Key positions

[bigcarl]

At the moment we have one walk-up start to a key position ... and he is 30 and a five time best and fairest. That's chf covered for this season, barring injury or suspension.

But let's have a look at our stocks for full back, centre half back and full forward.

I'll start with full forward.

Maister seemed the preferred option at the start of the season, but one senses he is not the long term star that we need. When the ball went to him four times in the first quarter at the weekend and rebounded away each time I knew we were shot.

Lee. Came to us on the back of a 60-odd goal season in the WAFL, but hasn't shown much thus far to justify getting excited about. Body may not be ready yet, but obviously some ability there.

White. Caused plenty of excitement in one passage of play for Sandringham, but very raw and at 18 has a lot to learn.

Siposs. Perhaps lacking a couple of cms to be thought of as a key position player, but a strong mark and long kick. Has form as a goal kicker in under age football.

Stanley. Has height and pace, but nothing to suggest he is a natural goal kicker.

Kosi. Not the future.

My conclusion. Go with Siposs for the time being and get games into Lee and White ASAP.

I'll get to chb and fb.

[Cairnsman]

Maister seemed the preferred option at the start of the season, but one senses he is not the long term star that we need. When the ball went to him four times in the first quarter at the weekend and rebounded away each time I knew we were shot.

I agree Maister is not part of the long term future. IMO at 27 years of age he is a gap filler and it would be interesting to know if that was the thinking in recruiting him or did the recruiters actually hope that he would be AFL standard from game one ala the Pod. Clearly he hasn't been a revelation.

But to be fair to him with regards to the ball rebounding from his contests, there really has to be some heat put on the mosquito fleet. They are not working hard enough to scrap for the ball at ground level and get it moving forward again.

[bigcarl]

But to be fair to him with regards to the ball rebounding from his contests, there really has to be some heat put on the mosquito fleet.

Agree, but we're talking about key position players here. Also not overlooking the fact that Maister was up against a very good opponent in Rutten

[Uncle Barrels]

Be very interesting if Tom Boyd fell through to our first pick in the draft;

199cm, 102kgs, on 17 and mobile. Very Tom Hawkins-like from the footage I've seen, but less of a sook than Hawkins when playing on men. More than held his own against Collingwood's VFL side.

[plugger66]

Be very interesting if Tom Boyd fell through to our first pick in the draft;

199cm, 102kgs, on 17 and mobile. Very Tom Hawkins-like from the footage I've seen, but less of a sook than Hawkins when playing on men. More than held his own against Collingwood's VFL side.

Is that the sook that was good in the GF 2 years ago? He must have played on Elle Mcpherson that day. I have no idea about the guy mentioned but do we really want a KPP with our first pick. Surely we need onballers urgently and they also come on quicker.

[Scollop]

I reckon Siposs needs a few more games at FF. Let's see how he develops as the leading go to forward.

Otherwise, recruit a kid that can potentially be our Jason Porplyzia...a guy that can play tall and small and can kick straight

Actually...does the porpoise have a contract? He's originally a Victorian isn't he?

[bigcarl]

Centre half back and full back.

The options appear to be:

Jason Blake ... ageing warhorse whose best football is behind him. Solid at chb, but not great on the last line and won't be around barring miracles for our next crack at the finals.

Rhys Stanley ... Has key attributes in height and pace, but not great in body on body stuff. Still developing but may not be a great reader of the play. Like Blake, prefer him at chb than fb.

Sam Fisher ... Been a very good player and still capable of good football. His offensive skills wasted to a degree at full back, but often there is no better option on the opposition's best forward.

Simpkin ... Looked a real find last season, but injury has curtailed him this year. Perhaps a little small to hold down a key position defensive position, which is a shame, because at his best he plays like an old-fashioned tight full back.


Apart from that we appear to be a bit thin for options. Others with a better knowledge of Sandringham players might be able to throw up some other names.

My conclusion. Fisher to full back. Stanley to chb.

[gringo]

Centre half back and full back.

The options appear to be:

Jason Blake ... ageing warhorse whose best football is behind him. Solid at chb, but not great on the last line and won't be around barring miracles for our next crack at the finals.

Rhys Stanley ... Has key attributes in height and pace, but not great in body on body stuff. Still developing but may not be a great reader of the play. Like Blake, prefer him at chb than fb.

Sam Fisher ... Been a very good player and still capable of good football. His offensive skills wasted to a degree at full back, but often there is no better option on the opposition's best forward.

Simpkin ... Looked a real find last season, but injury has curtailed him this year. Perhaps a little small to hold down a key position defensive position, which is a shame, because at his best he plays like an old-fashioned tight full back.


Apart from that we appear to be a bit thin for options. Others with a better knowledge of Sandringham players might be able to throw up some other names.

My conclusion. Fisher to full back. Stanley to chb.

Lever and Fergasm are probably the only real KPBs with Lever being as skinny as Matty Lappin and as tall as Stanley. Staley maybe as he's biggish otherwise we are not exactly over stacked with big KPs at Sandy even.

[WinnersOnly]

From what I have seen LEVER doesnt have the body strength or speed to play as a key position player, he wil be lucky to remain on the senior list after this year you would think. Ferguson may develop into a CHB with some luck. They both need size and strength which for some reason SAINTS players seem to take a lot longer than other clubs players to develop.

[Uncle Barrels]

Be very interesting if Tom Boyd fell through to our first pick in the draft;

199cm, 102kgs, on 17 and mobile. Very Tom Hawkins-like from the footage I've seen, but less of a sook than Hawkins when playing on men. More than held his own against Collingwood's VFL side.

Is that the sook that was good in the GF 2 years ago? He must have played on Elle Mcpherson that day. I have no idea about the guy mentioned but do we really want a KPP with our first pick. Surely we need onballers urgently and they also come on quicker.

You're really quite tiresome. He was a sook when he was a junior. I had ocassion to watch him in the Under 18 Champs at Princes Park and every time some beanpole playing on him managed to not get rag-dolled and get a fist on the ball, or if the delivery wasn't lace out, he cracked the almighty sads. Dermott Brereton (surprisingly) read it best when he suggested it would take Hawkins up to 4 years to hit his stride at AFL level because he'd had it physically easy and hasn't developed any kind of workrate.

That is the kid I saw. He is now, of course, a very good footballer.

[Uncle Barrels]

From what I have seen LEVER doesnt have the body strength or speed to play as a key position player, he wil be lucky to remain on the senior list after this year you would think. Ferguson may develop into a CHB with some luck. They both need size and strength which for some reason SAINTS players seem to take a lot longer than other clubs players to pdevelop.

No peptides

[bigcarl]

do we really want a KPP with our first pick. Surely we need onballers urgently and they also come on quicker.

We need both, surely, unless you think we have the key positions covered for the future.

[plugger66]

do we really want a KPP with our first pick. Surely we need onballers urgently and they also come on quicker.

We need both, surely, unless you think we have the key positions covered for the future.

Im sorry but I didnt say we didnt need them.

[bigcarl]

do we really want a KPP with our first pick. Surely we need onballers urgently and they also come on quicker.

We need both, surely, unless you think we have the key positions covered for the future.

Im sorry but I didnt say we didnt need them.

I know. At least we have a few young potential mids ... Wright, Ross, Roberton ... showing a bit. Let's hope White or Lee can kick a bag soon and give us something to get excited about.

[bigcarl]

Im sorry but I didnt say we didnt need them.

I know. At least we have a few young potential mids ... Wright, Ross, Roberton ... showing a bit. Let's hope White or Lee can kick a bag soon and give us something to get excited about.

Because we have just the one KPP at the moment that you can realistically hope could win his position.

[noob]

I would tend to go the path of 2000-2001. If we are going to Rebuild, draft the key position players first (for development) then draft the midfielders the next.

[plugger66]

I would tend to go the path of 2000-2001. If we are going to Rebuild, draft the key position players first (for development) then draft the midfielders the next.

We got Kosi and Rooy because they were clearly the best players. We got mids in the next draft because they were clearly the best players.

[bigcarl]

We got Kosi and Rooy because they were clearly the best players. We got mids in the next draft because they were clearly the best players.

Yep, best available in the draft. Then trade for specific weaknesses.

[Old Mate]

Be very interesting if Tom Boyd fell through to our first pick in the draft;

199cm, 102kgs, on 17 and mobile. Very Tom Hawkins-like from the footage I've seen, but less of a sook than Hawkins when playing on men. More than held his own against Collingwood's VFL side.

Is that the sook that was good in the GF 2 years ago? He must have played on Elle Mcpherson that day. I have no idea about the guy mentioned but do we really want a KPP with our first pick. Surely we need onballers urgently and they also come on quicker.

With picks that high you go best avail everytime. Mid or KPP is largely irrelevant. Boyd is highly rated and will go top 2. Think Patton, Hogan from last years mini draft and Roo/Kosi - Thats in terms of where recruiters see Boyd. I have no doubt we'd take Boyd if he made it to our pick. Only Aish is rated in his ball park. Our only hope to get Boyd is if GWS and the Demons skip him, which may happen with those clubs investing in tall forwards over the last few drafts. The Dogs and GC wouldn't skip him though, IMO.

[Cairnsman]

We need to a gun tall forward more than we need a gun FB. Not sure who would be a realistic target or how much money is in the kitty. Up until recently I've thought it a waste of time targeting a high priced player but I'm starting think otherwise at the moment due to the glaring big big problem in the forward line. Last time we kicked of this club in a positive way we mortgaged everything for Gerhig and Hamil. Is it time to look at doing the same.

[spert]

I think top key position players have to play with authority and demand the ball, and we know Roo does that, but we lack that in the rest of the KPs. I think Siposs should be sent to Sandy and play the season as FF, as I don't think he attacks the contest hard enough yet, and still doesn't seem to be hardened up enough- inconsistant. Maister was probably bought as a stop-gap player and will be in and out of the seniors and will play some good games and some dud games. We need strength, tenacity and mobility in the forward line apart from Roo, and the only solution I can see right now is Lee, so I would keep him as FF for the season. I was worried about our backline coming into this season, but it seems the midfield and forward line are the problem areas.