going to any current top 10 club is a better proposition than being at StK. The only reason the coach didnt get sacked was because they couldnt afford to pay out his final year.

[bigcarl]

A very sad day. He's been a super player for us for msny years. He'll add plenty to the Kangaroos.

Free agency sucks big time

[Selhurst Saint]

I understand the business and the logic behind it but I am still gutted. I would rather say good bye to our champions the way we did with Spud, Burkey, Loewey, Kosi, Milney, and Blakey.

[jimmy_slats]

I think everyone needs to put Dal's playing performances aside here and understand that there are current StKFC players who no longer want to be at the club. Like others, out of loyalty to his team mates, he wanted to stay, but given there is so much sh!t going on at Seaford, can you blame him for wanting out? From a business point of view, going to any current top 10 club is a better proposition than being at StK. The only reason the coach didnt get sacked was because they couldnt afford to pay out his final year.

Should change your name after that dribble...

[older saint]

Football is an occupation and a business and has been for years. Supporters and fans are the only difference between an AFL club and any other corporation. Dal was a great employee of the club and gave his all to his job. On top of that the limited dealings I had with him he seems a quality person who in doing so protected the brand of the StKilda Football club in the same way Roo, Harvey, and some others before him.

I wish him all the best and the class in which he has undertaken this exercise - something many other players and clubs could learn from . He gave much to this club and will go down in the top50 players to have pulled on a jumper for the red white and black.

[loris]

Part of footy has died since free agency

Agree.

Part of the magic has gone, and it will only be worse from now on.

We will be like USA sports with constant trades.

My sentiments too................. I think we loyalists to players are a bit like dinosaurs......... we will soon become extinct.

I can remember how gutted I was when Big Carl moved on from the Saints................. tossed in my membership for two years and didn't go to footy for awhile.....then I got over it........ the red, white and black was too ingrained in me.

Nowadays it's different.......loyalty, the love of the jumper, seem to be just romantic notions from an era coming to an end.

I can understand both the Club and Dal's decisions and reasons............. it still doesn't take that hollow feeling away from me.


It's a pity the Saints didn't get another 9 -10 games out of Big Ben Mac.................... if he sires any boys who show footy ability the Saints will miss out on the father/son rule. Par for the course for the Saints eh?

Good luck Dal.

[plugger66]

A very sad day. He's been a super player for us for msny years. He'll add plenty to the Kangaroos.

Free agency sucks big time

About 10 people have said this. he went through FA but if we didnt want him to go then he could not have gone. This had bugger all to do with FA and eventually FA could help us win our first flag in over 50 years in 5 or 6 years time.

[saintspremiers]

Great move. Much better than the Ball scenario of nothing.

[plugger66]

Part of footy has died since free agency

Agree.

Part of the magic has gone, and it will only be worse from now on.

We will be like USA sports with constant trades.

My sentiments too................. I think we loyalists to players are a bit like dinosaurs......... we will soon become extinct.

I can remember how gutted I was when Big Carl moved on from the Saints................. tossed in my membership for two years and didn't go to footy for awhile.....then I got over it........ the red, white and black was too ingrained in me.

Nowadays it's different.......loyalty, the love of the jumper, seem to be just romantic notions from an era coming to an end.

I can understand both the Club and Dal's decisions and reasons............. it still doesn't take that hollow feeling away from me.


It's a pity the Saints didn't get another 9 -10 games out of Big Ben Mac.................... if he sires any boys who show footy ability the Saints will miss out on the father/son rule. Par for the course for the Saints eh?

Good luck Dal.

Loris you have obviously followed footy for a fair while so i cant believe you can think FA is worse that what previously happened. Surely you remember Russell Greene going. he went the night before a game. We had a bloke playing for us who wasnt even in the record. players moved around just as much previously. We have lost many stars and we lost this one not because of FA but because we didnt want to keep him. The contract was there if we wanted him.

[St.Roly]

I think everyone needs to put Dal's playing performances aside here and understand that there are current StKFC players who no longer want to be at the club. Like others, out of loyalty to his team mates, he wanted to stay, but given there is so much sh!t going on at Seaford, can you blame him for wanting out? From a business point of view, going to any current top 10 club is a better proposition than being at StK. The only reason the coach didnt get sacked was because they couldnt afford to pay out his final year.

Should change your name after that dribble...

+1 - "...he wanted to stay...can you blame him for wanting out" !!

[Junction Oval]

Very disappointed to see a Saints legend go and still a few good years left in him.

Clearly, we are in re-build mode, as the Club could have re-signed him, but that's footy now. I will be very interested to see who/what we get in return - the pressure is on our Recruiters to bring home some bacon this year, for a change. The problem is, it may take a couple of development years to find out!

[Sainter_Dad]

Sob.
(Hic)
Sob.
That compo pick had better pay some dividends.
Thanks Dal for being a magnificent ambassador for our club. Very, very sorry to see you go.

Anyone got any guernsey number recommendations for my family? Our 18s and 26s are looking pretty sad now.

Get on Board - 9 and 17!!!!!

9 is going to be a goal kicking legend
17 - a cult hero!!!

[BringBackMadDog]

Dalaney = Troy Schwarzt
Dal has a few years of good footy left in him. No gaurentee what 2nd round pick we'll get... We had the bargaining chip and we crumbled. Very disappointed to see him go for a 2nd round pick and a dud defender (which im presuming will be part of the trade for a late draft pic)

FFS its not a trade, he has gone in FA. We will know what we get later today for him but before we all start whinging about a crap pick, think of how hawthorn are feeling getting pick 19 in the draft for arguably one of the best 10 players in the comp and in his prime. we will probably get pick 22 for a player about to turn 30.
its a stupid, stupid system

[SinCitySainter]

There is no fixed formula for FA, it is a set of non arbitrary measures and discretionary calls by the AFL.
We are not Sydney or Collingwood. We will be screwed.
What is the bet we get a pick at the end of the second round?

[Cairnsman]

Great move. Much better than the Ball scenario of nothing.

Loved watching him play at his peak but it could end up being a win-win if the recruiters snag good replacement for the future

[plugger66]

There is no fixed formula for FA, it is a set of non arbitrary measures and discretionary calls by the AFL.
We are not Sydney or Collingwood. We will be screwed.
What is the bet we get a pick at the end of the second round?

Poor us. we obviously got screwed from the BJ FA last year.

[8856brother]

It could be worse. Think Stewart for Barrot. If that doesn't make you vomit, it should make you feel a bit better about pick 20 odd.

[philtee]

My opinion...NDS was coasting a fair bit this year. Kangas need to get him to extract his digit.

[saintspremiers]

I think everyone needs to put Dal's playing performances aside here and understand that there are current StKFC players who no longer want to be at the club. Like others, out of loyalty to his team mates, he wanted to stay, but given there is so much sh!t going on at Seaford, can you blame him for wanting out? From a business point of view, going to any current top 10 club is a better proposition than being at StK. The only reason the coach didnt get sacked was because they couldnt afford to pay out his final year.

Well said. Not sure about your comments re SW though, but once again I'm loving the off season. lots of drama

[spert]

Hope he does well, but really, he had an ordinary season 2013 when we really needed a better effort considering the young players were carrying more responsibility than they should have. I don't think Watters or Pelchin rated him that highly that they would have moved mountains to keep him.

[Cairnsman]

My opinion...NDS was coasting a fair bit this year. Kangas need to get him to extract his digit.

Absolutely! He was in cruise mode and a change could do him good and if we use our compo pick well it's a win-win.

[plugger66]

I think everyone needs to put Dal's playing performances aside here and understand that there are current StKFC players who no longer want to be at the club. Like others, out of loyalty to his team mates, he wanted to stay, but given there is so much sh!t going on at Seaford, can you blame him for wanting out? From a business point of view, going to any current top 10 club is a better proposition than being at StK. The only reason the coach didnt get sacked was because they couldnt afford to pay out his final year.

Well said. Not sure about your comments re SW though, but once again I'm loving the off season. lots of drama

How the hell is it well said. looks like a bit of crap to me but happy for you to explain.

[Cairnsman]

Hope he does well, but really, he had an ordinary season 2013 when we really needed a better effort considering the young players were carrying more responsibility than they should have. I don't think Watters or Pelchin rated him that highly that they would have moved mountains to keep him.

Exactly!

[duckduckduckgoose]

Sad to see him go, but better to get a good pick for him now than potentially nothing in 12 months. (The AFL will ditch free agency compo picks any tick of the clock.)

Regardless of the how and why- on balance getting pick 22 for a 30 year old is a pretty damn good deal.
I'd love to hear anyone who reckons they can think of comparable trades?
What did akamanis get traded for and what age?
Also keeping in mind he actually won a brownlow, not just a couple of bronze medals.