Please help an old fan re-engage

[shanegrambeau]

Hi..live in Japan now, but SE suburbanite Saints fan since about 1971-2. First jumper was disappointing for an 8 year-old, no. 34 (hence user name, and sorry Shane). I watched in despair as my first 10 years of fan saw St Kilda fall from grace to the bottom. (With the exciting and tantalizingly 'almost' season of '78? in between). Tried to forget about footy and for a few of the Sheldon/Alves years (fair weather supporter charge accepted) became curious again. In Japan, we get homesick and the Thomas years my sister back home also became a Saints fan. I got to know the players names again and followed their arc right through to the end. However, I didn't pick up on any of the new players of this decade. I know them by name only, and I know them collectively from the mass-media as 'honest also-rans'. However, this year i want to get passed that and find out who these guys really are as individual players. I also want hope. I have been looking at the news online and it is weak considering the season is about to start. I thought that instead of asking you to give a description of each player (which is also cool, but doesn't give me a sense of why or how we can win), I would as you who would fill these roles. So here goes. Could you tell me if we have (a) player(s) who can,

1) Play on the ball in a wet/bad weather slog and get/use/prevent others getting the ball well?
2) Really stick it to Dusty Martin, Ablett and generally shut down the super skilled opposition runners in perfect sunshine?
3) Can run and run like Robert Harvey could?
4) Can pick up a ball with one finger like NIcky Winmar?
5) Knows how to adapt to the changing tactics of ruckman at ball-ups and stay one step ahead tactically?
6) Can reliably kick a ball back into play at a super-high pressure juncture of play (i.e. end of quarter or match with score hanging in the balance ..think NOT Goddard Essendon last year)
7) Can run back and be a sweeper in defence when the opposition get a run-on?
8) Can hold a mark under pressure like buckets Loewe? (Even 50% as good)
9) Reads the play as well and has the skill to execute a kick or pass to change the anticipated flow of that play?
10) Can come off the bench on short bursts and completely screw up the coaches in the opposition's coaches box.
11) Intimidates by presence?
12) Is really hard to match-up on?
13) A big forward who can go back and mark that said kick (see no. 6)?
14) A smallish player who can kick long and straight like Joey Montagna could?
15) Who kicks well on the run?

Sorry, if it is too long. If you could answer just any of these it would be great because I can get a feel for what is the perceptions of our players going into 2018. It will make it feel better than just listening to the media stereo-type of us as just an a lump of middle-tier battlers - which we may be - albeit with various individual strengths and weaknesses. This year has to ba an interesting one and as a long time patchy fan, the prediction compass is all over the place right now.

[desertsaint]

15 is Savage.
Not one name comes to mind on any other. But we'll be top four this year, according to the plan.

[terry smith rules]

1 saints rarely if ever play in the wet. In fact maybe the most wet weather games are in Brisbane and Sydney

[terry smith rules]

1 saints rarely if ever play in the wet. In fact maybe the most wet weather games are in Brisbane and Sydney

[Scollop]

Firey;

What do you reckon? I reckon Gilbo is the player who ticks all boxes...sorry... I meant all boxes except the ones that involve kicking.

[barneyboyz]

Yep, we've had all of that (even in the same teams), but what I would like from the Saints now is a group of 22 players that can play at or above their potential for longer periods in games, then throughout an entire season and into finals, through a grand final, all better than the rest of the competition. That would be a premiership team.

We have had three quarters of this at several times over the last 20 or so years. We've been very close to being that team; it's not going to be easy for them, ever. If they can all start from a point of absolute determination, which is one of the only things that we can control, then who knows?

We were building determination a couple of years ago, and then some champions slowed to a stop (2017). We can regain this momentum, and fairly quickly too, but it all starts on the ground, this Saturday, and that includes us!

Be there Sainters

[St Chris]

Some thoughts:

1) Play on the ball in a wet/bad weather slog and get/use/prevent others getting the ball well? Armitage
2) Really stick it to Dusty Martin, Ablett and generally shut down the super skilled opposition runners in perfect sunshine? Ross (when he towelled up Danger) and Koby Stevens in recent memory, but the days of dedicated stoppers are done I think.
3) Can run and run like Robert Harvey could? I'm not sure the AFL has seen someone who could run like that since Harves??
4) Can pick up a ball with one finger like NIcky Winmar? Gresham
5) Knows how to adapt to the changing tactics of ruckman at ball-ups and stay one step ahead tactically? Steven is good at reading the opp ruckman, and I think Dunstan is a good leader in the middle (very vocal)
6) Can reliably kick a ball back into play at a super-high pressure juncture of play (i.e. end of quarter or match with score hanging in the balance ..think NOT Goddard Essendon last year) Massive concern, all our guys who take kickouts have the occasional brain fade (Gilbert, Savage, Roberton, Newnes etc)
7) Can run back and be a sweeper in defence when the opposition get a run-on? Bruce should do this, previously Roo
8) Can hold a mark under pressure like buckets Loewe? (Even 50% as good) Paddy will be the man, eventually
9) Reads the play as well and has the skill to execute a kick or pass to change the anticipated flow of that play? Billings
10) Can come off the bench on short bursts and completely screw up the coaches in the opposition's coaches box. Hmmm, anyone who can play multiple positions (Carlisle, Gresh etc.) - I'll go with Jack Steven going deep in the forward line will cause some problems for opp coaches.
11) Intimidates by presence? Carlisle
12) Is really hard to match-up on? Membrey & Billings
13) A big forward who can go back and mark that said kick (see no. 6)? I expect to see Bruce & Membrey both taking marks up the ground when things aren't going our way.
14) A smallish player who can kick long and straight like Joey Montagna could? Newnes, but needs to hit more targets with that long kicking
15) Who kicks well on the run? Sinclair, hits targets but isn't that long penetrating kick we'd love. Coffield has showed a few signs too

[St Chris]

And if you need some perking up before the season starts, I saw these stats yesterday and felt better about our place in the world:

Under 25, in our Best 25:
Newnes 25
Ross 24
Longer 24
Webster 24
Membrey 23
Dunstan 23
Sinclair 23
Billings 22
Acres 22
Steele 22
McCartin 21
Lonie 21
White 21
Gresham 20
Clark 18
Coffield 18

That is a good core group for the next decade....

[shanegrambeau]

Thanks so much for the responses. The thread got buried so quickly under traffic and our rapid retreat from optimism in 2018. Well, Round three is done and dusted and everyone is despondent and all the dark predictions in the media seem to be playing out. I wasn’t following much in 1997, when Stan Alves’s men got dusted up in the first bit and then rallied. However, let’s hope for a miracle.

[barneyboyz]

Thanks so much for the responses. The thread got buried so quickly under traffic and our rapid retreat from optimism in 2018. Well, Round three is done and dusted and everyone is despondent and all the dark predictions in the media seem to be playing out. I wasn’t following much in 1997, when Stan Alves’s men got dusted up in the first bit and then rallied. However, let’s hope for a miracle.

There is smoulder in this side, just need a spark and it's ON

[saintspremiers]

And if you need some perking up before the season starts, I saw these stats yesterday and felt better about our place in the world:

Under 25, in our Best 25:
Newnes 25 - Shyte disposal
Ross 24
Longer 24 - can’t do anything around the ground
Webster 24 - stagnating
Membrey 23
Dunstan 23
Sinclair 23
Billings 22
Acres 22
Steele 22
McCartin 21 - too slow
Lonie 21 - VFL only
White 21
Gresham 20
Clark 18
Coffield 18

That is a good core group for the next decade....

[shanegrambeau]

Right, there is a crop of promise there I suppose. Re the McCartin question: I wonder if -just say - McCartin didn’t lift off (and it is looking a bit “Spruce Goosey” at the present) whether he might break contract and go elsewhere in return for something better and then I thought- began to dread - the prospect that Hawthorn, who have a habit of profiting handsomely from getting bigger players that frustrated their former teams, might get him, rehabilitate him and parade him m down Swanson st with a premiership medallion. Ouch! That wouldn’t be good, so we just have to stick with the course for now, and hope. If, the game changes in general, perhaps a marking backman could be made out of him?