2009 vs 2023

[B.M]

Let’s line them up
Backs
Blake - Wilkie
Dawson - Howard
Baker - Webster

Half Backs
S.Gilbert - Coffield
Fisher - Battle
Gram - H.Clark

Centre
Goddard - Wood
Hayes - Steele
Montagna - Hill

Half Forwards
Dal Santo - Billings
Riewoldt- Membrey
Schneider- Higgins

Forwards
McQualter - Butler
Koschitzke- King
Milne - Gresham

Foll
Gardiner - Marshall
C.Jones - Ross
L.Ball - Crouch

Int
Dempster - Paton
Eddy - Z.Jones
Ray - Windhager
R.Clarke - Wanganeen Milera
King - Hayes

Emerg
Armitage - Owens
Steven - Byrnes
Geary - Bytel
T. Lynch - Sharman
Gwilt - Cordy


Interesting exercise

[nostalgicsaint]

Backs
Blake - Wilkie - Draw
Dawson - Howard - Draw
Baker - Webster- Draw

Half Backs
S.Gilbert - Coffield - 2009
Fisher - Battle - 2009
Gram - H.Clark - draw

Centre
Goddard - Wood - 2009
Hayes - Steele - draw
Montagna - Hill - draw

Half Forwards
Dal Santo - Billings - draw
Riewoldt- Membrey - 2009
Schneider- Higgins - draw

Forwards
McQualter - Butler - 2023
Koschitzke- King - 2023
Milne - Gresham - 2009

Foll
Gardiner - Marshall - draw
C.Jones - Ross - draw
L.Ball - Crouch- draw

Int
Dempster - Paton - 2009
Eddy - Z.Jones - 2023
Ray - Windhager - 2023
R.Clarke - Wanganeen Milera - 2023
King - Hayes - draw

Emerg
Armitage - Owens - 2009
Steven - Byrnes - 2009
Geary - Bytel - 2009
T. Lynch - Sharman - draw
Gwilt - Cordy - 2009


Starting 18
2009- 5
2023- 2

Bench
2009- 1
2023- 3

Depth
2009- 4
2023 0




Tells us what I think we already knew.

1. We have a very even side lacking in stars from a starting 22 perspective- hence the strong bench when compared but weak starting 18.
2. We lack depth from player 25 onwards.

Helps explain the strategy this offseason.

1. Try and bring in genuine elite talent- De Goey
2. Build depth in key areas - Cordy

What we don't need is more B, B+ and A- players. Hence all in on De Goey but not willing to go hard at some of the others who were available.

[B.M]

Remember

It’s how good they were at that point in time

Not over their career

Ie/
Armitage had shown a little in 09 but probably no more than Owens at that point.

I’d argue that Crouch atm is better than Ball 2009

[IluvHarvey]

Surely Sinclair can squeeze onto this list somewhere?

[B.M]

Oh yeah… what an omission

At HB in place of H.Clark

[The_Dud]

The 2009 team had multiple bonafide game winners, not sure anyone in the 2023 team has secured that title yet, a few with potential though.

Also, I'm a fan of Billings, but putting him on the same level as Dal Santo is insulting, Dal is a number of steps above.

[loris]

Let’s line them up
Backs
Blake - Wilkie
Dawson - Howard
Baker - Webster

Half Backs
S.Gilbert - Coffield
Fisher - Battle
Gram - H.Clark

Centre
Goddard - Wood
Hayes - Steele
Montagna - Hill

Half Forwards
Dal Santo - Billings
Riewoldt- Membrey
Schneider- Higgins

Forwards
McQualter - Butler
Koschitzke- King
Milne - Gresham

Foll
Gardiner - Marshall
C.Jones - Ross
L.Ball - Crouch

Int
Dempster - Paton
Eddy - Z.Jones
Ray - Windhager
R.Clarke - Wanganeen Milera
King - Hayes

Emerg
Armitage - Owens
Steven - Byrnes
Geary - Bytel
T. Lynch - Sharman
Gwilt - Cordy


Interesting exercise

I didn’t realise our 2022 Trevor Barker Medalist and 2022 All Australian Jack Sinclair was traded or delisted. He would have been good at half back.

[desertsaint]

Back line is close. Baker v Webster the obvious difference.
HB onwards is a bit ugly. But Sinclair wouldn't hurt. Forward line close bar we have no one remotely clise to milne.

[Banger9798]

Let’s line them up
Backs
Blake - Wilkie
Dawson - Howard
Baker - Webster

Half Backs
S.Gilbert - Coffield
Fisher - Battle
Gram - H.Clark

Centre
Goddard - Wood
Hayes - Steele
Montagna - Hill

Half Forwards
Dal Santo - Billings
Riewoldt- Membrey
Schneider- Higgins

Forwards
McQualter - Butler
Koschitzke- King
Milne - Gresham

Foll
Gardiner - Marshall
C.Jones - Ross
L.Ball - Crouch

Int
Dempster - Paton
Eddy - Z.Jones
Ray - Windhager
R.Clarke - Wanganeen Milera
King - Hayes

Emerg
Armitage - Owens
Steven - Byrnes
Geary - Bytel
T. Lynch - Sharman
Gwilt - Cordy


Interesting exercise

Good comparisons almost all of which fall in favour of 2009, especially the midfield.
But not as out of reach as you might think without doing the direct line ups.

There is no real equivalent to Reiwoldt.
Ben King into the current side and we would start to approximate them.

[Sainternist]

Shouldn’t we be comparing next year to 2007, since that was RL’s inaugural season coaching at the club?

[B.M]

Why?

[Scollop]

Why?

That’s a silly question because ‘every Saints fan’ knows the answer

2007 is 2023 and the real excitement comes in Ross’s third year

We’re going to be the best team in the AFL in 2025….

What we mean by ‘every Saints fan’ is really every one who worships the messiah. The true believers of the Lyon cult

They know we’ll be on top of the ladder and we’ll have the best players and we will be challenging in the Grand Final for at least 2025 and 2026…

Didn’t you know?