Zac Dawson to make Round 1 debut

[SainterK]

I guess it depends on what you perceive as a good result, it would be silly to expect BH not to bag a couple. I personally think it's not a bad match up, Zac has the obvious advantage of youth and Barry would be slowing down these days one would expect?

[Armoooo]

I noticed the article mentioned Ross announced it at the club's season launch.

Is it just me or did the club tell absolutely no one that this was on?

I noticed that too. What launch? Why is nobody else curious?

The Season Launch Function held on Tuesday night that at least 7 members of this forum attended.

As far as I'm aware it was only club officials and sponsors attending.

[saintspremiers]

Good luck Zac.

Remember: WE (as in Saints fans) HATE Sydney with a PASSION.

BBBB is a complete and utter tool and can easily be put off his game.

BBBB is a half wit, loose cannon, nutcase and deserves a toweling.

Give him one back Zac! (hmmm, perhaps we could use that in the CS banner?)

[sunsaint]

Good summation Everton, sadly good posts often go through to the keeper...
I think the swans will try to stretch our height in the backline, jolly/goodes will go forward.
I dont have any problems with Dawson, he was a very cheap pick up and should be judged accordingly. Ray has far more to prove.
Was not surprised he has been elevated,, I think he would have been regardless of injury list, as he adds flexibility in that he can play forward, and is (sadly) way ahead of the new recruits.
the only thing that worries me about Zac is the demon he carries.
If he plays BH wide and doesnt get in a wrestling match with him he should go ok

[Saints Premiers 2008]

I guess it depends on what you perceive as a good result, it would be silly to expect BH not to bag a couple. I personally think it's not a bad match up, Zac has the obvious advantage of youth and Barry would be slowing down these days one would expect?

what would youth have to do with anything if hall is much stronger and better at using his body in the contest???

i think it could potentially be a bad match up...a match up that could cost us the game if he gets a few early..builds the confidence and forces a much better players to be his opponent

[Mr Magic]

I noticed the article mentioned Ross announced it at the club's season launch.

Is it just me or did the club tell absolutely no one that this was on?

I noticed that too. What launch? Why is nobody else curious?

The Season Launch Function held on Tuesday night that at least 7 members of this forum attended.

As far as I'm aware it was only club officials and sponsors attending.

That's correct.
We had 4 pairs of tickets as part of our Player Sponsorship Program. One of those pairs of tickets saw 2 members of the group go (making 5 forumites in total).

Also at least 2 other members of this forum attended as part of different Player Sponsorhips.

[SainterK]

I guess it depends on what you perceive as a good result, it would be silly to expect BH not to bag a couple. I personally think it's not a bad match up, Zac has the obvious advantage of youth and Barry would be slowing down these days one would expect?

what would youth have to do with anything if hall is much stronger and better at using his body in the contest???

i think it could potentially be a bad match up...a match up that could cost us the game if he gets a few early..builds the confidence and forces a much better players to be his opponent

Do I detect a sneering tone to your post?

[B W and R all over]

I noticed the article mentioned Ross announced it at the club's season launch.

Is it just me or did the club tell absolutely no one that this was on?

I noticed that too. What launch? Why is nobody else curious?

The Season Launch Function held on Tuesday night that at least 7 members of this forum attended.

As far as I'm aware it was only club officials and sponsors attending.

That's correct.
We had 4 pairs of tickets as part of our Player Sponsorship Program. One of those pairs of tickets saw 2 members of the group go (making 5 forumites in total).

Also at least 2 other members of this forum attended as part of different Player Sponsorhips.

Good to see the club's contempt for the fans is alive and well then. I saw some shabby treatment of fans at the b&f last year and it looks like that won't be changing any time soon.

[Saints Premiers 2008]

I guess it depends on what you perceive as a good result, it would be silly to expect BH not to bag a couple. I personally think it's not a bad match up, Zac has the obvious advantage of youth and Barry would be slowing down these days one would expect?

what would youth have to do with anything if hall is much stronger and better at using his body in the contest???

i think it could potentially be a bad match up...a match up that could cost us the game if he gets a few early..builds the confidence and forces a much better players to be his opponent

Do I detect a sneering tone to your post?

i don't understand what an obvious advantage of youth is???

zac dawson will go well if he gets help from others around....if the swans are forced to bomb it long to a crowded forward line hall will have difficulty...

if zac is one out with a forward line that has been pushed up the ground he is in trouble...regardless of how youthful he is or how old hall is

remembered hall is great in body contests...and he knows how to get free kicks from defenders....

[evertonfc]

Good to see the club's contempt for the fans is alive and well then.

Don't say that too loudly or the "Get-over-it-footy's-changed-come-on-the-Jeld-Wen-Gold-Coast-Saints!" brigade will get you.

[Armoooo]

Good to see the club's contempt for the fans is alive and well then.

Don't say that too loudly or the "Get-over-it-footy's-changed-come-on-the-Jeld-Wen-Gold-Coast-Saints!" brigade will get you.

I think you will find that every professional sporting club in the world would have events specifically for the sponsors...

[maverick]

To qualify my earlier post, the club needs to make a concerted judgement about whether they feel Dawson can hold Hall to no more than 2-3 goals.

I'd be asking Riewoldt and Koschitzke - and Max, obviously - about whether they feel Dawson has the physicality and smarts to play as our leading KP full-back. If they say yes, without an asterisk, then I'd give him the nod.

The major, major plus out of Dawson playing would be that Hall isn't the player he used to be, and can be beaten these days. That would give Dawson an incredible shot of confidence to say "I beat Barry Hall in my first game for St Kilda" - and he'll start to believe that he can make a difference for us.

But it's not worth losing a game over. If Dawson is getting beaten, we need to switch him either to CHB or up forward, letting Sam Fisher to play, unfortunately, as a key defender and hope either Colm Begley or Farren Ray can lift and fill the run he provides from defence.

Indeed, I could think of worse things than having him as a pinch-hitting third forward, particuarly if Kosi is struggling.

Questions aplenty. Given that Micky O'Loughlin probably won't play, Sydney are likely to have a forward line of Hall, Grundy O'Keefe and a mix of Moore/Veszpremi/McVeigh/Bird/Jack rotating through.

The alternative theory is that the resting ruckman - either Adam Goodes, possibly Jesse White (surely not Pyke) or Darren Jolly - will play forward when not on the ball, giving the Swans another tall option. In that case, Dawson could well be better suited to taking that player. However, I'd be targeting him to take Grundy, who I think is a very average footballer and somebody Roos has grown too attached to.

On selection night, you'll be able to tell how we think they'll play. But we should be wary that the Swans are going to gear their game for stoppages and speed, and we can't afford to be beaten on either front.

Good post.
I guess I look at it this way.
He kicks 5 on Zac, and S Fisher gets 26 disposals and sets up 5 goals or
S Fisher plays on BBBB, holds him to 3 and picks up 10 possies.

I think Sam is in our best three players and is wasted as a key back, effective run out of defence is one of our key failings IMO.

[Mr Magic]

I noticed the article mentioned Ross announced it at the club's season launch.

Is it just me or did the club tell absolutely no one that this was on?

I noticed that too. What launch? Why is nobody else curious?

The Season Launch Function held on Tuesday night that at least 7 members of this forum attended.

As far as I'm aware it was only club officials and sponsors attending.

That's correct.
We had 4 pairs of tickets as part of our Player Sponsorship Program. One of those pairs of tickets saw 2 members of the group go (making 5 forumites in total).

Also at least 2 other members of this forum attended as part of different Player Sponsorhips.

Good to see the club's contempt for the fans is alive and well then. I saw some shabby treatment of fans at the b&f last year and it looks like that won't be changing any time soon.

I'm sorry but I don't understand the angst?

The Club decided to host this function for all their sponsors as they did similarly last year.

The format changed from a sit-down dinner to a cocktail party.
There were no public at the function last year either - only sponsors.

[Otiman]

Thinking back to other players that have played on Hall, i remembered Gwilt's game on him... however, cannot remember the outcome - can anyone enlighten me?

Gwilt's career best game. 1 brownlow vote for it too. I also believe he had support from Rix back there too.

[StNoodles]

I wouldn't underestimate Hall's current form, he's had a solid pre-season.

Zac will need plenty of help from the likes of Chips.

Positive for us is the fact that the Swans backline is equally as depleted as ours, so we should have a few winners in our forward line.

[Armoooo]

Thinking back to other players that have played on Hall, i remembered Gwilt's game on him... however, cannot remember the outcome - can anyone enlighten me?

Gwilt's career best game. 1 brownlow vote for it too. I also believe he had support from Rix back there too.

Hall still score a few goals on him though didn't he? something like 4 IIRC, but still wasn't very influential.

Also surely Gwilts best ever game must have been the Harvey final over in Adelaide...

[evertonfc]

Good to see the club's contempt for the fans is alive and well then.

Don't say that too loudly or the "Get-over-it-footy's-changed-come-on-the-Jeld-Wen-Gold-Coast-Saints!" brigade will get you.

I think you will find that every professional sporting club in the world would have events specifically for the sponsors...

I'm not referring to the other night specifically (sponsors nights are fair enough IMO), more that if you complain about anything the club does, you'll get a necked.

Anyway, thank you maverick and sunsaint for your compliments.

[cwrcyn]

All this does is underline the fact that we simply don't have enough coverage for our key defensive positions. There has been no succession plan regarding Hudghton. Can someone name me a genuine young key defender who has been recruited by us in tha national draft in the past five years?

If Zac Dawson succeeds as a key defender for us, then the world is a very strange place indeed.

I wish him well, but the reality is that he is a delisted Key defender who was rookied by us for the very reason he will be playing round one. We should judge him accordingly, not like a prized top ten national draft pick. If he perfoms with a base level of competency and nothing more, then he will have done well.

For our sake, he'll need to.

.

[PJ]

the world is a very strange place indeed.

You only need to read a few threads here to get that

[WayneJudson42]

the sky is falling... the sky is falling...

I'm ready for a Zac Attack, are you?

Let's get ready to ruuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmble!

[saint66au]

Can someone name me a genuine young key defender who has been recruited by us in tha national draft in the past five years?

Sam Gilbert was earmarked at the time as a KP defender. Perhaps hasbt filled out as expected but IMHO he's too rangy and slight to play the role now

Just on Zac..two "knowledgeable" Hawks fans at my work, on hearing of Zac's promotion to the senior list, were hell-bent on getting to the TAB and plonking their life savings on BBBBBH to kick the most goals for Round 1

Would just be lovely to rub their noses in it Monday week

[maverick]

Can someone name me a genuine young key defender who has been recruited by us in tha national draft in the past five years?

Sam Gilbert was earmarked at the time as a KP defender. Perhaps hasbt filled out as expected but IMHO he's too rangy and slight to play the role now

Just on Zac..two "knowledgeable" Hawks fans at my work, on hearing of Zac's promotion to the senior list, were hell-bent on getting to the TAB and plonking their life savings on BBBBBH to kick the most goals for Round 1

Would just be lovely to rub their noses in it Monday week

My Hawk mate reckons Zac was a little unlucky to be axed, and is sure they would have rookied him, except we got in first.

[WayneJudson42]

That's what I love about this place... so many supporters are ready to give players a fair opportuinity to prove themselves and develop before writing them off.

Makes you proud. Real proud... NOT.

[PJ]

Not even sure that Zac will get big, bald, brainless, breathy, buffoon hall but I'm sure he's one of the contenders and i wouldn't be surprised if they rotate the honours around. Blake or Raph (if playing) could enter the ring, oops I mean be put on him.

Be interested to see if bazza comes out swinging.

[Teflon]

Good to see the club's contempt for the fans is alive and well then.

Don't say that too loudly or the "Get-over-it-footy's-changed-come-on-the-Jeld-Wen-Gold-Coast-Saints!" brigade will get you.

I think you will find that every professional sporting club in the world would have events specifically for the sponsors...

I'm not referring to the other night specifically (sponsors nights are fair enough IMO), more that if you complain about anything the club does, you'll get a necked.

Anyway, thank you maverick and sunsaint for your compliments.

Oh so your not complaining bout the other night - you know.....the SPONSORS NIGHT.....specifically?...good of you....but then you just thought...maybe I can widen this for another shot at: "I need to feel loved by my club for social connectedness reasons?"...

Strange.

Nice touch to finish with a pat on your own back also - is that a "loose ball" get?