Farewell Lonie

[mightysainters]

Correct title..

He's the kind of player fans say 'trade him' when no club would pick him up let alone give up something for.. can't kick over 30m..

[8856brother]

Disgraceful shot on goal from 30m out

Was o ly 20 and didn't make the distance.

He's like an under 12 playing with the under 16s.

[saintbob]

At best he's a Craig Devonport-type, only Devonport kicked goals.

Perhaps we can trade him to Carlton for a first round pick.

Davenport was 5 tones the player Lonie is or ever will be, we've invested enough time and money in this muppet and it's time to cut our losses.

[Vazelos]

I think it's line ball with him and I think they gave him every opportunity to have a good look at him to see whether they will offer a new contract. My guy feel is he may get delisted and put on the rookie list as I think he dominates VFL but is not AFL level.
Wright and Minchington also in this category but they have another year to go.

[StPeter]

I blame the selectors for repeatedly picking him when it was clear he is out of his depth at this level.

The same selectors dropped White after impressing in the limited time he was given, gave Marshall only one game despite a highly promising debut,

and took far too long to secure Sinclair's place in the team.

[mad saint guy]

He would be the least threatening forward in the AFL right now. He is tiny, slow, constantly fumbles, can't kick 40m and can't kick for goal. Gun VFL player though.

[bigred]

He's had more opportunity than any other fringe player on the list. Good player at VFL level.

Just cannot cut it at senior AFL level.
Look at the turnover in the first quarter from yesterdays game. Roo had ten meters on his opponent, who Lonie promptly hit on the chest with a pinpoint pass.

If this guy hasn't played his last game for the club then we have a serious issue.

[Junction Oval]

I was very surprised at his selection for this week. White was the obvious choice to replace Gilbert - Gears injury proved that.

Was Lonie chosen as a last chance to prove himself at AFL level, after dominating in the VFL for the two previous weeks? He certainly didn't do his cause any justice with a couple of very bad mis-kicks (again).

[MC Gusto]

to be fair it is not his fault he is picked week in week out but at the same time he is clearly not up to it at AFL levels.

Why teh **** white wasnt in the team i do not know. Wouldve prefered him in and perhaps Rice to get a taste over Lonie but it seems our selectors are on drugs

[Joffa Burns]

I can see why the coach has persisted with Lonie.
Was BOG when dropped, there is plenty of effort and he generates multiple shots on goal.

The issue is a permanent forward who can't make the distance from 25nt out on a slight angle.
The fact a left footer chose to kick around the corner instead of a drop punt from that position shows how mentally broken he is when taking set shots.

I think he deserves another year as he is very young and can win the ball and generate scoring shots, but needs to fix his kicking over the off-season or it's time to go.

[Saintmatt]

He really shouldn't have been picked. we went in with one too may small forwards and didn't replace any height in the back line where White should have replaced Gilbert. Instead, Geary goes down and Mav has to try and play back as White is not playing. This is our match committee for you.

The sooner the dead wood like Lonie and Mav plus Wright, et al, get the boot the better.

Our Match Committee are either drunk and/or on Meth. And have been all year. If I didn't know better, I'd say that side was picked to lose; not win. How can you lose a hard running left sided defender (i.e. Gilbert) and not replace like-for-like with White (albeit White can hit a target) and instead, play Lonie?

When your basic skill levels are not up to standard, you can't double-down and then select your team poorly too.

[Saint_J]

Deserves another year if Minch got another contract. sure he did some really sh$t stuff this year but also did some good.

[fugazi]

While I agree with the sentiment of the OP, the way he has been favoured all year he might just get a 3 year deal.
I reckon Richo suffers from too high a regard of the players on the list. A bit like Spud when he coached Tigers.

He needs some perspective. Lonie and Weller have to go....no matter how good they are as blokes.

[GregPackhamsHeadband]

I think you're onto something, fugazi in terms of AR's regard for his players. You need to be close, but not too close or attached. A slice of RL ruthlessness might just be what Richo needs.

[older saint]

i think Minchington goes before Lonie

[The Pinch Hitters]

He's 21 years old and has had nearly 60 shots at goal in 39 AFL games.

Was he good on the weekend? Not at all.

Is he the utter spud that people on here think he is? Also no.

Is he likely to be Chad Wingard? Perhaps not, but how many players actually are.

If only it was as easy as people thought it was to improve the list. Just cut every player who isn't an elite player and magically replace them with guns. The salary cap and drafting means that this is impossible, doubly so when your club is on the lower rungs of crowd and membership numbers.

By all means question whether he will make it or not, but he has performed better than many on here are prepared to acknowledge.

[Jacks Back]

He's 21 years old and has had nearly 60 shots at goal in 39 AFL games.

Was he good on the weekend? Not at all.

Is he the utter spud that people on here think he is? Also no.

Is he likely to be Chad Wingard? Perhaps not, but how many players actually are.

If only it was as easy as people thought it was to improve the list. Just cut every player who isn't an elite player and magically replace them with guns. The salary cap and drafting means that this is impossible, doubly so when your club is on the lower rungs of crowd and membership numbers.

By all means question whether he will make it or not, but he has performed better than many on here are prepared to acknowledge.

Nah, Too small and yet not fast. Can't kick over a jam tin. Definitely doesn't have the X factor. The sooner players like him and his ilk are gone the better for us. This is a cutthroat business and there is no need to run a child minding centre (although that may be better than the pokies).

[prwilkinson]

Reminds me of Robbie Nahas. That is all.

[fugazi]

If you're as small as Lonie you need to be clean quick and deadly accurate....he is non of the above

[SemperFidelis]

He's 21 years old and has had nearly 60 shots at goal in 39 AFL games.

Was he good on the weekend? Not at all.

Is he the utter spud that people on here think he is? Also no.

Is he likely to be Chad Wingard? Perhaps not, but how many players actually are.

If only it was as easy as people thought it was to improve the list. Just cut every player who isn't an elite player and magically replace them with guns. The salary cap and drafting means that this is impossible, doubly so when your club is on the lower rungs of crowd and membership numbers.

By all means question whether he will make it or not, but he has performed better than many on here are prepared to acknowledge.

Good post. If we cut him I'll accept it, but he is far from the spud some make him out to be. Works hard. I'd be happy to see him after another pre-season: challenges for 2018 would be to avoid being ragdolled, and to vastly IMPROVE SET SHOT GOAL KICKING.

[Gershwin]

I'd give him another season. If we had made a decision on Seb Ross after 3 seasons he would have been gone. Is so good at VFL level that it suggests he can come good.

[prwilkinson]

He's 21 years old and has had nearly 60 shots at goal in 39 AFL games.

Was he good on the weekend? Not at all.

Is he the utter spud that people on here think he is? Also no.

Is he likely to be Chad Wingard? Perhaps not, but how many players actually are.

If only it was as easy as people thought it was to improve the list. Just cut every player who isn't an elite player and magically replace them with guns. The salary cap and drafting means that this is impossible, doubly so when your club is on the lower rungs of crowd and membership numbers.

By all means question whether he will make it or not, but he has performed better than many on here are prepared to acknowledge.

Good post. If we cut him I'll accept it, but he is far from the spud some make him out to be. Works hard. I'd be happy to see him after another pre-season: challenges for 2018 would be to avoid being ragdolled, and to vastly IMPROVE SET SHOT GOAL KICKING.

Gees he gets ragdolled and pushed out of contests at AFL level. Sometimes he might as well not even be there. Men against boys sort of stuff. He'll most likely get another year but VFL could be his ceiling when it comes to footy.

[parkeysainter]

Its all well and good to see Lonie, Wright and Minchington let go....

....but the Saints actually need to find a new small forward then that will make an impact.

[MickThomas]

Its all well and good to see Lonie, Wright and Minchington let go....

....but the Saints actually need to find a new small forward then that will make an impact.

I don't think they need another small forward.
Need to fix up the way they send the ball into the F50 first,
work on that.
We could have Peter Daicos in there and he would only get 3 touches per game.
Sheesh

[parkeysainter]

Its all well and good to see Lonie, Wright and Minchington let go....

....but the Saints actually need to find a new small forward then that will make an impact.

I don't think they need another small forward.
Need to fix up the way they send the ball into the F50 first,
work on that.
We could have Peter Daicos in there and he would only get 3 touches per game.
Sheesh

Can understand your thoughts but we have only Billings as a small fwd and Wellar as a med fwd. Gresh will become a midfielder/fwd. Not sure how Long will turn out yet as its only his 2nd season next year.

We need a good "permanent" small/med fwd that can play there permanently - just besides the gun Billings.