The Official Team

[Otiman]

It's on lockout now. Just traded Proud for Scott Thompson (Nth Melb) at the last minute, after trying for the last 30.

Henderson (Bris) is the only player in my team not named. Hoping for a late change

[SaintBot]

now back on topic


im a bit mixed on the result for the team

wouldve liked goddard, l.fisher and armitage

however im glad max is in and gehrig

also like the fact that geary has been named

big game for raph, blake, charlie, c.jones and geary - all would be the first ones considered to make way for good form and returns from injury

[saintbrat]

Frasers back

[Otiman]

Good luck to M. Gardiner, C. Gardiner, A. Schneider, and J. Geary in their debut games for the Saints. Also a special mention for Fraser Gehrig.

[Saintgaz]

I reckon the AFL are going to get a few complaints. I'm in the Courier Mail SuperCoach which has the same set up, and probably the same company running it.

in a bizzare finish i hit update for my 2nd trade with 18 seconds on the clock

i felt like someone in the bomb squad...none of the graphics were coming up so i had to make a guess on which was the trade button...the other being captain

I was trying to sort my emergencies out and one of my backs got changed. I couldn't see the buttons so I didn't press randomly in case I moved my captain from Ablett to Hartlett

[mad saint guy]

Who would you drop from the midfield to play armo? Geary gives us backline rotation and jones gives us forward rotation.

Armo showed in the NAB Cup that he is a goalkicker. Would like to see him have a go up forward on guys like McLeod/Gilbee.

[matrix]

when u play on mcleod u follow/tag him....that would be a waste of armo me thinks

[Ryanstein]

no L Fisher?

what has this guy done wrong?

[Washedup]

no L Fisher?

what has this guy done wrong?

Wouldn't be surprised to see L.Fisher come into the 22, Max no certainty

[Otiman]

Sam Fisher on Hall (fresh from a good preseason and off-season surgery) could be a worry.

We will have to fill the gaps pretty well. Geary seems to be a good reader of the ball and isn't scared to put his body on the line, should do well in this role. Thankfully we don't have to match up on Schneider

[saintspremiers]

Our best side on paper since 2005.

Congrats RL and the recruitment/fitness management team.

[saintsRrising]

ST KILDA
B: Gram, Hudghton, Gilbert
HB: R.Clarke, S.Fisher, X.Clarke
C: Blake, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Harvey, Riewoldt, Schneider
F: Milne, Koschitzke, Gehrig
FOLL: King, Dal Santo, Ball
I/C: M.Gardiner, C.Gardiner, Jones, Geary
EMG: L.Fisher, Fiora, Birss
NEW: Jarryn Geary, 2007 Rookie List elevation, from Bendigo U18s

Looks likea very good well balanced team to me....




But I could equally have said that with about 4 or so players who are still to miss.

Jones on the one hand lucky to get in....but then again he played 3 really good NAB games and only one quiet one. One thing is he is quite different from our other players and adds pace and fierce tackling. The Swans will test him out.

BJ looked good last week...but has only played 2 games and with our past run of injuries you can understand why they are being cautious.

[bigcarl]

jones will give us forward pressure and RL likes him

i like him too. he's a goer and is really quick.

however (if he is to play forward) i'd prefer someone who can actually kick goals.

so far in six games for us jones has managed only one goal, against the bulldogs on april 14 last year. he also kicked a point against carlton on may 4.

to me the best type of "forward pressure" is the goals-on-the-board type and if you don't kick goals then you shouldn't be anywhere near them.

perhaps the thinking is to give him some time in the middle to release more accomplished goal-kickers such as ball, dal santo, montagna, schneider and even harvey to the forward line more often.

i hope that is what it is, unless RL knows something about cj's ability to put a score on the board that i haven't seen yet.

of course, if cj can kick a bag of two or three i'd change my thinking pretty quickly ... here's hoping.

[bigcarl]

Sam Fisher on Hall (fresh from a good preseason and off-season surgery) could be a worry.

won't max get hall?

[Solar]

Sam Fisher on Hall (fresh from a good preseason and off-season surgery) could be a worry.

won't max get hall?

max will get o'loughlan?

plus agree with CJ, just thinking out loud about why CJ was picked, 50/50 split between him, armo and birss IMO, all could do the job

[Saints Premiers 2008]

Who would you drop from the midfield to play armo? Geary gives us backline rotation and jones gives us forward rotation.

Armo showed in the NAB Cup that he is a goalkicker. Would like to see him have a go up forward on guys like McLeod/Gilbee.

i wouldnt he would get murdered...i dont really see how they could match up for our benefit...how many goals did he kick in the nab cup...2?? that hardly makes a goal kicker....

plus both mcleod and gilbee are quick and so far armo has done nothing to suggest he would be able to keep up with those types of quick running backs

no deal from me

[avid]

in a bizzare finish i hit update for my 2nd trade with 18 seconds on the clock

i felt like someone in the bomb squad...none of the graphics were coming up so i had to make a guess on which was the trade button...the other being captain

all worked...interested to see if the trade got through in time

Champion work!!!
I couldn't get on to clean out my no-shows

[St DAC]

i like him too. he's a goer and is really quick.

however (if he is to play forward) i'd prefer someone who can actually kick goals.

I do too. I like his run and pressure. I hope he plays a blinder.

But I'd prefer someone who can actually kick a football.

[Dan Warna]

looks a great team

the only question I would have is on max's fitness and CJ.

I rate armo way ahead of CJ, and tbh while a critic of birss, his work ethic and his ability to deliver the ball, is >>>>>>>>>>>>>CJs.

I reckon birss is a lot like burke (though no where near the quality, if burke was say a 8/10 Birss would be a 6,5/10 but birss rarely has a really bad game)

i feel the st kilda team is carrying jones a fair bit.

lets hope CJ can lift from his 50% turn over rate and 6 possessions a game ><

[Unforgiven]

lets hope CJ can lift from his 50% turn over rate and 6 possessions a game ><

He did this during the NAB cup.

[stinger]

i thought we had 5 new players.....


"Saintly ruckmen give Kosi freedom


Author: By David Reed 5:22 PM Thu 20 March, 2008
ekend - Sunday Part 2
Sun, Mar 16, 08

ST KILDA has named four new players for Saturday night’s round one clash with Sydney at Telstra Dome headlined by recycled ruck duo Steven King and Michael Gardiner.

King, fresh off a premiership with Geelong, and Gardiner, the former Eagle who failed to play a game for the Saints last year due to injury, should give the club the flexibility it has been looking for.

It will allow dangerman Justin Koschitzke to find a permanent key position post and possibly allow Fraser Gehrig to keep away from forward line clearances.

The other new players are former Sydney premiership player Adam Schneider, former Cat Charlie Gardiner and Jarryn Geary.

Superstar Robert Harvey is due to play his 360th game, taking him into outright sixth position in the history of the game, behind only Michael Tuck (426 games), Kevin Bartlett (403 games), Simon Madden (378 games), Craig Bradley (375 games) and Bernie Quinlan (366 games).

The Saints won the NAB Cup and enter the season in fine shape physically, although Max Hudghton is still in doubt with a hamstring injury.

Nick Riewoldt will also be leading the side out as the solo captain while a fit Luke Ball could be the cream on the cake for the Saints.

ST KILDA v SYDNEY SWANS
Saturday, March 22 7.10PM AEST, Telstra Dome

ST KILDA
B: Jason Gram, Max Hudghton, Sam Gilbert
HB: Raphael Clarke, Sam Fisher, Xavier Clarke
C: Jason Blake, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna
HF: Robert Harvey, Nick Riewoldt, Adam Schneider
F: Stephen Milne, Justin Koschitzke, Fraser Gehrig
Foll: Steven King, Nick Dal Santo, Luke Ball
I/C: Michael Gardiner, Charlie Gardiner, Clint Jones, Jarryn Geary EMG: Leigh Fisher, Aaron Fiora, Shane Birss
New: Michael Gardiner (West Coast), Steven King (Geelong), Charlie Gardiner (Geelong), Adam Schneider (Sydney Swans), Jarryn Geary (Bendigo Under-18s)

SYDNEY SWANS
B: Tadhg Kennelly, Leo Barry, Martin Mattner
C: Jarrad McVeigh, Brett Kirk, Amon Buchanan
HF: Ryan O’Keefe, Michael O’Loughlin, Jude Bolton
F: Craig Bird, Barry Hall, Heath Grundy
Foll: Darren Jolly, Adam Goodes, Jarred Moore
I/C: Luke Ablett, Paul Bevan, Nick Davis, Ted Richards
EMG: Ed Barlow, Luke Brennan, Ben Mathews
New: Craig Bird (NSW-ACT Under-18s), Martin Mattner (Adelaide)"


................................................................................................


...oh......and congratulations robert harvey...you are a true champion....

[i_luv_nick_riewoldt]

the swans definitely aren't as potent on paper as they use to be.

[chook23]

the swans definitely aren't as potent on paper as they use to be.

Actually think it is..

We will have to play very well...the swannies will be hard to beat.

We have had the media build up... expectation high

[i_luv_nick_riewoldt]

really? without schneider i dont think they look as dangerous and

unpredictable. Maybe im super confident any saints team will

beat the swans on our form so far. also the td advantage helps as they

havent beated us at the dome in yrs.

[stinger]

Max is a f****** legend
i'd mow his lawns for free

i'm a bit more liberal......i would cut juddy's grass for free.....