May not be popular

[Freebird]

So what is your point plugger?
Fans have no right to whinge and the club is run by geniuses who are above criticism ?

How would you like to be married to it...

[BigMart]

What a load of apologist crap.

At times during the match we matched the intensity of Collingwood... Other times we did not...

If a team accepts 80-140 point losses as that ok, that's where we're at? What's the point of even fronting up weekly?!
That, and effort requires no experience or talent.

We pay our players up to 95% of what collingwood does.
So either we are butchering our list mgt, butchering the footy, lack in the footy dept or lack effort?

Collingwood were far from full strength either with Reid, Brown, Blair, Grundy, Swan, Ball missing and Max down early.

If they were 80pts better than us.... We are at rock bottom

With our best players still over 30

[saintspremiers]

What a load of apologist crap.

At times during the match we matched the intensity of Collingwood... Other times we did not...

If a team accepts 80-140 point losses as that ok, that's where we're at? What's the point of even fronting up weekly?!
That, and effort requires no experience or talent.

We pay our players up to 95% of what collingwood does.
So either we are butchering our list mgt, butchering the footy, lack in the footy dept or lack effort?

Collingwood were far from full strength either with Reid, Brown, Blair, Grundy, Swan, Ball missing and Max down early.

If they were 80pts better than us.... We are at rock bottom

With our best players still over 30

Big man, have you factored in injuries? If so, we are close to rock bottom.

[BigMart]

We have significant injuries

Gilbert.... Ried
Fisher..... Brown
Hickey... Grundy
Armitage .... Ball
Wright...... Swan
Geary......
Gwilt......

[saintsRrising]

What a load of apologist crap.

At times during the match we matched the intensity of Collingwood... Other times we did not...

Yep...that is what happens with young inexperienced players.

If a team accepts 80-140 point losses as that ok, that's where we're at?

Depends on what your definition of the word accepts is.

When I finished school I would have liked to move into my present house. Instead I had to build up to it. Did I "accept" the first house I built? No in terms of what I eventually wanted. Yes as a step along the way.

Did our coach accept last night? I would imagine not. But he and Pelchen will both know that our path will be rocky, and up and down, for several years at least. The coach will be working with the players on intensity and effort, but it is not just one week solution. Other aspects such as tactics take a while to learn, and games with team-mates to become instinctive.

Morseo, if like last night he we have almost half our best team out.

What's the point of even fronting up weekly?!

And how else would you propose to get senior games experience into young players?

Part of what players ave to lean is how to play at a high level for the full game.

GWS have a fantastic list, chock full of talent. But they are still building experience.

[maverick]

What a load of alarmist crap.

Of course our best players are over 30, so are Hawthorn's, pretty much Geelongs, just about the Bombers, most of Freo's..the list goes on…

Comparing our injuries to the Pies is laughable…

It is very hard to watch us play at the moment, but unfortunately it is the path we have chosen, the results are not surprising...

[plugger66]

What a load of apologist crap.

At times during the match we matched the intensity of Collingwood... Other times we did not...

If a team accepts 80-140 point losses as that ok, that's where we're at? What's the point of even fronting up weekly?!
That, and effort requires no experience or talent.

We pay our players up to 95% of what collingwood does.
So either we are butchering our list mgt, butchering the footy, lack in the footy dept or lack effort?

Collingwood were far from full strength either with Reid, Brown, Blair, Grundy, Swan, Ball missing and Max down early.

If they were 80pts better than us.... We are at rock bottom

With our best players still over 30

Are you serious? you really come accross as a poor loser. We pay 95% of the salary cap. Yep because thats the rules. i agree about apologist crap and I apologie for your crap. And what is your point anyway. Who is accepting big losses? I suppose its because i pointed out you have a go at Jack for taking advantage even though it was Ray and also for your pathetic comment about asking Stanley if he was weak c***. You make me sick.

[SaintPav]

What a load of apologist crap.

At times during the match we matched the intensity of Collingwood... Other times we did not...

If a team accepts 80-140 point losses as that ok, that's where we're at? What's the point of even fronting up weekly?!
That, and effort requires no experience or talent.

We pay our players up to 95% of what collingwood does.
So either we are butchering our list mgt, butchering the footy, lack in the footy dept or lack effort?

Collingwood were far from full strength either with Reid, Brown, Blair, Grundy, Swan, Ball missing and Max down early.

If they were 80pts better than us.... We are at rock bottom

With our best players still over 30

Are you serious? you really come accross as a poor loser. We pay 95% of the salary cap. Yep because thats the rules. i agree about apologist crap and I apologie for your crap. And what is your point anyway. Who is accepting big losses? I suppose its because i pointed out you have a go at Jack for taking advantage even though it was Ray and also for your pathetic comment about asking Stanley if he was weak c***. You make me sick.

A comment like that deserves an automatic banning for one month.

What a disgrace!

[Dis Believer]

What a load of apologist crap.

At times during the match we matched the intensity of Collingwood... Other times we did not...

If a team accepts 80-140 point losses as that ok, that's where we're at? What's the point of even fronting up weekly?!
That, and effort requires no experience or talent.

We pay our players up to 95% of what collingwood does.
So either we are butchering our list mgt, butchering the footy, lack in the footy dept or lack effort?

Collingwood were far from full strength either with Reid, Brown, Blair, Grundy, Swan, Ball missing and Max down early.

If they were 80pts better than us.... We are at rock bottom

With our best players still over 30

Are you serious? you really come accross as a poor loser. We pay 95% of the salary cap. Yep because thats the rules. i agree about apologist crap and I apologie for your crap. And what is your point anyway. Who is accepting big losses? I suppose its because i pointed out you have a go at Jack for taking advantage even though it was Ray and also for your pathetic comment about asking Stanley if he was weak c***. You make me sick.

A comment like that deserves an automatic banning for one month.

What a disgrace!

Isn't trying to influence the mods an offence in itself? May be up for a ban yourself.........

[gringo]

What a load of apologist crap.

At times during the match we matched the intensity of Collingwood... Other times we did not...

If a team accepts 80-140 point losses as that ok, that's where we're at? What's the point of even fronting up weekly?!
That, and effort requires no experience or talent.

We pay our players up to 95% of what collingwood does.
So either we are butchering our list mgt, butchering the footy, lack in the footy dept or lack effort?

Collingwood were far from full strength either with Reid, Brown, Blair, Grundy, Swan, Ball missing and Max down early.

If they were 80pts better than us.... We are at rock bottom

With our best players still over 30

I remember we used to go out and regularly beat up on North Melbourne but last year their kids got good enough to give it back and they loved kicking the crap out of us while we were on the ropes. There was two teams in differing development stages. Collingwood has the luxury of running deep and also having a lot of guys in mid career best form. We have a handful of old guys at the end and very inexperienced kids. Right now it's not weakness just the reality of the situation.

It will drive you mad if you go out expecting too much. They aren't going to give 100% effort at every contest because they are going to loose confidence and drop their heads at times. Just enjoy the glimmers of hope when guys like Billings and Dunstan get a little better each game and you will escape with your sanity intact.

[oldie60]

I know we have not recruited well in the past but is till don't believe that a few early draft picks will fix the problem. Our bottoming out had to be but then why don't clubs like Geelong,Collingwood and Hawthorn to an extent don't spiral to the depths we have in a short period of time.The reason is because the next rung of players below their elite are good footballers where as the difference between our best players to our mid range is players is massive even when you go back to our grand final years.Our recruiting has been ordinary over the past 10 years and you also have to question our inability to attract good players to our club.Early draft picks may help in the long term but some strong bodied experience will also need to be considered if we wish to not fall into oblivion.Memberships are down,crowds are already low due to a number of circumstances beyond the clubs control (prices) so its a vicious circle we must embrace.As to how its remedied how long is a piece of string. I do have one criticism of the coaching box is that when we are getting thrashed we don't seem to try anything different as far as structures go which also goes to show that maybe our coaches will take time to develope so basically we have to be patient and hope we can at least instill a mantra of effort at all times regardless of our skill or strength.

[dragit]

We are at rock bottom

Just enjoy the glimmers of hope when guys like Billings and Dunstan get a little better each game and you will escape with your sanity intact.

Nah don't enjoy that, just continue to rue the fact that we gave away a decent ruckman instead & another 30 year old champ.

[gringo]

I know we have not recruited well in the past but is till don't believe that a few early draft picks will fix the problem. Our bottoming out had to be but then why don't clubs like Geelong,Collingwood and Hawthorn to an extent don't spiral to the depths we have in a short period of time.The reason is because the next rung of players below their elite are good footballers where as the difference between our best players to our mid range is players is massive even when you go back to our grand final years.Our recruiting has been ordinary over the past 10 years and you also have to question our inability to attract good players to our club.Early draft picks may help in the long term but some strong bodied experience will also need to be considered if we wish to not fall into oblivion.Memberships are down,crowds are already low due to a number of circumstances beyond the clubs control (prices) so its a vicious circle we must embrace.As to how its remedied how long is a piece of string. I do have one criticism of the coaching box is that when we are getting thrashed we don't seem to try anything different as far as structures go which also goes to show that maybe our coaches will take time to develope so basically we have to be patient and hope we can at least instill a mantra of effort at all times regardless of our skill or strength.

Geelong actually played their kids while ours rotted at Sandy. Guys like Pattison and Will Johnson were given a quarter then never played again. Kids apparently didn't even get to speak to Lyon. jack Steven said he had more to do with Watters in his first week that he had to do with Lyon the whole time he was there. Armo hardly played. Geelong and Collingwood have their own VFL teams with 3 full time coaches and individual development staff. We can't even come close to that. We probably don't even have our own tapes of VFL matches let alone anylists breaking down GPS and stuff that the Pies have.

Lyon was a gun match day coach but should never have had a say in development or recruiting where he focussed on getting in limited role players rather than developing gun kids.

[BigMart]

Do you enjoy the fact great players have left our club and gone to other clubs and enjoyed real success.

Is it not a pity, in fact for me gut wrenching to see saints champions singing other songs whilst we are at rock bottom.

Selling your soul for a promise is a huge risk, IMO some seem to think because we are at rock bottom, there is an inevitability that we will rise. In the current climate, it's no guarantee.

History says it hasen't worked in the past, and in fact most champions and coaches we have lost have went on to better things... That IMO is a shame.

You cannot deny we have had more champions go elsewhere, than any other...

[gringo]

Do you enjoy the fact great players have left our club and gone to other clubs and enjoyed real success.

Is it not a pity, in fact for me gut wrenching to see saints champions singing other songs whilst we are at rock bottom.

Selling your soul for a promise is a huge risk, IMO some seem to think because we are at rock bottom, there is an inevitability that we will rise. In the current climate, it's no guarantee.

History says it hasen't worked in the past, and in fact most champions and coaches we have lost have went on to better things... That IMO is a shame.

You cannot deny we have had more champions go elsewhere, than any other...

Yeah it sucks. I'm the type who would rather end my career with my mates around me but hey I'm a romantic. Ball was a gut wrencher because we waited for his body to get right for so long and his best footy was never realised at the Saints. Collingwood got to get the best out of him and he ripped our guts out.

[Jacks Back]

... I do have one criticism of the coaching box is that when we are getting thrashed we don't seem to try anything different as far as structures go which also goes to show that maybe our coaches will take time to develope so basically we have to be patient and hope we can at least instill a mantra of effort at all times regardless of our skill or strength.

If you are trying to develop players and a game structure and you know you're going to finish near the bottom, then what would be the point of throwing the players around just to save a few goals (or probably make us lose by more)? Why shouldn't the players learn how to play with each other in their given positions? Mo point putting Rooey or Sippo to full back and Delaney to full forward for example.

[happy feet]

Nobody like to see our team lose by big margins but unfortunately you had better get used to it. The drafting of talent may have a lot to do with it, but the lack of financial resources available to the Club is an issue. Look at how Collingwood has been able to keep Luke Ball match fit. They certainly have been better at that than we were. This is probably due to the amount they have to spend in state of the art player preparation. The AFL is becoming a dichotomy of those that have and those that don't and we are in the latter category. When we drafted Roo, Kosi, Goddard et al, like many others, I thought this is now our time. We came so close. Now with the state of the game, at age 51 I honestly don't think I will see a Premiership win in my lifetime, and as I was only 3 in 1966, don't remember that one. I think we have to really seriously consider that our Club may fold, and I ave no confidence in the AFL in keeping the poorer clubs going. For what it's worth, I despair that our great game has changed so much and that in my opinion, has morphed from sport to mere entertainment. Ah, such is life.

[Megamaguire]

There have been a lot of holes to fill in this 'bottoming out' team and there will still be more holes left when Rooey, Lenny & Monty have to call it quits. Without the favoured injections in high draft picks enjoyed by Suns. Giants and maybe even Swans our job is harder again. We know our recent club history included the wherewithall to guide us to 2 grand finals etc etc and we feel we are a genuine club and not just one wasting time and opportunity .
So, we have to continue to have faith. Positivity helps and AR has really just started. Our Sainters are still a very fluid proposition I think - a 2nd. half of an afl season may well be needed just so the coach and recruiters know what they can build on and what kinds of players are needed to join the fold closer to Christmas.
The process has only just begun.

G o S A I N T S !

[SaintPav]

Isn't trying to influence the mods an offence in itself? May be up for a ban yourself.........

Well aren't you trying to influence the mods?

How's calling someone on a disgusting post a potential offence (sic)?

And why can you report posters then?

You obviously think it's ok to call a player a weak C***.

Possibly the dumbest post I have ever read on here.

[Bunk_Moreland]

I agree with the Op except for playing up to our potential.

We did for part of the first qtr, the second and third, then completely fell to pieces terribly in the fourth.

Should have been a 40 point loss, blown out to 86 points.

Richo found that totally unacceptable as we all should.

As for calling players weak C****, well I am sure whomever said that has never played a single game of AFL football let alone 48 like Rhys Stanley.

Pretty ordinary effort and says more about the poster than anything else.

[66 Saints]

Do you enjoy the fact great players have left our club and gone to other clubs and enjoyed real success.

Is it not a pity, in fact for me gut wrenching to see saints champions singing other songs whilst we are at rock bottom.

Selling your soul for a promise is a huge risk, IMO some seem to think because we are at rock bottom, there is an inevitability that we will rise. In the current climate, it's no guarantee.

History says it hasen't worked in the past, and in fact most champions and coaches we have lost have went on to better things... That IMO is a shame.

You cannot deny we have had more champions go elsewhere, than any other...

Since the early 90s we have lost a lot of players...but we have also spent a time at the pointy end of the ladder. History says it has worked for the saints and I hope we keep evolving to get a better team.

[Dis Believer]

Isn't trying to influence the mods an offence in itself? May be up for a ban yourself.........

Well aren't you trying to influence the mods?

How's calling someone on a disgusting post a potential offence (sic)?

And why can you report posters then?

You obviously think it's ok to call a player a weak C***.

Possibly the dumbest post I have ever read on here.

Maybe you should devote some time to reading comprehension? I was asking a question, not trying to influence anyone. Maybe pull your head in.....

[asiu]

i used that word in a game of scrabble against my mum.
... that was pushn the boundaries ... no *'s in that game.

anyways ,
i could , it's in the dictionary
so i did ... it needed to happen.

Scrabble is pretty serious in Ma's house

[bobmurray]

When you play lots of kids you struggle.....

When you play lots of kids..and you have many better players our injured such as last night (including some of your best new kids), you struggle more.

With access to the best young talent in the land, it has taken the Suns many years to get where they are.

We are on a slow journey, and not a quick one.

A slow journey would definitely not be quick

[citywest]

Nobody like to see our team lose by big margins but unfortunately you had better get used to it. The drafting of talent may have a lot to do with it, but the lack of financial resources available to the Club is an issue. Look at how Collingwood has been able to keep Luke Ball match fit. They certainly have been better at that than we were. This is probably due to the amount they have to spend in state of the art player preparation. The AFL is becoming a dichotomy of those that have and those that don't and we are in the latter category. When we drafted Roo, Kosi, Goddard et al, like many others, I thought this is now our time. We came so close. Now with the state of the game, at age 51 I honestly don't think I will see a Premiership win in my lifetime, and as I was only 3 in 1966, don't remember that one. I think we have to really seriously consider that our Club may fold, and I ave no confidence in the AFL in keeping the poorer clubs going. For what it's worth, I despair that our great game has changed so much and that in my opinion, has morphed from sport to mere entertainment. Ah, such is life.

Seriously happy feet, that statement above is most probably the most stupid statement I have ever seen on Saintsational. Please pull your head in for crying out loud. Football is so predictable now it's not funny......
Fact 1. The Saints will be bottom 4 for another 2 maybe 3 years.
Fact 2. In 5 years time we will either be playing finals again or be on the cusp.
Fact 3. From 2020, our premiership window will be wide open.
Fact 4. Read my signature.
Fact 5. I am 51 as well.
Fact 6. I was 3 in 1966 as well.
Fact 7. Not all people become wiser with age.