Time to really consider the future of some players

[Life Long Saint]

Well only a minor miracle will see us in the eight.

It is time to ponder the future of some of our players:

Jason Blake
I'm not really sure what purpose he serves in the team. His skills and pace are not as good enough to be on the ball. He is not big enough to be a defender.

Matthew Clarke
Ended up being a waste of a pre-season draft pick. We would have been better off picking up a 25yo VFL/SANFL/WAFL ruckman. Clarke was a sign of Ross Lyon's mindset of topping-up to address an immediate need for instant success...BAD MOVE! Have we stunted the development of Brooks/Van Reehnan?

Michael Rix
Is not an AFL standard player...Does not hurt the opposition and does not win enough hit-outs to hold his own in the ruck.

Barry Brooks
Has the skills to make the grade but has been held back this season...It is very likely that he will not be a Saint next season.

Jayden Attard
Started the season well but does not win enough of his own ball. The game has gone past players that are pure stoppers. Steven Baker has become a cog in the midfield. Attard needs to do the same. His field kicking last night, in particular, was not good. Send him back to the rookie list and get him to develop the skills.

Brett Voss
Has been a terrific servant but his lack of pace is finding him out. He can no longer play in defence. He may still have a role as a back-up forward as he is a pretty good kick and a strong overhead mark.

Other posters have placed question marks on X & R Clarke. These two players will benefit from an uninterrupted pre-season. As will Matt Maguire who needs to become the attacking CHB he was before his broken leg. He has been found wanting this season.

[Spinner]

Leigh Fisher - How does everyone else NOT see that every single one of his possessions are shithouse.


Give him time and space and he WILL cough it up.

[Otiman]

Leigh Fisher - How does everyone else NOT see that every single one of his possessions are shithouse.

What about his goal?

Has been one of our better disposers of the footy in the past, not sure what has happened the last 6 months to Fish.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Jason Blake
I'm not really sure what purpose he serves in the team. His skills and pace are not as good enough to be on the ball. He is not big enough to be a defender..

he is never going to be a super star playing him on cuz was always going to be a gamble blake destroyed crawford a few weeks ago and with the suspected ijnury on cuz they though he migh be able to go with him and he did for one half but purely doesnt have the motor to play on the constant gut running of cousins

Matthew Clarke
Ended up being a waste of a pre-season draft pick. We would have been better off picking up a 25yo VFL/SANFL/WAFL ruckman. Clarke was a sign of Ross Lyon's mindset of topping-up to address an immediate need for instant success...BAD MOVE! Have we stunted the development of Brooks/Van Reehnan?.

i agree Doc was a mistake his heart just doesnt seem to be in it doesnt try to give anymore then a sud standard effort . i ask what good is his so called perfect taps if they go to the opersition ? he shouldnt play again for the saints !!

Michael Rix
Is not an AFL standard player...Does not hurt the opposition and does not win enough hit-outs to hold his own in the ruck..

but he at least makes a contest i would of loved to have had Rix in last night over Doc at least Rix looks like he wants to help the saints win

Barry Brooks
Has the skills to make the grade but has been held back this season...It is very likely that he will not be a Saint next season..

he doesnt have the skills otherwise he would be in the team . should of been delisted last year

Jayden Attard
Started the season well but does not win enough of his own ball. The game has gone past players that are pure stoppers. Steven Baker has become a cog in the midfield. Attard needs to do the same. His field kicking last night, in particular, was not good. Send him back to the rookie list and get him to develop the skills..

dissagree he gets an assignment each week and with the exception against aker has done his job maybe has hit a peak in his potential but still worth being on the list

Brett Voss
Has been a terrific servant but his lack of pace is finding him out. He can no longer play in defence. He may still have a role as a back-up forward as he is a pretty good kick and a strong overhead mark..

pace is a very subjective thing if the delivery comes in nice straight and quick then Voss looks good when its chipped around and slow delivery vossys speed is non existant may find it hard to get a game next year unless injury hits us

[Saints Premiers 2008]

Leigh Fisher - How does everyone else NOT see that every single one of his possessions are shithouse.

What about his goal?

Has been one of our better disposers of the footy in the past, not sure what has happened the last 6 months to Fish.

he dishes off alot of hospital passes

i think thats why he is becoming a tagger as disposal is not too good for a back pocket

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Leigh Fisher - How does everyone else NOT see that every single one of his possessions are shithouse.


Give him time and space and he WILL cough it up.

i agree leigh fisher is starting to get a bit over rated

[Spinner]

Leigh Fisher - How does everyone else NOT see that every single one of his possessions are shithouse.

What about his goal?

Has been one of our better disposers of the footy in the past, not sure what has happened the last 6 months to Fish.

he dishes off alot of hospital passes

i think thats why he is becoming a tagger as disposal is not too good for a back pocket

At this rate we will be fielding a team of taggers.....


Baker, Blake, L Fisher, Attard, C Jones -

We might as well draft taggers straight from the NAB Natioanl Draft.

[ben_fff]

I never understood this sites love for L.Fisher, he fumbles the ball, overruns it, uses the ball poorly... he really worries me when he gets the ball now, a bit like Raph.

I thought Leigh's first couple of games back last year were great but from the very end of last all the way through this season I've had those concerns over him.

[borderbarry]

Does anyone know the situation with older rookies, ie Attard, Jones, and Wall? There is some suggestion that if they are not promoted they will be too old to remain on rookie list. Can anyone confirm this?

[borderbarry]

Also other players to throw into the mix, Birss, (Shocker last night) Raymond, Sweeney (both have had two years to impress).
Another consideration is that with the retirement of Andrew Thompson, Matt Clarke, possible Harvs, G-Train, Max and Vossey, we cannot afford to drop too many. This years draft is not that strong.

[Batnoe]

On Blake


He tagged Cousins first half, but then he dissapeared, it could have been great if he had continued. Is a needed player. With Baker in it he would have been in defence and would have been worth While

[Zippy]

I never understood this sites love for L.Fisher, he fumbles the ball, overruns it, uses the ball poorly... he really worries me when he gets the ball now, a bit like Raph.

I thought Leigh's first couple of games back last year were great but from the very end of last all the way through this season I've had those concerns over him.

It's because he used to be almost error-free, and a great defender. He's not going so well lately, but everyone has bad patches.

As for the other players mentioned:

Blake is worth keeping. Better players than him have been torn apart by Ben Cousins, and he's still a solid utility who's worth keeping because he can pinch-hit in a lot of roles.

Matthew Clarke's past it - this'll be his last year.

Rix is worth keeping - he'll never be a top-line ruckman, but he can contest and do a serviceable job.

Brooks has shown flashes in the past - I assume the coaching staff believe he can put it together for real, as they wouldn't hold on to him otherwise.

Attard's definitely worth keeping - he can usually do a job negating someone.

Brett Voss might be aging - like Thompson, he's really a depth player now, sadly, as they've both been awesome in the past.

[saintDal]

Leigh Fisher - How does everyone else NOT see that every single one of his possessions are shithouse.

What about his goal?

Has been one of our better disposers of the footy in the past, not sure what has happened the last 6 months to Fish.

he dishes off alot of hospital passes

i think thats why he is becoming a tagger as disposal is not too good for a back pocket

I only notice his poor disposal when kicking into the 50. I think he tries too hard to hit a target and in doing so he either drills it at the leading player too hard or kicks it with such a low projectory that it makes it easy to be cut off.

[apple_corr39]

rixxy is a serviceable ruckman, and prepared to provide a contest.

keep him.

[Teflon]

I like this sort of discussion cause it focuses on where we are going BUT.......you end up reading through peoples lists and realise if we took that path we'd have 15 players left...

Facts are we aint gonna get 4 Judds and a partridge in a pear tree at draft time....so I spose while its tempting after a loss to cull 20......we probably change over 4 or 5 and thats a BIG shift..

[Solar]

um just to clear it up to those from WA, brooks does actually have very good skills for a man his size. Not the best in the ruck but a decient mark and good kick for goal. Not slow either. Just doesn't have either the application or confidence to make it so far. Posting that he doesn't have the skill is just stupid if you have actually watch him play.

[Bono]

Attard is a promted Rookie therefore he cannot be delisted until the end of next season. He either gets promoted to the senior list or dropped back to the Rookie list.

Brookes, Sweeney and Raymond should go.

The trouble is that we wont be able to get rid of as many as we'd like to because you cant draft back eight or so decent playes in one draft.

The disppointing thing is that lack of development in players like Sweeney, Raymond and even McQualter.

Allen and Armitage should be top 30 players next season. Eddy, Geary, Jones , Van Rheenan and Wall will be second year Rookies.

We have 44 on the list now. If Brookes, Sweeney and Raymond go, people are also suggesting to get rid of (or retire) Thommo, M. Clarke, Voss, Watts, Rix?, that leaves us with only 36 players with Harvs, G and Max still listed.

It looks like the new coach inherited a bit of a poorly managed list.

[plugger66]

Attard is a promted Rokie therefore he cnnot be delisted until the end of nxt season. He either gets promoted to the senior list or dropped back to the Rookie list.

Brookes, Sweeney and Raymond should go.

The trouble is that we wpnt be able to get rid of s many as we'd like to because you cant draft back eight or so decent playes in one draft.

The dispointing is that lack of development in players like Sweeney, Raymond and even McQualter.

Allen and Armitage should be top 30 players next season. Eddy, Geary, Jones , Van Rheenan and Wall will be second year Rookies.

We have 44 on the list now. If Brookes, Sweeney and Raymond go, people are also suggesting to get rid of (or retire) Thommo, M. Clarke, Voss, Watts, Rix?, that leaves us with only 36 players with Harvs, G and Max still listed.

It looks like the new coach inherited a bit of a poorly managed list.

There is no way we will keep all the rookies and niether we should. the idea of the rookie list is you look at them for a year and if they are not good enough you get rid of them.

[Life Long Saint]

Attard is a promted Rookie therefore he cannot be delisted until the end of next season. He either gets promoted to the senior list or dropped back to the Rookie list.

Brookes, Sweeney and Raymond should go.

That's not my understanding of how the rookie list works. You are able to keep them for two but are not forced to.

I assume that M Clarke will retire (again) so that will leave a ruck division of:
Gardiner (injury prone)
Rix (not AFL level)
Kosi (needs to pinch-hit)

We need Brooks in that mix.