Can anyone remember a more bleak outlook than now ?

[skeptic]

Seriously I’m struggling...
Post game 97 and and 09 were horrible but I was at least proud of the team.

The draw left me feeling empty but pumped to have get another crack. Post 2010 sucked but I loved my team more than ever.

Timmy’s reign was terrible but then came the ride...

GT’s era was pbly my favourite of football with the lowest light being the prelim loss to Port... really thought we’d go on with it.

2014-17 we were building towards. Something and improving at the same time... it was ok.

But now...

Well onfield we’re a mess. Supporters aren’t coming to games. Everybody is laughing at us.
We have a talented, heavily underperforming list and I’m worried that our more talented players in Acres, Gresh, Billings, Membrey etc are all going to ask for trades.

The coaching... well it’s just a blank. Nobody can really give me a coherent account of what it is we’re trying to do...
Acres in the ruck
Injured players preferred in the starting 18
Every player on the list looks like they’re about to have an anxiety attack if someone makes them kick for goal
Progressively, the majority are getting worse not better

No mongrel. No ability to try something new, no plan B... don’t know if we could even trade our way out of this, who would come?

I have no idea how to even go about fixing this.

[WellardSaint]

Mav played injured in 2017 after doing his ankle.
Richo now admits Armo picked too soon.
Will he never learn.
Keeps Billings in, when in the past he dropped him.
Should drop JB + Gresh because they're struggling, just like Bruce last year kept playing,
keep playing guys based on form of a long long time ago?

[St. Paul]

Good post, skeptic. I, and I'm sure many other saints fans feel exactly the same way. The worst part is, some of us saw it coming from as far back as late last year. We were reassured everything was OK, when it clearly wasn't. Some drank the Kool Aid. Some still can't see the emperor has no clothes on. This is hardly a knee jerk reaction. As a supporter group, we've been incredibly patient over the past seven years. The current regime has had its chance and failed miserably.

In fact, we've gone backwards. When Richardson took over, the club had just finished 16th and was in rebuild mode. Five years down the track and we're still 16th, despite a swag of early draft picks and favourable trading positions. That is absolutely pathetic and cannot and should not be tolerated. The decision to extend Richardson before the end of last year is symbolic of everything that is wrong with this administration. Amateur hour, from the CEO, Coaches and recruiters. We are far from being admired by the competition, which was our stated aim, we are a laughing stock. Again.

Seven of their eight goals in their "master plan" have failed or are on the brink of failure. Only the return to Moorabbin has worked, and that can be attributed to outside influences as much as internal ones. So, saints fans, here we go again. Back to the old St.Kilda cycle of failure. A new ticket, a new board, new coaches and recruiters. New hope. Another five years breathing space for the incumbents to excuse failure. And so it goes. The band plays on.

[Yorkeys]

During the "school girl" debacle and Ross Lyon's contract fiasco. We do a good line in bleak.

The current bleakness for me isn't so much we are losing, I'm immune to that, but that the club through spokesman Richardson seems in Black Knight style denial "...come back its only a flesh wound..." About 40 years ago I remember Noel Teasdale (who you say - see wikipedia) coaching Woodville against West Torrens. Three quarter time the scores were level, Noel went to every player wide eyed and frothing looked each in the eye holding their shoulders and shouted "Desperate" "Desperate" Woodville lost by 5 goals. Noel's coaching approach was greeted with raised eyebrows and concerns for his mental health even back then. Repeating Desperate, Positive, Pleasing and Unacceptable didn't work 40 years ago so why now. There needs to be teamwork, a plan and competence. How about some honest detailed appraisal from the club for members/supporters and an update on what the rest of 2018 is going to be used for. Current messages are insulting.

[jonesy]

No
That's why I went on a round the world trip mid last year and still on it. It's hard to listen to what's taken place, but I called it early last year. So as bleak as it is, I just try and get myself through the week with sunset beers as to where ever I might be, now lake atitlan guetamala....farrrrrrk the saints!

P.s- home in 10 weeks, if this farce hasn't been sorted out on my return in July I'll be going home from the airport via Linton street with a pitch fork

[Linton Lodger]

2012 & 2013 were pretty bad, just going nowhere and not starting the rebuild that should've started then.

1999 & 2000 were really bleak and I won't even go into 1979 - 1986, now that was the depths.

[spert]

Going way back into the late '70s and early '80s it was very very bleak to watch the Saints and all the crap going on around the club, and I am getting the bleak feeling all over again, as I see no shining light ahead. Our up and coming players who should be the core of a new era, are all going backwards and we are playing a deplorable style of football.

This is the first time for decades that some of my Sainter friends are talking about just giving the whole thing a miss this season unless the club has a radical turnover of coaching and recruiting, and cleans out the playing ranks. Radical, but it is staring the club in the face

Some obvious outcomes of this horrible start to the season will be fewer bums on seats at games, lapsed memberships will stay lapsed etc.

I would like to see marshmallow Sumner come out and at least say "it's not good enough, we wont tolerate this, we are having a major review starting now..." or something along those lines to let the supporters and public know that the club is being super pro-active.. the silence is deafening!

[prwilkinson]

Things have been worse but, I can't remember being more disenchanted in a playing group or the remaining season than I am right now. I guess I just swallowed the marketing department's bait that we're a half decent team, when in fact we're so far off the pace at the moment they're barely AFL standard.

[quidnunc]

Jones'y -enough of the LAM.

[desertsaint]

1897 we went into the year with a remarkable optomism. six rounds in the outlook was bleaker than a Svalbard winter!

[HitTheBoundary]

We were worse than this in the 80's. But at least we won the fights.

The difference now is the supporters.
I haven't previously experienced this level of disenchantment and general anger at the Club.

[BringBackMadDog]

Seriously I’m struggling...
Post game 97 and and 09 were horrible but I was at least proud of the team.

The draw left me feeling empty but pumped to have get another crack. Post 2010 sucked but I loved my team more than ever.

Timmy’s reign was terrible but then came the ride...

GT’s era was pbly my favourite of football with the lowest light being the prelim loss to Port... really thought we’d go on with it.

2014-17 we were building towards. Something and improving at the same time... it was ok.

But now...

Well onfield we’re a mess. Supporters aren’t coming to games. Everybody is laughing at us.
We have a talented, heavily underperforming list and I’m worried that our more talented players in Acres, Gresh, Billings, Membrey etc are all going to ask for trades.

The coaching... well it’s just a blank. Nobody can really give me a coherent account of what it is we’re trying to do...
Acres in the ruck
Injured players preferred in the starting 18
Every player on the list looks like they’re about to have an anxiety attack if someone makes them kick for goal
Progressively, the majority are getting worse not better

No mongrel. No ability to try something new, no plan B... don’t know if we could even trade our way out of this, who would come?

I have no idea how to even go about fixing this.

You're kidding right?? You are either very young or don't remember the 80's. We went into every game expecting to get smashed by 10 goals, we had the President of the club walking around at training on Thursday night with a bag asking those in attendance to chip in a couple of dollars so that we could pay the bills. This is paradise compared to those days.
Some of your points are worth looking at:
Acres in the ruck....Richmond just won a premiership with Grigg in the ruck, it basically just gives us an extra mid.
Injured Players playing...who? and do you have inside info as to what their injuries are?
No mongrel?? Not sure what you expect, we are doing OK in tackle counts, contested ball, its our skills that are killing us and confidence. We look mentally shot.

Its funny how a team looks so bad when confidence is rock bottom. Look at essendon, last year, full of confidence, they looked like they could beat anyone. This year they are putrid. Watched their game yesterday and their field kicking was actually worse than ours.

[bigred]

Club is a fkn shambles IMO.

Shambles.

[Sainternist]

Club is a fkn shambles IMO.

Shambles.

Agreed. Club needs to push the RESET button at the end of the season, if it ends as badly as we're anticipating right now. A brand new front office (coach, CEO and president) will be required.

[scallopsroe]

Remember 1985, we got smashed nearly week. Won three games and the wooden spoon.
Acres in the ruck, what idiot thought of that move? Don't compare Richmond's tactics to the saints, they have heaps more skill than us and their confidence is sky high.
Very hard to assess the game against the Hawks, the conditions were affected by the heavy dew which made the ball handling quite unpredictable. The hawks stuffed a number of kicks too in first three quarters. However our set shots are appalling. We had three set shots (Acres, Weller and Gilbert) in the third quarter from within 35 meters and kicked two behinds and Weller 's set shot went off hands and OOB. Terrible. I was there and couldn't believe what I seeing. We work every hard to get the pill into the forward fifty only to mess up with poor kicking and decision making. Example of the latter, Savage passing across the ground to Sinclair. The pass goes on his head not in front of him, easy spoil for the defence.

[Sainternist]

Remember 1985, we got smashed nearly week. Won three games and the wooden spoon.

In 1985 we at least had Tony Lockett's career to look forward to witnessing.

[longtimesaint]

I was just wondering if the move to Moorabbin has been disruptive right after the start of the season.
A stable routine is always required and even though the new premises is a great thing the timing of the move maybe wasn't.
I still think we have enough talent in the team and for some reason we are not jelling as a team.

[bigred]

Personally I don't think I have been this unhappy with the way the club is going. We have a right to have a certain level of expectation, which is just not being met.

On field is an embarrassment. I don't think there is any other way to put it. I'm just so sick of seeing 7 goals 15 behinds each week. FML.

And off field? I mean who knows? All we hear is what is blurted out by the media. Very little transparency from this club, but not really anything new here.

10 million? 12 million in debt. Next thing they will be expecting us lot to rattle tins. Being many millions in debt in the current environment is far from a comfortable position. The number will blow out big time when we repeatedly cant pull 15k to a home game.

I mean who cares eh?...Back at Moorabbin so now we can recruit someone? Not likely.

Any high ticket free agent will be thinking about how much they have to carry! What a folly. We wont get anyone.

Unless some on field miracle happens and we learn, or remember how to kick the ball to a target then at the end of the year we are going to be in turmoil. May not even take that long.

By round 15 some flog mob will be waving a ticket about and be looking for a spill. Same s***, different decade.

And I don't think the coach will last that long... And nor should he when we keep getting served up this crap.

Negative Nelly eh...

[wolfpup]

2012 & 2013 were pretty bad, just going nowhere and not starting the rebuild that should've started then.

1999 & 2000 were really bleak and I won't even go into 1979 - 1986, now that was the depths.

yeah 1999 -> 2002 was bad but everyone brings up the dark ages of 1979 to 1986 which would have been shocking times but this current rebuild is only what 2 years less than the darkest time in st.kilda's history in the 70's 80s (well besides the 50s or earlier or whatever). as a really young kid at least in the 80's we had burns, joffa, etc and then finally the emergence of lockett, harvey, burke, etc gave us hope and great exciting games. at least we had some mongrel.

[thejiggingsaint]

Club is a fkn shambles IMO.

Shambles.

Agreed. Club needs to push the RESET button at the end of the season, if it ends as badly as we're anticipating right now. A brand new front office (coach, CEO and president) will be required.

Interesting point of view. I can understand the pressure on the senior coach, and the possible need to re-examine his tenure, but Matt Finnis? REALLY? and Peter Summers? I guess my next question would be; WHO do you see as ADEQUATE replacements mate? You see unless there is a considered and realistic approach to changing the guard, ( rather than a “knee-jerk-hope-for-the- best-anyone- is- better- than- who-we’ve- got” approach) then with the greatest respect, we’re simply repeating history and doing what we appear to be SO good at: “ being the basket case that is St Kilda FC

So mate, names please, alternatives! VIABLE alternatives.

[Yorkeys]

Bill Bellichick, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, probably in that order.

[kalsaint]

Mav played injured in 2017 after doing his ankle.
Richo now admits Armo picked too soon.
Will he never learn.
Keeps Billings in, when in the past he dropped him.
Should drop JB + Gresh because they're struggling, just like Bruce last year kept playing,
keep playing guys based on form of a long long time ago?

Our small forwards are not playing well in general. They wont work hard to get to the fall of marking contests and that makes forward pressure more difficult when the opposition trundle out of their defence and kick our arse at the other end.

JB/Gresham are great players but aren't in form in terms of getting the ball or kicking. They may be suffering a minor injury but I don't really know that if true. Your comment on playing players with form of yesteryear is just not smart. Players with current form should be rewarded. If form players don't make the AFL grade they maybe won't make the team after the off season review. Form, not potential, makes a good team.

[kalsaint]

Mav played injured in 2017 after doing his ankle.
Richo now admits Armo picked too soon.
Will he never learn.
Keeps Billings in, when in the past he dropped him.
Should drop JB + Gresh because they're struggling, just like Bruce last year kept playing,
keep playing guys based on form of a long long time ago?

Our small forwards are not playing well in general. They wont work hard to get to the fall of marking contests and that makes forward pressure more difficult when the opposition trundle out of their defence and kick our arse at the other end.

JB/Gresham are great players but aren't in form in terms of getting the ball or kicking. They may be suffering a minor injury but I don't really know that if true. Your comment on playing players with form of yesteryear is just not smart. Players with current form should be rewarded. If form players don't make the AFL grade they maybe won't make the team after the off season review. Form, not potential, makes a good team.

[thejiggingsaint]

Bill Bellichick, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, probably in that order.

Nice one! Here’s mine:

Coach: Arsene Wenger

CEO: Bill Farrow

President: Kim Jong Un

[samuraisaint]

Mid-season 1984 was pretty bad. It looked like we were going to be wound up. Creditors accepted 2 cents in the dollar which kept us afloat.