St Kilda's 2023 team: a thing of shreds and patches

[meher baba]

Finals teams usually feature a bevy of early draft picks and some stellar trades/free agents.

The team that will run out today in our colours is barely like this.

The player we drafted with the earliest pick who will play today is Max King (4 in 2018). Jack Billings (number 3 in 2013) isn't considered to be playing well enough to be selected.

The other players playing today whom we drafted are Clark (7 in 2017, and a borderline selection these days), Phillipou (10 in 2022), NWM (11 in 2021), Gresham (18 in 2015) Seb Ross (25 in 2011), Battle (39 in 2016), Webster (42 in 2011) plus Owens and Windhager, whom were technically late round draftees in 2021 but were really only available to us because they had come through our academy system.

When we look at the players whom we have traded in from elsewhere, the only stellar trade we made was for Hill, for whom we paid a lot. Crouch is the one and only free agent we secured: excellent player IMO, but not generally perceived as a star by the footy world in general. The rest: Steele, Membrey, Cordy, Butler and Higgins, plus Howard and Jones who won't be playing today, were willingly let go by their clubs under amicable qui pro quo arrangements. Steele has developed into a star, and Butler and Membrey are top level B grade players who can play A grade games on their day. And Cordy, although I don't really rate him, has played in a winning GF team. (Higgins, Howard and Jones are yet to convince me fully, but they've certainly all contributed.)

Hill and King are obviously stars, and NWM and Owens are well on their way to becoming stars (and Phillipou and Windhager might follow eventually). But we can hardly be said to have established the basis of a finals team through the draft or at the trade table.

The richest lode for us has turned out to be the discard pile. The rookie system has brought us Wilkie (who was overlooked in multiple drafts), Wood (who received the insult of being delisted by the Kangaroos), Sinclair (who amazingly never even got into the main draft), Marshall (passed over in the 2014 draft) and (although he won't be playing today) Caminiti, while the 2021 mid-season draft brought us Sharman.

I think that, while Drain and Pelchen and Trout and others deserve the criticism they get for some of their past decision-making, the staff engaged in recruitment and list management have done an excellent job in the last few years is assembling a patchwork quilt of a playing list. I take my hat off to them.

[Finna]

Excellent post and really interesting to see where our guns gave come from. Will be interesting to see how they perform in finals. I think excellent coaching and development this year is also a key factor to the emergence of our patchwork team. Regardless what happens today its a remarkable result really...

[Sainter_Dad]

... and (although he won't be playing today) Caminiti, while the 2021 mid-season draft brought us Sharman.

The Hammer is joining us on a Pumpkin Hunt!

[meher baba]

So that makes 5 rookies in today's side: 3 of whom made the AA squad this year. Then we have Sharmanas a mid-season draftee and Hayes (if we ever see him again) as a pre-season supplemental selection.

[SAINT-LEE]

I reckon if a guy has his skull cut open and cancer removed...fights back into a team and they cut him loose...then goes to another team and is elite in contested possessions, goal involvements, and more...plus is our leading goal kicker 2 years in a row and he doesn't factor as a great player....well, damn. His other faults (and he has them) must soooo huge.

[samuraisaint]

Finals teams usually feature a bevy of early draft picks and some stellar trades/free agents.

The team that will run out today in our colours is barely like this.

The player we drafted with the earliest pick who will play today is Max King (4 in 2018). Jack Billings (number 3 in 2013) isn't considered to be playing well enough to be selected.

The other players playing today whom we drafted are Clark (7 in 2017, and a borderline selection these days), Phillipou (10 in 2022), NWM (11 in 2021), Gresham (18 in 2015) Seb Ross (25 in 2011), Battle (39 in 2016), Webster (42 in 2011) plus Owens and Windhager, whom were technically late round draftees in 2021 but were really only available to us because they had come through our academy system.

When we look at the players whom we have traded in from elsewhere, the only stellar trade we made was for Hill, for whom we paid a lot. Crouch is the one and only free agent we secured: excellent player IMO, but not generally perceived as a star by the footy world in general. The rest: Steele, Membrey, Cordy, Butler and Higgins, plus Howard and Jones who won't be playing today, were willingly let go by their clubs under amicable qui pro quo arrangements. Steele has developed into a star, and Butler and Membrey are top level B grade players who can play A grade games on their day. And Cordy, although I don't really rate him, has played in a winning GF team. (Higgins, Howard and Jones are yet to convince me fully, but they've certainly all contributed.)

Hill and King are obviously stars, and NWM and Owens are well on their way to becoming stars (and Phillipou and Windhager might follow eventually). But we can hardly be said to have established the basis of a finals team through the draft or at the trade table.

The richest lode for us has turned out to be the discard pile. The rookie system has brought us Wilkie (who was overlooked in multiple drafts), Wood (who received the insult of being delisted by the Kangaroos), Sinclair (who amazingly never even got into the main draft), Marshall (passed over in the 2014 draft) and (although he won't be playing today) Caminiti, while the 2021 mid-season draft brought us Sharman.

I think that, while Drain and Pelchen and Trout and others deserve the criticism they get for some of their past decision-making, the staff engaged in recruitment and list management have done an excellent job in the last few years is assembling a patchwork quilt of a playing list. I take my hat off to them.

Caminiti is going to play today.

[meher baba]

I reckon if a guy has his skull cut open and cancer removed...fights back into a team and they cut him loose...then goes to another team and is elite in contested possessions, goal involvements, and more...plus is our leading goal kicker 2 years in a row and he doesn't factor as a great player....well, damn. His other faults (and he has them) must soooo huge.

His is an amazing personal story.

But, he’s a professional goal scorer: he doesn’t tackle much and he’s only average at setting goals up for others. and yet quite an unreliable kick on goal.

Just one job, but not all that hot at it. Worries me.
I hope he kills it today.

Higgins, Hill, Sharman, Clark and now Caminiti need to lift. If they all can do this, we’re a massive chance.

[SAINT-LEE]

I reckon if a guy has his skull cut open and cancer removed...fights back into a team and they cut him loose...then goes to another team and is elite in contested possessions, goal involvements, and more...plus is our leading goal kicker 2 years in a row and he doesn't factor as a great player....well, damn. His other faults (and he has them) must soooo huge.

His is an amazing personal story.

But, he’s a professional goal scorer: he doesn’t tackle much and he’s only average at setting goals up for others. and yet quite an unreliable kick on goal.

Just one job, but not all that hot at it. Worries me.
I hope he kills it today.

Higgins, Hill, Sharman, Clark and now Caminiti need to lift. If they all can do this, we’re a massive chance.

I agree mostly. He could do more to set up goals, however his stats are already elite in goal involvements...that said he'd be legendary if he tackled more, fed others the ball more, and improves his goal kicking effeciency.

I too am concerned that only 2-3 players a week actually rise to their full potential.
I get it that injuries, recovering from injuries, mental health niggles (which includes confidence, anxiety, depression etc) make it tough to be at 100% every week.

I hope Ross helps the lads see they can strive towards excellence consistently.