Sam Gilbert in! HOW?

[saintsRrising]

Back on Gilbert...

I think a big factor in him being kept is his leg speed...and that North have a lot more quick players that the Saints do.

The Saints backline lacks pace...the Roos can play a number of quick players there.

Birrss..is probably stiff not to be playing...but while not slow...he is a long ay from being quick.

Dempster hasa bit of toe.
Gram does too...but Gram is not a negater and is a lot better used in our midfield.

Howard has pace and is improving...but is still raw.

In this game it would not surprise me to see CJ givena stopping role on one of North's quicks.

with Gilbert...with now 2 games under his belt hopefully he wil be in better form against the Roos.

[Dan Warna]

McGough was very hard working in the packs but his disposal was terrible, at the time I was highly critical of his selection in the seniors, and at the time those who were justifying his selection were pointing to his outstanding seconds form, and his disposal count.

I was no fan of McGough as a player, but admit he worked very hard.

as he was only 21 at the time there was I believe room for improvement but he had no place in the senior side.

Birss is also hard working, very gutsy player, but I think he isn't in our best 25, his disposal while better than mcgoughs by a fair margin, is still average, and his pace isn't that much better than mcgoughs.

by example I rate Dal Santo as a harder player with far better disposal.

birss is a top player when the midfield is wracked with injury.

I see more potential in Armitage and Mini than Birss.

that said I would love to see armo and mini attack more, as per mini from a couple of years ago, than the dour defencive mini we seem to be trying to mould.

[Solar]

Gilbert has not played a good game this season......

DO NOT compare Sam Gilbert to Lenny Hayes...

at any point of there careers...

One was a Morrish Medallist, 1st Rnd Draft Pick, Best and Fairest, Club Captain, All Australian, will play 250 games.....

One looks like he maybe a handy player going fwd.....

just a tip champ

Go back to his first few year and tell me hayes was showing great form.... He was only ever all australian from the end of '03 onwards.

It has to be remembered that gilberts background is in rugby and unfortunately you can tell with his kicking style. This can be worked on but he has a lot more strings to his bow.

[Dan Warna]

yah, lenny was pretty ordinary in his first few years at st kilda.

I remember if not this forum, the one that preceded, calls for trading him for a round 3 draft pick, and why are all our draft picks terribad, and what was wrong with the club for picking rubbish like lenny hayes, and what can we get for him...

even last year? the year before? when he was coming back from injury the howls for trading lenny for something while he's still young enough started up again...

I remember the same thing about thompson in the late 90s when he started having a few injury niggles and was played out of position by Timid.

[Solar]

yah, lenny was pretty ordinary in his first few years at st kilda.

I remember if not this forum, the one that preceded, calls for trading him for a round 3 draft pick, and why are all our draft picks terribad, and what was wrong with the club for picking rubbish like lenny hayes, and what can we get for him...

even last year? the year before? when he was coming back from injury the howls for trading lenny for something while he's still young enough started up again...

I remember the same thing about thompson in the late 90s when he started having a few injury niggles and was played out of position by Timid.

dan remember he was drafted a few years before the riewoldt draft changed people's view on first round picks.

Back when lenny was selected it was understood that yes you might get a couple of good games out of these 18 year olds but most would struggle, learn, develop and then show dvidends 3-4 years down the track.

The kosi played 18+ games at CHB in his first season, a big blonde kid bounded onto the scence, kerr stared early. Then hodge, judd and ball were taken the year after and now every top 10 pick are expected to be AFL ready.

Hell look at our views on armo after 1 year in the system.

I am happy to develop gilbert, I think his pace and ability to get the ball at ground level means he is selected when he shouldn't be. He is unfit, needs to go back to VFL level and build that match fitness base.

Remember that last week we did lose ball and hayes within a quarter and despite ball coming back this does effect the rotations. Add this to a collection of first gamers who are learning what AFL standard means gives an indication on why our players were out on their feet.

Another reason to applaud last weeks effort.

[aussiejones]

"It still amazes me that Gram is being played as a defensive option "

Me too .....back pocket WTF

As far from goal as possible .......obvious punishment for not kicking sideways or RL wants Grammys defensive game !

Either way .......no way in the BP.

[supersaints]

I think Gilbo will turm into a very, very, very good player....................
I will remind you all of this post in two or three years....

[perfectionist]

yah, lenny was pretty ordinary in his first few years at st kilda.

What crap.

In one of his first games, if not the first, against Essendon, he got the ball, went to his right where he was challenged, and then calmly went to his left to deliver a pinpoint pass. A better judge than me, Kevin Sheedy, said he COULD play.

Gilbert can't kick two metres on his preferred foot let alone on his non preferred. There is a very simple rule - if you can't kick, you can't play. That's why it's called FOOTBALL! Look at the Cats and the Dogs, their kicking skills and their position on the ladder. Look at our kicking skills and our position on the ladder. QED!

[BigMart]

Solar - Thanks for the tip.....

2003 (22yo) - Best and Fairest....All Australian....leading disposal winner at St.K..

BTW - Until Scott got away with breaking Lenny's hand in R12ish 2002 (21yo) he was a clear leader of the saints B&F......as it was he came second whilst missing a month....Riewoldt ended up winning....

in 2001 (20yo) Lenny had a shoulder injury mid year which slowed him down.....he was showing glimpses of becoming a top line midfielder....his disposal was a lot better by foot than it is nowadays....his skill was extremely high, but he was still building an AFL body..

Between 1999-2000....he played a fair it of footy for what was a skinny (drafted at 72kg), and not overley quick mid with no real running power base....he was described by Nathan Burke as a 'Robert Harvey type' player with great vision, awareness and evasive skills......he made an immediate impact at Moorabbin and was given the famous #7.....however he got limited game time in the middle due to a starting Midfield of...
Robert Harvey B&F 92, 94, 97, 98
Nathan Burke B&F 93, 96, 99
Andrew Thompson B&F 2000
Back ups Tony Francis, Tony Brown, Steven Sziller

His game vs Essendon in 1999 as a HFF showed he was gonna be a player...

Prior to that he was a STAR at NSWACT rams winning their B&F and also winning the Morrish medal in the TAC cup.....Stevie Wright (his coach) described him as 'the type of young man I would like my daughter to marry'

Sam Gilbert was drafted at 19yo (now 21) well into his third season and has played <25 games.....and his last 6 have been very poor!

Thanks for the Tip though.....BTW I was 26 in 1999, how old were you?