We keep getting compared to Sydney...

[sainter#4]

But in neil craig's stint as crows coach - He did make them a successful team over that period carrying many players in there twilight of there careers - Jason tourney, Brett burton, Mcleod, edwards, Matthew clarke, Riccuito, scott welsh. I think a few others who i have also missed. Dont forget between 05-09 they made a few prelims i think and finished a few seasons in the top 2.


Long story short - there is hope for us to be a very successful side still this year. Just need a few kids to regularly step up for us.

[Enrico_Misso]

I wish our salary cap was comparable to Shyteney

[Teflon]

I dont think its just that we need kids to step up......we need older B graders to return to best years performances if we were to challenge

As Scott said on the 5AA thread - sides above us last year beat us - consistently, we have a gap.

I think we still carry a few to many who turn it over by foot
Dont bat deep enough midfield
Have glaring big unit hole in defence
Next "marquee" player is????????????? who is our Buddy after Roo?

The plus sides:

Ruck gaps improved with Hickey now offering support
Fwd line has a future...how good we'll see
Some talented kids - doesnt appear to be a super star among them but who knows

[ralphsmith]

we didnt beat collingwood due to the dodgy free against Milne.

We thrashed sydney, then lost to them with some of the worst umpiring decisions ever.

The gap, is not really that big. Just a few tweaks here and there and we could be right up there contesting a premiership.

[spert]

If you're good enough, you win, rather than blaming umpiring. One of the differences between us and Sydney, is that their older players are better than our older players, and always step up in big games. Sydney recruit wisely and seem to get the right man for the job most times. We have done the right thing recently and recruited Hickey, who will boost our rucks, and we have done a good job in getting a few more goal kickers on the list. We tried to get a big body recruited for the backline, but it's not that easy, though Meister could always be thrown in there if things get desperate, and Stanley too if he ever stops getting injured. I think Newnes is the brightest light at the moment from our young brigade, and Siposs is a positive. I was hoping Ross would have shown a bit more in the pre-season, but we'll see.

[Moods]

One of the differences between us and Sydney, is that their older players are better than our older players, and always step up in big games.

Disagree. We have some of the best 'older' players in the comp. In fact it was these blokes that took us within a kick of a premiership two years in a row.

It's our younger blokes that aren't as good. We don't have a Reid, a Jetta, a Haneberry, a Johnstone. All these players are potential stars. Our youngsters simply aren't as good. The likes of Roo, Lenny, Dal, Joey, Fisher pretty much measure up against any older brigade in the entire comp.

[oh when the]

so is it our development program or recruiters.

when my kids played junior footy it was the committee
and coaches kids that got to rep sides many good juniors
are not ever seen by recruiters

[Teflon]

Whether its Sydney older players or kids is irrelevant - facts are they constantly get consistent team performances from lessor lights and ours are up and down

St Kildas 'top end' has always been just about the best there are (we did have the games greatest goal kicker for some time) but what we put around that team wise falls away

Lyon covered it via game plan but the games moved on from the pure "choker hold" - skilled players by foot are in vogue ... many of our B graders are suspect still here;

Gilbert
Jones
Ray
Geary
Steven

We won't get 22 super kicks but I reckon we carry more suspect kicks than a Sydney, Pies or Hawks. Kicking is only 1 area, attitude, development etc also play huge part and we obviously don't do that as well as Swans

[Uncle Barrels]

so is it our development program or recruiters.

when my kids played junior footy it was the committee
and coaches kids that got to rep sides many good juniors
are not ever seen by recruiters

Nice to see nothing's changed since I was a kid... Or uni rep... Or senior player...

...hmmm....

*bugger*

[stinger]

so is it our development program or recruiters.

when my kids played junior footy it was the committee
and coaches kids that got to rep sides many good juniors
are not ever seen by recruiters

so true...and i had kids play through the systems age groups 14 years apart......never changed...

[PLUGGER14]

so is it our development program or recruiters.

when my kids played junior footy it was the committee
and coaches kids that got to rep sides many good juniors
are not ever seen by recruiters

so true...and i had kids play through the systems age groups 14 years apart......never changed...

As a coach who's son played rep football let me throw this at ya - Is it possible that coaches step in to ensure their talented kid gets the opportunity to play because no one else is prepared to step up?

That being said I have also coached teams my son has not been involved in, had more rep players come from these sides without a parent in sight!!

[st.byron]

If you're good enough, you win, rather than blaming umpiring

Exactly. Absolute rubbish to suggest that the reason we weren't closer to the top last year was umpiring. Fair dinkum the excuses that people make up by blaming umpires never ceases to surprise me.

[Megamaguire]

That is a compliment that has some validity I hope. Spert pointed out that
"Sydney recruit wisely and seem to get the right man for the job most times".
The right job seems to include being willing to commit to the Swans version of team focus especially at the end of the season when they are in with a chance in the finals. last year I thought the Saints were unlucky with the umpires punishing Kosi for his comments and closing the door on 4 pts for the team as a whole as a consequence. Looking back the team didn't look at all bad against the eventual premiers. I have the impression that Sydney have been able to successfully add genuine 'team' players that hold down their spots going into the future EACH YEAR. They don't seem to miss a year of genuinely good players being added to the formula. Maybe Watters can nurture this more at the Saints with genuine prospects becoming available each and every year into the future. I'm not sure who has been comparing the Saints to the Swans so favourably but if they're right it should mean more finals soon.

G O S A I N T S !