Ross Lyon, FAIR DINKUM, what are you thinking?

[Solar]

i reckon we should try gilbert in the midfield and gram and eventually raphael.

gilbert is deceptively quick and strong enough to play in and under. also a great tackle. didn't judd go down like a sack of spuds. very good player, gilbert.

gram has quick hands and is a top kick.

raph could be anything with some more experience and confidence.

what have we go to lose by putting these blokes where the action is.

From Gilbert's tackling and running it is just so obvious he has a rugby background. It's fantastic, when he lays a tackle, boy do they stick.

Also evades tackles very well too. Genuine superstar in the making.

Not a bad kick on goal either!

Was he a draft pick or a rookie?

um first round pick from was it southport?

Dad played first grade league

[SaintBot]

um first round pick from was it southport?

Dad played first grade league

just off the top of my head i thought he was a second rounder...pick 33 or something

could be wrong but i think we traded our first rounder for Watts that year

[Joffa Burns]

With all due respect to these players at cebtre bunces in the 3rd term was the combination of Blake, L.Fisher, M.Clarke and Dal.

Realistically without Lenny no saint got first hands on the ball at a stoppage.

With the treacle twins off a standing start (Blake and Fish) we were condeding clearances.

Yeah Lenny has to rest, but if Blake is in there (Running with Cousins) at least try someone with a bit of toe like Gram or Joey.

[mad saint guy]

just off the top of my head i thought he was a second rounder...pick 33 or something

could be wrong but i think we traded our first rounder for Watts that year

Correct. Very good pick in what has been a disappointing draft for us.

[saintsRrising]

i reckon we should try gilbert in the midfield and gram and eventually raphael.

.

Not sure about Raph....


But the other two is an interesting point.

I have been suggesting Gram in the midfield for a while as we need some more pace in the centre.


Gilbert?? Well heightwise he is taler than say Kouta...or even Pavlich who use to play a lot in the midfield. Embley s also atall mid at 190cm...but Gilbert at 194cm is taller than them all. But Gilbert is quick and nimble.

and then there is Blake...and potentially Gilbert should be able to exceed Blake.

However Gilbert is also quite lean at present......so perhaps afew years in the midfield rotation before he thickens out and becomesa KPP is not that silly.

But not this year.....but yes worth giving a whirl in the pre-season...and if successful into 2008.

[fonz_#15]

love grammy to bits, but would he struggle with the physicality of the midfield?

[saintsRrising]

love grammy to bits, but would he struggle with the physicality of the midfield?

You need upto 10 players to run through the midfield,,,,and they need not all be Lenny hayes types....and in facta mix of types is good.

One thing we need is more pace.....

Imagine enny winning the bal and dishing it off to Gram..

[Oh When the Saints]

Yeah Lenny has to rest, but if Blake is in there (Running with Cousins) at least try someone with a bit of toe like Gram or Joey.

Joey and Fiora were running in from the edge of the square, a tactic Lyon has used with great success ... didn't work this time though.

Blake was killed by a far better player in the second half. IMO we should have tried playing Joey on him.

Good post ... as you said, we didn't have any other options for Cousins that were realistic.

We could have tried Montagna .... but would have lost a lot of our run and carry through the middle, and may have ended the game further behind.

It is that sort of matchup people were critical of earlier in the year ... calling us too defensive ...


At the end of the day, we rolled the dice to win, and we didn't take our opportunities.

[LennyBoy]

Geez Rossy! How could you seriously overlook adding barks4eva to the shortlist of new ruck coaches.

[barks4eva]

Geez Rossy! How could you seriously overlook adding barks4eva to the shortlist of new ruck coaches.

Interesting bump Lennyboy from 2007!

AND NOW we hear from the board that we are not taking Cousins, because wait for it...........

we suddenly have a youth policy

FAIR DINKUM

Ok in 2007 you could excuse Ross for not overplaying kids, considering it was his first year and the penchant for blow up doll worshippers, cult of personality flogs and pre ejaculating dingbats, to demand a finals appearance and in the event of this not happening to decree the sky is falling in, the new emperor has new clothes and the only way forward is for Family First to overthrow an administration that had delivered million dollar profits 5 years running and then these numbuts and spin doctors relocate the club to Seaford with their tunnel vision for the future, within 5 minutes of taking hold of the reigns or whatever it is they've got a hold of and then but hey I digress..............

What was Lyon thinking persisting with Birss and Fiona all year at the expense of Armitage, McEvoy, etc...

The only way forward was to be playing kids all through 2008, seriously, where are Birss and Fiona now?

It didn't take me season 2008 to figure out that they were not what we needed!

A season wasted, which should have seen the development and fast tracking of players such as Armitage and McEvoy by getting games into them, because they are the future!

McEvoy played ONE GAME and acquitted himself nicely, but then was never to be seen again for the rest oft he year!

It was a complete waste of time and space playing Birss and Fiona all year, as if this wasn't obvious, FAIR DINKUM!

for the long term it would have IMO benefitted the club in the long run to have alternatively been getting more games into Armitage, McEvoy etc... afterall these are our first rounders!

Yes Ross, FYI, I am available, if at any time you needed the bleeding obvious pointed out to you!


P.S Jason Blake, had a great 2008, his best contribution for 5 years, most definitely worthy of a place in our best 22, based on his form last season!

[ace]

[quote="barks4eva

McEvoy played ONE GAME and acquitted himself nicely, but then was never to be seen again for the rest oft he year![/quote]

What I liked best about that game was that McEvoy was selected as a ruckman and almost got one hitout.
Unfortunately he gave away a free kick instead.
Maybe in his next game he will get that elusive first hitout.

[FortiusQuoFidelius]

What was Lyon thinking persisting with Birss and Fiona all year at the expense of Armitage, McEvoy, etc...

Birss - 8 Games
Fiora - 10 Games

Hardly "ALL YEAR"....

McEvoy played ONE GAME and acquitted himself nicely

I have to agree... I've never seen a nicer ball in the gob when attempting to mark than McEvoy's effort!

[WayneJudson42]

[quote="barks4eva

McEvoy played ONE GAME and acquitted himself nicely, but then was never to be seen again for the rest oft he year!

What I liked best about that game was that McEvoy was selected as a ruckman and almost got one hitout.
Unfortunately he gave away a free kick instead.
Maybe in his next game he will get that elusive first hitout.[/quote]

... preferably to advantage.