Saintsational Fan Forum - A passionate community of St Kilda Football Club fans discussing news, history, players, trade rumours, results, AFL stats and more.
all it comes down to is time, preseason fitness base and CONFIDENCE.
Yep he started to look a bit out of place in the last quater... A pre season and he will be ready to go.
I remember raph playing in his second season for springvale and played CHB against a big geelong forward twice his size. Would play slightly off him and read the ball better and either pick it off with a mark or spoil. Reminds me in some ways of how leppa played for the lions. It works when 1. he has a good bunch of backman around him 2. has the confidence to back himself
will be a player
FQF
loyal in the good times and bad
In richo I trust
2013 trade/draft best ever?
Billings - future brownlow medallist Longer - future best ruck
Dunstan - future captain Eli - future cult hero
Acres - future norm smith
If you want to blow your stack over one game be my guest.
I remember Loriswa ridiculous outbust about egg on the face for the Shane Birrs detractors after he played one decent game.
I'll eat humble pie on R.Clarke when he puts together a decent season or two, and I'll gladly do it. He has the potential and talent but lacks severely in other areas.
To date he is not a #8 draft picks hairy gunga.
one reasonable game means very little.
Proudly assuming the title of forum Oracle and serving as the inaugural Saintsational ‘weak as piss brigade’ President.
st.mart wrote:No-one with half a brain would suggest Raphael, X, Fraser cannot play footy.......they are VG at their best......all of them.....but it doesn't appear whether they are giving 100% effort 100% of the time - which frustrates...at times all three can look woeful......other times like today (which can frustrate more) it would be easier to understand if they were duds....
Sometimes players appear to be not up to it or not trying, however injuries can account for their poor form. Some players injuries aren't as apparent or publisized as Luke Ball's OP.
By this stage of the year not many player are playing with out a niggle of some sort, some just hide it better and deal with it better, and some don't.
Both Clarke brothers have excellent although not identical skills. Both suffer form the same problem - the ability to get injured (not confined to them unfortunately). When fit and match hardened, they will be champs, but not his year. Injury has meant alack of pace for X and and a lack of match play for R (he relies on jugdement). We must continure to play both as there is no substitute for skill.
Raph was very composed in his first season, looking like a guy who had played 100 games. He has since had some injuries. He had no pre-season coming into 2007. At last he is close to the required fitness for AFL.
He reads the play beatifully, and in particular, reads the flight of the ball better than many. He also keeps his feet while those around him don't.
We have been patient with Koschitzke after all of his injuries (after a fine debut season), so why not be just as patient with Raph Clarke? How old is he? Twenty/twenty one?
He's got plenty to offer, and if he can maintain yesterday's form, then Gram can slip into the midfield to give us a additional midfieled depth, which we're lacking.
Some people want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
