Saints Sign Roberton

[magnifisaint]

This is the worst recruiting decision the SAINTS have ever made - the guy is worst than Gumby Elliott !

I repeat Farkin disgraceful Saints !

On what basis?

Please present some facts.

[sasaint]

This is the worst recruiting decision the SAINTS have ever made - !

Let me just say, Andrew Lovett, Brad Howard, Barry Brooks....

Not even in the same league

[MrCordz]

good move saints 191cm mobile played 37 games 21 years old fits the mould of list build

Target Gws /Port / Gold Coast kids with the $$$ next 2 years plus Frawley..and will be laughing

Good point - 3 year plan!

[magnifisaint]

This is the worst recruiting decision the SAINTS have ever made - !

Let me just say, Andrew Lovett, Brad Howard, Barry Brooks....

Not even in the same league

Brad Howard. At least the other 2 showed some ability

[borderbarry]

Not full of confidence on this one. Another tall HBF. He will need to be better than Raph! I hope he has Raph's courage.

[Dr Spaceman]

Well this is a pretty poor welcome to the newest player to wear our jumper.

Professionals employed by our club deemed him worthy of the last spot on the list and that's good enough for me.

Welcome Dylan (though hopefully you haven't stumbled across this site )

[stinger]

so why did we recruit roberton? unless were looking for something soft for the players to rest on?

have you ever seen Roberton play ?? soft is not the word you would use to describe him he is fearless at the ball (improve on Gram) he is poised under pressure (upgrade on Raph) can take a good contested mark (upgrade on Winmar) can run and carry the ball (upgrade on polo) is only 21(upgrade on Peake) and wants to play for us (upgrade on Cripps)... plus his foot skills are much better then Gram Polo Peake Winmar and Raph combined... the focus has been on getting younger fellas who can run and can use the ball by foot as well as have a strong character Roberton fits that perfectly.. will he be a star ? prob not but he has more upside than those who gave up there spot for him so big picture if Roberton is our worst player on the team list then we have improved form last year by a big margin

good post...good on you...at least...unlike a few on here...you have seen him play...i think the criticism of this young player is unfair.....

[stinger]

This is the worst recruiting decision the SAINTS have ever made - the guy is worst than Gumby Elliott !

I repeat Farkin disgraceful Saints !

i once saw elliott get bog in a firsts game.....he had ability...don't know why he didn't do better...also saw him play hid heart out in his last match for the saints...a ressies game out at waverley

[magnifisaint]

i think Roberton is a good player. some of the "experts" may get a surprise

[damienc]

so why did we recruit roberton? unless were looking for something soft for the players to rest on?

have you ever seen Roberton play ?? soft is not the word you would use to describe him he is fearless at the ball (improve on Gram) he is poised under pressure (upgrade on Raph) can take a good contested mark (upgrade on Winmar) can run and carry the ball (upgrade on polo) is only 21(upgrade on Peake) and wants to play for us (upgrade on Cripps)... plus his foot skills are much better then Gram Polo Peake Winmar and Raph combined... the focus has been on getting younger fellas who can run and can use the ball by foot as well as have a strong character Roberton fits that perfectly.. will he be a star ? prob not but he has more upside than those who gave up there spot for him so big picture if Roberton is our worst player on the team list then we have improved form last year by a big margin

Agree with you 100 percent. A voice of reason in a sea of doubters. He's a 21 year old kid who has played 37 AFL games. That means he has ability. His stats are good and so is his attitude. People expressed the same negativity about James Gwilt and look at how wrong they were. Roberton has turned into pretty much a straight swap for Nicholas Winmar. Hard to see how that isn't a very good deal.

[SainterK]

Wow this thread deteriorated...

He hasn't played a game for us yet, maybe hold your fire?

[gringo]

I'm excited by him, he's not like Polo or Peake - he has only just started and has a huge upside. I can see him fitting in across where Gram and Goddard played. Similar size and style to Goddard IMO but with a career ahead of him.

[Simmo2]

good get by the club the kid can play .... as for all the sooking about not getting a fullback i would rather we go without a fullback this season and use a patched up defensive structure and get a top notch one next season rather than pick a below average fullback just for the sake of getting one ... its a bit like GT not wanting to waste $ on a dud ruckman for the sake of getting a ruckman

Bizarre............ with a decent ruckman we would have won two flags with that team/

[gringo]

good get by the club the kid can play .... as for all the sooking about not getting a fullback i would rather we go without a fullback this season and use a patched up defensive structure and get a top notch one next season rather than pick a below average fullback just for the sake of getting one ... its a bit like GT not wanting to waste $ on a dud ruckman for the sake of getting a ruckman

Bizarre............ with a decent ruckman we would have won two flags with that team/

Scott Watters said they didn't just want to get anyone in and will play around with what we have already and go hard next year. I guess a free agent. It would cost us a couple of hundred thousand to get a guy to patch up and then get someone next year anyway. I would guess they have a verbal commitment from either Nathan Brown or James frawley for free agency. Pelchen doesn't seem to be the type to get in players just for the sake of it.

If we can get someone like Blake in there as FB it might work. he's got a good jump and bulky enough to push out his man. He isn't needed as a back up ruck now and should be able to play it for another year. Seems the most likely reason he was kept to me.

[70s sainter]

Freo still wanted him so that's gotta be a good sign plus it makes it more satisfying if he does well for us. They have Dawson but we now have roberton so it gives us the chance to even the scales.

[Dis Believer]

This is the worst recruiting decision the SAINTS have ever made - the guy is worst than Gumby Elliott !

I repeat Farkin disgraceful Saints !

get a grip.

I think he has a grip. I think the actual problem is that he needs to loosen his grip.........

[IluvHarvey]

For all the people moaning about the full back position this year - yep we didn't get one.

Makes me think that we have already unofficially got Mitch Brown for 2014 lined up. He is out of contract then and already said he wants to go to the saints.

Would rather this than some big bodied fool who we would have drafted played for 3 games and dropped to Sandy because he isn't good enough and delisted by years end.

At least Roberton can play! He has showed a lot of promise and I believe will become a consistent contributor in the future.

Good Call by the Saints I reckon!

[plugger66]

good get by the club the kid can play .... as for all the sooking about not getting a fullback i would rather we go without a fullback this season and use a patched up defensive structure and get a top notch one next season rather than pick a below average fullback just for the sake of getting one ... its a bit like GT not wanting to waste $ on a dud ruckman for the sake of getting a ruckman

Bizarre............ with a decent ruckman we would have won two flags with that team/

Scott Watters said they didn't just want to get anyone in and will play around with what we have already and go hard next year. I guess a free agent. It would cost us a couple of hundred thousand to get a guy to patch up and then get someone next year anyway. I would guess they have a verbal commitment from either Nathan Brown or James frawley for free agency. Pelchen doesn't seem to be the type to get in players just for the sake of it.

If we can get someone like Blake in there as FB it might work. he's got a good jump and bulky enough to push out his man. He isn't needed as a back up ruck now and should be able to play it for another year. Seems the most likely reason he was kept to me.

Can I ask why you and others seem to always mention Frawley?

[Richter]

It looks to me a lot like they are trying to reduce our dependence on Fisher as the guy to bring it out of our back line with some accuracy and creativity.

The issue is not that Chips can't play full back (although not ideally suited to the role), the issue is more that we lose him setting up our forward thrusts if he is in a lock-down key post. Especially with BJ gone it becomes vital. So if we can't get a quality KPD to free up Chips, do the next best thing, recruit some young guys that can kick, or run and carry, and play half back so we have others capable of handling the transition footy. There's more than one way to skin the moggy, even if it isn't the long term preferred solution.

Through the draft, and now with Roberton, there's some guys that can run and carry, or kick reliably, out of the back half. Plus we have Newnes coming on (who I really think is going to make a good footballer).

Very well put TB.

[Con Gorozidis]

i think Roberton is a good player. some of the "experts" may get a surprise

+ 1
Im staggered at people's negativity on here.

The guy is only 21 and played 37 games (many more than any at our club at that age).
We got him for free.
Freo definitely wanted to keep him and only let him go without a fuss on compassionate grounds because he had a kid and had no family support in Perth.

We have done very well here. I think this will prove a great deal for us.
And well done to Freo for allowing this to happen.

[lloyd21]

James Frawley /manager had meeting with Stkilda prior to Trade week thats why !
Read the comments Pelchen made that week before" we are talking to a current AA defender in the hope of getting him
were the words used.

He was frustrated playing in losing team at Melbourne and they were entertaing idea until Rivers said I want out.

Pretty obvious if you think of the Frawley connection.

[Con Gorozidis]

James Frawley probably wanted out and may well have wanted to join the Saints.
But he has a thing called a contract.
This means Melbourne don't even have to entertain a trade.

[lloyd21]

Thats correct that's what happened Melbourne told us to get stuffed hence why it did not happen .

Unless we gave Melbourne early picks and Stkilda did not know for sure what picks they had so they were screwed
by Free agency rule.
But end of next year will be different story.

[plugger66]

James Frawley /manager had meeting with Stkilda prior to Trade week thats why !
Read the comments Pelchen made that week before" we are talking to a current AA defender in the hope of getting him
were the words used.

He was frustrated playing in losing team at Melbourne and they were entertaing idea until Rivers said I want out.

Pretty obvious if you think of the Frawley connection.

Think that is all made up but does sound impressive.

[magnifisaint]

James Frawley /manager had meeting with Stkilda prior to Trade week thats why !
Read the comments Pelchen made that week before" we are talking to a current AA defender in the hope of getting him
were the words used.

He was frustrated playing in losing team at Melbourne and they were entertaing idea until Rivers said I want out.

Pretty obvious if you think of the Frawley connection.

Think that is all made up but does sound impressive.

Lets hope