To be a contender

[Beno88]

So we don’t think that be a contender for a 4 year period is more of a chance to win one

Than having a lucky one off season

Geelong up for basically a decade and a half
3 premierships

Richmond up there for half a decade 3 premierships

Hawthorn up there for a decade 4 premierships

Sydney up there for for the best part of 20 years 2 premierships

WCE up and down a bit but 2 GFs since 2015

Collingwood were good for 4 years around their 2010 premiership

Recent history suggests when teams get up there and win… they become hard to beat for a period of time!

It helps, but it doesn't work for everybody. I'd rather the 2016 Bulldogs experience than St Kilda's 2004-2011.

Geelong are good example of needing a bit of luck, regardless of being a regular contender. From 1989-1997 they were up, but won nothing. 2007-11 they were up, nabbed three flags. 2012-2021 they've been up, nothing to show.

[saintbob]

We need an elite mid, I’d love Kelly but the Hannebery deal ruins and chance of that unless he retires

A key back and a ruck are a must, hopefully young Heath can fill that roll when needed

Hopefully our injured players can all hit the ground running at the start of preseason.

[Ghost Like]

We need an elite mid, I’d love Kelly but the Hannebery deal ruins and chance of that unless he retires

A key back and a ruck are a must, hopefully young Heath can fill that roll when needed

Hopefully our injured players can all hit the ground running at the start of preseason.

Good post saintbob, we've probably screwed our chances getting Kelly by boarding the S.S.HANNERBERY. Sadly Gilligan & The Skipper are still steering the vessel.

My fingers are crossed that Clavarino can be that key back. If not, we do need to find one. Forget Carlisle, forget Frawley (we went familial at least a decade too late).

Heath, my fingers are crossed. Nearly as much as I hope, wish, dream Paddy Ryder has 20 years left in him, he's a freak.

I walked past Michael Gardiner the other day. He looks fitter than when he played with us, he's a mountain of a man, a look that will crack a rock but smile at him & he's got a cheeky grin. Great to see the great man!

[saintbob]

We need an elite mid, I’d love Kelly but the Hannebery deal ruins and chance of that unless he retires

A key back and a ruck are a must, hopefully young Heath can fill that roll when needed

Hopefully our injured players can all hit the ground running at the start of preseason.

Good post saintbob, we've probably screwed our chances getting Kelly by boarding the S.S.HANNERBERY. Sadly Gilligan & The Skipper are still steering the vessel.

My fingers are crossed that Clavarino can be that key back. If not, we do need to find one. Forget Carlisle, forget Frawley (we went familial at least a decade too late).

Heath, my fingers are crossed. Nearly as much as I hope, wish, dream Paddy Ryder has 20 years left in him, he's a freak.

I walked past Michael Gardiner the other day. He looks fitter than when he played with us, he's a mountain of a man, a look that will crack a rock but smile at him & he's got a cheeky grin. Great to see the great man!

I agree, I wish we had of got Paddy and Gardy earlier in their careers.

[B.M]

This notion that we don’t have a quality midfield/midfielder is a bit dated IMO.

Very 2019!

Since then
The arrival of Jack Steele as an elite midfielder - yes his numbers suggest he is elite.

The arrival of speed in the form of Zac Jones (Gresham to return)

The arrival of a contested clearance winner in Brad Crouch

The accumulator and hard running Seb Ross

The role given to Luke Dunstan has worked and he’s gone to another level

The class of Hunter Clark and Jack Billings

Yes, every midfield could do with another A Grade mid

But as a collective, all fit our midfield bats deep and has quality

[skeptic]

This notion that we don’t have a quality midfield/midfielder is a bit dated IMO.

Very 2019!

Since then
The arrival of Jack Steele as an elite midfielder - yes his numbers suggest he is elite.

The arrival of speed in the form of Zac Jones (Gresham to return)

The arrival of a contested clearance winner in Brad Crouch

The accumulator and hard running Seb Ross

The role given to Luke Dunstan has worked and he’s gone to another level

The class of Hunter Clark and Jack Billings

Yes, every midfield could do with another A Grade mid

But as a collective, all fit our midfield bats deep and has quality

Zac Jones hasn’t consistently been able to stay on the park
Gresham has barely played a game in two years
Luke Dunstan went to a whole new level a month ago and his opponent was BOG last week
Billings is on a HFF and is having a down year... pbly due to injury
Clark has been hit and miss... but looks a gem overall. Hoping that he goes on to be all that but isn’t there yet
Sebastian Ross is ok

Our midfield overall is decent
Can go for long periods of getting beaten and struggling to get the ball
Has a tendency to tire over the course of games
Often relies on the same 2-3 players to do the work... stop Steele and Crouch... maybe Hill too, stop the Saints
Is very prone to the bomb it forward mentality
Has a number of people that are very erratic with their ball use / decision making
Has a number of quality players that seem to be down more than up in terms of their capacity

Is a far cry from an elite midfield and certainly what we’ve had at different points 10+ years ago

[The_Dud]

This notion that we don’t have a quality midfield/midfielder is a bit dated IMO.

Very 2019!

Since then
The arrival of Jack Steele as an elite midfielder - yes his numbers suggest he is elite.

The arrival of speed in the form of Zac Jones (Gresham to return)

The arrival of a contested clearance winner in Brad Crouch

The accumulator and hard running Seb Ross

The role given to Luke Dunstan has worked and he’s gone to another level

The class of Hunter Clark and Jack Billings

Yes, every midfield could do with another A Grade mid

But as a collective, all fit our midfield bats deep and has quality

Zac Jones hasn’t consistently been able to stay on the park
Gresham has barely played a game in two years
Luke Dunstan went to a whole new level a month ago and his opponent was BOG last week
Billings is on a HFF and is having a down year... pbly due to injury
Clark has been hit and miss... but looks a gem overall. Hoping that he goes on to be all that but isn’t there yet
Sebastian Ross is ok

Our midfield overall is decent
Can go for long periods of getting beaten and struggling to get the ball
Has a tendency to tire over the course of games
Often relies on the same 2-3 players to do the work... stop Steele and Crouch... maybe Hill too, stop the Saints
Is very prone to the bomb it forward mentality
Has a number of people that are very erratic with their ball use / decision making
Has a number of quality players that seem to be down more than up in terms of their capacity

Is a far cry from an elite midfield and certainly what we’ve had at different points 10+ years ago

Yep being very generous there BM.

Steele is an out and out gun, A grade, no doubt.

Crouch is very good and solid but his disposal prevents him from taking the next step.

Jones has potential if he can stay on the park.

Dunstan having a very good patch atm but can he keep it up and will he stay??

Ross a GOP, not damaging enough.

Gresh has barely played and his disposal is a worry like a lot of our mids.

Hannerbry, is he still at the club??

Clarke has heaps of potential and hope he makes it, but still on his way up.

Billings and Hill are the cream on top, require the above to perform for us to get the most out of them.

Need another genuine A grader to lift the rest of them to the next tier. We’re lacking a little bit of class as a whole in the middle.

[stkfc1]

I reckon Gresham is little undervalued by Saints supporters.
Opposition supporters and neutral commentators seem to rate him as a serious talent.
I really hope he gets back on the trajectory he was on before injury - we have barely seen what he can do with dominant ruckmen feeding him, his evasion is elite

I’m with you and I’m pretty sure Ratts’ heart sank when he fell over.

Has the ability to be a gun midfielder despite his lack of height.

Some of his breakaway clearance work with Ryder last season was very special. Good as a resting small forward but wasted there full time.

Without one or two of he, Jones and Hunter Clark, our midfield this season often has seemed lacking in creativity. We need playmakers in the middle,

If a fit and firing Gresham played this year we'd have more wins in the bank. That's how important a player Gresham is. His best is as good as anyone's. Just a clean run of health and consistency in his game is the key.