The Elephant In The Room

[damienc]

As we brace for season 2020, and some deserved optimism we should all feel as supporters of this footy club, there is the lingering question of the elephant in the room.

What might that be I am sure you are thinking?

Well, let me enlighten you. It concerns a number one draft pick.

The time has come for some robust criticism.

I don’t intend to hold back. And I’m only going to do it once. So here goes.

Before I do, I will add a disclaimer.

I am going for the ball and not the man.

This is not meant to be an attack on personalities or kicking them when they’re down.

It’s about this club’s history of making bad judgement calls at key moments in history.

I think you all know what I’m talking about. There’s been many, many examples over the years.

I have no criticism of the current club regime. I think they are doing/have done their best to put those days behind us.

But we made a terrible and serious mistake.

Squandering a rare gift, granted to clubs who qualify for the dubious honour of being the worst club in the competition.

Because it us such a rare jewel, you’d like to think the footy club you support, has the foresight, the wisdom and the judgement to make the right call. To choose the right man.

You also know that making the wrong call can come back to bite you. In 2020, that is about to happen to us.

Christian Petracca, who we should have taken, no question, no argument, should have taken, is about to show us the error of our ways and in no small way.

If you’d seen how he played in the practice game against the Crows, Petracca is set to make season 2020 his own. He is a midfield bull and he will, barring injury, do considerable damage.

Now, it’s pretty easy and comfortable to be saying this in hindsight.

Except I’m not.

I said at the time, we took the wrong man and sadly I was right, but I take no comfort in that.

Our club was blinded by this need to conjure the second coming of Roo. We needed a key forward at all costs.

Aaaah, no we didn’t.

What we needed was an A grade midfielder.

Yep. It’s all water under the bridge and we have to move on.

I get that.

But I just want to acknowledge that these bad decisions end up being costly, very costly and are compelling reasons why we’ve only won a single premiership.

I truly hope, this time. we’ve learned our lesson.

[To the top]

Mc Cartin was the correct call

Hopefully he is on our List in 2021 and showing his undoubted abilities

The List demographics currently are that Ryder is the age he is so the future is Marshall rucking and a need for a key forward to support Membrey and King

What has concerned me more than the Melbourne player is that we have let a far better player than him slip thru our fingers and go to Fremantle

Acres is a potent footballer and exceptionally gifted

[The_Dud]

I’m in the same boat. Said at the time we should have taken Petracca, same as everyone else.

But not ol’ Cho. He knew better.

[Nick_BlueNRG]

Mc Cartin was the correct call

Hopefully he is on our List in 2021 and showing his undoubted abilities

The List demographics currently are that Ryder is the age he is so the future is Marshall rucking and a need for a key forward to support Membrey and King

What has concerned me more than the Melbourne player is that we have let a far better player than him slip thru our fingers and go to Fremantle

Acres is a potent footballer and exceptionally gifted

The highlighted sentence above is the most hilarious thing I have ever read in 30 years of reading the internet. I cannot believe you really mean this TTP.

[Devilhead]

Elephant in the room is the GOAT Acres with a lazy 31 today

[samuraisaint]

Elephant in the room is the GOAT Acres with a lazy 31 today

Minchington went ok in Morwell too, BTW.

[bigcarl]

Elephant in the room is the GOAT Acres with a lazy 31 today

He's no ruckman. He's a big-bodied midfielder, same size as Fyfe. Richo, nice fella and all. Very, very poor judge of a footballer. IMO

[The_Dud]

Elephant in the room is the GOAT Acres with a lazy 31 today

Yeah but didn’t even get one hit out.

[Gershwin]

Gee you guys have gone a bit early on Petracca and Acres. It’s still February.

[Spinner]

Mc Cartin was the correct call

Hopefully he is on our List in 2021 and showing his undoubted abilities

The List demographics currently are that Ryder is the age he is so the future is Marshall rucking and a need for a key forward to support Membrey and King

What has concerned me more than the Melbourne player is that we have let a far better player than him slip thru our fingers and go to Fremantle

Acres is a potent footballer and exceptionally gifted

I think it’s pretty clear is wasn’t the right call.

Don’t hold your breath.

[Trev from the Bush]

Phhtt! Get over it. Or are you still pissed off about the Stewart-Barrott swap?

[saintspremiers]

Mc Cartin was the correct call

Hopefully he is on our List in 2021 and showing his undoubted abilities

The List demographics currently are that Ryder is the age he is so the future is Marshall rucking and a need for a key forward to support Membrey and King

What has concerned me more than the Melbourne player is that we have let a far better player than him slip thru our fingers and go to Fremantle

Acres is a potent footballer and exceptionally gifted

I think it’s pretty clear is wasn’t the right call.

Don’t hold your breath.

Correct.

When I agree with Spinner and citywest then something is going on.....

[saintspremiers]

Mc Cartin was the correct call

Hopefully he is on our List in 2021 and showing his undoubted abilities

The List demographics currently are that Ryder is the age he is so the future is Marshall rucking and a need for a key forward to support Membrey and King

What has concerned me more than the Melbourne player is that we have let a far better player than him slip thru our fingers and go to Fremantle

Acres is a potent footballer and exceptionally gifted

I think it’s pretty clear is wasn’t the right call.

Don’t hold your breath.

Correct.

When I agree with Spinner and citywest then something is going on.....

Saying that, The Tractor is no star, but still a valuable player who would be in our best 22 - even this year.

[Secret Kiel]

Just way to dramatic and, REALLY, do we need to do this topic again. It's like accidentally turning on A Current Affair and seeing an infomercial on the banking or energy industry. The very last thing it is, is an elephant in the room.

It was only covered, AGAIN just recently.

http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php? ... t=Petracca

[Life Long Saint]

Retrospective drafting is the easiest game in town...
It was a toss of the coin Petracca v McCartin.
We wouldn't be having these discussions if it weren't for the concussions. That's not a function of draft selection.
For the record, Petracca hasn't set the world alight. He has been praised for a big game in a meaningless game over a month away from the start of the season.

Every club will have these stories.
A better argument would have been Billings v The Bont...At least The Bont has proven himself over and over again...Unlike Petracca.
But even then it's a fool's errand. Because every club with pick 3 that year would have taken Billings...Including the Dogs.

Make no mistake regarding McCartin. If we'd have taken Petracca at 1 then Melbourne would have taken McCartin at 2 without hesitation and would have been glad to do so.

The thing with the number 1 pick is that there are around 70 picks following to show you who you should have taken instead. More chances for the hindsight drafters to get stuck in.

[saynta]

Phhtt! Get over it. Or are you still pissed off about the Stewart-Barrott swap?

I am.

[Secret Kiel]

Retrospective drafting is the easiest game in town...
It was a toss of the coin Petracca v McCartin.
We wouldn't be having these discussions if it weren't for the concussions. That's not a function of draft selection.
For the record, Petracca hasn't set the world alight. He has been praised for a big game in a meaningless game over a month away from the start of the season.

Every club will have these stories.
A better argument would have been Billings v The Bont...At least The Bont has proven himself over and over again...Unlike Petracca.
But even then it's a fool's errand. Because every club with pick 3 that year would have taken Billings...Including the Dogs.

Make no mistake regarding McCartin. If we'd have taken Petracca at 1 then Melbourne would have taken McCartin at 2 without hesitation and would have been glad to do so.

The thing with the number 1 pick is that there are around 70 picks following to show you who you should have taken instead. More chances for the hindsight drafters to get stuck in.

How do you predict concussion.

[The_Dud]

Retrospective drafting is the easiest game in town...
It was a toss of the coin Petracca v McCartin.
We wouldn't be having these discussions if it weren't for the concussions. That's not a function of draft selection.
For the record, Petracca hasn't set the world alight. He has been praised for a big game in a meaningless game over a month away from the start of the season.

Every club will have these stories.
A better argument would have been Billings v The Bont...At least The Bont has proven himself over and over again...Unlike Petracca.
But even then it's a fool's errand. Because every club with pick 3 that year would have taken Billings...Including the Dogs.

Make no mistake regarding McCartin. If we'd have taken Petracca at 1 then Melbourne would have taken McCartin at 2 without hesitation and would have been glad to do so.

The thing with the number 1 pick is that there are around 70 picks following to show you who you should have taken instead. More chances for the hindsight drafters to get stuck in.

It was never a toss of the coin, most in the football industry had Petracca as the obvious number 1. We wanted a forward (even though it’s now a midfielders game) and took a risk, which then blew up in our face.

No hindsight required.

[SaintPav]

Blake did well yesterday. 31 possessions and in Freo's best three.

I really hope we haven't stuffed up.

[longtimesaint]

I was sorry we traded Acres and I don’t think he wanted to leave.
We probably could have done the deal for Hill without trading Blake but I suspect that main reason was to reduce our salary cap with the five new players coming in on good money.
I was always of the opinion that Acres would develop into a very good player as he was entering his peak period.

[BarryGrogan]

We would have traded Petracca by now if we took him.

He's been incredibly underwhelming - aside from a R1 praccy match against a ressies team.

Not only that, he's been underwhleming as the 4th-5th string mid and as the 4th string forward.

If he's only laboured in that team - how would he have gone in our team FFS!!!??



I also disagree with the thing about wanting the next Roo. We've seen and heard directly from the transcript when it was locked in that we were taking McCartin - and it had nothing to with wanting the next Roo. That's just not true.

[bigcarl]

I was sorry we traded Acres and I don’t think he wanted to leave.
We probably could have done the deal for Hill without trading Blake but I suspect that main reason was to reduce our salary cap with the five new players coming in on good money.
I was always of the opinion that Acres would develop into a very good player as he was entering his peak period.

Best we can hope for is a win/win with Hill I guess. I wish Acres well and hope he develops into the player we suspected he could be ... except when he’s playing us, of course.

[SaintPav]

Can someone please also start a Luke Ball thread?

Might as well..

[Secret Kiel]

Can someone please also start a Luke Ball thread?

Might as well..

You can't have a Luke Ball stoush without introducing, Grant/Butters, the 2009 GF and RL. Anyone remember Kenny Sheldon's memorable mistakes.

[Linton Lodger]

After our first Marsh series game, a difficult question is, who makes way for Geary, Hannebery, Roberton and Jones. Our selectors will be earning their money. So where on earth would Petracca and Acres fit? At Sandringham?