Cripps & our rejects who had the last laugh

[saintspremiers]

It's easier to focus on those who left us and didn't win a flag.

These include:

Plugger
Craig O'Brien
Gilbert McAdam
Joel Smith
Peter Everitt
Shane Wakelin
David Sierakowski
Steven Sziller
Matthew Carr
Matt Maguire
Zac Dawson
Joe McLaren
Cain Ackland
Brendon Goddard

What about Sam Cranage, the gun Caarlton got for Sammy Hammil?

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Crippa wanted to return home. He had a longish term girlfriend that he missed as well as the family. We had no hope of keeing him. Just about the same way we got Hickey except he came here just for his girlfriend. Good on Cripps. He has done very well.

from what I hear there were a few reasons why Cripps wanted out :
The girlfriend was a huge factor ( that's why is good to when the Interstate boys get Victorian girls)
The Coach was a factor - trust me Watters was driving most of the team crazy
I think also there was a family issue (his brothers girlfriend or something got really sick or something ) that he really wanted to be closer to family for - from my knowledge Cripps was really thankful that the club fulfilled his wishes to be traded as he was to the point where he would of sat out the year if he didn't get home to Perth

[BigMart]

Haha

Yeah, he's a star ... With the numbers to back it up

It'd be difficult for a small fwd in the highest scoring team in the AFL
Most goals are from mid turn overs, when a side is pressing and he gets out the back. If you do bother to notice, you'd see a majority of scores are running into an open goal

He is perfectly suited to being a small fwd, as he can see what's in front of him and use his legs to chase people out. Tackling is a mindset, not a courageous act... You initiate and brace for contact, and control the action. Most footy players would know tackling is a mindset thing not a toughness thing.

Winning contested ball or accepting a tackle is far more difficult.

He is not a naturally tough player, Jack Lonie is...
He was recruited as a HBF who could hopefully play midfield but it's obvious he doesn't like being at the coal face or around heavy 360 traffic.
Ie/ what Jack Newnes is... Only Newnes had the physicality and ability to do this... Cripps does not.
He has been in the system 5 years... Played generally as a small forward.
13 touches a game
About a goal and a bit a game... In a dominant side

Let's see where
Jack Lonie
Jack Sinclair
Eli Templeton
All are after 5 years of AFL footy
He is basically having a McQualter year
Even Minchington is better IMO
Harder in the contest, able to win his own ball

Not sure Cripps at any level has ever had 17 clearances or laid 15 tackles
Minchington did both this year.
He also hit the scoreboard with limited opportunities in a team with terrible midfield supply and delivery.

I suppose Nick R has dealt with that for years
BTW - wonder what Roo thinks of Jamie??

Long Term Girlfriend
Haha
He left here at 20yo because he did not want to remain at StK
Must have been a serious thing

Fact is
He wasn't a good value pick for us... As we got little out of Pick 24 and got Pick 43 in return.

Good luck to him
He'll do about as much as he did in the PF

[ripplug66]

Haha

Yeah, he's a star ... With the numbers to back it up

It'd be difficult for a small fwd in the highest scoring team in the AFL
Most goals are from mid turn overs, when a side is pressing and he gets out the back. If you do bother to notice, you'd see a majority of scores are running into an open goal

He is perfectly suited to being a small fwd, as he can see what's in front of him and use his legs to chase people out. Tackling is a mindset, not a courageous act... You initiate and brace for contact, and control the action. Most footy players would know tackling is a mindset thing not a toughness thing.

Winning contested ball or accepting a tackle is far more difficult.

He is not a naturally tough player, Jack Lonie is...
He was recruited as a HBF who could hopefully play midfield but it's obvious he doesn't like being at the coal face or around heavy 360 traffic.
Ie/ what Jack Newnes is... Only Newnes had the physicality and ability to do this... Cripps does not.
He has been in the system 5 years... Played generally as a small forward.
13 touches a game
About a goal and a bit a game... In a dominant side

Let's see where
Jack Lonie
Jack Sinclair
Eli Templeton
All are after 5 years of AFL footy
He is basically having a McQualter year
Even Minchington is better IMO
Harder in the contest, able to win his own ball

Not sure Cripps at any level has ever had 17 clearances or laid 15 tackles
Minchington did both this year.
He also hit the scoreboard with limited opportunities in a team with terrible midfield supply and delivery.

I suppose Nick R has dealt with that for years
BTW - wonder what Roo thinks of Jamie??

Long Term Girlfriend
Haha
He left here at 20yo because he did not want to remain at StK
Must have been a serious thing

Fact is
He wasn't a good value pick for us... As we got little out of Pick 24 and got Pick 43 in return.

Good luck to him
He'll do about as much as he did in the PF

Very funny comparing him to others. Maybe he is playing in a GF side because he is having sex with the coach. What I like about people is admitting wrong. And Roo has exactly not one problem with Crippa but then again he is a professional who understands life. By the way he was always at his best as a forward and that is where he was recruited to play. Only done it every year of his career. No idea what we paid or got for him has to do with your point. Minchington did that is the AFL?. My god. Your ability to admit wrong is funny.

<poster has received PM explaining multiple breaches in this post and consequences of continuation of this type of behaviour>

[Con Gorozidis]

Ok BigMart maybe you should give Adam Simpson and call and tell him why he has no idea? Give him some sage advice. Your ramblings are just laughable. It sounds like you are stuck in the 1970s. And yes I also remember how you said Hamish Mcintosh was still Geelongs number 1 ruck this year. So Cripps is hopeless and plays 25 games in the 2nd best side in the comp - and McIntosh is awesome but cant get a game at the 10th best side. Maybe its time you re-assessed your views. They all sound 30 years out of date.

When Cripps kicks his 200th AFL goal will he still be hopeless? 300 AFL goals? Still hopeless? What will it take for you to admit you got one wrong? If kicking AFL goals was as easy as you seem to think, everyone would be doing it.

[BigMart]

The defense of Cripps... A bloke who turned his back on us... And walked

You don't think grand final teams carry some ordinary players?? I can think of a fair few from our GF teams that went on to great things!!!

Go through WCE team, and place him in the Pecking order.

Plus
He wasn't recruited as a small fwd?? Never played there as a junior... He actually played back. But of course you knew that... He plays best as a fwd because that's all his ability allows... And he's only just in that role!!! In a dominant team which gets quality supply and continual entries he avgs 13ppg and a goal.
Not exactly Chad Winguard.
Look, I don't rate him... Because he's soft IMO... Is that opinion not allowed?
An before you spruke... Aaron Fiora played most games in 08 in a prelim final team. He's lucky he's got that fwd line around him
He would get a kick at StK... As he didn't

It's funny
All the players I've criticised, and with no right to from some peoples pov (because your not allowed to make an early call or a hindsight one?) (but you can just sit back and critisise peoples opinions)
Most are gone
Howard
Sweeney
Lovett
Polo
Cripps
Hickey (will be at Ess, GWS or Bulldogs in 2016)
Critisised them early... They either did nothing or very little... And were a poor investment

Cripps cost pick 24
Played 20 or so games in 3 years showed meh, nothing much
We got 43 in return
I'm no economist but seems a loss on investment?
But seems his worth when he left was 4th round??

MaCintosh
Wasn't recruited to Geelong to be a #1 ruckman??
This year he retired prematurely due to injury, but I would suggest that was the plan... Ala Gardiner at StK... He was an AA ruckman after all??
Not sure when the recruited Rhys that the plan was for him to be a #1 ruckman... But it eventuated
Vardy will be that player in combination with Rhys
Dawson Simpson didn't work out

Not sure the point of even bringing that up??
Desperate??

Not sure any of the arguments were countered well
Other than to say he (like Robert Eddy) is going to play in a GF

It's simple
I don't respect players that "pull out"
Saw him do it, do it twice in 5 mins
Get dragged... Blasted
And of course, finish the game with an injury

I've yet to see little Jack Lonie take a short step...


Good on him... He's riding on coat tails

If he performs on the big stage... away from DS... Against quality
I will give him his due credit and eat HP
But as it stands
He is a GOP in the bottom few of a good team

[ripplug66]

Embarrassing but I will say one thing more. Cripps exact words to me were I played as a mid and a small forward in senior footy. And its funny that this soft footballer continues to be played by the coaches he has had in good and bad sides. 73 games in 5 years is pretty bloody good and whilst he is no word beater and probably a GOP well that's better than 70% of all AFL footballers drafted. People could find fault in champions if they are to proud to say maybe they got that certain player wrong.

Your defence of your opinion BM makes Cripps sound like he is in the worst 20% of players ever drafted but stats and coaches suggest you have got it completely wrong.

[bergholt]

BigMart's like the Candyman, say his name three times and he appears.

Saints who went on to play for other clubs, grouped by their last year in RW&B:

2014: James Gwilt, Rhys Stanley
2013: Nick Dal Santo, Ben McEvoy
2012: Jamie Cripps, Brendon Goddard
2011: Zac Dawson, Nick Heyne, Tom Lynch, Andrew McQualter, Tommy Walsh
2010: Mark Hutchings, Adam Pattison
2009: Xavier Clarke, Luke Ball, Matt Maguire
2008:
2007:
2006: Cain Ackland
2005: Brent Guerra
2004: Trent Knobel
2003:
2002: James Begley, Peter Everitt
2001: Barry Hall
2000: Matthew Carr, Sam Cranage, Joe McLaren, David Sierakowski, Steven Sziller, Darryl Wakelin, Shane Wakelin
1999:
1998: Matthew Lappin, Nicky Winmar
1997: Jamie Shanahan, Joel Smith
1996:
1995: Craig Devonport, Mick Dwyer, David Grant, Craig O'Brien
1994: Martin Heppell, Tony Lockett
1993: Brodie Atkinson, Gilbert McAdam, Dean Rice
1992: Tim Allen, Danny Craven, Aldo Dipetta, Adrian Fletcher, Jeff Hilton, Dale Kickett
1991: Paul Harding, Russell Jeffrey, Ricky Nixon
1990: Ian Dargie, Greg Doyle, Jamie Lamb, Rod Owen, Sean Simpson
1989:
1988: Tony Evans, Andrew Manning
1987: David Wittey
1986: Phil Cronan, Daryl Cunningham, Peter Kiel, Robert Mace, Phil Narkle
1985: Mark Buckley, Darryl Cowie, Max Crow, Peter Melesso, Paul Morwood, Michael Roberts
1984: Dean Chiron, Andrew Cross, John Favier, Stephen Pirrie
1983: Jeff Dunne, Mark Jackson, Grant Thomas
1982: Doug Cox, Bruce Duperouzel, Con Gorozidis, Mark Kellett
1981: Ian Sartori
1980: Malcolm Scott, Garry Sidebottom

How many of them did good at the new club?

[kosifantutti]

Love your work Bergholt.

[The Fireman]

had forgotten Jeff Dunne had gone to Richmond...played one game.

[ace]

Ian Stewart.

I remember suggestions he would have had no trouble getting a job as a roman catholic priest.
No evidence but if true ..........................
Other suggestion was he always played best when he was way over 0.05.
Brilliant footballer.
Traded because he failed the character test.

[BigMart]

Never said he was in the bottom 20% of players drafted

Did I???

Or is that what you do old plugger... Mis-represent to make your point...
Indeed it is

To be a bit more accurate
I said
He was a poor value draft pick for us (as our first pick)
He has been pretty good value for WC at R3 with 3 yrs in the system
I said
I think he is soft (for an AFL footballer) and I don't rate him. Last I checked, I'm allowed that opinion?!

Yes, he's played 73 (out of a possible 113) but the reality is
for a pick 24 with 5 years in the AFL he is just a forward pocket who up until this year was a fringe player
And is still in WCE bottom 6

He is certainly a GOP
In those 73 games
He has reached 20 touches twice (avg 11.5)
Has never received a Brownlow vote
And just last year (was in the WAFL for a period)

He plays a role at WC
There is 15 better small fwds in the league... Slot them into his position in a top two side
Out he would go

But defend him all you like... It's funny
He's a WCE player who walked on us

[BigMart]

Forgot to ask

Do you believe he represented a good value pick at Pick 24 for StK?

Instead of telling me about my opinion... What's yours??

Anyways enough from me
I'm going to put put 20 on Cripps for the Norm Smith
I'd get good odds...
50/1 I think???

[loris]

Here was an article on Cripps in The Australian by Courtney Walsh last week prior to the match against the Kangaroos on 26/9.

Obviously Nick Dal Santo & Adam Simpson rate Cripps more highly than Big Mart does. IMHO you can't give a really give an accurate assessment of a player by just watching their games on TV................. you can't see all the good work the player does out of camera range, both defensively & offensively. Every week I notice his goal assists more than anything else, he is very smart and creative.

Cripps Eagles' quiet achiever.

'West Coast boast Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy and a man-mountain in Jack Darling
Mark Le Crais is an All Australian and a West Coast best and fairest.

Yet when veteran Kangaroo Nick Dal Santo was quizzed as to West Coast's potency this week, the first Eagle he named was a lesser light.
"I know West Coast's forwards have been amazing all year", he said. "They have Jamie Cripps, for example, who is not one of the bigger names but is the number one pressure player in the league."...................................................

.............. Cripps was a former team mate of Dal Santo at St Kilda, and he knows how significant Cripps' influence is on the West Coast forward line. The Eagles did not pay a big price for Cripps when he returned to Perth after a couple of years with the Saints.
But he has delivered plenty, both on the scoreboard this season but more importantly in terms of pressuring opposition defenders. According to Champion Data measurement that assesses the pressure a player places on others, only Hawk Liam Shiels ranks higher this year. That is some feat by the Hawk given he spends time roaming the ground.

But it is notable that, of those footballers who have played at least 20 games since 2013, four of the top five pressure experts in the forward half come from clubs still alive this season.
Paul Puopolo has been praised for his defensive effort for Hawthorn over the past two premiership season and sits at the top of this field over the past three years from Docker Chris Mayne & Shiels, with Cripps in fifth position.
The outlier is Lion Dayne Zorko, who ranks third in the area. Champion Data uses a series of measures to come up with the overall rating, weighing up skills such as tackling, chasing, corralling and closing. In terms of pure statistical measures, Cripps is averaging 1.5 goals a game from 14 touches while laying six tackles a match in 2015.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson, yesterday confirmed that Cripps had proven a valuable asset in attack this year.

"He is an important player for us. He is providing really good pressure - he is probably No 1 in the comp with forward half pressure," he said. "But he also contributes really well with the ball and helps out deep and forward and high and wherever we need him.

"He has really evolved and we are really happy with how his season has progressed and he is in a good space."

It is hardly surprising Cripps attacks the opposition like he is playing for his career, for he has repeatedly shown an ability to overcome adversity.
The 23-year-old suffers from Type 1 diabetes and by necessity follows a disciplined and methodical regimen to ensure he is at his best. In an interview last year, Cripps revealed that he has four insulin injections a day and up to 15 blood tests a day to regulate his blood sugar level."

I've never been of the opinion Cripps is 'soft', and can recall calling BM out on this years ago. He was a young lad, coming to term with his disease ( for goodness sake,he only found out he had diabetes the week he was drafted). I've seen a number of St Kilda player's take 'short steps' to avoid a heavy contest over the years. Some that come to mind were Jason Gram, Brendon Goddard, Adam Schneider & recently Jimmy Webster. I would not consider any of them soft. They were playing smart footy IMHO at the time. Why risk a serious injury, or being out of the play for some of the day, that is not going to help the side - especially if the ball was not going to be cleared away by the opposition or would end up out of bounds or in a scrum for a ball up.

Puopolo, Mayne, Shiels, & Zoko are not known as 'soft' players, nor front runners, nor downhill skiers, so he sits with rather good company there. IMHO as Cripps has grown his game, a couple of 'short steps' he may have taken as an 18 year old are just pfffft, in the big scheme of things.

Hey during the Adelaide v Doggies Elimination Final I noticed Stringer take 'short steps' on one occasion, even the commentator mentioned 'that didn't look good'. But nothing more was made of it.......... one could never consider Stringer 'soft' either.

Hope Cripps has a really good game today and Hutchings and Big Ben!!!

[GrumpyOne]

Here was an article on Cripps in The Australian by Courtney Walsh last week prior to the match against the Kangaroos on 26/9.

Good article Loris, but what is a West Indian Fast Bowler doing writing about AFL?

[loris]

Here was an article on Cripps in The Australian by Courtney Walsh last week prior to the match against the Kangaroos on 26/9.

Good article Loris, but what is a West Indian Fast Bowler doing writing about AFL?

Yes every time I read one of Walsh's footy pieces I think the same as you, GO .......... however, I think this Courtney Walsh, might be short, rotund, fair hair and have pale skin & freckles!!!

The other Courtney Walsh, was pure poetry in motion with his bowling action................... and a bit of eye candy to boot

[BigMart]

It's unlike WA to pump themselves up

Do you suppose
NDS was being kind to an old team mate
And/or
Would coaches write negative stuff in the media about there players?

It's a fluff article

Arryn Siposs has had a spread before.

I'd say he sits behind
Kennedy, Darling, Lecras. Who are their keys
And like Sinclair is a role player
Hill is rubbish
All their starting mids are guns or
All defenders are too
Their back up mids are GOPs

Cripps rates as about their 19th best player IMO

[citywest]

Lappin to the Blues, McEvoy to the Hawks and Ball to the Pies. I think all 3 went on to win flags.

Lappin played in St Kilda's 1997 GF team so I can tell you categorically, he did not play in a premiership for Carlton.

[SaintPav]

Lappin to the Blues, McEvoy to the Hawks and Ball to the Pies. I think all 3 went on to win flags.

Lappin played in St Kilda's 1997 GF team so I can tell you categorically, he did not play in a premiership for Carlton.

Correct, for once!

[kosifantutti]

According to Cometti, Cripps has a brother who is an emerging star in the competition. I wonder who it is.

[6621104]

Looks as tho big mart has the last laugh

[Con Gorozidis]

Looks as tho big mart has the last laugh

Unlikely. He is 23. Every chance they will be back. But god they were awful today. Josh Kennedy was atrocious. Just atrocious.

Days like this make me realise how far the Saints are off the pace. We are living in a fools paradise most of the time.
Some of the players we bang on about are really only VFL players. Lets be serious. The gap is HUGE.

[BigMart]

Cost me $20

Jamie had a howler... His first 3 possessions were costly and the missed tackle cost a goal.

His opponents just ran off him and created ... The fwd line was putrid

Darling, Cripps, Sinclair, Lecras were pathetic

The best fwd was Hill ... And he's a front runner.

It was a disgusting effort... To be out classed is one thing... They were out worked and at times weak as piss

[perfectionist]

Jamie Cripps was no good with us and he is no good with WCE. The Weagles may win a flag in the next few years, but Jamie won't be part of that team. Reason: He can't kick. He is good at running forward of the play. Such players must have 100% disposal efficiency. Big Ben on the other hand, was a perfect match for the Hawks. He can kick either foot with class. The idiots who let him go should be "shot". There is an element of luck in recruiting but other than the period 2000 to 2004, our success rate was about 1 %. That indicates incompetence.

[remboy]

Looks as tho big mart has the last laugh

Unlikely. He is 23. Every chance they will be back. But god they were awful today. Josh Kennedy was atrocious. Just atrocious.

Days like this make me realise how far the Saints are off the pace. We are living in a fools paradise most of the time.
Some of the players we bang on about are really only VFL players. Lets be serious. The gap is HUGE.

Agree. Watching a team like Hawthorn made me feel like I will never see the Saints win a flag. It's become a comp of the haves and have nots. If you don't have money you can't win. Maybe it's a slight exaggeration but right now I think it's not far from the truth.
Who was the last club without financial clout to win a flag?