Rays of hope

[ss1986]

It’s always darkest before the dawn they say.

Never a truer word spoken.

Amazing how a few wins can change the whole feel - GO SAINTS!!

[shrodes]

Makes this place about 10 million times more enjoyable to be around too... hopefully many more wins on the way

[silverhalo]

Definitely has changed the mood around the place.....the St.Kilda chant went up a few times on Level 2 last night, something I haven't heard for ages.

[MC Gusto]

Hope back within the fans
Belief within the players

Confidence building

[To the top]

I will repeat that given what transpired the rebuild of St Kilda commenced from nothing (noting the career stage Fisher, Riewoldt and Montagna were at) from the Draft that gave us Billings, Dunstan and Acres

In terms of recruitment we have obtained Carlisle - and now Hannebery as established footballers

We have had some luck with players who cane to us looking for opportunity - so the likes of Roberton, Bruce, Membrey

And we have continued to Draft since the Draft I refer to - noting we have not seen King or Bytel (a later Pick acknowledged)

We have endured some bad luck with McCartin - and Roberton - on a long term basis

And others on a short term basis

But we continue to build and we continue to get games into our high Draft Pick kids - the latest showing their wares being Clark and Coffield

Plus we grabbed Marshall from somewhere

As we get experience into these high end kids and we get more of them on our List we will improve and continue to improve

So patience and looking for evidence of skills at the level is the name of the game - and encouraging these kids to get out there and enjoy showing off exactly why they were top end Draft Picks (not turning them into role players because the role players are at the other end of the skill measure)

So is the improvement a surprise?

No

It is a matter of time, holding the required players together and bonding them and adding more talent (including focus Free Agency because we have something to sell)

This is only the start - from nothing

What we need is a little bit of luck which we have not had to date

So we are due - and we will see what side we put on the park in Round 1 in 2020

Mind you it is a fierce and unrelenting competition - so we have to outperform the other Clubs in the competition (look at Brisbane and where they have cone from)

If the Premier side improves 10% as a minimum which should be their objective, we have to improve 30%

We have that potential

[Josh Battle]

The Doggies were playing in off in consecutive prelims in 2009/2010 and so if we use a similar logic then their rebuild would have started in maybe 2011 or 2012. 4 years later they played finals and in the fifth year they were premiers

I'm not suggesting we are going to do the same because I believe you have to build momentum and earn yourself a finals game or two before you are likely to be a contender for a flag. I've never supported the view that we can emulate exactly what they did or what the Tigers did because we don't have the All Australians and the quality of some of their A graders.

I also think we aren't as good as them in the recruiting department. If we unearth a backman like Easton Wood or Marcus Adams or a mid like Shai Bolton or Sydney Stack I'll change my view

Correct me if I'm wrong but Billings and co were recruited in 2013. They were under AR in his first year. We are now 6 years into the rebuild and I struggle to believe that we are a realistic chance to make finals in 2020 with our current list. Let's assume that we do play finals next year (the year that apparently the 5 year plan had us winning the flag), that'll be 7 years into a rebuild to get back in to the top 8 and play a final. Who knows if we are even ready or good enough to win a final

If Bytel and King are fit and healthy and perhaps if Steven returns to his 2018 form we may be a chance. I agree that we need a hell of a lot of luck with injuries and most importantly, we must land a couple of gun recruits

[Special]

The Doggies were playing in off in consecutive prelims in 2009/2010 and so if we use a similar logic then their rebuild would have started in maybe 2011 or 2012. 4 years later they played finals and in the fifth year they were premiers

I'm not suggesting we are going to do the same because I believe you have to build momentum and earn yourself a finals game or two before you are likely to be a contender for a flag. I've never supported the view that we can emulate exactly what they did or what the Tigers did because we don't have the All Australians and the quality of some of their A graders.

I also think we aren't as good as them in the recruiting department. If we unearth a backman like Easton Wood or Marcus Adams or a mid like Shai Bolton or Sydney Stack I'll change my view

Correct me if I'm wrong but Billings and co were recruited in 2013. They were under AR in his first year. We are now 6 years into the rebuild and I struggle to believe that we are a realistic chance to make finals in 2020 with our current list. Let's assume that we do play finals next year (the year that apparently the 5 year plan had us winning the flag), that'll be 7 years into a rebuild to get back in to the top 8 and play a final. Who knows if we are even ready or good enough to win a final

If Bytel and King are fit and healthy and perhaps if Steven returns to his 2018 form we may be a chance. I agree that we need a hell of a lot of luck with injuries and most importantly, we must land a couple of gun recruits

The objective next season should be to play finals. We have so little support at games we need the bandwagon back badly.

Whether or not we win a final, who knows, but we desperately need to be in the 8 and play a final.

Richo is a nice bloke but spud of a coach