Wake up...It's St Kilda taking back our club...

[Finna]

One thing that has become obvious to me during the last week is that Ross Lyon is a St Kilda man, made clear by the way the 09-10 players are reacting to and supporting the move to hire him as coach. You can see that that they love and respect him and together believe they can restore our club to its rightful place...Contending for and (hopefully) winning flags. Lenny, Blake and now Ross are back and the boys are coming out of the woodwork in the press...

I was pissed at him in 2011 when everything went down and wanted him to fail at Fremantle however i later came realise that there are always 2 sides to every story. At the time it felt like he was betraying me personally but the reality is that it had nothing to do with me and it wasn't about me or the players and other coaches. The terrible leaders of our club during that time were at least 50% responsible (probably more) for what went down and the fact the players still speak of him in such high regard suggests they don't feel like he betrayed them. It also suggests that there was definitely more to the story than i wanted to believe and now i can only imagine what that group could have achieved with Bassett and Co running the shows instead of the idiots in control. Regardless of my thoughts on the infamous (non) use of Luke Ball and Max in the 09 GF the fact will always remain that they betrayed our club the following year handing our ass on a platter to the filth. They are not St Kilda.

Ratten (a great guy, i knew him for many years before he started coaching) is not a St Kilda man, Richo and Watters never were and never will be St Kilda men but Ross is a St Kilda man, Lenny is a St Kilda man, Milney is, Rooey is, Kosi is, Joey, Dal.... Ross was the leader of the best team i have seen in our colours in our lifetime. We were feared and hated by opposing clubs...It was awesome and I absolutely loved going to the footy. That group, including Ross, deserved a flag (or two) and I just sense that they know this and they are coming back to deal with their unfinished business. I remember...we were always going to be better than the cats yet here we are and they are thriving year on year.

Ross is already pushing back against the 'negative press', drawing a line in the sand and standing up for the club. I love that he doesn't care what the media nannas have to say and it will be refreshing to have a man stand up publicly and defend our club. I get the sense that he and the 09-10 group are pissed at what we have become as a club and wants to take us back to being relevant on field. I often wondered why Rooey and others were potting the club in the media...Now i see that it is because they could see how the non St Kilda people of the past decade screwed us back down into irrelevance territory. The fact that he has the support of our most successful group of players in 60 years is all i need to know to be sure he is the right man to coach our team.

The reason we are getting hammered in the media and on bigfooty is because non St Kilda people want us to fail, when we have success we are a force to be reckoned with and it doesn't suit the status quo of the powerful clubs and their supporters if St Kilda is successful. f*** them I say and the fact that they are all lining up to tear us down shows we are doing exactly what we need to be doing. We have a large loyal supporter base that craves success and i feel like Bassett and his crew are building a great club that will bleed red, white and black (or your out) and be a force to be reckoned with long term.

Maybe Ross is past it and cant coach anymore...blah, blah, blah...i know that Ross is smart, direct and a great leader...if he has lost his tactical nous then it might be a fail however it was clear we were going nowhere with Ratts...As for other options...Yze is unknown, Pike meh, Cameron meh and there is no St Kilda in them...Ross is by far the best available known quantity, i believe he loves the club, Lenny will be working with him and our best players of recent time are talking us up again...I'd rather fail trying this than risk going down the same old road with Ratt, Yze, Cameron or (insert other name here)...

BTW I think we have a good list and with some quality coaching and a few more elite players (which could come from within) we can easily shoot up the ladder within a year or two...

GO SAINTS!!

*Disclaimer...if for some reason Ross doesn't get the job please label this rant the writings of a deluded man...

[st.byron]

Great post. Well said.

[sendmehomehappy]

That is a really excellent post, Finna. Well said.

We all hold most players, from our most successful recent era, in high regard, and they in turn respect and love Ross. These guys got us so close... they know more about Ross than any of us. They can't all be wrong.

I had said some extremely harsh words about Andrew Bassat around the time Ratts was re-signed too early mid-season.
Well, the prez has forced me to eat my words. He is transforming the club. in the right direction at long last.

Almost unbelievable changes have happened in a mere inkling. I'm still pinching myself.

Lenny coming back in is great, but after a truly meh trade period (following that s*** second half of the season), I was still feeling very despondent. And not looking forward to next season

Not anymore.

The list is still a work in progress, but with Rosco on board, and who knows what other personnel surprises we have in store, the sky really is the limit for our beloved club.

Can't wait for the next bounce.

[Teflon]

Good post great thread

[Rubyjo]

Every thing is the truth and spot on ...we are in a fight now sainters..Ross is the man and he is a Saint .you never forget your first. Who else would fight for us ...it's GT or Ross ..Ross is the logical way ..with Lenny which makes it Ross times 10

[1971]

Great post. With the changes at the club and Lyon I feel upbeat for a change.

[saintsRrising]

Well said by the OP.

Exciting times are upon us. You can just feel the momentum building.

[Jacks Back]

99% of the time all coaches get the sack (particularly at St Kilda) but, with Ross Lyon, there may be that 1% chance that he will take us to the Promised Land. I bloody hope so anyway.

[Finna]

Its the most exciting time at the club since Ross left.... I'm looking forward to seeing which players go to the next level and which boys just aren't up to it and move on... Its about St Kilda now. Time to claim our place at the top!

[Finna]

Every thing is the truth and spot on ...we are in a fight now sainters..Ross is the man and he is a Saint .you never forget your first. Who else would fight for us ...it's GT or Ross ..Ross is the logical way ..with Lenny which makes it Ross times 10

Exactly, its clear who will fight for the club and now is the time to fight.

[SaintPav]

Argumentum ad messias (maybe).

[Impatient Sainter]

A great post Finna!

Belief is a huge thing in footy and having RTB and Lenny back at the club will inspire the entire club to levels they havent experienced in years. Exciting times ahead!

[Saints58]

One thing that has become obvious to me during the last week is that Ross Lyon is a St Kilda man, made clear by the way the 09-10 players are reacting to and supporting the move to hire him as coach. You can see that that they love and respect him and together believe they can restore our club to its rightful place...Contending for and (hopefully) winning flags. Lenny, Blake and now Ross are back and the boys are coming out of the woodwork in the press...

I was pissed at him in 2011 when everything went down and wanted him to fail at Fremantle however i later came realise that there are always 2 sides to every story. At the time it felt like he was betraying me personally but the reality is that it had nothing to do with me and it wasn't about me or the players and other coaches. The terrible leaders of our club during that time were at least 50% responsible (probably more) for what went down and the fact the players still speak of him in such high regard suggests they don't feel like he betrayed them. It also suggests that there was definitely more to the story than i wanted to believe and now i can only imagine what that group could have achieved with Bassett and Co running the shows instead of the idiots in control. Regardless of my thoughts on the infamous (non) use of Luke Ball and Max in the 09 GF the fact will always remain that they betrayed our club the following year handing our ass on a platter to the filth. They are not St Kilda.

Ratten (a great guy, i knew him for many years before he started coaching) is not a St Kilda man, Richo and Watters never were and never will be St Kilda men but Ross is a St Kilda man, Lenny is a St Kilda man, Milney is, Rooey is, Kosi is, Joey, Dal.... Ross was the leader of the best team i have seen in our colours in our lifetime. We were feared and hated by opposing clubs...It was awesome and I absolutely loved going to the footy. That group, including Ross, deserved a flag (or two) and I just sense that they know this and they are coming back to deal with their unfinished business. I remember...we were always going to be better than the cats yet here we are and they are thriving year on year.

Ross is already pushing back against the 'negative press', drawing a line in the sand and standing up for the club. I love that he doesn't care what the media nannas have to say and it will be refreshing to have a man stand up publicly and defend our club. I get the sense that he and the 09-10 group are pissed at what we have become as a club and wants to take us back to being relevant on field. I often wondered why Rooey and others were potting the club in the media...Now i see that it is because they could see how the non St Kilda people of the past decade screwed us back down into irrelevance territory. The fact that he has the support of our most successful group of players in 60 years is all i need to know to be sure he is the right man to coach our team.

The reason we are getting hammered in the media and on bigfooty is because non St Kilda people want us to fail, when we have success we are a force to be reckoned with and it doesn't suit the status quo of the powerful clubs and their supporters if St Kilda is successful. f*** them I say and the fact that they are all lining up to tear us down shows we are doing exactly what we need to be doing. We have a large loyal supporter base that craves success and i feel like Bassett and his crew are building a great club that will bleed red, white and black (or your out) and be a force to be reckoned with long term.

Maybe Ross is past it and cant coach anymore...blah, blah, blah...i know that Ross is smart, direct and a great leader...if he has lost his tactical nous then it might be a fail however it was clear we were going nowhere with Ratts...As for other options...Yze is unknown, Pike meh, Cameron meh and there is no St Kilda in them...Ross is by far the best available known quantity, i believe he loves the club, Lenny will be working with him and our best players of recent time are talking us up again...I'd rather fail trying this than risk going down the same old road with Ratt, Yze, Cameron or (insert other name here)...

BTW I think we have a good list and with some quality coaching and a few more elite players (which could come from within) we can easily shoot up the ladder within a year or two...

GO SAINTS!!

*Disclaimer...if for some reason Ross doesn't get the job please label this rant the writings of a deluded man...

Great post I get sick and tired of the Saints bashers in the media so stick it up em.Go SAINTERS

[Zed]

A great post Finna!

Belief is a huge thing in footy and having RTB and Lenny back at the club will inspire the entire club to levels they havent experienced in years. Exciting times ahead!

Belief makes such a difference
The biggest beneficiary imho if his body holds up may well be Jack Billings - a player that has looked like has always doubted himself
Also Coffield Hill and King to take their games up a notch.

[cwrcyn]

2022 season

Billings (8 games this year)
Hayes (5 games)
Coffield (zero games)
McKenzie (12 games)
Bytel (zero games)
Clark (8 games)
Jones (13 games)
Owens (7 games)
Sharman (10 games)
Highmore (zero games)
Connolly (zero games)

All these guys are an interesting story. With a full season of football they can help us improve. Of those who were on the outer with Ratten, it's a chance to impress the new coach.

[Teflon]

2022 season

Billings (8 games this year)
Hayes (5 games)
Coffield (zero games)
McKenzie (12 games)
Bytel (zero games)
Clark (8 games)
Jones (13 games)
Owens (7 games)
Sharman (10 games)
Highmore (zero games)
Connolly (zero games)

All these guys are an interesting story. With a full season of football they can help us improve. Of those who were on the outer with Ratten, it's a chance to impress the new coach.

Yep that’s the list I’m interested to see what Lyon does with
Can see some really elevating their game
Lyon will love Owens….he just goes
Shame he didn’t have Long ….think he’d have made him as a tough, uncompromising player

[Templar]

2022 season

Billings (8 games this year)
Hayes (5 games)
Coffield (zero games)
McKenzie (12 games)
Bytel (zero games)
Clark (8 games)
Jones (13 games)
Owens (7 games)
Sharman (10 games)
Highmore (zero games)
Connolly (zero games)

All these guys are an interesting story. With a full season of football they can help us improve. Of those who were on the outer with Ratten, it's a chance to impress the new coach.

Thought we did see Highmore this year. Maybe med sub? Played in defence. Very fast hands and reaction time. A few clangers early but then settled in. He looked promising to me. I do have a shocking memory so happy to be corrected.

[WellardSaint]

Ross being in the media, has probably gotten fed up with the negative stuff from all the journos.
He woulda laughed at the comments in the first half of the season when some folk were pumping up our tyres, cos he knew it would turn if we started losing.
And it happened.
He must've gotten mad at media.
That might've been the thing that got him thinking 'there needs to be something done at the club to turn it around'.

Footy Classified, he would've had convo with Maguire, Craig Hutchinson, Barrett etc.
He wouldn't take rubbish from them

[Jacks Back]

2022 season

Billings (8 games this year)
Hayes (5 games)
Coffield (zero games)
McKenzie (12 games)
Bytel (zero games)
Clark (8 games)
Jones (13 games)
Owens (7 games)
Sharman (10 games)
Highmore (zero games)
Connolly (zero games)

All these guys are an interesting story. With a full season of football they can help us improve. Of those who were on the outer with Ratten, it's a chance to impress the new coach.

Thought we did see Highmore this year. Maybe med sub? Played in defence. Very fast hands and reaction time. A few clangers early but then settled in. He looked promising to me. I do have a shocking memory so happy to be corrected.

3 matches this year averaging 14.3 disposals

Thomas Highmore Career
Season	Num	MT	Team	K	Avg	H	Avg	D	Avg	M	Avg	HO	Avg	T	Avg	FF	FA	G	Avg	B	SC	Rat	Avg
2022	34	3	St Kilda	26	8.7	17	5.7	43	14.3	17	5.7	0	0	3	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	173	57.7
2021	34	13	St Kilda	97	7.5	75	5.8	172	13.2	66	5.1	0	0	31	2.4	10	13	0	0	0	0	734	56.5
Totals	 	16	 	123	7.7	92	5.8	215	13.4	83	5.2	0	0	34	2.1	11	14	0	0	0	0	907	56.7