Why are SANDRINGHAM doing so poorly ?

[WinnersOnly]

Why are SANDRINGHAM doing so poorly ?

We really need our feeder club to be playing finals and have a number of players pressuring the SAINTS players - which doesn't appear to be the case.

I wonder if the lack of sucess with our feeder club has effected the development of Saints listed playing out there? Or is it the opposite with the lack of quality on the Saints list restricting the Sandringham results?

It was touted several months ago that the AFL were looking at re-starting there own reserves competition has anyone heard any more on that ?

[jonesy]

The times I have watched the zebra's(only a few)...the Sandy listed players show more than half of the saints lot. Would of thought it was to do with our lack of depth. We have very few of those knocking on the door for AFL selection types

[widereceiver]

The times I have watched the zebra's(only a few)...the Sandy listed players show more than half of the saints lot. Would of thought it was to do with our lack of depth. We have very few of those knocking on the door for AFL selection types

+1

They have looked very lacklustre in the lower grade when I've seen them. With September approaching, our depth is in question. McEvoy looked very out of form in the games I saw, yet he is back in the ones, so maybe it is not always an indicator of "Saints footy". I would have liked A Smith to have had a run in the ones based on the Zebs games I've seen, maybe there are elements RL thinks are lacking.

[St. Luke]

Hmm not good. This is why Collingwood are up and about. By all accounts there is a load of pressure on the seniors to retain their spot with them. hence why they are jumping of their skins during a game. A hard working reserves side often means a better performing seniors side. I hope they get a boot in the backside!

[Squizzy1970]

Forward line does not function - Sautner doesn't leave the goalsquare, Walsh is not a natural forward (seems to go OK down back), Lynch is better suited down back, and Cahill & Archer haven't been at all imposing.

Add the absences of JWS (who was playing OK), Armitage, Clarke, Hutchings (was playing some good footy each week), Eddy (now back but lacking full fitness), Leigh Fish, Baker and now King. Winmar also missing again.

And Heyne and Stanley are not having anywhere near the impact on games that they should (with their ability).

Whilst some of the Zeb boys (Gags, Trigger, Irving, Howie and Magner) have been pretty good, others have been inconsistent and come in and out of the side (they seem to have a young list).

We just don't have many guys with decent AFL experience (compared to some of the other teams) aside from King and Pattison who aren't going to tear a game apart. Probably a function of Ross Lyon looking to maintain stability in the AFL team.

In the longer term I think it will be OK, as they are decent prospects and will improve with experience.

[Thinline]

Hmm not good. This is why Collingwood are up and about. By all accounts there is a load of pressure on the seniors to retain their spot with them. hence why they are jumping of their skins during a game. A hard working reserves side often means a better performing seniors side. I hope they get a boot in the backside!

Have seen both sides play up here against GC. Collingwood ain't that flash in the seconds, but they PUT IN. Our guys play without a plan and - seemed to me - with little resolve.

Scary looking ahead.

Perhaps a downside of NOT giving young blokes an early taste, Ross?

[SainterK]

Forward line does not function - Sautner doesn't leave the goalsquare, Walsh is not a natural forward (seems to go OK down back), Lynch is better suited down back, and Cahill & Archer haven't been at all imposing.

Add the absences of JWS (who was playing OK), Armitage, Clarke, Hutchings (was playing some good footy each week), Eddy (now back but lacking full fitness), Leigh Fish, Baker and now King. Winmar also missing again.

And Heyne and Stanley are not having anywhere near the impact on games that they should (with their ability).

Whilst some of the Zeb boys (Gags, Trigger, Irving, Howie and Magner) have been pretty good, others have been inconsistent and come in and out of the side (they seem to have a young list).

We just don't have many guys with decent AFL experience (compared to some of the other teams) aside from King and Pattison who aren't going to tear a game apart. Probably a function of Ross Lyon looking to maintain stability in the AFL team.

In the longer term I think it will be OK, as they are decent prospects and will improve with experience.

Thanks for the report...

[Squizzy1970]

Hmm not good. This is why Collingwood are up and about. By all accounts there is a load of pressure on the seniors to retain their spot with them. hence why they are jumping of their skins during a game. A hard working reserves side often means a better performing seniors side. I hope they get a boot in the backside!

Whilst I agree with the hardworking comment (which is why Sandy got beaten by the filth in the wet a month or so ago), Simon Buckley has been in the best players in 6 of his last 7 VFL games. But probably not a player of the future at AFL level?

[plugger66]

We lack depth. And of course you are going to lack depth when basically last years draft was a waste of time for us. If you look at our list we went backwards depth wise from last year to this year. The previous year we got a lot of players but none have come on quickly. A couple show promise like Stanley and maybe Heyne. 3 years ago we got Ben and Steven but not many if any others that is why our time is now. We have 3 years to win a flag otherwise the dream is over for a considerable amount of time.

[Munga]

Yeah we do lack depth. But it makes me wonder if this is deliberate, and we go after honest kids that can be educated to Ross Lyon's philosophy rather than big headed guns.

[spert]

Not impressed with the Sandy Saints..Stanley might get better over the next couple of seasons, but the rest look like VFL grade plodders.

[Griggsy]

TBH I give our guys on field more credit than to think that they wouldn't give 100% +more everygame because their spot isn't challenged. They have redemption on their minds.

Injurys to our top 22 is the biggest worry. Hope armo and raph are game ready by the time finals come around.

[Saints94]

How come we never get a game on ABC?

[Con Gorozidis]

Hmm not good. This is why Collingwood are up and about. By all accounts there is a load of pressure on the seniors to retain their spot with them. hence why they are jumping of their skins during a game. A hard working reserves side often means a better performing seniors side. I hope they get a boot in the backside!

I tend to agree. Sandy form is a geniune concern. There is definite evidence of correlation between AFL and VFL sides. Not sure which way the cause and effect flows but I dont think thats important. We need sandy performing better.

I sure as hell hope Sandy aren't the proverbial "canary in the coalmine" in regarding the Saints dodgy recruitment in the last 5 years.

[saintspremiers]

We lack depth. And of course you are going to lack depth when basically last years draft was a waste of time for us. If you look at our list we went backwards depth wise from last year to this year. The previous year we got a lot of players but none have come on quickly. A couple show promise like Stanley and maybe Heyne. 3 years ago we got Ben and Steven but not many if any others that is why our time is now. We have 3 years to win a flag otherwise the dream is over for a considerable amount of time.

correct.

[Con Gorozidis]

Yeah we do lack depth. But it makes me wonder if this is deliberate, and we go after honest kids that can be educated to Ross Lyon's philosophy rather than big headed guns.

man we must be smart. "lets deliberately get not very good footballers".

Ross is a good coach. But noone is that clever. Plus our poor recruiting goes back to the GT era also when we made several blunders in trading and recruiting. Thank goodness for Gilbo, CJ, Farren Ray, Schneids and Gwility.

Those 5 are our only real wins in the last 7 years. And maybe Big Mac will turn out ok.

But 5-6 players in 7 years isnt the best strike rate. youd hope for 2 per year. we are tracking at 1 at best. hopefully we can count 2 wins in 2011 with heyne and stanley. but we cant count em yet.

[Saints94]

Why dont we just make our own reserves team?

[Bernard Shakey]

How come we never get a game on ABC?

If you read the posts here you'll know.

[Go Sainters Go]

I think Andy Lovells's coaching has a lot to do with Sandys poor performances. He doesn't seem to be able to extract the best out of the players.

[plugger66]

Yeah we do lack depth. But it makes me wonder if this is deliberate, and we go after honest kids that can be educated to Ross Lyon's philosophy rather than big headed guns.

man we must be smart. "lets deliberately get not very good footballers".

Ross is a good coach. But noone is that clever. Plus our poor recruiting goes back to the GT era also when we made several blunders in trading and recruiting. Thank goodness for Gilbo, CJ, Farren Ray, Schneids and Gwility.

Those 5 are our only real wins in the last 7 years. And maybe Big Mac will turn out ok.

But 5-6 players in 7 years isnt the best strike rate. youd hope for 2 per year. we are tracking at 1 at best. hopefully we can count 2 wins in 2011 with heyne and stanley. but we cant count em yet.

You can add Steven. He will be a star and if it wasnt for a poorly timed injury this year he would already be on your list. Certainly cant count Heyne because he hasnt shown near enough even in the two's but hopefully Stanley.

[bigcarl]

You can add Steven. He will be a star and if it wasnt for a poorly timed injury this year he would already be on your list. Certainly cant count Heyne because he hasnt shown near enough even in the two's but hopefully Stanley.

yep

[saintsRrising]

Wait a second...after all the horrific posts above I thought I would check out the ladder..

1 Williamstown 14 12 2 0 0 0 1696 1042 162.76 48
2 North Ballarat 14 12 2 0 0 0 1317 1000 131.70 48
3 Casey Scorpions 14 11 3 0 0 0 1217 1113 109.34 44
4 Port Melbourne 14 9 5 0 0 0 1447 1254 115.39 36
5 Collingwood 14 9 5 0 0 0 1316 1142 115.24 36
6 Northern Bullants 14 8 6 0 0 0 1476 1306 113.02 32
7 Box Hill Hawks 14 8 6 0 0 0 1336 1188 112.46 32
8 Bendigo Bombers 14 7 7 0 0 0 1293 1207 107.13 28
9 Sandringham 14 5 9 0 0 0 1094 1268 86.28 20
10 Gold Coast 14 4 9 1 0 0 1036 1263 82.03 18
11 Coburg Tigers 14 4 10 0 0 0 1211 1402 86.38 16
12 Geelong 14 4 10 0 0 0 1133 1332 85.06 16
13 Werribee Tigers 14 3 10 1 0 0 1213 1509 80.38 14
14 Frankston 14 1 13 0 0 0 804 1563 51.44 4


So Sandy is 9th.

But Cats are 12th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hawks who are the form team of the competition and have one injury at present are 7th.

Even the Pies are only 5th.


But yet the world is ending?????


Now YES last years recruiting was not the best with Lovett going AWOL...and the J Smith gamble not working this year.


If Lyon follows his pattern into the future our team in 3 years time will be different than it is now with new players coming from:

*kids and rookies (Steven, Stanley almost certainly...Heyne, Walsh and other possibilities)
*trades from other clubs: no way to predict whom...but history would suggest that we will keep trading for niches in our 22

[saintsRrising]

Haven't Sandi had a huge turnover of players from last year to this?

[plugger66]

Haven't Sandi had a huge turnover of players from last year to this?

Yes they have but we have a fair few second year players that havent shown much at all. The problem is the sandy players look just as good if not better than most of our players. This years recruiting was never going to show much but because of injuries and other reasons has shown bugger all. You need 3 senior players a year to replace other players. the last 5 years we have had about 6. And I dont mean one or two gamers. I mean genuine senior players. It should be in the range of 11-15 IMO.

[WinnersOnly]

Will ARMITAGE return this year ? He is the sort of ball winner we need up and firing in the centre.

The club has him listed as indefinite on the AFL Injury link - does anyone have a more definitive period ?