Can anyone remember a more bleak outlook than now ?

[milney044]

I look at the Richo signing and to me it just exemplifies the St Kilda FC.. accepting mediocrity. Honestly what does that signing tell the rest of the club including other coaches and players? You don't have to do a hell of a lot to get another contract.
It pretty much just sums up the club and its outlook. Until we instill a winning culture and demand results, nothing will change.
Same with continuing to play Newnes, Gilbert and having Geary as captain. It all equates to the same thing - accepting mediocrity.
I fear for the future of this club i love. We need to stand up, be bald and be ruthless.
While I'm at it, get rid of that "sainter of the day" crap on social media. We fans are sick of celebrating minor "victories" when our team has just got thumped. Its time for things to change.

I hate these useless cliches...'accepting mediocrity'...do you honestly think the board and the admin extended Richo's contract coz they thought we are a mediocre club...so lets make mediocre decisions and employ mediocre coaches and staff...sheesh!!!

I am sure everyone at the club is trying their hardest and making decisions they think are in the best interests of the club. Slagging off at players, coaches and staff is the domain of the worst sort of supporter.

The club clearly has some issues at the moment...but we are no where near as bad as we have been at other points in our history.

One thing I do know...if we all support our club...turn up to games...cheer and support the players...in good and bad games...when success does come, and it will...it will be far more enjoyable.

Just my view...I'm not saying you can't be unhappy with out performance...just maybe show a little respect for our club...there are plenty of opposition supporters and media ready to deride us...we don't need to aid and abet them.

No, mediocrity wouldn't have been the club's intention by extending Richo's contract.
The aim would have been to show we are backing the coach and that he's the right man for the job. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, we question why this decision was made so early with little evidence to support his backing. As a club with such little success, i feel like this was a decision we couldn't afford to make.

And I'm not slamming the club, I'm just stating how i feel. I am sick of being a nothing club that is pittied and laughed at instead of a club that is respected and admired. That is why i am screaming out for things to change.

For the record, i go to every home game and clap for the boys and hope I'll see a team I'm proud of. One of my favourite memories is being in the rooms after an unexpected win against Freo and Roo's dad was there. He said something like "this is for the ones who are still here through the tough times" and it really stuck with me.

I love this club and just want to see it succeed. I get mad, angry and disappointed because i am passionate. We all are and we're all getting impatient! We all have different ways of showing that. That's why this forum is important to vent that frustration so i can turn up on game day and cheer them on.
You are right, the club needs that more now than ever.

[Yorkeys]

In the 80s I don't think there was a salary cap, draft and other equalisation measures. Most of the leading clubs of the time cheated any payment and recruitment rules in place, so its difficult to compare with that period, yes? I seem to remember that even when getting regularly beaten we had players you were pleased to see play: the great T. Barker, Nicky W, Harvs, Plugger, Lenny et al. Not so much now Nick has left. GT took over a poor situation and through hands on coaching, passion and the draft built a fine team. Stan Alves, I thought was good and I went with his passion. Perhaps the current level of disappointment is because Richo has had 5 years and notwithstanding some mitigating circumstances he has not ever been able to get the team up for a big game like last years against Essendon and Melbourne, let alone seriously challenge in a finals sense; but we were assured by the club (and media?) that the oasis was not a mirage. He appears to lack passion for the club and the players, no highs no lows just remember at Harvard they said at all costs keep your temper and show a controlled persona. But it is a team game of human skill and effort that requires a special link between the coach and the players, perhaps mutual respect to the point of man love to win the really tough contests. I think AR has shown he does not have the spiritual connection with the playing group: be it fear of consequences or we will win it for Richo. He appears to have delegated too much - I think I heard him say last year he rarely talks one on one with the player (?) It is perfectly understandable why M. Finnis, corporate lawyer, player union boss and surfer (an individual sport) with no feel for the game as an elite player would have lapped up Richo's cool persona, overlooked the loosing season and poor finish by only seeing the Richmond and GWS wins. Anyway its done and from here we really can't lose. Either AR turns the team around or he will not coach in 2019, even a surf loving player advocate would not be so simple as to not have a performance clause in the contract. Tips: Lenny will have had a catch up call from P. Summers and AR has thought about leaving his office to ask the forward group coach if he ever meets with the mids group coach. Its all up from here (i.e. the bottom).

[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?

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.

u misunderstand.
I said TMBK keeps playing guys based on their past form, not current form,
but I think those out of form like JB n Gresh, and Skunk, need to get form at the Zebs.

Last year he kept Bruce even though he was rubbish, and he's doing it with those 3 now.

They need lower level to get mojo.
Steelo got 41 touches at the Zebs, didn't he?
Richo has to drop guys and only play guys who are switched on.
Poor Zebs must be looking at the wackers in the seniors and wonder what they have to do
to displace them.

[SaintPav]

Yes, Jiggster, but RL was hot coaching property at the time. Coming off four consecutive finals series, two GFs (so close) and a replay. Great winning percentage and a master tactician with a proven track record of extracting performance from average players. Opposition teams feared us. As for the incumbent, you couldn't give him away, even last year. No need to rush on that one. Nettlefold's incompetence in this regard has only been matched by that of Finnis. Bizarre decision that reeks of interference from HQ.

Ross Lyon was also the second best coach this club has ever had. AR's record suggests he's down with Gellie, Watson and Watters. I wonder how we'd be looking now with RL in charge. Nowhere near as bad as we currently do, I'm willing to wager.

Correct and we would have made finals under Ross in 2012.

[wolfpup]

Yes, Jiggster, but RL was hot coaching property at the time. Coming off four consecutive finals series, two GFs (so close) and a replay. Great winning percentage and a master tactician with a proven track record of extracting performance from average players. Opposition teams feared us. As for the incumbent, you couldn't give him away, even last year. No need to rush on that one. Nettlefold's incompetence in this regard has only been matched by that of Finnis. Bizarre decision that reeks of interference from HQ.

Ross Lyon was also the second best coach this club has ever had. AR's record suggests he's down with Gellie, Watson and Watters. I wonder how we'd be looking now with RL in charge. Nowhere near as bad as we currently do, I'm willing to wager.

Correct and we would have made finals under Ross in 2012.

we only played gws once that year as well, nawf, hawks, majority of the top 8 played them twice. but probably right, ross might have got us over the line in the close losses against power, pies, crows and tigers all 6 points or less losses from memory.

[kalsaint]

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...

Not at all really Red. Sometimes its good to reflect on decisions made. Im sure we are now on notice given the improvement in venue deal. We seem to be interested in development in so many things other than the mens team performance. Expenditure on facilities is good but if success isnt forthcoming perhaps Moorabin shouldnt be an option.

We need the horse pulling the cart not the reverse. Get some success then benefit with whats comes with the cart. Facilities, extra footy teams, social publications are all good but not when you are going under as a club. None of it will matter if we return to the 80's off field performance. We just wont get teh supoort now after whinging about unfairness and not getting any traction through success. We dont look professional at all at times.

[kalsaint]

Yes...but as mentioned, when I started supporting the Saints with Burns, Joffa, Muir, Perovic, Sidebottom, Carl, etc, at least the opposition genuinely feared for their health at the end of our 10-20 goal hiding. Plenty of mongrel and character, not this GWS-Lite rubbish.

Made me laugh this. I recall a Carlton supporter always bagging the Saints but they lost to us in the mud. Lost the fights. He whinged "What do you expect when you have to look out for a mad dog all the time when you're supposed to be playing footy.

My response was go spend some more money on real men then.

[barneyboyz]

Nah, most of you have got it wrong, and especially some of you that think you know something.

Two years ago we beat Melbourne twice and were going along just nice. Even last year (early) things weren't that bad. What has changed most significantly over this time now was the decline and loss of 3 - 4 significant leaders of our club.

I'm not going to blame our captain, though he would best be just left to do what he does best, but nobody, and I mean nobody has stood and said follow me. I think it could be Jake C. and would just tell him to lead and do whatever he needs to do. If that means swinging himself to CHF then do it

Other than that, Mav could probably do it...the closest we've been to winning recently was when he got physical. C'mon, somebody just do it!

[Sainter_Dad]

TD,DR;

Too Depressing, Didn't Read

But yes I can - I can remember when I came home and when asked how the game was replied - we won the Little League at least!
A team of kids, who were from a random local school, who just happened to be picked to wear our jumper, beat another random school who were picked to wear the oppositions jumper - and that made my day - lol

[thejiggingsaint]

TD,DR;

Too Depressing, Didn't Read

But yes I can - I can remember when I came home and when asked how the game was replied - we won the Little League at least!
A team of kids, who were from a random local school, who just happened to be picked to wear our jumper, beat another random school who were picked to wear the oppositions jumper - and that made my day - lol

A good win this sundee and we’ll be on course again.

[Sainter_Dad]

TD,DR;

Too Depressing, Didn't Read

But yes I can - I can remember when I came home and when asked how the game was replied - we won the Little League at least!
A team of kids, who were from a random local school, who just happened to be picked to wear our jumper, beat another random school who were picked to wear the oppositions jumper - and that made my day - lol

A good win this sundee and we’ll be on course again.

LOL - I fear that a win this weekend will just be like me putting on weight over the weekend!

I have lost 19 kilos (107 down to 88) since the 6th Feb and occasionally on a given day I will put some back on - but overall the trend is downward

Without some major changes at Moorabbin, our hopes will follow the same trajectory.

[spert]

TD,DR;

Too Depressing, Didn't Read

But yes I can - I can remember when I came home and when asked how the game was replied - we won the Little League at least!
A team of kids, who were from a random local school, who just happened to be picked to wear our jumper, beat another random school who were picked to wear the oppositions jumper - and that made my day - lol

A good win this sundee and we’ll be on course again.

LOL - I fear that a win this weekend will just be like me putting on weight over the weekend!

I have lost 19 kilos (107 down to 88) since the 6th Feb and occasionally on a given day I will put some back on - but overall the trend is downward

Without some major changes at Moorabbin, our hopes will follow the same trajectory.

Stay healthy Sainter_Dad you will soon be a skinny bugger!

[To the top]

Picked a good winter to leave Australia behind - no winter weather so far and the tone of this Forum as it is

Anyway

I was always of the view that this would be a season of looking at individual performances in the absence of the significant presence of Riewoldt and Montagna

We have class in Steven and Carlisle

We have Armitage, who is Class, returning from a season out with injury

Past that we have the Draft picks we have had in recent years starting with those Drafted in the top 20 and Mc Cartin, Billings, Dunstan, Acres et al

Those we have introduced from other Clubs are players who could not cement positions at those Clubs, so we need some out performance for them to become central to our development

Our experience is limited to Gilbert

The problem I see is crystallised by the appointment of Geary as Captain of the Club - it entrenches ordinary and honest not superior and game changing

That is the message Richardson and the Club leave me with

There must be change at the top including Richardson if that is the message he supports

Same with Longer and some others who lack upside because of deficiencies and being role players exclusively

Richardson needs to send the message as to the direction this player group is going in by dropping Geary as the first step and replacing him with the next generation as the message to that generation that the future if this Club is in their hands so roll up your sleeves and show us that you are up to the task

Show us you can consistently receive votes as BOG because that is why we Drafted you

Then, because of the work profile we have seen, we look at Freeman as the cream because we need more class and always will - that is life

There is always someone on the way up so you need to keep up with the pace at the very least - and then exceed it

[Jacks Back]

Our move back to Moorabbin is like kicking with a 6 goal wind - We thought the wind would just do it for us instead of working like a team.

[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.

Whoops, for got the quote bit....

It was 22.5 cents in the dollar but let's not let the truth get in the way of a good story!

34 years is a long time silverhalo.

I do remember the players came out and won the week before the creditors agreed though. I remember who we beat. Do you remember who we beat? No, don't google it.

Anyway, the point is that we were on the cusp of actually going to cease to exist at that time.

[parkeysainter]

Things really aren't that bad down at RSEA Park. Saints are just going through a rough trot at the minute. They will pull out of it.

[bigred]

Yeah happy happy fun land.

PAddy's gonna kick six this weekend.

[Yorkeys]

Here's a conundrum: CEO is reported in AGE yesterday as saying performances are unacceptable but there is no second guessing Richo's extension as he will be a better coach for it. Does that imply unacceptable performances will be accepted until end 2020 as a professional development exercise or possibly that a winning coach actually becomes a worse coach? I think the corporate speak means the Board and Management do feel the coach is the problem. As soon as there is a statement from the Club giving Richo full support we can expect a new coaching appointment to follow shortly. He possibly needs to win three matches in the two months or he will become a better coach at another club, I fear. I think about 10 losses in the last 13 games should have AR really primed for Sunday and will be cheering for all I am worth.

[stonecold]

Yes, Jiggster, but RL was hot coaching property at the time. Coming off four consecutive finals series, two GFs (so close) and a replay. Great winning percentage and a master tactician with a proven track record of extracting performance from average players. Opposition teams feared us. As for the incumbent, you couldn't give him away, even last year. No need to rush on that one. Nettlefold's incompetence in this regard has only been matched by that of Finnis. Bizarre decision that reeks of interference from HQ.

Ross Lyon was also the second best coach this club has ever had. AR's record suggests he's down with Gellie, Watson and Watters. I wonder how we'd be looking now with RL in charge. Nowhere near as bad as we currently do, I'm willing to wager.

Yeah, but MrCKMDIMP screwed St.Kilda over, walked out on the club and left us high and dry, so it's not like we had the choice of keeping him!!!!!

So it's of no relevance where we would be with MrCKMDIMP in charge, cause like a few former posters on here, he left the building!!!!!

Hindsight is often also irrelevant Brother Paul!!!!!

[evertonfc]

Geez, I miss the excitement of the GT years...

It felt like we were taking the world on.

It was always a bit risky, but bloody hell, we had such a clear identity. We stuck two fingers up at everybody and should have won it.

Right now, we're a diet vanilla milkshake.

[lefty]

Geez, I miss the excitement of the GT years...

It felt like we were taking the world on.

It was always a bit risky, but bloody hell, we had such a clear identity. We stuck two fingers up at everybody and should have won it.

Right now, we're a diet vanilla milkshake.

Exactly right, GT brought hope, life and happiness. Butters then went retardo and that was the end of it.
Got sacked for finishing 8th in 2016 and had pretty much only had 4 years at the helm.

What's AR stats? Something needs to change. We can't keep getting high draft picks and they're all crap, with supporters then saying trade x, y, z as the same answers. Somethings not right.

[fugazi]

TD,DR;

Too Depressing, Didn't Read

But yes I can - I can remember when I came home and when asked how the game was replied - we won the Little League at least!
A team of kids, who were from a random local school, who just happened to be picked to wear our jumper, beat another random school who were picked to wear the oppositions jumper - and that made my day - lol

A good win this sundee and we’ll be on course again.

LOL - I fear that a win this weekend will just be like me putting on weight over the weekend!

I have lost 19 kilos (107 down to 88) since the 6th Feb and occasionally on a given day I will put some back on - but overall the trend is downward

Without some major changes at Moorabbin, our hopes will follow the same trajectory.

Good work Sainter Dad
...how are you doing it so quick?

[fugazi]

TD,DR;

Too Depressing, Didn't Read

But yes I can - I can remember when I came home and when asked how the game was replied - we won the Little League at least!
A team of kids, who were from a random local school, who just happened to be picked to wear our jumper, beat another random school who were picked to wear the oppositions jumper - and that made my day - lol

A good win this sundee and we’ll be on course again.

LOL - I fear that a win this weekend will just be like me putting on weight over the weekend!

I have lost 19 kilos (107 down to 88) since the 6th Feb and occasionally on a given day I will put some back on - but overall the trend is downward

Without some major changes at Moorabbin, our hopes will follow the same trajectory.

Good work Sainter Dad
...how are you doing it so quick?

[saintspremiers]

Things really aren't that bad down at RSEA Park. Saints are just going through a rough trot at the minute. They will pull out of it.

You really are FOS parkey.

Are you trying to be a Spin Doctor?

[saintspremiers]

Geez, I miss the excitement of the GT years...

It felt like we were taking the world on.

It was always a bit risky, but bloody hell, we had such a clear identity. We stuck two fingers up at everybody and should have won it.

Right now, we're a diet vanilla milkshake.

GT didn’t have a strong enough backbone supporting him