Training today

[B.M]

1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 43, 44, 45, 47

Rehab
3, 15, 18, 30, 36, 39, 40

Not training
6, 12, 17, 28, 41, 42

Line up looks like this R1 imo from training

Wilkie - Howard - Webster
Wanganeen - Battle - Sinclair - Stocker (b)

Marshall - Steele - Crouch - Clark (b)
Wood - Windhager* - Hill - Paton (b)

Gresham - Cordy - Phillipou
Butler - (Camaniti/Sharman) - Owens - Higgins (b)

Sub
Bytel


Some worrying news
A friend of Silvagni asked him how they will go this season
He said no good, and that the list is crap and Ross knows they are going to be s*** and he’s already put a line through those he doesn’t rate.
It is here say, but I’d be ropable with Silvagni if he’s communicating stuff to outsiders- even if true!

[Banger9798]

Pretty negative hearsay for a list that won 11 last year and no major losses from the list in off season.
If true, they must be edging towards a rebuild.

[Impatient Sainter]

Rehab
#3 Jones
# 15 Billings
#18 Hayes
#30 Allison
#36 McKenzie
#39 Hotton
#40 Keeler

Not training
#6 Ross
#12 King
#17 Windhager
#28 Membrey
#41 McLennan
#42 Heath

So basically 7 of our starting 22 on the side lines at the start of the season! It is not a great start but hopefully the others that get the opportunity stand up. I would like to see them give Caminiti a shot over Sharman, I think he offers more as a key forward. Sharman is more a tall flanker and is competing with Owens, Phillipou IMO.

As far as what Silvagni has said, Nathan Buckley has basically said the same thing on radio. Via SEN Radio Buckley said he has been having coffee catch ups with RTB. Buckley basically inferred that he thought the list was a bottom 4 side and also stated that the list is 3 or 4 years away from being complete, (whether that came from Ross) wasnt clarified.

[Vortex]

I'm also hearing snippets of what Ross's views are with regards to the list but really I haven't been surprised because I jumped on board last year with regards to where our list is at. It hurts less that way.

I wouldn't be so concerned about SOS leaking "snippets" because these leaks don't happen by accident in AFL circles and really Bassett set the scene with his press comment "we may need to go backwards"

The thing I remain concerned about is the magic trick we will need to discover to improve our list to be a contender. We've been to this well so many times and the bloody thing has always been dry.

[cwrcyn]

Those aged 27 and under that will likely still be around in 4 years are:

Coffield Howard Wilkie
Sinclair Battle Wanganeen-Milera
Phillipou Owens Clark
Gresham Caminiti Hotton
Higgins King Keeler

Marshall Windhager Steele

Adams Van Es Paton Heath.

Based on that list we need midfielders, midfielders, midfielders

If we don't unearth at least three more quality mids with leg speed in the next two drafts we will remain non contenders

[saynta]

1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 43, 44, 45, 47

Rehab
3, 15, 18, 30, 36, 39, 40

Not training
6, 12, 17, 28, 41, 42

Line up looks like this R1 imo from training

Wilkie - Howard - Webster
Wanganeen - Battle - Sinclair - Stocker (b)

Marshall - Steele - Crouch - Clark (b)
Wood - Windhager* - Hill - Paton (b)

Gresham - Cordy - Phillipou
Butler - (Camaniti/Sharman) - Owens - Higgins (b)

Sub
Bytel


Some worrying news
A friend of Silvagni asked him how they will go this season
He said no good, and that the list is crap and Ross knows they are going to be s*** and he’s already put a line through those he doesn’t rate.
It is here say, but I’d be ropable with Silvagni if he’s communicating stuff to outsiders- even if true!

I would call bulls*** on that. I don't for a moment think that SOS would be silly enough to sprout that kind of negative s*** to some loud mouthed nobody.

And if true he should be immediately sacked.

I am no Ross fanboy but even I wouldn't think the coach would be stupid enough to put a line through anyone on the list before we had even played one match for points.

[B.M]

People do and say stupid things!

Wouldn’t surprise me

At all

[saynta]

People do and say stupid things!

Wouldn’t surprise me

At all

Maybe SOS is just trying to lengthening our betting odds.

[CQ SAINT]

St.Kilda receiving media endorsements and sinking ships with loose lips sounds about right for 2023. They've already started piecing together, the 4 part Netflix special. The rebuild already began. We will improve this season but the only way we will win 11 games this year is in the first half of the season.

[bobmurray]

Our playing list always has gaps, sometimes major ones. Good luck to the club in successfully remedying that issue before RTB retires.

[Moods]

How bad must the bombers be going then? They made finals two years ago with some supposedly great young kids, ie Jones, Parish, Cox, and a couple of others. They still have essentially the same list and we made them look 2nd rate…..

[Devilhead]

Whether it is true or not there is no doubting that Silvagni has a large healthy ego that needs feeding

His messy departure from his beloved Bluescum would have left a large bruise and it could be that this is his last chance to prove his worth

By denigrating the current list he has nothing to lose as if we do taste some success in the next few years he will be the first to put up his hand taking credit as list manager

He was pretty active during trade week in his time at the Brownbaggers so don't be surprised if he tries to force change on his terms ...... his ego likely needs redeeming

[Sanctorum]

I give no credence whatsoever to the unsourced scuttlebut purportredly quoting Silvagni and Lyon. At this time of the year there is always a lot of rubbish being reported about clubs that are not in contention, and we are all too familiar with so called experts kicking teams in the guts when they're down.

The predictions for 2023 about St Kilda in the media are understandably not high, some of this is no doubt based on serious injuries to a few good players for the first half dozen rounds, but when these players become available things will be quite different.

I remain cautiously optimistic that St Kilda will give a bottom 8 finals spot a real shake because after winning 11 games in 2022 it won't take much to jag another 2 to have 13 and play finals.

Overall, with the exciting 3 debutants entering their 2nd year, young Phillipou a dead set star in the making, Hunter Clark fully recovered, plus a far more experienced coaching panel of strong individuals who are very proud St Kilda people, I firmly believe that the team will be fully motivated to do really well.

The current list most certainly has shortcomings, but I can't believe Ross Lyon would ever treat this year as 'experimental' in order to 'separate the wheat from the chaff' and develop a strategy to rebuild. Nor would the current players be at all happy about such an attitude from the club or the coach - they want to win every single time they put their boots on. Furthermore, imagine how the good young future guns would feel if they thought the team is only going to go through the motions, it's just not on!!

[meher baba]

Put it about at this stage of the season that you think the list is poor.

If the club has a crap season, nobody will blame you. If it does well you’re a genius.

The old adage goes “under promise and over deliver.”

Our list is middle of the table or better if we can get enough of it on the field. We won’t for the first few rounds and will struggle. After that, if there aren’t more injuries to key players we might start to see something.

We saw more than a bit last Friday. I reckon we have enough strength in the backline and midfield to hold most opponents to a beatable score. But at this stage we’ll struggle to kick a winning score.

[B.M]

Is it a rubbish rumour because it’s not what we want to hear?

Me personally

I think we have a serviceable backline, a workman like midfield and an ok forward line (with King) but he’s a massive out.

I have us 9-12

But with a bad run with injuries that could be 13th-16th

[Otiman]

Rehab
3, 15, 18, 30, 36, 39, 40

I'm so bad at player numbers, I'm thinking "3... who's 3?... X Clarke is the player that comes to mind".

[loris]

Rehab
3, 15, 18, 30, 36, 39, 40

I'm so bad at player numbers, I'm thinking "3... who's 3?... X Clarke is the player that comes to mind".

Nathan Burke or Rossy Smith come to mind for me

[Scollop]

I am no Ross fanboy but even I wouldn't think the coach would be stupid enough to put a line through anyone on the list before we had even played one match for points.

Ross has a tendency to say 'them' and 'they' when referring to our players which indicates to me that he's not going to be accepting responsibility for bad losses

It'll be interesting to listen to his language when the team isn't going too well

It's always refreshing to hear a coach who refers to his players as 'us' and 'we'. Last year Craig McRae regularly praised his assistants, and his senior players when they won, and consistently blamed himself when they lost.

I think it balances the blow torch and the stress throughout the football department and takes a lot of pressure off the players

Last year you always felt that Craig McRae understood how important it was to be positive regarding his playing list. His positivity paid off.

With the leaking of audio from the coaches box in the Essendon game, it confirms my suspicions that Ross is more interested in taking the pressure off himself

[samoht]

With the leaking of audio from the coaches box in the Essendon game, it confirms my suspicions that Roos is more interested in taking the pressure off himself

Even without the audio, how often have we seen Ross with his head thrown back in annoyance while sporting a wry and contemptuous smile and with his shoulders raised in disbelief, shrugging off and laughing at a mistake made by one of his players and mouthing off his frustrations.
That sort of peevishness would not sit well with the players.

[saynta]

Whether it is true or not there is no doubting that Silvagni has a large healthy ego that needs feeding

His messy departure from his beloved Bluescum would have left a large bruise and it could be that this is his last chance to prove his worth

By denigrating the current list he has nothing to lose as if we do taste some success in the next few years he will be the first to put up his hand taking credit as list manager

He was pretty active during trade week in his time at the Brownbaggers so don't be surprised if he tries to force change on his terms ...... his ego likely needs redeeming

Interesting views .

[wally]

I thought last year on footy clas Ross was quite positive when doing our end of year review.
Then he became our new coach.
He would have I’m sure put a pencil through some players before he came on board and probably some more now he knows them better.

[saynta]

I thought last year on footy clas Ross was quite positive when doing our end of year review.
Then he became our new coach.
He would have I’m sure put a pencil through some players before he came on board and probably some more now he knows them better.

I stopped watching that s*** show. Couldn't stand Caro or that Cornes d**khead and I was bored stiff by RTB's in depth games forecasts/reviews.

[Vortex]

it confirms my suspicions that Ross is more interested in taking the pressure off himself

nah, totally not his style.

[st sandy]

Talking about rumour & "what he said"
I work next door to a guy who has know RTB for many years & does talk often - no reason not to believe him
Confirming that RTB is confident for the Freo match & believes "Freo are getting ahead of themselves"

i am happy to support this rumour.

[Zed]

Is it a rubbish rumour because it’s not what we want to hear?

Me personally

I think we have a serviceable backline, a workman like midfield and an ok forward line (with King) but he’s a massive out.

I have us 9-12

But with a bad run with injuries that could be 13th-16th

Unfortunately I think you are correct - I have us 11th , and that’s based on our injury list not getting any worse.

Also agree with your assessment on backs, forward and mids.
I’d also suggest that the backs and mids are playing close to their ceilings.
The forwards on the other hand have a bit more upside but have never looked like all firing at the same time. Imagine if King kicks straight , Higgins kicks straight, Membrey chips in with his 2-3 , Gresham weaves his magic , Jack Hayes plays his role , and Dan Butler is on. Then you have the unknown upside of Phillipou and Owens who both seem to know how to snag a couple of goals, and we are easily into 100+ points a game.

Also re the SoS rumour, regardless whether it’s true or not - looks to me that Sharman already has a line through his name.