Fans biggest misses

[skeptic]

I was a huge Alan Murray fan… really thought it was only a matter of time before a player with that grab that was playing key forward at Casey, would make it as mid-forward on the main list

Brett Knowles in 01 was looking like a brilliant recruit for a while.

Justin Plapp and Craig Callaghan were early promising recruits derailed by injury…
And whilst he went on to have a respectable career, Raph Clark was never quite the silky, smooth gun I thought he was going to be when recruited.

In terms of the other direction…. I really didn’t get the Owens hype at the start of the year. Was never entirely sold on McEvoy whilst he was with us either.

RTB was previously lumped in the overrated category and that’s up for review at the moment.

[StPeter]

I was quite a fan of both Terry Milera and Ahmed Saad who came to us via a trade with GWS.

I was disappointed neither had long careers with us. However I guess we have been compensated somewhat in drafting NWM, Milera's Step-Son who has a long career ahead of him with the Saints.

[Cordz2]

Retro round around the corner thought I would put out to everyone to see who is willing to admit which players they got terribly wrong at the start either rated and weren't as good or didn't rate and were good.

For me didn't rate and ended up good:
Shannahan - watched first couple reserves and senior games and thought another wasted recruit. Got that one very wrong

Rated but didn't live up to it:
Damien Kitschki - good size, moved well and had 1 really good game at Windy Hill (only time i ever went there) and that was it
Dan Healy - Modern Blake Acres, Tall, smooth moving winger who was a beautiful kick. Kicked 6(?) v WC from a flank but again that was it and got shipped off to Carlton ( when they were terrible).

My ex missus was pretty big. Even bigger now.

[Cordz2]

But seriously folks,
I thought Phil Narkle was going to be a champ.
I thought Lappin would be broken in half in his first 20 games.
I thought Tim Elliot would revolutionise the ruckman role.
Barry Hall would end up a sad story like Rocket Owen.
Like most small forwards Milny wouldn’t last.
Kozzie would be an AFL great.
Sam Fisher was a spud.(in2006)

[SaintPav]

Too many to name.

Potential champs:

Greg Packham
Simon Meehan
Geoff Fidler
(I was only a kid)

Milan Faletic
Darryl Hewitt
Greg McAdam
Simon O’Donnell
Robert Mace
Silvio Foshini (notwithstanding shoulder problems he had with both shoulders which forced his retirement, was the most skilled player on the list along with Barks and ahead of his time. It would have been great to see him play in the early 90s).
Caydn Beetham
Blake Acres
Dougal Howard


Predicted duds:
Jason Blake
Sam Fisher
Jason Gram

[amusingname]

I was pretty certain that Brett Knowles was going to take over from Harvs as our elite midfielder and win a brownlow at some point.

I also thought that G-Train was a poor recruit and then, thought he should stay in the backline and was not happy he was moved to full forward.

[Banger9798]

Daniel Wulf - I thought he had AFL quality....maybe I was seduced by yhe name.

I was right about Sincs....right from the first time I saw him I liked the cut of his jib

[Banger9798]

Daniel Wulf - I thought he had AFL quality....maybe I was seduced by the name.

I was right about Sincs....right from the first time I saw him I liked the cut of his jib

[CQ SAINT]

Brandon White

[George27]

I thought Stewart Loewe was going to be a dud. The under 19s played a curtain raiser at the G to a Friday night game against North in the mid 80s. We had two key forwards- Stewie and a bloke whose name I think was Chris Hams.

I thought Hams was going to make it and Stewie was not.

I saw Craig Devonport kick 11 goals in a reserves game in Sydney at age 17 and thought he was the new George Young.

In Lenny Hayes’s first season I thought he got caught with the ball too much and was going to struggle.

John Peter-Budge was going to be a star.

[SaintPav]

I thought Stewart Loewe was going to be a dud. The under 19s played a curtain raiser at the G to a Friday night game against North in the mid 80s. We had two key forwards- Stewie and a bloke whose name I think was Chris Hams.

I thought Hams was going to make it and Stewie was not.

I saw Craig Devonport kick 11 goals in a reserves game in Sydney at age 17 and thought he was the new George Young.

In Lenny Hayes’s first season I thought he got caught with the ball too much and was going to struggle.

John Peter-Budge was going to be a star.

Nice.

[SaintPav]

Damen Shaw!

[Ghost Like]

I will admit to thinking Sinclair would become nothing more than a good ordinary player.
I also thought Glen Coghlan and Daniel Healy were going to be stars of the game.

I think everyone is in the same boat with sincs
He Improved incredibly quickly

Not me or Champion data.

I have sung his praises since day one when I thought he showed incredible potential as a rookie in a practice match.

I was still talking him up when many here and on other social media were calling for him to be dropped from the team and even the list.

Champion Data classed him as our only elite player during this time of fan skepticism.

Settle StSinclair, I doubt there's anyone here who doubts your love & faith in the champion. He's been excellent, possibly JB's greatest contribution to the Saints.

[Ghost Like]

Brodie Atkinson? A mate reminded me the other day that I yelled out at the footy, "Finally, we've got a rover!".

[darylcowie]

I thought Daryl Cowie was going to be a gun.
Tall, mobile, good skills just couldn’t get the ball.

I thought Sincs had the skills but lacked the physicality to be a good AFL player.

I thought we’d won the Russell Greene trade after Mark Scott kicked 16 and Tony King had 400 possessions in their first match at Moorabbin.

You were so wrong about me.
I was the worst player ever to play more than 50 games for the Saints!

[shanegrambeau]

I thought Dean Greig was our answer to Darren Millane.

[kosifantutti]

I thought Stewart Loewe was going to be a dud. The under 19s played a curtain raiser at the G to a Friday night game against North in the mid 80s. We had two key forwards- Stewie and a bloke whose name I think was Chris Hams.

I thought Hams was going to make it and Stewie was not.

I saw Craig Devonport kick 11 goals in a reserves game in Sydney at age 17 and thought he was the new George Young.

In Lenny Hayes’s first season I thought he got caught with the ball too much and was going to struggle.

John Peter-Budge was going to be a star.

You must know my friend.

Another poster on this site who I have known for a long time heard we had two guys in the U19s who were looking really good. One of them I think was called Colin Hams. He went to see them play one day and said Hams looks like a player but Stewart Loewe is never going to make it.
.

[SaintPav]

Many of us thought that Luke Dunstan was going to be the next Lenny.

[freely]

Thought Eli Templeton would be a star.

[Sainter_Dad]

I’m never wrong.

But often mistaken

[Vortex]

I’m never wrong.

But often mistaken

some things are just outside of my control, but I never stop trying to educate.

[B.M]

Luke Dunstan- Lenny Hayes?

Because of the number???

They were nothing alike - ability and playing style


I thought Barry Brooks, Jarryd Allen and Fergus Watts were all certainties - none made it
Injury fkd all of them!!!!

[George27]

I thought Stewart Loewe was going to be a dud. The under 19s played a curtain raiser at the G to a Friday night game against North in the mid 80s. We had two key forwards- Stewie and a bloke whose name I think was Chris Hams.

I thought Hams was going to make it and Stewie was not.

I saw Craig Devonport kick 11 goals in a reserves game in Sydney at age 17 and thought he was the new George Young.

In Lenny Hayes’s first season I thought he got caught with the ball too much and was going to struggle.

John Peter-Budge was going to be a star.

You must know my friend.

Another poster on this site who I have known for a long time heard we had two guys in the U19s who were looking really good. One of them I think was called Colin Hams. He went to see them play one day and said Hams looks like a player but Stewart Loewe is never going to make it.
.

I am indeed very close to your friend, Kosi !

Colin Hams ? Chris Hams ? The memory plays tricks over the years, but I know it wasn’t the late Greg Ham from Men at Work !

[Yorkeys]

All those that wanted to recruit J. De Goey, of the breast fondling de goeys.

And the Collingwood fans who thought Daicoss walk on water and their side was invincible.

[Sainternist]

Adam Schneider and Sean Dempster.

I ended up liking Dempster a lot more than Schneider. Actually, Dempster I will look back with a fair bit of admiration. He was a courageous and selfless defender. It’s such a shame he had to retire because of the knocks he had taken to the head over the course of his career.

Schneids, on the other hand, was a player I could never warm to. Yes, he was a very skilful forward, but I could never forgive for missing those easy set shots in the 09 GF, 4 years after he had torn us a new one in that dreaded 05 PF. If he kicked straight, like he did for bloody Sydney, then we would have been premiers 2009