What do we need to find???

[BigMart]

We have unearthed some talant in 2011......what can we add

Tall Defenders.....dawson, fisher, walsh
Blake gone.....add one

Medium defenders......gwilt, simpkin, lynch, gilbert
Plenty

Small defenders......dempster, geary
Baker gone.....add one

Running Backs.......Clarke, gram, winmar (dal/bj)
Weak......add one

Rucks
McEvoy, Kosi, stanley,
Gardiner gone, weak.......add one

Mids
Lenny, cj, dal, bj, ray, montagna
Strong
Back up mids
Steven, ledger, ray, armo, peake
Getting better

Key fwds
Riewoldt, johnson, archer, cahill (kosi, stanley)
real concern......draft or trade for one

Medium fwds
Siposs, heyne
Gamble....delisted......Siposs could be the one, recruit another

Small fwds
Schnieder, milne?
Steven, ledger, cripps etc can all go through there.....not sure milney can go on again

Outs to me seem
Gardiner, Baker, Blake, Polo, McQualter, Gamble, Eddy

Big Trade
Maybe Gram or Gilbert...both unlikely

Minor Trades
Clarke, Kosi.......both just as unlikely

Massive Trade
Goddard

Draft/Trade priority
Key Fwd, Running Back, Ruck, Mid, Med Fwd, Mid,

[BigMart]

Add two defenders to draft priority......take a mid off

[dcstkfc]

Two things:

1. Tall forwards don't grow on trees. I wouldn't be trading for one.
2. Our biggest issue clearly is a lack of inside midfielders after Lenny. This must be addressed via the draft if not a trade.

[plugger66]

Mids win footy games these days and unless you have stars in other positions i would be building a great midfield. They can make up for weaknesses down back and up forward.

[dcstkfc]

Mids win footy games these days and unless you have stars in other positions i would be building a great midfield. They can make up for weaknesses down back and up forward.

Great call.

Just ask Geelong- tall forwards are rubbish and Hawthorn- defence is mediocre.

[The Fireman]

A few seasons of supporter tolerance, around about 5 or 6 with a smattering of some incredibly great picks. then we will be up and about again

[WinnersOnly]

Add two defenders to draft priority......take a mid off

Skilled players with pace, ticker and natural footballing ability! Keep JB away from any selections that invloves HFF's or Ruckman.

If I was Trout I would be looking to turn the list over! Trade what surplus players with value we have and look to pick up some quality kids from GWS & even attempt to lever some of Gold Coast list away from them.

If that opens up some salary cap room then go after a number of quality kids.

Gees as it stands now, the Saints passing on Darling for Cripps looks a bit ordinary. But I imagine they thought they would get another couple of years out of Kosi and develop Archer, Johnson, Cahill and possibly Stanley to fill the key forward role.

We definitely need a quality larger bodied midfielder and if Gardiner cant continue another geniune ruckman. The more natural goal kickers we have the better - we simply cant have enough on our list !

[ralphsmith]

We need to find elite midfielders who are fast and can kick the afl shaped football beautifully to the advantage of his team mates.

I dont want to trade anyone, i dont think we can get such a midfielder except through divine intervention next year.

In the future at the saints , there needs to be more focus on recruiting football brained players. Skillful, fast, has instinct and feeling for the game.

Athletes and hard workers like jason blake, ultimately disappoint endlessly with their inability to punish teams with accurate penetrating kicks to advantage.

What to do in 2012? Just have another crack with our list i suppose.

[gringo]

Funny enough most of the improvers from last year have been aided by an injection of quality mids from finishing down low. Heppell, Conca, Crameri etc. all look guns. We will have access to some talent this year and the guys we got last year are all likely types. Jonathan Patton is a saints man, but is considered a number one pick now, being KP he will go early as the giants will build a spine first. That should give us a shot at an elite mid if we finish in the bottom half of the ladder. How good did melbourne look with some elite midfield talent. I would still love to raid Bate from the Dees. He is at the age that isn't too old and not young enough for their future plans.

[Cairnsman]

We have unearthed some talant in 2011......what can we add

Tall Defenders.....dawson, fisher, walsh
Blake gone.....add one

Medium defenders......gwilt, simpkin, lynch, gilbert
Plenty

Small defenders......dempster, geary
Baker gone.....add one

Running Backs.......Clarke, gram, winmar (dal/bj)
Weak......add one

Rucks
McEvoy, Kosi, stanley,
Gardiner gone, weak.......add one

Mids
Lenny, cj, dal, bj, ray, montagna
Strong
Back up mids
Steven, ledger, ray, armo, peake
Getting better

Key fwds
Riewoldt, johnson, archer, cahill (kosi, stanley)
real concern......draft or trade for one

Medium fwds
Siposs, heyne
Gamble....delisted......Siposs could be the one, recruit another

Small fwds
Schnieder, milne?
Steven, ledger, cripps etc can all go through there.....not sure milney can go on again

Outs to me seem
Gardiner, Baker, Blake, Polo, McQualter, Gamble, Eddy

Big Trade
Maybe Gram or Gilbert...both unlikely

Minor Trades
Clarke, Kosi.......both just as unlikely

Massive Trade
Goddard

Draft/Trade priority
Key Fwd, Running Back, Ruck, Mid, Med Fwd, Mid,

Isn't Dal Santo a running back these days.

To win a premiership you need at least two maybe three elite midfielders. How are we going to fill this void going forward?

[Dr Spaceman]

Funny how people assume that because you finish down the bottom you get access to all these great young players. The difference between winning the wooden spoon or the Grand Final is one player.

For example, in a 18 team comp the bottom side, if it had 6 picks, would have

1, 19, 37, 55 & 73

The Premiers, if they had 6 picks, would have

18, 36, 54, 72 & 90.

If you take out the Spooners’ first pick, and the Premiers’ last pick, the remaining picks are pretty similar. In fact, if you look at it that way, the Premiers get to pick their players before the Spooners do.

So really, leaving all the other variables aside (priority picks, trades etc), the difference between finishing 18th and finishing first is one player (on the above example one club gets a #1 player and the other gets a #90 player).

If we do finish towards the bottom it’s imperative we use our picks well – especially the first round pick. But let’s not just assume that a low finish will see us flush with a truckload of brilliant young talent, the envy of all the other clubs.

[SainterK]

What about Prismall?

It's hard to know, I thought he was a good footballer, unfortunately though he chose to move elsewhere to increase his opportunity and his former coach turned up.

Third club lucky?

[saint tash]

What about Prismall?

It's hard to know, I thought he was a good footballer, unfortunately though he chose to move elsewhere to increase his opportunity and his former coach turned up.

Third club lucky?

No and no. Pea heart and poor user of the ball.

[borderbarry]

We have three fewer ruckmen on our list than last year. If Gardiner goes around again next season we will need to another ruck, If he doesnt, we qill probably need to add two. Maybe one experienced and a youngster.

[Cairnsman]

We have three fewer ruckmen on our list than last year. If Gardiner goes around again next season we will need to another ruck, If he doesnt, we qill probably need to add two. Maybe one experienced and a youngster.

If Gardiner goes around next year then surely it has to be through the turnstiles on match day as a spectator. I think his last game was October last year.

[spert]

The last three grand finals show me anyway what we are lacking or have strength in.
I am suprised RL didn't have a cleanout after the replay as some of the group just won't get us over the line.
We need strong fast mids, a full forward and a strong half forward, also need one more big strong backman who can take a grab- plus a good young ruckman who can be developed.

[plugger66]

The last three grand finals show me anyway what we are lacking or have strength in.
I am suprised RL didn't have a cleanout after the replay as some of the group just won't get us over the line.
We need strong fast mids, a full forward and a strong half forward, also need one more big strong backman who can take a grab- plus a good young ruckman who can be developed.

We had enough picks already last year. We couldnt of had anymore.

[mr six o'clock]

The last three grand finals show me anyway what we are lacking or have strength in.
I am suprised RL didn't have a cleanout after the replay as some of the group just won't get us over the line.
We need strong fast mids, a full forward and a strong half forward, also need one more big strong backman who can take a grab- plus a good young ruckman who can be developed.

True , but impossible to get over 1-2 seasons

[GrumpyOne]

Two tall forwards and a monster ruckman.

[Animal Enclosure]

While I still think we'll make the finals, I hope that Ross identifies that we need to be active during trade week in acquiring draft picks wherever the position.

A lot depends on the strategy that GWS employs. At present they have not listed many mature players (the exception being two 23 year olds) as GC did with Harris, Stanley, etc. Of course they have signed a number of current AFL players that are yet to be named. This would suggest to me that they will need to trade for a number of established senior players, especially when you consider that their signing window for uncontracted players is split over 2 seasons.

The opportunity will be there to get picks or access to pre-listed GWS players should Ross decide to wheel & deal.

There are too many unknowns to really make even a guess.

Who is on the trade table?

Who has already signed with GWS?

What effect with free agency have?

Will anyone want to go to Seaford?

Whatever the answer to these questions, I would suggest that the list is in for a dramatic overhaul over the next few seasons.

[Cairnsman]

While I still think we'll make the finals, I hope that Ross identifies that we need to be active during trade week in acquiring draft picks wherever the position.

A lot depends on the strategy that GWS employs. At present they have not listed many mature players (the exception being two 23 year olds) as GC did with Harris, Stanley, etc. Of course they have signed a number of current AFL players that are yet to be named. This would suggest to me that they will need to trade for a number of established senior players, especially when you consider that their signing window for uncontracted players is split over 2 seasons.

The opportunity will be there to get picks or access to pre-listed GWS players should Ross decide to wheel & deal.

There are too many unknowns to really make even a guess.

Who is on the trade table?

Who has already signed with GWS?

What effect with free agency have?

Will anyone want to go to Seaford?

Whatever the answer to these questions, I would suggest that the list is in for a dramatic overhaul over the next few seasons.

It's stating the obviousl I know but the only thing the club has in it's control at the moment and this working out which players aren't part of the future.

[GrumpyOne]

Will anyone want to go to Seaford?

Is anyone else pissed off that this discredited and irrelevant old furphy is continually being dredged up as some sort of disincentive for players to come to us?

Those who can remember the shift to Moorabbin can perhaps advise us as to exactly how long we have to put up with this complete crap being consistantly dragged up and given undeserved credibility.

South Melbourne and Fitzroy supporters are the only ones that can whinge about relocation FFS.

[Dr Spaceman]

Will anyone want to go to Seaford?

Is anyone else pissed off that this discredited and irrelevant old furphy is continually being dredged up as some sort of disincentive for players to come to us?

Those who can remember the shift to Moorabbin can perhaps advise us as to exactly how long we have to put up with this complete crap being consistantly dragged up and given undeserved credibility.

South Melbourne and Fitzroy supporters are the only ones that can whinge about relocation FFS.

I'm with you Grumps!

[dragit]

We need to keep recruiting players that can kick well, it probably sounds silly but at the moment there are too many on our list that can't... The game nowadays is one rolling pack, half-backs, half-forwards & midfielders are pretty interchangeable, the ability to not turn it over under pressure is priceless.

[Animal Enclosure]

Will anyone want to go to Seaford?

Is anyone else pissed off that this discredited and irrelevant old furphy is continually being dredged up as some sort of disincentive for players to come to us?

Those who can remember the shift to Moorabbin can perhaps advise us as to exactly how long we have to put up with this complete crap being consistantly dragged up and given undeserved credibility.

South Melbourne and Fitzroy supporters are the only ones that can whinge about relocation FFS.

I'm with you Grumps!

Whether it's a furphy or not will be known over the next few years. At this stage you can't say one way or the other if it's going to be a factor or not.

I'm not bagging the joint, just adding it to the mix of unknowns when you are discussing list management.