Team v Port

[SaintWiki]

A proper rebuild takes years and is very painful, but for those of us who want to see a second flag in my lifetime I understand that the kids need experience and you don't get to the top in this competition taking short cuts, as it is we, need a great team and some luck.

There is a concern though that some teams seem to get more injuries than others and it makes sense to me that the faster we go the injuries will be more common and more severe.

[spert]

Sadly, in the decades I've been following the Saints, it has never been a rebuild, just topping up the list trying to get quick success. I remember when Lyon left, the club presumed the next coach could take that team to the finals, but Watters saw deficiencies with the list after the 2010 final and was trying to put rebuild/ development ideas into play, when he got howled down by the club who wouldn't get on board if it meant trading a big name or two, the tail was wagging the dog, so here we are 10 or more years later, still fiddling around with no success. Lyon won't take us anywhere, but it gives Bassat a warm and fuzzy feeling to have him at the club.

[SaintWiki]

We have never been successful with quick fix-it rebuilds and also I was just as pissed off with Ross Lyon as anyone else when he walked away from the club, but a do believe that he is going to do everything he can to ensure he does not end up being a flagless coach, and everything he has done so far meets what I believe is required.

[B.M]

What do you mean?

200-2003 was a fair dinkum rebuild which nearly worked

2012-2014 was a failed rebuild under an idiot list manager who felt it was a good idea to off load champions for average DPs in a compromised draft era.

We tried a top up in 2019 - go a little bit of a bounce in 2020 but really it was a mistake- should have gone backwards to go forwards


Hannebery, Hill, Howard, Ryder, Jones and to a lesser degree Crouch (FA) were costly recruits (in terms of DPs) but aren’t really taking us where we need to go

For instance
The pick we gave up for Brad Hill ended up being Caleb Serong

What we got for Ball (earlier) Goddard, McEvoy, Stanley, Dal Santo was horrendous and the reason we were s*** for 10 years

[GSG]

Sadly, in the decades I've been following the Saints, it has never been a rebuild, just topping up the list trying to get quick success. I remember when Lyon left, the club presumed the next coach could take that team to the finals, but Watters saw deficiencies with the list after the 2010 final and was trying to put rebuild/ development ideas into play, when he got howled down by the club who wouldn't get on board if it meant trading a big name or two, the tail was wagging the dog, so here we are 10 or more years later, still fiddling around with no success. Lyon won't take us anywhere, but it gives Bassat a warm and fuzzy feeling to have him at the club.

Well said - couldn't agree more!

[meher baba]

BM is absolutely correct. 2000-03 was the most comprehensive rebuild by any club in the history of the AFL. All other clubs looked on with envy and many fans complained that we had been given a massively unfair deal in terms of the draft picks we received. Some of the players we recruited in that period worked out better than others, but Riewoldt, Ball, Dal, Joey, Goddard, Sam Fisher and Kosi (before he was disgracefully rubbed out by Giansiracusa in 2006) all developed into stars of the game. And Gehrig and Hamill were already stars when they came to us.

When many Saints fans - including a lot of posters on here - start talking about wanting us to do a "rebuild", I suspect they are imagining that something like what happened in 2000-03 could somehow happen again. But, even if we did a North Melbourne and bombed out for a decade, we still couldn't hope to receive quite so many early draft picks, nor to have the immense good fortune we did in being able to pluck Goddard out of the hands of Carlton.

I think the club is doing pretty well with its current rebuild, given that we've only had one particularly early draft pick (which we used for King) since we wasted our #1 on McCartin. Right now, King, NWM, Owens, Windhager, Phillipou and Wilson are all looking like good uses of the draft. And we have done exceptionally well through the rookie list: Marshall, Wilkie and Battle. And Hill has been a good pickup through trading; Howard, Higgins and Butler reasonable; and Henry and Dow look handy if they can get back to fitness and remain that way.

Yes, we had a poor match against the Dogs. And we'll almost certainly struggle tonight. But things are still looking up IMO.

[The_Dud]

Some teams come out and win with their backs against the wall.

Remember the start of last season when we had injuries and a bunch of kids playing and we played probably our best footy of the year?

No excuses for lack of effort or rubbish gameplan.

Yes playing with a depleted young team interstate surprised we aren't favourites.

And Mr Mediocrity himself pops up!

Simple question when you do footy tips do you check the ins and outs?

Surely if injuries aren't an excuse all clubs are wasting a heap of time on recruiting.

I’d love to hear coach Curly’s pep-talk before the game…

“So boys, tonight’s a big game, but we had to travel like an hour, on a plane no less, and it’s a bit dewey, not ideal like Marvel, and we’ve got a few outs, and I’m sure the umpires will pay a free kick against us at some point… what I’m trying to say is, don’t worry about trying too hard, don’t strain yourself, there’s no point! I don’t think any sporting team has overcome adversity before… so just run around for two hours putting in half-efforts and we’ll write it off as (another) mulligan, then do it all again next week with some brand new excuses!”

The epitome of mediocrity!

[magnifisaint]

Unfortunately we are going to get murdered tonight.

[Yorkeys]

Pathetic threshold reached!
Dud you have reached Essendon supporter status. Congrats.
Would have been Collingwood level but spelling is ok.

[Yorkeys]

The pressure of expectation on Port will be enormous and we are tenacious

tenacious (adjective)
1
a : not easily pulled apart : COHESIVE (a tenacious metal)
b : tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance (tenacious burs)
2
a : persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired (a tenacious advocate of civil rights)
b : RETENTIVE (a tenacious memory)

We are not 1a or 1b as we were easily pulled apart last week.

I think we are 2a...
We adhere or cling to a notion that we are a genuine finals contender...when the reality is that we have virtually no chance of making it to the finals this season.
We are persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking mediocrity.

English is a complex language. Lends itself to sarcasm and disingenuity. Needs context. Like a fan forum. Negative high horses forum is elsewhere. Better wallow there eh, with the like minded. Come back when things are going well. While we a having a rough one game trot and a tough assignment coming hang tough. Not. Life Long? Hardly.

Happy to put my hand up for sarcasm...It's a go-to for me. Not everyone gets it, though...But, as I tell my kids, I don't make jokes for anyone else's amusement other than mine. If others find it funny, then that's a bonus.

As for the negativity...Well...I think last Thursday's "effort" deserves massive criticism - as does the lack of response from the selection panel. There were no positives to come from it.
Last time I checked, I have not broken any forum rules, and I am sure there is no self-appointed poster that can tell anyone to "wallow" elsewhere.
I also believe that being a supporter and paid up member for over 50 years qualifies me in both the "life long" moniker and the right to criticise the team when I see fit.

So, with that in mind, I suspect that you know what you can do with your "advice"!

Game as a bullant. Aussie colloquial. Fighting against great odds.
David v Goliath
Support your team.
Sure put your purile sarcasm up any orifice you like.
But don't kid yourself you are a real supporter through thick and thin.
Young blokes doing their best and coaches doing the hard yards. And your contribution, let's look at a thesaurus.
Bshit pal.

[The_Dud]

Pathetic threshold reached!
Dud you have reached Essendon supporter status. Congrats.
Would have been Collingwood level but spelling is ok.

No, I’ve reached “stop accepting mediocrity, demand excellence and be ruthless” status.

What’s your status?

[B.M]

Getting opened up like a can of sardines

[B.M]

Some of kicking from d50 atrocious

[B.M]

Is Jack Higging the worst drop punt shot at goal in the AFL?!

[CURLY]

Some teams come out and win with their backs against the wall.

Remember the start of last season when we had injuries and a bunch of kids playing and we played probably our best footy of the year?

No excuses for lack of effort or rubbish gameplan.

Yes playing with a depleted young team interstate surprised we aren't favourites.

And Mr Mediocrity himself pops up!

Simple question when you do footy tips do you check the ins and outs?

Surely if injuries aren't an excuse all clubs are wasting a heap of time on recruiting.

I’d love to hear coach Curly’s pep-talk before the game…

“So boys, tonight’s a big game, but we had to travel like an hour, on a plane no less, and it’s a bit dewey, not ideal like Marvel, and we’ve got a few outs, and I’m sure the umpires will pay a free kick against us at some point… what I’m trying to say is, don’t worry about trying too hard, don’t strain yourself, there’s no point! I don’t think any sporting team has overcome adversity before… so just run around for two hours putting in half-efforts and we’ll write it off as (another) mulligan, then do it all again next week with some brand new excuses!”

The epitome of mediocrity!

And you’re the epitome of a narcissistic squeezer

[saintbob]

Well played Dougal, we’ve certainly missed you

[Yorkeys]

Pathetic threshold reached!
Dud you have reached Essendon supporter status. Congrats.
Would have been Collingwood level but spelling is ok.

No, I’ve reached “stop accepting mediocrity, demand excellence and be ruthless” status.

What’s your status?

Supporter.
Mediocrity, check the mirror.
Or just follow reining premier and stop pretending.
Do you think the boys have been mediocre in first half. They have battled their guts out.

[Life Long Saint]

Game as a bullant. Aussie colloquial. Fighting against great odds.
David v Goliath
Support your team.
Sure put your purile sarcasm up any orifice you like.
But don't kid yourself you are a real supporter through thick and thin.
Young blokes doing their best and coaches doing the hard yards. And your contribution, let's look at a thesaurus.
Bshit pal.

It's a dictionary, not a thesaurus...But thanks for playing!
At the moment, whomever we play is like bows and arrows against the lightning.
We are not in the same class.
I'm OK with that, but I wanted a response at the selection table. We have options, but we timidly took none of them.
We make the biggest downhill skiers look like supermen.

[Yorkeys]

Game as a bullant. Aussie colloquial. Fighting against great odds.
David v Goliath
Support your team.
Sure put your purile sarcasm up any orifice you like.
But don't kid yourself you are a real supporter through thick and thin.
Young blokes doing their best and coaches doing the hard yards. And your contribution, let's look at a thesaurus.
Bshit pal.

It's a dictionary, not a thesaurus...But thanks for playing!
At the moment, whomever we play is like bows and arrows against the lightning.
We are not in the same class.
I'm OK with that, but I wanted a response at the selection table. We have options, but we timidly took none of them.
We make the biggest downhill skiers look like supermen.

Pedant.
Support your club. It's not about you.
Why do you think people a lot more committed than you brought Ross in. We are on a journey, you fell at the first No vision, need instant gratification. Get real, hang tough, if you are a supporter, which is questionable. Look up supporter in your dictionary. Check a thesaurus too.

[B.M]

Ross has just gone under 50% in this stint as coach 15 - 16

I don’t like the way the team plays - they are awful to watch

The selection of Dougal Howard - fkn mind boggling

[Life Long Saint]

Game as a bullant. Aussie colloquial. Fighting against great odds.
David v Goliath
Support your team.
Sure put your purile sarcasm up any orifice you like.
But don't kid yourself you are a real supporter through thick and thin.
Young blokes doing their best and coaches doing the hard yards. And your contribution, let's look at a thesaurus.
Bshit pal.

It's a dictionary, not a thesaurus...But thanks for playing!
At the moment, whomever we play is like bows and arrows against the lightning.
We are not in the same class.
I'm OK with that, but I wanted a response at the selection table. We have options, but we timidly took none of them.
We make the biggest downhill skiers look like supermen.

Pedant.
Support your club. It's not about you.
Why do you think people a lot more committed than you brought Ross in. We are on a journey, you fell at the first No vision, need instant gratification. Get real, hang tough, if you are a supporter, which is questionable. Look up supporter in your dictionary. Check a thesaurus too.

It's my job as a supporter and member to question and demand more. We all want the club to succeed and Lyon is the best coach we've had since he last coached us. I'm all in with him.
We need to be better and stop picking on reputation.
Hayes and Schoenmaker had to play this week. Caminiti is still playing bad on his training session at the start of last season. He was played out of necessity last year. We have another option now and need to take it and let him gain some experience in the VFL.
It's a game we were never going to win so it was the perfect time to play them.