Pre-season developments

Solar · Post: # 465939Post **Solar** » Sat 29 Sep 2007 11:44am

Unless we pull off some of the best trades in history, the improvement will have to come from internally within the current squad. It's obvious that there are a couple of areas where we are currently struggling (apart from a better injury rate and fitness base). Of course this is subject to change depending on trades

1. Ruckman
2. FB to replace max into the future
3. midfield grunt
4. pace
5. full forward

Here are my thoughts on how to go about developing this list over summer.

1. Gards plays whenever possible. Needs as much game time early in the season as possible. Also give VR and brooks every opportunity to play game time in preseason games and development work. bring in a specialist ruck coach over summer and develop set plays,especially with brooks and kosi in the forward line to create goal opportunity.

2. To develop a new FB we need to also form a common back six squad. A back six of
gilbert Maguire geary/howard
Chips Max fish/fergusson

Now unless we draft a first round pick FB the player we should continue to develop is gwilt. He did well as basically the main tall back early on and would develop better with a full backline around him. It took mal micheal a few years to develop into the full back he was. Needs to develop his sprinting work plus hit the weights. Play him full back for casey ALL year and tell him he will be the first backman picked when there is an injury to one of the three tall backs. I know his decision making is not the best, but lets be honest, max has never been great either. Get SOS to spend the whole summer teaching him to shut down fast leading forwards with well timed spoils. Also spend a lot of time with the rest of the back 6 squad to develop their shut down roles; spoiling, bodying and working as a team.

3. Midfield grunt. We need to create a GUT RUNNING squad of midfield players. The likes of armo, mini, birss, dal need to learn to run to more contests and be fit enough to be damaging when they do get there. Thats why the likes of the fab four at WCE are so good. They just make so many contests, and with our game plan based around shutting down the other team when we don't have the ball, then this gut running skill is needed. Also look to develop a replacement shut down player. It tend to think that fish or mini could fill their breach.

4. This is where we have to be creative. Gram is an obvious candidate to go into the midfield, he is mature enough to play on ball or on a wing and will complement joey and fizz very nicely. Thus we have to develop one to two fast skillful running backs.. IMO geary and howard spring to mind as perfect for this role because they have been developed as HBF for casey. Tell both that a spot is up for grabs and to work their guts out. The need to work in with the back six squad and also the midfield squad. Gve both ample opporunity to show their wares in the preseason matches. The bonus would be if both could stand up it could realese gilbo into the midfield or forward. Also look to develop one of the midfielders we draft this year as a long term running back.

5. Throw the opportunity to both allen and watts to show what they could do in the forward line. Also look at developing something similar to the hawks squard, but based around 2 talls and a small near goal and the rest pushing up? This will help if we can get brooks and kosi working as forward line rucks.

There is ample scope for development within this squad. Heck full preseasons to many of our key players will help 1000%!

Thoughts?

st paddy · Post: # 465944Post **st paddy** » Sat 29 Sep 2007 12:03pm

thoughts?...I think it's weird that you get up on grand final morning thinking about our year ahead.

we all like to plan ahead but on grand final day?

enjoy the day and relax

Solar · Post: # 465950Post **Solar** » Sat 29 Sep 2007 12:34pm

st paddy wrote:thoughts?...I think it's weird that you get up on grand final morning thinking about our year ahead.

we all like to plan ahead but on grand final day?

enjoy the day and relax

I want us to be there this time next year. Why not start thinking about next year?

Solar · Post: # 466121Post **Solar** » Sat 29 Sep 2007 8:06pm

now the silly season has started

bumo

Carl Mynott · Sat 29 Sep 2007 8:40pm

Good,thoughtful post Solar.

I'd like to see some different things happening,i want to see the team evolving,maybe RL will be planning to do some of the things you've mentioned.

It will be a long Summer, bullshite will abound and then before you know it...

It'll Be On Again......

Oh When the Saints · Sun 30 Sep 2007 12:17pm

Confident Gardiner will play 25 games next year. Won't need another ruckman.

Agree on Gwilt ... only 22 years old and received Brownlow votes for a game at FB in the AFL this year in his 10th game. Can develop nicely as a good depth for our backline (not sure about future FB, but certainly something to work with).

Armo and Geary/Mini MUST come on this year. No two ways about it. Agree on Grammy in the midfield, especially with BJ returning across half-back.

Allen I would play up forward ... could be our Westhoff.

plugger66 · Post: # 466293Post **plugger66** » Sun 30 Sep 2007 12:23pm

Oh When the Saints wrote:Confident Gardiner will play 25 games next year. Won't need another ruckman.

Agree on Gwilt ... only 22 years old and received Brownlow votes for a game at FB in the AFL this year in his 10th game. Can develop nicely as a good depth for our backline (not sure about future FB, but certainly something to work with).

Armo and Geary/Mini MUST come on this year. No two ways about it. Agree on Grammy in the midfield, especially with BJ returning across half-back.

Allen I would play up forward ... could be our Westhoff.

Gardiner based on what?

borderbarry · Sun 30 Sep 2007 12:33pm

I am not sure about Jimmy Gwilt for permanent fullback. Probably about 5cm too short. We need to pick up a tall key defender in the draft. There are a few there, Alex Rance and Tayte Pears from W.A., Scott Gaetner, Dan McKenna, Chris Kangars, Travis Dulic, from Vic., Joseph Daye Qld., plus a number of smaller ruckman that could be transformed to defenders.

vacuous space · Sun 30 Sep 2007 12:36pm

Oh When the Saints wrote:Allen I would play up forward ... could be our Westhoff.

There's a big difference between Westhoff and Allen. Westhoff played senior footy in the SANFL in 2006, Allen's hardly played senior footy at all. I like Allen a lot, I think he was an absolute steal at 59, but Watts and Brooks are probably more realistic options for key forward next year.

eppo67 · Post: # 466318Post **eppo67** » Sun 30 Sep 2007 1:12pm

Confident about Gardiner OK.

What is that based on the same confidence that Hamills knee would come up. Get real. If we dont get Jolly b/c we think we are OK with Gardiner and Kosi in the ruck we are d...heads of the highest order.

Oh When the Saints · Sun 30 Sep 2007 1:29pm

A "reliable source" eppo67 and my own logic.

Did CS say anything to you about Gardiner? Don't suppose he was there long enough.

eppo67 · Post: # 466334Post **eppo67** » Sun 30 Sep 2007 1:44pm

Is the the same source that said he was good to go last year and passed him medically fit before we drafted him.

If we are relying on Gardiner to come good I will say it again we are d...heads of the highest order. I hope he comes good but if we dont recruit according with the likely prospect he wont we are fools. And who the hell is CS.

saintsRrising · Sun 30 Sep 2007 1:54pm

Gwilt is not an option to be a permanent FB.

Solar · Post: # 466354Post **Solar** » Sun 30 Sep 2007 2:02pm

saintsRrising wrote:Gwilt is not an option to be a permanent FB.

he is actually 188 cm's and max is 191.

The way full forwards are going they are not the monsters they used to be. When I say developing gwilt as a FB, I meant as a position back up to the role max plays. Play on the fast leading forward.