Pick the team for Thursday night

[bergholt]

Given the lineup today in the VFL there are 25 available to play Brissie on Thursday (assuming no-one who played today is promoted, which seems most likely):

Gram, Steven, Jones, McEvoy, Dawson, Baker, Montagna, Riewoldt, Schneider, Winmar, Goddard, Gilbert, Armitage, Ray, Koschitzke, Dempster, Fisher, Dal Santo, Blake, Stanley, McQualter, Gwilt, Johnson, Smith, Milne

I reckon that'll be 22 + 3 emergencies, and given there's no Sandy game they'll probably all travel.

So what will the side be when announced on Wednesday night? Any more debutants? Kids dropped or retained? Senior players returning? Surprises?

[SainterK]

We know the outs already.

In Kosi Mini Winmar (sub)

[bergholt]

So what will the side be when announced on Wednesday night? Any more debutants? Kids dropped or retained? Senior players returning? Surprises?

for what it's worth, here's my guess:

B: Dempster, Dawson, Baker, Gilbert, Fisher, Gwilt
M: McEvoy, Dal Santo, Montagna, Goddard, Jones, Gram
F: Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Johnson, Milne, Schneider, Steven
IC: Armitage, Ray, Stanley, Smith
E: Blake, Winmar, McQualter

so that's:

IN: Baker, Johnson, Koschitzke
OUT: Clarke, Gamble, Peake

whaddya reckon?

[bergholt]

We know the outs already.

we definitely know three. i reckon there're a couple of others who could miss out on the day. dempster isn't one unless bakes is fit and firing. jones and ray probably the closest, but unlikely.

[Dr Spaceman]

So what will the side be when announced on Wednesday night? Any more debutants? Kids dropped or retained? Senior players returning? Surprises?

for what it's worth, here's my guess:

B: Dempster, Dawson, Baker, Gilbert, Fisher, Gwilt
M: McEvoy, Dal Santo, Montagna, Goddard, Jones, Gram
F: Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Johnson, Milne, Schneider, Steven
IC: Armitage, Ray, Steven, Smith
E: Blake, Winmar, McQualter

so that's:

IN: Baker, Johnson, Koschitzke

OUT: Clarke, Gamble, Peake

whaddya reckon?

Not sure Winmar's done enough yet but I'd really like to see him get a run

[Con Gorozidis]

So what will the side be when announced on Wednesday night? Any more debutants? Kids dropped or retained? Senior players returning? Surprises?

for what it's worth, here's my guess:

B: Dempster, Dawson, Baker, Gilbert, Fisher, Gwilt
M: McEvoy, Dal Santo, Montagna, Goddard, Jones, Gram
F: Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Johnson, Milne, Schneider, Steven
IC: Armitage, Ray, Steven, Smith
E: Blake, Winmar, McQualter

so that's:

IN: Baker, Johnson, Koschitzke
OUT: Clarke, Gamble, Peake

whaddya reckon?

i assume one of ur stevens is stanley. then u will be close but i think mcqualter will be in but no bakes

so in: qualter, winmar, kosi
out: peake gamble ralph

with all those talls if kosi and stanley both play ud think for team balance they will have to go with winmar over johnson?

[mad saint guy]

Definite outs: Gamble, Clarke, Peake
Potential outs: Jones, Dempster, Stanley

Potential ins: Kosi, Baker, McQualter, Winmar, Johnson, Blake

I'd love to see Johnson get a gig but I'm not sure if Roo, Kosi, Stanley and Johnson would all play in the same team. I'm not convinced Winmar is ready but if he wasn't under consideration.

My guess is that the changes will be Peake, Gamble and Raph for Kosi, Mini and Winmar.

This is the team I'd pick though

B: Gwilt, Dawson, Baker
HB: Gilbert, Blake, Fisher
C: Smith, Armitage, Goddard
HF: Schneider, Riewoldt, Stanley
F: Milne, Koschitzke, Johnson

Foll: McEvoy, Dal Santo, Montagna
Int: Steven, Gram, Winmar
Sub: Ray

Out: Gamble, Peake, Clarke, Jones, Dempster
In: Johnson, Winmar, Koschitzke, Baker, Blake

[overitalready]

Apparently, on the weekend of a bye, AFL players who line-up in the VFL affiliate side (in our case, Zebras) are ineligible to be selected in the next AFL round. That stops VFL sides from loading up with top-rung AFL players. Makes sense. So Peake, Gamble and Lynch cannot play. Zebras' website shows CRIPPS in capitals, not sure why, did he get BOG, not sure. Did Blake line up for the Zebras?
He belongs in the VFL permanently.
Who can forget his desperate scared left foot kick in last year's GF replay; the silly kick which was smothered by Didak. Blah Blake you might have a heart but you don't have enuff skills to cut the top level. bye bye

[Richter]

OUT: Raph IN: Blake

I like Raph - what he gives is a bit of quality by foot coming out of defence. However, except for Rd 1 where I thought he was good, the next two games he has not given us anything going forward, chosen the wrong option and been a poor defender. I think that the emergence of Gwilt, who is a better kick and generally safer unit means that Raph's place is looking dodgy.

Blake is the safe choice who complements Dawson and one of Dempster/Baker as a pure stopper.

OUT: Dempster IN: Baker (If fit)

Baker's hardness and attack at the footy in dispute remains important in a team who is getting beaten in contested situations. I don't favour any more than 2 purely defensive stoppers (preferably only one) (Jones/Dempster/Baker) in the team at once - Ross probably will though, so likely that when Bakes is fit again he'll play all of them.

OUT: Stanley IN: Kosi

We miss the big man up front much more than I think we realised. Can't play 3 rucks though so Stanley goes out.

OUT: Gamble IN: Winmar

I have zero clue on Winmar as I've never seen him play, but he's been picked as emerg a few times so must be close. Gamble, as the medium forward takes the fall for the lack of forward defensive pressure. Also offers practically nothing going forward anyhow.

OUT: Peake IN: McQualter

Peake finds the footy, unfortunately it's like a grenade off his boot. Explodes all over the place. Whilst he's not in the Gamble league in terms of hopeless defensive abilities, he isn't far off. Mini doesn't find much of the footy, nor is he fast. When he does get it though, he is skilled by foot. Accuracy by foot is vital to feed our Talls, as spoiled marks so easily lead to turnovers and rebounds in modern footy. He's a terrific tackler too. He's never going to be a superstar, but like with Blake you know what you're going to get with Mini - good, hard, honest endeavour - at the moment, those qualities are lacking in our team.

[saintspremiers]

msg - isn't Dempster a permanent in??

[bergholt]

Apparently, on the weekend of a bye, AFL players who line-up in the VFL affiliate side (in our case, Zebras) are ineligible to be selected in the next AFL round. That stops VFL sides from loading up with top-rung AFL players. Makes sense. So Peake, Gamble and Lynch cannot play.

no-one seems certain of the actual rule, but consensus seems to be that it only applies if a player was dropped from the seniors. so while peake, gamble and clarke can't play, theoretically there could be a promotion for lynch or simpkin or walsh. (all else being equal.) but then there's the very short break between sunday arvo and flying to brisbane on thursday morning.

Did Blake line up for the Zebras?

no, he didn't, so i wouldn't be at all surprised to see him play for the saints.

[bergholt]

i assume one of ur stevens is stanley. then u will be close but i think mcqualter will be in but no bakes

so in: qualter, winmar, kosi
out: peake gamble ralph

with all those talls if kosi and stanley both play ud think for team balance they will have to go with winmar over johnson?

yeah, agreed. if i'd realised i had two stevens i probably would have had to rethink the side. i definitely can't see all of mcevoy, kosi, stanley and johnson playing. my preference would be for mcevoy, kosi and johnson; not sure stanley's quite there yet, and johnson's been in good form.

[ThePunter]

I don't think Johnson will play. Three different key forwards in three weeks (Archer, Stanley, Johnson)?

Blake may being held out just for safety, so I'll continue to assume he won't play.

Then the last spot is down to Baker or Winmar, depending on whether Baker is fit.

Dempster Dawson Gwilt
Gram Fisher Goddard
Montagna Dal Santo Ray
Schneider Riewoldt Gilbert
Milne Koschitzke Steven
McEvoy Armitage Jones
Stanley McQualter Smith Baker/Winmar

[PJ]

Blake in for Raph

McQualter in for Peake

Kosi in for Gamble

Stanley (sub)

I'd be interested in seeing Johno in the forward line for Gamble but Kosi is an obvious in.

[Cairnsman]

You get the distinct feeling around here that Eddy is not even going to be given one last chance this year.

[defacto]

B Dempster Dawson Gwilt
HB Blake Gilbert Fisher
C Gram Dal Santo Goddard
HF Lynch Rewioldt Steven
F Milne Kozi Schneider
R McEvoy Armitage Montagna

I/C Smith Ray Polo
SUB Cripps

[gringo]

Big Willy J gets a gig and kicks 5. The rest don't matter.

[St Chris]

Out: Peake, Clarke, Gamble, Stanley
In: Baker, Kosi, McQualter, Johnson

Johnson will play, reward for strong defensive work inside 50, and area we really lacked in against the Bummers, with Gamble being the biggest offender. I reckon I'd have Gamble covered in a 50m sprint.

Kosi is a better option than Stanley both in the ruck and as a key forward. He demands a better match-up, which hopefully takes a key defender away from Roo.

Mini and Baker come in for Peake and Clarke.

If Ross is sticking to his "we do not gift games" philosophy, then Winmar should not play. I'm yet to see enough from him, and dont think he's ready.

[SainterK]

That confuses me St Chris, I heard he was BOG so many times this year from some, and others don't appear to rate him?

The reason I think he may be the sub, is he would provide the similar potential impact as Peake, who we have gone with recently.

[AlpineStars]

I thought Stanley was ok, we need to get games into some young guys and stop going backwards.

[Beno88]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/newsartic ... fault.aspx

Kosi to play. Winmar close to selection.

[SainterK]

"He's on top of the world with his first baby, so he full of energy and enthusiasm and he's in a really good place.''

[Bardon Saint]

Just heard on SEN by Ross Lyon "Birth certificates are out the window". And then something like 'we're looking for players who want to play and be out there'. Maybe a surprise or two??

[matrix]

too hard
i have no idea on the side
i think kozi might be back in

[Cairnsman]

Just heard on SEN by Ross Lyon "Birth certificates are out the window". And then something like 'we're looking for players who want to play and be out there'. Maybe a surprise or two??

I love the guy. Best coach we have ever had. It is plain to see that attitude is the problem and Ross will weed out those that put self before club. It won’t surprise me if Goddard is a casualty or is at least put on notice. Dal and Milne being dropped in 2007 reaped us an immediate benefit. Luke Ball being dropped in 2009 also helped us.

What is happening at the club is what has always happened where a few stars put themselves ahead of the club. Since the arrival of Ross and the new board our culture has been fantastic in that regard and it would be a shame if we went back to the bad old days.