Team changes this week

[The_Dud]

NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo...........

[Enrico_Misso]

They should have given X a chance to regain form at Casey.
He has lost all confidence and could be a liability.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

So rather than exploit the Dockers' lack of presence in the ruck we decide to nullify it by dropping one of our ruckmen?

Yup, that makes sense - not.

maybe but our strengh isnt going to be our ruck most weeks against ok rucks we need a rix or clarke to at least contest but against freo with only warnok as a ruck it maybe good to get a player who will hurt them with possesions
i honestly though attard would be safe but maybe that hit was a little bit worse then it lookd so they are being safe with him
CJ - Raph much of a muchness just CJ has a bit more agro then again CJ spent a lot of time playing with the guys on freos list so maybe we dont want to have him out there as they would know more of where his kicks are going then our boys would atm

as for ferg god only know why we wasted a pick on redrafting him maybe as an insurance for Goose if he had a Nathan Brown year ??

Brooks was gone back in the hawthorn game and unless we are watching the VFL he wont hurt the saints from another club !

[Oh When the Saints]

They should have given X a chance to regain form at Casey.
He has lost all confidence and could be a liability.

Had he kicked straight, he would have been the sole reason we were in front at half time.

Played a terrific first half, and was good the week before.

Did a good lockdown job on Kenelly in the second half that went unnoticed amongst a couple of his clangers.


I agree with you mad saint guy ... not much value in these changes.

Birss gives some good offensive run ... he kicks goals for us which we need.

Raph Clarke is a dud ... hasn't even been in the best players for the Scorpions.

GT was the same ... always kept picking him ... said on radio the other day that he rates Raph and reckons he is easily in our best 18.

RL seems to be no different.


Maybe Raph trains the house down and works hard at training ???

Mystifying.


Vossy will always give 110% ... which I'd rather see than a lazy half-hearted effort from Brooks/Raph ...

It will be up to others to win the game though.


We are very slow.

[rexy]

Think you are all being harsh on Raph, the boy can play IMO and will eventually be best 22 permenantly. Anyone here at the prelim in 05 against Sydney, probably best on for us that day.

I do agree on the apparent lack of any point in redrafting Fergusson and I am befuddled that we would have come to the point where Blake is a ruckman again.

Definately a revolving door, same guys going in and out.

[RooandKosi]

Um raph is awesome when he gets going.

Voss has been BOG for casey like 3 weeks in a row and as for Birss, he is solid HARDNUT!!

Im happy.

As for X... ok he's disposal was a let down BUT that was last week in WET HARD conditions, he still found the ball and when he kicks 3 goals and has 20 effective possessions this week under the roof at the dome youll all speak differently!!!

[mad saint guy]

Think you are all being harsh on Raph, the boy can play IMO and will eventually be best 22 permenantly. Anyone here at the prelim in 05 against Sydney, probably best on for us that day.

Definately a revolving door, same guys going in and out.

I too think that Raph will eventually become a good player for us (had a very good 2005 season), but this year he has just been awful. Needs a full pre season before he'll actually do anything.

And the selections lately really worry me

The following players are completely untouchable (mostly for a good reason)
Ball
Dal Santo
S.Fisher
Gehrig
Gram
Harvey
Hayes
Hudghton
Koschitzke
Montagna
Riewoldt

Then these guys will play every game and get preference over all others unless they have a MASSIVE form slump
Attard
Baker
Blake
X.Clarke
Fiora
L.Fisher
Gilbert
Maguire
Milne

Then this is the revolving door group. No matter how badly they perform either at AFL level or VFL level, they will be in and out of the team regularly
Birss
M.Clarke
R.Clarke
Jones
Rix
Thompson
Voss

Then the rest will only be called upon in case of mass injuries (have no expectation and brilliant form will be ignored)

[ausfatcat]

Anyone know the emergencies?

EMG: Matt Ferguson, Matthew Clarke, Clinton Jones

[saint66au]

MSG..thought you would have been happy that your whipping-boy Attard has been omitted

[LTN16]

I'm happy with Voss coming into the team because he has earned his spot with good performances with the Scorps.

I've got no idea what Raph Clarke is doing back in the team? What has he done to deserve his selection? Why not give Ferguson a run surely he is a better option than Raph and has been in good form with the Scorps.

[Oh When the Saints]

No, Clint Jones is his whipping boy 66au

[TimeToShineFellas]

Has the form of Brooks and Ferguson not been good enough?

Now I say this with the utmost respect for you MSG (as I find your posts mostly informative and enlightening at times)...... can you PLEASE give up your relentless push for Brooks's selection?

I thought barks was bad enough with his Rix infatuation.

Your sig says it all.

He won't make it at St Kilda.

Move on!

[mad saint guy]

MSG..thought you would have been happy that your whipping-boy Attard has been omitted

Attard is a handy player to have on our list. I have no problem with him being retained and he has generally made a contribution this year. If he can lift his disposals average to 12-13 then he should be a regular player for many years, but with many players to choose from his form simply didn't warrant selection. And if he doesn't lift his disposals average in the future then he won't be a regular player.

But OWTS is right. I have never straight-out bagged a player on SS, but Jones is just terrible. I'll leave it at that.

[meher baba]

Blake in the ruck, farting at thunder again!!!

Where are you B4E when we need you???

[mad saint guy]

Blake in the ruck, farting at thunder again!!!

Where are you B4E when we need you???

Blake is the same height as Freo's backup ruckman (Gilmore) and is probably the only option we have that could keep up with him around the ground. Gilmore has been in excellent form lately and can't be let loose.

[St Fidelius]

Xavier Clarke keeping his spot??

May i ask how that has happened??

I like the outs though, all have no effect on the game and about time imo

Finally Vossy is back, hope he tears it up!!!

Well let me say this...

their is some obvious "favourites" in coaches selections...

Brooks for some reason is not with the present and the past...

Fergs is the same IMO

The call for "b4e where are you" is a joke IMO...

What the F*** is he going to do???


Hijack and interrupt the coaches box again with his useless stats??

Mention time and time again that Rix is the "answer"

as I recall, last year in Freo Blake killed Sandilands in the ruck and now that Sandilands is not playing, one would suggest the Blake is up against Gilmore ....

Pretty simple really when you look at match ups...

Now way known Rix is a match up for Gilmore and Blake is more suited..

Good to see Voss back...

Please some on here need to have a clue....

[meher baba]

The call for "b4e where are you" is a joke IMO...

What the F*** is he going to do???


Hijack and interrupt the coaches box again with his useless stats??

Mention time and time again that Rix is the "answer"

as I recall, last year in Freo Blake killed Sandilands in the ruck and now that Sandilands is not playing, one would suggest the Blake is up against Gilmore ....

Pretty simple really when you look at match ups...

Now way known Rix is a match up for Gilmore and Blake is more suited..

Please some on here need to have a clue....

Sorry mate, I was just stirring the possum a bit: I wasn't being serious.

I certainly agree with you: Kosi and Blake should be fine against the Freo ruck division minus Sandilands (and, for that matter, Blake went extremely well against Sandilands in the dreaded "2 points deducted for having GT as your coach" game against Freo at Aurora last year).

[bigcarl]

Think you are all being harsh on Raph, the boy can play IMO and will eventually be best 22 permenantly.

.... I am befuddled that we would have come to the point where Blake is a ruckman again.

i've always thought that raph would make it, too, provided his attitude and work ethic is there. he has talent, just needs to find some confidence.

as for blake being back in the ruck, i applaud it. at least he offers more around the ground than rix and m. clarke and i'm not that certain he is so far behind them in the hitouts to advantage department either, meaningless stat that it often is

our on-ball division has consistently looked ordinary this year in blake's absence

[Teflon]

Dissapointed to see Raph Calrke walze back in.

As others mentioned GT and now Lyon must see something the rest dont......I panick when he has it (find myslef screaming...."just give it to Blakey...he'll know what to do.... ....that bad.)

Am stuffed as to why Ferguson doesnt get a run - he IMO has the skill/decision making under pressure abilities that you need at the top level.....

Voss....hmm.....ok if hes that smaller fwd option we been screaming for...

Birss fair enough and can kick a goal...

Gonna be interesting...

[saintsRrising]

Even I whom am not Blakes biggest fan can see the sense in the match ups in the ruck this week.


Many crtitise RL for no plan B...even when he varies selections based on who we are playing...

Swans had two big experienced rucks...so rix in..

Freo have 2 inexperienced ones...with one undersized one.

So Kosi and Blake are a good mix

Less need for pure tag this week....so Attard out...with an extra mid rotation in Birss.

Voss has earned another gig asa small marking forward....lets hope he holds his marks for Voss is sgood kick at goal.

Raph??? well geeze ets hope he has rediscovered awareness of his oppoents.

[OneEyedSainter77]

Not happy with Birss in, overjoyed to see Vossy and unsure about Raph. I think he'll take some time to find his feet but eventually it'll happen. Rix out - well, he's an ok ruckman but around the ground, about as useful as tits on a bull, so I can understand that - however, we only have one ruckman now, so I'm a little confused about that. I'm shattered about Attard, why did they drop him? Is he injured? And CJ - well, he is too young - again understandable.

All in all, I'm not too pleased with selection and am tipping that we need to be right on top of our game or we may have a nice old flogging served up to us on our home turf....

[The_Dud]

Think you are all being harsh on Raph, the boy can play IMO and will eventually be best 22 permenantly. Anyone here at the prelim in 05 against Sydney, probably best on for us that day.

oh yeah, i forgot he played a good game 2 years ago, his selection is totally justified now.......

[SB10]

Would have liked Watts to come in as a back up for G (should he decide he can't be bothered mid game).

And don't know how many bad games X needs to play before getting the chop. Now we've got to carry both Clarke's!

Great to see Vossy back though.

[Dal_Santos_Gal]

I WANT TO SEE FERGS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why the hell did we delist him only to redraft him and then have him not play a game.

I am totally stuffed on this one, I am a big RL fan but this one just puzzles me to no end.

In fact it is almost annoying me, no IT IS annoying me

FFS

[meher baba]

All of those calling for RL's or someone's head because Raph was selected ahead of Ferguson are likely to be proven wrong in the long term, if not even this weekend (wouldn't it be wonderful to see Raph play to his potential and tear the Dockers apart).

The Sainters don't need more honest, hardworking, defensive players like Ferguson in the top 22 right now. We have them in abundance. (Now I know some of you believe that Ferguson could be made into a medium-sized forward, but surely you would agree that this would take some time and shouldn't be attempted in a round 20 game which we have to win to stay alive for the finals).

Raph, and X for that matter, bring a much-needed touch of creativity to the team and a sense of the unexpected. It would have done nothing for X's confidence to drop him now: I'm really impressed that he's been retained for this week, and that Raph has been brought in to join him.

Aboriginal players typically take a long time to find their feet in the AFL (they seem to have more trouble than anyone else in being separated from their family and childhood friends). But, as we all know, when it all comes together, the best Aboriginal players are capable of destroying opposition teams.

I look at the 3 players coming in (even Birss), and the decision to retain X, and I think that anything could happen with these players: they could have blinders, or shockers. Who knows. I look at the players who have been omitted - Rix, Attard, CJ - and I feel pretty confident that I could have predicted anything and everything they might have done tomorrow if they had been selected.

So, good on RL and good on the selectors. The club hasn't done anything for quite a while which has impressed me so much as the team selection for this match. I hope they are rewarded by a convincing win against the Dockers.