Keep Dal At Saints Campaign

[thejiggingsaint]

It was interesting to see and feel all the "Love in the room" for Kosi when he played his final game for us, and contrast it to some of the stuff that I saw posted on here for the last couple of seasons. Interesting concept, "loyalty".

[BigMart]

That would all be great Con if Trading Dal would somehow ensure success? But the two are not linked?! Are they?!

It's a risk, we could get Tom Ledger, Jamie Cripps, Jack Newnes or Jack Steven.... But the odds of getting a player to deliver as much as Dal would in the next 4years is lower than drafting a champion....

Dal will play a Further 75 games IMO and average 23-26 possessions, he will be tagged, allowing others not to be, and great clubs are built on premierships, great player retention wins them

At great clubs, they attract more great players than lose them
Burgoyne, Lake, Hale, Gunston

[stinger]

Not interested in a trade. I want to see Dal run out for his 300th game in 2015. Very likely as he's hardly missed a game. If he wants to stay ... I see keep him. I've already written my letters to to various people at the club and asked if they would PLEASE do all to keep him on as a Saint. I understand that we need to do some rebuilding but I think Dal Santo has been a great ambassador for the club. If you agree ... 'like' this thread and maybe we can pass onto club like the retired player tributes.

+1...i told the cub, you want me to renew my membership...don't trade dal...ffs....

[Con Gorozidis]

That would all be great Con if Trading Dal would somehow ensure success? But the two are not linked?! Are they?!

It's a risk, we could get Tom Ledger, Jamie Cripps, Jack Newnes or Jack Steven.... But the odds of getting a player to deliver as much as Dal would in the next 4years is lower than drafting a champion....

Dal will play a Further 75 games IMO and average 23-26 possessions, he will be tagged, allowing others not to be, and great clubs are built on premierships, great player retention wins them

At great clubs, they attract more great players than lose them
Burgoyne, Lake, Hale, Gunston

Noone can 'assure' success.
We aren't a great club. If we win as many flags as the Hawks we will attract players. In any case this whole comparison thing (Hawks, Cats, Melbourne) really is a strawman.

Reality is we are bottom 4 in 2014 for sure. So how are we going to build for our next premiership side?

It starts by getting 6 picks in the top 30 in the next 2 years AND using them well.
Noone wants to be in the situation we are in - I am not happy about being at the bottom - but we are.
If you dont care about being bottom for the next 10 years then lets just continue as we are going .

I know we have all lost confidence in youth and have been scarred by our recruiting in 2004-2010 - this is why we are all so risk averse and dont trust youth. This is fair enough response. This is why none of us trust letting go our old stars in getting in youth. I understand peoples reticence . But I have some faith in Elshaugh. Investing in youth is our only hope.

[saintly]

http://www.rsn.net.au/audioplayer/1378942409.mp3

[saintbrat]

http://m.saints.com.au/news/2013-09-12/ ... nderstands

Dal may understand but supporter allegiance doesn't always compute ;(

[6621104]

Con, it is not the difficulty in letting go of our old stars ( I for one do not begrudge BJ in leaving), it is in pushing them to go when they wish to stay. It is entirely unreasonable for loyalty to be a one way street- the player owes it to the club but the club representing us, the supporters, does not in return. I like Avid's notion of respecting the contribution of the established stars and a fair and open statement to them that they will not be traded against their wishes. Of course their obligation to us is to continue to play like there is no tomorrow and as long as they continue to fulfill their part so should we!
Do we want our game to be like the NRL with players moving mid season yet playing out their contract or even worse, like the EPL where the only marker of a good club is how much money it can spend?
Why has port adelaide turned it around so quickly? yes a few good inclusions, but mostly it is the players playing for each other, the coach and for that intangible- the Club with all the history and myth that embodies such a notion.

[Con Gorozidis]

Con, it is not the difficulty in letting go of our old stars ( I for one do not begrudge BJ in leaving), it is in pushing them to go when they wish to stay. It is entirely unreasonable for loyalty to be a one way street- the player owes it to the club but the club representing us, the supporters, does not in return. I like Avid's notion of respecting the contribution of the established stars and a fair and open statement to them that they will not be traded against their wishes. Of course their obligation to us is to continue to play like there is no tomorrow and as long as they continue to fulfill their part so should we!
Do we want our game to be like the NRL with players moving mid season yet playing out their contract or even worse, like the EPL where the only marker of a good club is how much money it can spend?
Why has port adelaide turned it around so quickly? yes a few good inclusions, but mostly it is the players playing for each other, the coach and for that intangible- the Club with all the history and myth that embodies such a notion.

Port are the 4th youngest side in the comp (Just ahead of GC, GWS and the Lions).They did a full rebuild so its wasnt just a 'changing mindset'. They actually have good young players.

I dont think a fear campaign or teh 'slippery slope' principle of being like the nrl or epl are that relevant. Sounds like a Corey Bernardi line of argument.
Bakes wanted to play and was moved on. Quite possibly the same for Milney. It is always a balance between past and future.

Nothing has changed. Let us wait and see what the offer is and make a decision based on its merits. Unless you know Dal personally, none of us can really categorically talk about moving players on against their will .

[Con Gorozidis]

Heard Travis Boak interview after the game and he talked about belief.

Belief isnt magically conjured up by a coach making a good speech. It happens gradually when the older players start to have faith in the younger players.
After a while (midway through the year he reckons) - he thought 'hang on a minute - these kids are good and we arent a bad side'.
Success breeds success.

Players arent stupid (ok CJ aside ) they know where the list is and their chance at success. They know if the young players are good or not much chop and they respond accordingly. Once they get a sniff of success its often amazing how the older guys rejuvenate.

We are in a rebuild. We need to rebuild the whole squad. If we werent 3rd bottom and if we recruited better from 2004-10 we would not be in this position . But we are.

Without some good young players we are in serious long term trouble and the best way to get good young players is via the draft and/or a trade (is there any other way?). They wont come to us in a cabbage patch or via a stork.

Anyways lets see what any offer actually is and judge it on its own merits.

[saintly]

based on the radio interview and what is being said in the sun etc, if Dal leaves, i would not at all be upset. now there is a decent person who has siad the right things about leaving.

[Megamaguire]

Personally i couldn't push Dal out the door but l could drop him 2 the 2s if i thought he could return more invigorated etc.
Reg: Chips. If it was inevitable and a younger class act came to us in return l could see the glass half full as the flip side to a beloved and highly skilled old campaigner leaving the Saints . I'm too soft probably but it will be sad to see the end of Chips whenever he goes. In a better world the old champs would get to stay @ their clubs until they have to retire because of poor form.

G O S A I N T S !

[ljpoyz]

A player is never above a club, you do whatever is best for the club. End of.

I don't really know how, loyalty, commitment, tradition, honour, affects the players. I assume it has some significance -- it obviously has massive significance for fans.

A some stage, maybe 200 games, surely we need to draw a line and say THIS PLAYER IS NO LONGER A COMMODITY: THIS PLAYER IS A LEGEND --officially.
No CLUB LEGEND should ever be traded (unless they want to go for their own reasons)
Surely it matters that we keep them, surely a one-club player means something, surely it matters that service to the club is recognised and honoured.
Isn't this part of what great clubs are built on?

[Con Gorozidis]

The whole reason we made 2 grand finals in the first place was on the back of heaps of high draft picks 2000-2003.
People have short memories.

[saintbrat]

Thank You Dal for that Interview- wish I'd heard something like that a couple of years ago

still Hope you stay and that we get the cahnce to say farewell as we did the other week.

[longtimesaint]

The whole reason we made 2 grand finals in the first place was on the back of heaps of high draft picks 2000-2003.
People have short memories.

We also had a sound base of experienced players to help them in their early years - Loewe. Burke, Harvey, Hudgton, and Hamill and Gherig

[saintbob]

100% Like!!!

[Animal Enclosure]

Luckily the club will make decisions for the good of the club & not to appease supporters.

[Con Gorozidis]

The whole reason we made 2 grand finals in the first place was on the back of heaps of high draft picks 2000-2003.
People have short memories.

We also had a sound base of experienced players to help them in their early years - Loewe. Burke, Harvey, Hudgton, and Hamill and Gherig

Hamill and Gherig were mature ring-ins that benefited us a great deal.

Hayes, Riewoldt, Dempster, Montagna, Schneider are all contracted for next year and will all be there. All seasoned veterans. Dempster and Schneider premiership players. That's enough 'helpers' imho.

[Johnny Member]

Dal will play a Further 75 games IMO

That's what is comes down to.

If Dal plays another 75 games, and 50-60 of them are quality - then trading him becomes a really big gamble.

But if the club thinks he only has 20-30 good games left in him, then it's a totally different ball game.

[St.DMC]

Agree ...... but if the price is right (i.e. 1st round pick) then may be hard to ignore.

[St Lenny]

It really gets up my nose when people say a player doesn't look interested. What a crock of ....... And what does that look like. I can't believe the rubbish people say.

[6621104]

Con wrote: The whole reason we made 2 grand finals in the first place was on the back of heaps of high draft picks 2000-2003.
People have short memories.

Didn't work out for Melbourne

[Dalsanto-is-king]

Found this forum the day grant Thomas was sacked. Go on to this forum every week since then and this is the first time I have felt compelled to post. Dalsanto is one of the modern day greats of our club no way should he be pushed.

[groupie1]

Like

[Con Gorozidis]

Con wrote: The whole reason we made 2 grand finals in the first place was on the back of heaps of high draft picks 2000-2003.
People have short memories.

Didn't work out for Melbourne

What ?
Losing guys in their prime ?
Scully McLean rivers moloney ?
All under 27
Boho myth boy.
Suck it up .
What do you want to tell your son ?
A flag ?
Or a losers attitude who who celebrates milestone games and hero worship of non premiership players ?
Tell me another club who gets juiced up about non premiership players ?