Blooded Players

[rodgerfox]

If a young player is strong enough to break through a Jason Gram tackle and has the skill set to make an impact in the seniors then there is no reason for us not to play them right now.

Perhaps this is the issue?

Perhaps Lyon's game plan relies - similar to Sydney, on mature, strong hard bodies.

[saintsRrising]

Is there a team in the AFL that considers themeselves to be in the hunt for the Premiership this year that is playing a team that is not reliant on in the main mature hard bodies?

[rodgerfox]

Is there a team in the AFL that considers themeselves to be in the hunt for the Premiership this year that is playing a team that is not reliant on in the main mature hard bodies?

I'd doubt it.

But as you say, and which I agree with, blooding 10 kids in one hit isn't going to help our cause in this area.

One or two at a time, as long as it's alongside good, mature players is the key.

[Bernard Shakey]

Who are the mature hard bodies in our team?

Week after week I see opponents run through tackles and just brush Saints away.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

I absolutely agree with the sentiment that it's vitally important to be continually blooding young players. While it's not a strong opinion, I think we may well be wasting an opportunity in not sneaking a couple of games into the likes of Stevens, McEvoy (where the opposition suits), Howard etc. as the 22nd man where the pressure and expectation is low, so they can only impress, and importantly it fulfills a part of the all important thing to do with kids, get games into them.

I also think given where we're at, that we really have to bite the bullet, and say that just playing vets ala Gehrig is not getting the job done, and as with Fiora, make the decision to play someone like Allen.

At the same time, I think the lack of "blooding" of new players taking us backwards is presenting the numbers out of context, because personally, I consider any athlete under 25 to still be young. We've got plenty of young talent in our lineup, it just doesn't seem that way because so many of them came in before the start of '05.

That said, having so many players of a similar age, it means they go from being young, to entering their prime, to aging as a group, and they do need players coming through in support.

Kids offer hope, and reading this forum, we could use some of that.

[saintsRrising]

The Hawks back when they were at their peak....used to put many many games into most players before they got near the seniors.


I really cannot understand why posters what to push all the kids into the seniors and expect instant success....or that it will be very good for them.


Sure you blood some...but not all at once....and not at all if they are not ready.

Over the course of the year they should be played..and givean taste of things.

If they excell..then they go out and come back.

The exceptional players like Roo..or Selwood may come straight in..and stay in...but they are the exception and not the rule.


The problem currently about blooding kids...is that we did not really get them in 2006.

We took armo last year..gave him a game or two...and now in his second year he is on the fringe of being regfular and getting games.

Allen will be tried soon.

Howard was simply not up to it last year. A few more games like he had with casey last weekend and he may have been wortha look. If Howard has of been played many games last year to blood him...it more than likely would have really set him back...and not the other way around.


Steven I think is still at school and not in full training????? We can all see he has got talent...but he is bottom age too. Remember that in recent years that young players pushed too hard can be prone to OP. We do not want another Ball scenario where we have a gun mid resctricted from giving his best.

Big Mac looks good too..at least around the ground. His ruckwork is not yet too flash. I wonder how Kosi may have gone now as a ruckmen if he had been properly schooled and devloped in the art of ruckwork rather than having to play CHB, a position once he filled out he would be too cumbersome for???

We will see him this year...but playing him againsta Lade or Charman at present will bea bruiing encounter.....and ruckmen in the ruck not knowing what they are doing are prone to beng injured.

[Bernard Shakey]

saintsRrising

When the Hawks were at their peak was 20 years ago.

I do not expect instant success from blooding new players, but we have done bugger all for 3 years, and are now paying the price.

Without bringing through new talent you encourage mediocrity and the Saints of 2008 are mediocre.

[saintsRrising]

saintsRrising

When the Hawks were at their peak was 20 years ago.

I do not expect instant success from blooding new players, but we have done bugger all for 3 years, and are now paying the price.

Without bringing through new talent you encourage mediocrity and the Saints of 2008 are mediocre.

I agree...but for a few years we basically were not bringing "kids" to the club.

Now we are....but you should not excpect to blood them all instantly.

There are some "gap years" that have to overcome with the resultant "lag" being the here and now.


However I do seem the wisdom of playing all the kids at once.

[Bernard Shakey]

So how many gap years are acceptable?
1? 2? 3? 4?

When should we start?

I think we may have missed the boat with Gold Coast and Western Sydney to take all the prime draftees for the forseeable future.

[saintsRrising]

So how many gap years are acceptable?
1? 2? 3? 4?

.

0

That is the problem. We buggered up for several years.

[desertsaint]

The stats need to be viewed in perspective - we were a genuine chance in 2004,5 and going into 2006. All this time, but especially so in 2006 we suffered injuries to key players. We couldn't replace them with kids as we had to win every game we could in that year to challenge. We had to take the short term view. Once the injured player returned the 'journeyman' dropped out - and at the end of home and away in 2004,5 we finished top four and a legitimate chance. 2006 we fell short of this by percentage.

Last year as pointed out we were still a good chance (if geelong hadn't suddenly discovered itself nine teams were a chance) until injuries again hit hard. Again we were hoping to finish top 8, where we could have given it a shake (only the cats would have be a sure thing against us - we finished in relatively good form). We failed by half a game.

This year was looking good -we thought we'd got good non-marquee players to add short term depth - we were 2nd favorite in many eyes, and more importantly...
we owed it to Harvs to give it our best shot.
We still do don't we?

[saintsRrising]

When should we start?

.

We have aleady..

I suspect that Miles may well have been playing now if he had not gotten injured...

By seasons end a more will have been blooded.

Unfortunately so many of the rookies including Eddy being injured has limited things.

[Winmar7Fan]

Anyone see On The Couch tonight?

Lions have blooded 28 players in the last 3 years.

Saints have blooded the least, 9.

We are going backwards at a furious rate.

What amazes me is how have they been able to do it so well with low picks ? They havent finished anywhere near the bottom in the last 3 years

[Otiman]

Lions have blooded 28 players in the last 3 years.

What amazes me is how have they been able to do it so well with low picks ? They havent finished anywhere near the bottom in the last 3 years

High turnover rates, not afraid to cull mediocre players.

[saintly]

Lions have blooded 28 players in the last 3 years.

What amazes me is how have they been able to do it so well with low picks ? They havent finished anywhere near the bottom in the last 3 years

High turnover rates, not afraid to cull mediocre players.

yes, that si oine the problems since 2005. mediocre players getting games, not culled,when they should . not traded. maybe when they could be.

[rodgerfox]

Anyone see On The Couch tonight?

Lions have blooded 28 players in the last 3 years.

Saints have blooded the least, 9.

We are going backwards at a furious rate.

What amazes me is how have they been able to do it so well with low picks ? They havent finished anywhere near the bottom in the last 3 years

The Lions still have Brown, Bradshaw, Black, Power, Charman, Notting, Lappin, McGrath and Copeland - all multiple premiership players.

Granted Lapping and Copeland either are no good or injured alot, but Travis Johnstone compensates a bit.


The point - blooding kids seems far easier when your good players are fit, and your good players are multiple premiership heroes.


For us, I still think it comes back to injuries. Either our good players have been out injured, or the 'kids' such as Watts and Brooks get career ending injuries.

[saintsRrising]

Lions have blooded 28 players in the last 3 years.

What amazes me is how have they been able to do it so well with low picks ? They havent finished anywhere near the bottom in the last 3 years

High turnover rates, not afraid to cull mediocre players.

Plus....the are allowed to use more rookies than most teams(upto 9 I think)..and do.

When they had an off year they really churned though their players and rookies then.

2004

Drummond , 35 games
Harding, 28 games
2005

Roe, 32 games
Stiller, 40 games

International Rookie

Begley 26 games


Matthews is simply a very good coach in all facets. One of his sayings is that the first thing a coach needs to do is to build a good list.

Scott Clayton was the Lions recruiting manager (now at the Dogs....pattern???), but his replacement is obviously doing a pretty fair job too.

PS...they did have pick 4 in the superdraft year...so if you had to dipa year it was a great year to dip!!!