Looking Forward to 2008

[st.mart]

There are umpteen reasons why we should be better, but a few that say we could be worse....

1) Possible return of M.Gardiner & A.Hamill.......unlikely but not impossible
2) A better body on L.Ball.....strip some weight have 90 days off...
3) Return of BJ Goddard....will not be as hampered as Lenny (different player, not as franetic) but will take a while..
4) Full pre-season to
M.Hudghton
R.Clarke
X.Clarke
M.Maguire
L.Hayes
F.Watts
Ball, Hamill, Gardiner, Goddard will still be modified
5) Another full pre-season to Kosi
6) Increased fitness level across the board
7) A season under the belt to D.Armitage
8) Increased understanding of the GP
9) Get rid of some dead wood, chance for some to step up


Some reasons we will be worse off

1) Fraser
2) Loss of Attard for 2008...
3) Loss of experience - Clarke, Thommo, Gehrig (Maybe Voss)
4) Possible retirement of Harves...

Senior Team

B: S.FISHER - M.HUDGHTON - S.BAKER
HB: R.CLARKE - M.MAGUIRE - J.GRAM
C: A.FIORA - L.BALL - N.DAL SANTO
HF: B.GODDARD - N.RIEWOLDT - X.CLARKE
F: A.HAMILL - J.KOSI - S.MILNE
Foll: M.GARDINER - L.HAYES - L.MONTAGNA
Int: R.HARVEY - D.ARMITAGE - L.FISHER - S.GILBERT
EMG: J.BLAKE - S.BIRSS -

Back up tall defenders
Blake, Draft Pick, Gwilt

Back Up Small defenders
Geary, Howard

Back Up Rucks
Rix, Brooks, Draft Pick, Van Reehnan

Back Up Mids
Birss, Jones, McQualter, Draft Pick, Eddy, Rookie Pick

Back Up Tall Fwds
Watts, Brooks, Allen

Back up small fwds
Draft Pick, Rookie Pick

Out - Sweeney, Raymond, Voss, M.Clarke, Gehrig, Thompson, Ferguson

[bungiton]

Hey Marto, hows the little one coming along??

Hope you got to get down to a few VFL games still, let me have it big fella, should the preseason be given to brooks and Watts fighting for the now vacant FF position or do you think Kosi should be plonked in the square and left there?

For mine Kosi is a tremendous player around the ground and though he is a great grab and can have a great impact up forward I think we're robbing oursselves of a fantastic asset by earmarking him as a permanent KPP forward.

[st.mart]

Brooks had a wonderful 2007 at VFL level......but take away his massive size advantage and add his laconic style to the increased tempo at AFL level.....and he will be very lucky to make it....

Given a run at the footy - a brilliant grab, awesome footskills for a big man..has some serious talent - all over Clarke and Rix and Definately VR....and he has the added dimension of going fwd

but

Lacks strength over and under the footy, is not hard enough and can make silly (concentration) errors...his intensity is poor

Watts - a different cat to Gehrig (similarity - both massive) - Gehrig a distinct pace advantage on the lead - and body is stronger.....plus a very talented and smart player...a 60 goal a year FF - Watts is a real competitor - more courage, better pack mark - but gets very little footy on the lead.....he causes many more spillages (contests hard)...he competes as hard as he can when the ball hits the deck, but can be exposed for pace...a 30-40 Goal a year FF - bigger version of Hamill.

Little one is 17 months......and will be joined by another in 4 weeks...

Cheers

[bungiton]

Little one is 17 months......and will be joined by another in 4 weeks...

you're just making me wonder how you get any time to watch the footy at all you old stud, lol

[cowboy18]

Terrific news - congratulations!


EDIT: While I was trying to find a Geary link this thread started up -nevermind! http://www.saintsational.com/forum/view ... hp?t=35449


A question on rookie lists - my understanding is that we need to trim our rookies so that we only have 3 second year ones going forward?

Attard and Jones may be elevated onto the 2008 list (#43 to the long term injury list?)


Geary seems to be rated - was he elevated? Can't find the link
van Rheenan needs to stay there to develop
Eddy may have a huge upside - probably a steal once he gets a full preseason and experience
Wall is all legs and arms but a very effective spoiler from all reports (and one viewing!)

Should all 4 be retained in some form?

Would any of these guys warrant being elevated?

[Zed]

St Mart ..great post. One of the few people on this forum who's posts I usually read end to end.

Agreed the that Ruck /FF dliemma is the one that RL will be most stressed about - cant play Kosi in both spots.

If Gardiner holds up and can still mix it at AFL level that would be a huge bonus. Rix and Brooks not AFL standard unfortunately. We wont find a ruckman in the draft (well not one that steps straight in) so the only other hope is to trade for one.

Personally, I would leave Kosi at FF with the occasional run in the ruck. The question then is who do you run off the bench to fill Kosi's "vacant" spot at FF or ruck.

[Riewoldting]

Some reasons we will be worse off

No Baker for a quarter of the home and away season

[Teflon]

Some reasons we will be worse off

No Baker for a quarter of the home and away season

Home and Away wont last another season I reckon - dont panic just yet...

[gosaints]

One area that continues to worry me is how light on we are for key defenders. Obviously, we can't count on Max to be there for 18 plus games and putting Sam Fisher as a key defender takes away from our team balance. We desperately need Goose to come good.

Those who have seen Allen play does he have the tools to make it as a backman?

[Animal Enclosure]

From memory Allen played at CHB in one of the praccy matches & showed good athleticism & strong marking. His kicking looked a little wonky but definately has the physical tools.

Great post St.Mart, well thought out.

[saintsRrising]

From memory Allen played at CHB in one of the praccy matches & showed good athleticism & strong marking. His kicking looked a little wonky but definately has the physical tools.

.

With Allen...for himto play FB...does he have good pace???

For example both maguire and Sam lack the imitial pace to play FB on the quicker FFs.



I have not seen allen play enough to know...but am curious about this apect.




Of the players I have seen...Gilbert is our only option besides Max with the pace to play FB. Gilbert would need to beef up though.....and the problem is that Gilbert can also be used in other areas.

Max should be right for another year or two....but after that given our current players I would imagine that Gilbert may get the nod for by then he will be mre mature physically.



A FB will be one player that RL may be seeking to recruit....though quick mids are likely to bea higher priority......and depending on Gardi...a ruckman.

[saintsRrising]

Great OP...and congrats on the"recruiting"...just have to wait to see if ita father/son ora father /daughter selection

There are umpteen reasons why we should be better, but a few that say we could be worse....

1) Possible return of M.Gardiner

I would love to know what the medical advisce on this actually is. Whether it is that he SHOULD be right...or whether it that he COULd be right.

A fit and inform Gardiner would makea major difference in itself......one because he is agood ruckman, who even he he cannot play at the level he used too...should still be well above what our rucks have been since Spida left. Secondly because it frees up Kosi to play mainly asa key forward.

& A.Hamill.......unlikely but not impossible

Yes I have big question marks here too. If he delivers at all I am treating it asa bonus to my current hopes and thinking.

2) A better body on L.Ball.....strip some weight have 90 days off...

Lets hope that his operation makes a difference.

Yes on the weight I fully agree...and you made this pointa while back...about BJ too.

As you mention back then GT builta team based more on power than on endurance and players such as Ball and BJ pumped themselves up.

The focus needs to be on endurance. While many say that the players are jsut tired because of the gameplan......this is in iteslf not true...as the WHOLE competion is running more. The Game has changed.....

It was very lsitening to Glen Archer this week who stated that one of he main reasons for the Roos success (apart from change in gameplan) was that the Roos change their training focus from short sharp sprintwork....to endurance work.


The Saints I am sure will also be doing this and so in 2008 we will not only be fitter, but more importantly we will have the right type of fitness with endurance emphasised.

The other factor on tiredness is that we were often playera mid or two short in our rotations. This INCRESES the loads on your mids and tres them out....and this is why we need more run in our midfield group (leaving aside the pace issue).

3) Return of BJ Goddard....will not be as hampered as Lenny (different player, not as franetic) but will take a while..

Yes agree....and at least to start I would mainly like to see him just useda asa flanker winger....

4) Full pre-season to
M.Hudghton
R.Clarke
X.Clarke
M.Maguire
L.Hayes
F.Watts
Ball, Hamill, Gardiner, Goddard will still be modified

Yes...as the Roos and Cats have both demonstrated having a good pre-season is agreat leg up to havinga good season.

5) Another full pre-season to Kosi

Yes..I think kosi is just starting to motor along now...

6) Increased fitness level across the board

See comments above...and yes with switch from being power athletes to endurance.

7) A season under the belt to D.Armitage

Will start to bloom.....and it is not just the fitness. Don't frget that he is boy that had to move interstate froma Country Environment toa big city in Melbourne and so there would have been some issues here.

8) Increased understanding of the GP

Definately...and this really started to show later in the year. It was evident that the team is defensivelya lot better now and that they can put the brakes on...something that we were poor at in the past.

We need to focus now on more rapid ball movent...but this is starting return.

9) Get rid of some dead wood, chance for some to step up


Some reasons we will be worse off

1) Fraser

Big loss here...but IF Gardi stands up then Kosi to FF will offset it.

One thing though is that Fraser has played much of the last two yewars injured....but he soldiered through it...so a FULLY fit Kos could have some upside.

[joffaboy]

Interesting that St.mart has Goddard in his team. Will bj be fit for R1 or was this just a best 22???

[saintsRrising]

As I understand it BJ is going well....and is "chance" to play Round 1.

However like Lenny...being back...and being back to ones best as quite often two different things.

[snoopygirl]

From what I have been told about someone who has known Jarryd Allen since he was knee high to a grasshopper, he is equally as comfortable playing in the back line as he is in the forward line. Also seems to have grown a bit since the start of the season. Or maybe I'm just shrinking.

[Dan Warna]

goddard back will be a great boost to our 08 campaign.

[Solar]

From what I have been told about someone who has known Jarryd Allen since he was knee high to a grasshopper, he is equally as comfortable playing in the back line as he is in the forward line. Also seems to have grown a bit since the start of the season. Or maybe I'm just shrinking.

agree on the height issue, the kid has put on 1 - 2 cm's this year. Good size about him, has the pace to play at full back but would be a real assett as the third tall forward.

Agree with most of your views like usual marto.