How I learned to stop worrying and love NO CHANGE

[saint3d]

All this talk of rest reminded me of how I used to think 'if only we could get our best 22 on the ground every week, we'd have a shot at the flag.'

That got me thinking about Sydney in 2005 and their 14 weeks in a row unchanged, or whatever it was.

Then I started wondering whether the Saints unsuccessful history might indicate a failure to achieve that level of stability.

So I had a look at some stats and found this:

Most Players Used in a Season
# Season Team Players Used Place
1 1911 St Kilda 62 9/10
2 1910 St Kilda 59 10/10
3 1898 St Kilda 56 8/8
4 1909 St Kilda 55 10/10
5 1920 St Kilda 53 9/9
6 1946 North Melbourne 50 9/12
7 1943 Collingwood 49 10/11
8 1899 St Kilda 48 8/8
9 1937 Footscray 47 11/12
10 1980 St Kilda 47 11/12

And at the other end of the spectrum:

# Season Team Players Used Place
1328 1959 Melbourne 27 1/12
1329 1913 Geelong 27 5/10
1330 1939 Richmond 27 4/12
1331 1912 South Melbourne 26 2/10
1332 1919 Collingwood 26 1/9
1333 1929 Collingwood 26 1/12
1334 1899 Geelong 26 3/8
1335 1917 Geelong 25 5/6
1336 1915 Collingwood 25 2/9
1337 1905 Collingwood 24 2/8

(Yes, there are actually 1337 total entries in the list)

I realise most of the above is not in living memory, so this is what it looks like since there's been 16 teams:

# Season Team Players Used Place
1 1998 Brisbane Lions 41 16
2 1997 Essendon 41 14
3 1995 Fremantle 41 13
4 2005 Essendon 40 13
5 2008 Essendon 40 12
6 2007 Fremantle 40 11
7 2000 West Coast Eagles 40 13
8 2006 Brisbane Lions 39 13
9 2002 Carlton 39 16
10 1999 Collingwood 39 16
11 2005 Collingwood 39 15
12 2007 Essendon 39 12
13 1998 Fremantle 39 15
14 1999 Fremantle 39 15
15 1996 Fremantle 39 13
16 1998 Geelong 39 12
17 2007 Melbourne 39 14
18 2008 Melbourne 39 16
19 2004 Richmond 39 16
20 2006 Richmond 39 9

205 1997 Geelong 32 5
206 1995 Geelong 32 2
207 2002 Kangaroos 32 7
208 2002 Melbourne 32 6
209 2001 Port Adelaide 32 5
210 2003 Port Adelaide 32 4
211 2004 Port Adelaide 32 1
212 2003 Sydney 32 3
213 2005 Sydney 32 1
214 2001 Western Bulldogs 32 10
215 2003 Western Bulldogs 32 16
216 2008 Western Bulldogs 32 3
217 2005 Adelaide 31 4
218 2003 Collingwood 31 2
219 2000 Essendon 31 1
220 2007 Geelong 31 1
221 2008 Geelong 31 2
222 2008 Hawthorn 31 1
223 2006 Sydney 31 2
224 2002 Brisbane Lions 30 1

For convenience, here is this year:

# Season Team Players Used
1 2009 Fremantle 38
2 2009 Richmond 38
3 2009 Melbourne 37
4 2009 West Coast Eagles 36
5 2009 Carlton 36
6 2009 Collingwood 36
7 2009 North Melbourne 36
8 2009 Essendon 35
9 2009 Hawthorn 35
10 2009 Port Adelaide 35
11 2009 Adelaide 33
12 2009 Brisbane Lions 33
13 2009 Geelong 33
14 2009 Sydney 31
15 2009 Western Bulldogs 30
16 2009 St Kilda 27

So for the first time I can think of, we have had close to our best 22 for most of the year.

In each of the last six weeks we have broken the club record winning streak.

We are sitting on the 8th longest winning streak in the game's history, and the 9th largest percentage.

The coach and captain have stated that players shouldn't and won't be rested. All the evidence suggests I should believe them.

I can't think of why would I want anything to change.

[ThePunter]

Let's face it guys: the team that will win us the premiership this year will come from:

Gram, King, McEvoy, Hayes, Hudghton, Baker, Montagna, Riewoldt, Schneider, Ball, Gardiner, R Clarke, Goddard, Gilbert, Ray, Koschitzke, Dempster, S Fisher, Dal Santo, Blake, McQualter, Gwilt, Jones, Eddy, Geary, Dawson, Milne.

This week Geary is the only one of the 27 not playing who is not injured or has been surprisingly dropped (Ball). Two of our emergencies are players who have not played this season (Miles & Maguire). Add those two and David Armitage, and it's hard to see anyone outside of that 30 getting a game at any time this season.

[Saints43]

The way I stop from worrying about selection is looking at the ladder.

[perfectionist]

Phew! Thought Valium was going to get a guernsey!

[saint vince]

# Season Team Players Used Place
1 1998 Brisbane Lions 41 16
2 1997 Essendon 41 14
3 1995 Fremantle 41 13
4 2005 Essendon 40 13
5 2008 Essendon 40 12
6 2007 Fremantle 40 11
7 2000 West Coast Eagles 40 13
8 2006 Brisbane Lions 39 13
9 2002 Carlton 39 16
10 1999 Collingwood 39 16
11 2005 Collingwood 39 15
12 2007 Essendon 39 12
13 1998 Fremantle 39 15
14 1999 Fremantle 39 15
15 1996 Fremantle 39 13
16 1998 Geelong 39 12
17 2007 Melbourne 39 14
18 2008 Melbourne 39 16
19 2004 Richmond 39 16
20 2006 Richmond 39 9

205 1997 Geelong 32 5
206 1995 Geelong 32 2
207 2002 Kangaroos 32 7
208 2002 Melbourne 32 6
209 2001 Port Adelaide 32 5
210 2003 Port Adelaide 32 4
211 2004 Port Adelaide 32 1
212 2003 Sydney 32 3
213 2005 Sydney 32 1
214 2001 Western Bulldogs 32 10
215 2003 Western Bulldogs 32 16
216 2008 Western Bulldogs 32 3
217 2005 Adelaide 31 4
218 2003 Collingwood 31 2
219 2000 Essendon 31 1
220 2007 Geelong 31 1
221 2008 Geelong 31 2
222 2008 Hawthorn 31 1
223 2006 Sydney 31 2
224 2002 Brisbane Lions 30 1

Interesting that 5 of the top six for least players used won the flag and the other was the runner up.

Rest Schmest

[bergholt]

219 2000 Essendon 31 1
220 2007 Geelong 31 1
221 2008 Geelong 31 2
222 2008 Hawthorn 31 1
223 2006 Sydney 31 2
224 2002 Brisbane Lions 30 1

Interesting that 5 of the top six for least players used won the flag and the other was the runner up.

four of the top six, actually.

great thread title and excellent thread starter, i reckon.

[Quixote]

No change is the bomb!

And please - no fighting in this thread. This is the war room!