Discussion 2008 Trade/Draft/Player List Mega Thread

[CHBench]

Fraser Gehrig urges St Kilda to take punt on Cousins

Jon Ralph | September 22, 2008 12:00am

• ST KILDA'S interest in former West Coast captain Ben Cousins is firming, with the club considering a concerted bid for his services.

Saints chief executive Archie Fraser yesterday confirmed the club would soon decide whether to make a play for Cousins.
It is understood Cousins, who will attend tonight's Brownlow Medal, wants to play for Collingwood.
But several clubs including St Kilda and Essendon will - or have - made inquiries about Cousins.
St Kilda's interest came as retiring forward Fraser Gehrig urged the Saints to take a punt on his former Eagles teammate, saying he was the ideal on-field role model.
Gehrig said a fit Cousins would be just the type of running midfielder to lift St Kilda's onball brigade.
Fraser said Cousins would "form part of our discussions".
"We have got a lot of boxes that would have to be ticked before (we went after) Ben," he said.
"We would want to make sure that if he does come here, that it's the right environment for him.
"The leadership group would have to sign off, the board, and obviously the coaching group as well, to make sure that we think he's the right one to come here, given where our list is."
Fraser said the Saints' list management group had to decide whether it was close enough to a premiership to consider 30-year-old Cousins.
"Are we close enough? That is the question we have to ask," he said.
Gehrig said he felt Cousins was worthy of a second chance.
"He looks like he's getting his health back on track, and that's the most important thing," he said.
"He is a great athlete, and it wouldn't take him long to get back into the system.
"St Kilda definitely needs a couple of midfielders.
"He is very good with his endurance but also his speed and good delivery.
"The one thing about "Cuzzy", through all the crap he has been through, he is one of the hardest trainers, and we have lost one of the trainers in Harvs (Robert Harvey).
"If we were to pick him up, we would be gaining one of the hardest trainers I have seen. On the field he is a great role model."
Gehrig said Cousins' controversies had tainted him as a disruptive influence.
"Cuzzy is a terrific bloke," he said. "On field, he is one of the best role models you could look up to.
"Obviously he has made a few mistakes, but everyone deserves another crack at it."
Cousins must still be approved by the league, after being deregistered in November for bringing the game into disrepute.
The list of clubs interested in luring Cousins grows by the day.
While Collingwood and St Kilda are the Melbourne clubs believed to be chasing hardest, Adelaide, Port Adelaide and Brisbane have all expressed some interest in gaining his services.

I think we are going to make a gigantic play for him. Archie Fraser has said we need more elite players in the midfield but followed it up by saying we won't be trading picks 13 & 31. But looks like Collingwood would be desperate for him and with the Malthouse factor, and being part of the big 4 and the facilities it would no doubt be an attractive option.

 

[Squizz]

Looks as if Kerr is out of the question as is any other star up for grabs. And interesting comment with the 6 picks. A cleanout of the cloggers on the cards? Good riddance.

Stupid comments by Archie. Until you know who is around come draft time, why would you posture about how many picks you will use? If a Schneider/Dempster type deal arises, I'd expect the club to be active.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Armitage, David
McEvoy, Ben
Steven, Jack
Allen, Jarryd
Geary, Jarryn
Howard, Brad
Connors, Eljay

^They should be the group of fringe players. No doubting they would give 3x the amount of effort seasoned hacks would.^

Rix, Michael
Ferguson, Matthew
Fiora, Aaron
Fisher, Leigh
Gardiner, Charlie

^Unfortunatley these are the fringe players. List cloggers who are going no where. They all need to be delisted.^

Gehrig, Fraser
Harvey, Robert (veteran – inside list)

^Retiring^

Koschitzke, Justin
Dal Santo, Nick
Clarke, Xavier

^Need to be seriously considered for trade. Under performing, perhaps a change of scenery is needed.^

Attard, Jayden
Eddy, Robert

^Elevate^

That leaves 5 spots on the list. Hopefully we can gain an early 2nd round draft pick through Kosi or Dal.

I agree with your choices.
If we couldn't get a trade, it would be worth elevating Luke Van Rheenan, ( injured rookie this year ) to see if he comes good rather than keeping the deadwood. We let Wall go last year rather than elevate him and kept Ferguson? Wall has been more valuable for the Scorpions than Ferguson this year.

 

[Squizz]

I agree with your choices.
If we couldn't get a trade, it would be worth elevating Luke Van Rheenan, ( injured rookie this year ) to see if he comes good rather than keeping the deadwood. We let Wall go last year rather than elevate him and kept Ferguson? Wall has been more valuable for the Scorpions than Ferguson this year.

Would not elevate LVR - hasn't done anything at senior VFL level (notwithstanding injury).

Interesting point with Wall. Just got named in VFL Team of the Year.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Would not elevate LVR - hasn't done anything at senior VFL level (notwithstanding injury).

Interesting point with Wall. Just got named in VFL Team of the Year.

Thats my point Squizzy! It would be a punt to elevate LVR knowing that he has a lot of development left to do. Just as Wall would have been a punt. Keeping Ferguson was not as much a punt, but was less likely to create a payoff.

I agree with what you have said before about the Rookie draft not being so good for talls who take longer to develop.
It's interesting that at age 17 or so, some of the kids will be 185cm or so allready and virtually stopped growing, but some will be much shorter but still growing. The talls obviously have an advantage against their shorter colleagues, but that doesn't mean that the others will not be good when they catch up a bit. ( I was amazed when a school friend who towered over me when he hit 6 foot at age15 was only 4 inches taller than me when I later saw him at age 21 ).


Very bad luck for LVR to get his injury this year, which would have been the year to prove himself. The choice is whether you put someone on the list that you know you won't use , and hope that they can come good in the future. Or you can keep someone on the list who has been average for ages, and hope that they miraculously come good.

 

[borderbarry]

CHBench, good post. Agree with your blue boys, but would consider adding Birss and Michael Gardiner as well. SOme talk of Michael Gardiner retiring, dont know how accurate it is.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Would you guys go for a trade like:
Nick Dal Santo
For
Daniel Harris (in and under type player)
+
2nd/3rd Rounder or Matt Riggio

Hell yes.

Get it done.

 

[Squizz]

Unless a trade fits our specific needs, or delivers a draft pick that will allow us to get that player, then no bingo for mine.

Unfortunately Dal has not been dealing with tags, and can't be relied on when the team is playing poorly, However, we had a large number of guys not play to their ability on Saturday night which is disappointing when top-line guys like Roo, BJ, Harvs, Sam F and Lenny all came to play.

We either accept that Dal is the icing on a well made cake, or bite the bullet and saddle up to the trade table.

Whilst I like Harris as a player, we have Hayes and Ball in that role and are trying to develop Armitage who needs game time at the top level.

Different story if we are talking about a Kerr type.

 

[DEVINEY]

Harris has a bit of speed about him
as well as Riggio who can play a lot of different roles around the ground,
and is still a young developing player
like Armitage for example not that I know alot about him
seems good from what i've heard

Also what you guys realisticly take for Kosi?

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Harris has a bit of speed about him
as well as Riggio who can play a lot of different roles around the ground,
and is still a young developing player
like Armitage for example not that I know alot about him
seems good from what i've heard

Also what you guys realisticly take for Kosi?

Straight swap for Macca?

 

[DEVINEY]

macca is exclusive to the roos sorry
just wouldn't look right

but we shiped out thommo
so #23 is up for grabs at the roos
get in quick before buddy.

Riewoldt can have the great #18 at the roos if he wants it

 

[the_riddler]

Also what you guys realisticly take for Kosi?

Petrie

 

[Signd Sealed Saint]

Kosi was taken at #2 and Petrie like 30 odd in the same draft.
One is a hack
One is a gun
Gee we can't recruit for shit at St Kilda

 

[Falchoon]

Would you guys go for a trade like:
Nick Dal Santo
For
Daniel Harris (in and under type player)
+
2nd/3rd Rounder or Matt Riggio

I love Daniel Harris, but why can't he play more than 60% of game time, is it endurance or Laidley?

The other thing against him is he's too similar to Ball, Hayes and Armitage -in and under 1 speed tough nut.

 

[Falchoon]

Kosi was taken at #2 and Petrie like 30 odd in the same draft.
One is a hack
One is a gun
Gee we can't recruit for shit at St Kilda

Drew Petrie's got a great press agent, he was said to have had a great year last year, and Kosi's year this year is said to be average yet the stats are virtually identical.

12 possessions each per game
2.3 scoring shots to 2.2
6 hit outs to 5
2.2 tackles to 2.5
6.7 marks to 5.5

Kosi's stats first btw

Petrie this year had less goals, but more marks and possessions as he spent more time rucking with Hale forward.

 

[Falchoon]

St kilda v North Melbourne

3 votes...... Justin Koschitzke

 

[dg102]

Kosi was taken at #2 and Petrie like 30 odd in the same draft.
One is a hack
One is a gun
Gee we can't recruit for shit at St Kilda

Its not recruiting, its training and injury

 

[Signd Sealed Saint]

true true, Kosi's been unlucky with injury. If he hasn't been injured i assume he'd be as good if not beter than Roo atm. Spur of the moment post. Kosi will be better next season as this is his first full season of AFL since he was 21 or something i think.

 

[holllywood]

what was Kosi's pre season of 08 like??

 

[okeydoke7]

what was Kosi's pre season of 08 like??

Not great, he did the ole pre-season but he's been injured all this year with knee problems. Maybe explaining the lack of direction in his running?>?> But in saying that, Riewoldt has played all year with the ame problem and have a look at him.

 

[Squizz]

He was averaging 2 goals per game before hyper-extending his knee against the Dogs, with goals against good teams (WB, Syd, Geel, and Bris at the Gabba).

After he came back he struggled to get in the goals at all (avergaing 1 per game), which included some junk time goals against Collingwood in the Semi-Final.

 

[Saints08]

I think we should be getting more excited about drafting young players, rather than looking to trade kosi, dal etc. I'm really excited about the talent in this draft.

These are some of my my favorites, who are a realistic chance to get to the Saints:

Sam Blease:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7DTWnqlg8E

Charlie Sharples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgsZOOUWr-I

Steele Sidebottom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f0J8tEJrTc

Michael Hurley (Should get taken earlier, but he's a beauty):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMW6AbJTCn8

 

[Squizz]

Looks like Kerr will stay with the Eagles :

Collingwood’s interest in acquiring West Coast star Daniel Kerr has cooled, with the Magpies suggesting that the asking price of two first-round draft picks means they are unlikely to pursue the All-Australian midfielder.
Carlton also has taken a similar view to the Magpies, the Blues keen to build via the draft and believing it will be difficult to satisfy West Coast's demand for two first-round picks.
The Eagles have asked for two picks inside the top 10 or a top-three pick — effectively one of the highly prized West Australian teens Nicholas Natanui or Daniel Rich — in return for Kerr.
Collingwood football operations chief Geoff Walsh said last night that while the club had yet to discuss Kerr with the Eagles, the asking price and the fact that he was contracted meant there was little prospect of the Magpies pursuing him.
"The fact that he's contracted and the speculation that it's going to take two first-round draft choices to move him, makes us think you don't need to go beyond that," he said.
"To be fair, I haven't spoken to anyone directly, but when you're hearing those noises from his management that that's what they're requiring, well then, there's no point going any further."
Carlton football operations manager Steven Icke indicated that the Blues, too, would struggle to satisfy West Coast's demand for two first-round picks.
"If they're still asking for two first rounds, we're cooling on the idea because we haven't got two first-round picks. They (the Eagles) hold the cards at the moment. He is in contract and they don't have to trade him."
Carlton's pursuit of Fremantle ruckman Robert Warnock — who is believed to favour joining the Blues — means they might lose their second pick, No. 24. With the club reluctant to give up both its first and second picks in the last uncompromised draft, Kerr becomes a difficult proposition.

 

[Signd Sealed Saint]

Well looks like Dal will be staying. Thank god.

 

[Sainters08]

Inside word is Dal is off to Essendon..