Blood some kids for crying out loud

[CaptainRiewoldt]

Why blood armitAGE??? I am almost certain he is gold coast bound.

I would like to see Lynch in the saints colors - an actual first pick play for us in that year. But un fortunetly no one to replace.

Goodbye Blake, but who else deserves to be cut??? no one thats who.

Blake out - maguire in is the only choice atm. Gram should sit out another one to really show everyone if you are not 110% committed to a flag dont bother at all. GO SAINTS!!

Actually bring in McEvoy for KING. I dont understand why we rucshed back King for!!! He is so experienced and needs to be cotto n wooled through the year. anyone else want to see these changes?

OUT: Blake, King
IN: Maguire, McEvoy

[Milton66]

Good post I rekon.

I think we should put all the kids in. Put all our older blkes in for an surgry they need and look to get some good kids in the draft and then build for next year. This year is clearly a write off and we may as well blood some youngsters for the future.

FFS this forum is clearly living in the twilightzone.

You blood some kids when you are looking to re build not when you are on top of the ladder.

Lets just pick the best 22 each and every week and see if we can win a flag.

Too right St Vinnie.

Seriously, where does one start without being rude??

I sense this is a wind up from a regular poster to be honest.

Apart from picking your best 22, if people can't see the logic in creating a stable team that can 2nd guess and anticiapte everyone's moves and style, then they just don't understand footy IMO.

Like I said, this has to be a wind up, surely?

[St Fidelius]

Well, without being too rude...

I am still tossing up if James is a troll...

He just made his first post today and is suggesting that the Club should blood new players...

We are undefeated just why the F*** should we blood new players

[James]

Well, without being too rude...

I am still tossing up if James is a troll...

He just made his first post today and is suggesting that the Club should blood new players...

We are undefeated just why the F*** should we blood new players

Well, I've said all my arguments and reasoning, and to me it seems perfectly reasonable to suggest we keep the team fresh while it's on top.

They say if it's not broke then don't fix it. What if it breaks? When it breaks we should be prepared. We should know how to fix it, and trying a few different things (one or two positions on the team, that is, not half the list) will go a long way to helping with that.

[Milton66]

Well, without being too rude...

I am still tossing up if James is a troll...

He just made his first post today and is suggesting that the Club should blood new players...

We are undefeated just why the F*** should we blood new players

Well, I've said all my arguments and reasoning, and to me it seems perfectly reasonable to suggest we keep the team fresh while it's on top.

They say if it's not broke then don't fix it. What if it breaks? When it breaks we should be prepared. We should know how to fix it, and trying a few different things (one or two positions on the team, that is, not half the list) will go a long way to helping with that.

What if you change it and it breaks down?

[James]

If changing one or two players is too much shakeup for us to continue winning, then there's not much to be excited about anyway.

Everyone else is moving forwards. Just because we're in front, does it mean we should stand still?

[Milton66]

If changing one or two players is too much shakeup for us to continue winning, then there's not much to be excited about anyway.

Everyone else is moving forwards. Just because we're in front, does it mean we should stand still?

Who says we gotta stand still?

You have 2 options here...

Firstly, you allow a player to grow in his role and whilst he is improving, you keep him in. If not, u drop him.

Secondly, we are 9-0 and carryning some players who are average. Ok, so you say we should drop them and try others in their place, is that it?

[Teflon]

I can actually see James point to a degree.

Geelong have made changes - above and beyond injury - to their side and not remained static at all. Now the likes of Gamble/Hawkins etc are getting a run over others.

In saying that the players below have to be belting the door down with form or its really the wrong message. TBH I thought Xavier Clarke after a few BOGS deserved a look in but we'll wait till next year now (hed been a handy Gram replacement last week...)

[Mr Magic]

If changing one or two players is too much shakeup for us to continue winning, then there's not much to be excited about anyway.

Everyone else is moving forwards. Just because we're in front, does it mean we should stand still?

Who says we gotta stand still?

You have 2 options here...

Firstly, you allow a player to grow in his role and whilst he is improving, you keep him in. If not, u drop him.

Secondly, we are 9-0 and carryning some players who are average. Ok, so you say we should drop them and try others in their place, is that it?

only if they're youngsters?

[Milton66]

OK, here's the answer...

1- if we can carry a few average players now, why won't we be able to do it come September. If someone goes down or has poor form, then it's a zero effect equation.

2- Now this one's so obvious that even Stevie Wonder can see it, even if others can't...

Yes, let's keep improving. NO do not elevate someone unless they're setting the world on fire in the magoos.

What on earth posses people to think that player performing average at Sandy will somehow lift at AFL level???

If the deserve evelevation and can enhance the team structure (new buzzword for 09 btw. "structre" is the new "due dilligence"), then by all means give them a give.

But ffs, to give someone a game to see what their percieved "upside" is just plain dumb.

IMBYHHBNSTO!

[Milton66]

I can actually see James point to a degree.

Geelong have made changes - above and beyond injury - to their side and not remained static at all. Now the likes of Gamble/Hawkins etc are getting a run over others.

In saying that the players below have to be belting the door down with form or its really the wrong message. TBH I thought Xavier Clarke after a few BOGS deserved a look in but we'll wait till next year now (hed been a handy Gram replacement last week...)

Agree Teff. But don't u think we've made substantial changes also this year? Sure, maybe not young players, but we have Zac, Geary, Ray and Gardi has come good.

[St Fidelius]

Well, without being too rude...

I am still tossing up if James is a troll...

He just made his first post today and is suggesting that the Club should blood new players...

We are undefeated just why the F*** should we blood new players

Well, I've said all my arguments and reasoning, and to me it seems perfectly reasonable to suggest we keep the team fresh while it's on top.

They say if it's not broke then don't fix it. What if it breaks? When it breaks we should be prepared. We should know how to fix it, and trying a few different things (one or two positions on the team, that is, not half the list) will go a long way to helping with that.

We will be prepared by players playing consistently well in the VFL and when form or injury arise then we will make changes...

Pretty simply really...

[Teflon]

I can actually see James point to a degree.

Geelong have made changes - above and beyond injury - to their side and not remained static at all. Now the likes of Gamble/Hawkins etc are getting a run over others.

In saying that the players below have to be belting the door down with form or its really the wrong message. TBH I thought Xavier Clarke after a few BOGS deserved a look in but we'll wait till next year now (hed been a handy Gram replacement last week...)

Agree Teff. But don't u think we've made substantial changes also this year? Sure, maybe not young players, but we have Zac, Geary, Ray and Gardi has come good.

I agree thats why Im also erring on the side of caution with the "only if theyre banging the door down" view.

Agree change for changes sake isnt appropriate.

[Milton66]

I can actually see James point to a degree.

Geelong have made changes - above and beyond injury - to their side and not remained static at all. Now the likes of Gamble/Hawkins etc are getting a run over others.

In saying that the players below have to be belting the door down with form or its really the wrong message. TBH I thought Xavier Clarke after a few BOGS deserved a look in but we'll wait till next year now (hed been a handy Gram replacement last week...)

Agree Teff. But don't u think we've made substantial changes also this year? Sure, maybe not young players, but we have Zac, Geary, Ray and Gardi has come good.

Agree change for changes sake isnt appropriate.

try telling that to the 60 odd girls who dumped me at high school.

[Thomas]

Statistically we have the best defence, second best attack, we have a team of players that are finally been drilled to play to a plan! and people want to make changes for no particular reason whatsoever.
In 2005 the Swines used less than 26 players for the whole season (if I am wrong feel free to correct me) and won the flag , in 2007 the handbaggers stuck most of the season with the majority of the players that eventually won the flag.
Continuity is what is mostly needed, not chop and changes we now have a excellent fitness advisory team,and I am sure they can manage recovery and fitness a lot better than 2004 and 2005.

[saint vince]

I think that you have been sidetracked because of a ground swell of opinion against you.

However your original post was not about bringing in anyone to improve the team at the moment. It was about getting experience into our kids for the FUTURE. You even said that if we play the same 22 for the next few years we will be in trouble. If we only play 22 for the next few years I am guessing we are going to have a flag or two so it will be worth it. This is very unlikely though and I am sureblokes will get a run when they deserve one.

I agree that if it aint broke don't fix it is a little old fashioned and we should be trying to improve the team every week.

But I also believe that you get a game on your form and position in the team not on your age.

The first bloke I would bring into the side is the oldest bloke on our list so I agree with change but only if it will improve the side.

So far what have Heyne, Steven, Lynch and Armo done.

I love Armo and I rekon he will be good in a few years but he has to be smashing it week in week out to get a game in a top of the ladder side.

I am of the same opinion as others on here that are suggesting that you have posted this to just start a fight.

Congrats if that iste reason because I keep biting back.

However if you wrote this in all seriousness I don't think you have any idea about football.

GO SAINTS

[bergholt]

Yes, let's keep improving. NO do not elevate someone unless they're setting the world on fire in the magoos.

What on earth posses people to think that player performing average at Sandy will somehow lift at AFL level???

agreed. as support for your argument, jimmy g appeared in the casey best three times in nine games between march and july last year. he was not exactly "setting the world on fire in the magoos". but he did get a promotion and now he's not exactly setting the world on fire in the ones.

[joffaboy]

James is NeXus - it is patently obvious.

Why even argue with an essendon troll???

[BringBackMadDog]

Our next four after this week are all at the Dome against lesser opposition. We may or may not drop them, but for all intents and purposes we'll still have 9+ wins going into Geelong and will be fairly comfortable in the top 2.

I don't particularily agree with the frenzy about dropping half the side when we don't absolutely obliterate a side, but just because we're winning week in week out, doesn't mean there's no room to improve. Epspecially when quality like Hudghton and Maguire are sitting out, and feisty kids like Eddy, Armitage, Lynch and Steven are playing well at Sandy.

Blooding younger players into a side that's playing good football and winning is a great experience for them and a nice step in developing them. Lynch for one would be a great inclusion as the third tall - when we're up against a side with an actual backline it will be important to have more than two options.

It's admittedly tough to think of anyone that doesn't have a place in the current team, surely there must be room to keeping youth development rolling. If we don't we'll be running into a dead end without anyone to pick up the slack once Hayes/Hudghton/Milne/Baker drop off.

Geary/Eddy/Armitage look like a very promising trio in years to come, though.

People who keep suggesting we rest players and blood the kids are forgetting one very important thing, most players are on contracts which contain a base plus incentives for the number of games that they play during the year, I'm not sure they will be entirely happy to take a hit to their pay packets just because we need to blood some kids!!!

[spert]

You blood young players when the team is struggling or the chance of a finals is not going to happen. When a team is unbeaten after 9 rounds, a coach won't start experimenting..and like others have said here, teams that win flags ususally have a settled lineup for most of the year.

[saintly]

Well, without being too rude...

I am still tossing up if James is a troll...

He just made his first post today and is suggesting that the Club should blood new players...

We are undefeated just why the F*** should we blood new players

Well, I've said all my arguments and reasoning, and to me it seems perfectly reasonable to suggest we keep the team fresh while it's on top.

They say if it's not broke then don't fix it. What if it breaks? When it breaks we should be prepared. We should know how to fix it, and trying a few different things (one or two positions on the team, that is, not half the list) will go a long way to helping with that.

We will be prepared by players playing consistently well in the VFL and when form or injury arise then we will make changes...

Pretty simply really...

hwever the vfl is nowewhere near the level of AFL. sometimes players are overwelmed when they first come into the afl team and play with a 40k-60k crowd.

[Milton66]

Come on people, let's take semantics and wishfull thinking out of this topic.

Take a look at Gwilt. Look at his stats over the 9 games. I'd say he's been fairly consistant in what he does.

So, if the coach hasn't seen fit to drop him yet, surely that tells you something?

So why blood kids? If they deserve, select them. We are not rebuilding. We are creating continuity with the team where everyone understands and executes their role 100% each week.

Now what if we swapped JG with Armo? and he performed just the same (and even last year, he wasn't flash nor did he keep his spot), then what? How long do you keep him in? 2 weeks? 4 weeks? Then what?

Blooding a kid means that you put them in and say "ok you've got 11 weeks". If he fails, what do you do? Bring back JG?

Why not leave JG there to develop in the first place?

[saint vince]

Come on people, let's take semantics and wishfull thinking out of this topic.

Take a look at Gwilt. Look at his stats over the 9 games. I'd say he's been fairly consistant in what he does.

So, if the coach hasn't seen fit to drop him yet, surely that tells you something?

So why blood kids? If they deserve, select them. We are not rebuilding. We are creating continuity with the team where everyone understands and executes their role 100% each week.

Now what if we swapped JG with Armo? and he performed just the same (and even last year, he wasn't flash nor did he keep his spot), then what? How long do you keep him in? 2 weeks? 4 weeks? Then what?

Blooding a kid means that you put them in and say "ok you've got 11 weeks". If he fails, what do you do? Bring back JG?

Why not leave JG there to develop in the first place?

Great post.

When you are winning you only make a change if it is highly likely it will improve the team not that it may improve the team. I have not yet seen anything from anyone in the two's apart from Max that is going to improve our team definetly. Armo might be better but he might not. Lynch may be the next Jonotahn Brown. He also may be the next Barry Brooks. Make changes as they are needed and pick the best 22 available.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

we have a pannel of coaches and advisors who spend all week watching every move in training every comment in team meetings and know every detail in regards to how a player is traveling in regards to selection ... trust me if the kids are ready and are making enough of a noise to warrant selection they will be selected ... give it time it will happen our younge blokes will get a game but only when our coaches feel it is time no need to rush we are looking at the season one game at a time not planning for 2010 yet !!

[saint66au]

Maybe the fact that Geelong are making changes and we arent is more a reflection on the contributions made by all 22 players, rather than (possibly) relying on blinders from Gablett, Bartel or Johnston to get them over the line.