Maxwell's comments pre-game

[Leo.J]

Cometti was interviewing Maxwell before the game and he asked about Scotty's coaching since Maxwell played under Watters at Collingwood

He more or less said that Scotty will entrust the players to do their job, and encourage them to take the game on and make their own decisions, giving them confidence in themselves. .

The up side to this is it has had success when he was an assistant.

And has certainly had results already as a senior coach.

It interested me because Collingwoods defence was very good under Watters, and Maxwell in particular became very important.

Fisher I would assume would normally be playing our third man up role, a Maxwell style role, which will make a massive difference once he returns.

While Gram is painful to watch sometimes as he can appear to be too laconic, possibly Scotty can mould him to be an important line breaker while being a stopper ala Heath Shaw, he's got a long way to go mind you, but he's played that sort of role on and off but maybe with the right grooming he can become an A grader in that role? He has shown he's got the potential to be that player.

The improvement in Geary, the development of Simpkin and Newnes appear to be typical of the Watters coaching style of entrusting players.

Not to Mantion Saad and Milera in attack.

So while some on here will call for moves and omitions from the side if quick results aren't achieved they may be disappointed because there's a fair chance that Scotty will be persisting with certain players in the side, and in certain roles.

If he can stabilise our defence with his methods in the next 4 - 5 weeks we can still be a real threat this year imo.

[saintspremiers]

Real threat of what?

Do you mean premiership?

Need to finish top 4 to win a flag.

12 games left and about 10 more wins
To make top four.

Tell me you're dreaming!

[Leo.J]

Real threat of what?

Do you mean premiership?

Need to finish top 4 to win a flag.

12 games left and about 10 more wins
To make top four.

Tell me you're dreaming!

You can write us off if you want.

I don't think it matters where you finish in the 8 if you are the best team during september you'll win it.

It just so happens that there has been only 2-3 sides capable of winning it recently, and they've finished in the top 4.

My point is that we are a work in progress, but I don't think we are too far away from getting it right, especially when we get a few back.

The other point is that Scotty has a good track record with building a good defensive unit, and his trust in and development of players worked at the Filth, and has already had results in a short time at the Saints.

All we have to do is make the finals in tact and in form.

[Leo.J]

Armo and Jack are two more that have improved this year, they are taking on the game alot more and playing with heaps of confidence.

2 more that have appeared to benefit from Scotty's methods.

[magnifisaint]

Real threat of what?

Do you mean premiership?

Need to finish top 4 to win a flag.

12 games left and about 10 more wins
To make top four.

Tell me you're dreaming!

13 wins will give you top 4, maybe 12 this year

[SaintPav]

Real threat of what?

Do you mean premiership?

Need to finish top 4 to win a flag.

12 games left and about 10 more wins
To make top four.

Tell me you're dreaming!

You can write us off if you want.

I don't think it matters where you finish in the 8 if you are the best team during september you'll win it.

It just so happens that there has been only 2-3 sides capable of winning it recently, and they've finished in the top 4.

My point is that we are a work in progress, but I don't think we are too far away from getting it right, especially when we get a few back.

The other point is that Scotty has a good track record with building a good defensive unit, and his trust in and development of players worked at the Filth, and has already had results in a short time at the Saints.

All we have to do is make the finals in tact and in form.

Will have to play WC or Crows at home in a prelim so it would be hard to get through.

[Eastern]

Lets NOT forget that Max Hudghton was Scotty's off-sider at Collingwood for 2 years too and I believe it is Max that is having a massive influence on Tommy Simkin. Having said that, I'd still like to see us add a monster defender to the side/list next year. Could Jackson Furgeson be that monster defender? !!

[gringo]

Tell me you're dreaming![/quote]

You can write us off if you want.

I don't think it matters where you finish in the 8 if you are the best team during september you'll win it.

It just so happens that there has been only 2-3 sides capable of winning it recently, and they've finished in the top 4.

My point is that we are a work in progress, but I don't think we are too far away from getting it right, especially when we get a few back.

The other point is that Scotty has a good track record with building a good defensive unit, and his trust in and development of players worked at the Filth, and has already had results in a short time at the Saints.

All we have to do is make the finals in tact and in form.[/quote]

Will have to play WC or Crows at home in a prelim so it would be hard to get through.[/quote]

I'm not confident that WCE can hold up in finals after season ending injuries to key players and Adelaide have been flattered by a pretty easy fixture and have a lot of very inexperienced players. Both gettable in finals with pressure and intensity going up. It is as open a season as any I can remember. If we came to play in the first half against Eagles we may have won. Add some key personnel returning and we could sneak past both.

[GRAMophone]

A very interesting discussion Leo - thanks. I, too, feel very optimistic about the next couple of years under Watters because I believe he has a rare blend (in AFL circles) of being a great strategist along with being a brilliant manager of people.

His ability to empower people to realize their talents seems to be evident in the form improvement of Rhys, Gears, Armo and others. It's why he probably won't drop Sam G either for what appears to be a dip in confidence.

I'm well and truly on the Scotty bandwagon.

[saintsRrising]

While Gram is painful to watch sometimes as he can appear to be too laconic, possibly Scotty can mould him to be an important line breaker while being a stopper ala Heath Shaw, he's got a long way to go mind you, but he's played that sort of role on and off but maybe with the right grooming he can become an A grader in that role? He has shown he's got the potential to be that player.

.

Very perceptive.

IMO I think Watters is trying to remould him into a line breaking BP like he did with Neon Leon at the Pies.

Gram originally hit his straps with us as a bouncing HBF....then became more a mid.

We need pace on every line....and so you can see the thinking behind playing Gram back deep.

[defacto]

i think netters is on record saying gram is a mini project for watters and gram cant keep living off of one good game in 2009. i think we are realistic and accept hes going to be here for a while so lets try and make use of him

[Leo.J]

i think netters is on record saying gram is a mini project for watters and gram cant keep living off of one good game in 2009. i think we are realistic and accept hes going to be here for a while so lets try and make use of him

He has all the attributes, it's his mental aproach that holds him back from where I sit.

[Wrote for Luck]

well they would have been pretty happy to let Gram go if anyone were interested

[SainterK]

I'm with Leo...

Why not this season.

Why not from outside top 4?

Who even says we won't make top 4?

Reality is it's one of those freaky years, where a freaky premiership may just happen.

[plugger66]

I'm with Leo...

Why not this season.

Why not from outside top 4?

Who even says we won't make top 4?

Reality is it's one of those freaky years, where a freaky premiership may just happen.

Lets face it we are thinking like that because we know we cant finish top 4. You cannot win the flag being outside the top 4 but that doesnt mean the season is a waste.

[SainterK]

I'm with Leo...

Why not this season.

Why not from outside top 4?

Who even says we won't make top 4?

Reality is it's one of those freaky years, where a freaky premiership may just happen.

Lets face it we are thinking like that because we know we cant finish top 4. You cannot win the flag being outside the top 4 but that doesnt mean the season is a waste.

You cannot win a flag being outside the top 4, or nobody has yet?

[plugger66]

I'm with Leo...

Why not this season.

Why not from outside top 4?

Who even says we won't make top 4?

Reality is it's one of those freaky years, where a freaky premiership may just happen.

Lets face it we are thinking like that because we know we cant finish top 4. You cannot win the flag being outside the top 4 but that doesnt mean the season is a waste.

You cannot win a flag being outside the top 4, or nobody has yet?

it is a rule.

[SainterK]

it is a rule.

Thanks for clearing that up...

[mick13]

Yes it's very unlikely, but if there were ever a year it was going to happen, it would probably be 2012.

Gonna be a damn exciting finish to the year methinks.

[SainterK]

Yes it's very unlikely, but if there were ever a year it was going to happen, it would probably be 2012.

Gonna be a damn exciting finish to the year methinks.

Imagine if Brisbane and Melbourne cause teams to approach WCE and Bombers with a bit more belief that they can be beaten?

Remember when Bombers beat us in 2009...

The flag race could open up even more, Carlton have shown successive losses are on the cards for potential contenders.

[Leo.J]

Most of the people that say 6 day breaks mean little, and that travelling is not an excuse are the ones that say you can't win it from outside the top4.

Why not if those things don't matter, especially if you're the in form side in September?

The Saints haven't won a flag for 46 years, thats 3 times more than since someone has won it from outside the top4

Why do we bother turning up?

[howlinwolf]

This year will be one of the hardest ever for us to win the flag from outside the top 4.
I say this because I think West Coast and Adelaide (with the help of the easiest draw) will finish 1 and 2.
Therefore earning home finals which more than likely would turn into home prelims.
If this was the case it would be difficult to see a Vic team finishing 4-8 winning the flag.

A lot of ifs and maybes I know but I think it's only been done once by Adelaide in '97 and that should not have happened as they lost their first final and should have been finished.

[Leo.J]

Real threat of what?

Do you mean premiership?

Need to finish top 4 to win a flag.

12 games left and about 10 more wins
To make top four.

Tell me you're dreaming!

You can write us off if you want.

I don't think it matters where you finish in the 8 if you are the best team during september you'll win it.

It just so happens that there has been only 2-3 sides capable of winning it recently, and they've finished in the top 4.

My point is that we are a work in progress, but I don't think we are too far away from getting it right, especially when we get a few back.

The other point is that Scotty has a good track record with building a good defensive unit, and his trust in and development of players worked at the Filth, and has already had results in a short time at the Saints.

All we have to do is make the finals in tact and in form.

Will have to play WC or Crows at home in a prelim so it would be hard to get through.

Not necessarily so.

It can be avoided with a bit of luck.

But if you don't get them you'll get the Bombers, the Pies or the Hawks anyway.

It's all irrelevant if we are in good form and they're not.

And it's not going to happen if Scotty can't get our defence up and going, if he can who knows what can happen.