Most Disappointing Waste of Talent

[bergholt]

I'm pretty confident now that Arryn Siposs isn't going to make it. I think that's really disappointing because he looks like he's got the goods but somehow he just isn't there mentally.

There have been a lot of them at the Saints over the years. Here's a few that spring to mind:

- Caydn Beetham: could seriously play but I think he never adjusted to the AFL lifestyle?

- Dean Greig: 39 touches and 2 Brownlow votes in his first game, but then was gone just a few years later. Not sure what happened there?

- Joel Smith: that knee in 97 was heartbreaking, cost us a flag and a very good footballer.

- John Georgiou: excellent at VFL level, never translated it.

- Jarryd Allen: saw him play for Casey and thought he'd be a star, but the hip injury was so cruel.

- Xavier Clarke: we all remember how exciting he was jumping on backs in 03/04. His game changed then injury got him, body just didn't hold up.

Not all mental, some are obviously physical issues. Who else is on your list?

[saintspremiers]

Smith played 163 games for the Hawks so he fulfilled his AFL talent.

[SideshowMilne]

Ben Walton

[dragit]

Graeme Gellie apparently, a little before my time, but I've heard numerous times that he was a gun struck down by injury… I only remember him as our coach when we were a terrible side.

I think Siposs's main issue is natural endurance more than attitude, not much you can do about that.

[CURLY]

Would be in a far better place if injuries didnt ruin the careers of

Ferguss Watts
Xavier Clarke
Luke Penny
Goose Maguire
Barry Brooks
Jarryd Allen

Im tipping two flags possibly more and our team still contending with Geelong this year.

[supersaints]

Con Gorozidis, played about thirty games extremely talented , but a bit lazy

Rod Owen, think he played about sixty or seventy games, buy I put him in the same basket as Con.

Both theses guys had the talent to be 200 game stars.

[Viking3]

Bit harsh on Owen & Gellie shouldn't be in this thread.

Owen - lost his father at an early age and battled with alcohol, but wrecked his knee very early in his career, curtailing his abundant talent.

Gellie - won B&F in his first year (1978), and like Owen wrecked his knee early in his second season. Played on with a bit of wood taped behind his knee for stability. Never the same again.

[SENsei]

Steve Hazelman in the early 2000s as a Supp Player (?) looked very clever at VFL level. Justin Berry was another. Both I thought would give the AFL a good crack. Neither did.

[dragit]

Bit harsh on Owen & Gellie shouldn't be in this thread.

Owen - lost his father at an early age and battled with alcohol, but wrecked his knee very early in his career, curtailing his abundant talent.

Gellie - won B&F in his first year (1978), and like Owen wrecked his knee early in his second season. Played on with a bit of wood taped behind his knee for stability. Never the same again.

It's not a slight on them at all, they were extremely talented, but it was never fulfilled because of injury.

[Spinner]

Why is it always a mental thing when players don't make it?

Sometimes they are just not good enough.

[BringBackMadDog]

Some from the 80's and 90's
Geoff Linke - Centre Half back who's first game was unbelievable, then blew his knee out in the second game and that was it
John Peter-Budge: Had great skills was super quick but just could get his game going
Bob Jones: Aboriginal player from Tassie, tall CHB that played like a midfielder, was very skilful
Rod Owen: In the top 10 most skilful players I have ever seen play for us, injuries and alcohol ruined his career
Tim Allen: Saw him kick a goal from inside the square at waverley which would have been a 70 metre drop punt. Had all the skills but no heart

[Con Gorozidis]

Get Dean Greig of that list quick smart. One of my favourite ever Saints.

Cayden Beetham the obvious one I think.

[Dr Spaceman]

Bit harsh on Owen & Gellie shouldn't be in this thread.

Owen - lost his father at an early age and battled with alcohol, but wrecked his knee very early in his career, curtailing his abundant talent.

Gellie - won B&F in his first year (1978), and like Owen wrecked his knee early in his second season. Played on with a bit of wood taped behind his knee for stability. Never the same again.

It's not a slight on them at all, they were extremely talented, but it was never fulfilled because of injury.

Perhaps it's people's perception of the word "waste".

"Disappointing Loss of Talent" perhaps more appropriate in cases such as Owen & Gellie?

[White Winmar]

Geoff "the missing" Linke was a classic "coodabeen". Gave us a glimpse of what a star he might have become. Caydn Beetham could also have been anything. Illness and Scheuermann's disease conspired against him. He had issues that in today's environment would've been handled better. Performed admirably at the lower levels. Pity he wasn't redrafted as a mature ager. Would've made it IMHO.

[Harvey To Hayes]

Bit harsh on Owen & Gellie shouldn't be in this thread.

Owen - lost his father at an early age and battled with alcohol, but wrecked his knee very early in his career, curtailing his abundant talent.

Gellie - won B&F in his first year (1978), and like Owen wrecked his knee early in his second season. Played on with a bit of wood taped behind his knee for stability. Never the same again.

Rod Owen was a few years above me at school and I remember following him around slack-jawed when he played a practice game for saints against Filth and kicked five on Billy Picken...

He had to leave school because they wouldn't let him place Saints ahead of playing footy for school.

Not that many years later I'm playing against him up here in Queensland, he still had great hands but his knees were shot and he couldn't kick over a jam tin. Felt terrible every time I tackled him, one of the only times I didn't want to hurt an opposition player...

[loris]

Cayden Beetham the obvious one I think.

I think his Mum wouldn't allow him to play for the Saints.......... after she heard 'philip' from Saintsational abusing him over the fence against the Blues one Saturday arvo.

Protective Mum gave 'philip' and earful if I can recall correctly, then told Cayden he couldn't play anymore for the Saints if the supporters didn't appreciate the skills of her little boy.

Isn't that correct 'philip' if you are still lurking out in Saintsational land? Or are you 'phillip'? I could never get it right

[PADDLEPOP1001]

Robbie Muir was one!

[Sainternist]

Get Dean Greig off that list quick smart. One of my favourite ever Saints.

1+

Not sure why anyone would put him on that list. OP needs to get their faculties straight. Greigy was a real blue collar player, and top bloke. Also, from memory, he was a late bloomer. Did pretty well in the first place to break into the side.

[Sainternist]

Robbin Muir was one!

Also not sure about Muir being put into this category.

I thought this thread was about players with plenty of skill who can't (or didn't) make it because they lack ticker?

I only caught the tail end of Muir's career since he started before my time. For what I gather, he lost focus because of his temper, not because he lacked heart.

[Sainternist]

Smith played 163 games for the Hawks so he fulfilled his AFL talent.

Every time I reflect on what Joel Smith could have been at St.Kilda, a small piece inside of me dies.

[Stephen Theodore]

Robbin Muir was one!

Also not sure about Muir being put into this category.

I thought this thread was about players with plenty of skill who can't (or didn't) make it because they lack ticker?

I only caught the tail end of Muir's career since he started before my time. For what I gather, he lost focus because of his temper, not because he lacked heart.

Believe me, Robbie Muir did not lack heart !!

Was a fantastic footballer on his day and extremely skilled.

In that era racist sledges were accepted, and Robbie retaliated, time and time again.

[Sainternist]

Robbin Muir was one!

Also not sure about Muir being put into this category.

I thought this thread was about players with plenty of skill who can't (or didn't) make it because they lack ticker?

I only caught the tail end of Muir's career since he started before my time. For what I gather, he lost focus because of his temper, not because he lacked heart.

Believe me, Robbie Muir did not lack heart !!

Was a fantastic footballer on his day and extremely skilled.

In that era racist sledges were accepted, and Robbie retaliated, time and time again.

Yes, that is pretty much the gist of what I was informed about him. It's sad. There seems to be some confusion on what this thread is about and people are just throwing names into the hat. I mean, Dean Greig certainly didn't lack heart either.

[PADDLEPOP1001]

Robbin Muir was one!

Also not sure about Muir being put into this category.

I thought this thread was about players with plenty of skill who can't (or didn't) make it because they lack ticker?

I only caught the tail end of Muir's career since he started before my time. For what I gather, he lost focus because of his temper, not because he lacked heart.

Mad Dog ended up playing about 60 to 70 odd games at different intervals had tremendous talent but he only showed glimpses therefore much like Goro and Rocket(Although he was cruelled by injury)I consider it wasted as the heading suggests!

[PADDLEPOP1001]

I didn't think this thread was about heart I thought it was about wasted talent !

[bergholt]

Get Dean Greig off that list quick smart. One of my favourite ever Saints.

1+

Not sure why anyone would put him on that list. OP needs to get their faculties straight. Greigy was a real blue collar player, and top bloke. Also, from memory, he was a late bloomer. Did pretty well in the first place to break into the side.

My OP wasn't very clear but basically I ended up talking about guys who never showed as much for us as I hoped. I was too young to know much about Greig but I remember him being good then dropping off and being gone at about 25. Was there more to the story than that?