Sign up Dunstan ASAP!!!

[Ghost Like]

At thr start of the year the Saints administration.thought they had a side that could compete well into September.

What f***ed us were injuries(Paton) and Paddy's unavailabilty. Hanners continued inability to get on.the field and losing Gresh were further nails in our coffin.

Next year with a full list we will more that competitive.

We need to hang on to our better players, including Seb and Billings.

Bytel is a more than adequate replacement for Dunstan though.
Talk of trading players like Battle and other young players gives me the s***s. So shot me.

I'm not going to shoot you, that just gets messy. Fair summation saynta. Unfortunately though for us to get better we'll lose some favourites (to some).

I think we may lose Billings, one of my favourites but a mistake as we'll only get a relevant draft pick, an unknown quantity.

If we lose Dunstan our compensation should be better than at this stage last year. He is a RFA I think so no real control other than if we want to spend or save money.

Battle is interesting, he's contracted so we have some control. At least a 2nd round I'd think.

Finally we have drawn a strong NGA hand, we will need draft points so some swapping of picks & creative player swaps will be required to maximise these opportunities.

[CQ SAINT]

I've not seen any real evidence that Ross, Billings or Dunstan are going anywhere yet.

[saynta]

I've not seen any real evidence that Ross, Billings or Dunstan are going anywhere yet.

Hope you are right.

[Ghost Like]

In a perfect world good players stay

And I always say, you don’t get better by trading out good players

Other teams do

But if they are to go
You need to get value for them and replace them with at least an equal talent!

Which is why I was fuming about Luke Ball in 09

Fair enough he wanted to leave, his choice, he wasn’t wanted. But to see him walk for zero, to a team that beat us the following year was poetic justice!!! We deserved it!!!

Another
Barry Hall - went to Sydney
They won a flag - we made them better
But at least we got Dal Santo as a result!!!

If we were to lose a Billings, a Ross, a Dunstan they NEED to be replaced - and players of that quality - a second round draft pick WILL NOT cut it!!
Unless we are assured of good talent coming in, what’s the point?!

Which is the reason for this thread… M Crouch

Don't lose sleep about Luke Ball, he didn't when he decided to leave (well before our 09 finals). Nothing poetic about what happened to us and we did not deserve it, trust me.

Same with Bruce, if he did not have a handshake agreement mid season, once we refused to open contract extension discussions then I'm not writing this. Both will always be a disgrace in my eyes.

How can we be assured of anything? Our only assurance is that we will not improve our list by keeping our list. At some point we must play kids, kids who are hungry. It appears this is the silver lining to having injuries.

At the end of 2021, none of Bytel, Byrnes or Connolly were rated on here, whether in potential or present. All were written off by some. 2022 injuries have forced our hand, thankfully for these 3 and our club. DMac & Long can also extend their hands in thanks.

We are going OK, a big off season looms for our List Managers. They must get it right.

[saynta]

2021, 2022???
What the f*** you drinking or smoking?

[Ghost Like]

Certainly not bathwater saynta.

[Ghost Like]

2021, 2022???
What the f*** you drinking or smoking?

Actually saynta, I must apologise. Calling either player a disgrace is wrong. They are not. I'm just disappointed how both left the club.

It was not Luke's fault he was on the bench in the last quarter of 09, that rests with the coach.

Both players bled and tried their best when wearing our jumper. That deserves more respect than what I wrote.

[Vortex]

I've not seen any real evidence that Ross, Billings or Dunstan are going anywhere yet.

Tom Morris from Fox reported Dunny was told after round 1 this season that he wouldn't be getting another game and that multiple clubs have enquired about his services.

You'd think it's a large bridge to mend with Dunny after being told you wouldn't get another game with the club....and then he gets another game ONLY when the club is on its knees and desperately out of options for players to select.

It raises the question, has the club since changed its postion and asked Dunny to hang around in 2022, would that be an awkward request?

[CQ SAINT]

I've not seen any real evidence that Ross, Billings or Dunstan are going anywhere yet.

Tom Morris from Fox reported Dunny was told after round 1 this season that he wouldn't be getting another game and that multiple clubs have enquired about his services.

You'd think it's a large bridge to mend with Dunny after being told you wouldn't get another game with the club....and then he gets another game ONLY when the club is on its knees and desperately out of options for players to select.

It raises the question, has the club since changed its postion and asked Dunny to hang around in 2022, would that be an awkward request?

Chinese whispers.
No doubt the 'improve or get out' line would have been used, purely as a financial decision based on projected match payments for other young players.
Whether or not Luke is offended by it is another question. Most of it doesn't make sense.
In August 2019, before seasons end, while the new coach took over, Luke was extended for 2 years, not 1 year. He picked up a brownlow vote in a bad loss where he did the things that got him extended and the fell out of favour during the covid lockdown.
Probably for pace, or maybe for youth.
Then he got injured, ignored at the start of this season, dropped after 1 game, and has been in fantastic form since.

[Vortex]

I've not seen any real evidence that Ross, Billings or Dunstan are going anywhere yet.

Tom Morris from Fox reported Dunny was told after round 1 this season that he wouldn't be getting another game and that multiple clubs have enquired about his services.

You'd think it's a large bridge to mend with Dunny after being told you wouldn't get another game with the club....and then he gets another game ONLY when the club is on its knees and desperately out of options for players to select.

It raises the question, has the club since changed its postion and asked Dunny to hang around in 2022, would that be an awkward request?

Chinese whispers.
No doubt the 'improve or get out' line would have been used, purely as a financial decision based on projected match payments for other young players.
Whether or not Luke is offended by it is another question. Most of it doesn't make sense.
In August 2019, before seasons end, while the new coach took over, Luke was extended for 2 years, not 1 year. He picked up a brownlow vote in a bad loss where he did the things that got him extended and the fell out of favour during the covid lockdown.
Probably for pace, or maybe for youth.
Then he got injured, ignored at the start of this season, dropped after 1 game, and has been in fantastic form since.

Yeah it's only a story if what Tom Morris reports is true. Time will tell.

[CarlD]

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/07/16/ ... -teammate/

The captain confirms the story.

[CQ SAINT]

It sort of wreaks of a football department that may be focused on a deal that is in the works or they are trying to extract as much capital gain out of their budget recruits, in this case Bytel, being the obvious replacement for Dunstan with similar develop issues.

[saynta]

Certainly not bathwater saynta.

"At the end of 2021, none of Bytel, Byrnes or Connolly were rated on here, whether in potential or present. All were written off by some. 2022 injuries have forced our hand, thankfully for these 3 and our club. DMac & Long can also extend their hands in thanks.'

Can I borrow your time capsule mate?

[Ghost Like]

Certainly not bathwater saynta.

"At the end of 2021, none of Bytel, Byrnes or Connolly were rated on here, whether in potential or present. All were written off by some. 2022 injuries have forced our hand, thankfully for these 3 and our club. DMac & Long can also extend their hands in thanks.'

Can I borrow your time capsule mate?

Good pick up saynta. Yes, you may borrow it but it's not working, it's out by a year. I'll get that fixed for you.

[saynta]

Certainly not bathwater saynta.

"At the end of 2021, none of Bytel, Byrnes or Connolly were rated on here, whether in potential or present. All were written off by some. 2022 injuries have forced our hand, thankfully for these 3 and our club. DMac & Long can also extend their hands in thanks.'

Can I borrow your time capsule mate?

Good pick up saynta. Yes, you may borrow it but it's not working, it's out by a year. I'll get that fixed for you.

Hence my:

"2021, 2022???
What the f*** you drinking or smoking?"

ps...don't agree that Byrnes or Bytel were not rated on here...they were.

[Ghost Like]

Ahhh, all good, that makes sense.

Yes they were rated but there were a few that didn't rate them. I should have been more specific. I'm sensing similar with Allison. Pretty unfair to write of kids when they've not been given opportunity.

Think back to Byrnes first game, only further opportunity has unearthed his true worth. I'm happy Connolly continues to be given opportunity. I look forward to the same happening with Bytel.

The NGA prospects are also exciting. I'd rather be excited by potential than disappointed over the recycled.

[skeptic]

This is why I’ve always pushed the ‘drop the underperforming senior player and give a young kid a go’ mantra relentlessly on here.

A kid like Bytel… yeah he’s not completely ready just read… occasionally looks like he’s arrived and should be locked into the 22, then gets shown up or taught a lesson.

That’s ok though. 2-3 games here and there is invaluable experience whilst he builds up his physical attributes.

I also think that’s a key to getting players to work harder… they see themselves what they need to improve on. Hopefully by the time they’re more ready, they had 30-40 games under their belt.

It’s what we did wrong with Armitage
He entered his prime as a player that then needed to build experience

[saynta]

Ahhh, all good, that makes sense.

Yes they were rated but there were a few that didn't rate them. I should have been more specific. I'm sensing similar with Allison. Pretty unfair to write of kids when they've not been given opportunity.

Think back to Byrnes first game, only further opportunity has unearthed his true worth. I'm happy Connolly continues to be given opportunity. I look forward to the same happening with Bytel.

The NGA prospects are also exciting. I'd rather be excited by potential than disappointed over the recycled.

Good point

[Teflon]

Facts are Dunstan can walk and we can do shyte about it
He’s not restricted FA
I suspect he’ll go - a shame after we gave him 7 years but facts are he’ll go where he thinks he can get game time abs with Bytel waiting it may not be here

[B.M]

We will get compo though.

Probably a second rounder, the form he is in

[B.M]

Amon tore us a new arse last time too

[Teflon]

We will get compo though.

Probably a second rounder, the form he is in

Point is we have no control with Dunstan so demanding we get a like player in return....we can’t control that
Billings we have some

[B.M]

Why would Billings be any different

They were drafted in the same year and both have been at StK 7 years

[Teflon]

Why would Billings be any different

They were drafted in the same year and both have been at StK 7 years

Because Billings is in top % of player pay brackets which goes into the equation
Dunstan is not ????

[B.M]

That has zero to do whether some is a RFA or UFA

It’s about years at a club