David Misson gets the gig as Saints fitness adviser

[saintsRrising]

It certainly appears to be a great thing to happen for the club. RB will squeeze as much propaganda from this that he possibly can and that is his right - it has the potential to be no small thing.

In the area of St Kilda politics I have a niggling in the back of my mind that Ross Lyon may have had at least a 'small amount' to do with this initiative - but then again RL was appointed by the current board. Still - I won't be back-tracking on my proxy to the NB/GW ticket no matter what the current board pull out of their hat. I am well aware that not everything done under the incumbent board has been negative but this is just 'too little too late' to play catch-up for mine and I believe that some new blood at the top will be very refreshing.

Nonetheless, in the mean time if Rod's boardbroom do some of the things we really need to either help us win a GF or improve our general development to be a powerful club I hope that I will be respectful enough to direct the credit where it is due.

Although it appears that GW will be heading the board next year, whatever happens we should be much better off for the board challenge - if it does nothing more than highlight our needs and demands positive action plans to continue, repair or restart the required processes.

Thanks heaps for this coup Rod and Co.

I agree Peanut....FF is coming in...

BUT securing Misson is good news for the club...BUT we need more good news.

FF has to pick up the baton and take the club to new and higher levels.


This is their platform...and what I will be looking for....and what they must deliver on.



FF are in the right place at the right time....the Footy Gods are smiling on them.....and lets hope too that the Footy Gods are actually smiling on us the supporters



In the looming draft trade period I will be looking for our football department to again address so9me of the glaring weaknesses in our list.

[saintspremiers]

St mart, Misson is regarded as the best in the comp so stop FARKING complaining about another GOOD decision from the club.

This is great news well done saints another step in the right direction for the 08 season just a pitty that so many dont think we are in good hands.

Next thing we wont be happy with is our new sponsor willing to put plenty on the table.

Hey settle!

st.mart is dead on the money....he wasn't whinging per se just about Misson's appointment, just the general trend of how RB ran our club - always the followers, never the innovators or leaders.

Sorry....

RB was an innovator - what other club cut costs as savagely as us??

Even Carlton has has only retired part of is debt this year after recording a $3M profit (thanks Pratt!)

If RB had a clue he wouldn't have reduced our debt so quickly.

Having some debt, provided it is severicable, can be better than no debt and insufficient expenditure!

[Mr Magic]

It certainly appears to be a great thing to happen for the club. RB will squeeze as much propaganda from this that he possibly can and that is his right - it has the potential to be no small thing.

In the area of St Kilda politics I have a niggling in the back of my mind that Ross Lyon may have had at least a 'small amount' to do with this initiative - but then again RL was appointed by the current board. Still - I won't be back-tracking on my proxy to the NB/GW ticket no matter what the current board pull out of their hat. I am well aware that not everything done under the incumbent board has been negative but this is just 'too little too late' to play catch-up for mine and I believe that some new blood at the top will be very refreshing.

Nonetheless, in the mean time if Rod's boardbroom do some of the things we really need to either help us win a GF or improve our general development to be a powerful club I hope that I will be respectful enough to direct the credit where it is due.

Although it appears that GW will be heading the board next year, whatever happens we should be much better off for the board challenge - if it does nothing more than highlight our needs and demands positive action plans to continue, repair or restart the required processes.

Thanks heaps for this coup Rod and Co.

Well said Peanut.
It's about time some posters recognized that good decisions have been and are being made by the incumbents for the betterment of our Club.

This apparent need to denigrate everything the incumbents do because it is they that are doing it seems irrational and smacks of petty-mindedness.

Why can't we all just admit that some decisions/appointments are good for the Club regardless of who made them?

[Saint Mik]

Thats the way Penut thank the current board for all there good work but stick the knife in anyway

We SHOULD be much better off for the board challenge Yep this has been great for the club so far.

Positive action plans will always continue as they have in the past

Repair what?

[Saint Mik]

And now we wiped out our debt to quickly PLEASE tell me your joking how many years did we have a debt over our head and what results did that produce for the club.

Tell your story to all the poor players that copped 20 cents in the dollar geez you can not be serious can you its no wonder the proxy's are rolling in becuase its just all to easy to run a club.

Lets follow Carltons lead and put the club that far into debt that we need someone like Pratt to get us out of the shyte its working for them

[The Peanut]

Thats the way Penut thank the current board for all there good work but stick the knife in anyway

We SHOULD be much better off for the board challenge Yep this has been great for the club so far.

Positive action plans will always continue as they have in the past

Repair what?

um . . . from the top of my head - how about 'repairing' our relationship with the City of Kingston . . . or 'repairing' the damage done to our brand by the public spat . . .

You have every right to denigrate my post . . . but I also believe that I have the right to express my opinion on a subject.

[saintspremiers]

And now we wiped out our debt to quickly PLEASE tell me your joking how many years did we have a debt over our head and what results did that produce for the club.

Tell your story to all the poor players that copped 20 cents in the dollar geez you can not be serious can you its no wonder the proxy's are rolling in becuase its just all to easy to run a club.

Lets follow Carltons lead and put the club that far into debt that we need someone like Pratt to get us out of the shyte its working for them

Hey, did I say we should get ourselves into Debt? NO

I just said some debt is OK....A LOT of debt that CAN'T be MANAGED is NOT OK....please don't take it so simplistically!

Would you prefer us to have spent an extra $1M on the footy dept over the past 3 years and perhaps as a result have won a flag and carry a $1M debt or be where we are now and be debt and flag free???

I know it's a hypothetical, but that's the crux of the issue.

Give me that second flag and a $1M debt anyday!

[Saint Mik]

The Kingston issue is a two way street both parties need to come to an agreement which i have the confidence that the BEST thing will be done for our club no matter which way it goes.

You do have your opinion thats fine but i just can not understand why the current board are in so much trouble over what i think is not worth a board challenge UNLESS they produce something BETTER than what we have already.

Saints R premiers i truly do think that we are in the BEST posible place to be to challenging for a flag in the future, debt free money to spend in the right places at the right time the current coaching staff only problem i can see is what is happening now and for what reason?

Stability is needed and i have said this time and time again and IF the new ticket can produce something GREAT then good but at the moment what exactly have they produced and until then this can not be good for anyone IMO.

[Oh When the Saints]

- Key players signed up
- AIS Committee
- Appointment of David Misson
- Debt retired
- Sponsors pending


More than fair to ask "what's wrong"?

SFF will need to hit the ground running, as the good work of RB must be built upon quickly.

I would quite happily keep the current board if RB stepped aside, but it seems he won't. Unfortunately that means they all must go IMO.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

If Geelong win the flag this season.....does that mean we will have one of their assistants as coach is 09, and their fitness person aswell....

Why are we always copying (stealing) personnel, ideas GP's from other clubs, can't we actually set a trend....

What is successful today, is outdated tommorrow...

If the Saints were to get a Geelong assistant to cross over to us for 2008, I'd (probably) look at that as fantastic work.

Innovation is well and good, and as far as it extends best practice, always the desired way of doing things. Failing that, best practice is best practice, if there's more to Geelong than the players taking ownership (or even if there isn't) and the Saints can pick up some of it and fold it into what they're already doing... good.

[n1ck]

- Sponsors pending


More than fair to ask "what's wrong"?

Is it?

I didnt realise that having to place full page ads in the papers looking for sponsors meant "sponsors pending".

Smacks of desperation for mine.

[st.mart]

Hang on......I thought it was Jones was the best when he was at the saints, then Craig Starcevich who was the best in the comp....wasn't he mean't to be a great appointment.....now Misson....

And St.Mik

How does F*** off sound....smart arses like you antagonise on the forum....and add very little....

Yes I am critical....and will be until we win a F**KING flag......whatever keeps you happy.....mediocrity, then so be it....

Face real facts

This year we
Have slipped out of the 8
Continue to suffer massive amounts of ST injuries
Have NO plan for training facilities
Are well behind other clubs on footy spending
Have NO club sponsor...
and are further away from a flag than 3 years ago

and the signings are no big deal......most saints players agreed to an informal pact years ago, to be part of the first saints premiership in 40 years.....and it would take a lot for any of them to leave - they are very close mates

[saintsRrising]

Starch WAS a good appointment. Trouble is he could not convince his wife to move to Melbourne. Misson however is a better appointment than Starch.

Jones was a bad appointment...treated the guys as athletes rather than as footballers.

[Brian Collis]

Curse you Rod Buttersss

Curse you to HELL!!

What does this mean?

[QuestionOfAccuracy]

A full back. Still need one..though Gilbert is a possibility.


* Gameplan The players got the hang of the new plan, or I should say gameplans...as the KEY difference now is how we play when the opposition has control of the ball. We are no longera one dimensional team. In 2006 we are pretty hopeless when good teams were switched on and we could do little to stop their fow and control. In 2007 the players LEARNT how to play well when the opposition had the ball. this will hold us in good stead for 2008. Our pretty much existing gameplan of what to do fell down for the firsat half of the season befoe the players reagained their ability to use the ball quickly and well..and with confidence.

Well said saintsRising. Although i disagree about Gilbert. I really think Gilberts best position would be HB. His pace, carry and side-stepping ability gives us real drive in that area of the ground although his kicking does need a lot of improvement.

I agree about the gameplan. It seemed that in the 2nd half of the season, with key personnel back (and somewhat fit), we were able to find more of a balance between being accountable and attacking.

big thumbs up for the appointment of Misson!

- it would be handy to know if that AIS/sports-science group that was formed during the year has come up with anything yet?

[saintsRrising]

Well said saintsRising. Although i disagree about Gilbert. I really think Gilberts best position would be HB. His pace, carry and side-stepping ability gives us real drive in that area of the ground although his kicking does need a lot of improvement.

Well I too think that Gilbert could be great on a HB...or once he thickens up a bit even CHB......or for that matter as a swingman playing both ends.


However sadly Max is currently our only good option for FB.

Neither Goose nor Sam Fisher have the initial pace or spoiling skills to be very good fullbacks. They can be ok at it...but not excellent. Goose makes fora handy CHB though...and Sam Fisher makes an outstanding running half back flanker.


So from our present list....to me only Gilbert presents as someone that can be groomed to take over from Max as an outstanding FB......but like you I would like to use Gilbert elsewhere....and this is of course why I flagged a key recruiting need as being a FB.


So perhaps we really agree???

[Saint Mik]

St mart,

How many teams that were in the eight last year did not make it in this year?

How did the ST injureis go in the seconed half of the season compared to other clubs?

Nobody had a problem with our training facility's wen we were winning this just a soft excuse and something to throw at the current board how did the kangas go this year with there facility's

We may be behind in footy spending but we did end up 7 places higher on the ladder than other teams that spent more than us so does that mean they wasted there money?

I thought the current board has addressed the spending and added some 600,000 + for the 08 season and beyond Now that we can afford it.

And we are closer to a flag now than three years ago because 3 years ago we had the team but not the coach to get us there and now we still have the team due to the current board keeping our players, and have replaced GT with someone that i think is doing all the right things that will only improve us in the future.

F*** OFF sounds fine but real facts are depended on how you want to look at them

[n1ck]

Nobody had a problem with our training facility's wen we were winning this just a soft excuse

Thats crap.

Nathan Burke drew up plans to renovate the facilities in 2004 when we WERE WINNING. Winning well, and winning often.

The plans were greenlighted, but nothings happened. Why?

[vacuous space]

We've had how many fitness gurus work with this group now? All of them reasonably well credentialled people. I'll start to get excited about our fitness people when we start to see some results. I'm not sure that our soft tissue woes can be entirely blamed on any fitness staff. The possibility has to be considered that it could be a product of our playing and training surfaces. There's also the possibility we might have drafted a bunch of players with problematic hamstrings.

[ausfatcat]

watched beyond tommorrow the other day, which had segment on hamstrings at St Kilda (footage from 2004 I think) and sho this new method was going to stop saints players from geting hamstring injuries......... Didn't work.

[Saints43]

I agree about the gameplan. It seemed that in the 2nd half of the season, with key personnel back (and somewhat fit), we were able to find more of a balance between being accountable and attacking.

A balance between attacking and defending?

Coll 9 point loss
Adel 2 point win
Haw 17 point win
Carl 10 point win
WB Draw
Syd 17 point loss
Freo 20 point win
WC 8 point loss
Rich 10 point win

6 of the last 9 games decided by less than two goals.

That's balancing on a knifes edge. There is no margin for error in the way we played last year. The "workrate to scoreboard" ratio is way out.

PS. Our full forward just retired.

[kaos theory]

saint mik -

How many teams that were in the eight last year did not make it in this year?

What's that got to do with anything?? We were touted as flag favourate & have a quality list....we should be in the finals.

How did the ST injureis go in the seconed half of the season compared to other clubs?

So you determine someone performance over a 5 year peiod by looking at 3 or 4 months? This is a false & stupid comparision. Do we allow RB and his board to blunder their way through years of failure until they finally, MAYBE get it right?

Nobody had a problem with our training facility's wen we were winning this just a soft excuse and something to throw at the current board how did the kangas go this year with there facility's

Garbage! One thing I noticed about your posts, you are comfortable with lies & making stuff up.

We may be behind in footy spending but we did end up 7 places higher on the ladder than other teams that spent more than us so does that mean they wasted there money?

We have a top-4 list, we should be in the finals. We have underspent & cut corners, and we have paid for it.

And we are closer to a flag now than three years ago because 3 years ago we had the team but not the coach to get us there and now we still have the team due to the current board keeping our players, and have replaced GT with someone that i think is doing all the right things that will only improve us in the future.

You just keep the BS coming....3 years ago we finished 3rd, this year we finished 9th. Explain to me how that is closer?

[bigred]

If only we could get Jason Cripps back......

If I hear from another Port player, coach or supporter how much of a difference he has made this year I think I will vomit.

[Saint Mik]

Kaos,

I was answering a question from st mart about some facts

Fact is we are not the only club to slip out of the eight and this was on the back of a new coach in his first year with injuries in the first half of the season.

Massive amounts of injureis were not a problem once RL had time to look at it and rectify the problem, much better than other years and you can not just throw the blame at RB, there were always other factors into why we employed certain people to the club it is like saying it is RB who has got Misson here but you will find he has had nothing to do with it.

Our facility's are not the best yes but there is nowhere where i remember anyone at the club saying this is the reason for our performances until now with the new ticket.

The only thing we have paid for is not having the right person in place to take us to the next week come finals time, cutting corners yes mostly in preparation and decisions on who we took into finals games, underspending not proven to be a problem until now when we missed the finals for the first time in how many years by how much?

[karnaby]

mic, you've been banging on about this for quite a while now & in doing so you have raised many points that, I think, have been well answered by various posters. If you are going to do them the disservice of not even responding to what may be very legitimate answers (let alone being unnecessarily abusive) you will rapidly get to the stage of having no credibility whatsoever!

I have quoted an example below:

And now we wiped out our debt to quickly PLEASE tell me your joking how many years did we have a debt over our head and what results did that produce for the club.

Tell your story to all the poor players that copped 20 cents in the dollar geez you can not be serious can you its no wonder the proxy's are rolling in becuase its just all to easy to run a club.

Lets follow Carltons lead and put the club that far into debt that we need someone like Pratt to get us out of the shyte its working for them

Hey, did I say we should get ourselves into Debt? NO

I just said some debt is OK....A LOT of debt that CAN'T be MANAGED is NOT OK....please don't take it so simplistically!

Would you prefer us to have spent an extra $1M on the footy dept over the past 3 years and perhaps as a result have won a flag and carry a $1M debt or be where we are now and be debt and flag free???

I know it's a hypothetical, but that's the crux of the issue.

Give me that second flag and a $1M debt anyday!

For the record I'd take the 2nd flag & the $1m debt in a heartbeat, wouldn't you?