FERGUSON MUST BE RETAINED!

[ThePunter]

Lyon has made noises about players having a "four-year apprenticeship", and while this obviously wasn't the case for Justin Sweeney and Philip Raymond, they weren't Lyon's guys. Lyon was at the club when Howard was drafted.

Here is the list of players uncontracted for 2009, and my comments.

Xavier Clarke - recent saints.com article mentioned new contract being negotiated
Leigh Fisher - looks gone
Max Hudghton - contracts have been on a year by year basis for a while, we all hope he goes another year
Fraser Gehrig - retired
Michael Gardiner - injured and not a successful gamble on reflection
Matthew Ferguson - 4 games in 2 years since being re-drafted
Shane Birss - Didn't play in the ones between Rounds 12 and 21, despite scintillating VFL form, indicating mindset of football department
Charlie Gardiner - Is he more likely to play in our next premiership than Jarryd Allen or Ben McEvoy?
Brad Howard - see earlier four-year apprenticeship comment
Andrew McQualter - has saved career
James Gwilt - currently in side, being played as a forward where he looks good
Robert Harvey - retiring
Jarryd Allen - will get another contract
Clinton Jones - will get another contract
Luke Van Rheenan - gone
Robert Eddy - will be elevated
Jarryn Geary - will get another contract
Jayden Attard - played 20 games in 07, football department likes him
Stephen Milne - will get another contract

I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with delisting Howard, especially if we picked him up in the rookie draft for another year of development. However, that would leave us with one less spot on the rookie list to bring someone in from outside the club.

Look, I think L Fisher & M Ferguson are gone, and M Gardiner probably is. The fourth spot would only be necessitated if we elevate Jayden Attard, so it may be Attard who finds himself on the outside. As Gwilt is three years younger than C Gardiner, I think Chuck is in slightly more trouble, despite both playing on the weekend.

[meher baba]

Lyon has made noises about players having a "four-year apprenticeship", and while this obviously wasn't the case for Justin Sweeney and Philip Raymond, they weren't Lyon's guys. Lyon was at the club when Howard was drafted.

Here is the list of players uncontracted for 2009, and my comments.

Xavier Clarke - recent saints.com article mentioned new contract being negotiated
Leigh Fisher - looks gone
Max Hudghton - contracts have been on a year by year basis for a while, we all hope he goes another year
Fraser Gehrig - retired
Michael Gardiner - injured and not a successful gamble on reflection
Matthew Ferguson - 4 games in 2 years since being re-drafted
Shane Birss - Didn't play in the ones between Rounds 12 and 21, despite scintillating VFL form, indicating mindset of football department
Charlie Gardiner - Is he more likely to play in our next premiership than Jarryd Allen or Ben McEvoy?
Brad Howard - see earlier four-year apprenticeship comment
Andrew McQualter - has saved career
James Gwilt - currently in side, being played as a forward where he looks good
Robert Harvey - retiring
Jarryd Allen - will get another contract
Clinton Jones - will get another contract
Luke Van Rheenan - gone
Robert Eddy - will be elevated
Jarryn Geary - will get another contract
Jayden Attard - played 20 games in 07, football department likes him
Stephen Milne - will get another contract

I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with delisting Howard, especially if we picked him up in the rookie draft for another year of development. However, that would leave us with one less spot on the rookie list to bring someone in from outside the club.

Look, I think L Fisher & M Ferguson are gone, and M Gardiner probably is. The fourth spot would only be necessitated if we elevate Jayden Attard, so it may be Attard who finds himself on the outside. As Gwilt is three years younger than C Gardiner, I think Chuck is in slightly more trouble, despite both playing on the weekend.

Howard on the rookie list is an idea I hadn't considered. If it's possible: it would seem to be justified, seeing that he doesn't seem to be at all close to playing seniors in the foreseeable future, and I doubt that any other club is chasing after him.

It would certainly solve a lot of problems, as we could then delist/retire G, Harves, Gardi, Fish and Fergs and elevate Eddy and Mini and also have room for a fourth tradee/draftee (or elevate Attard, or Miles: but nobody has convinced me why he's so special).

I rather like the shape of the list that would emerge at the end of these changes (athough it would be far better if Harves could somehow be talked into changing his mind).

[Animal Enclosure]

I think these changes should be made at seasons end:



DELIST:
Rix, Michael
Ferguson, Matthew
Fiora, Aaron

Attard, Jayden (R)
Chivers, Glenn (R)
van Rheenen, Luke (R)

TRADE:
Fisher, Leigh

RETIRED:
Harvey, Robert
Gehrig, Fraser

I reckon you're on the money there LTN. Ross has stated that they will draft another young ruckman so that means big hearted, great clubman Rixy's time may be up.

I too agree that Ferg could have been given more chances, especially after his two games this year. Unfortunately his body just can't stand up to AFL footy.

I'm not sure Leigh Fisher has any trade value. Plodders are not that highly rated these days.

Fiora has run his race. I can't believe the club gave him 2 years. He'll probably stay on undeservedly & fill list space again.

That'll gives us 5 spots, two rookie elevations and 3 draft picks (is our list full at present??? I thought that we may be playing one short this year).

[james rose]

was just watching the rockstar video on youtube...

saw fergi take those marks again and longed to see him hit form

I think either way the club goes the decision is justifiable which may cause him to be gone...

? can we pick him up as a mature age rookie?

the guy could of been a gun.

[Winmar7Fan]

Lets stop wasting more time, get rid of all this dead wood and get some fresh bottom end stock.

[Ralphy]

Delist.
Rix.
Fisher

ross wont delist fiora , or charlie IMO.

[st.byron]

My take on delistings at year's end :

M.Gardiner ( his feet are stuffed. Hasn't played any consistent senior footy for 4
years and his body just isn't up to it)

Ferguson - has had five years to make his mark and hasn't made a
strong claim.

Leigh Fish - looks gone. Hasn't done that much wrong, but hasn't really
developed either. Too many others on the list who can do his
job.

These guys are the minimum that will go as well as Harves and Fraser. Would love to see Fiora go as well but I think we'll have him hanging around for another year since he's under contract.
Apart from the above, I can't see any other obvious outs. Rix will stay I reckon, at least until McEvoy develops into a genuine third rucking option. If Rix went and we'd be a bit thin on the ground for ruckmen since M.Gardi is gone.

Gwilt, Raph, Mini, Charlie Gardiner are all currently playing seniors so can't see them going.
Allen, Howard, Steven, Eljay and Geary are safe - more development time required.
Maybe some rookies wil be turned over - LVR perhaps - don't really know enough about these guys to form an opinion.

[Red]

Dead man walking

[bobmurray]

Ferguson will be a VFL player next year,his AFL career will be done and dusted.....

[TimeToShineFellas]

After watching that performance today are you happy to re-assess now Barks?

[davidgrantfan]

Went to watch Casey today, hopimng to see Ferguson star up fwd...but he spent most time in defence.

Wasnt a great day for him, or any of the team for that matter...Birss did Ok i thought, but the player who really stood out for me , never gave up, and ran all day was Number 1...Kyle Mathews...Gutsy effort

That probably doesnt say much for the St Kilda listed players today. Birss looked OK, X had a few touches, but Casey got thrashed.

[Spinner]

After watching that performance today are you happy to re-assess now Barks?

Who plays well when your team get thumped????

[TimeToShineFellas]

X was ok Spinner, I think when you're on the end of a bad performance you should try and dig deep at least.

You can still perform the 1%ers and have a dip. May not show up on the stats but at least you can walk off with your head held high.

[St Fidelius]

After watching that performance today are you happy to re-assess now Barks?

Who plays well when your team get thumped????

Well said spinner...

And I suppose the club will also base their decision on the scorpions thumping.

Stupid post IMO

[TimeToShineFellas]

After watching that performance today are you happy to re-assess now Barks?

Who plays well when your team get thumped????

Well said spinner...

And I suppose the club will also base their decision on the scorpions thumping.

Stupid post IMO

Fid can you please explain to me why you think it was a stupid post?

In the fact that some players are fighting for their spots on the list, I didn't think his performance was symbolic of someone trying to keep their place.

I am just asking a question to the OP about re-evaluating his assessment about him being retained.

[St Fidelius]

It's a stupid post because no one is going to base their decision on the one game and in that game we were smashed.


In another post you mentioned that X was okay....

Yes he had a few possessions, but so he should considering he was in the mid field.

and also mentioned that if players do the 1%ers you can at least walk off with you head held high...

I would somewhat doubt if any Scorpion player walked off the ground after that thumping with their head held high...

[TimeToShineFellas]

It's a stupid post because no one is going to base their decision on the one game and in that game we were smashed.

Fid do you think the Coaching staff would have just been judging Ferg on that one game?

I would think they would have been watching him all year.

I don't have anything against the bloke by the way, I just think there will be some delistings, and I think he might be up near the top of the list (and that's only my opinion)

Let's face it, people WILL be delisted or moved on.

Time will tell.........

[Winmar7Fan]

After watching that performance today are you happy to re-assess now Barks?

Who plays well when your team get thumped????

Good players do especially in a B grade comp. If he can only perform well in the VFL in a winning team somethings wrong.

I'm not basing any decisions on that i'm just responding to the statement that you can't play well in a team that got a good beating especially in a division that's supposedly well below you.

So Roo, Hayes or Goddard would have got towelled up too?

[St Fidelius]

Fid do you think the Coaching staff would have just been judging Ferg on that one game?

I would think they would have been watching him all year.

I don't have anything against the bloke by the way, I just think there will be some delistings, and I think he might be up near the top of the list (and that's only my opinion)

Let's face it, people WILL be delisted or moved on.

Time will tell.........

Well I agree with you on this post of course players will be de listed or moved on.

And of course the club will make that decision based on the entire year.

But to post this....

After watching that performance today are you happy to re-assess now Barks?

To me suggests that fans should make an assessment based on todays performance.

Hence why I suggested that it was a stupid post...

My opinion only

[TimeToShineFellas]

Fair enough Fid