James Gallagher on Big Name Recruits

[Sanctorum]

Following article taken from SEN AFL news, an interesting insight into the strategy to make some real improvement to the team, by any measure these are exactly the sort of bold moves the club needed to make to break the shackles of mediocrity both off and on-field that has seen the club go nowhere in the past 8 years...as I have mentioned elsewhere before, it is the very strong ruck division that the Saints will field next year that impress me the most, and will bring huge dividends in 2020.

"St Kilda list boss James Gallagher says the opportunity to bring in several big-name recruits was something the club couldn’t afford to pass up.

The Saints recruited Brad Hill, Paddy Ryder, Dougal Howard, Zak Jones and Dan Butler in the recently completed trade period.

As a result, the club’s earliest pick in this week’s AFL Draft is pick 51.

Gallagher said there was a well thought out strategy to fix certain aspects of their list, which matched up with the attributes of their five new recruits.

“Later in the year, some of the areas we wanted to improve were midfield, run, speed and kicking ability,” he said on SEN Mornings.

“Through his manager, we got an indication that Zak Jones may interested in coming back to Melbourne and this happened late in the year. We wanted to speak to Zak because we thought he can play a really important role for us.

“Dougal (Howard) did come up late in the piece but that had been really clear from our list strategy perspective that we needed to know who our key lockdown defender was going to be for five or six years.

“We’ve tracked him for a quite a while and I’ve been an advocate of his, but he was under contract and it felt highly unlikely. But when the opportunity did come up late, he became a priority for that position.

Gallagher said rather than baulking at paying for several recruits in one trade period, the club wasn’t prepared to let the unique opportunity of signing so many players within a short space of time pass.

“They all sort of bob up at different times and you just need to weigh up whether you’re prepared to pay what you need to pay both from a salary cap and trade perspective.

“If you’re not willing to pay with an early draft pick or a player then that’s OK and you can walk away but we made that decision that if you we bring all these guys in this year then let’s do it.

“It’s not every year you get an opportunity where a Brad Hill, a Zak Jones, a Dougal Howard, a Dan Butler and a Paddy Ryder say, ‘I want to come and play for your footy club’.

“You don’t want to knock back those opportunities when they come up.”

The Saints have also signed former Geelong ruckman Ryan Abbott as a delisted free agent."

[Nick_BlueNRG]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

[IluvHarvey]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Couldn’t disagree more! You clearly have no faith in the young talent coming through? The only player brought in that may not give us a long term solution is Ryder, but what he does give us is some insurance.

[saintspremiers]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

I had a chat to Helen and Citywest and they both agreed with you.

[Nick_BlueNRG]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Couldn’t disagree more! You clearly have no faith in the young talent coming through? The only player brought in that may not give us a long term solution is Ryder, but what he does give us is some insurance.

I do have faith in our youth. The issue is that all the other teams will have more youth and better youth than us. We have nothing from the 2014 and 2019 draft. And we will only have one 18 year old from the 2020 draft (that is any good). The full force of this will not impact on our list until 2022 but when it does we will then all realise that what Gags has done has backfired and set our club back 5 years.

[saintspremiers]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Couldn’t disagree more! You clearly have no faith in the young talent coming through? The only player brought in that may not give us a long term solution is Ryder, but what he does give us is some insurance.

I do have faith in our youth. The issue is that all the other teams will have more youth and better youth than us. We have nothing from the 2014 and 2019 draft. And we will only have one 18 year old from the 2020 draft (that is any good). The full force of this will not impact on our list until 2022 but when it does we will then all realise that what Gags has done has backfired and set our club back 5 years.

You are either trolling or have absolutely NFI.

We need midfield pace and class which both Hill & Jones bring.

We have plenty of kids on our list.

We can’t keep recruiting kids otherwise we become another GC.

[Nick_BlueNRG]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Couldn’t disagree more! You clearly have no faith in the young talent coming through? The only player brought in that may not give us a long term solution is Ryder, but what he does give us is some insurance.

I do have faith in our youth. The issue is that all the other teams will have more youth and better youth than us. We have nothing from the 2014 and 2019 draft. And we will only have one 18 year old from the 2020 draft (that is any good). The full force of this will not impact on our list until 2022 but when it does we will then all realise that what Gags has done has backfired and set our club back 5 years.

You are either trolling or have absolutely NFI.

We need midfield pace and class which both Hill & Jones bring.

We have plenty of kids on our list.

We can’t keep recruiting kids otherwise we become another GC.

Say what you like saintspremiers but I am sticking to my view. When it all goes pear shaped in 2 years time I will expect an apology.

[Bernard Shakey]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Obviously a troll!

[B.M]

I sort of agree... to a point

We bought in 5 players for a quick fix on the list

But we sold the farm to get them

2019 - we have no First Round, Second Round
2020 - we have no Second Round, Third Round, Fourth Round.

So we have 1 pick in the top 50 for two drafts!

[Bernard Shakey]

I sort of agree... to a point

We bought in 5 players for a quick fix on the list

But we sold the farm to get them

2019 - we have no First Round, Second Round
2020 - we have no Second Round, Third Round, Fourth Round.

So we have 1 pick in the top 50 for two drafts!

Not necessarily. We can always trade up next year, or whenever we need to!

[skeptic]

I sort of agree... to a point

We bought in 5 players for a quick fix on the list

But we sold the farm to get them

2019 - we have no First Round, Second Round
2020 - we have no Second Round, Third Round, Fourth Round.

So we have 1 pick in the top 50 for two drafts!

Not necessarily. We can always trade up next year, or whenever we need to!

Alternatively however... do we have to? We’ve brought in at least 3 players that slot into our top 22 and have 5 seasons in them.

People kind of miss the idea with the draft. It’s not having more picks... it’s bringing quality players in. We get 1-2 decent players in like a Wilkie and Hind and that’s 5 players in 2 seasons. Decent strike rate.

Nick’s MO like with Citywest is that you should always be getting more and more picks. If you get a good promising player... trade them for 2 first round picks... then if either of them are good... trade them for more picks.
Argued for years over 08 onwards to move Riewoldt on and so forth. Always the same thing... trade away your valuable players for picks

[Nick_BlueNRG]

I sort of agree... to a point

We bought in 5 players for a quick fix on the list

But we sold the farm to get them

2019 - we have no First Round, Second Round
2020 - we have no Second Round, Third Round, Fourth Round.

So we have 1 pick in the top 50 for two drafts!

And on top of that, we burned all of our picks in the 2014 draft as well. So that means we have burnt all our picks in 3 of the last the last 7 drafts (if you include 2020). This means that we will have hardly any gun youngsters coming through over the next 5 years or so. As I said in my previous post, come the end of 2022 we will be in full rebuild mode yet again because Gags and Satan wanted a quick fix.

[Vazelos]

This was exactly what we needed...
The last 3 drafts we brought in some excellent young talent it was time to get serious and fix some of our deficiencies.
Marshall, Billings, Gresham, Clark, Bytel, King, Coffield Battle Long all Under 24 plus bringing on Wilkie and Hind we have some exciting young talent.
8 years out of finals does damage to your brand, to the bottom line we needed a circuit breaker a game changer.
Who isn’t happy with what we brought in?
We are one elite midfielder away from a potential strong list I believe we are on the right path.

[saintspremiers]

I sort of agree... to a point

We bought in 5 players for a quick fix on the list

But we sold the farm to get them

2019 - we have no First Round, Second Round
2020 - we have no Second Round, Third Round, Fourth Round.

So we have 1 pick in the top 50 for two drafts!

And on top of that, we burned all of our picks in the 2014 draft as well. So that means we have burnt all our picks in 3 of the last the last 7 drafts (if you include 2020). This means that we will have hardly any gun youngsters coming through over the next 5 years or so. As I said in my previous post, come the end of 2022 we will be in full rebuild mode yet again because Gags and Satan wanted a quick fix.

Helen, I think you should follow GC. That should satisfy your pick fetish nicely.

[CURLY]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Nice trolling.

[skeptic]

Exactly when we’re we going to challenge for a flag with this list without a serious injection of talent, class, experience and balancing?

[Secret Kiel]

This was exactly what we needed...
The last 3 drafts we brought in some excellent young talent it was time to get serious and fix some of our deficiencies.
Marshall, Billings, Gresham, Clark, Bytel, King, Coffield Battle Long all Under 24 plus bringing on Wilkie and Hind we have some exciting young talent.
8 years out of finals does damage to your brand, to the bottom line we needed a circuit breaker a game changer.
Who isn’t happy with what we brought in?
We are one elite midfielder away from a potential strong list I believe we are on the right path.

isn't the genesis of the debate in this thread around the question of whether you believe the list is a good one or not. I'm firmly in the 'good list' camp and agree that we are only one or two more really good midfielders away from a side capable of sustained finals appearances. And so if you believe that then you are comfortable with the strategy taken this year to trade away picks to bring in "best 22" players. And anyway isn't the aim of the draft to use picks to accumulate a critical mass of "best 22" players that comprise a finals capable side? Aren't we now a finals capable side, so if we make the finals next year, isn't that part of the mission accomplished.

[Secret Kiel]

importantly the belief we are a good list with only the need for one or two more elite midfielders doesn't necessarily mean we have to trade for them next year or the year after, it's possible they could develop from within the current list and the possibility of that happening has just been supercharged by the recruitment of the "best 22" types bought in during this trade period. so the need to have draft picks in 2020 and 2021 has been speculated upon by the strategy taken in the recruitment process leading up to, AND including 2019.

[Nick_BlueNRG]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Nice trolling.

Just because someone has a different opinion than you does not mean they are a troll.

You calling them a troll because you don't agree means that you are a f****** IDIOT.

<1 day ban for abuse>

[CURLY]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Nice trolling.

Just because someone has a different opinion than you does not mean they are a troll.

You calling them a troll because you don't agree means that you are a f****** IDIOT.

No your trolling.

[outside66]

IMHO, what Gags has done has put our club back 5 years. It is a quick fix that may propel us into the 8 in 2020 and 2021, but in the long term will mean we never really challenge for a flag with this list.

At the end of 2022 when it becomes apparent that the list isn't good enough, we will be starting another rebuild from scratch.

Are you Chris Pelchen?

[The Fireman]

a quick fix is what we needed..8 yrs in hell had to end, this will mean wins and it will get bums on seats again..
.more money for the club and time to nurture our young talent with the help of the new experienced top line players.
and of course we expect improvement from our 2 nd tier players
we can now target young talent for the next 5 yrs.

To say that this situation has put the club backwards is ludicrous at best , at worst ..simply trolling

[CURLY]

a quick fix is what we needed..8 yrs in hell had to end, this will mean wins and it will get bums on seats again..
.more money for the club and time to nurture our young talent with the help of the new experienced top line players.
and of course we expect improvement from our 2 nd tier players
we can now target young talent for the next 5 yrs.

To say that this situation has put the club backwards is ludicrous at best , at worst ..simply trolling

It's not as though it's a quick fix though is it? Howard is a 10 year key position player that we would have had to draft early in 2015.

[The Fireman]

a quick fix is what we needed..8 yrs in hell had to end, this will mean wins and it will get bums on seats again..
.more money for the club and time to nurture our young talent with the help of the new experienced top line players.
and of course we expect improvement from our 2 nd tier players
we can now target young talent for the next 5 yrs.

To say that this situation has put the club backwards is ludicrous at best , at worst ..simply trolling

It's not as though it's a quick fix though is it? Howard is a 10 year key position player that we would have had to draft early in 2015.

to me it was good drafting which seems to some to be a quick fix....so what I was trying to put across is that if it was a quick fix then that's what we needed.

I certainly think it will fix 8 years of hell.

[B.M]

Hell?!

The 80s were hell!!!

In the last 4 years we’ve gone

2019 nine wins
2018 four wins
2017 eleven wins
2016 twelve wins

Haven’t played finals but 3 of the four years we were competitive with a f***load of injuries and an average list