The Fluxed Up Report: Reflecting on list changes, the oft-season antics, and looking ahead.

[AeonFlux]

For the doom n' gloom merchants:
Cheer up.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article ... EAD%20MORE
Remember this match well for a number of reasons.

- 90K+ crowd, with reportedly 20K turned away.
- Everyone wanted to get into the then new Southern Stand. We went to the Ponsford Stand, and got straight in.
- As the players were walking to their positions before the first bounce, that thug Craig Kelly was on Loewe. Kelly was doing his usual d**khead thug routine. Loewe stopped, turned around, grabbed Kelly be the throat, shook him, and then let go. Kelly the coward didn't try anything dirty on Loewe from that moment on. The bully was shown up for what he really was. Classic stuff.
- The 'Scary' Davenport incident with Ken Sheldon.
- Davenport went on the kick the winning goal. (IMHO he was a damn good player, but never/ rarely produced. I suspect attitude was the issue. Went to Carlscum for a pretty reasonable pick, and did nothing there either. From memory, I think we got BBBB for that pick. And for BBBB we go the pick that landed Dal. So thanks Scary.)

But the reason for actually posting that link..........

In the 1980's, used to usher at VFL Park during the finals. Very cushy job. Once the game started your job was pretty much done. You got to watch the game for free. (Well, actually, you got paid to watch the game for free. =) ) And if you got bored, you could go for a wander. One time we even went down into the deserted players' dressing rooms. Food all laid out, but no one around. (Different world back then.)

The problem though was that being the 80's I never got to see the Saintas.

However, there were some huge games, and many featured the Skunks.

Now to the point. Didn't matter who the Skunks played... Carlscum, Druggies, Tuggers... the majority of the crowd was for the Skunks.

On that day at the MCG the crowd was clearly 50/50. No other club had been able to do that, but we did. B)

Despite our poor record of success, St Kilda has a phenomenal supporter base. And we are the only club that has struggled for on-field success that does have a huge supporter base.


St Kilda and our supporters... flawed, masochistic, delusional(?)... but very special.

And for more (actual) cutting edge reading during the slow season one can't beat Aeon Magazine https://aeon.co

Spot on mate.

More reasons for optimism Saints' fans..........

The Aeon is unusually silent in Nassiah Wanganeen-Aeon-Millera

Thanks. Like that. (And so does Rodger. <swoon>) Shall shamelessly use it from now on.

NWAeonM also has Uncle Michael and Uncle Daniel in the family.

So he's got no shortage of footballing DNA.




Daft Night. Random unordered thoughts from random unordered (and largely uncredited ) + CQ Saint, desertsaint & Aced (The ass essment team is on holidays/at the pub/ have Covid/all of the aforementioned):

What a night! Could hardly have gone better.

NWAeonM - crowd puller.
Owens - top 10 ability.
Windhager - powerful mid.
Adams - future investment versatile key back/forward/ruck.

And all with just the one actual pick in the top 50.

Phenomenal!

And then...

And outta' left field a bonus player!

Oscar Adams .
Glenelg.
CHB.
19 y.o.
198cm.
85kg.


Welcome Marcus Windhager!

Pick 47.

Bargain.

But we only had to use our pick 57.

Bargain, bargain.



W-M, Owens (for cheap), Winhager (for even cheaper).

Owens has huge upside. Reckon he'll end up being rated a top 10 player when this draft is redone.

And who knows, if (the enemy thinks he's injured) Winhager maybe slides a bit... we may even get to use another pick on someone we've been keeping an eye on.



Gibcus would have been good, and agree that we may well have taken him if still available. However, there was another key defender taken after him who the commentators said could actually be better. (Wasn't Leek.) Reckon that as long as a key defender can keep a key forward on a reasonable leash, then that's good enough. In other words, it's easier to find a reasonable defender (and ruckman too for that matter) than it is to find a match-winning forward or on-baller.

We have the forwards. We have the rucks. (Have faith that 'Carl' will be a good player.) What we lack are mids with class, and even better, with x-factor. So very very happy with how the first night of the daft turned out. NWAeonM, Owens and Winhager sewn-up. Add those blokes to our current mids and we're (finally) looking good there.

That's one hellova' return from only one pick inside the top 50(!)




Jake Lever though plays loose. Doesn't take the big key forwards. Plenty of so-called key defenders are the same... Harris-Andrews, and going back a couple of years the incredibly overrated Rance. I'm actually surprised that opposition coaches don't wise-up and play through the opponents of such blokes. Make 'em accountable. Certainly when Rance actually had to man an opponent he was hopeless. DeGorey in the Prelim' a couple of years ago even outmuscled the larger Rance on-on-one. We'd always play Roo on him, and Roo would thrash him. Even when Roo was slowing down at the end of his career.

If all we want are intercept marking defenders, then we already have them. Personally, I want a key defender who can hold the enemy key big forward to a manageable output. And if he can do that unassisted, then that means we don't need to commit one or two other blokes to helping him out. And of course that means those blokes are freed up, and we can utilise them to initiate other aspects of the play.

Basically, only rate a key defender if he can actually, you know... defend.



As an aside, and yes, know he played injured, but tough-guy Steven May was very fumbly and nervous-looking a few times when he was under pressure. A typical likes-to-dish-it-out-but-doesn't-like receiving-it type. :stinger:




NWAeonM will end up dragging the punters thought the gates. Despite his slight frame, is already playing senior SANFL. And although currently pigeon-holed as an outside player, his ball handling, vision, calmness, and almost quicker than the eye can see disposal will actually make him very very hard to tag out of games. There was one WA vs SA under-age match played in 'abysmal conditions' where he was reportedly the one player on the ground who handled the footy just like it was a dry day. That's gotta' be good. But also liked, yes, he did get caught a couple of times in his highlights package, and every time, he had an 'out' option to dispose of the ball to. That was a key Robert Harvey trait too. Very hard to get a hold of, but even if one succeeds, the job still ain't done. Despite all his monumental number of possessions gained, Harves' would only ever get pinged for holding the ball two or three times in a whole season.


Allison seemed to be improving, but then Covid kicked in. Reckon he may yet prove to be the dark horse on our list.


Carl is (already) a big boy. He might well be a chance to get a run sometime next season.


Think that Owens will play. He's already plenty big/strong enough, and still growing. Huge footballing upside. Again, reckon he'll end up in the top 10 when this daft is revisited.

I'm rapped that we're finally getting some taller blokes into our mid field.

Now, if we can just get a competent big key defender (or two) on the cheap... <3

I'm keen for some Paddy development for Big Max.
Development notes from Parkin mention he is a hybrid version of Ryder and Marshall. That's exciting and he just hit 205cm.
Hold him back until he is winning the ruck at Sandy, then with a few weeks to go, fill a gap. Put him at full forward, park him in the square and get a Gorilla tamer away from Little Max and let him run amok between the arcs.
This allows our first two rucks to Gawn back and help out a Gorilla tamer and Big Max can ruck the forward third and build up forward craft and ruck craft too, the hard way, off the bench while King, Paddy and Marshall rest.
I'm keen for Owens to get a start but where and in place of who.
Let's see, Wilkie? - no, Membrey? -no, Battle? - hmmm. What is his position? CHB is a big chance according to Ratts! Coffield? - I fricken hope not. Jimmy? - not on recent form. Highmore? - Surely that's not what he is for.
Byrnes, Connolly, Crouch, Gresham, Clark - all small/medium mids.
Steele, Bytel and Ross are big bodied
Owens and Allison are big bodied. I wonder if they could dominate the VFL in such roles. That's where I be looking.
VFL Mid/forwards. One in and one out of the forward arc all day, throwing themselves into every contest they can reach.
Barring injuries, Byrnes, Connelly, Owens, Windhager, Highmore and Long are going to have to form a band of VFL running backs and mids and dominate.
Throw Geary, Kent, Wood, Campbell and The Irish lad in and we are getting a development squad going. A 20+ yr old Lever type would be handy in this mix with Highmore..

Gresh and Paton are almost like new recruits too but really, they are just back.

Here's my take

Sinclair Howser Wilkie
Jimmy Battle Hill
Clark Crouch M-W
Higgins Marshall Billings
Butler King Membrey.

Ryder Steele Jones

Ross, Hannebery, Gresham, Coffield

Paton Highmore Interceptor
Long Joyce Connolly
Windhager Mackenzie Owens
Geary Wood Sharman
Allison Heath Kent

Campbell Bytel Byrnes

Have I missed anyone?

The Sharman has to play.

Him and Bytel in for Hanners (they won't though) and Coff'.

Butler and Ross on notice for Owens. And Owens being eye-balled for CHB??? I hope not. I want big bodied mids who can also rest forward and be an aerial threat too.

And Paton is a must include to... once he's shown he's fully recovered from that leg fracture.

Like you CQ, don't have Gears in our best 22 anymore. However, not sure if can see our selectors dropping him - unless there's been some player and on-field coaching role agreement they've reached with him(?)

Wonder if they'll go for Battle over Highmore at CHB? Shirley they'd have to give Battle the first shot. Especially if we fail to pick up my longed-for competent big key back.

Gee, some good players will have to miss a starting spot. So that's damn good news for us.


And like the plan you've mapped out for Carl.

Its almost like somebody looked at the mess we had 2 years ago and planned a resurrection of the list.
Incredible stuff really, we have managed to win 21/41 games along the way, including a final and we are aiming at a new membership record 3rd year in a row.
Great times ahead.

As CQ pointed out, not sure how many games/how much mpact any of our recruits will have in 2022.

However,
- Gresh, Paton and Clark return.
- Hopefully Battle and co can hold down the other key defensive post.
- Missy is already very good, and getting better, but if he's now also fitter...
- Hopefully the Headless Chook will also get back to the level of fitness that made him the player he was.
- If Paddy can stay relatively injury-free/ is well managed...
- Our new fitness bloke can correct the mistakes of last season...

Then we currently have a list that can seriously challenge of the flag.

The beauty of our new haul of recruits is that they will sustain/boost our ranks as our existing older blokes start to slow down. In other words, we'd previously built a list that can seriously contend, and we've now recruited to keep that premiership window open.

And we've done so with only the one actual pick in the top 50(!)

And we've done so, without either sacrificing our ability to pay for Joe Bro', or for our doing so to end-up putting too many eggs in the one proverbial basket.

And all this also puts us in the position to be very much a desirable destination club for free agents want to come to, which will further keep the premiership window firmly open.


Great work Saintas' recruiters!

All this positivity. Good to see. I hope it bears fruit, but i'm way too scarred to jump on that train just yet. But i'll happily wave you all down and jump aboard if it looks like its going somewhere good.

Agree with your caution DS.

We do have the list to succeed. Now sure, every good contender then just needs a reasonable run of luck. (Just look at the Dreamons run of injuries... or lack thereof.)

Left this one out in my earlier post... where our beloved club differs from all others is in our unmatched ability to get ahead of ourselves and stuff things up royally. >_<

I'm hoping however (and am as reasonable confident as a Saintas' supporter can ever possibly be, i.e.; it's all relative :stinger: ) that we've actually learned from last season's debacle. The inexplicable Carlscum loss aside, it really did seem that after the break we had identified, learned from, and corrected the disasters of the first part of the season.

We were running out games, we were actually kicking straighter for goal(!) , and Joe King found his mojo to attack the ball, and even sorted-out his dodgy goal-kicking. Find all that very impressive, very professional, and very hopeful going forward.


But yes... we are talking St Kilda... <fear and trepidation emoji>

UPDATE to show no rookie "A" taken in rookie draft
Rookie "B' selections announced by club, Josiah Kyle & Jack Peris https://www.saints.com.au/news/1033891/ ... -b-rookies

SENIORS
1 Oscar Adams 2023
2 Matt Allison 2022
3 Josh Battle 2022
4 Jack Billings 2025
5 Dan Butler 2022
6 Ryan Byrnes 2022
7 Jack Bytel 2022
8 Tom Campbell 2022
9 Hunter Clark 2023
10 Nick Coffield 2023
11 Leo Connolly 2023
12 Brad Crouch 2024 +1
13 Jarryn Geary 2022
14 Jade Gresham 2023
15 Dan Hannebery 2022 + 1
16 Jack Higgins 2023
17 Tom Highmore 2022
18 Brad Hill 2024 + 1
19 Dougal Howard 2024
20 Zak Jones 2023
21 Clarke Kent 2022
22 Max King 2026
23 Ben Long 2022
24 Daniel McKenzie 2022
25 Rowan Marshall 2022
26 Tim Membrey 2024
27 Mitchito Owens 2023
28 Ben Paton 2022
29 Sebastian Ross 2023 + 1
30 Paddy Ryder 2023
31 Jack Sinclair 2024
32 Jack Steele 2022
33 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera 2023
34 Jimmy Webster 2022
35 Callum Wilkie 2023
36 Marcus Windhager 2023


ROOKIES A
1 Max Heath 2022
2 Darragh Joyce 2022
3 Cooper Sharman 2023
4 Mason Wood 2022
5 ---------------------
6 ---------------------

ROOKIES B
1 Josiah Kyle 2022
2 Jack Peris 2022

Senior list must be 36 to 38
Rookie A list must be 4 to 6
Total senior plus rookie A players no more than 42
2 rookie B allowed on top

St Kilda made a total of 4 draft selections, 1 rookie promotions and 2 rookie "B" selections.
So as it stands St Kilda can still make 2 rookie "A" selections that were left vacant for pre season supplemental selection or mid season rookie drafts.

The club website has no news on an upgrade of Callum Wilkie but it has been identified in the media.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/11/05/ ... mary-list/

List changes - goneski.
True Beleiver(?)
Ted and his menagerie.
Lazar.
Natural birth control.
Secret Keil
Enrico
Baz Grogan
King12
Captain America
The men from Cairns and Highett
Joffa Burns
ToTheTop
TextMessage

f***. That's great.

I remember Russell Jeffrey imploring the club to recruit more indigenous players. Black magic he called it.

This draft we welcome an additional 4 indigenous lads and I for one, could not be happier.

Love our current recruiters.

Go saints

Off-season team antics:
Kika: More problems for Syrian Girl





Trev From the Boat (on the left)




And the maritime theme continues. CQ has rounded up his pooch and another mate, and has gone huntin'.

Cat ketch? No rigging to fail. Makes good sense.


Some Saintsationalists have expressed reservatons about immigration. They have a point.



More of comrade Rosputin's holiday snaps.



(Once again) Desertsaint was running late to pick up the Swiss Miss(us). And DS knows how she hates him not being punctual. So.......... whatever it takes..




Covid? Lockdowns? Dragstar has stepped up to keep the family entertained. Onya Dragstar!




Loris.
Everyone thinks that the Saintsationalist who uses the posting non-deplme 'Loris' is a sweet young lady. That's only one of her sides. She's also cold and calculating.

Flux yeah!

Loris........... no remorse............. strikes again.



And Sainstaional's favourite imprasario (and goumet queche maker) HarryM hasn't been idol during the off-season. Harry gave another one of his masterclasses in 'how to pick up chics'. Onya Harry!

Flux yeah!

Posts of the week:

A good interview - gives a good insight into what goes into their thinking and network to assist with that thinking.

I think he said the name of their SA scout was Shane Moon (?), gets to two or three games a week and reports back to the club.

Fingers crossed you've nailed another two SA lads Shane.

So if the SA recruits are all stars we'll be over the moon.

If they're all duds we'll be over the Moon.

What will happen if Freeman wins a flag with the GC before we win one.

It'll be a very cold year in hell.

This kind of justification for the slaughter of the first class game makes me puke. The commercial imperative argument in support of the Big Bash is like a dog chasing its tail. A never ending loop of self-justification.

I make no apologies for my views expressed in this thread as I believe I am right. Most SENSIBLE aussies would agree with me. And I don't give a rats about those that disagree.

My need to argue and set things straight trumps my declaration.

Well played sir/madam.


Finally some sense Post! :

Maybe he can and this year! Players like Alex Rance took four or so seasons to get going. Rance is 194cm, which is probably like being 184 back in the day. He was tried forward, wing, follower before settling as a backman. So maybe Battle can do it. We certainly need a high class player with strength back there.

Players get taller. (John 'your nicked' Nicholls was 189cm. Alan Morrow was 183cm. Peter Hudson was 188cm. John Coleman was 185cm. Gordon Coventry was 183cm. Jack Dyer was 185cm. Tony Lockett and Jason Dunstall were 191cm. Bob Pratt was 180cm.)

192-193cm is no longer tall enough to hold down a key position. Players heights need to be compared relative to the contemporaries of their era. If a bloke was in say the top 5% hieght-wise when he played back in the day, if playing now he'd be whatever height is required to still be in the top 5%.


Worst idea ever!
http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=103544
The hot cross bun jumper is an abomination, and an insult. We have the best jumper in the sporting world. The mighty and wondrous and iconic tri-panel.

Stop f'ing with it!!!!!

For very specific occasions the also iconic heritage jumper should be the choice if we feel that we simply 'must'. But the whole 'away' jumper thing is complete BS.



Meanwhile, even whilst Vlad the Impaler is amassing troops on the Ukrainian border, Saintsational's favourite Russian sympathiser, comrade Rosputin, has been back to mother Russia, and he's been drumming up support for the mighty Saintas amongst the proletariat. Onya comrade!

However, after speaking with a couple of ex-AFL footballers, the word is that comrade Natasha means more trouble for Syrian Girl. (Whatever that means.)


And not to be outdone, Nosher has also been 'networking'. Onya Nosh!




Formicophillia post of the week:

We are here to win games not f*** spiders!!!

And just to prove Mart's no one hit (or one spider) wonder..

If you’ve overlooked an obvious for a ‘reach’ and that obvious becomes a gun which showed was why he was an ‘obvious’

Especially when the ‘reach’ ends up a poor player which demonstrates why he was speculative

So, how does one reach the obvious...?


And they just keep coming.

Check your PMS.

Bloody well said post of the week!:

What I reckon is worse than all of the above is that it seems there are a lot of fragile males out there who don't want to see women playing football and go out of their way to shitcan it at every opportunity (as evidenced in this thread from folks claiming to be as disinterested as you can be yet are still interested enough to declare their disinterest). Because if they did want to see women playing football, then they would understand that establishing a brand new competition/pathway will take time to mature. AFL is the fastest growing sport in Australia amongst females therefore it won't be too long before all players have grown up playing footy which will obviously increase the standard. With increased standards will come the greater public interest, sponsorship, broadcasting etc. In 5-10 years time the sport will be unrecognizable to what it is currently which will then leave 3 groups of footy supporters IMO 1) folks who have embraced AFLW from the get-go and can proudly state they have supported their mob since they were established 2) folks who disliked AFLW initially but got on board once the product reaped the inevitable from it's massive investment 3) folks who don't think women should be playing footy at all and are still completely disinterested. I know what side of history I'd like to be on... As a father-to-be with a baby girl on the way, I'm genuinely stoked that they will have the option of pursuing football from auskick right up to the big league (with my sporting genetics, fat chance I'm afraid) - an opportunity that would have been impossible without the AFLW competition being implemented by the AFL.

How else are you going to grow the game and inspire young girls if they can’t see it?

Disturbing post of the week:
http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php? ... 9#p1937059
Is one of Saintsational's favourite ironically named posters going soft on us? Don't change! We love you just the way you are. If this thing sort of thing is allowed to continue, next thing you know, Nosher will be joining the Barmy Army.

Beetroot and pineapple might get pulled out to ensure the meat remains intact as proof of the charge. Makes for a lot of work in preparing the brief but covers all possibilities, makes the defence earn their keep and gets a conviction.

The old beetroot gag. We haven't seen that in ages. And we notice that there's no egg in your hamburger Trev. Well played.



Thoughts, Rodger? <swoon>
Thoughts, merry and gay people...?
Thoughts, No vac...?
Thoughts, Saintsationalists...?


- Aeon.

Dear Aeon,

Take care, and I can’t wait to see you at the footy.

And Aeon honey, great to see more of the politically incorrect St Nosher? He's such an un-PC shocker......... you gotta' love him.

'Fred'.

Film Flux most fuxed up films ever:


But first - very (dis)honourable mentions:
Any movie with Grace Kelly trying to act.
Any movie with Tom Wanks trying to act.
Any movie with movie with nutjob Tom Cruise.
Any movie with the excruciating Brad Pitts. (Titanic excepted - if you just skip straight to the end to see him join Linda L's grandmother.)
Any Canadian move, except Incindies.
Any Hong Kong/Chinese movies. What is it with those wires all the time!?!
Any movie with Divine and/or John Waters involved.

Any Russ Meyer movie.

Pedro Almodovar movies.
And any other Spanish movie, except The Fencing Master and Lovers of the Arctic Circle.

However, Vicky Cristina Barcelona' demonstrates Woody Allen's genius as a director.......... he did the impossible. He got Penelope Cruz to actually act well.
(Almost) any Hollywood remake of a Euro' movie or series. Just stop doing Hollywood! You just keep embarrassing yourself.
Any movie with bloody hobbits! Gawd they're sooooooooooo bloody annoying!

My thoughts exactly. Up yours hobbits!

And no list like this would be complete without paying homage to the teams who actually set out to make the worst movie ever. They succeeded, and in doing so, they failed. So bad, it's actually good.
The cult classic Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.


And more from Troma Studios The Toxic Avenger

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Remember Saintsationalists....
No Matter Where You Go, There You Are



And whilst we're at it, the most 'out there' movie ever made. Eraserhead. Radiator heaven........

https://archive.org/details/eraserhead-1977


And whilst we're still at, another classic western for Saintsational's favourite apparitional poster






Ok, you've waited (not) long enough, but here are the podium finishers.
Bronze medalist: Dune
Silver medalist: The Beachcomber
Gold medal for worst ever movie: Jamon Jamon https://www.film1k.com/jamon-jamon-1992.html

Nope never heard of any of them either.

.

[desertsaint]

well s***. by the time i get through all of that we'll be in round 2!

[saynta]

I was at that game. 1st into the ground too,