Riewoldt: Seaford ‘crushed’ the playing group

[Darth Vader]

Thanks for nothing Tipsy Topsy.

[satchmo]

The Scott Watters Medical Rooms for Short Man Syndrome and other Psychological Hang-ups

The Scott Watters Fire Extinguisher
The Ross Lyon Contract Negotiation Room
The Archie Fraser Turd Polisher
The Ian Stewart Irrigation System
The Tony Locket Crutch Dispensary
The Peter Everitt Skate Ramp
The Jamie Cripps Player Photography Room
The Grant Thomas and Teflon Coach/supporter Mediation Room

[samoht]

The Ross Lyon Contract Negotiation Room

Also, in RL's case:
Ego-tiation Room
or ... Me-go-scheisse Room

[Saintmatt]

I just hope Archie Fraser gets a room at the new facility named after him.

The rubbish/bin room!

Or a urinal maybe.

In that case - the (not very) delightful Topsy Petchey of Kingston Council who scuppered the original re-development of Moorabbin can get the Ladies boghole room name in her 'honour'

[Doctor Two]

To be honest, it is irrelevant if the move to Seaford crushed the playing group. That is history.
On the otherhand looking forward, the move to Moorabbin has the potential to reinvigorate the current playing group.

Please make it so.

[Drake Huggins]

Seaford was s***. It wasn't even Seaford. It is Carrum downs.
Players and staff hated it and we couldn't attract players while we were there.
This is just fact.
The spin was always spin

You ain't whistling Dixie there, CG.

[Drake Huggins]

I just hope Archie Fraser gets a room at the new facility named after him.

The rubbish/bin room!

Or a urinal maybe.

This is really disrespectful.

Give Archie Frazer his just deserts.

"The Archie Frazer Turd Receptacle"

[skeptic]

In fairness, this is pretty crappy journalism

“Hey Rooey, did the move to Seaford crush the players the the club”
“It sure did”

“Wow Rooey said it crushed the players!”

Leading the witness your honour

[Drake Huggins]

Thanks for nothing Tipsy Topsy.

What a stunning example of incompetent, self interested nut jobs you find in local government. Combined with a serial misogynist and bully and we had a perfect storm for a disaster, which the outcome was. Put the club back a decade. We should sue both of them.

[spert]

Not ideal for a coach in Watters to come out of a premiership club, and walk into a club with a pis$^d-off playing group, and workers who didn't want to be at Seaford. Sounded like a toxic environment. Must have been glad he saw the end of the place.

[Drake Huggins]

Thanks for nothing Tipsy Topsy.

What a stunning example of incompetent, self interested nut jobs you find in local government. Combined with a serial misogynist and bully and we had a perfect storm for a disaster, which the outcome was. Put the club back a decade. We should sue both of them.

[sunsaint]

Not ideal for a coach in Watters to come out of a premiership club, and walk into a club with a pis$^d-off playing group, and workers who didn't want to be at Seaford. Sounded like a toxic environment. Must have been glad he saw the end of the place.

it does give a lot more weight to the argument there were some large tails wagging a smallish dog

[kosifantutti]

I’m worried this move will crush Jack Lonie.

[St Lenny]

I really get tired of the ol Seaford argument. How short memories are. We tried to return to The Junction Oval that didn't work out. We tried to go to Frankston and that burned down. Moorabbin Council did not want us a the time. Not a lot of alternatives at the time. Times change and like everyone else, happy to be back.

[skeptic]

I really get tired of the ol Seaford argument. How short memories are. We tried to return to The Junction Oval that didn't work out. We tried to go to Frankston and that burned down. Moorabbin Council did not want us a the time. Not a lot of alternatives at the time. Times change and like everyone else, happy to be back.

I also wonder if the move actually gave us leverage... doesn’t seem as though the council has been jerking us around this time round.

[SaintPav]

I really get tired of the ol Seaford argument. How short memories are. We tried to return to The Junction Oval that didn't work out. We tried to go to Frankston and that burned down. Moorabbin Council did not want us a the time. Not a lot of alternatives at the time. Times change and like everyone else, happy to be back.

I also wonder if the move actually gave us leverage... doesn’t seem as though the council has been jerking us around this time round.

Yep, think it was planned all along.

Christ, we’re cunning.

[barneyboyz]

I really get tired of the ol Seaford argument. How short memories are. We tried to return to The Junction Oval that didn't work out. We tried to go to Frankston and that burned down. Moorabbin Council did not want us a the time. Not a lot of alternatives at the time. Times change and like everyone else, happy to be back.

City of Casey was welcoming us with open arms, we were even there. Going back to Moorabbin or not, Melbourne don't seem to be having too much trouble there

Seaford was a poor option, created by poor administrators that had left themselves with no other option.

FWIW I reckon it probably gave the playing group an 'out'. They could focus a lot of disappointment and frustration from some crushing defeats (understandably), I tend to believe Watters and reckon they were always going to be stuffed, even at Moorabbin

[barneyboyz]

Just a couple more points, I reckon that most of the current group wouldn't have had a clue what Moorabbin might have meant until recently, and I feel that most of the people that lead the chant about Moorabbin must live close by and/or remember the playing days there. The last blokes that played there are old now (please forgive).

I just hope the spirit of the place is still all that we want it to be, and can be the launching pad for many a saints premiership in the future, I truly do

[perfectionist]

The history of the move to Seaford was complex, being influenced by disputes with the Kingston Council as well as other matters. But, it was a bad decision as generally agreed by members of Saintsational at the time. I never went there - didn't even know where it was. Its location was its nemesis. That was felt by the players. Remember, most of the players are rich and whilst they might have investment properties in Seaford, wouldn't be seen dead there. They live in Brighton or Elwood or the CBD or (insert any other inner Melbourne desirable location).

I can remember concerns expressed by some players in 1965 about having to travel to Moorabbin. A number of players moved house to be closer to the ground. Being back at Moorabbin will be better for the players and any supporters who want to turn up to training. However, I think it was a pity that we didn't make better representations about moving back to the Junction Oval where the St Kilda FC would have had a training facility in St Kilda. That would have suited the players even more. Alas, because our Board is stacked with Liberal Party stooges, they spectacularly backed the wrong horse. Cricket Victoria is the big winner there, the facilities being second to none. Too bad. Moorabbin will be OK.

[Dave McNamara]

I really get tired of the ol Seaford argument. How short memories are. We tried to return to The Junction Oval that didn't work out. We tried to go to Frankston and that burned down. Moorabbin Council did not want us a the time. Not a lot of alternatives at the time. Times change and like everyone else, happy to be back.

There was no need to leave Moorabbin! We had (and still have) a long term lease.

The argument was over the then council's refusal to back our application to move our bandits (aka, poker machines) from the Social Club on Linton Street, up to a more prominent location where the bowls club was (is?) on South Road. This, despite the Council not long earlier allowing extra pokie machines into that blood barn pub (South Side Six?) just down the road. Hypocrisy? Anyone...?

So when Archie bloody Fraser couldn't even star down a local council, he packed up our bags in a huff and off we went. Cue those wasted years in outer Siberia.

But what's even more stoopid. The fight was about our right (or not) to move those bandits. Guess where they still are to this day...




(Just one more reason why the poker machine bandits do us more harm than good. )

[barneyboyz]

The history of the move to Seaford was complex, being influenced by disputes with the Kingston Council as well as other matters. But, it was a bad decision as generally agreed by members of Saintsational at the time. I never went there - didn't even know where it was. Its location was its nemesis. That was felt by the players. Remember, most of the players are rich and whilst they might have investment properties in Seaford, wouldn't be seen dead there. They live in Brighton or Elwood or the CBD or (insert any other inner Melbourne desirable location).

I can remember concerns expressed by some players in 1965 about having to travel to Moorabbin. A number of players moved house to be closer to the ground. Being back at Moorabbin will be better for the players and any supporters who want to turn up to training. However, I think it was a pity that we didn't make better representations about moving back to the Junction Oval where the St Kilda FC would have had a training facility in St Kilda. That would have suited the players even more. Alas, because our Board is stacked with Liberal Party stooges, they spectacularly backed the wrong horse. Cricket Victoria is the big winner there, the facilities being second to none. Too bad. Moorabbin will be OK.

I suspect that since that 1965 era, and certainly since the demise of the 'zone' system, most of the clubs supporters and players (including me) wouldn't have been born, or lived anywhere near St. Kilda, and may have no passion for the suburb at all. In fact, I find any debate over which suburb one would least like to be found 'dead' in is interesting, if not humorous.

I would be wary of going down the same track as North Melbourne for instance, who had to take both 'North' and 'Melbourne' out of their name some years back and become the Kangaroos. Such was their want to stick fat with their 'spiritual' home. Funny that their spiritual home quite nearly (and could still do so) became literal

To me footy is much bigger than any link to a bygone era or suburb. don't get me wrong, I will always love and respect what others have done for the club, but my footy club is simply the Saints

[Dave McNamara]

I really get tired of the ol Seaford argument. How short memories are. We tried to return to The Junction Oval that didn't work out. We tried to go to Frankston and that burned down. Moorabbin Council did not want us a the time. Not a lot of alternatives at the time. Times change and like everyone else, happy to be back.

But it gets worse.

Our club was finally the powerhouse we should always have been.

We played at Moorabbin, which was far and away the best suburban ground. (In comparison, everyone else played at grounds that where pretty much third world.)

We had a debt from building Moorabbin, but all was fine till interest rates rocketed in the early/mid 70's. We went from a powerhouse to four wooden spoons in the 80's, and then to near extinction.

But we held on. And,we kept Moorabbin. And even in those dark days... that place rocked!

Then, despite all the heartache and history, the Board of the day allowed the bulldozers in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The single worst day in our club's history!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



And now everyone trumpets our return!

The new facilities have zero character, history nor architectural merit. For many that probably doesn't matter. And fair enough. But what really is the problem, is that the design all but rules out our ability to one day host boutique AFL games at Moorabbin Oval. This is unbelievably stoooopid and short sighted!!! Allowing this to happen may very well eventually haunt us as being the second worst day in our club's history!

[Dave McNamara]

I really get tired of the ol Seaford argument. How short memories are. We tried to return to The Junction Oval that didn't work out. We tried to go to Frankston and that burned down. Moorabbin Council did not want us a the time. Not a lot of alternatives at the time. Times change and like everyone else, happy to be back.

JO not 'working out'.

Another stuff up! The most significant moment in our club's history. The game changer! It was all ready to go. Then we had that election result.

But no biggie. The change of government here in Victoria should have been just a hiccup, a speed bump in the road at most.

Our BOM (and we actually had Gestapo HQ backing us for once) should have damn well been able to exert enough influence to get things back on track!!!!

[skeptic]

The factor ppl seem to be forgetting is that Moorabbin was substandard and we weren’t allowed to do anything with it...

I remember the early 2000s proposal... it was magnificent.

The council got uppity about us moving 7 pokies machines up the road and claimed that car park was a nature reserve.

There weren’t too many options around

[Spinner]

I love Roo but the premise that professional footballers getting paid very well to do nothing else but play footy, moaning about a further 20 minute drive down the highway is laughable. TBH it's embarrassing and exposes the mental fragility of our group at the time.

Moorabbin was a tip. they've fixed it up and it'll be good to get back there, but fair dinkum. It should have just been an inconvenience rather than 'ripping the soul out of the joint.'

Yep I agree with this post a lot.

I HATED the move to Seaford... moving away from the City just didn't make sense. BUT Essendon play out at Tullamarine (which is only 20 minutes from the CBD so a lot closer) and the Hawks have moved out to / soon to Dingley... No spiritual home whinging from these club... why from us?

To let it affect performance, based on location alone is not good, and slightly embarrassing. If it's the facilities, different story....