To the players

[3rd generation saint]

It has been, in all sense and purposes a bad week, and we all know that you all love Milney.
You guys would know him better than anyone, and I'm sure believe in him.
As a fan, I know, from reports, that many of you are angry with the boards decision not to let him play this week and I wont discuss the rights and wrongs of that decision in this thread.
However, I do know, that Milney would want you to go out and spank Melbourne for him, not just for him, but for Roo, Dal and all the St.Kilda fans who have cheered him, and you, for all his career.
Just bring that same intensity you bought against West Coast, and you will win.
I'll be there cheering you on.

[spert]

Good post- just do the deed on the field, that will replace a thousand words.

[joffaboy]

Who the f##k is running the club?

The f##King players?

Overpaid spoilt brats.

Sack the effing lot of them if they think they are in charge.

They are like Dave Warner, think they are something special until you look at their results.

the board has made a decision, fkn deal with you bunch of whining primma donna's.

[Teflon]

Agree Joffa

Happens way to much at our club cause we lack team success so we build these up to be gods and they believe

Play football that's what you are paid handsomely for- let the Board do their job

[saintbrat]

In reality this siutaion is NEW to everyone- there is no guide book

St Kilda has thwarted a potential player rebellion by assuring its senior group that it had every intention of clearing Stephen Milne to play, potentially within the next four weeks.

A deputation of senior players including Milne, his captain Nick Riewoldt and Jason Blake met a group of club directors early on Thursday seeking urgent clarification of Milne's status as a St Kilda player.

Coach Scott Watters also held talks with the board members in a bid to learn their position on Milne's future after telling his players on Tuesday he would back the 33-year-old.

Milne is understood to have had his fears allayed that his playing career was finished. Placed on indefinite leave by the club after being charged on Tuesday with four counts of rape, he released a statement saying he would be contesting the charges. Milne's first court date has been set on July 5 with a committal hearing not expected for some months.

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Club president Greg Westaway confirmed the crisis meetings. He told Fairfax Media: "We had enough regard for the players to make sure they fully understood the process that we went through in reaching the decision that we did."

Asked if he could place a time frame on Milne's potential return Westaway said: "That's a matter for the coach and for Stephen's welfare."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/m ... z2Wk8DP5Cu

[saintspremiers]

Who the f##k is running the club?

The f##King players?

Overpaid spoilt brats.

Sack the effing lot of them if they think they are in charge.

They are like Dave Warner, think they are something special until you look at their results.

the board has made a decision, fkn deal with you bunch of whining primma donna's.

Agree, sounds like the effing 80's and 90's again when the players ran the club however they wanted.

We will be a complete shambles for years if this sooky-la-la attitude continues, and if it translates to onfield attitude this week the Dees would be a sniff!

FYI - I also heard today from someone that one of the reasons BJ left was player relations issues (then again he was a big sook himself often!).

[Heidelberg_Saint]

In reality this siutaion is NEW to everyone- there is no guide book

St Kilda has thwarted a potential player rebellion by assuring its senior group that it had every intention of clearing Stephen Milne to play, potentially within the next four weeks.

A deputation of senior players including Milne, his captain Nick Riewoldt and Jason Blake met a group of club directors early on Thursday seeking urgent clarification of Milne's status as a St Kilda player.

Coach Scott Watters also held talks with the board members in a bid to learn their position on Milne's future after telling his players on Tuesday he would back the 33-year-old.

Milne is understood to have had his fears allayed that his playing career was finished. Placed on indefinite leave by the club after being charged on Tuesday with four counts of rape, he released a statement saying he would be contesting the charges. Milne's first court date has been set on July 5 with a committal hearing not expected for some months.

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Club president Greg Westaway confirmed the crisis meetings. He told Fairfax Media: "We had enough regard for the players to make sure they fully understood the process that we went through in reaching the decision that we did."

Asked if he could place a time frame on Milne's potential return Westaway said: "That's a matter for the coach and for Stephen's welfare."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/m ... z2Wk8DP5Cu

What an absolute w@nk. What would these players know about running a business? The board has some high calibre business people who are charged to make the right decisions for the club yet the players just want their mate to play, please.. They don't see the big picture in all of this. Pull your heads in, it reminds me of the players' move against Stan Alves back in '98, tail wagging the dog.

[Eastern]

Lets take a few OTHER FACTS into consideration here;

NO-ONE from St Kilda has spoken with Caroline Wilson on this matter

NO-ONE from the AFL has spoken with Caroline Wilson on this matter

NO-ONE from Stephen Milne's management has spoken with Caroline Wilson on this matter

She admitted as much on 3AW earlier tonight, yet still portrays her "OPINION PIECE" to be ABSOLUTE FACT

I have no doubt that the players had/have concerns and sought clarification from the appropriate people. I'm also almost certain that the decision to place Milney on "Indefinite Leave of Absence was made by the AFL !!

[3rd generation saint]

Maybe she talked to Kim Duthie?

[bigcarl]

Suck it up boys and get on with it. The supporters feel for Milney, too, but enough of the sooking.

[St. Luke]

Anyone would think Milne raped someone last week. There's no new story here, it's been the same ongoing story for the past 9yrs. A change in attitude towards Milne because all of a sudden there has finally been charges laid, is purely a knee-jerk reaction. Calls to dump him are absurd. Innocent until proven guilty isn't it? Apparently not by some.

I think an indefinite suspension is most certainly appropriate whilst a criminal investigation going on, but to not clarify Milnes future position as safe until a final decision by the court is made is cruel. I don't find it too strange that team mates feel the need to stick together when one of their mates has his back to the wall. If he's found guilty, I'm sure they'd be taking a different approach.

I'd hate to see the club dump a legend of the club to save face with either the public and/or sponsors only to have him cleared of these charges in the coming months, and because he was "nearing his use-by date" anyway.

[3rd generation saint]

Just a question, is there anyone here who actually knows Milney personally? Just a question, don't need any insight or anything.

[SaintPav]

Complete bullsh!t.

Some players just wanting clarification and STICKING UP FOR A MATE.

It's a sign of a healthy work place.

Player revolt all media hype.

[St. Luke]

It shytes me to tears reading The Herald Suns "Saints in Crisis" hype headline all over their paper. They dust it off every time a player sneezes down at the Saints. So of course the next horsecrap thing to write about is a "player revolt".

[whiskers3614]

Just wait for Monday's headlines if we lose to Melbourne!

[Junior]

As a manager I encourage people to speak up ask questions, question decisions. It is part of a healthy working environment but once they have done that if the decision is not changed then you have two choices accept the decision and move on or if the decision is something you oppose so badly step aside.

The players support of Milne is great as mates, acceptable as employees but if anyone made threats to not play or anything else then they should be dropped regardless of who they are.

Reckon the players were upset and sort clarification, a non story really.

I guess the performance on Saturday will tells us

[St. Luke]

Agreed Junior

[bigred]

Players are fine to seek clarification of the issue with the coaches and board etc....

Beyond that they should suck it up and do their freakin job.

[savatage]

Players are fine to seek clarification of the issue with the coaches and board etc....

Beyond that they should suck it up and do their freakin job.

Exactly.

Players should be adult enough to realise this is a complex issue & to get on with the job at hand.

[desertsaint]

Complete bullsh!t.

Some players just wanting clarification and STICKING UP FOR A MATE.

It's a sign of a healthy work place.

Player revolt all media hype.

Agree. Good on the players. FQF.

[savatage]

Complete bullsh!t.

Some players just wanting clarification and STICKING UP FOR A MATE.

It's a sign of a healthy work place.

Player revolt all media hype.

Well said Pav.

[cwrcyn]

The board are there to make these kinds of decisions. Older, wiser, and and more informed than the players. The players are merely looking at it from one angle, and that is, 'we want our mate to play'. Wider implications appear to be absent from their minds.

Seeking clarification regarding he club's stance is fine, but ultimately they should just wear the decision and get on with it.

[joffaboy]

Went in a bit hard yesterday.

Getting clarification is fine, no problems, but we get gossip columnists like Wilson and dickheads on here who reckon they have "contacts" at the club who say the players are "in revolt" you get the tom tits a bit.

So the players are unhappy?

So what, the supporters are even more unhappy about 2-9, giving our hard earned in good times and more importantly BAD times to pay their salaries and watch them lose and still SUPPORT them.

The board has made a decision, a correct one ion my view, they have had clarification from the board, Rooy and Dal are playing their 250th, NOW GET OUT THERE AND FKN BEAT MELBOURNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do what you are paid to do.

[bergholt]

Innocent until proven guilty isn't it? Apparently not by some.

Hiding behind this line shows a lack of understanding of how hard it is to get a just outcome in a rape case. Milney just might have done something unforgivable which ruined someone else's entire life, and yet he could easily be found not guilty of it. Mindlessly "supporting" him without consideration of the full range of possibilities seems moronic.

And the other side of it is that maybe he knows that what he did was at least a little wrong, and that he's felt horrible about it for the entire last nine years. One way or another there aren't any winners in this situation.

[Moods]

Innocent until proven guilty isn't it? Apparently not by some.

Hiding behind this line shows a lack of understanding of how hard it is to get a just outcome in a rape case. Milney just might have done something unforgivable which ruined someone else's entire life, and yet he could easily be found not guilty of it. Mindlessly "supporting" him without consideration of the full range of possibilities seems moronic.

And the other side of it is that maybe he knows that what he did was at least a little wrong, and that he's felt horrible about it for the entire last nine years. One way or another there aren't any winners in this situation.

All of that is fair enough bergholt. There is also the possibility that the woman involved wasn't raped...... That she was merely treated poorly and disrespectfully. This is, of course, not acceptable, but the court will work out what constitutes rape.

Plenty of women report rapes that are more about regret than rape. Some will find this remark offensive, but it is the truth. Which makes it harder for other true rape victims who are then viewed with a degree of scepticism, unless the facts are obvious from the outset.

I agree with your point though. Mindlessly supporting Milney because he's been a great player for the saints is silly. As silly as some other supporters from other clubs almost hoping that he did it because they don't like they way he goes about things on the field.

The saddest thing about all of this is that it's taken nearly 10 years to resolve.