We are a laughing stock

[jaxons]

Most embarrassing football club at the moment.
Offering Shiel millions more than any other club and no chance of him coming.
No leadership and no one to sell our club properly.
If you knew the difference of our pitch versus the other clubs you would demand the immediate removal of all key figures at our club.

[ace]

Are you still in the loop or now just another outsider looking in ?

[Myron Gaines]

Riewoldt was part of the pitch

[Selhurst Saint]

Even Brisbane and Carlton are attracting quality players.

[Junior]

Most embarrassing football club at the moment.
Offering Shiel millions more than any other club and no chance of him coming.
No leadership and no one to sell our club properly.
If you knew the difference of our pitch versus the other clubs you would demand the immediate removal of all key figures at our club.

Have always appreciated your inside knowledge, but can I ask how you were privy to ours and all of the other pitches?

I would assume that only Shiel and Connors would have been sitting in on hem all.

[dragit]

Even Brisbane and Carlton are attracting quality players.

Yup which means the teams around us will improve significantly and we won't. We will be fighting Gold Coast for the spoon next year.

The players committing to us early on are clearly looking at their retirement nest eggs.

I think we need to reset and get back into this draft, stop pissing around with fringe C graders who have been in system for 5+ years and still can't crack a regular game.

[saint-stu]

This is depressing. Do you think Lethlean is no good?

[Whiskey]

Even Brisbane and Carlton are attracting quality players.

Yup which means the teams around us will improve significantly and we won't. We will be fighting Gold Coast for the spoon next year.

The players committing to us early on are clearly looking at their retirement nest eggs.

I think we need to reset and get back into this draft, stop pissing around with fringe C graders who have been in system for 5+ years and still can't crack a regular game.

This. The fact that we re rumoured to be keeping longer speaks volumes. We need to get rid of the duds otherwise more rubbish

[st.byron]

Even Brisbane and Carlton are attracting quality players.

Yup which means the teams around us will improve significantly and we won't. We will be fighting Gold Coast for the spoon next year.

The players committing to us early on are clearly looking at their retirement nest eggs.

I think we need to reset and get back into this draft, stop pissing around with fringe C graders who have been in system for 5+ years and still can't crack a regular game.

 Exactly.

[st.byron]

Nothing to do with Richardson being coach. Nothing at all.

[SydneySainter]

Nothing to do with Richardson being coach. Nothing at all.

In 1999 we had just won the wooden spoon but still attracted Hamill and Gehrig. Definitely nothing to do with the fact that Blight was coaching.

[skeptic]

Calm down everyone... everything is going to be okay because we finished 10th or something in 2017. That proves Richo can coach. He just needs better recruits.

[saint-stu]

Is the silver lining that we get a very good 18 year old midfielder in Bailey Smith?

A North supporting friend of mine said they have had the same trouble drawing in top players for a number of years also. Now that they're moving up, they look likely to be getting Gaff. Hopefully we can start rising up via the draft and then players will be more interested.

[SydneySainter]

Is the silver lining that we get a very good 18 year old midfielder in Bailey Smith?

A North supporting friend of mine said they have had the same trouble drawing in top players for a number of years also. Now that they're moving up, they look likely to be getting Gaff. Hopefully we can start rising up via the draft and then players will be more interested.

Maybe, depending on what kind of player Bailey can evolve into. If he becomes a gun, sure, but if he becomes another Billings or Paddy, then we're no further advanced then we are now.

It's damning that despite all this free cap space and a move back to Moorabbin, we can't even attract star players through godfather offers. Half a mill less per year and the Hawks are still Shiel's preferred destination.

It was a 5 year rebuild that was allegedly about building a good depth list and when the time is right, bring star talent via trades and free agency. That time has been right for 24 months now we've chased everyone and the best it's looking like we'll have to show for it is Hannebery, a 5 year rebuild with barely any elite or even A-level talent, contractually handcuffed to a largely winless coach and a $12 million debt.

[saint-stu]

Is the silver lining that we get a very good 18 year old midfielder in Bailey Smith?

A North supporting friend of mine said they have had the same trouble drawing in top players for a number of years also. Now that they're moving up, they look likely to be getting Gaff. Hopefully we can start rising up via the draft and then players will be more interested.

Maybe, depending on what kind of player Bailey can evolve into. If he becomes a gun, sure, but if he becomes another Billings or Paddy, then we're no further advanced then we are now.

It's damning that despite all this free cap space and a move back to Moorabbin, we can't even attract star players through godfather offers. Half a mill less per year and the Hawks are still Shiel's preferred destination.

It was a 5 year rebuild that was allegedly about building a good depth list and when the time is right, bring star talent via trades and free agency. That time has been right for 24 months now we've chased everyone and the best it's looking like we'll have to show for it is Hannebery, a 5 year rebuild with barely any elite or even A-level talent, contractually handcuffed to a largely winless coach and a $12 million debt.

Yeh I'm not sure they planned for the scenario that we'd be so bad that free agents wouldn't be interested.

[saint6709]

I for one am hoping that they are going to suprise us with some new announcement - eg Harvey and a succession plan (if Richo d=has to stay for another year)

If they are just going to say nothing is really wrong - richo is going to coach more strongly next year and the onfield leaders will show more leadership then they are taking their supporter base as a bunch of fools who will stand in line patiently and wait meekly for whatever muck is dolled out to them

I think they will get a shock ( only explanation I can come to is that they are so delusional it will be a shock) when supporters, sponsors, media and of course players they want to draft (and hold on to) start turning their backs

I think sheil is not for us - I would rather keep pick 4 if possible - get hanabery, kent -- then Preuss, scrimshaw, setterfield maybe finlayson - pepperpowel for dunstan and ? or a pick ???
I want them to trade out aggressively - wouldnt mind seeing at least most of paddy, hickey, longer, mav, lonie, dunstan, savage used to make the above happen - try keep first and second picks for drafting (including futures) future second traded only for the right deal
get Kelly as FA next year if Gaff already gone

[Saint 58]

Most embarrassing football club at the moment.
Offering Shiel millions more than any other club and no chance of him coming.
No leadership and no one to sell our club properly.
If you knew the difference of our pitch versus the other clubs you would demand the immediate removal of all key figures at our club.

Can you elaborate ?

[wolfpup]

Most embarrassing football club at the moment.
Offering Shiel millions more than any other club and no chance of him coming.
No leadership and no one to sell our club properly.
If you knew the difference of our pitch versus the other clubs you would demand the immediate removal of all key figures at our club.

Hi

Was wondering what do we do or how we do things differently? Are we paying overs for Shiel? Are we not selling 'St.Kilda' properly?
What are the other clubs selling that we aren't? Are they selling a Location/future/premierships/cafes etc

Is the sky really falling?

I am just curious.

Thanks

[tedtheodorelogan2018]

Disagree. The club is having a go. What else can you ask for? Riewoldt has met Shiel to try entice him over.

Ratten and Lade in.
O'shaughnessy from Hawks.
Hannerbrey and Kent in.
Possibly more.
If we don't get Shiel or Wingard then we go to the draft and get a very good kid like Coff and Hunter last year.

Trade period hasn't even started yet anyway.

[Aussie Jonestown]

Simon Leathlean cheats on his wife and with his corporate career in a mess he loses his gig at the AFL and five minutes later he winds up as head of football operations at St.Kilda to resurrect his corporate career.
When in the history of the universe has he ever been a list manager of an AFL club previously?
The recruitment of an injury plagued Hannebury on ridiculous money will be an unmitigated disaster and interesting to note Leathlean is good buddies with Hannebury's father.
Offering Dylan Shiel ludicrous amounts of money to come to St.Kilda smacks of desperation.
The shocking extension by another AFL appointee Mat Finnis of Alan Richardson's contract is incompetence on steroids. and now these three, Richardson (moonlighting on media street ) Leathlean and Finnis are all looking after their own careers and not the best interests of the St.Kilda Football Club imho.
The delisting of Freeman after one and a half games is a total disgrace after he started to play some decent football for Sandringham after three years of investment.
Listening to Richardson talk his monotone drivel for five minutes is nauseating at best, let alone five years which the playing group have had to tolerate. Alan Richardson could not inspire an ant farm with a sugar cube!
The worst coaching record in AFL history with a 33% win to loss ratio after five years!
The sooner St.Kilda sack Richardson, Finnis and Leathlean and get Nick Riewoldt on the board the better.
St.Kilda Football Club is not only a laughing stock it's a basket case.

[lewdogs]

Two players have already nominated us. One of them is a 3-time AA player.

Sorry but things are actually looking way better than this time last year.

[Saintmatt]

Is the silver lining that we get a very good 18 year old midfielder in Bailey Smith?

A North supporting friend of mine said they have had the same trouble drawing in top players for a number of years also. Now that they're moving up, they look likely to be getting Gaff. Hopefully we can start rising up via the draft and then players will be more interested.

Maybe, depending on what kind of player Bailey can evolve into. If he becomes a gun, sure, but if he becomes another Billings or Paddy, then we're no further advanced then we are now.

It's damning that despite all this free cap space and a move back to Moorabbin, we can't even attract star players through godfather offers. Half a mill less per year and the Hawks are still Shiel's preferred destination.

It was a 5 year rebuild that was allegedly about building a good depth list and when the time is right, bring star talent via trades and free agency. That time has been right for 24 months now we've chased everyone and the best it's looking like we'll have to show for it is Hannebery, a 5 year rebuild with barely any elite or even A-level talent, contractually handcuffed to a largely winless coach and a $12 million debt.

Correct. It's the self-imposed handcuff of having The Dribbler around for another 12-24 months the the killer. Finnis has kicked us all in the nuts with that magnificent strategic own-goal. So many knock-on effects ... can't sell hope to those who can plainly see through the charade of changing the assistant coaching deckchairs on the SS Richo who then won't renew memberships which just increases the fiscal deficit.

[Saintmatt]

Is the silver lining that we get a very good 18 year old midfielder in Bailey Smith?

A North supporting friend of mine said they have had the same trouble drawing in top players for a number of years also. Now that they're moving up, they look likely to be getting Gaff. Hopefully we can start rising up via the draft and then players will be more interested.

Maybe, depending on what kind of player Bailey can evolve into. If he becomes a gun, sure, but if he becomes another Billings or Paddy, then we're no further advanced then we are now.

It's damning that despite all this free cap space and a move back to Moorabbin, we can't even attract star players through godfather offers. Half a mill less per year and the Hawks are still Shiel's preferred destination.

It was a 5 year rebuild that was allegedly about building a good depth list and when the time is right, bring star talent via trades and free agency. That time has been right for 24 months now we've chased everyone and the best it's looking like we'll have to show for it is Hannebery, a 5 year rebuild with barely any elite or even A-level talent, contractually handcuffed to a largely winless coach and a $12 million debt.

Yeh I'm not sure they planned for the scenario that we'd be so bad that free agents wouldn't be interested.

I don't anyone planned for the fact that free agency was going to reward only the top teams and not spread the talent as per the design (except Eddie McGuire who rightly warned it was a horrible idea - especially in the era of compromised drafts). Cats, Hawks and Swans have nailed this magnificently although like most things - topping up and not drafting does eventually come home to roost.

[SydneySainter]

Two players have already nominated us. One of them is a 3-time AA player.

Sorry but things are actually looking way better than this time last year.

They're looking better than last year because nothing really changed last year. The inside perspective was that despite a delay in reaching the finals, we were still on the right path.

The club chased Fyfe, Kelly and Martin, all of whom said "thanks but no thank," so club came to the conclusion that now probably isn't the time for the star recruit, so plan B, take the picks into the draft, get their man next year. They even re-signed the coach who wasn't even out of contract.

Now look at us - chasing players already past their prime. Yes, Hanners will improve our midfield, but we may also be lucky to get 3 or even 2 years of solid footy out of him and the word is we're offering 5 years at $800,000. Not only that, we've gone from having the stubborn perspective of not paying overs, hence why we gracefully bowed out of the Fyfe race, to now offering godfather contracts and we're still getting shunned. We're offering half-a-million more than Shiels preferred destination!

The club looks ridiculous right now.

[Saintmatt]

Is the silver lining that we get a very good 18 year old midfielder in Bailey Smith?

A North supporting friend of mine said they have had the same trouble drawing in top players for a number of years also. Now that they're moving up, they look likely to be getting Gaff. Hopefully we can start rising up via the draft and then players will be more interested.

Your friend is right though. As a Saints member - the thing I'm so goddamn angry about is that our sh!t organisation (Board/Admin/Coaches/Players) could not find it within themselves to even hold ground this year. All we had to do was not go backwards to put ourselves in the frame for decent talent. North on the other hand, leapfrogged us to become a destination. How? Because they showed system, organisation, effort, and most importantly .... gave hope - not just to their supporters but potential recruits. FFS. North! They're a nothing club and now we're worse and more irrelevant than them. Kill. Me.

All we did in 2018 was just sh!t in our own letterbox - repeatedly - and I for one don't blame recruits and managers not wanting to come to us. We've given them no reason to want to come. Apart from money (which is now largely irrelevant given the instant 20% pay rise ALL players got in Feb last year) and how's that working if Shiel wants to knock back an extra $2M over the life of a contract to play for the Dawks rather than us?