Let's Start with New Coaches

[SAINT-LEE]

I really like Ratts. He is a solid asst coach and can back up a #1 like a legend.

I think our team makeup is wrong to suit his style and he just will not make it. No need to persevere for 5 seasons....like we did with Richo.

Let's cut him loose and ALL the coaches, every single one.

Then throw everything at Alastair.
Give him free reign to build his coaching and football department. Give him all we got in cash and trade power to get the players he wants.

I think he could have us in solid top 6-8 by 2023 and top 4 2024....2022 would be a mini-rebuild.

I don't know who he'd trade out or in or what he'd look for...but he wouldn't tolerate getting thrashed without consequences and he'd let the b.s. umpiring have it both barrels.

Again, really like Ratts.

But he's gotta go. All the coaches and footy dept wanks as well and about 10 players - trade or cut.

Alastair can get brownlow greatness out of Hill....Ratts can't.

My last point is...not many coaches can or have successfully rebuilt a team. St Kilda over the past 2 years have tried a mini-rebuild / moneyball approach to launch us forward.

I don't think Ratts can build a team, Ross can't....Richo couldn't, and God forgive me...Grant did....my first choice won't come but I will make my point....

[bangaulegend]

We can't keep sacking coaches we need better recruiting . Like it or not our list is just not as good as most of the competition we need to rebuild get some young talent . Hill & Haneberry were good players in their time but to offer them serious coin on long contracts is just f-cking dumb. St.Kilda is becoming a retirement home for has been's . Easy money for doing SFA

[Wayne42]

The club needs a BIG cleanout at year's end. Players and coaching staff, maybe even recruiters.
Someone needs to convince Hannebery to retire., his body is not up to it anymore.
He'll want a decent payout though, i bet.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

I agree with the OP. Perservering with Ratten because he's a terrific bloke has a terrible Richo-like stench about it.

Six more years of mediocrity.

Clarkson would be great but he'll get better offers.

I'd take Ross the Boss, all sins forgiven. Never saw such spiritless performances under him.

Sam Mitchell, too, but he'll get better offers also.

[SAINT-LEE]

We can't keep sacking coaches we need better recruiting . Like it or not our list is just not as good as most of the competition we need to rebuild get some young talent . Hill & Haneberry were good players in their time but to offer them serious coin on long contracts is just f-cking dumb. St.Kilda is becoming a retirement home for has been's . Easy money for doing SFA

I fully agree on the recruitment. But I promise you Ratts is a golden fit as #2 but not a #1.
We are settling for a really good guy, very likeable and a better footy head than most, but we need legendary out of the box thinking....if it isnt Alastair I'm open to even Harvey ( and that's about as risky as it gets).

[SAINT-LEE]

I agree for the OP. Perservering with Ratten because he's a terrific bloke has a terrible Richo-like stench about it.

Six more years of mediocrity.

Clarkson would be great but he'll get better offers.

I'd take Ross the Boss, all sins forgiven. Never saw such spiritless performances under him.

Sam Mitchell, too, but he'll get better offers also.

I hold zero grudge against Ross, we screwed him.
He asked for power to trade away older players and was over ruled, he wanted full say in drafting and was over ruled. He wanted 3 more years on a contract and we said....let's suck it and see....

Like Grant, the players loved him and would rip their tits off to make him proud.

Now, Ross' playing style I do not enjoy, and he has never proven he can rebuild a team.

He came to Saints with a team primed for glory then over to Freo in their prime.

[SaintDippa]

Today was embarrassing. Again. Round 11 and same old. What does Ratts teach? No idea coaching against the worst side I've seen in many years.

[SAINT-LEE]

The coach we need more than Alastair is.....


MARK WILLIAMS.

He smashed it at Port.

He joined Richmond as an asst coach and developed every star they have right now that's been in a GF winner. Hardwick got not only jealous but afraid he'd lose his job to Williams after getting close for several years and told the board he wouldn't have Choco back next season....that's a fact.
Yes, they went on to win grannies, but with the players Choco developed.

Have you ever heard Damien Martin talk about Mark? It's like he's in love with the bloke, claimed he saved his career.

Now he's at Melbourne developing their players into fecking rock stars.

Damn it!

If he came top Saints we would have a real chance, even better than Alastair.

[B.M]

The coach is not the issue!!!

I’m convinced the coach is seriously overrated!!!

Case in point
How is Alistair Clarkson going right now?!

Players make coaches, not the other way around IMO

My order of importance
1-Top 6 players
2-Bottom 6 players (17-22)
3-Injuries
4-Depth players
5-Recruiting Dept
6-Senior Coach
7-Assistant Line Coaches
8-Fitness Staff
9-Development Coaches
10-Footy Manager

[Waltzing St Kilda]

The coach is not the issue!!!

I’m convinced the coach is seriously overrated!!!

Case in point
How is Alistair Clarkson going right now?!

Players make coaches, not the other way around IMO

My order of importance
1-Top 6 players
2-Bottom 6 players (17-22)
3-Injuries
4-Depth players
5-Recruiting Dept
6-Senior Coach
7-Assistant Line Coaches
8-Fitness Staff
9-Development Coaches
10-Footy Manager

Doesn't explain why:

1) There's no spirit.
2). King's goal kicking is getting worse, not better.
3.) Hill has dropped off a cliff since putting on the RWB.
4.) Butler is getting worse.
5.) Lonie is getting worse.
6.) Coffield is getting worse.
7.) Other players are stagnating.
8.) Tonight's best player has been playing in the reserves.

[Banger9798]

The coach is not the issue!!!

I’m convinced the coach is seriously overrated!!!

Case in point
How is Alistair Clarkson going right now?!

Players make coaches, not the other way around IMO

My order of importance
1-Top 6 players
2-Bottom 6 players (17-22)
3-Injuries
4-Depth players
5-Recruiting Dept
6-Senior Coach
7-Assistant Line Coaches
8-Fitness Staff
9-Development Coaches
10-Footy Manager

Fair points here. The senior coach is the easiest target.

1. Our top 6 are not that impressive
2. Our bottom 6 are ordinary
3. Injuries have been bad, and probably affected at least 5 of our top 10 players.
4. Depth players as a result are too old or not good enough
5. Recruiting Department has been I'll directed

All of which makes Rattens job difficult

But he has to demand more from his team and has to mete out consequences for poor effort, his never ending supportiveness of Hill and King is not working

[The Recruit]

I just think our high expectations came a little too early
We are still 2-3 years away easily and that has never changed
We got lucky in the 20/20 version of the game, we lost to north and Freo last year ffs!!

Just need to wait till 2023-24 and pray to god we recruit well in the draft over the next two or three years.

What we are seeing now is a team realising they just are not up to it with the cattle available. That can be hard to get enthusiastic about when you overate yourself at the beginning of the year.

So the challenge, how does the club get the players wanting to play for something again.....the short answer, the very very small chance of finals. As soon as that disappears we are destined for bottom 4. Which we need to be unfortunately.

[B.M]

My point is

I don’t believe Ratten is the reason we made the finals last year

And

He’s not the reason we are s*** this year!

[B.M]

Coaches should not demand

[bergsone]

Sacking coaches,thats one thing we are good at

[oboe]

BM - You make a great point. The points you make are real, but I don't understand. How can we go backwards so quickly? In another post, I've talked about fitness, but is it more player development?

A couple of years ago, we were calling King Winx. After the game against Geelong, after fumbling in the last quarter, I was happy to call him Baby Giraffe. What the hell is going on down at Moorabbin???

[B.M]

We had a game plan that caught everyone by surprise for half a season. It was eventually worked out by other teams.

We have lost key players that are too important to our structure
We lost strengths in our ruck pair, and clearance players with leg speed.

And for whatever reason, lost confidence kicking for goal?!

[Waltzing St Kilda]

The fact that Winx is now clearly inferior to his brother is a disgrace.

Big changes need to be made.

[Wayne42]

The fact that Winx is now clearly inferior to his brother is a disgrace.

Big changes need to be made.

Max should get a new nickname, Winx was a mighty fine performer, Max isn't, yet.

[freely]

We had a game plan that caught everyone by surprise for half a season. It was eventually worked out by other teams.

We have lost key players that are too important to our structure
We lost strengths in our ruck pair, and clearance players with leg speed.

And for whatever reason, lost confidence kicking for goal?!

But surely these are things that only the coach can fix. The players can't invent a new gameplan or change up the structure or give themselves confidence!

[desertsaint]

The fact that Winx is now clearly inferior to his brother is a disgrace.

Big changes need to be made.

Max should get a new nickname, Winx was a mighty fine performer, Max isn't, yet.

Fine Cotton?

[Yorkeys]

The game plan assumption seems to have been based on King kicking goals/feeding Butler and Higgins with Hill delivering the pill. Abject failure and very slow to adjust. Commentators gave a big hint yesterday, Battle permanently forward. The four named players have been embarrassed and embarrassing for whatever reasons. Coaches do seem unable to think on their feet.

[Wayne42]

The fact that Winx is now clearly inferior to his brother is a disgrace.

Big changes need to be made.

Max should get a new nickname, Winx was a mighty fine performer, Max isn't, yet.

Fine Cotton?

Yes

[saynta]

I agree with the OP. Perservering with Ratten because he's a terrific bloke has a terrible Richo-like stench about it.

Six more years of mediocrity.

Clarkson would be great but he'll get better offers.

I'd take Ross the Boss, all sins forgiven. Never saw such spiritless performances under him.

Sam Mitchell, too, but he'll get better offers also.

Ross, the f****** flosser tosser Lyin. f*** no, no, no..

[saynta]

I agree for the OP. Perservering with Ratten because he's a terrific bloke has a terrible Richo-like stench about it.

Six more years of mediocrity.

Clarkson would be great but he'll get better offers.

I'd take Ross the Boss, all sins forgiven. Never saw such spiritless performances under him.

Sam Mitchell, too, but he'll get better offers also.

I hold zero grudge against Ross, we screwed him.
He asked for power to trade away older players and was over ruled, he wanted full say in drafting and was over ruled. He wanted 3 more years on a contract and we said....let's suck it and see....

Like Grant, the players loved him and would rip their tits off to make him proud.

Now, Ross' playing style I do not enjoy, and he has never proven he can rebuild a team.

He came to Saints with a team primed for glory then over to Freo in their prime.

And cost us two f****** premierships along the way. No thanks.