Have We (Finally) Run Out Of Bodies?

[damienc]

No footy team is an infinite resource.

The Saints have been magnificent in carrying the injury load inflicted on the club, almost exclusively because of bad luck.

But when does that luck run out? Has it already?

I can’t help feeling the injury to our Captain, our best player and all round work horse, is a bridge too far.

No one is going to replace him. No one really can.

That would be too much to ask of anyone. In any case, the club will need two players to do what Jack Steele does single-handedly week in and out.

Again we will ask a lot of our kids. Bytel and Byrnes could be given a massive opportunity to prove themselves once and for all. I hope they see it that way.

At least 6-8 weeks, if not more.

A 150th anniversary game at the G. The occasion couldn’t be any bigger. And when you marry that to playing against a side that always had our measure in the past. Huge.

If the wheels are going to fall off, it will be this game.

We are just not a rise to the occasion footy team.

It's when your backs are to the wall that you get to show what you are made of.

And that's where we find ourselves.

Win, and we will take a very big step forward in our development.

Please can I be wrong.

[Banger9798]

Pressure for us to win is certainly off, and Pressure to beat us swings to the oppo coach....I don't think we mind that in a way.
Back to the wall and go for it.

[Trev from the Bush]

My thoughts before round 1 were if we could win three of our first eight games we would still be a top eight chance, given the quality of players coming back.

Two from two is a terrific start to any season, particularly this one. Sure, were are going to get smashed at some stage, the important thing is not to drop our heads and keep morale high.

[evertonfc]

Relax guys.

If we lose this one, or the next one, so be it. We're working on something so much bigger than wins and losses. This is about creating a competitive culture, right to the last man on the list.

Fact is, if we have to dig deep into our list to try players out, so be it. They all have to be given a chance at some stage to show they're good enough to represent St Kilda.

We're down to bare bones, but we'll put out 22 fit players against Essendon, all of them with a degree of talent and all of them - to a man - prepared to buy into what Ross Lyon has drilled into us from a tactical perspective.

[CQ SAINT]

Good luck - bad luck, not sure either has much to do with what is going on.
Belief is pretty much the same, its there whether you acknowledge it or not.
While there is great significance on this weeks match, its a poor milestone to hang this lists future on.
If we win on Saturday it will be a great omen...but according to the meaning behind the shield and the request from the coaches, the players just need to do the work and not give in. I'll except defeat but I won't accept a mediocre performance.

[The Fireman]

our injury list must take it's toll .. we are seriously depleted and any win from here on out will be nothing short of a miracle.

Any team we manage to beat will be savaged by the media because of our predicament . which will be fun On the bright side we have the opportunity to blood the youngsters and fast track our future success

RTB fanboy

[Sanctorum]

Good luck - bad luck, not sure either has much to do with what is going on.
Belief is pretty much the same, its there whether you acknowledge it or not.
While there is great significance on this weeks match, its a poor milestone to hang this lists future on.
If we win on Saturday it will be a great omen...but according to the meaning behind the shield and the request from the coaches, the players just need to do the work and not give in. I'll except defeat but I won't accept a mediocre performance.

I agree CQ, we can accept defeat graciously but only if the team goes down fighting, it's all about effort.

Losing the talisman skipper Jack Steele is certainly a setback and will make it more difficult to beat the Bombers, but I have great faith in the new culture of the team.

It is not about any individual player, everyone will be asked to perform their role irrespective of experience and if that happens there is every chance they'll have a good win.

[Vortex]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

[The_Dud]

Steele is a massive loss, more than any other we've had.

The likes of Crouch and Ross will have to take a big step up in the middle to try fill the void.

[Banger9798]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

What's your local?

[thejiggingsaint]

Relax guys.

If we lose this one, or the next one, so be it. We're working on something so much bigger than wins and losses. This is about creating a competitive culture, right to the last man on the list.

Fact is, if we have to dig deep into our list to try players out, so be it. They all have to be given a chance at some stage to show they're good enough to represent St Kilda.

We're down to bare bones, but we'll put out 22 fit players against Essendon, all of them with a degree of talent and all of them - to a man - prepared to buy into what Ross Lyon has drilled into us from a tactical perspective.

Great positive post there Colleague! (try not to let it happen again, there's a good lad! )

[thejiggingsaint]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

What's your local?

The Jester's Arms??

[CQ SAINT]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

Lock the door first. Then put 10k down. We'll come get you before round 4.

[Rubyjo]

OUT GOES Steele in come Windhager.

[Milne]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

You son of a bitch I'm in!

[Otiman]

Take the captain, FF and CHF plus second ruck out of any side and it will struggle. The only way it could get worse is if we lost Howard and Wilkie.

[saynta]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

I can't wait .

[bobmurray]

At least Keeler trained with main group today, the first time i've seen him do that since he hurt his knee.

Butler was wearing a red top and trained with the injured players, maybe he was sore ?

Wood also had a red top on and trained with the injured players.

[Rubyjo]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

I can't wait .

Vortex obviously doesn't have many drinking buddies .

[happy feet]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

Duly noted.

[mad saint guy]

We can cover the loss of an inside mid. Windy comes into the starting 22, Gresh can play a little more in the middle. Marshall, Wilkie and Howard are the ones we really can't afford to lose.

[Banger9798]

If we win this week I will put 10k on the bar at my local and lock the doors for a week and call it a premiership celebration.

I can't wait .

Vortex obviously doesn't have many drinking buddies .

He'll have about 20 more if the Saints get up

[bigcarl]

The injury crisis is so bad that we should see any win as a bonus. In a way it is a blessing, as it allows Ross and his coaches a look at the entire list and a lot of clues about what holes it has.

I think it’s a case of stick to the process this season and hope for a better run in 2024. Having said that, if we’re still within shouting distance once we start getting men back, then who knows. Maybe we can make a run at the eight.

But Ross gets a year’s grace.

[The_Dud]

It might have got lost in all the injury news the last few weeks so I missed it, but when did Membrey turn from "small procedure, hopefully right for round 1" to now still being 4-5 weeks away??

[SaintPav]

Sometimes even “small procedures” don’t go to plan.

Minor procedures involve risks, although the risks are generally lower than for major procedures. Infection, pain and bleeding are the major ones but there are others. In extreme cases, minor operations can even have more dire consequences.

The medical staff obviously thought that benefits of this minor procedure outweighed the known risks but it appears that there was some sort of complication around the healing of player’s knee.

I always try and go with absolute risk (not relative risk) when determining a decision on a medical intervention/procedure because of the potential side effects.