Xavier and Raph Clarke

BigMart · Post: # 714436Post **BigMart** » Sat 28 Mar 2009 11:19pm

Have serious issues with their bodies holding up to AFL footy.....they both, when fit, are clearly talented enough.....but.....have spent too many games either in the stands, or played games coming back from injury and not fully fit....therefore have little confidence in their body....

Raph was very good tonight, until he got injured.....but that wasn't surprising since he has again had another interrupted Pre-season....

X has not been able to complete a pre-season yet again.....and will struggle to get his body in the shape required again....

The durability of the two is woeful
Raph <50 games in his sixth season
X - 100 games in his 8th season

Many of those games they have been underdone......we have rarely seen the best of them (which is very good), will it ever be seen on a consistent basis?????

Why have niether completed a full pre-season????
Why can they not get their bodies right????
Is it work ethic????

After so many pre-season...their body shapes have not become AFL hardened....

Huzzad · Post: # 714440Post **Huzzad** » Sat 28 Mar 2009 11:21pm

Definatly some thoughts with merit there.

Raph was shocking last year, up until the end when he began to find form. Though maybe tonight he was going to continue after that 1st quater.

SainterK · Post: # 714441Post **SainterK** » Sat 28 Mar 2009 11:22pm

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Legendary · Post: # 714443Post **Legendary** » Sat 28 Mar 2009 11:22pm

Excellent post and some good questions.

I think with Xavier - poor management in his first few years at the club.

He put on a lot of bulk and it put too much pressure on his muscles, which were not strengthened enough .... and the hamstrings became a problem.

Once you've had a few of the same soft tissue injury, it's hard to avoid it again with the amount of scar tissue that exists. The area is never as strong.

So I think his issue is a compounded number of injuries over a long period, which have left him unable to stay on the park for long.

Griggsy · Post: # 714505Post **Griggsy** » Sat 28 Mar 2009 11:53pm

heres to hoping they step up, because they have bugger all value to trade.

Spinner · Post: # 714576Post **Spinner** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 12:39am

As Aussie Jones stated on 774 after the game - No one is more frustrated with the Clarke brothers....than the Clarke brothers.

And you know what people - they are both stars, and important players within our line up.

borderbarry · Sun 29 Mar 2009 10:32am

I aqgree with Spinner.

gringo · Post: # 714743Post **gringo** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 11:34am

Jason Gram could not get his hammys right at brisbane and harves had a couple of bad seasons with his hammys.

I live in hope they will both come good. Raph was out of form more than injured for good parts of his 6 years.

SydneySainter · Sun 29 Mar 2009 11:46am

Legendary wrote:Excellent post and some good questions.

I think with Xavier - poor management in his first few years at the club.

He put on a lot of bulk and it put too much pressure on his muscles, which were not strengthened enough .... and the hamstrings became a problem.

Once you've had a few of the same soft tissue injury, it's hard to avoid it again with the amount of scar tissue that exists. The area is never as strong.

So I think his issue is a compounded number of injuries over a long period, which have left him unable to stay on the park for long.

Without being an expert on the subject, I have similar fears. I feel his body is carrying a few scars that might forever stop him from reaching his maximum.

bigcarl · Post: # 714770Post **bigcarl** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 12:03pm

Spinner wrote:they are both stars, and important players within our line up.

agree. raph gave us a massive spark in the second quarter last night when we sorely needed one.

ross said at his press conference he thought raph was instrumental in us turning it around.

Eastern · Post: # 714787Post **Eastern** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 12:29pm

bigcarl wrote:
Spinner wrote:they are both stars, and important players within our line up.
agree. raph gave us a massive spark in the second quarter last night when we sorely needed one.

ross said at his press conference he thought raph was instrumental in us turning it around.

YES, lets pass judgement at the END of the season !!

To the top · Sun 29 Mar 2009 12:31pm

Two class footballers and easily in the upper echelon of players at St Kilda.

They are not the first to run into a series of injury problems and will not be the last.

What about Max, who over recent years has also had a succession of injuries. And Harvey had a history of injuries as well, particularly around 2000. Harvey came back to be the more than durable player he was, so you do not discard them.

The focus should be on getting them re-habilitated and back on the park.

Frustrated, of course they are.

But the work has to be done.

I have had a view that Xavier was instructed to be more physical a couple of years ago, and that he then threw himself in with recklessness - damaging his body in the process.

I recall him charging in off a wing and attempting to crash into bodies and under bodies - which was not his most efficient nor productive game.

This led to injuries as he found himself getting crunched.

Moccha · Post: # 714811Post **Moccha** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 1:12pm

Well we have the best rehab team in the business so we all expect them to come good and play the last 20 games in the season

JEANLUCPICARD · Sun 29 Mar 2009 1:27pm

I forgot what XAvier Clarke is like as a player! IT seems so long since he's steppd foot on the ground in the ones.

Raph was AAA in last years finals series. We need him back up and running asap.

BigMart · Post: # 714821Post **BigMart** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 1:31pm

Not denying the can play.....that was not the issue..

Harves (385 games) and Max (221) have completed Pre-seasons and played many seasons of 22 games plus and of the course having played of 21 seasons and 13 season respectively, of course they are going to be injures along the way....

Xavier and Raph combined have had 3 out of 14 seasons that have not been injury hit - Harves and Max only missed a handful of games early in their careers...

There is NO denying that they are not durable, to this point in their careers....

Question was

Why?
and
Will they ever be?

Sobraz · Post: # 714831Post **Sobraz** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 1:47pm

Raph seems to have bulked up considerably in the last few seasons... he has a big, strong frame and is very upright... He is so valuable down back now, and hopefully a few weeks is all he'll miss...

As for X, he looks so frail and weak both on the field and in person... he is very, very slight... Whilst it is soft tissue injuries that have held him back, im not sure his body is strong enough to match it with the big boys in contests either...

I have far more confidence in Raph being an A grade player for us going forward than X...

Despite obviously have a few injury setbacks, much of what held Raph back in his first few years at the club was between the ears, not his body....

Saints Premiers 2008 · Sun 29 Mar 2009 2:02pm

bigcarl wrote:
Spinner wrote:they are both stars, and important players within our line up.
agree. raph gave us a massive spark in the second quarter last night when we sorely needed one.

ross said at his press conference he thought raph was instrumental in us turning it around.

how can you classify the clarke brothers stars when neither are on the park long enough to do anything???

raph looks good and x looks very average when out there...keyword looks

Eastern · Post: # 714866Post **Eastern** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 2:31pm

I caught Ross being interviewed on MMM earlier and he intimated that Raph's hamstring injury is back related and not as bad as first thought...

........Whatever that means !!

st.byron · Post: # 714898Post **st.byron** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 4:10pm

Spinner wrote:As Aussie Jones stated on 774 after the game - No one is more frustrated with the Clarke brothers....than the Clarke brothers.

And you know what people - they are both stars, and important players within our line up.

That's a long bow Spinner. A star is someone who consistently puts their stamp on the game, asserts their authority on contests and makes telling contributions that stand out.
Personally am sick and tired of the Clarke brothers lack of ability to stay on the park. They're not stars. What's the point of having them on the list if they can't string games together? They're bloody frustrating and X in particular is on his last chance this season I reckon.

Bernard Shakey · Sun 29 Mar 2009 4:16pm

Xavier was brilliant for Sandy today. May be a straight swap.

St DAC · Post: # 714908Post **St DAC** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 4:41pm

st.byron wrote:They're bloody frustrating and X in particular is on his last chance this season I reckon.

Or what? you'll hold your breath until you turn blue?

The coaching staff get paid to make those decisions. RL has already shown he can make the tough calls if necessary (Birssy for one).

st.byron · Post: # 714912Post **st.byron** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 4:50pm

St DAC wrote:
Or what? you'll hold your breath until you turn blue?

The coaching staff get paid to make those decisions. RL has already shown he can make the tough calls if necessary (Birssy for one).

Thanks for pointing out that the coaching staff make the decisions re the list. I thought it was up to me.
In future I'll limit expressing my opinion to internet forums designed for expressing opinions.

st.byron · Post: # 714914Post **st.byron** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 4:51pm

Bernard Shakey wrote:Xavier was brilliant for Sandy today. May be a straight swap.

Did you see the game Bernard?
If he was fit enough to play a brilliant game for Sandy, why wasn't he selected for the Sainters?

stinger · Post: # 714918Post **stinger** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 4:56pm

st.byron wrote:
Spinner wrote:As Aussie Jones stated on 774 after the game - No one is more frustrated with the Clarke brothers....than the Clarke brothers.

And you know what people - they are both stars, and important players within our line up.
That's a long bow Spinner. A star is someone who consistently puts their stamp on the game, asserts their authority on contests and makes telling contributions that stand out.
Personally am sick and tired of the Clarke brothers lack of ability to stay on the park. They're not stars. What's the point of having them on the list if they can't string games together? They're bloody frustrating and X in particular is on his last chance this season I reckon.

you reckon..???..flower me.....who gives a stuff what you reckon.....not me, not ross and thankfully not the clarke brothers.....

stinger · Post: # 714919Post **stinger** » Sun 29 Mar 2009 4:57pm

St DAC wrote:
st.byron wrote:They're bloody frustrating and X in particular is on his last chance this season I reckon.
Or what? you'll hold your breath until you turn blue?

The coaching staff get paid to make those decisions. RL has already shown he can make the tough calls if necessary (Birssy for one).