Grant Thomas

[Shaggy]

OK saynta, you've your beliefs, I've got mine. You want to believe one's admissions then condemn them whilst believing the story of the other, good for you.

I'll believe a young player, at the time, prior to GT even taking the head coach role at St Kilda and "coaching" in Warnambool.

Libellous, slander, I'll back the people with no skin in the game. I'll also back self interest for what it's worth. P.S.: I've no interest.

When Rod Butterss went public about being a recovering alcoholic he said he’d ‘never seen cocaine before becoming an AFL president’.

In terms of GT he said: “My relationship with Thommo was laced with alcohol as well.
“I can’t talk for Thommo but I know I was giving it a fair old crack and I look at that with a degree of shame.”

Being “Best Mates” is not merely about knowing the good and bad about each other. It is about helping each other which becomes particularly hard when one becomes an addict. A true friend will do whatever they can do to try help his mate even if it puts the relationship at risk. GT lost his friendship, his job as a coach and a lawsuit for monies owed, as a result. Others at the Saints played lap dog to Rod during his addiction because he was Chairman.

Maybe you can learn from GT rather than being a sanctimonious twat.

[Ghost Like]

Whatever opinion you have about GT he is likely the of the most loyal Saints ever.
I was told back on those days by some people who were more than ITK...
He broke Barkers nose after finding TB in a very compromising position with GT,s then Fiancée on a bench press in St Kilda gym.
GT was given his marching orders and traded to North Melbourne (At the time if I recall ..he was state rep CHB and a very decent player ).
It was reported by the club that TB broke his nose in a cricket match .
GT was a very, very family guy with morals that would outstrip most people ...He told Butters on numerous occasions , he would tell Butters wife about the current affair he was having unless he stopped it.. Hence the fall out ... I never was told anything about the money loans ( but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen)
It would not surprise me in the slightest that GT May look to help out the club..

It is actually my opinion, not whatever my opinion because that makes your opinion the only one. Which It's not. Yours is the beautiful legacy GT would enjoy having. Mine's the not so beautiful. Only GT & those one degree separated truly know.

I believe he errs on the side of the not quite righteous, you believe he's righteous. Enjoy the cordial, I'll pass.

[Ghost Like]

OK saynta, you've your beliefs, I've got mine. You want to believe one's admissions then condemn them whilst believing the story of the other, good for you.

I'll believe a young player, at the time, prior to GT even taking the head coach role at St Kilda and "coaching" in Warnambool.

Libellous, slander, I'll back the people with no skin in the game. I'll also back self interest for what it's worth. P.S.: I've no interest.

When Rod Butterss went public about being a recovering alcoholic he said he’d ‘never seen cocaine before becoming an AFL president’.

In terms of GT he said: “My relationship with Thommo was laced with alcohol as well.
“I can’t talk for Thommo but I know I was giving it a fair old crack and I look at that with a degree of shame.”

Being “Best Mates” is not merely about knowing the good and bad about each other. It is about helping each other which becomes particularly hard when one becomes an addict. A true friend will do whatever they can do to try help his mate even if it puts the relationship at risk. GT lost his friendship, his job as a coach and a lawsuit for monies owed, as a result. Others at the Saints played lap dog to Rod during his addiction because he was Chairman.

Maybe you can learn from GT rather than being a sanctimonious twat.

Thanks for the lecture shaggy, now let's discuss the meaning of sanctimonious.

Played lapdog??? Who appointed him??? In fact, name any other club that would have made that appointment. It seems someone's addiction may have been taken advantage of but let's not think that shall we.

[bigcarl]

He just pocketed $118,000,000. Maybe he can bail his beloved Saints out of debt.

I heard he is buying us out and anointing himself president for life

[Teflon]

So Blighty pissed off Grant again shows he is smarter in the real world as well as Board Room?

Ross pissed off he need not have left Saints because of investment failures, could have just got GT to invest for him?
(Putting aside the trifling matter that Ross can't develop or rebuild).

Yes, but Ross does at least get you to a GF... I’ve never seen a team win one from prelim appearances only..
Grant????
He’s such an innovator ....that’s why he was sounded out to coach at “x” other AFL clubs????????
Oh that’s right.....
Guys a stude fish .....leeched off Butters and no doubt ducked his way into this relationship
And FFS he fell into a deal so now we should’ve kept him as coach when it was obvious he had no plan b game plan??
Still the sycophants keep clambering....muppets

[The OtherThommo]

And there are tools on this forum who think we were better off sacking him

We probably did Grant a huge personal favour. He's nurtured and developed several business ventures and made a windfall for himself and his family

He keeps displaying real life tangible evidence of creativity, innovation, business acumen and the ability to succeed...but yeah, nah let's sack him and sue him and screw everything we were building towards

Idiots

Working with a crew a lot younger than him too but success in one domain doesn't automatically translate into success in another, but still, that is a fair effort by our Grant. Our buddy.

Pav, my man. How ya bin?

At this point, I feel it necessary to mention the name (Prof) Michael Hudson, and suggest there is a massive difference b/w industrial and financial kapitalism.

Iddn't the (Western) world so much better off because of all that financial engineering and wizardry? Increases in industrial productivity cos o' Grant's master partnership with youngun's?

Sarweeeeeet FA. Personal gains, sure. Triffic.............who cares? It's a maaaaaaaaaaaaaarketing job. The product of the con, short, medium or long. It's boring. Great for Grant, meaningless generally.

Folks can keep celebrating the success of meaningless cons until the cows come home - won't save the country from a collapsing iron ore price.

If only we'd learned how to convert natural 'resources' into 'value added goods'.

Wealthiest people in the world (bar Musk, cos he actually makes stuff)? Say, Bezos? Oh, look, he flew into space! While people who work in his 'warehouses', shifting 'value added goods' Bezos plays no part in adding any of that value, have to p*** in bottles, lest they breach the 'terms' of their employment, for being 'insufficiently productive', as measured by the constant prying eyes of the employer's surveillance.

To wrap up, couldn't give a flying rat's clacker how many $millions Grant trousers cos o' 'financial engineering start ups'.

And, in case any cares, that's got FA to do with 'envy'. Just think it's a sign of the times in the Yank lickspittle Western world, and it ain't gonna finish up anywhere 'good'.

See Afghanistan. To quote Dr Norman Finkelstein;

"If you ever feel useless, remember, it took 20 years, trillions of dollars, and 4 Presidents, to replace the Taliban with the Taliban'.

Kinda like financial engineering. Sh*t just churns, and nothing happens.

Cya next year, Pav.

[Scollop]

Ross Lyon is the most unluckiest coach ever.

Unluckiest to have an average finals record. Unlucky to have lost in 2009 with a team who was capable of smashing teams in home and away but could only just scrape over the line in a prelim.

Oh well...that's what happens when you are 15-zip and then 16-zip (at 16 zip the next best team -Geelong- only had 14 wins) and you keep playing your best 22 as if it's the 80's or 90's style of game. Why thrash your engine when you are a lap in front with the finish line in sight?

'You don't want to flirt with form' is what we all grew up hearing in the 80's and 90's.... But in reality every player and every performance management professional knew that the modern game was changing. You had to rest your star players at some stage....2009 was a couple years before the mid-season byes were introduced

The problem perhaps is that when you make those changes so late and just before finals, by that stage some players are so cooked they can't recapture their mid year form

If only Ross wasn't a follower - If only he was an innovator and he worked out things a lot earlier in his career as senior coach...Ironic that in 2015 he rested up to 11 players in Round 23 (this was 1 year before the AFL introduced another rest round - the pre finals bye).

He did get close though...If only the rules were changed and they blew the siren at half time or 3 quarter time in the 2009 GF, Ross Lyon would be a premiership coach. Ross Lyon is so unlucky

Oh well...some people on this forum are pretty happy with McLellan cups I suppose

...muppets

[Vortex]

I know he's not well liked by the AFL and I think the feeling is mutual however would he make a good President, I reckon he could be our Tony Cochrane or Jeff Kennett.

A shrewd and corrupt business mind, with a panchant for the media spot light and a headline grabber.

[saynta]

OK saynta, you've your beliefs, I've got mine. You want to believe one's admissions then condemn them whilst believing the story of the other, good for you.

I'll believe a young player, at the time, prior to GT even taking the head coach role at St Kilda and "coaching" in Warnambool.

Libellous, slander, I'll back the people with no skin in the game. I'll also back self interest for what it's worth. P.S.: I've no interest.

When Rod Butterss went public about being a recovering alcoholic he said he’d ‘never seen cocaine before becoming an AFL president’.

In terms of GT he said: “My relationship with Thommo was laced with alcohol as well.
“I can’t talk for Thommo but I know I was giving it a fair old crack and I look at that with a degree of shame.”

Being “Best Mates” is not merely about knowing the good and bad about each other. It is about helping each other which becomes particularly hard when one becomes an addict. A true friend will do whatever they can do to try help his mate even if it puts the relationship at risk. GT lost his friendship, his job as a coach and a lawsuit for monies owed, as a result. Others at the Saints played lap dog to Rod during his addiction because he was Chairman.

Maybe you can learn from GT rather than being a sanctimonious twat.

Good post.

[Yorkeys]

Well GT never really got the chance recent premiership coaches have had, he fell in the era of off with their heads as the go to move.

Ross had two marvelous teams, clearly the best in the competition for several years, star studded. He could not get them over the line. Was outcoached when it mattered. Make what you will of that.

I notice the recent comparison with Alistair C - his attitude is honour your word, finish what you start. Don't see that in Ross; Freo were glad to see end of him. Clarkson is revered.

Fancy having as your claim to fame: I was given a couple of big fortunes and turned them into small ones, so unlucky. Ross the Jonah? Ross the Fraud?

Nice chat show he has going with Caroline, but. Coyly suggesting clubs are after him. Sure Ross.

[saynta]

Well GT never really got the chance recent premiership coaches have had, he fell in the era of off with their heads as the go to move.

Ross had two marvelous teams, clearly the best in the competition for several years, star studded. He could not get them over the line. Was outcoached when it mattered. Make what you will of that.

I notice the recent comparison with Alistair C - his attitude is honour your word, finish what you start. Don't see that in Ross; Freo were glad to see end of him. Clarkson is revered.

Fancy having as your claim to fame: I was given a couple of big fortunes and turned them into small ones, so unlucky. Ross the Jonah? Ross the Fraud?

Nice chat show he has going with Caroline, but. Coyly suggesting clubs are after him. Sure Ross.

Very perceptive post and oh so true.

[perfectionist]

Grant Thomas was a confidence giving coach, just what we needed in 2003. Had Aaron Hamill, our only natural defensive forward, played in either of the two PFs we lost, we would have had one or two more flags. Ross Lyon instilled a defensive ethic into the whole team. Geelong was a super team at the time, beating them with a less skilled team required strategy. Ross didn't injure Nick at training, cause players to miss from 5 metres or signal a goal when it hit the post. Both coaches were more than capable. Give either of them a full list to choose from (like almost all premiers from 2000 till now), then we would have had flags. Even last year we were a real chance to beat Richmond right up until the last minute of our semi against the Bulldogs.

[saynta]

Grant Thomas was a confidence giving coach, just what we needed in 2003. Had Aaron Hamill, our only natural defensive forward, played in either of the two PFs we lost, we would have had one or two more flags. Ross Lyon instilled a defensive ethic into the whole team. Geelong was a super team at the time, beating them with a less skilled team required strategy. Ross didn't injure Nick at training, cause players to miss from 5 metres or signal a goal when it hit the post. Both coaches were more than capable. Give either of them a full list to choose from (like almost all premiers from 2000 till now), then we would have had flags. Even last year we were a real chance to beat Richmond right up until the last minute of our semi against the Bulldogs.

So true. Losing Paddy was a killer.

[B.M]

More questionable than either Thommo or Ross were the recruiting decisions

Just 1 different decision in 2001 or 2006 or 2014
Judd.
Frawley or Reiwoldt
Petracca

And then whole 2009 off season debarcle!!!

Finally
A bit of courage on Ben Cousins?

Just ONE of those decisions different may have seen a premiership in 2004/5, 2009/10, 2020

[cwrcyn]

Matt Rendell said that sacking Grant Thomas cost St Kilda 3 premierships. I'm inclined to agree with him.

[saynta]

Matt Rendell said that sacking Grant Thomas cost St Kilda 3 premierships. I'm inclined to agree with him.

Me too. and for the record, Rendell was closer to the action than any of us and knew far more.

[B.M]

A massive reason why I’m glad Ross took over as coach though.

He was going to delist Milne in 2007

Milne played another 150+ games, kicked 350+ goals was a dual AA.

He became a StK great and will be a hall of famer

We would have spewed about that decision

[saynta]

A massive reason why I’m glad Ross took over as coach though.

He was going to delist Milne in 2007

Milne played another 150+ games, kicked 350+ goals was a dual AA.

He became a StK great and will be a hall of famer

We would have spewed about that decision

Yep. Forgot about that.

[Freebird]

Lyon squeezed all the energy out of the group never developed any new players for future and was always going to depart enhancing his own glory but leaving saints underdeveloped with years of misery.
Lyon was all about lyon not st kilda....prick of a person

[Teflon]

Matt Rendell said that sacking Grant Thomas cost St Kilda 3 premierships. I'm inclined to agree with him.

Me too. and for the record, Rendell was closer to the action than any of us and knew far more.

Absolute rubbish
I have spoken DIRECTLY to one of “GTs” previous assistants (who Lyon sacked btw)
His words ring in my ears “Grant Thomas farked your club”
You can ignore ...suggest I made it up cause it does t suit your agenda but this person was there in the box with Thomas during those years
Oh by the way ....he didn’t like Ross Lyon but said he’s the most meticulous coach re game day and planning he’s ever seen....strategy wise none were better and that’s why Lyon changed the way the game was played in 09 and why Malthouse and Pies copied him a year later
As Riewoldt recently said on Fox.....if Carlton get Lyon ....knowing they leak goals on transition..,,they won’t even be starts
Smart play by Lyon too .....Carlton have a talented list ...
BTW GT is never even mentioned (except here by his disciples) for his coaching prowess

[Teflon]

Well GT never really got the chance recent premiership coaches have had, he fell in the era of off with their heads as the go to move.

Ross had two marvelous teams, clearly the best in the competition for several years, star studded. He could not get them over the line. Was outcoached when it mattered. Make what you will of that.

I notice the recent comparison with Alistair C - his attitude is honour your word, finish what you start. Don't see that in Ross; Freo were glad to see end of him. Clarkson is revered.

Fancy having as your claim to fame: I was given a couple of big fortunes and turned them into small ones, so unlucky. Ross the Jonah? Ross the Fraud?

Nice chat show he has going with Caroline, but. Coyly suggesting clubs are after him. Sure Ross.

More dross
Stopped reading after “GT never had the chance...” utter rubbish
Dictator GT took over by stealth off the back of coaching Warnambool FFS and manipulated a weak president to do it
He had the best mix of youth and talent by far
Had Lyon coached us in 04/05 I reckon we win a flag
I KNOW hed at least got us in there ....again something GT failed to do FACT

[saynta]

Well GT never really got the chance recent premiership coaches have had, he fell in the era of off with their heads as the go to move.

Ross had two marvelous teams, clearly the best in the competition for several years, star studded. He could not get them over the line. Was outcoached when it mattered. Make what you will of that.

I notice the recent comparison with Alistair C - his attitude is honour your word, finish what you start. Don't see that in Ross; Freo were glad to see end of him. Clarkson is revered.

Fancy having as your claim to fame: I was given a couple of big fortunes and turned them into small ones, so unlucky. Ross the Jonah? Ross the Fraud?

Nice chat show he has going with Caroline, but. Coyly suggesting clubs are after him. Sure Ross.

More dross
Stopped reading after “GT never had the chance...” utter rubbish
Dictator GT took over by stealth off the back of coaching Warnambool FFS and manipulated a weak president to do it
He had the best mix of youth and talent by far
Had Lyon coached us in 04/05 I reckon we win a flag
I KNOW hed at least got us in there ....again something GT failed to do FACT

Yeah, got us there with a team that couldn't lose yet the tosser managed to lose two and draw one. f****** dishonest lying flog. Go ask Ball and Max what they think of the turd.

[markp]

[SaintPav]

And there are tools on this forum who think we were better off sacking him

We probably did Grant a huge personal favour. He's nurtured and developed several business ventures and made a windfall for himself and his family

He keeps displaying real life tangible evidence of creativity, innovation, business acumen and the ability to succeed...but yeah, nah let's sack him and sue him and screw everything we were building towards

Idiots

Working with a crew a lot younger than him too but success in one domain doesn't automatically translate into success in another, but still, that is a fair effort by our Grant. Our buddy.

Pav, my man. How ya bin?

At this point, I feel it necessary to mention the name (Prof) Michael Hudson, and suggest there is a massive difference b/w industrial and financial kapitalism.

Iddn't the (Western) world so much better off because of all that financial engineering and wizardry? Increases in industrial productivity cos o' Grant's master partnership with youngun's?

Sarweeeeeet FA. Personal gains, sure. Triffic.............who cares? It's a maaaaaaaaaaaaaarketing job. The product of the con, short, medium or long. It's boring. Great for Grant, meaningless generally.

Folks can keep celebrating the success of meaningless cons until the cows come home - won't save the country from a collapsing iron ore price.

If only we'd learned how to convert natural 'resources' into 'value added goods'.

Wealthiest people in the world (bar Musk, cos he actually makes stuff)? Say, Bezos? Oh, look, he flew into space! While people who work in his 'warehouses', shifting 'value added goods' Bezos plays no part in adding any of that value, have to p*** in bottles, lest they breach the 'terms' of their employment, for being 'insufficiently productive', as measured by the constant prying eyes of the employer's surveillance.

To wrap up, couldn't give a flying rat's clacker how many $millions Grant trousers cos o' 'financial engineering start ups'.

And, in case any cares, that's got FA to do with 'envy'. Just think it's a sign of the times in the Yank lickspittle Western world, and it ain't gonna finish up anywhere 'good'.

See Afghanistan. To quote Dr Norman Finkelstein;

"If you ever feel useless, remember, it took 20 years, trillions of dollars, and 4 Presidents, to replace the Taliban with the Taliban'.

Kinda like financial engineering. Sh*t just churns, and nothing happens.

Cya next year, Pav.

Hiya T, I'm all for innovation and decentralised finance that steals market share from the entrenched oligopoly. Pity the venture has now been completely taken over by the 5th biggest bank; it kinda defeats the spirit of the thing.

Paraphrasing Hudson, the parasite killing the host is a feature and not a bug of the system.

I'm pretty sure Thomo isn't getting the full $116 million as has been implied on here. The ATO will probably want to cut his lunch as well.

PS. I love the Putin quote.

[perfectionist]

We lost to Adelaide in the last game and were killed in the last quarter which has now been explained. We were going to finish third no matter what.

Nick's description of Ross is not dissimilar to that I've heard of Allan Jeans.