Jimmy to re-establish himself

[Lyon Tamer]

Over the past couple of seasons Jimmy Gwilt has been a victim of circumstance and injury.

The lack of a genuine Full Back has meant that Jimmy has had to play in a position not suited to him and was often left out to dry. Before Dawson left and when Fisher was fit and flying, Jimmy was able to pick up the 2nd FWD, usually more his height and was a quality defender and with his penetrating kick, was a good set up player.

Given that we now have Delaney and hopefully Fisher back, he will be able to resume his role as the 2nd tall and should be able to return to being one of the better of defenders in the league.

Well…..here's hoping!!

[plugger66]

Over the past couple of seasons Jimmy Gwilt has been a victim of circumstance and injury.

The lack of a genuine Full Back has meant that Jimmy has had to play in a position not suited to him and was often left out to dry. Before Dawson left and when Fisher was fit and flying, Jimmy was able to pick up the 2nd FWD, usually more his height and was a quality defender and with his penetrating kick, was a good set up player.

Given that we now have Delaney and hopefully Fisher back, he will be able to resume his role as the 2nd tall and should be able to return to being one of the better of defenders in the league.

Well…..here's hoping!!

Reckon he is the type of player who needs to be replaced it we are going to improve. He is to slow to really play on anyone but the talls but he is to short to do that. Think Jimmy could be in for a rough year.

[HitTheBoundary]

Think Jimmy could be in for a rough year.

Won't be any rougher than having to play on the resting ruckman last year. Will probably get a better preseason in as well if he's more confident re his knee.

[plugger66]

Think Jimmy could be in for a rough year.

Won't be any rougher than having to play on the resting ruckman last year. Will probably get a better preseason in as well if he's more confident re his knee.

It will be if he is at Sandy. What type of player could Jimmy play on now? Seems very slow to me and doesnt even kick it that well now.

[Lyon Tamer]

Wasn't really fit, especially match fit when he came back. I agree with HTB. A full preseason and better match ups could be the tonic that he needs.

[SainterK]

Come on jimmy...

[saintsRrising]

Gwilt will need to improve, or re-ivent himself in a new role, to play much senior football in 2014.

Last year he was quite ordinary, eve if you dismiss the games he played as a KPD which he is not suited for.

With Delany and Bruce likely to come in, you have 2-3 spots for tallish back flankers , and I would rank Fisher, Robertson, Gilbert and Dempster all in front of him. Then you have others like Simpkin and Webster.

We will have a lot of competition for places next year, and some of last seasons regulars will miss out. This is a goo thing, as we need to improve.... a lot!

[White Winmar]

I think Jimmy might be in a bit of trouble. Others seem to be ahead of him in the queue. It will take a spectacular preseason and a bit luck for him to get a regular game this year. IMHO of course.

[mad saint guy]

He'll be behind Delaney and Bruce as a key defender and behind Fisher, Roberton and Dempster as a medium/third tall. Unless he can somehow find some new athleticism I think he's in trouble. Maybe if his kicking got back to its best and we had an injury or two he could be in the side.

[dragit]

Not many spots available are there?

I have Fisher, Dempster, Geary, Roberton & Gilbert as locks when fit...

They will be pretty keen to get more games into Bruce, Delaney, Wright, Newnes & Webster.

Ray, Gwilt & Simpkin are going to find it tough unless we have multiple injuries or they can start playing another position.

[lloyd21]

Last year sorry

[Trev from the Bush]

I think anybody willing to write-off J Gwilt either doesn't go to Saints matches, doesn't appreciate the workload he has had to carry with the loss of Dawson and extended absenses of Fisher, Gilbert and Blake, or probably just don't know anything about footy.

Or, all of the above. Go Jimmy!

[plugger66]

I think anybody willing to write-off J Gwilt either doesn't go to Saints matches, doesn't appreciate the workload he has had to carry with the loss of Dawson and extended absenses of Fisher, Gilbert and Blake, or probably just don't know anything about footy.

Or, all of the above. Go Jimmy!

He has been a good player for us but who does he play ahead in the backline especially if Fisher is fit and Delaney and Bruce end up being good enough.

[saint6709]

Can play , has been injured or played out of position last 2 years . We have some depth - which is good

[noob]

Think Jimmy could be in for a rough year.

Won't be any rougher than having to play on the resting ruckman last year. Will probably get a better preseason in as well if he's more confident re his knee.

It will be if he is at Sandy. What type of player could Jimmy play on now? Seems very slow to me and doesnt even kick it that well now.

I agree. Don't want to sound harsh but when he runs after players, he looks like he is running on a treadmill.

[saintspremiers]

Maybe he'll be delisted . Depends on what other players become available through free agency

[thejiggingsaint]

Blimey! nothing down for J Gwilt in 2014 it would seem! Personally, I think it may well be a good idea for some of us to give the guy a chance to at least make a run at winning a permanent spot in the side. I'm assuming that SP is joking in the previous post? Delisted? Yeah, you've got to be joking mate! (Or is Jimmy about to take on the mantle of the new "Raph" ) I mean, these guys are only just returning to pre-season training and blokes like SP are writing him off! AMAZING!.........

[ChelseaGuy]

There is a full preseason ahead - let's see how that first pans out for Gwilt ( and others)

[lloyd21]

I think anybody willing to write-off J Gwilt either doesn't go to Saints matches, doesn't appreciate the workload he has had to carry with the loss of Dawson and extended absenses of Fisher, Gilbert and Blake, or probably just don't know anything about footy.

Or, all of the above. Go Jimmy!

Not writing him off ,been a very good player but Saints are in rebuild

Roberton Wright Fisher Gilbert Geary Dempster Delaney will all be picked in front of him going forward and they will
will want games into Webster Bruce Simpkin before Gwilt just for development of side.

Will be eased out this season unless injuries hit.

They need 7 spots end of next season .

[saintsRrising]

Blimey! nothing down for J Gwilt in 2014 it would seem! Personally, I think it may well be a good idea for some of us to give the guy a chance to at least make a run at winning a permanent spot in the side. I'm assuming that SP is joking in the previous post? Delisted? Yeah, you've got to be joking mate! (Or is Jimmy about to take on the mantle of the new "Raph" ) I mean, these guys are only just returning to pre-season training and blokes like SP are writing him off! AMAZING!.........

People are giving him a chance. However we are being realistic in that we are bringing 2 guys into the backline, and so by my maths 2 get squeezed out.

At present Gwilt is down the pecking order and so gets squeezed out, and so as stated to squeeze out others Gwilt will have to improve. Ball is his court. new coac has alreadty challenged all the senior guys to improve. .

22 in 2014 will still be 22 and not 26. Bring guys in and someone has to go.

By the way Wright, Newnes and a few others will be gunning for Geary's spot. Geary has the inside track at present, but younger players will be nipping at his heels.
Competition or spots is good.

[Jacks Back]

I think Jimmy G should grow back his hair so he can play on the talls again. He definitely looked taller with his big hair.

[skeptic]

The problem with James is simply that heis not a good defender.

He never has been.

His best season in 2010, he was a running backman that used his disposal skills to set up play. Meanwhile Dawson, Hudgton, Blake, and Clarke with assistance from Fisher and Gilbert did the baulk of the defensive chop out work snd handed him the ball.

At the end of that season, other clubs figured him out and made a point of directing the ball through his direct opponent and he was found out.
Essendon in particular back in 2011 exposed him horribly by frequently kicking forward to his man and no matter who the RL moved Gwilt onto, that opponent kicked goals.

The thing is that his 2010 was soooo good that he was able to live off it over his next 2 seasons and fans did what all club fams do with highly liked players... Make excuses... He lacks match fitness, he's coming back from injury, he's playing on opponents too big etc etc

I remember the ridicule I copped on this forum by making the argument that Raph Clarke was a better defender despite not being as good offensively. Raph was a very flawed player but clearly excelled in spoiling, contested marks, postioning himself, chopping out for team mates, getting the ball in contests etc... By and large i actually think his presence covered up some of the lacking parts of James' game. So many forumites stated that i was blind and biased and really got fired up... It was mind boggling, ppl seemed to just want to believe he was a good defender.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying Raph was a better player, but his defensive game was clearly more deveoped.

People always blame Gwilt'ts lack of form on that 2011 injury but his productivity and effectiveness had dropped well before then.

IMO he has a very obvious and clear problem. He hasn't developed a skill set that is suitable to any one position on the ground.

He has excellent disposal but
*Too short and not strong enough to be a kpp down back
* Doesn't have the skills to play in the guts as a ball winning mid and get his own kicks
* Is too slow and lacks the endurance to run off his opponent and recieve the ball ala Aussie Jones

Without meaning to be nasty, Its hard to see him being retained on the list another season longer w/o some type of radical change to his game style... This is made all the more difficult by the fact that we have a new coach that doesn't know him and may not have a plan for him yet.

Seriously though, what can he do? What role do people see him playing. The only thing i can see him doing is trying to baulk up +++ so that he can play on bigger sized forwards and try to hurt them with his disposal... He wld however sacrifice some endurance for muscle though.

Hope im wrong

[Dave McNamara]

All you Gwilt-doubters are wrong. Huge season coming up for Jimmy.

You heard it here first!

James Gwilt will make Saintsational and St Kilda FC history in season 2014 when he becomes the first player ever to be anointed twice by SainterK.

Go da Fro!

[avid]

I agree -- his last two seasons have been crueled by injury and lack of support. Week after week he lined up on giants 10cm taller than him, and bravely failed to curb them.
Previously he showed sublime skills a the deliverer from the backline -- skills that he can easily improve on with experience and opportunity.
I see him as our sort of Shannon Hurn accurate rocket launcher. As long as Hurn has a place in a backline, so does Gwilty.
(I'm not necessarily astute enough to know whether that role still exists in this month's style of football.)

[Kernal75]

Dempster could quite easily move into Jones role in the midfield so that would free up a half back spot for Gwilt. If we are to move forward as a club then Jones sin't in the best 22 unfortunately. History will often tell you that players coming back from a knee reco are much better in their second season back. A full pre-season, more confidence in his knee and some genuine talls down back and I think you'll see a much better J.Gwilt this season.