Rober Walls Sainst Recruiting Terrible last 5 yrs...

[The OtherThommo]

OFCOL......We have a coach that's taken us to GF's in consecutive years and maintains a rigid belief in the need to give young fellas an apprenticeship. He throws no kid to the wolves, provides a development background second to none, trusts his senior soldiers implicity and, bar 1 freakin' kick in each GF of the last 2 years, we're bloody dual premiers.
Yeah, so it didn't quite work out. But, how many don't think Stanley, Steven, Walsh, et al won't get better because of the way we manage them?
We actually have an enhanced future because we can now manage the different phases of a club's development.
Or, are none of them any good? Has Ross conned us?

[cwrcyn]

Let's look at Ross's time at the helm. We've picked up (through draft or trades)

Successes:

Farren Ray
Adam Schneider
Ben McEvoy
Rhys Stanley
Tom Ledger (the most ready midfeilder we've picked up in years)
Clinton Jones
Zac Dawson


The untried and the maybe

Jamie Cripps
Sam Crocker
Jack Steven
Tommy Walsh


The unlikely:

Tom Lynch
Tom Simpkin
Will Johnson
Nick Heyne
Jarryn Geary
Dean Polo

The failures:

Andrew Lovett
Jesse Smith
Adam Pattison
Brad Howard


The reality is that few young draftees have had opportunities to play senior fottball, with such a strong and successful team. The major criticism is the use of the first round pick, which would score at around 3/10.

However, there are players on the list that will get their opportunity this year and next and then we'll realy be able to judge our recruiting. Remember, the likes of the Bombers have had plenty of early picks and Collingwood took a dips down to the lower reaches or the ladder and collected Thomas and Sidebottom.

We have been a top team for all but one year since 2004 (finishing 9th on the other occasion). Only us and Geelong can claim that. Even the Bulldogs have taken a couple of dives and collected a couple of stars in the process.
Football commentators have an obession with midfielders, and this is one area where we have been poor, or haven't focussed enough on. Clint Jones is just about the only decent one we've picked up since 2001. The club are very excited about Cripps and Ledger, and justifiably so.

If Steven can stay fit and develop, then we'll have a partial remedy in this area.

All is not lost.





.

[Moccha]

The guy has a short memory span. Just a complete idiot with comments like that

[Zed]

But Lynch doesn't look anything like a first round draft pick going into his third season.

Its an old chestnut for me. Before the AFL came along we had the VFL and the U/19 competition - and a similar setup in SANFL & WAFL. Once upon a time almost 80+% of senior players started their footy in the U/19s then played most of the first year as a senior in the reserves and then starting regularly pushing for a senior spot in their 2nd year on the senior list.

In todays terms - that equates to their 3rd year on the list. I know they are better prepared by todays U/18 competion, but the fact is the senior teams are also much more professional as well.

So the bottom line for me is, unless they look completely out of their depth, most players should be pushing for a regular spot by their 3rd year (ie age 21sh). Lynch falls neatly into this category. Give him another season before casting judgement. Guys who hold down a regular spot in their first year or 2 after being drafted are an exception not the rule.

Having said all that, there comes a point in time where you have to cut your losses (eg McQualter) and persist with some of the less experienced players to get games into them (eg Armo).

[gringo]

I think Geelong are a good example of a team that has been up for a long time the guys outside the 22 get restless and move on or are let go as they can't afford them.

Djerkura and Gamble, Prismall etc. move on or don't get game time and are cut before showing anything, It is really hard to recruit from the top of the ladder.

Collingwood has a huge staff out searching for alternative talent and will always have a few more finds coming through than the poorer clubs.

We have a heap of potential talent and we can't afford to play them into form because we are still challenging for a premiership.

Simpkin would have played at another club, A Smith, Armo, Steven, Stanley and even Lynch would have already clocked up 20 games at another club.

Mc evoy has been a good pick up for us. We need to just keep trying to play for a premiership while blooding one or two young guys each week as subs. That's the system.

[gringo]

I think Geelong are a good example of a team that has been up for a long time the guys outside the 22 get restless and move on or are let go as they can't afford them.

Djerkura and Gamble, Prismall etc. move on or don't get game time and are cut before showing anything, It is really hard to recruit from the top of the ladder.

Collingwood has a huge staff out searching for alternative talent and will always have a few more finds coming through than the poorer clubs.

We have a heap of potential talent and we can't afford to play them into form because we are still challenging for a premiership.

Simpkin would have played at another club, A Smith, Armo, Steven, Stanley and even Lynch would have already clocked up 20 games at another club.

Mc evoy has been a good pick up for us. We need to just keep trying to play for a premiership while blooding one or two young guys each week as subs. That's the system.

[matrix]

wallsy= twat
lane= this guy has to be the most boring as bat shite commentator i have ever heard, he would not have a clue about football and his comments bloody well prove his stupidity about the knowledge of the game
his daughter knows more about the game than he does

what a friggin numpty

[evertonfc]

I reckon our drafting has been pretty poor as well, to be fair.

[goodie]

And then says.....why havent they drafted the likes of Beams/Sidebottom?.

Well there's the small matter that Sidebum was drafted before we'd had a pick. And while we had one chance to pick up Beams, it would've been much higher than where he was picked up.

[3rd generation saint]

Yes we didn't draft those players because we finished higher up the ladder than Collingwood, is Wallsy advocating that maybe we should tank for a year or two?

[Con Gorozidis]

Yes we didn't draft those players because we finished higher up the ladder than Collingwood, is Wallsy advocating that maybe we should tank for a year or two?

We may have tanked a little in 07 and got Mcevoy that year. In hindsight we probably should have tanked in 08 to get another gun. But with a new administration and Ross not being established at this stage I guess we didnt have that luxury. Pies bottommed out in 04& 05 to replenish their stocks.

Just watching pies v eagles. Wellingham is a just the kind of player we need at the saints. Hes like Geary but good.

[johnpeterbudgefanclub]

Yes we didn't draft those players because we finished higher up the ladder than Collingwood, is Wallsy advocating that maybe we should tank for a year or two?

We may have tanked a little in 07 and got Mcevoy that year. In hindsight we probably should have tanked in 08 to get another gun. But with a new administration and Ross not being established at this stage I guess we didnt have that luxury. Pies bottommed out in 04& 05 to replenish their stocks.

Just watching pies v eagles. Wellingham is a just the kind of player we need at the saints. Hes like Geary but good.

That's a harsh comparison Goro. Danny Craven who wore 14 is/was better then Geary.