Well done Francis Leach - defender of Raph

This unofficial St Kilda Saints fan forum is for people of all ages to chat Saints Footy and all posts must be respectful.

Moderators: Saintsational Administrators, Saintsational Moderators

mustangjack
Club Player
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue 14 Jul 2009 3:59pm
Location: australia

Post: # 845547Post mustangjack »

Francis was correct 1 empty head says something about Raph and all the parrots start flocking, you are all kiwi's to a sheep.


User avatar
Solar
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 8144
Joined: Wed 10 Mar 2004 12:43pm

Post: # 845579Post Solar »

doris,

we have heard it week in week out, in fact there are times where gwilt would turn it over and raph was not even playing and a person would yell out "bloody raph".....

If ross had his time again I think raph on the speedy byrnes would be something he would have changed. Bad match up. On the other hand we were able to match him up against hawkins which highlights his ability to play "tall" when needed.

He has had some very good games (some in finals), some average games and some bad games. Same goes for any player wih 57 games to their name.

but the hatred he gets is beyond the pall, hell I'm suprised he was not blamed for the weather, climate change and earth quakes :roll:

Guess what kiddies, get used to seeing him in the side because he is only going to improve and will be part of this side for a long while yet.


FQF
loyal in the good times and bad
In richo I trust

2013 trade/draft best ever?
Billings - future brownlow medallist Longer - future best ruck
Dunstan - future captain Eli - future cult hero
Acres - future norm smith
The Peanut
Club Player
Posts: 1058
Joined: Tue 08 Feb 2005 1:18pm
Location: Malvern East
Has thanked: 86 times
Been thanked: 34 times

Post: # 845588Post The Peanut »

... This is Australia ... you know the place ... it's that big island where a State Premier needs to go overseas to sprook that we aren't racist ... the place where Gollywogs are still a joke .... a place where a hard working player of our team gets outrageously abused by his own supporters for no apparent reason ... well, the reasons are apparent to this little wally.


User avatar
markp
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 15482
Joined: Mon 26 Mar 2007 4:22pm
Has thanked: 62 times
Been thanked: 81 times

Post: # 845612Post markp »

BallBanger wrote:
markp wrote:They are the same breed of folk who think that atrocious Hey Hey skit was just a bit of fun.... freakin morons one and all.
??

I thought the majority of the skit were indian students?

Maybe if the jackson 5 were white and bald everything would be ok
One has an Indian background... tell me what degree of skin pigmentation is required, or how close does your ancestral land have to be to Africa before you can automatically be absolved from being racist?... or are they just 'all the same'?


User avatar
markp
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 15482
Joined: Mon 26 Mar 2007 4:22pm
Has thanked: 62 times
Been thanked: 81 times

Post: # 845614Post markp »

The Peanut wrote:... This is Australia ... you know the place ... it's that big island where a State Premier needs to go overseas to sprook that we aren't racist ... the place where Gollywogs are still a joke .... a place where a hard working player of our team gets outrageously abused by his own supporters for no apparent reason ... well, the reasons are apparent to this little wally.
And this big one....


joffaboy
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 20200
Joined: Tue 09 Mar 2004 1:57pm
Been thanked: 1 time

Post: # 845724Post joffaboy »

Solar wrote:doris,

we have heard it week in week out, in fact there are times where gwilt would turn it over and raph was not even playing and a person would yell out "bloody raph".....

If ross had his time again I think raph on the speedy byrnes would be something he would have changed. Bad match up. On the other hand we were able to match him up against hawkins which highlights his ability to play "tall" when needed.

He has had some very good games (some in finals), some average games and some bad games. Same goes for any player wih 57 games to their name.

but the hatred he gets is beyond the pall, hell I'm suprised he was not blamed for the weather, climate change and earth quakes :roll:

Guess what kiddies, get used to seeing him in the side because he is only going to improve and will be part of this side for a long while yet.
This is spot on. unfortunately rational debate will be countered with - he is crap - is slow of mind - is lazy - turns it over followed by one or two examples like - he gifted Geelong the first goal in the GF.

When pointed out like about all you get is - oh he only broke even in the PF (when he virtually saved the game along with Roo).

You cant argue with small minded idiots who feel better about their self worth by flagrantly abusing a player.

The last two post above - if you mention this you get the usual coming on saying you are playing the race card. Not all critisism of Raph is from that position but much of it would be.

From the same people likeBallbanger who thought it is Ok to paint your face black and mock African Americans.

What are you gunna do? Cant educate bigots. Cant educate fools.


Lance or James??

There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in <redacted>. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a <redacted>investigation followed by <redacted> witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for <redacted>and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense. (Oops just got a spontaneous errection <unredacted>)
spert
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 9000
Joined: Wed 29 Jun 2005 10:39pm
Location: A distant beach
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 416 times

Post: # 845740Post spert »

Good to see Raph getting support as he is developing slowly but surely. Amazing how people let Milne and Kosi off the hook when they did bugger all in the finals.


User avatar
Saints43
Club Player
Posts: 1826
Joined: Tue 09 Mar 2004 1:01pm
Location: L2 A38
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 11 times

Post: # 845751Post Saints43 »

I don't remember any other player on this forum receiving the constant abuse Raph has copped in their first 57 games. Even the whipping boys of the past got a break if we had won. It happened virtually every week - unless he played an excellent game which passed with little fanfare.
While Raph has been around a while he is a really inexperienced player at AFL level. 57 games. And he expected to stop an opponent as a defender and engineer skillful attacking play - it's a big job.
I'm sure the coaching staff and experience will sort out the issue of having to work himself into games.


saint66au
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 17003
Joined: Tue 09 Mar 2004 9:03pm
Contact:

Post: # 845755Post saint66au »

markp wrote:
BallBanger wrote:
markp wrote:They are the same breed of folk who think that atrocious Hey Hey skit was just a bit of fun.... freakin morons one and all.
??

I thought the majority of the skit were indian students?

Maybe if the jackson 5 were white and bald everything would be ok
One has an Indian background... tell me what degree of skin pigmentation is required, or how close does your ancestral land have to be to Africa before you can automatically be absolved from being racist?... or are they just 'all the same'?
Sorry..dont mean to hijack the thread, but I just wanted to point out that the guys who did this skit raised the potetial racism issue when they were invited back onto the show to recreate the skit they did 20 years ago. They were told by the shows producers that it was would all be OK..


Image

THE BUBBLE HAS BURST

2011 player sponsor
joffaboy
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 20200
Joined: Tue 09 Mar 2004 1:57pm
Been thanked: 1 time

Post: # 845759Post joffaboy »

saint66au wrote:Sorry..dont mean to hijack the thread, but I just wanted to point out that the guys who did this skit raised the potetial racism issue when they were invited back onto the show to recreate the skit they did 20 years ago. They were told by the shows producers that it was would all be OK..
Yes that may be Saint66au - I wouldn't put anything past the incredibly incompetence of ch9 nowday - however there men are educated professionals who should have known that this type of behaviour is totally out of line.

WTF was ch9 thinking. My effing god :roll: :roll:


Lance or James??

There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in <redacted>. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a <redacted>investigation followed by <redacted> witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for <redacted>and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense. (Oops just got a spontaneous errection <unredacted>)
User avatar
Badlands
Club Player
Posts: 614
Joined: Mon 28 Apr 2008 9:04pm
Location: Canberra

Post: # 845787Post Badlands »

I’ve sat back and watched the Raph debate rage on for many months now without really getting involved. Time to weigh in with my 2 cents worth:

1. I like Raph.

2. Raph with his confidence up is clearly in our top 22.

3. How the hell is the bugger supposed to get his confidence up when his own supporters are sweating on his every mistake and flooding talkback radio and yelling abuse at him at games?

4. I don’t subscribe to the theory (often raised on here) that Raph’s vocal critics are in any way racist.

5. While I certainly don’t condone it, I have a theory on why Raph cops disproportionately more stick for his mistakes than his teammates.

6. I think it’s due to his laconic running style, the way he can look a bit like a ‘deer in the headlights’ when he runs into traffic, and that when he fires off an errant handball, well… they can be quite errant. I think this means that his clangers can perhaps be more accentuated than others. Again, not saying I condone it.

7. Raph plays best when he plays on instinct and takes the game on.

8. This style of play is, by its nature, going to produce turnovers from time to time.

9. I hope it’s not the case, but you get the feeling watching him at the moment, that he knows ‘supporters’ are sweating on his every move just waiting for an error.

10. Give the kid some breathing space, embrace him as a sainter, and let him strut his stuff. When he’s at the top of his game, it’s beautiful to watch.


"I'm in the middle of a long conversation with my audience. It'll be a lifelong journey for both of us by the time we're done." - Bruce Springsteen.
User avatar
markp
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 15482
Joined: Mon 26 Mar 2007 4:22pm
Has thanked: 62 times
Been thanked: 81 times

Post: # 845802Post markp »

saint66au wrote:Sorry..dont mean to hijack the thread, but I just wanted to point out that the guys who did this skit raised the potetial racism issue when they were invited back onto the show to recreate the skit they did 20 years ago. They were told by the shows producers that it was would all be OK..
I thought the guy on the far left looked vaguely familiar!... :wink:

It took appalling judgement from many people for that act to go on air.


gringo
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 12421
Joined: Tue 24 Mar 2009 11:05pm
Location: St Kilda
Has thanked: 296 times
Been thanked: 55 times

Post: # 845940Post gringo »

I heard Francis' rant and was proud of him standing up for raph. The guy was an idiot and he won't be ringing again.

I have re-watched the GF and Raph was far from our least productive player.

My feeling was after the PM against the Bulldogs, we tried to clear the ball out of defence with long kicks that would come straight back over and over. If not for Raph this could quite easily have continued.

I actually think most would agree that the forward line completely misfired.

Raph was probably instructed not to blaze away , and to make sure there was a player on the end of clearing passes from the backline.

I feel he was probably playing to instruction and got caught out when noone lead or got into space.

Shannon Byrnes turned Raph inside out a couple of times but that is because he is ridiculously quick- not Raphs fault. Thats why we recruited some quick backs.

Same people that booed T schwartz started to attack raph early on and it is a contagion. As F. Leach said once it starts it gathers momentum. People look for every mistake he ever makes.

The guy is no different from Gram or any other player that is harshly analyzed by our fans, he is highly regarded by the coaching staff and will keep getting games because they are the best player available to us for that game.


The OtherThommo
Saintsational Legend
Posts: 5062
Joined: Sun 27 Feb 2005 2:30am
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 125 times

Post: # 845993Post The OtherThommo »

Ross The Boss plays Raph because he fits our game style and executes it well. For the philistines who live in the glory days of one on one contests, made by pairs of blokes who spent a lot of their day standing around waiting for the pill to be propelled into their part of the ground, it's over and it ain't coming back.

The reason our defence is so successful is because we have a number of players who are flexible enough to contest against different types within the flow of the game. To make this work you have to have players who can read what's unfolding AND be decisive enough to act. There ya go - the Raph knockers reckon he's indecisive, and I reckon RTB likes his method because he is very decisive and acts on what's unfolding as he sees it. The quitessential modern, attacking defender.

Generally, with us, the act is to push up to make a contest higher up the ground i.e. don't wait for the ball to arrive in your "zone". Read it and go. This is what Raph does better than most, it's what RTB wants him to do and precisely why he is in our best side. Even GT said Raph was the best reader of the game on our list. So, RTB uses him to that strength.

If people actually watched the game (and not just get mesmerised by staring at the ball), they would see the number of times Raph commits himself first to be the bloke who pushes up to make a contest. And, he gets there most of the time. It's precisely what he did in the last 1/4 against the Dogs - most of his work was done pushing up onto opponents who'd got into advantageous positions.

He doesn't play safe, defensive football - he plays the way RTB needs him to play to suit our team defensive game style. By pushing up, he plays a significant role in stopping sides having high numbers of deep, threatening entries into 50. IT IS WHAT WE DO.

He takes personal risks by doing it, because sometimes he will be caught out not quite making it. But, RTB is a numbers man - it works often enough and puts pressure on the opposition, to continue that game style.

As for the Rooke run down in the GF - Raph got the pill with Fisher between him and Rooke. Fisher peeled off, gave Rooke access and Raph got run down. Anybody'd reckon Raph was the only bloke to get run down from behind since Clint ran down Buddy in '08. It was Fisher's job to block and protect the ball carrier, end of story. Cause and effect. As for all this rubbish about Fisher talking to him is an afterthought. When you have 100K screaming heads at the G on GF day, you do not rely on "talking", you protect the ball carrier with your body. How many players have commented on it being nigh on impossible to hear anything out in the middle?

Raph has an extremely solid platform to play footy as it is played today. He has weaknesses and he will work his arse off to improve. He's obviously very coachable because he is doing what our game style demands of him. And, as in the PF, he can do it when the real heat is on. Of his 57 games, about eight of them have been in finals. Remember '05 in Adelaide, when Goose and Max were injured? Remember last year? How about this year's PF? At 57 games he's already shown he can stand the heat of finals, his method holds up and he can play significant roles in big games. At 57 games???

Like I said, the Raph knockers should either learn how to watch the modern game (with an objective eye) or drag out the B&W Telly and watch reruns of old games.


'I have no new illusions, and I have no old illusions' - Vladimir Putin, Geneva, June 2021
Post Reply