The brutal business of the AFL

[cwrcyn]

On this tumultuous day, with all the drama, speculation and media frenzy, we sometimes forget that at the centre of this is a human being, a guy who has poured his heart into AFL coaching, a good family man, a thoroughly decent person and well respected in the industry.

Some on here were keen to see him go, some of us were more more on the side of letting him get on with it with better support around him. Either way, it's a really dark day for him and his family and I really feel for him.

The club did what it did after a thorough review, and these types of situations are all too common in the AFL. It's a shame its such a brutal business where good people get cast aside.

But every coach knows at some point it will come to this. It always does. That's the nature of the game. Some see it coming, some get completely blindsided (e.g Grant Thomas 2006).

I hope Brett Ratten gets the opportunity to stay in the industry. He's too well regarded not to, I think.

Anyway, he gave his best and it would have been nice to see one of the really good guys succeed for a change. It wasn't to be.

He may not have been the best coach or maybe he was a pretty decent one whose demise was partly because of not having the right people as his support team.

We will never know.

I wish him well

[1965 Saint]

Here here

[Rubyjo]

Well said

[bangaulegend]

Ratt's is a great guy & I have nothing but respect for him as a person . He gave it a crack & without sounding too condescending IMO only he just didn't /couldn't get the group to go to the next level . I wish him well & hope life after St.Kilda is a pleasant one

[B.M]

How do you rate the list?

[cwrcyn]

Its better than the media pundits say it is. From 2012 to 2017, Pelchen and Elshaug made an abominable mess of recruitment and list management. We're paying the price for that now. While other clubs picked up at least a couple of superstars, we got none That's why we had to bring players in from other clubs in 2019 and 2020 to fill that age demographic on our list, with moderate success. Last year we went back to the draft and it paid dividends.

To me, we need one more gun mid, another 200cm key defender and another capable and versatile ruckman. Fill thos gaps and we can match it with anyone.

Windhager, Owens, and Wanganeen-Milera will all be very good players. King is a fine talent, but a few more talented youngsters via the draft are needed

[bangaulegend]

How do you rate the list?

At full fitness not bad but 3 or 4 injuries & we are middle of the road . IMO the list is very thin no super stars & lacks depth

[mickey]

Some really good posts here. I just love footy, I can't believe how much people talk about administrators. It's the blokes on the field (coaches and players) doing their best, all trying their guts out to win a premiership. A lot of it is luck...injuries, father/son...fixture.. current rules suit game plan. If you're lucky you're a genius and everyone loves you (for a season). Start losing in the AFL and you find out who your friends are. We have a good list, Windy and Owen's will be elite. I'm a true supporter, a lot of people will start appearing when we're winning. Our list is good, new season and I hope the players prove the critics wrong. We'll win it when nobody expects it.

[Scollop]

I'm a true supporter, a lot of people will start appearing when we're winning.

I'm a bit different. I'm on regularly and when we are winning... I'm actually not on here as much

Having said that...if Lyon gets the gig I think I'll be more absent due to lack of interest...rather than the team going on a 19 in a row winning streak

...anyhow... What ever happens...in the long term Go Saints

[Yorkeys]

Performances post bye 22 were appalling. Brett could not get the team up for signature games, any. A couple of "efforts" were unacceptably putrid, there was no marked turnaround over 11 games.
Club gave Richo benefit of the doubt and strengthened his support and sent him to Harvard to learn leadership and extended him. Nada (apparently you can't teach charisma).
Seems they learned a painful lesson going down that road. In fact they started down it by giving the extension but realised it was a road to nowhere.
Mutually exclusive, making Brett's life happy or getting to finals. What's the priority.
Yep, brutal but in his heart of hearts Brett must have known he had lost the players and was on borrowed time.

[Premium89]

Hear hear to all of this!
I don’t profess to know enough to say who should coach, only that I hope this is a moment we look back on with relief, not regret.

Bloody hard being a sainter!