Are the Saints in trouble?

[FortiusQuoFidelius]

2. Last year, we attracted a lot of kids to the club -- Lynch, Heyne, Stanley, Smith, Cahill, Simpkin, Dawson (was still only 21), Gaertner, Tungatalum, McGarry, McGrath.

Zac Dawson - DOB 22/02/86 --> 23 years old not 21..>!

This information is freely available so i'ts not hard to verify prior to posting...

[goodie]

I've been wondering this for a while, we could be heading for a crash. We bulked up on players from 00-02, and our drafting for the next 3 years overall was pretty woeful. All aimed at a tilt at the flag right about now.

Of course the downside to the strategy is that these players peak together and begin to decline together. Had we have continued, that could've spelt disaster somewhere between Gold Coast and Tasmania.

But I think we have taken steps to arrest such a crash. Fringe players have been slashed the last two years. Xavier's definite and Ball's probable departure means two youngsters take their place. And we've finally started using the rookie list properly, meaning we could get ready-made players like Jones, Dawson and Attard but also experiment with project players.

Could work. Could fail miserably. Fun part's in the waiting and seeing.

[jmcp]

The system's set up so that time at the top is counterbalanced by time at the bottom.

Our strong period (2004-2009 - 3 prelim finishes and a GF appearance) was created by our weakness in the years beforehand. Our team depends on core players who were all drafted within a few years of each other (2000 - 2002). I think it's inevitable that in five years, when the core of our team is all retiring at the same time, we'll slip. the trick is to win a flag before then. And to not slip too far, but we're still developing young players, so we won't be completely screwed when it happens.

There are exceptions to the rule - Richmond and Freo seem to permanently suck, while Sydney seemed to make the finals a ridiculous number of years in a row, but most clubs won't do that.

nice summation, it's the nature of the comp and all clubs are trying to deliver sustained success which is bloody hard in a socialist comp. sydney have done this pretty well.

one day richmond and freo are going to stop making d**khead decisions which will be firghtening.

[saint75]

one day richmond and freo are going to stop making d**khead decisions which will be firghtening.

Do you think so? We have been waiting and saying this for years......

[GrumpyOne]

The sky is falling the sky is falling.

[jmcp]

one day richmond and freo are going to stop making d**khead decisions which will be firghtening.

Do you think so? We have been waiting and saying this for years......

with hardwick at the helm and no greg miller there is a small glimmer of hope for richmond. clearly freo has got it wrong again but they get another chance when harvey gets moved on.

[groupie1]

In my opinion in 5 years time the Saints will be in dire straits...why knock yours and mine beloved Saints? Well I am not taking a personal dig at anyone in particular, and we all know how agonisingly close we came this year...for me it was one of the most painful moments I have experienced when the Cats kicked that final goal....

LIST MANAGEMENT............
St Kilda has been topping up the past 3 years, taking a punt on players in there mid 20's...sometimes players in there 30's and IMO this is going to take a toll long term. Recent drafts have been a weakness, Luke Ball the prime example and not getting ahead of myself but Ben McEvoy hasn't lived up to expectations...Tom Lynch, Rhys Stanley & Nicholas Heyne still haven't proved anything to me.

Where will the list be in 5-10 years time? We are going to have a gap in the senior age group UNLESS WE CONTINUE TO TOP UP each & every year.

What I see in the near future is Darrell Baldock handing the prermiership cup to Nick Riedwolt....however long term I the Saints ending up in a position like Richmond or North Melbourne, trading away the deadwood for draft picks to "rebuild"

Any thoughts???

Whoa, wo, wait a minute.

Last draft we got Lynch, Heyne. Previously got Armitage, Steven, McEvoy, Stanley, Eljay, and have we rookie listed Walsh yet?

Top ups: King and Gardiner - as ruckmen - only King could be said to be a genuine top up type player. Gardiner at 27, as a ruckman, it's like being a 24 year old midfielder.

Ray, Scheids and Dempster and Gram all came at under 24. Dawson - 22 ? Attard, for what it's worth, was 22.

Only genuine 'top ups' have been King, Jones, Lovett and Peake this year.

If you're talking 5 years down the track, you can start with a captain in Goddard only just past his prime, midfield of Armitage, Steven, Ray,
Dawson down back, McEvoy and Stanley rucking, Lynch and Heyne up forward. Dempster in defense. Schneider a veteran goalsneak. And Rossy boy running around the wings.

the structure of the team 5 years from now is there - will need to be topped up of course and added to with youngsters, but i reckon we are well established to navigate our way through this nasty period of GCFC and West Sydney.

A top up player to me is a Stuart Dew type. you're so close you just need that one extra bloke - don't matter if he's 30 years old. that's where we are now. our so called top ups, excluding this year, have been well under 24 years old on average.

[asiu]

Stopped reading about there

same ...planet stupido stuff

[Milton66]