Players will rotate through

[BigMart]

Many posters are already looking at scenarios for players and giving them a pigeon hole for the year after some trial games....not the way to see it...

Yes Ross is trialling Gilbo fwd......gives an option

We need players to be flexible and adaptable....for structure/match up reason....

Gilbert needs to be able to play fwd or back or wing if needed

Sam needs to be able to play back, fwd, middle
as does BJ

Raph needs to be able to switch roles and play on different types

Blake may have to play short/tall/back/mid/Ruck etc....

Kosi may need to play FF/Ruck/CHB

Dal, X, Gram, Ray may all need to play the running back role if needed...or run in the middle if required

Baker or Fish may need to play as a small back or a shut down mid....depending

All the mids (about 12) need to be able to play inside an outside at different times or they limit rotations......

Milne and schnieder must be able to push high.....

all players must know how to be defensive......because all are defending when the opposition have the ball, regardless of their position...

So the side could have any number of combinations/permutations....trying to guess is fun.....but with the speed of rotations......pointless really

Bye

[MC Gusto]

bigmart i have long respected your opinion and knowledge of the game.

wondering a couple of things:

your thoughts on RL and your thoughts on our prospects this year

ta

[saintsRrising]

So the side could have any number of combinations/permutations....trying to guess is fun.....but with the speed of rotations......pointless really

Bye

Agree..virtually all will play a multitude of roles.,,for all sorts of reasons including match-ups, weather, size of ground, availability of other Saints players in both form & fitness)...etc etc

Add to this the super-flood, rolling zones etc often employed these days.....and the days of most players having set positions are long gone.

The only real exceptions being King and Gardi who are basically "traditonal" ruckman who may rest or drift forward.


And Max.....while he can play on both short on short or tall will most likely play FB in most of his gamres simply because he is so exceptional at it now.

In addition Hayes one could say will only play as a mid. Contrasting to say Dal who is also likely to play asa HB sweeper and HFF at times.


And on Gilbert...yes I regard him as a swing-man...who can play either end...and indeed may often do this within the one game.

[BigMart]

Our prospects are very good......get quietly optimistic.

Lyon can coach....

Our back half is solid and well drilled......and flexible

Our front half has potency (Roo, Milne, Schnieder, Kosi)

Our midfield is deeper than most think......Lenny, Bally, Joey, BJ, Dal Santo, Gram, Armo, Ray, X, L.Fisher (tag)

our depth thanks to all our previous injuries is good
Eddy, Jones, McQualter, Geary, M.Gardiner, Gwilt, Begley all sit outside our best 22 - but are capable AFL fringe players

our kids have some potential
Steven, McEvoy, Lynch, Heyne in particular....

this year there is less hype - less expectation....we will make the TOP 4..

[JABBER]

Big Mart you are right i think a top 4 spot is reachable

[sunsaint]

I have mentioned in previous thread about on-ballers that can do it all, was not received too well, & then I watched geelong the other night "resting" ablett in a forward pocket and he snaggs three. The game has been moving towards a "one mould player fits all" scenario for a while now.
Player flexibility is a big key nowadays, rolling zones the norm, and leg speed a must.
Of our current crop of centers, NDS is probably the only one with the "skills" to go forward. Maybe Armitage.
Our backs are on the whole are flexible, blake, fisher, baker, X(?) but Max gets uncomfortable a long way from home.
The problem comes back to our forwards, Milne and Roo cover the ground pretty well. But on the whole it is very static and predictable.
I hope Ross has come up with a game plan to counter the rolling zone, because as a group I dont think we have the cattle to implement one ourselves, and certainly have not seen anything "new"(in the brief) Carrrara game.

[Teflon]

Our prospects are very good......get quietly optimistic.

Lyon can coach....

Our back half is solid and well drilled......and flexible

Our front half has potency (Roo, Milne, Schnieder, Kosi)

Our midfield is deeper than most think......Lenny, Bally, Joey, BJ, Dal Santo, Gram, Armo, Ray, X, L.Fisher (tag)

our depth thanks to all our previous injuries is good
Eddy, Jones, McQualter, Geary, M.Gardiner, Gwilt, Begley all sit outside our best 22 - but are capable AFL fringe players

our kids have some potential
Steven, McEvoy, Lynch, Heyne in particular....

this year there is less hype - less expectation....we will make the TOP 4..

Good post mostly sums up how I feel.

I really am enjoying no hype this year bout us..that said when I think of Geelongs flexibility I know a lot has to go right for us to topple these and Hawks (oddly Im more confident against last years Premiers than the Cats).

Lyon has pinpointed where the improvement to bridge this gap has got to come from - we simply need a couple of very good players to become truly elite (Dal/Ball/Goddard would be nice) and some middle/bottom enders to have a consistent, good year.

Top 4 is doable - its what weve got left to go that bit extra in September which will tell.

[sunsaint]

oops forgot to mention the two big switch hitters for 09
Obviously goddard will play in all positions, sweeping the backline, onballer and hopefully more time in the forward line. BUT the player that may surprise is Dawson, he can play back but he may also be the CHF flank role that has been missing.

[sainter35]

our depth thanks to all our previous injuries is good
Eddy, Jones, McQualter, Geary, M.Gardiner, Gwilt, Begley all sit outside our best 22 - but are capable AFL fringe players

this year there is less hype - less expectation....we will make the TOP 4.

Glad to hear that you're upbeat about our chances because I feel the same way. I thought we had plenty to smile about after the Bulldogs game but the only thing to emerge from the newspapers the following day was how poor the skill level was and how badly the bulldogs played. I don't mind that, it's nice to have that lack of expectation for a change.

I've noticed you have listed Gardiner as one of the players outside of our best 22. I've been impressed with his mobility in the two games so far but best of all to actually see him run at the footy and take some contested marks in a pack situation on friday night was fantastic. Personally I'd play both King and Gardiner in our best 22 if fit. By not having him in our best 22 are you advocating King in the ruck with the back-up to come from Kosi or even Blake if need be?

[MC Gusto]

Our prospects are very good......get quietly optimistic.

Lyon can coach....

Our back half is solid and well drilled......and flexible

Our front half has potency (Roo, Milne, Schnieder, Kosi)

Our midfield is deeper than most think......Lenny, Bally, Joey, BJ, Dal Santo, Gram, Armo, Ray, X, L.Fisher (tag)

our depth thanks to all our previous injuries is good
Eddy, Jones, McQualter, Geary, M.Gardiner, Gwilt, Begley all sit outside our best 22 - but are capable AFL fringe players

our kids have some potential
Steven, McEvoy, Lynch, Heyne in particular....

this year there is less hype - less expectation....we will make the TOP 4..

Nice one marto

thanks a lot. basically where i am at with my assesment of our chances. I think we will have a red hot year personally

[ctqs]

I can see Gilbert being used in the front half as the defensive forward, tagging the opposition's running defender-playmaker, sort of what B-Voss used to do to the likes of the Cornes boy, et al.

[MC Gusto]

geez cornes used to have a field day against us everytime we played.

[yipper]

I actually think we will get off to a pretty good start this time. Not just Rd 1 - but we could snag a few earlty wins to build some serious momentum and of course gets the credits in the bank for the mid-year slog. Prospects are good I reckon. Firmly believe we are well drilled, and fitter and stronger than ever.

[plugger66]

I actually think we will get off to a pretty good start this time. Not just Rd 1 - but we could snag a few earlty wins to build some serious momentum and of course gets the credits in the bank for the mid-year slog. Prospects are good I reckon. Firmly believe we are well drilled, and fitter and stronger than ever.

We will not win more games because we are well drilled, fitter and stronger than ever. We win if we play to our maximum and actually have better players than other teams.

[Beno88]

We will not win more games because we are well drilled, fitter and stronger than ever. We win if we play to our maximum and actually have better players than other teams.

Obviously never played the game mate?

[yipper]

I actually think we will get off to a pretty good start this time. Not just Rd 1 - but we could snag a few earlty wins to build some serious momentum and of course gets the credits in the bank for the mid-year slog. Prospects are good I reckon. Firmly believe we are well drilled, and fitter and stronger than ever.

We will not win more games because we are well drilled, fitter and stronger than ever. We win if we play to our maximum and actually have better players than other teams.

Thankyou einstein for that fine, forensic analysis!!

[plugger66]

I actually think we will get off to a pretty good start this time. Not just Rd 1 - but we could snag a few earlty wins to build some serious momentum and of course gets the credits in the bank for the mid-year slog. Prospects are good I reckon. Firmly believe we are well drilled, and fitter and stronger than ever.

We will not win more games because we are well drilled, fitter and stronger than ever. We win if we play to our maximum and actually have better players than other teams.

Thankyou einstein for that fine, forensic analysis!!

Well i am not sure what said is earth breaking news. Somehow I think all other clubs are in the same boat.

[yipper]

No probs Plugger - but that is my point. Given that most of the main contenders are in the same boat and are all optimistic about their chances, me thinks that as a group, if we are stronger physically and mentally and fitter than ever before - then surely that is a factor going ino a new season. It may just give them an edge we haven't had for some time!!