No more Ben King ….

[Ghost Like]

Use to be pleasure V, mainly golf with mates. Fortunately my friends saw the light and moved further north. Palmer ruined a couple of the better golf courses under the guise of claiming a green footprint to offset his mining interests. They still have two or three decent courses which means only a 3 night golf trip these days.

[Vortex]

Use to be pleasure V, mainly golf with mates. Fortunately my friends saw the light and moved further north. Palmer ruined a couple of the better golf courses under the guise of claiming a green footprint to offset his mining interests. They still have two or three decent courses which means only a 3 night golf trip these days.

I spend a lot of time at the GC, mostly for work reasons these days, however I used to live at a place called Mt Nathan which is directly west of Carrara, about a 20 minute drive, so I know the place.

Eventually the GC are going to be a successful club and so you'd expect it will be lot easier to sell the dream to 20 yo. Granted it's been a harder sell up to now but I think this current build is the best chance they've had to build success.

[samuraisaint]

I think the club's strategy is more moneyball than trying to sign up marquee players on huge bank at the expense of cherry picking talent from State Leagues.

Seeing a number of our recruits unavailable for round 1 will enable them to see whether this is successful or not.
If our South Australian pickups and guys like Ryder who we got cheaply can help us get off to a good start and we play finals it will have paid off.

You are right that Ben King staying will help the Suns to sign up a lot of talent who may be prevaricating. But I think they are really going to struggle again this year precisely because they don't have a Jack Steele, or a Membrey type. They are all young colts. Except for their full back who is close to the best in the league hands down and Touk Miller - he is an absolute gun.

Losing Greenwood is going to hurt them big time in the short term because he keeps them in games. He is one of the big reasons that we only beat them by a goal every time we have played them since 2017.

But the Gold Coast as a lifestyle No thanks, Coolum is way better for mine. No coincidence that we had our best season since 2010 when we were based out of Noosa. Sunny Coast way better.

[Vortex]

I think the club's strategy is more moneyball than trying to sign up marquee players on huge bank at the expense of cherry picking talent from State Leagues.

Seeing a number of our recruits unavailable for round 1 will enable them to see whether this is successful or not.
If our South Australian pickups and guys like Ryder who we got cheaply can help us get off to a good start and we play finals it will have paid off.

You are right that Ben King staying will help the Suns to sign up a lot of talent who may be prevaricating. But I think they are really going to struggle again this year precisely because they don't have a Jack Steele, or a Membrey type. They are all young colts. Except for their full back who is close to the best in the league hands down and Touk Miller - he is an absolute gun.

Losing Greenwood is going to hurt them big time in the short term because he keeps them in games. He is one of the big reasons that we only beat them by a goal every time we have played them since 2017.

But the Gold Coast as a lifestyle No thanks, Coolum is way better for mine. No coincidence that we had our best season since 2010 when we were based out of Noosa. Sunny Coast way better.

I think they will struggle to make the 8 again, losing Ben didn't help but for their list it's about getting games into young legs until they get to that critical mass of about 50 games into the core group. I think Clarko will be coach in 23 so from about 2025 onwards I'd say they will have a periods of sustained finals appearances.

[shanegrambeau]

two year extension tells me he is keeping options open whilst securing his financial future. plenty of time in his career to play at the saints. and at the end of the extension we'll know whether he truly recovered from his injury. you'd have to be a true prick to leave a club in which you played out your final year on the sidelines at their expense. he's done the right thing by them and him.

From what I've heard via a source close to the club, the 2 year deal was always what was being negotiated long before he did his knee. The deal includes the promise of a mega 5 year deal at the end of the 2 years. The wheels would have to fall off the club for Ben not to take that deal is my reading of the situation.

There seems to be this assumption Ben himself shares the same fairytale desire to play for StKilda as some of the fans but from what I hear he couldn't be more happy at the GC. This point alone seems to be impossible for Victorian's to understand. There even a couple of people at our club who were involved in attempts to lure him to the club who will attest to his happiness at the GC.

I understand the lure of the gc. Moved here in Dec 2019. Still here. Wouldn't have even contemplated a move to Melbourne - bad weather, overcrowded, polluted, despotic politicians, thuggish police, terrible traffic, expensive housing, s*** beaches, ugly lbuildings, boring landscape. Etc, etc.
If i was Ben i'd stay. But melbourne peeps are strangely strongly defensive about their city and obviously love it. So who knows?

I live only part time in Melbourne these days, I spend as much time as I can in the tropic state. Born and raised in Melbourne and still have a house close to Moorabbin but spend as little time there as possible. I haven't been back since the Pandemic hit. It's like the Pandemic never happened where I live in Qld.


Ben loves it at the GC and why wouldn’t he. Great place for a fella in his 20s getting paid big coin and the world at his feet. Max would be jealous.

Sounds like you've invented a new life for yourself Vortex, congratulations. I must ask why all the other fellas in their 20's haven't hung around? The only thing that's changed about the GC in the last 20 years is that it's become less attractive.

So you spend a bit of time at the GC yourself GL? Business or pleasure, or both?

It is interesting to read about how some of you have moved out of Victoria/melbourne/bayside area, and what you think of it nowadays.

My life has been a highly controlled mess, as i have clung to whatever security I could - and that ended up being an English teaching job in Japan, but I wouldn't say there have been many mornings in the past ten years, when I haven't woken up in a semi-panic asking myself, WTF am I doing here?

I've always thought Gold Coast was a bit of a s*** hole to be honest. But it does have a certain American 50's Florida vibe to it. The nature is awesome - beaches, hinterland, weather...but most of it is concrete, cars, supermarkets, and pretty much all of the dull and draining, generic crap that is a feature of all cities..Then there is the cheesey Vegas thing too..
I imagine 1950s Gold Coast would have been awesome, if you had a 1970s brain, if that makes sense.
Melbourne, I used to not like much until my early 20s and I started to live within what I call the spiritual city...which is basically anywhere there are trams. Then we truly have a fascinating and exciting city, full of wonder and mystery, glowing with tension. It is not always pleasant, but full of possibilities. I saw nothing of this in the Gold Coast. As an aspiring dreamer-muso, I saw the bounty of possibilities..Fitzroy, St Kilda, Collingwood, Prahran, Brunswick, Carlton, ..all different, all wonderful, all old and creaky, sketchy but vibrant...
Then gentrification came ..pubs closed, end of an era..etc.　But still, even now, I can recognize pockets of it - a thin but distinct vibe in these places, Plus the city of Melbourne is absolutley booming - or was - . You lot must have witnissed it too - I mean you lot who moved out to the bush, to QLD to WA etc., I stayed for six months in 2011 - my god, When I came back to Japan, i was high on life - buzzing from the color and the energy. It lasted two weeks. of course, I realize, the reality for most people isn't having fun in town lie a tourist - sipping coffees at South Melbourne market. the reality, is sitting in your car in a traffic jam on the Nepean highway, as the afternoon sun blazes down..listening to some crappy Commercial on teh radio, as you try to shake off the hassles of the day, and that areshole you have o work with, as you make your way back to some nowhere suburb. Having a family must help - but that comes with its bag of tricks too, no doubt.

So I find it so strange to hear you bag Melbourne, and say Gold Coast is wonderful. To me, it lacks all the good stuff of Melbourne, and has none - absolutely none of its virtues. It's treasures.

That said, my mates live around the hinterland of BYron Bay, and teh Sunshine Coast, and boy - how beautiful it is. I am considering doing an online degree from the University of Armidale, NSW, just so I can visit the place sometimes.

Melbourne and Australia are just too expensive for me to live in now. I am stuck for now. Japan is beautiful, peaceful, safe and interesting and has a lot of possibilities,but I am extremely limited here - just by virtue of my foreigness and lack of language skills. (I'm working on it) I realize it is my responsibility to make sure this is not an excuse.

You guys are lucky. It is great to be part of such a diverse community here at Saintsational - iy is quite a diaspora of people.

[Vortex]

two year extension tells me he is keeping options open whilst securing his financial future. plenty of time in his career to play at the saints. and at the end of the extension we'll know whether he truly recovered from his injury. you'd have to be a true prick to leave a club in which you played out your final year on the sidelines at their expense. he's done the right thing by them and him.

From what I've heard via a source close to the club, the 2 year deal was always what was being negotiated long before he did his knee. The deal includes the promise of a mega 5 year deal at the end of the 2 years. The wheels would have to fall off the club for Ben not to take that deal is my reading of the situation.

There seems to be this assumption Ben himself shares the same fairytale desire to play for StKilda as some of the fans but from what I hear he couldn't be more happy at the GC. This point alone seems to be impossible for Victorian's to understand. There even a couple of people at our club who were involved in attempts to lure him to the club who will attest to his happiness at the GC.

I understand the lure of the gc. Moved here in Dec 2019. Still here. Wouldn't have even contemplated a move to Melbourne - bad weather, overcrowded, polluted, despotic politicians, thuggish police, terrible traffic, expensive housing, s*** beaches, ugly lbuildings, boring landscape. Etc, etc.
If i was Ben i'd stay. But melbourne peeps are strangely strongly defensive about their city and obviously love it. So who knows?

I live only part time in Melbourne these days, I spend as much time as I can in the tropic state. Born and raised in Melbourne and still have a house close to Moorabbin but spend as little time there as possible. I haven't been back since the Pandemic hit. It's like the Pandemic never happened where I live in Qld.


Ben loves it at the GC and why wouldn’t he. Great place for a fella in his 20s getting paid big coin and the world at his feet. Max would be jealous.

Sounds like you've invented a new life for yourself Vortex, congratulations. I must ask why all the other fellas in their 20's haven't hung around? The only thing that's changed about the GC in the last 20 years is that it's become less attractive.

So you spend a bit of time at the GC yourself GL? Business or pleasure, or both?

It is interesting to read about how some of you have moved out of Victoria/melbourne/bayside area, and what you think of it nowadays.

My life has been a highly controlled mess, as i have clung to whatever security I could - and that ended up being an English teaching job in Japan, but I wouldn't say there have been many mornings in the past ten years, when I haven't woken up in a semi-panic asking myself, WTF am I doing here?

I've always thought Gold Coast was a bit of a s*** hole to be honest. But it does have a certain American 50's Florida vibe to it. The nature is awesome - beaches, hinterland, weather...but most of it is concrete, cars, supermarkets, and pretty much all of the dull and draining, generic crap that is a feature of all cities..Then there is the cheesey Vegas thing too..
I imagine 1950s Gold Coast would have been awesome, if you had a 1970s brain, if that makes sense.
Melbourne, I used to not like much until my early 20s and I started to live within what I call the spiritual city...which is basically anywhere there are trams. Then we truly have a fascinating and exciting city, full of wonder and mystery, glowing with tension. It is not always pleasant, but full of possibilities. I saw nothing of this in the Gold Coast. As an aspiring dreamer-muso, I saw the bounty of possibilities..Fitzroy, St Kilda, Collingwood, Prahran, Brunswick, Carlton, ..all different, all wonderful, all old and creaky, sketchy but vibrant...
Then gentrification came ..pubs closed, end of an era..etc.　But still, even now, I can recognize pockets of it - a thin but distinct vibe in these places, Plus the city of Melbourne is absolutley booming - or was - . You lot must have witnissed it too - I mean you lot who moved out to the bush, to QLD to WA etc., I stayed for six months in 2011 - my god, When I came back to Japan, i was high on life - buzzing from the color and the energy. It lasted two weeks. of course, I realize, the reality for most people isn't having fun in town lie a tourist - sipping coffees at South Melbourne market. the reality, is sitting in your car in a traffic jam on the Nepean highway, as the afternoon sun blazes down..listening to some crappy Commercial on teh radio, as you try to shake off the hassles of the day, and that areshole you have o work with, as you make your way back to some nowhere suburb. Having a family must help - but that comes with its bag of tricks too, no doubt.

So I find it so strange to hear you bag Melbourne, and say Gold Coast is wonderful. To me, it lacks all the good stuff of Melbourne, and has none - absolutely none of its virtues. It's treasures.

That said, my mates live around the hinterland of BYron Bay, and teh Sunshine Coast, and boy - how beautiful it is. I am considering doing an online degree from the University of Armidale, NSW, just so I can visit the place sometimes.

Melbourne and Australia are just too expensive for me to live in now. I am stuck for now. Japan is beautiful, peaceful, safe and interesting and has a lot of possibilities,but I am extremely limited here - just by virtue of my foreigness and lack of language skills. (I'm working on it) I realize it is my responsibility to make sure this is not an excuse.

You guys are lucky. It is great to be part of such a diverse community here at Saintsational - iy is quite a diaspora of people.

I first ventured up to Cairns in the early nineties when we were having the recession we had to have. I had just graduated and Victoria was on its knees, many of my mates were already up there as they had just built the Cairns International airport in 88 and so it was the beginning of the tourism boom. The lure of work, tropic islands and pretty backbackers was the initial attraction. From there it lead to me becoming settled and finding work in my chosen profession which was unexpected and not part of the plan but it then led to me starting my own business. It was business more than please that lead me to discovering South East Queensland, from Fraser Island down to even the Northern beaches of NSW. My favorite parts of the GC are the less "plastic" parts, say from about Burleigh Heads down to Cooly, and then I'll include all the beaches between the Tweed and Byron. And I must admit the stretch of the coast from Byron to northern Newcastle is pretty special. Give me a van and summer days with no particular plan and I'm gone in this part of the world in heart beat.

So I must agree whilst I'm not a big fan of the CBD of the Gold Coast, it is the natural environment outside that man made construct that I'm attracted to. A beautiful part of the world and yes, the weather is the cherry on top. So whilst Melbourne is still home in many ways, all of my family and life long friends are scattered from the Mornington Peninsula up to the city. I have always still spread my time between Cairns, SEQ and Melbourne over a 30 year period and I think it gave me a different perspective of Melbourne. A perspective that comes from leaving and living in other parts, not too dissimilar to yourself. I think all human beings should give it a go if the opportunity presents. Even when I was living on the GC it was out at Mt Nathan, the hinterland has spectacular offerings.

So I still am very fond of Melbourne, the footy is a big connector, when we were a strong team back through the mid 2000s I would catch on weekly basis a 1:30pm direct flight from Cairns to Melbourne on Friday afternoons and head straight to Docklands from Tulla for Friday night footy. This is where I would catch up with all my crew and then head back to Cairns on the direct flight at 9:30am on Sundays. Great times. As I said previously, I haven't stepped foot back in Victoria since the Pandemic started and I'm not intending to until all this madness is over. But soon enough I'll be cherry picking my visits back to Melbourne, usually for footy games and also as much as I can during summer to squat at one of my best mates house at St Andrews which offers a chilled time between the beach and brewery, both in walking distance...it's dangerous living.

[The Fireman]

was a member for 35 yrs , moved to Port Macquarie 6 yrs ago and haven't looked back. Will never live in Melb again, it seems to double in size everytime i visit family down there and the traffic...wtf ???.
I have Fox footy and have picked up a few live games over the period. Was the one thing i thought i would miss but but really haven't.
If Bonza airlines comes to fruition I will see a few more games down in Mexico ....oh the one thing that i have really missed is the miserable winters....

[desertsaint]

for me the attraction of the coast was the nature, weather, and convenience. i'm a five minute drive to work (i know a lot of coasters who have city type commutes though), 10 minutes to the beach and 10 minutes from lovely hinterland spots. there are nice parks and walks everywhere. we decided to buy near work and away from the noise. yes the coastal strip is touristy - but nice to occassionally go and enjoy parts of it. and the weather means you'll enjoy it for almost the entire year. and if you feel the need for big city vibes and attractions its a one hour drive at worst or an easy hop on the train. those bigger touristy things you enjoy a few times a year - whale watching, fishing charters, a day at seaworld when there's light rain and no crowds, and then literally dozens of other easy to access activities. my son (and us) get to enjoy golf, go-karting, the beach, village and beach markets, or just a drive and a wander around lamington or springbrook, or down to the northern nsw coastal and hinterland towns. never get bored. the plastic side is definitely there, but you pick your enjoyments.
and of course there's afl and its quick cheap flight to adelaide, melbourne or sydney if you miss them.
resaurants in the gc mostly suck though - may as well save money and eat at a surf club and enjoy the views.

[Vortex]

was a member for 35 yrs , moved to Port Macquarie 6 yrs ago and haven't looked back. Will never live in Melb again, it seems to double in size everytime i visit family down there and the traffic...wtf ???.
I have Fox footy and have picked up a few live games over the period. Was the one thing i thought i would miss but but really haven't.
If Bonza airlines comes to fruition I will see a few more games down in Mexico ....oh the one thing that i have really missed is the miserable winters....

Port Macquarie is a beautiful spot, I was working on location in Newcastle up until the Pandemic started and worked with a guy who raced 16ft Skiffs up there and was meant to go up with him for a weekend to watch a race but covid ended that plan but having passed through the joint via road a couple of times it had already been added to the list of places I want explore more one day.

At the time my accommodation was at Nelson Bay just north of Newcastle at the time and that's a beautiful spot too.

[Vortex]

for me the attraction of the coast was the nature, weather, and convenience. i'm a five minute drive to work (i know a lot of coasters who have city type commutes though), 10 minutes to the beach and 10 minutes from lovely hinterland spots. there are nice parks and walks everywhere. we decided to buy near work and away from the noise. yes the coastal strip is touristy - but nice to occassionally go and enjoy parts of it. and the weather means you'll enjoy it for almost the entire year. and if you feel the need for big city vibes and attractions its a one hour drive at worst or an easy hop on the train. those bigger touristy things you enjoy a few times a year - whale watching, fishing charters, a day at seaworld when there's light rain and no crowds, and then literally dozens of other easy to access activities. my son (and us) get to enjoy golf, go-karting, the beach, village and beach markets, or just a drive and a wander around lamington or springbrook, or down to the northern nsw coastal and hinterland towns. never get bored. the plastic side is definitely there, but you pick your enjoyments.
and of course there's afl and its quick cheap flight to adelaide, melbourne or sydney if you miss them.
resaurants in the gc mostly suck though - may as well save money and eat at a surf club and enjoy the views.

Your views are almost exactly how I feel about the place. Interestingly I find many of the restaurants in Cairns and Port Douglas to be really good. I also find the staff are less pretentious than in Melbourne and my theory is because the job is a way of life and not a stop gap while at uni or some other transitional pursuit.