Round 3 team. Bring out the Minch.

[Con Gorozidis]

We got belted and only made one change, Pies win a thriller and stillmake 4 changes...

I'd rather see Membery, Acres or Lee in this team to increase our size and strength. Glad to see Minch get his chance, pity Geesham didn't grab his opportunity...but I still reckon he'll be good.

Personally, I'd prefer to see Acres ahead of Webster.

11 wins from our last 55 games. 20% win rate. But we stick with our old reliables. They are reliable all right.

[8856brother]

No Acres. No interest for me. I'll be watching Sandy. Obviously our only issue was an 18 year old second gamer. Liking selection less ans less every week.

Tony please explain what the non negotiable was Blake stuffed up. Twice.

[bigred]

I hope I am wrong but I just do not see that bringing in a 179cm player who has been selected just 10 times at AFL level since debut in 2013 is going to impact - even allowing for the number of possessions in VFL Practice games over the last 2 weeks.

IF he is such a champion how come he has not cemented his position since debut in 2013?

The reputation he carries on here just does not sit with me - and that includes his performances at AFL level where, from memory, he kicked a couple of early goals in one match and was then negated having no further impact - then dropped, again.

In my view, the final roll of the dice.

Not that he is any orphan when you have Templeton, Savage, Ross, Lee, Geary, Delaney, Curren, Membrey, Webster, Murdoch, Wright, Saunders, Shenton, Sinclair and Weller on the List.

And before you "hammer" on Ross, he just can not run - so he is purely poor insurance for Dunstan and Acres.

I don't think anyone here has called Minch a champion. But one thing is for sure, he is earning his spot and deserves the chance. and yes, it may well be the last roll of the dice. He needs to make the step into AFL level. He kills it in the VFL.

[Griggsy]

Tony please explain what the non negotiable was Blake stuffed up. Twice.

+1, or if not wanting to be public knowledge, pm?

[tony74]

No, sorry, won't do that. On field issue. He has no problems with it. Popular bloke that just wants to improve. Reckon he'll make it for what it's worth.

[Con Gorozidis]

I am guessing it is tackle and chasing related because a few of these efforts werent great.

But by crikey - there are so many other players breaking team rules regularly. It seems to be a real case of double standards and singling one bloke out. If Blake turns out a gun the coaches probably want to 'take credit' for it because of their supposed 'hard line' approach with him. This kind of stuff amuses me. If Blake is going to be good it will have nothing to do with the coaches but they want believe they are 'relevant and 'influential'. All of this posturing is about the coaches own egos. If the coaches are so good and the program so professional why isnt there a single Saints player in the AFL best 22 Under 25 side?

I'd be filthy if I found out Roo had got Blake dropped as punishment for not passing to him a couple of times. I noticed Roo have some big tantrums a couple of times over this. And the way the footy dept is being run at the moment - this wouldnt come as a surprise to me.

[evo]

Think the Meatball will have a good game, given a run in the middle at least.

[Dr Spaceman]

No, sorry, won't do that. On field issue. He has no problems with it. Popular bloke that just wants to improve. Reckon he'll make it for what it's worth.

Cheers Tony; correct response.

It's like when fans want the coach to explain why player A has been dropped, or why player B doesn't get selected. There would be a lot of personal, sensitive stuff involved that rightly is kept in-house.

If doesn't help a player, particularly a young, developing player to have his weaknesses discussed in public.

We fans crave more information; sometimes we believe we are owed it. But the reality is that for the most, we just need to suck it up.

[Con Gorozidis]

He said off-field issues Con !

[evo]

Yeah too late to delete. sorry.

[ROLS-LEE]

Meatball has never been given a good run. He can make it if given a chance. Always good for a goal or 2.

[WellardSaint]

Acres gets dropped for 2 breaches.
Gilbo stuffs up time and time again, as does Geary, but because they're the coaches' pets, undroppable. Unreal.
Robbo handballed to a guy standing still against Port, upset our forward run, should be dropped.

[saint-stu]

I am guessing it is tackle and chasing related because a few of these efforts werent great.

But by crikey - there are so many other players breaking team rules regularly. It seems to be a real case of double standards and singling one bloke out. If Blake turns out a gun the coaches probably want to 'take credit' for it because of their supposed 'hard line' approach with him. This kind of stuff amuses me. If Blake is going to be good it will have nothing to do with the coaches but they want believe they are 'relevant and 'influential'. All of this posturing is about the coaches own egos. If the coaches are so good and the program so professional why isnt there a single Saints player in the AFL best 22 Under 25 side?

I'd be filthy if I found out Roo had got Blake dropped as punishment for not passing to him a couple of times. I noticed Roo have some big tantrums a couple of times over this. And the way the footy dept is being run at the moment - this wouldnt come as a surprise to me.

How do you enforce an non-negotiable if you are negotiable on it? I think you are letting your imagination go wild with all these coaches pet nonsense.

[stonecold]

Will Riewoldt play? Tony74 mentioned that had it not been such a milestone he may not have played last week? Hence the emergency selection of Membrey?

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Rooey wont get to 320 games (maybe not even 310), I hope he gets to 350, but it won't happen!

[Griggsy]

I am guessing it is tackle and chasing related because a few of these efforts werent great.

But by crikey - there are so many other players breaking team rules regularly. It seems to be a real case of double standards and singling one bloke out. If Blake turns out a gun the coaches probably want to 'take credit' for it because of their supposed 'hard line' approach with him. This kind of stuff amuses me. If Blake is going to be good it will have nothing to do with the coaches but they want believe they are 'relevant and 'influential'. All of this posturing is about the coaches own egos. If the coaches are so good and the program so professional why isnt there a single Saints player in the AFL best 22 Under 25 side?

I'd be filthy if I found out Roo had got Blake dropped as punishment for not passing to him a couple of times. I noticed Roo have some big tantrums a couple of times over this. And the way the footy dept is being run at the moment - this wouldnt come as a surprise to me.

I have to agree with that there, needs to be 22 players accountable for their performances and not just the bottom 5. Felt like last season there was probably more untouchable walk up starts than there should have been, only 2 weeks in so I'd reserve judgment for this season atleast to round 6 selections.

[saintspremiers]

Tony74 can you shed some light on the acres situation.

He mustn't be doing something In the team rules

Failed to execute one of the teams non negotiables. Twice.

Ok so he won't play again in the ones this season going by the Tommy Lee Rule envoked after his performance in Geelong last year.

[saintspremiers]

We got belted and only made one change, Pies win a thriller and stillmake 4 changes...

I'd rather see Membery, Acres or Lee in this team to increase our size and strength. Glad to see Minch get his chance, pity Geesham didn't grab his opportunity...but I still reckon he'll be good.

Personally, I'd prefer to see Acres ahead of Webster.

11 wins from our last 55 games. 20% win rate. But we stick with our old reliables. They are reliable all right.

Don't worry, it's all part of the plan.

[Bluthy]

Dempster, Fisher, Gilbert, Geary. We may very well have the oldest defence in the competition this weekend. Did I miss the memo that said we were going for a flag this year? I thought we were trying to develop young talent.

[BigMart]

Sinclair and Dunstan are clearly coaches favourites. Acres, Minch, Lee and Goddard are obviously not!

AR is picking the best 22 in his mind to be competitive. Not sure the point? GT had the balls to pump games into Maguire, X, Dal, Goddard, L.Fisher and increased the responsibility for Lenny, Baker and Blakey. Instead of the Capuanos, Moyles, Chad Davis, Plapp, Walton.

There needs to be plenty of opportunity given to
Acres, Goddard, McKenzie, Membrey, McCartin, Gresham (later) etc
This year

I'd rather finish 16th and advance the kids a year
Than 14th with GOPs battling hard

[dragit]

100% with you bigmart.

A win or loss in round 3 2016 will be entirely irrelevant in a couple of years

I don't think Goddard is on the outer though maybe just underdone, he played 8 games last year and was no better than Lee in the VFL from what I can gather.

We almost need another ordinary performance with the vets to shake things up, we're bottom 4-5 regardless who is in the side… let's not wait till the second half of the year to have a look at Lee and get more games into Acres.

[cwrcyn]

Goddard needs fitness, McKenzie has had glandular fever, Gresham is a baby and needs to find some form and confidence against men in the VFL, and Acres is going back to Sandy to work on a few things. They'll all get their chance. It's not like a line has been drawn through them.

[Saint wagga]

Tony74 can u elaborate on the 'non negotiables' you mentioned in ur criptic post? That would help clarify 1. What we should be looking for from our players and also probably put to bed a lot of the arm waving re:Acres. Being criptic doesn't do anything other than fuel speculation/rumour! If you don't know what the 'non negotiables' are that's fine, just say so. Cheers

[matrix]

He already answered he cant elaborate on the non negotiables.

[Con Gorozidis]

Sinclair and Dunstan are clearly coaches favourites. Acres, Minch, Lee and Goddard are obviously not!

AR is picking the best 22 in his mind to be competitive. Not sure the point? GT had the balls to pump games into Maguire, X, Dal, Goddard, L.Fisher and increased the responsibility for Lenny, Baker and Blakey. Instead of the Capuanos, Moyles, Chad Davis, Plapp, Walton.

There needs to be plenty of opportunity given to
Acres, Goddard, McKenzie, Membrey, McCartin, Gresham (later) etc
This year

I'd rather finish 16th and advance the kids a year
Than 14th with GOPs battling hard

Amen to that. A loss this week is unfortunately the slap in the face the coaching staff need to jolt them out of their delusional complacency.
I hate to have to say it - but it is the ridiculous selection policy that has led to this. If we win - they will carry on living the lie that all is well playing the same old GOPS. All we are doing is kicking the development can down the road and consigning a few younger players to the dust bin.

Collingwood have 5 players from the 2010 GF side and we have 5.

I also note that Toovey and McCaffer played in 2010 but can no longer get a game at the Pies as they pursue a development route.

[degruch]

Picked Gresham out for Minch or Acres in another post...seriously, no way in hell there was ever going to be 5 changes this week. I'd like to claim I'm a footballing guru (but I'm not p66), but it's only common sense. Round 2, just out of a pre-season, you want a team of guys to be accountable then they should go out and do it again properly...there's been enough signs over the last 2 weeks we know what we're doing.

Don't like our sloppy backline? Too bad, we were hardly going to replace what we have with Sandy's backline and achieve a better result.

Luckily the club knows a lot more than we do about football, I'm happy to see them working on development of the team rather than panic over 2 losses.