It’s a final

[B.M]

Are we seriously happy playing for the future and getting games into young players

Or did we want to win?

Because imo some of the young players (other than NWM) were basically uncompetitive in the first half

Can’t win a final with half a dozen players having zero impact!!!


We’ve played in 3 finals in 10 years - and we want to use the opportunity to gift games?!

Deserved to fkn lose

[Banger9798]

The Membrey situation does impact.
Hard to imagine how that impacted the players the morning of the game. Some coped, clearly others didn't.
You could see Ross in his presser was disappointed with the effort, but far from scathing because he new the context of what went on.
I thought he was out coached also, and there were some selection issues, but the more I think about it, the more I'm surprised we got within 4 goals.

[bigcarl]

I think the consensus is that we’re not quite ready to challenge and the only way we will be is to keep bringing these young guys through.

The club made the decision largely to go with the team that got us to finals in the first place. I think that is reasonable.

You could argue Howard for Cordy, but Howard hadn’t played for a month or more.

Billings might have added something, but he’s been out of favour … and also had an injury-interrupted campaign.

I think yesterday is a great learning experience for the kids and the club as a whole.

GWS is a good side, experienced and mature. Gives us a look at where we need to improve. Midfield, midfield, midfield and converting opportunities to scores.

Interesting that of the two young guys to stand up, Sharman was one of them. The other was NWM, and that didn’t surprise me

Anyway, inwards and upwards Marto. I declare the season overall a success. It’s a start.

[SydneySainter]

Of course no one is happy with the result, especially seeing that it was apparently a “home” final.

But what comes first, the chicken or egg?

It’s actually frightening to think as to how little finals experience even the senior players have been exposed to.

[B.M]

Are we automatically going to improve?

Are we likely to play finals next season??

Don’t think because we touched on the finals this season, that it’s linear and we just climb the ladder!

Look at Sydney?

There are 18 clubs all vying and half will improve their standing and half will not.

We had a golden opportunity to win a final - and typically made poor decisions, before the game and during and blew it!!!!

Ryan Byrnes
Jack Billings

Sitting and watching while kids who cannot get a kick play?!

Probably our third best clearance player never even got a gig this season even though he dominated at Sandy and we were shocking at stoppage?!

Now for the ‘mass exodus’

[Teflon]

I think the consensus is that we’re not quite ready to challenge and the only way we will be is to keep bringing these young guys through.

The club made the decision largely to go with the team that got us to finals in the first place. I think that is reasonable.

You could argue Howard for Cordy, but Howard hadn’t played for a month or more.

Billings might have added something, but he’s been out of favour … and also had an injury-interrupted campaign.

I think yesterday is a great learning experience for the kids and the club as a whole.

GWS is a good side, experienced and mature. Gives us a look at where we need to improve. Midfield, midfield, midfield and converting opportunities to scores.

Interesting that of the two young guys to stand up, Sharman was one of them. The other was NWM, and that didn’t surprise me

Anyway, inwards and upwards Marto. I declare the season overall a success. It’s a start.

Superb post !
Ignore the “after the fact “ hindsight kings
Dougal has been gifting goals all year - now he’s the answer?
Billing’s too …all of a sudden…would’ve been the difference….except he’s turned from a top 3 pick into avg player
Facts are we aren’t good enough yet
We were r going further than yesterday anyway
5 first and second year players in that side …we have to play the long game

[skeptic]

To be honest…
I would rather have played those that contributed to us getting to finals as opposed to just dropping Billings in after the season he had.

I don’t believe that RTB has an anti-Billings agenda… rather, he’s had things asked of him that Jack hasn’t delivered and RTB doesn’t think he will deliver.

That matters

[Vortex]

Crouch had a stinker which is very unlike him, can't help but think players were deeply distracted with concern for Members.

[samuraisaint]

I don't want to appear disingenuous here, but we had five guys inside the side yesterday who are teenagers, or who were at the beginning of the season.
Then you add Cooper Sharman, another youngster.

From the outset let me announce that I was confident of beating GWS in a final in Melbourne going by our results against them, these past 3-4 years. But that was largely based on our forward line finally getting some senior bodies back in. By yesterday morning I knew we would be up against it, particularly when Bedford and Taylor were in for them.

We are now officially a young side. With potential, and some of our younger players, like Clark and King have now played in two finals campaigns.

We had no choice but to play Caminiti as a forward came out, so a forward had to come in, and Hayes was injured (and had only played one game all year anyway), so he simply wasn't available.

Listing players who have had ten years of chances who could have come in is just sophistry - they've had their goes at it, and it hasn't worked out for them so far, so what is going to magically change now. Not bagging anyone, just calling it as it is, based on their track record.
In my opinion we were on a hiding to nothing yesterday anyway. Playing a side with 25 Top 7 draft picks and goodness knows how many FRDPs they have been gifted (and will get more this year).

It was reminiscent of our first final in 2004 when we played a team mainly made up of 21 year olds against another team who were manufactured and gifted plenty of access to A+ talent in the Lions.

I think GWS will probably beat Port next week anyway, and if we had gone to Adelaide, we wouldn't have, so it's purely academic. I'll take a fighting four goal loss against a 10+ goal defeat any day of the week, and I think a lot of our 2-3 year players will spend a lot of time in the weights room over spring and summer and that will help our cause enormously.

[B.M]

On recent form

Last 6 games

Did Phillipou deserve a spot in a final

Ahead of Byrnes/Stocker/Billings

[SydneySainter]

I think the consensus is that we’re not quite ready to challenge and the only way we will be is to keep bringing these young guys through.

The club made the decision largely to go with the team that got us to finals in the first place. I think that is reasonable.

You could argue Howard for Cordy, but Howard hadn’t played for a month or more.

Billings might have added something, but he’s been out of favour … and also had an injury-interrupted campaign.

I think yesterday is a great learning experience for the kids and the club as a whole.

GWS is a good side, experienced and mature. Gives us a look at where we need to improve. Midfield, midfield, midfield and converting opportunities to scores.

Interesting that of the two young guys to stand up, Sharman was one of them. The other was NWM, and that didn’t surprise me

Anyway, inwards and upwards Marto. I declare the season overall a success. It’s a start.

Superb post !
Ignore the “after the fact “ hindsight kings
Dougal has been gifting goals all year - now he’s the answer?
Billing’s too …all of a sudden…would’ve been the difference….except he’s turned from a top 3 pick into avg player
Facts are we aren’t good enough yet
We were r going further than yesterday anyway
5 first and second year players in that side …we have to play the long game

Agreed.

Howard at his absolute best is a B-grade AFL defender.

This myth that he is an elite stopper is starting to sound like that myth about Longer being an elite tap ruckman.

[B.M]

Why didn’t our coaches have the foresight to see what us arm chair experts state in hindsight

They are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to know the players, the opposition, the game

Only to get it wrong in hindsight

[Devilhead]

Taking the loss hard BM

The Finals experience will be invaluable to Phillpou going forward .... hard to believe he is still 18

Good game bad game headless chook Byrnes was not the answer and Billings would have likely broken down in the 1st quarter

OK so the coaches had an ordinary day as did some players .... coming off the back of some pretty shocking news re: Membrey which may have affected some mentally more than others during the day ..... hey we are only human

Think you need to take a step back and revel in a season where we were clearly marked to finish in the bottom 4 ..... not one Saints supporter should be disappointed in what they saw this season with a team with so many young players tipping expectation on its head and making finals with such an extensive injury list early on

[Sainternist]

What bigcarl said.

[Yorkeys]

I don't want to appear disingenuous here, but we had five guys inside the side yesterday who are teenagers, or who were at the beginning of the season.
Then you add Cooper Sharman, another youngster.

From the outset let me announce that I was confident of beating GWS in a final in Melbourne going by our results against them, these past 3-4 years. But that was largely based on our forward line finally getting some senior bodies back in. By yesterday morning I knew we would be up against it, particularly when Bedford and Taylor were in for them.

We are now officially a young side. With potential, and some of our younger players, like Clark and King have now played in two finals campaigns.

We had no choice but to play Caminiti as a forward came out, so a forward had to come in, and Hayes was injured (and had only played one game all year anyway), so he simply wasn't available.

Listing players who have had ten years of chances who could have come in is just sophistry - they've had their goes at it, and it hasn't worked out for them so far, so what is going to magically change now. Not bagging anyone, just calling it as it is, based on their track record.
In my opinion we were on a hiding to nothing yesterday anyway. Playing a side with 25 Top 7 draft picks and goodness knows how many FRDPs they have been gifted (and will get more this year).

It was reminiscent of our first final in 2004 when we played a team mainly made up of 21 year olds against another team who were manufactured and gifted plenty of access to A+ talent in the Lions.

I think GWS will probably beat Port next week anyway, and if we had gone to Adelaide, we wouldn't have, so it's purely academic. I'll take a fighting four goal loss against a 10+ goal defeat any day of the week, and I think a lot of our 2-3 year players will spend a lot of time in the weights room over spring and summer and that will help our cause enormously.

"GWS are talent rich!"
"How rich?"
They are so rich they paid Geelong to take their #7 draft pick. Had maxed out their capacity to absorb any more talent.
Cheer squad has booked accommodation in East Melbourne for all of September 2024 and used after pay.
That rich.
Have a Silk lawyer on retainer just for Toby Green.
Bought all the tranquilisers in Rose Bay for their coach after his head exploded first few rounds.
Filthy rich.
All inherited of course, from AFL Co P/L (errors and omissions conflicts of interest and favouritism exempted. Thank you umps, thank you ballboys)

[SaintPav]

Playing a side with 25 Top 7 draft picks and goodness knows how many FRDPs they have been gifted (and will get more this year).

I’m not surprised but is this true?

[samuraisaint]

Playing a side with 25 Top 7 draft picks and goodness knows how many FRDPs they have been gifted (and will get more this year).

I’m not surprised but is this true?

Not sure of the actual number anymore. I read this some time back and they have had access to academies too.
We have some numbers people who post on here who might be able to give you the most up to date number.
They lose players, then they get extra draft picks, and so it goes.
It is like a never-ending cycle - a bit like the Suns in that sense.
I suppose at least GWS make and win finals, the Suns have been in the league longer than them and have never even qualified for finals.

[nostalgicsaint]

Really an agenda here to have another crack at the coach.

In answer to the original question.

Are we seriously happy playing for the future and getting games into young players

Or did we want to win?

Disappointed in the result but very happy with the side we selected and the year we've had.

Personally would have gone without Cammaniti, played Stocker from the start, Cordy forward and Byrnes as sub.


That said Hammer, King, Pou, Owens, Milera, Windhager and Sharman will have learned a lot yesterday and I'm thrilled with that.

Realistically we weren't going to beat the top 4 sides. Certainly not multiple of them so yes I'm seriously happy playing for the future.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

I don't want to appear disingenuous here, but we had five guys inside the side yesterday who are teenagers, or who were at the beginning of the season.
Then you add Cooper Sharman, another youngster.

From the outset let me announce that I was confident of beating GWS in a final in Melbourne going by our results against them, these past 3-4 years. But that was largely based on our forward line finally getting some senior bodies back in. By yesterday morning I knew we would be up against it, particularly when Bedford and Taylor were in for them.

We are now officially a young side. With potential, and some of our younger players, like Clark and King have now played in two finals campaigns.

We had no choice but to play Caminiti as a forward came out, so a forward had to come in, and Hayes was injured (and had only played one game all year anyway), so he simply wasn't available.

Listing players who have had ten years of chances who could have come in is just sophistry - they've had their goes at it, and it hasn't worked out for them so far, so what is going to magically change now. Not bagging anyone, just calling it as it is, based on their track record.
In my opinion we were on a hiding to nothing yesterday anyway. Playing a side with 25 Top 7 draft picks and goodness knows how many FRDPs they have been gifted (and will get more this year).

It was reminiscent of our first final in 2004 when we played a team mainly made up of 21 year olds against another team who were manufactured and gifted plenty of access to A+ talent in the Lions.

I think GWS will probably beat Port next week anyway, and if we had gone to Adelaide, we wouldn't have, so it's purely academic. I'll take a fighting four goal loss against a 10+ goal defeat any day of the week, and I think a lot of our 2-3 year players will spend a lot of time in the weights room over spring and summer and that will help our cause enormously.

I don't buy that "we had no choice but to play Caminiti" line, though granted it's the way selection committees think.

Throw the magnets around. Show some imagination. Put Cordy in the forward line, Stocker down back and sub Byrnes -- something like that. Or just play with fewer genuine forwards.

Caminiti (who may indeed turn into a great player) was predictably all at sea, getting in the way and spoiling his own teammates as he tends to do.

[B.M]

What did they learn?

How not to get a kick in a final?

Typical apologist St Kilda supporter behaviour

Happy to play and lose in an elimination final - and hail it a success!!!!

Fk me

What a losing mentality

[B.M]

Cordy forward

We’ve been down that path - and he was s***

[nostalgicsaint]

What did they learn?

How not to get a kick in a final?

Typical apologist St Kilda supporter behaviour

Happy to play and lose in an elimination final - and hail it a success!!!!

Fk me

What a losing mentality

Mate the only loser mentality I see here is yours. Many in here know what it takes to be successful and it starts with having a cold hard understanding of where you're at currently. That and being able to see more than what is right in front of your face.

The club for the first time, in a very long time, confronted that reality this time last year and made steps to set us up for success.

If you don't understand that and also don't understand how losing is something people learn from I fear you'll never be happy.

Doesn't mean you have to drag everyone down with you though.

[B.M]

I am never satisfied losing

If you are happy being a loser, that’s your issue

[Zed]

Apart from Phillipou, I’d argue they all did enough to warrant selection in the final rounds of the H&A season.
MP was lucky to hold his spot , and yes Byrnes & Billings unlucky .
If Membrey or Hayes are fit Caminiti does not play and no other tall options , so no case to answer.

I reckon MP learned that finals is a whole next level and I’d be amazed if that didn’t light a fire in him to get bigger, stronger, and fitter. Playing that final probably fast tracked him a year. At the end of the day, swapping Billings for MP still doesn’t win us the game.

[Teflon]

What did they learn?

How not to get a kick in a final?

Typical apologist St Kilda supporter behaviour

Happy to play and lose in an elimination final - and hail it a success!!!!

Fk me

What a losing mentality

Mate the only loser mentality I see here is yours. Many in here know what it takes to be successful and it starts with having a cold hard understanding of where you're at currently. That and being able to see more than what is right in front of your face.

The club for the first time, in a very long time, confronted that reality this time last year and made steps to set us up for success.

If you don't understand that and also don't understand how losing is something people learn from I fear you'll never be happy.

Doesn't mean you have to drag everyone down with you though.

Mate lost cause and not worth arguing
Marty will just hit you with after the fact cliches
Like “didn’t we wanna win?”
What a silly question and yep it’ll eventually turn to “Ross Lyons to blame “
Enjoy the growth this year
And let’s see the build continue for next!