Where is our future tall back?

[Con Gorozidis]

quality tall fullbacks as very very rare.
look around at the other clubs. everyone has the same issue (apart from the crows who fluked a young gun in daniel talia).

im backing jackson ferguson all the way.

[plugger66]

quality tall fullbacks as very very rare.
look around at the other clubs. everyone has the same issue (apart from the crows who fluked a young gun in daniel talia).

im backing jackson ferguson all the way.

Well you arent next year.

[bergholt]

everyone has the same issue (apart from the crows who fluked a young gun in daniel talia).

Dunno about "fluked", they took him at pick 13 and this year was his third on the list so that's about when you'd expect him to start doing OK. The same year they also got reasonable tall backs in Sam Shaw at pick 45 and Luke Thompson at rookie pick 17.

[SuperDuper]

quality tall fullbacks as very very rare.
look around at the other clubs. everyone has the same issue (apart from the crows who fluked a young gun in daniel talia).

im backing jackson ferguson all the way.

Well you arent next year.

Not sure why Fergusson wont be ready to play seniors next year... I would say it is 50/50

Maybe he wont be ready, but he improved a lot the last 2 years.... similar improvement would not be terribly unusual for someone his age... he has the right attributes... he played 2012 as a 19 year old KPD in the VFL and acquitted himself well...he has spent a few years in the system... it is not unusual for KPDs to start playing at 20... Talia played a few games as a 19 year old and this year as a 20 year old...Frawly became a regular at 20... clearly those 2 are among the best young KPDs to come through recently.... but it seems there is a reasonable chance that ferguson is developing into an AFL player

[St Ick]

quality tall fullbacks as very very rare.
look around at the other clubs. everyone has the same issue (apart from the crows who fluked a young gun in daniel talia).

im backing jackson ferguson all the way.

I guess they fluked Thompson, Bock, Davis, Shaw AND Talia? They are a lucky bunch down at the Crows.

[plugger66]

quality tall fullbacks as very very rare.
look around at the other clubs. everyone has the same issue (apart from the crows who fluked a young gun in daniel talia).

im backing jackson ferguson all the way.

Well you arent next year.

Not sure why Fergusson wont be ready to play seniors next year... I would say it is 50/50

Maybe he wont be ready, but he improved a lot the last 2 years.... similar improvement would not be terribly unusual for someone his age... he has the right attributes... he played 2012 as a 19 year old KPD in the VFL and acquitted himself well...he has spent a few years in the system... it is not unusual for KPDs to start playing at 20... Talia played a few games as a 19 year old and this year as a 20 year old...Frawly became a regular at 20... clearly those 2 are among the best young KPDs to come through recently.... but it seems there is a reasonable chance that ferguson is developing into an AFL player

He is a rookie so he cant play unless there is long term injury or he is upgraded after round 11.

[saint6709]

Fergusson is listed as 194cm - but that has probably been unchanged since he was 17 - anyone know if he has grown 1 or 2 cms in the last few years ?

[SainterK]

Fergusson is listed as 194cm - but that has probably been unchanged since he was 17 - anyone know if he has grown 1 or 2 cms in the last few years ?

Don't know, but he is really tall...

I'm pretty tall, but he towered over me.

I think from people with more knowledge of these things with me, see him as more of the next Sam Fisher than a FB

[mildurasaint]

Feel we still may get one in December somehow, but don't want a full back just because he plays full back. Has to be good at it and improve the team. At least now we have more genuine talls on our list, whether they play ruck, forward or back. A problem last year was that we didn't have many options for backup ruckmen or tall forwards when we had injuries. And we didn't really have any spare talls to put in defence when we needed height there. That to me was the issue rather than missing a full back.

[Sainter93]

I don't think St Kilda will even take a look at Mitch Brown next year. Similar to the situation with Geelong/Hawthorn and Tom Gillies in 2011.

Is Alex Silvagni still a possibility? Kris Pendlebury?

[bergholt]

Is Alex Silvagni still a possibility? Kris Pendlebury?

Wow, these "tall" backs just keep getting shorter! Alex Silvagni is 191cm, Kris Pendlebury is 190cm. You didn't mention Roberton there, but he's 191 as well. We've already got Simpkin, Fisher, Dempster who are 191 so I'm not sure why we'd grab more guys at the same height.

[saintsRrising]

I think from people with more knowledge of these things with me, see him as more of the next Sam Fisher than a FB

....Interesting. IMO of all of our current players Fisher is our most capable FB.

2013 is a year where we need to develop players.

So for the first year in several years, the priority needs to be the future rather than winning a flag in 2013. It may happen, but it is a lot more likely to happen in future years if we develop some of our younger players now.

That may mean playing someone like Ferg, or Level in 2013 in order to get some games into them.

Personally I would rather that than putting a lot of games into Blake.

I am also more that comfortable in playing Fisher as our FB, and trying others at CHB. this would suit Ferg or Lever.

[plugger66]

I think from people with more knowledge of these things with me, see him as more of the next Sam Fisher than a FB

....Interesting. IMO of all of our current players Fisher is our most capable FB.

2013 is a year where we need to develop players.

So for the first year in several years, the priority needs to be the future rather than winning a flag in 2013. It may happen, but it is a lot more likely to happen in future years if we develop some of our younger players now.

That may mean playing someone like Ferg, or Level in 2013 in order to get some games into them.

Personally I would rather that than putting a lot of games into Blake.

I am also more that comfortable in playing Fisher as our FB, and trying others at CHB. this would suit Ferg or Lever.

The problem with playing Chips at FB is that he is our most creative backman. Ferg and Lever arent ready to be more than stoppers at that level. Ferg isnt even allowed to play until round 12 even if he is ready. I think Simpkin should play there and we should a slight shift in our game plan to allow others to help out.

[bigcarl]

I think Simpkin should play there and we should a slight shift in our game plan to allow others to help out.

That would work against some opponents, but he may struggle against players like Hawkins and Jonathan Brown. What would the slight shift in the game plan entail?

[Animal Enclosure]

Lever is my smokie to be fast tracked as the (very) tall defender that we need.

In the training pics he looks like he would be in the mid 90's weight wise now & looks like a big athletic unit.

[Kernal75]

I think we are all missing the point here. Saints had a chance to recruit defenders with their picks in the draft and chose against it. So that means they are looking at FA next year with an eye on the prize (I think it;s Frawley to be honest) and might also get Mitch Brown for nothing as he will be in the same position as Jamie Cripps was this year. If we pulled that off next year then we would have our FB & CHB problesm sorted. Add that to the fact that we invited Dylan Roberton to train with us then you would assume that if we are going to make a change to the Rookies then someone would make way for Roberton?

[Animal Enclosure]

You're spot on Kernal re: free agency targets/ trades next year.

I don't think Roberton is over the line just yet though. I reckon we'll delist a rookie & take one of the kids that missed out in the ND (they'll do a few more interviews, review tapes & analyse the list further). Whether that's a young developing KPD or just 'best available' we'll find out on Dec 11. They may even rookie Winmar to save the $$ of delisting him & wearing the cost of his contract.

With the spot now open on the senior list I think it will one of two options.. Cockie or a mature KPD.

[SuperDuper]

Still have no idea why we would take Cockie. Was he the best midfielder outside the AFL who is 23yrs old or younger?
Cant imagine he is.

Maybe he can replace Jones on the list, but just adding him, I cant see the point.

We need a FB. Grab the one we think is the best out of players less than 23 yrs old and give them a crack... if it does not work out.. we have lost nothing

[dragit]

Love Blakey and all but… I don't quite get the theory in keeping him for another year instead taking a chance on the best available 20-24 YO full back… At worst they would be delisted in 2 years, but potentially we find a decent FB for free… whereas Blake might be a back-up for another year, in our position, he is not part of our next tilt.

[Starman]

Heard word that Ferguson will be the "nominated" rookie in 2013. I think that means he could play seniors at any time without a LTI or retirement. That's the word around his old club in Sydney.

[plugger66]

Heard word that Ferguson will be the "nominated" rookie in 2013. I think that means he could play seniors at any time without a LTI or retirement. That's the word around his old club in Sydney.

Well that cant happen till round 12 and if we already have decided that I am following another club next year.

[gringo]

I would suggest that we have dropped Winmar with the intention of grabbing one of the mature talls that could play as a defender but with the contingency plan of one of the good kids left over from the draft then probably Roberton, Cockie etc. as the back up plan if one of the quality kids or talls are taken. They probably need a few outs incase the first choice goes.

As for keeping Blake, we keep him because he is able to play when any one from a KPP to tagger or ruckman. they are pretty hard to find and it's why he's played this long without any exceptional tricks in his game.

[dragit]

I would suggest that we have dropped Winmar with the intention of grabbing one of the mature talls that could play as a defender but with the contingency plan of one of the good kids left over from the draft then probably Roberton, Cockie etc. as the back up plan if one of the quality kids or talls are taken. They probably need a few outs incase the first choice goes.

As for keeping Blake, we keep him because he is able to play when any one from a KPP to tagger or ruckman. they are pretty hard to find and it's why he's played this long without any exceptional tricks in his game.

Tagger - ? Can't remember seeing that, nor can I remember him doing anything up forward, now we have 2 genuine ruck back-ups so I don't imagine Blake will be doing that next year… He is a back-up backman who will be 32 at the start of the season.

[gringo]

I would suggest that we have dropped Winmar with the intention of grabbing one of the mature talls that could play as a defender but with the contingency plan of one of the good kids left over from the draft then probably Roberton, Cockie etc. as the back up plan if one of the quality kids or talls are taken. They probably need a few outs incase the first choice goes.

As for keeping Blake, we keep him because he is able to play when any one from a KPP to tagger or ruckman. they are pretty hard to find and it's why he's played this long without any exceptional tricks in his game.

Tagger - ? Can't remember seeing that, nor can I remember him doing anything up forward, now we have 2 genuine ruck back-ups so I don't imagine Blake will be doing that next year… He is a back-up backman who will be 32 at the start of the season.

He went nuts as a forward versus the hawks a few years ago and he has been played as a run with player especially on guys like Goodes over the years. He has been more the third tall with some ruck work thrown in but he is very adaptable and the reason he has had a long career IMO. Still stand by the jack of all trades master of none type.

[ace]

Playing at Melbourne for the moment.

He is actually still at West Coast.
We will be stealing him at the end of next season once his contract there has expired.