Ok...did anyone elses hopes for 2008 go up this week???

[saintsRrising]

All I know is that my aspirations for 2008 have increased markedly!!!! after this weeks trades.




and IF..and I say IF Gardies feet shape up and he plays then I will be over the moon.

Others on the wishlist...

*Armo to get FULLY fit...and to start to play senior footy....and with Misson and the AIS guys on Board...why not???

*Allen to start to emerge...maybe as a FP?????

*Geary to be our real Smokie of 2008....with he and Armo really starting to hit their straps in 2009

*X to kick straight...so that he too can be goal kicking forward......so that Milne, Schneider and X become a lethal combination.

* that Raph starts to bloom

*That BJ hits his straps as the season progresses...

*that Gilbert improves his kicking so that he becomes the complete package.

[Oh When the Saints]

Well, IMO our list has improved, and our starting 22 improved significantly.

Based on that, you would expect better results.


Fully fit, there are no excuses for our squad not to finish in the Top 6.

[Batnoe]

I think from the 5 people that retired this year. That only 2 were in our best 22

Gehrig, and Thompson

Voss was fringe, Clarke was fringe and Hamill if he played would have been but we didnt see him out there so no loss on the value of this year


We have up to 3 best 22 from the trade so we are better already

[stinger]

All I know is that my aspirations for 2008 have increased markedly!!!! after this weeks trades.




.

i think it is fair to say that lenny will be better in 2008....much better....so too bally......

[mischa]

Time will tell and is the only arbiter. I just hope we get into the finals!

[LTN16]

I'm more excited about next year now.

Will be good to see how the new players go.

[plugger66]

Whilst I think the trading was very good i am not sure these players will get us to the next step. We need improvement out of the Clarkes, Kosi, Grammy and one or two others before we are even serious finals players.

[HSVKing]

I wish 2008 started tomorrow...

(really, not metaphorically)

[Dan Warna]

no i don't think we improved immeasurably, I think we improved marginally.

that said i've said our core players are very very good, its a matter of getting them out on the park for the season.

[Oh When the Saints]

no i don't think we improved immeasurably, I think we improved marginally.

that said i've said our core players are very very good, its a matter of getting them out on the park for the season.

You need more than core players though Dan, and that's what Lyon has addressed.

[nabby7]

my hopes shot up

good sign for the club

bring on 08

[Dan Warna]

no i don't think we improved immeasurably, I think we improved marginally.

that said i've said our core players are very very good, its a matter of getting them out on the park for the season.

You need more than core players though Dan, and that's what Lyon has addressed.

the only player i can see that improved our list from what he would have had is schneider IMO.

dempster and gardiner = place fillers although dempster might work out given he is two years younger than charlie.

[Oh When the Saints]

Dempster is better than Raymond and Gardiner is better than Sweeney. So we improved out depth.

And King is better than M. Clarke. So we improved our depth again.


Whether or not you think King, Dempster and Gardiner are crap, they are better than the players they replaceed on our list.

[plugger66]

Dempster is better than Raymond and Gardiner is better than Sweeney. So we improved out depth.

And King is better than M. Clarke. So we improved our depth again.


Whether or not you think King, Dempster and Gardiner are crap, they are better than the players they replaceed on our list.

That actually may be true but none of them really played so it doesnt win you more games because they are better than those players. They need to be better than semi regular player to win games for you.

[dcstkfc]

Most certainly. I am glad we are actually addressing our areas of need:
-ruckman
-small forward
-tall/running defender
-casey stalwart

[Oh When the Saints]

Doesn't matter if it doesn't win more games ... you are improving your list.

To win a flag, you must keep improving the quality of your list, and we have done that.

We have improved it at the bottom end, which builds our depth, increases pressure for spots in the side and allows us to better cover for injuries.

[plugger66]

Doesn't matter if it doesn't win more games ... you are improving your list.

To win a flag, you must keep improving the quality of your list, and we have done that.

We have improved it at the bottom end, which builds our depth, increases pressure for spots in the side and allows us to better cover for injuries.

Well it actually does because 11 games will not win a flag.

[4theluvoftheclub]

Doesn't matter if it doesn't win more games ... you are improving your list.

To win a flag, you must keep improving the quality of your list, and we have done that.

We have improved it at the bottom end, which builds our depth, increases pressure for spots in the side and allows us to better cover for injuries.

Exactly OWTS...we are shooting for a flag, and as the last 3 flag winners showed, if a team is good enought o get to the GF, it is the bottom half of the 22 who win the game, by being better than the oppostion"s bottom 111....and the same applies throughout the year.
The sides who win the McLelland, have a strong bottom 10 or 11 on the field every week, and these trdaes help us get there...

[tragicforces]

King and Scheider will fit in well if the side overall lifts but don't expect them to make the running.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

if you look at it this way that you judge your team on its 6 worst players we have upgrades that remarkably with these trades and even if G2 ans Skip only play for casey next year it will make the comp for a starting 22 spot all that more harder to get so i means players will want to do better to keep their spot

[Otiman]

All will hinge on our new and improved forwardline structure.

Now is the time where i'd pay to have anyone but Barker as Fwd Coach. Hell, even get SOS to do the preliminary work.

[eel33]

If we at last have a half decent tap ruckmen combination, well, it's amazing just how much better/faster the midfield players become, particularly at centre clearances, with the ball at least occasionally being hit to their advantage. That's not something we've seen happening much for quite a while. King and Gardi may not set the world alight (though I hope they can), but potentially they can make all our midfielders look 10+% better players.

Not all ruckmen in the league play like Dean Cox, so in his absence from our side, I'll take a ruck who contests (stops easy possession for the opposition) and finds our players (gives us first use - Harves must nearly have forgotten what that felt like!).

In short, I'm feeling much more optimistic about our ruck stocks and the effect they can have in '08 than I feel about this year's outcome which was plainly unacceptable for a side aiming at a flag.

[Bono]

My expectations went up when I heard Sheldon got the boot. How happy will Bakes be!!!

[3rd generation saint]

On paper, this appears to be one of the best trade period the club has had for a number of years.
We picked up 4 handy players for virtually nil lost.
Lets also not forget we also picked up 2 (or 3 not sure if Dempster played in Sydney's premiership team) premiership players.
I'm sure these guys might reflect what it's like to win a premiership and ignite the hunger in our players to go and do it.
Let's not forget at this time last year, Geelong appeared to be in a much worse position than us right now.
As everyone has stated, these guys add depth to the list, increase the competition for spots in the side and therefore puts pressure on players to perform to keep their spot.
especially if we get the fitness regime right and players are getting spots in the side through only because of neccesity.
So congratulations to RL and co and bring on 2008.

[Unforgiven]

My hopes have gone up, marginally because of our trading, but more so because it's things like these that make me feel the club is active and this new board and all that are really going to give us the best shot at it, hopefully more good things to come in the future, good pre-seasons, minimal injuries.