It is now.

Legitimately, we’ve got a bottom four coach, a bottom four CEO, a bottom four soon-to-be-CEO - do not expect anything but mediocrity.

When you invest in mediocrity, you become mediocrity.

And that is what we are.

Mediocre.

There was no real player development unde Richo either. Mr Carroll has a tough gig since joining the Saints for the 2022 season. When does this player development occur, it doesn't really happen at training sessions the supporters attend as they appear to be more team orientated. Training involves ...

It's been incredibly poor at developing and preparing players for the rigours of AFL football. It reflects poorly on Sandringham but even worse on us. It's time to properly discuss this alignment - it has so far been a disaster. I think we have to have our own reserves team in place by the start of ...

I'd love to say 'hit the draft' like it's some elixir for all our woes but the fact is, we're among the worst development clubs in the AFL. We take absolute projects like Matthew Allison with our first pick in the 2020 draft, despite some clubs not rating in him the top 125 players in that year's dr...

When the heat comes on “choose your own adventure” game plan falls apart That's probably the most frustrating part. When we bring the heat - the hard contests, the relentless effort - it can expose the plans of others. Yet if we don't (and it's all too often), our way of playing falls apart. Player...

I think what is most disappointing is that Billings actually did have a few years where he became a genuinely good midfielder. Never a champion, but in our top 2-3 midfielders - probably behind only Jack Steven at one point, and certainly so in the 2017-2019 period. In 2019, he averaged 25.7 touches...

Taken from here - https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/you-ll-see-a-different-type-of-st-kilda-ratten-s-plan-takes-shape-20201216-p56o47.html - in December 2020. Ratten has pledged to allow his team to "go out and play" and not to weigh them down with tactics and structures. The Saints hav...

We’ve had three years + four rounds of Ratten and I still can’t figure out his game plan.

It seems reliant on ‘bursts’, which is totally unsustainable.

He’s been better than Richardson but we have to move on and find someone who can take us to the next level.

A fantastic human.

Just not the right head coach for St Kilda.

We have to ask the question of Clarkson. I’d be OK with Buckley, too - think he’ll be vastly improved after a spell away.

More players like Allison, Clark and Coffield will save us. Right?

We’d be flat out developing an egg into an omelette.

Swans should win fairly comfortably. Maybe we’ll crack in and keep the margin down but you’d think they’ll get up by 15-25 points. Any more than that and it’s curtains for the season - and we should go hard at getting games into the players who need them for future seasons, because that’s what our f...

I think the season is pretty much cooked now in terms of competing for a premiership. We still seem a mile away from that level and we’ll barely make the eight, if we do at all. The idea that the club’s administration know what’s best for the club is jarring; we were repeatedly told to back Scott Wa...

I think the season is pretty much cooked now. The idea that the club’s administration know what’s best for the club is jarring; we were repeatedly told to back Scott Watters, Alan Richardson and now Brett Ratten. We just seem happy to be involved in AFL football rather than having any ambition about...

800k for a peak Jordan De Goey is too good to refuse. He’s not physically busted, like Hannebery. I think a change of scenery will do him the world of good. He’s done with Collingwood. I think he’d thrive with us. We’re also about to free up Hannebery’s wage at the end of the year and that’s got to ...

—BUMP for mid-June 2022—

We missed McKenzie’s work rate and hardness so much vs Essendon.

Think Paton has dropped off since I praised him earlier this year. Would prefer Highmore in there at the moment.

I’ve said it since we drafted him - he only looks good when the game is played on his terms (low pressure matches where he gets space to move and time to think). Those games are fewer and fewer in the 2020s-era. He needs get himself extremely fit over the course of the year, do a red hot pre-season ...

What happened to Saints Disco? Miss those guys so much. They were fantastic and brutally honest (and accurate). Real loss to not have them continue. Still, hope Screech and Tarv are enjoying this year, wherever they are. Hope it inspires them to return. Between them and Tom Briglia’s fabulous writi...

Now we have to go and win down there. We now have the worst winning record there of any Victorian club - including Fitzroy. Even the Brisbane Bears have a better winning percentage there. We haven't won there since 1999, which is an absolute disgrace and a stain on our footy club. Fremantle have won...

Has the body of someone with a decade in the system. Is almost playing like it, too.

He's going to be a solid citizen for very long time. Great start to his career.

https://resources.saints.com.au/photo-resources/2019/11/27/a5c5d021-d9ad-40ba-868a-3b98975bbf72/ovnMWRss.jpg?width=1904&height=1184 Not sure Brereton has it in for the Saints or King. I think he dishes it out to all clubs fairly evenly, and I don't think the challenge he's put before King is un...

Honestly, who cares if our players are regarded as elite?

Richmond showed you don’t need many of them to be successful. Culture and a solid game plan is way more effective.

Genuinely, if our game plan is ‘elite’, I promise the media will start to claim our players are elite, too.

I have Paton over Geary in my best 22 and Mckenzie in best 26. I am just some mug in the stand and no team ever has best 22 available . Indeed, both have probably squeezed Geary out, who probably should have retired at the end of last year in any event. The combination of these two (and Sinclair) h...

Well, two and a half years on, I'm prepared to say that both are in best 22 - and quite comfortably. Paton has been excellent since his return from injury. An extremely reliable, smart, small defender who reminds me somewhat of Brett Voss (who I was a huge fan of). Does the job with a minimum of fus...

Really good to see him out there. Thought he acquitted himself really well and lacked nothing in body shape and physicality.

Looking forward to seeing him get 7-8 games this year.