Birss was f****** sensational...

[evertonfc]

Not avoiding your suggestion.

But you seriously expect Geelong supporters to rate their own players objectively.

Maybe a few would ... but seeking universal approval?

Fair dinkum, there are some St Kilda fans who would insist Justin Sweeney shows more than Gary Ablett ...


You are refusing to address the example I raised ... if you disagree with me, form your own opinion. Don't rely on some brain dead Geelong supporters to win an argument for you.

I'd suspect they'd be the better judges of their own list than you are - I'm sure even you would say you're a better judge of our list than any supposedly neutral commentator?

I think you are avoiding my suggestion - and you know it - and have put up a 'but they're not objective!' smokescreen to not do it. Fair enough. The challenge was there.

Look, the number is a bit of a misnomer. What's more important to me is the physical role he plays. What is it?

- Is it as an elite midfielder? No.
- Is it as a first choice midfielder? No.
- Is he a back-up midfielder with big improvement? No.
- Is it as a back-up midfielder who has got the most of his talent base? Yes.

I'd suggest he can't really improve that much any more. He turns 25 in the off-season.

Would that spot on the list better go to a young and developing midfielder? Well, to be honest, I see him as value for us in that last argument for another year. He has back-up value - but he can't afford to stall next year, or he will be delisted.

I don't, however, see him as a player who'll be part of our next premiership. I just don't subscribe to this adulation talk that's flooded in for him on the strength of one game...

He needs to keep working away in my book before we can say he is a "f****** sensational..." player.

[Oh When the Saints]

Look, the number is a bit of a misnomer.

The defence rests, your honour.

To say not in the top 35 at any club when there is 38 on a list is crazy.

To say not in the top 30 ... well, I'd probably agree with you.


The only problem is that we have a salary cap, and we can't have players in every spot on the list who are of enormous ability.

Equally, we can't have developing youngsters with ability in every spot on the list, because there are only a certain number of quality draftees each year.


I agree with your general philosophy.

But it's damn near impossible to achieve ... 2004 we came very close. But even then we had some older dud's filling spots on the list.

[St Fidelius]

St Fidelius, you like getting personal, I don't know why. I didn't see you at the game - but I don't really know what you look like. You should have come up to the box and said hello

Just why is my post "personal" and not OWTS???

I did notice your post and time though....

Posted: Sat 01 Sep 2007 2:10pm

Post subject:

Just waved goodbye to the crowd - he never does that.

Surely all over now.

Fergus Watts, your time is now.

Yeah righto... come to the box and say hello???

Do you normally take your PC to the match and post on Saintsational??

[evertonfc]

Look, the number is a bit of a misnomer.

The defence rests, your honour.

To say not in the top 35 at any club when there is 38 on a list is crazy.

To say not in the top 30 ... well, I'd probably agree with you.

I didn't have to post that, but I did, just as a little concession over subjectivity...and waited to see if you'd highlight it...and you did - good luck to you

...but I'm just as happy to get back into a scrap over it because I could easily defend it - but it's very subjective. I'd suggest Geelong fans would rate all but Owen above Birss as a player they'd rather have, to be honest. Where would that leave him?

The only problem is that we have a salary cap, and we can't have players in every spot on the list who are of enormous ability.

Equally, we can't have developing youngsters with ability in every spot on the list, because there are only a certain number of quality draftees each year.

I agree with your general philosophy.

But it's damn near impossible to achieve ... 2004 we came very close. But even then we had some older dud's filling spots on the list.

Fair enough.

I think the salary cap is an important issue. Here's the thing - youngsters cost very little. Not all of them make it, but a lot do.

The days of carrying 4-5 older duds needs to be ended with the phase we're at.

For example, I'd like to see us replace Thommo with a complete youngster, late in the draft, rather than chase a 26-year old replacement...

[evertonfc]

Yeah righto... come to the box and say hello???

Do you normally take your PC to the match and post on Saintsational??

Well, yes, my job often requires me having a PC in front of me at the game.

I'll listen to OWTS because he argues with me on merit, and I respect his views on the game, and even though we often disagree, I think he's got a respectable idea of what this club needs to go forward. And when we *do* argue, it's usually about one or two things which don't matter all that grandly in the scheme of things - see above.

[saint66au]

Just back to the OP...all he was trying to do was praise Emu's game TODAY and encourage him going forward...not to instill him as a smoky for the Brownlow.

I sometimes think that some on here get worried when a player they dont rate plays well....might hurt their image as a footballing knowledge guru

[Sam23]

Birss was on Foley for for last 20 minutes of the match which was the only time I really took any notice of him....

Haven't seen the replay.

Was still v. good imo.

In our best.

[evertonfc]

I sometimes think that some on here get worried when a player they dont rate plays well....might hurt their image as a footballing knowledge guru

Love the sly digs, saint66au. Quality stuff

I've been proved wrong many times - I completely wrote off Sam Fisher in early 2005, and he fought back and made his way into our 22.

He's now in contention for AA and has certainly proved me wrong. Although perhaps it's a bit arrogant of me to think I'd qualify as a footballing guru - there's plenty of smarter people on this forum than I

[mad saint guy]

No one is claiming that Birss is the next Lenny Hayes. He is a solid backup midfielder who has earnt his spot for the second half of the year.

He has certainly been better than McQualter, Thompson, Jones and Armitage.

We would all love to be able to rotate Ben Cousins and Gary Ablett into the midfield when the starting onballers need a rest, but there just aren't that many star players around.

[saint66au]

NO sly digs evertonfc, just observation. I genuinely wasnt having a go at anyone in particular..if I do I name names

You werent the oly one on Sammy..and Ill go back further and admit that I thought Jamie Shanahan would NEVER be an AFL standard player.

A un-co kid named Stewie worried me too at the time

[evertonfc]

NO sly digs evertonfc, just observation. I genuinely wasnt having a go at anyone in particular..if I do I name names

Fair play then

You werent the oly one on Sammy..and Ill go back further and admit that I thought Jamie Shanahan would NEVER be an AFL standard player.

You must have seen him at that game in 1994 (?) against North Melbourne when he mis-timed a punch, only to see the ball bounce in front of him and over his head.

I raised a few eyebrows myself...

A un-co kid named Stewie worried me too at the time

Where do I start?

I thought Matthew Lappin lacked discipline and consistency.

I felt we should have persisted with Caydn Beetham.

...and even believed Matthew Capuano was a shrewd pick-up...

[St Fidelius]

Birss is a liability, one of the reasons we finished 9th is because we have liabilities such as him and Blake running around and through our midfield at that

FAIR DINKUM

Still waiting for a comment

Just in your own time....

We realise that you may have some media commitments, seeing that "everyone" is after the "rent boy" from Hawthorn...

Now please relax....

and take this a step at a time....so you say...

Birss is a liability, one of the reasons we finished 9th

???

Well after a serious eye injury he has had a great season IMO...

Again, I think it is confidence and not skill when it comes to Birss...

But, don't let the "know all" that polluted this site with Rix playing for the Scorps and "demanded facts" and never bothered to witness a match at the ground...

Never bothered and yet felt that he should pollute this site with STATS..

Pollute this site with worthless stats that in most cases he was never a witness to...

This same poster that demands FACTS....

This same poster that confronts a coach during match day...

This same poster that now thinks that Birss is a"liability"

This same poster that thinks that Rix is not???

Give us all a break and take a nap

Your idea of Rix is great and that's why GT isn't and that is the reason why we farked up and now the RL is in and have no excuse


This is from the same poster that has "conspiracy theories" running wild..

bfe believes man never landed on the moon

b4e believed (at the time) another "conspiracy theory" Ross Lyon was a set up...

"The selection of Ross Lyon was corrupt because of Robert Walls"

Gee bfe...

Time to check in again, you obviously need more meds

or maybe living the hawks lifestyle in coke and ice agrees with you??

[Harvey To Hayes]

Birss is a liability, one of the reasons we finished 9th is because we have liabilities such as him and Blake running around and through our midfield at that

FAIR DINKUM

Peaheat whingers like you are a liability to our club and hinder us from moving forward. You are an embarrassment to yourself and your family and my dying wish is that someone would be granted the power to stop you from posting your inane waffle under a name which mentions Trevor Barker's. It really is the worst thing about this entire club the crap you constantly post. I'm serious...

[St Fidelius]

Birss is a liability, one of the reasons we finished 9th is because we have liabilities such as him and Blake running around and through our midfield at that

FAIR DINKUM

Peaheat whingers like you are a liability to our club and hinder us from moving forward. You are an embarrassment to yourself and your family and my dying wish is that someone would be granted the power to stop you from posting your inane waffle under a name which mentions Trevor Barker's. It really is the worst thing about this entire club the crap you constantly post. I'm serious...

TOP POST!

[saint66au]

Locked