Fiora..

[starsign]

I think most people are surprised, and looking for an excuse to cheer Fiora on - I know I am.

With respect, it's not hard to see a position for him. It's not hard to come up with things he can do that Geary and Birss can't: He's faster than Birss, stronger than Geary, a longer kick than either, not to mention a much better mark, and much more experienced than either. When we talk about the potential of Birss and Geary, we talk about a level of play we hope they achieve, with Fiora it's a level of play that he's achieved in flashes, and we wish he could do so regularly.

Perhaps there are people making excuses in advance - Fiora hasn't given us fans much reason to be optomistic he'll be good... keeping in mind we're not privy to all the reasoning and thinking of the selectors. However, those most upset about this appear to be making an emotional argument themselves; they don't like Fiora, therefore it's a bad selection.

I guess the real question is about our trust in the selectors. It's a very big game for the Saint's '08 season. The selectors have selected someone with experience as more useful in providing the win than someone for whom this kind of game could provide valuable experience. It's a bold statement, but one that leaves me in little doubt the Saints believe they can win this game.

_________________

well spoken Bam!
The other thing possibly going for him is hopefully his desire to do well here (and thats not to say that Birss and others would't have) But he's obviously coming of some good steady form for Casey and one would presume he's done well in whatever has been asked of him He would know only too well how tight the competition is for only a few births at present
This is going to be a BIG game on a big stage for us in the context of the season and hopefully a bloke of his experience (and abilities)can give the team something possative out of the situation he finds himself in
I for another wish him well and hope he can produce in return for the faith that RL and the selectors have shown him
If he tries his guts out in doing whatever is asked of him , we can have no beef
We know he can perform when the teams playing well , and we are certainly starting to show a bit of all round team confidence , so maybe they have got this one right when it really counts

[killa_gram]

go the fizz

The Fizz is flat.

[Solar]

go the fizz

The Fizz is flat.

no danger of shaking him up so he explodes?

[Corkin Ocean]

I can think of at least three reasons to recall him:

1. His best has a touch of class about it.
2. He was shamefully treated by the coaching staff when he was dropped – it is one thing for a coach to demand things in private and another thing entirely to effectively hang him out in the media glare as soft. I doubt Lyon realized what he was doing at the time (he seems to make a lot of it up as he goes along) but, having done it, Lyon owed him another chance. It would have been a low act to end his career with such public humiliation.
3. The game plan (whatever it is exactly) or, at least, the way the team plays (whether actually following a plan or not) has changed since he was dropped. Since the last quarter against North, the emphasis has moved to a more attacking game. This may suit him more than the defensive stuff being peddled earlier.

I can think of a number of reasons not to recall him - perhaps the most serious is that he may think or have been told that it is his last chance (what some on this forum are saying). I think those who have identified him as a “confidence playerâ€

[Con Gorozidis]

I can think of at least three reasons to recall him:

1. His best has a touch of class about it.

what does this mean exactly? im not planning on marrying him.

[saintsRrising]

3. The game plan (whatever it is exactly) or, at least, the way the team plays (whether actually following a plan or not) has changed since he was dropped. Since the last quarter against North, the emphasis has moved to a more attacking game. This may suit him more than the defensive stuff being peddled earlier.

I!

Well according to Lenny Hayes this week the game plan has not changed...but yes the players are executing it better....so the end result is play that is more attacking.

I cannot remember his exact words but one part was something like that space creates space. (ie that this allows players to go more direct..)


But yes your point on Fiora is valid.

With 1/ the play flowing quicker...and as Lenny said with more space being created

PLUS 2/ with our inside mids being in better form..

there is more opportunity for an outside player to be more effective.

[Saints43]

3. The game plan (whatever it is exactly) or, at least, the way the team plays (whether actually following a plan or not) has changed since he was dropped. Since the last quarter against North, the emphasis has moved to a more attacking game. This may suit him more than the defensive stuff being peddled earlier.

Well according to Lenny Hayes this week the game plan has not changed...but yes the players are executing it better....so the end result is play that is more attacking.

I cannot remember his exact words but one part was something like that space creates space. (ie that this allows players to go more direct..)

Nothing has changed. Nothing.

They still zone in defence and forwards always chase defenders up the ground. Don't they?

The plan is the same as Round One 2007. The players couldn't execute it.
Now they can. That's why it looks different.

Queue the "are you calling Lenny Hayes a liar?" post...

[Corkin Ocean]

Well, I was a bit flippant. I don’t know what the plan was and I don’t know whether it has changed. And I certainly hope that there is a plan that is unfolding. However, what I and everyone else can observe is that the awful stuff being served up as recently, for example, as the Freo game has largely gone – a very good thing - and there is, I think, more directness and more attack.

To my way of looking at it, the way Goddard played in getting it in the centre and bombing it down to the forward line in the last quarter against North was completely different to the type of possession game attempted in the first three. But it may be that it was all subtle variations of the same scheme and, when it came to the crunch, the players were successful in implementing it. As I said, I hope so. To me, an alternative and, granted, simple explanation would be that when it came to the crunch, the players said to themselves, “let’s win this thingâ€

[Saints43]

That's what I think too. We are taking the game on now. Backing ourselves.

To me the biggest display of a changing mindset is Gram going head to head with Judd.

Not long ago he would have been carving up a Leigh Fisher type who's only instruction would have been to limit Judd's influence - no attempt to hurt him going the other way. Remember the starting centre often being something like Ball, Blake and LFisher... and some wondering why we were getting smashed in 'contested ball'.

We seem more willing to dictate terms. I hope it continues against Hawthorn because if we can get the ball forward quick enough they have the same sort of defensive worries that we have.

To make this Fiora related - Does anyone else think that Fizz will end up playing a run with role on Bateman?

[saintsRrising]

[quote="Corkin Ocean"]Well, I was a bit flippant. I don’t know what the plan was and I don’t know whether it has changed. And I certainly hope that there is a plan that is unfolding. However, what I and everyone else can observe is that the awful stuff being served up as recently, for example, as the Freo game has largely gone – a very good thing - and there is, I think, more directness and more attack.

To my way of looking at it, the way Goddard played in getting it in the centre and bombing it down to the forward line in the last quarter against North was completely different to the type of possession game attempted in the first three. But it may be that it was all subtle variations of the same scheme and, when it came to the crunch, the players were successful in implementing it. As I said, I hope so. To me, an alternative and, granted, simple explanation would be that when it came to the crunch, the players said to themselves, “let’s win this thingâ€

[sunsaint]

the dead horse is flogged
the fact is we will win IF...
NDS manages to do enough defensively on Hodge but still kick more goals.
Hayes and Mitchell go head to head in the hard man stakes and nullify each other.
Montagna leads Sewell to the ball all day and sets up goals.
And our ace up the sleeve Ball and Harvey kick 3-4 between them.

The leg speed of our onballers is on show tomorrow, this will be the deciding factor and not whether Fiora kicks a clanger or two.

[bergsone]

He has been named emerg last couple so maybe scorps form has been better than many read into.Surely last chance to perform and cement a spot ,must be in for run and carry,means RL is relying on inside mids Hayes Ball etc win plenty of ball IMO

[Corkin Ocean]

Appreciate the comments sRr, and nicely turned back to Fiora at the end.

I couldn’t agree more about confidence. They haven’t looked like they have had enough of it for much of the season.

So much of football is played above the shoulders. When things got difficult earlier on, I think many of them started to think that a premiership would never happen for them and that all that they had been told over a number of years and had come to believe was mistaken. Rather than being part of a potential golden era, they started to fear that it was back to rebuilding. This would be pretty crushing to confidence, I would think.

Maybe, after the injection of some youth and ability to run out games, in the North game - for whatever reason – the penny dropped that it is not all gloom and doom. No-one is going to hand them any game, but they still have enough talent to have a real crack at any side – so why not do it? It is, perhaps, typically St Kilda, that this attitude might manifest itself only after many have written us off. I doubt that we will ever win a premiership if we are favourites.

Sorry to say that this in part gets back to coaching. It is a primary task of the coaching staff to get the players believing in themselves and the direction of the team. I don’t know whether increased confidence was brought about by the coaching staff or whether it just happened amongst the players. If it was the coaching staff, they sure took their time in getting around to it. What the coaches need to do is to keep it building.

And Fiora is a little subset of all of this. Build his confidence, you just might get a ready-made running player - a handy bonus. If he starts to think he doesn’t have a future, I wouldn’t rate his chances of performing.

[TimeToShineFellas]

Good to see the bagging of individuals is alive and well on this site.......

Maybe Fiora can come round to your workplaces and mercilessly bag you saying you're not worth a pinch of sh*t to your organisation.

That's if the majority of you internet keyboard warriors actually work......

[stinger]

Good to see the bagging of individuals is alive and well on this site.......

Maybe Fiora can come round to your workplaces and mercilessly bag you saying you're not worth a pinch of sh*t to your organisation.

That's if the majority of you internet keyboard warriors actually work......

well said....

[killa_gram]

Good to see the bagging of individuals is alive and well on this site.......

Maybe Fiora can come round to your workplaces and mercilessly bag you saying you're not worth a pinch of sh*t to your organisation.

That's if the majority of you internet keyboard warriors actually work......

Problem there is, that I am better at my job than he is at his. I put my whole heart and soul into my work.

[joffaboy]

Good to see the bagging of individuals is alive and well on this site.......

Maybe Fiora can come round to your workplaces and mercilessly bag you saying you're not worth a pinch of sh*t to your organisation.

That's if the majority of you internet keyboard warriors actually work......

Problem there is, that I am better at my job than he is at his. I put my whole heart and soul into my work.

Doesn't take much heart and soul to sign a dole form.

Who puts their "heart and soul" into their work unless they are a sad arse with no friends, no family or no life?

I work hard, enjoy my job, and like my organisation but would be out of there in a shot if they didn't pay me.

Heart and Soul at work pfft

[skeptic]

Doesn't take much heart and soul to sign a dole form.

BANG

Nice work jb

[killa_gram]

Doesn't take much heart and soul to sign a dole form.

BANG

Nice work jb

Something Fiora will need to learn to do when we cut him.

[mbogo]

The challenge is there Killa - Fiora has played 135 AFL games.
We have to assume you have achieved better than (at least) 95% of others in your profession - perhaps we have heard of you - do tell!!!!
What are you - a heart surgeon? Nobel Prize Winner? Billionaire entrepreneur? Author perhaps? PhD in Robotics?
Go FIZZ - shove it up these idiots .....

[Armoooo]

Wow, good to see this thread is still going strong...l
Nice to see how precious we all are.

You know what You've convicned me, Fiora should be in the team, and so should Rix, he always tries hard.

You know what actually, all our players deserve a gig, do you think the AFL will let us play with 40 men this week I hope so.

I hope Ross lets the boys know what it's all about, the most important thing is to have fun.

I hope the little mothers club we have going in here all chip in and buy the boys maccas after the match...

[Otiman]

If he has 3-4 good games for the rest of the season, then he may have some trade value. Otherwise we have no way of getting rid of him until 2011 when his contract is up.

[mbogo]

Armoo for coach - we need arrogant morons running the club - too boring otherwise!
Loud-mouthed supporters are always wiser than the selection panel!
Gee it will be fun watching listening to the anti-fizz brigade Sat night FFS!

[Armoooo]

Armoo for coach - we need arrogant morons running the club - too boring otherwise!
Loud-mouthed supporters are always wiser than the selection panel!
Gee it will be fun watching listening to the anti-fizz brigade Sat night FFS!

Thanks for your support Mrs. Fiora.

[stinger]

Wow, good to see this thread is still going strong...l
Nice to see how precious we all are.

You know what You've convicned me, Fiora should be in the team, and so should Rix, he always tries hard.

You know what actually, all our players deserve a gig, do you think the AFL will let us play with 40 men this week I hope so.

I hope Ross lets the boys know what it's all about, the most important thing is to have fun.

I hope the little mothers club we have going in here all chip in and buy the boys maccas after the match...

you want to act like a spoilt child...????then p!ss off.....