Most Disappointing Waste of Talent

[bigcarl]

Well Plugger wasn't exactly a wasted talent, but imagine how good he could have been with better players around him, under less pressure and better handled.

[saintsRrising]

Con Gorozidis, played about thirty games extremely talented , but a bit lazy

Rod Owen, think he played about sixty or seventy games, buy I put him in the same basket as Con.

.

Rods Dad died when Rd was still young , and Rod was too easily led astray.

[WinnersOnly]

The common denominator is the club; if any of the above players were at a successful club they probably would have played a minimum of 150 games and had glorious careers! We have to face that we have an extremely sad history of poor development and acheivement with our players...

[desperados]

What about Tim Elliot - or maybe I have missed the point of this thread?

[PurpleHayes]

Sipos was taken at pick #75 in 2010 draft - tht's practically a rookie draft pick.

He has played 28 games and kicked 22 goals.

When you are taken that late in the draft - what do we expect? A 200 game player?

I dont think he has wasted his talent at all - stupid suggestion.

He just has some deficiencies that have held him back playing more games, as you would expect from pick #75 in any draft..

[Freebird]

Bit harsh on Owen & Gellie shouldn't be in this thread.

Owen - lost his father at an early age and battled with alcohol, but wrecked his knee very early in his career, curtailing his abundant talent.

Gellie - won B&F in his first year (1978), and like Owen wrecked his knee early in his second season. Played on with a bit of wood taped behind his knee for stability. Never the same again.

Rod Owen was a few years above me at school and I remember following him around slack-jawed when he played a practice game for saints against Filth and kicked five on Billy Picken...

He had to leave school because they wouldn't let him place Saints ahead of playing footy for school.

Not that many years later I'm playing against him up here in Queensland, he still had great hands but his knees were shot and he couldn't kick over a jam tin. Felt terrible every time I tackled him, one of the only times I didn't want to hurt an opposition player...

The game Owen kicked those goals was at Heywood just near Portland I think 1983 preseason. I'm sure he kicked 7 and did not come on until late third quarter.
The guy had a leap like no other maybe Barker. Injuries cut him down with ankle and knee reconstruction and he lost his leap. Nettlefold and Thomas were both not playing and sat with us. I have not seen anything as exciting as that day watching Owen jump all over the packs marking everything that came his way. Memory has it we travelled by plane and Collingwood bus...bit of an outcry from you know who.
I take it you went to school Mentone grammer where Rod was high jump champion.

[Enrico_Misso]

Re Dean Greig
Poor guy had his leg amputated a few years back

[Con Gorozidis]

Saints Mgt back in Rod Owen's day was just deplorable.
Player welfare etc was an unheard of concept. They should have managed and supported him through his teen years and gradually introduced him into senior footy up until he was 20 odd like they do nowadays.
Instead they had him rushed into it and leave school and join an adult world he wasnt ready for. A real shame. He was off the rails then but he was a terrific bloke. Poor effort by the Saints. Wouldnt happen these days but a real shame. The bloke was playing senior footy and hanging out and boozing on with 25yos at the Saints disco on Saturday nights at age 16 just after his old man passed away. Just a disaster.

[Freebird]

Agree Con, great bloke, always had time to chat. I was in the social club when he was on crutches/drunk his father had just passed away - he was friendly but devastated and lost. We felt so sorry for him but unable to help.

The boy was only 17.....he was a young 16 year old when he kicked those goals against picken pre-season

[Zed]

Sipos was taken at pick #75 in 2010 draft - tht's practically a rookie draft pick.

He has played 28 games and kicked 22 goals.

When you are taken that late in the draft - what do we expect? A 200 game player?

I dont think he has wasted his talent at all - stupid suggestion.

He just has some deficiencies that have held him back playing more games, as you would expect from pick #75 in any draft..

My thoughts exactly. That's about par for the course as far as your average pick 75 goes. Too many people on here got seduced by a lovely kicking action. Anyone remember the love for Daniel Healey?

[gringo]

Brett Moyle joe mclaren James neglect all looked promising

[gringo]

Brett Moyle joe mclaren James neglect all looked promising

James neglect would be Begley in autocorrectese.

[bigred]

Smith played 163 games for the Hawks so he fulfilled his AFL talent.

Every time I reflect on what Joel Smith could have been at St.Kilda, a small piece inside of me dies.

1997 is a Joel Smith Highlight reel. He was just one gifted, gifted player.

He had a solid career in the end, but holy hell, if not for doing that knee, he most likely would have been one of, if not THE best players in the competition for a fair while.

[arpstk]

Mynott I was convinced he would deliver a premiership if he could get off the injured list but he never did.

Also thought George Young could possibly have been even greater had he not got injured

I have seen enough of Sipposs to suggest he will be a good player, people forget that they all develop differently... when he comes good we will have a hardened player developed over 5-6 seasons...these guys make the best recruits anyway!

Hawthorn are specialists at producing this style of player

[skeptic]

I always really liked Alan Murray... A guy that seemingly had every trick

Right up until he was cut... I thought he'd make it

[evo]

Milan Faletic (pathetic) had about forty possies in his last game for us.

[Plugger_87]

Luke Ball was very disappointing considering he won a b&f very early in his career

[bigcarl]

I have seen enough of Sipposs to suggest he will be a good player

Me, too. A mistake if they cut him

[gringo]

I always really liked Alan Murray... A guy that seemingly had every trick

Right up until he was cut... I thought he'd make it

Yeah me too. Just looked good with out doing enough of it. Justin Plapp was a bit the same and even Aaron fiora.

[Apples]

Bit harsh on Owen & Gellie shouldn't be in this thread.

Owen - lost his father at an early age and battled with alcohol, but wrecked his knee very early in his career, curtailing his abundant talent.

Gellie - won B&F in his first year (1978), and like Owen wrecked his knee early in his second season. Played on with a bit of wood taped behind his knee for stability. Never the same again.

Rod Owen was a few years above me at school and I remember following him around slack-jawed when he played a practice game for saints against Filth and kicked five on Billy Picken...

He had to leave school because they wouldn't let him place Saints ahead of playing footy for school.

Not that many years later I'm playing against him up here in Queensland, he still had great hands but his knees were shot and he couldn't kick over a jam tin. Felt terrible every time I tackled him, one of the only times I didn't want to hurt an opposition player...

The game Owen kicked those goals was at Heywood just near Portland I think 1983 preseason. I'm sure he kicked 7 and did not come on until late third quarter.
The guy had a leap like no other maybe Barker. Injuries cut him down with ankle and knee reconstruction and he lost his leap. Nettlefold and Thomas were both not playing and sat with us. I have not seen anything as exciting as that day watching Owen jump all over the packs marking everything that came his way. Memory has it we travelled by plane and Collingwood bus...bit of an outcry from you know who.
I take it you went to school Mentone grammer where Rod was high jump champion.

My memories are the same as Freebird, I was a statistician with the club during the 80's and remember Rod Owen very well. My opinion is he had more natural talent than any player I've seen come thru St Kilda in my 40 years involvement. I remember the Heywood game very well as we were required to do stats for that game. Owen I think was still only 15 at the time and he kicked 7 goals from half forward, 5 on Billy Picken who was a state representative at the time and a further 2 goals on Rene Kink when he was switched onto him in an effort to curb his influence.
But injuries cruelled him, in his first year I think he had a broken ankle and then a knee reconstruction and later I think he had his other knee reconstructed the following season. He was never the same player after this. Because of the downtime in recovery from those long term injuries, he had too much free time on his hands and this is where he's alcohol and behavioural problems exploded. During his injury rehabilitation the club would send him over to help us statisticians and this is where I got to know him and his issues fairly well. There is no doubt in my mind he could have been one of St Kilda's greatest players if not for the combination of several serious injuries and his well documented alcohol problems. He had all the attributes covered, he was a beautiful kick off either foot, he could mark, he had pace and he was hard at the ball.
Yes the club was deficient in managing his personal issues at the time, we were not alone in this era of the 80's, but he was vulnerable due to his family history. Had the club done better he could have been a great, such a waste of talent and ability.

[kosifantutti]

Mynott I was convinced he would deliver a premiership if he could get off the injured list but he never did.

That doesn't make sense at all.

[bergholt]

Mynott I was convinced he would deliver a premiership if he could get off the injured list but he never did.

That doesn't make sense at all.

Because he played in our only premiership and went on to play 210 games, 24th most in our history? You're right, it doesn't make a lot of sense!

[gringo]

Bit harsh on Owen & Gellie shouldn't be in this thread.

Owen - lost his father at an early age and battled with alcohol, but wrecked his knee very early in his career, curtailing his abundant talent.

Gellie - won B&F in his first year (1978), and like Owen wrecked his knee early in his second season. Played on with a bit of wood taped behind his knee for stability. Never the same again.

Rod Owen was a few years above me at school and I remember following him around slack-jawed when he played a practice game for saints against Filth and kicked five on Billy Picken...

He had to leave school because they wouldn't let him place Saints ahead of playing footy for school.

Not that many years later I'm playing against him up here in Queensland, he still had great hands but his knees were shot and he couldn't kick over a jam tin. Felt terrible every time I tackled him, one of the only times I didn't want to hurt an opposition player...

The game Owen kicked those goals was at Heywood just near Portland I think 1983 preseason. I'm sure he kicked 7 and did not come on until late third quarter.
The guy had a leap like no other maybe Barker. Injuries cut him down with ankle and knee reconstruction and he lost his leap. Nettlefold and Thomas were both not playing and sat with us. I have not seen anything as exciting as that day watching Owen jump all over the packs marking everything that came his way. Memory has it we travelled by plane and Collingwood bus...bit of an outcry from you know who.
I take it you went to school Mentone grammer where Rod was high jump champion.

My memories are the same as Freebird, I was a statistician with the club during the 80's and remember Rod Owen very well. My opinion is he had more natural talent than any player I've seen come thru St Kilda in my 40 years involvement. I remember the Heywood game very well as we were required to do stats for that game. Owen I think was still only 15 at the time and he kicked 7 goals from half forward, 5 on Billy Picken who was a state representative at the time and a further 2 goals on Rene Kink when he was switched onto him in an effort to curb his influence.
But injuries cruelled him, in his first year I think he had a broken ankle and then a knee reconstruction and later I think he had his other knee reconstructed the following season. He was never the same player after this. Because of the downtime in recovery from those long term injuries, he had too much free time on his hands and this is where he's alcohol and behavioural problems exploded. During his injury rehabilitation the club would send him over to help us statisticians and this is where I got to know him and his issues fairly well. There is no doubt in my mind he could have been one of St Kilda's greatest players if not for the combination of several serious injuries and his well documented alcohol problems. He had all the attributes covered, he was a beautiful kick off either foot, he could mark, he had pace and he was hard at the ball.
Yes the club was deficient in managing his personal issues at the time, we were not alone in this era of the 80's, but he was vulnerable due to his family history. Had the club done better he could have been a great, such a waste of talent and ability.

I heard worse happened while he was with us from a guy who grew up with Owen. He wasn't allowed play for us because of what happened even though he played his development footy with us. He says rod could have been the best player in afl by a fair margin if his issues hadn't got the better of him.

[saintspremiers]

From an excellent source Rod was very badly managed by our club. Question is, even with 21 century management, some players go off the rails regardless. Anyway, we'll never know.

[8856brother]

Mynott I was convinced he would deliver a premiership if he could get off the injured list but he never did.

That doesn't make sense at all.

Because he played in our only premiership and went on to play 210 games, 24th most in our history? You're right, it doesn't make a lot of sense!

John McIntosh possibly. 5th in the Brownlow in his first year 1970. 2nd in Brownlow 1971 and missed the GF due to injury. Retired in 72 after knee issues. Could have been anything.