Bakes vs Benny

[PJ]

Sunday June 28th St.Kilda vs Richmond


Ross Lyon gives the job of minding Ben Cousins to Steven Baker

WHO DO YOU BACK??

Stephen Baker
1/ Out of the game for most of season 08
2/ Recovering from knee surgery
3/ Plenty to prove (to himself & club) given his role as a tagger has come under heavy scrutiny
4/ Some suggest he is getting to slow for the game
5/ Around 30 years of age
6/ Coach has backed him saying he'll be called on in 09
7/ Very little media spotlight

Ben Cousins
1/ Out of the game for 18mnths
2/ Recovering from hamstring related injuries
3/ Plenty to prove (to himself mainly)
4/ Some suggest his hamstrings are shot and he's getting old
5/ around 30 years of age
6/ Coach says he's got to prove himself and earn his spot in the side
7/ massive media exposure - but seems to revel in this

Interesting comparisson between the 2 - they're both at the crossroad in their respective careers


Only hypothetical gang but could possibly happen

Steven Baker lives to play in the saints jumper Cuz just wants to play.

I'm backing .......

& why??

For my money Bakes every day of the week

[sunsaint]

the game has changed a lot since Bakes last played.
You cant give "front on" prostate exams on your opponent anymore!
Well the umpires get jealous and penalise you.

[Winmar7Fan]

Cousins all day long. Baker maybe a few years ago but my opinion for 6 months now is Baker and Maguire unfortunately are both finished.

[evertonfc]

So long as they both play good games and the Saints win comfortably, I'll be happy.

Hope you both have a fantastic year

[PJ]

the game has changed a lot since Bakes last played.

Even more since Ben played

[jonesy]

Jesus.

Has Cousins turned into the Don Bradman of AFL football in the last few months or something? If you listened to all the hype,I think we should probably go with 12 taggers for Cousins on the day,possibly more, he needs to be stopped, almost akin to Phar Lap

[St Fidelius]

Jesus.

Has Cousins turned into the Don Bradman of AFL football in the last few months or something? If you listened to all the hype,I think we should probably go with 12 taggers for Cousins on the day,possibly more, he needs to be stopped, almost akin to Phar Lap

agreed, and to be honest I am farkin sick of this illusion that he at 31 year old next year is somehow our "missed opportunity" of a GF..

Some people have No real idea, and for a certain poster to suggest that the admim should resign re the cousins issue, and that they have no idea is really hilarious.

This is the same poster that demanded that BC should be drug tested after he fled from his car a couple of years back...

This is the same poster that had the gaul to interrupt a coach just before game time with his suggestions and paper work to "hit outs to advantage"

This is the same poster that actually liked the Frankston re location but went cold on Seaford, but still carries on about "tradition" and wanst the Club to relocate somewhere "closer" to St Kilda...

I really mean this... WHAT THE F***, DOES THAT MEAN???

just how loose are you with "tradition"???

[Iceman234]

Jesus.

Has Cousins turned into the Don Bradman of AFL football in the last few months or something? If you listened to all the hype,I think we should probably go with 12 taggers for Cousins on the day,possibly more, he needs to be stopped, almost akin to Phar Lap

I don't know about any messiah complex, but Tigers supporters and some SS posters are celebrating BC's birthday Thursday next week.

[PJ]

Could've sworn I posted about a potential match up on the football field.

A lot of baggage being carried around from other threads - heated. hostile baggage.

[Iceman234]

Sorry PJ to go off topic.

I'd have to say BC, at the moment. But I wouldn't be running Bakes with him anyway these days.

At their respective bests, I'd back Bakes.

[sunsaint]

the game has changed a lot since Bakes last played.

Even more since Ben played

mmm maybe but fitness aside, I was making a point about the umpiring, he wont be able to play the way he used to.

[PJ]

Yeh point taken Sunsaint...but no one knows exactly whats going to happen with that. They could be red hot for the first few weeks theen the whistle goes in the pocket - seen it before.

I wouldn't be underestimating Bakes as it seems everybody has. He's actually a little younger than cuz I think and probably the most tenacious saint I've seen when he's on a mission (yes folks you've all witnessed it before even against ruckmen).

Steven Baker is an odd kind of player he never looks all that convincing technically but he has that low centre of gravity and traps players better than most - I'd have hated to play him at British Bulldog.

I've even written him off 2 seasons ago but he proved me wrong. I think you will see what he's made of t his season - body is probably getting a bit slower but he has a feral instinct for hunting.

Some will hate this but you can even quote GT when hw was saying he's the sort of guy you'd want in the trenches with you.

Oh well it appears I'll be the only with faith in him in 09 - Go Bakes!!

[Bernard Shakey]

Unfortunately the game has passed Bakes by and I'm not convinced his knee will ever come good.

Also worried about Goose's leg.

[BigMart]

I think I will take the opposite view.....

I think people have forgotton how good BC was.....

just 3 years ago Bakes won a B&F at St.K (top 4 team).......great effort.

BC the same year won the brownlow, every media award and his 4th B&F and his 5th year as Captain (in a grand Final)...superstar.

Bakes was one of the better players at St.K......Cousins has been the #1 player in the AFL and in the top 5 for a few years......

He last played late 2007......anyone would think he has not played since the 90's.....footy hasen't changed that much, it is still 18 a side with an oval ball.....the difference is probably running power..

was that EVER a weakness of BC......it is exactly what kept Harves in the game for so long...

If he stays clean......he will have 4 years left.....injury free he will finish top 6 in Richmonds B&F (or higher) in three of them.....not bad from a last pick in the 2008 draft.......would Brissy have the same goals for Tom Rockliff....the pick before him???

Don Bradman - NO

Superstar - Yes

[makemytime]

mmm.... i have to back cousins, i love baker and hes all heart and soul but on ability alone, id have to back cousins.

i hope he proves me wrong at the start of the year

[PJ]

Bakes used to do the job on Judd so well he probably never really got Cuz so I'd be interested.

Play maker vs play stopper

[eel33]

TBH I'm not that interested in BC anymore. I'd much rather discuss the possibilities of what damage Bakes could do in '09.

As I see it, the big question is how well does his knee with"stand" the demands of playing at the top level again. If its 100%, he could still do the midfield tagging role, at least some of the time. If its not, I would not be surprised to see Bakes competing for the defensive forward position. He's shown in the past the ability to slip forward into space and mark unopposed (always a one-grabber, too). Kicks the odd goal. And with so many teams employing running quarterbacks off the HB line, it could seriously disrupt some game plans if the set-up player was being alternately tagged/made accountable by someone who knows their stuff.

Obviously, some of the in-close tricks used from a couple of years ago are no longer tolerated (or, at least, won't be tolerated if it is Bakes employing them - the umps will see to that), but Bakes is actually quite a bit more skilled than many give him credit. And his relatively small body comes packaged with a nuggety determination that won't leave him wondering whether he could do more to get us over the line.

I'm hoping that the "news of his demise has been greatly exagerated", and we'll see him again providing some of the mongrel we have been lacking.

[kosifantutti23]

Do you think Benny will last until June?

I'll worry about Round 1 matchups first, but probably not until March.

[bergholt]

Cousins all day long. Baker maybe a few years ago but my opinion for 6 months now is Baker and Maguire unfortunately are both finished.

Is this opinion actually based on anything?

[Hurricane]

My theory on the duel is simple

Baker is a Saint
Cousins is not

Therefore I back Bakes

BANG BANG

[jonesy]

There's no doubt he's not going to be the same (bakes). His knee and ankle are major issues. Carlton throwing that contract at him last year was the best thing that could of happened to him

We'll see how the pre season treats him

[Saints94]

Baker just needs to get a full preseason into him first

[Winmar7Fan]

Cousins all day long. Baker maybe a few years ago but my opinion for 6 months now is Baker and Maguire unfortunately are both finished.

Is this opinion actually based on anything?

It's only based on my opinion from the writing on the wall of these 2. Anyone who has a broad enough vision of the past season or two can see they have struggled with recovery and as time goes on and age etc I don't think it's getting easier for them.

I'd love to say they're going to come out firing and play their best football but I'm too realistic for that.

IMO they'll probably make it back out there but struggle or even break down again.

[jays]

imo they will both be back fit and ready to go next year

[Ralphy]

i think that both of them will be fine by next year.