Anyone see this???

[Teflon]

Was having a nice coffee....read this and spat it all over the bench....what a deadset moron!! I know in hindsight etc but to overrule you’re entire recruiting tram just beggars belief...**** me


NAUGHTY OR NICK?
Saints fans, look away now.
Before the 2016 draft there was a heated debate around Nick Coffield and Aaron Naughton at the St Kilda list management meeting.
List boss Tony Elshaug was adamant Naughton was the Saints’ man if he was still there at Pick 8 and he had most of his recruiters on side.
But Alan Richardson disagreed. The coach wanted more midfielders and pushed hard for Coffield. Richardson won the discussion and St Kilda went with the on-baller.
Those in the room for the debate said Richardson was adamant that they needed more ball-winners.
Coffield has shown signs but hasn’t nailed his spot, while Naughton is one of the most exciting key forwards in the league.
Three years earlier, St Kilda picked Jack Billings over Marcus Bontempelli.
There is time yet for Coffield, but as it stands Richardson got that one wrong. And officials at the Saints remember it like it was yesterday, not that they care to reflect on Richardson’s tenure too often.

[Teflon]

Sorry saw it posted please delete thread

[cwrcyn]

Couldn't coach and on top of it cost us an absolute gun players. What a debacle his tenure was. One of my pet hates is coaches overriding recruiting staff. Stan Alves did it numerous times (disastrously) and it set us back years.

[shanegrambeau]

Just note that Naughton was a backman and the key forward thing wasn’t in the picture. He spent his first full season at WB as a back so far as I know.

Perhaps Coffield can be a forward. He’s rangy and might be an Allen-type.

[cwrcyn]

Well, Coffield is not a midfielder and is unlikely to ever be one.

[Ghost Like]

Who wrote it? Who's being quoted or the alleged source?

[Wayne42]

Who wrote it? Who's being quoted or the alleged source?

Tom Morris reporting ......... scroll down to the story.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-ne ... da0b1c2f99

[Banger9798]

Richo was a disaster

[Ghost Like]

Cheers Wayne, I find it ironic that Richo had the inside lane to Petracca but failed to take it. Now we read his reason for Coffield over Naughton. The Billings v Bont reference is just mayo.

[Banger9798]

So we could have had Bont, Petracca and Naughton?

[Banger9798]

But got Paddy McCartin, Billings and Coffield

[Wayne42]

So we could have had Bont, Petracca and Naughton?
But got Paddy McCartin, Billings and Coffield

In the words of Bristle.. Oh Boy !

[SydneySainter]

Yeah, well, thanks to Trout we took McCartin over Petracca.

At the time, I wouldn’t have wanted Trout anywhere our first round selections and in fairness to Richo, he was right. The free agency plan was a flop and we desperately needed good mids.

Never knew that Coffield was supposed to be a midfielder though...

[B.M]

McCartin looked alright on the weekend… all be it in a VFL scratch match playing in a team he doesn’t even play for

Not quite Petracca though

Who will finish top 3 in the Brownlow

[Ghost Like]

McCartin looked alright on the weekend… all be it in a VFL scratch match playing in a team he doesn’t even play for

Not quite Petracca though

Who will finish top 3 in the Brownlow

Would you take McCartin back?

[Wayne42]

I think McCartin is finished at AFL level, i'd be very surprised if he was drafted/ added to an AFL list at years end.

[WellardSaint]

Well, Coffield is not a midfielder and is unlikely to ever be one.

From what I've seen of Coff, he seems to be suited to running straight at the ball and rebounding off HB.

He's the opposite of Zac Jones n the Gresh.
IMHO

[bigcarl]

I wouldn’t write Coffield off just yet. He may not be a Naughton - different type altogether - but, going on what I saw last season, can develop into a very good player. He’s 21 and has played fewer than 50 matches.

In saying that, Richo’s tenure speaks for itself. A time of mediocrity

[SaintPav]

Sad

[carn_sainter]

Last year everyone was stoked on Coffield and would have taken him over Naughton.

The problem wasn't the choice of Coffield - iyt's what the footy department is doing that has caused him to stall in his development.

Some silly revisionist history going on in this thread

[cwrcyn]

I never bought into the euphoria around Coffield's performances last year. Yes, he took quite a few uncontested intercept marks but he also failed consistently in one on one contests. I could never understand the belief of some on here that he was a gun player. Hunter Clark on the other hand showed poise in traffic, great vision and evasive skills and I thought the things I saw in his game were far more encouraging than Coffield's.

The fact that Richardson overlooked a highly talented and highly rated key position player for basically a half back flanker is insanity. Talented key position players are the hardest players to find in the draft. To pass one over for a back flanker is a recruiting crime.

Coffield has time to improve on his deficiencies, but he'll never reach the value and impact of what Aaron Naughton is already displaying.

[mad saint guy]

Coffield's strength used to be his ability to cut angles, break the lines with his pace and deliver lace out. This year he has been more of a poor man's Sean Dempster - a third tall defender with average ball use and no run.

I'm hoping that this is a necessary development year for him where he focuses more on his defensive game to become more balanced. It also seems like he hasn't reached full fitness due at any point due to injuries. I still have him in my starting 18 for 2022. I also hope that the club isn't trying to make him bulk up too much - I really like his ability to play on gun small forwards and beat them in the air, but if he bulks up and loses mobility that won't be possible any more.

My preferred starting defensive 6 next year (unless we land a new CHB):

B: Paton, Howard, Wilkie
HB: Coffield, Battle, Sinclair

[skeptic]

Coffield's strength used to be his ability to cut angles, break the lines with his pace and deliver lace out. This year he has been more of a poor man's Sean Dempster - a third tall defender with average ball use and no run.

I also hope that the club isn't trying to make him bulk up too much - I really like his ability to play on gun small forwards and beat them in the air, but if he bulks up and loses mobility that won't be possible any more.

I think this is pbly pretty spot on and explains the changing fortunes

[Teflon]

He looks slow to me so don’t know where this speed talk is coming from ??

[shanegrambeau]

Coffield's strength used to be his ability to cut angles, break the lines with his pace and deliver lace out. This year he has been more of a poor man's Sean Dempster - a third tall defender with average ball use and no run.

I'm hoping that this is a necessary development year for him where he focuses more on his defensive game to become more balanced. It also seems like he hasn't reached full fitness due at any point due to injuries. I still have him in my starting 18 for 2022. I also hope that the club isn't trying to make him bulk up too much - I really like his ability to play on gun small forwards and beat them in the air, but if he bulks up and loses mobility that won't be possible any more.

My preferred starting defensive 6 next year (unless we land a new CHB):

B: Paton, Howard, Wilkie
HB: Coffield, Battle, Sinclair

It’s Friday so I’m gonna hype it….
I think Highmore is gonna be better …better than perhaps even Wilkie. He’ll be a starter in the 22, somewhere. He reminds me of a Wakelin.