Dusty Martin

[Gershwin]

Steven Baker (ex-player) was asked who he preferred us to pick up out of Fyfe and Martin and he went for Dusty.

[Con Gorozidis]

Not interested.
We will need all our salary cap space to pay for Acres, Ross, Billings, McKenzie, Gresham, Hickey, Membrey & McCartin.

[Clayton Davis]

Dusty is da man!!! But sheeeiiittt!!! We gotta mayke sure he keeps a looewe profyle o' da feyld. Gooud thing da corna' boyz ken home delivah. Clay al hav a wourd ta his man Stringa. Come ta an 'arrangemant'. Heh heh heh.

[st.byron]

Fyfe by the length of the straight for me over Dusty

Fyfe can do everything - can play Back & Forward key positions and also as a damaging Mid - he has also dragged his side into a GF - Dusty hasn't even come close to doing that

Fyfe in our current set up would make more of an impact and would be a better addition .... despite costing more

Has to prove he's as good as he was before he busted his leg I reckon.

[Devilhead]

Fyfe by the length of the straight for me over Dusty

Fyfe can do everything - can play Back & Forward key positions and also as a damaging Mid - he has also dragged his side into a GF - Dusty hasn't even come close to doing that

Fyfe in our current set up would make more of an impact and would be a better addition .... despite costing more

Has to prove he's as good as he was before he busted his leg I reckon.

http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/2017 ... to-players

I think he will come back just fine

And there is no doubt that he is a better all round player than Dusty

Wheter we can entice him across is another thing

[magnifisaint]

Welcome Dustin!

[Gershwin]

From Mark Robinson on Twitter:
"Dusty Martin will stay a Tiger. Club looked after him through all kinds of development and public issues (chopsticks) and will give him 800k which is what he should be paid. He won't leave. His manager plays a funny game when it comes to negotiations."

[Moods]

No no no no!!!!!!!!!!!!

The bloke is a drop kick. The tiges couldn't do anymore to accommodate him and he still craps in their face. We don't need his type at the saints. We have great young players coming through and any extra room in the salary cap should go twds a young superstar. No player is worth what he would be asking - and if they were they need to bring more to the table

[Con Gorozidis]

Heppell Fyfe OMeara Martin Sloane Hurley.
When are people going to stop randomly naming players we aren't going to get.
We have two first round draft picks and the odds are we will use them both or upgrade to a top 5 pick.

[dragit]

Heppell Fyfe OMeara Martin Sloane Hurley.
When are people going to stop randomly naming players we aren't going to get.
We have two first round draft picks and the odds are we will use them both or upgrade to a top 5 pick.

We might as well pack it in if we aren't looking at gun free agents like the rest of the comp is.

[saintsRrising]

Heppell Fyfe OMeara Martin Sloane Hurley.
When are people going to stop randomly naming players we aren't going to get.
We have two first round draft picks and the odds are we will use them both or upgrade to a top 5 pick.

This is not necessarily an either/ or scenario.

If the Saints can engineer things right they could land a RFA without trading and still keep our first two picks, or use those two picks to trade for another good player.

The point is is if it the Saints are ever to land a star FA (as we already have a number of FAs) now is the right time. After 2018 our salary cap room is likely to decline. We are "salary cap" cashed up at present.

In addition in theory if our recruiters have made their calls correctly (and it is looking good) our list is set to bloom from this year on, but we do lack true elite talent, and in part this is as the strategy adopted by the club was to recruit/draft as we have and to top up with some elite FA talent. It is now time to put that cherry on top.

In addition even if we land say pick 5 in the next draft it is unlikely that they would make game breaking differences in 2018-2020.

Now we may well have to make do without a star FA. But if we do it will be that much harder to gain ultimate success. Not impossible, but for example would the Cats have won as many flags with Ottens, or would the Pies have gained their last flag without Jolly? Or even or would the Doggies have won without their huge trade came good in the right game at the right time (even if fortunate that the opposition rucks stocks were depleted).

So no I do not want us selling the farm for a player. But yes I do want the Saints to try and engineer gaining the right player at either the right price, or even better as a free agent.

[Moods]

Heppell Fyfe OMeara Martin Sloane Hurley.
When are people going to stop randomly naming players we aren't going to get.
We have two first round draft picks and the odds are we will use them both or upgrade to a top 5 pick.

This is not necessarily an either/ or scenario.

If the Saints can engineer things right they could land a RFA without trading and still keep our first two picks, or use those two picks to trade for another good player.

The point is is if it the Saints are ever to land a star FA (as we already have a number of FAs) now is the right time. After 2018 our salary cap room is likely to decline. We are "salary cap" cashed up at present.

In addition in theory if our recruiters have made their calls correctly (and it is looking good) our list is set to bloom from this year on, but we do lack true elite talent, and in part this is as the strategy adopted by the club was to recruit/draft as we have and to top up with some elite FA talent. It is now time to put that cherry on top.

In addition even if we land say pick 5 in the next draft it is unlikely that they would make game breaking differences in 2018-2020.

Now we may well have to make do without a star FA. But if we do it will be that much harder to gain ultimate success. Not impossible, but for example would the Cats have won as many flags with Ottens, or would the Pies have gained their last flag without Jolly? Or even or would the Doggies have won without their huge trade came good in the right game at the right time (even if fortunate that the opposition rucks stocks were depleted).

So no I do not want us selling the farm for a player. But yes I do want the Saints to try and engineer gaining the right player at either the right price, or even better as a free agent.

I agree with all that SR. I don't think the right player is Martin though. If we are to spend a heap to get a player across he has to tick every box, ie relatively young, a proven match winner, good character, not injury prone and a good leader. Martin's a few of those things but I think we should be able to do better. Fyfe is many of those things as well. For mine, Fyfe is more of a match winner, a year younger than Dusty and of better character, On the downside (for Fyfe) Dusty appears more durable and rarely misses games. I'd still like to snare one of the GWS gun mids.

[dragit]

Martin is less than 3 months older than Fyfe just FYI.

They're from the same draft but Martin already has 36 more games to his name despite having a lot less finals opportunities.

Just can't see Fyfe going anywhere TBH.

[To the top]

Let's put the horse back in front of the cart.

We would expect and hope that St Kilda can return to Finals football in 2017, supported by Carlisle and Freeman and Steele and Stevens and Brown PLUS the continuing improvement of McCartin, Goddard, Billings, Dunstan, Acres and Gresham PLUS some who were not First Round Draft Picks coming to the fore (White, McKenzie et al).

IF the potential we all trust is there matures and Finals participation is achieved in 2017, we are then in a position to market and attract as a Club on the cusp of a sustained run of premiership contention.

So we put the "feelers" out there with the Player Manager fraternity - also in the knowledge our fall back position (and, indeed trading position if trading is the option) is utilising 2 x First Round Picks for the 2018 Season.

The results achieved in 2017 will be indicative and instructive.

The other collateral is, if we can really achieve in 2017, we have to protect the integrity of the group of players who have achieved at that level.

Footy (and not only footy!) is about progress so there will be some casualties from the 2017 List, but those casualties need to be of St Kilda FC's choosing - not visited on St Kilda by opposition Clubs.

[saintsRrising]

I don't think the right player is Martin though. If we are to spend a heap to get a player across he has to tick every box,

Fyfe is many of those things as well. For mine, Fyfe is more of a match winner, a year younger than Dusty and of better character, On the downside (for Fyfe) Dusty appears more durable and rarely misses games.

Durability is a pretty important box too.

As is availibity!

I would be over the moon though if we landed either. I just doubt Fyfe will leave, but Martin I see as gettable.

A player that ticks every box? Rarely would they swap clubs.

I'd still like to snare one of the GWS gun mids.

They are not Free Agents though. And the latest news looks to have the guns re-signing.

[st.byron]

Martin is less than 3 months older than Fyfe just FYI.

They're from the same draft but Martin already has 36 more games to his name despite having a lot less finals opportunities.

Just can't see Fyfe going anywhere TBH.

I'm a numbers pedant.

Martin is younger than Fyfe by 84 days.

Martin D.O.B 26 / 06 / 1991
Fyfe D.O.B 18 / 09 / 1991

[dragit]

June comes before September bruh…

[Con Gorozidis]

I have no problem occasionally speculating about a player but we are getting ridiculous. Little boy cried wolf. Going waaaaaay too early.
It is over the top. Too much now.
O'Meara, Heppel, Martian, Fyfe, Hurley, etc. It is becoming a joke and we get sucked in by Mgr games time and time again.

Lets wait at least until July before talking about Martin. If he hasnt re-signed with the Tigers by June 30 - then bring this thread back.

[dragit]

Maybe you should just read the forum less then Con… part of our plan is to land some FA talent so I'm not sure what is to be gained by telling people to stop speculating, that's what the forum is for…

Carlisle was a pretty big fish btw.

[saynta]

I have no problem occasionally speculating about a player but we are getting ridiculous. Little boy cried wolf. Going waaaaaay too early.
It is over the top. Too much now.
O'Meara, Heppel, Martian, Fyfe, Hurley, etc. It is becoming a joke and we get sucked in by Mgr games time and time again.

Lets wait at least until July before talking about Martin. If he hasnt re-signed with the Tigers by June 30 - then bring this thread back.

Good post. No I take that back. Great post.

[Moods]

Maybe you should just read the forum less then Con… part of our plan is to land some FA talent so I'm not sure what is to be gained by telling people to stop speculating, that's what the forum is for…

Carlisle was a pretty big fish btw.

I agree with dragit here. I see Con's point, however these aren't just names that are being thrown around for the sake of it. These are blokes who are genuine chances of possibly landing at our club. This isn't a thread that just because someone is coming out of contract their name has been thrown up. Both Martin and Fyfe have been linked to the Saints by non saints people and in the media. It's a genuine discussion. Saints have money to spend and we all know it's roughly this time period the money will be spent on a FA player. For mine this is a valid discussion on both players

[dragit]

Yeah, let's not get carried away in fantasy here.

Lets think outside the square and sign both of them.

[Life Long Saint]

Yeah, let's not get carried away in fantasy here.

Lets think outside the square and sign both of them.

Why not? Heavily front-ended contracts to allow for the natural salary cap growth and paying young players more later on.

[Bluthy]

What does worry me with Martin is the blow up factor eg Chopstick-gate. The stuff with his dad could keep percolating. Maybe he'll settle down a bit in his later 20's with his dad gone and Richo seems a good Dad type to put a soothing arm around his shoulder. But you gotta factor it in. He has the potential for a real sponsor-killing, season-derailing, thump-someone(s) meltdown.

The good thing is the rather rocky relationship he's at Tigers and with Hardwick (thought he was underpaid and tried to get out before Sydney got cold feet and had to go back with his tail between his legs) means he could be quite willing to just walk out the door as a FA and say hard luck tigers you just get a compo pick after screwing me around.

I feel we have to play hardball on FA where we can. We've lost good players for unders (Goddard, Dal, Ball) and its our turn to be ruthless. That's what wins you flags.

[dragit]

Yeah, let's not get carried away in fantasy here.

Lets think outside the square and sign both of them.

Why not? Heavily front-ended contracts to allow for the natural salary cap growth and paying young players more later on.

It was a response to saynta saying that Con's post about unrealistic conversations was great…