Minga
Club Legend
- Mar 23, 2021
- 1,851
- 10,150
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
It’s like clockwork in here.
Just maximise the draft hand, equalise the list across age and ability and have patience. There is no other way.
We are already fortunate that we have drafted well in the 2020s thus far, it’s a solid foundation to build on pre tassie coming in.
Don’t get caught up in comparing to the rest of the comp, literally doesn’t matter. AFL teams have zero consistency. Even great teams like Sydney or Geelong have only managed one premiership after many years of sustained success in the last decade or so. Good for them, they do a lot right.
Brisbane were a disaster half way through this season, Sydney were the unchallenged premiers. Hawthorn were shit and Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton were top 4. Saint win 4 of the games we lost by under a kick and we are challenging for finals. No point trying to predict where teams are at, even if they have exceptional lists and advantages on paper.
Maximise the draft hand. Cut the dead wood. Rinse, repeat. Get it right and the problem will change from quality of list to quality of development, to quality of coaching. Sure, we will have to take some risks, we may have to trade some good players, but no one got no where without taking risks.
Let me cook for a moment, and preface this as more of a point to myself then necessarily the readers here. The AFL is not a noble enough institution to warrant faith and supporter-ship of the highest regard. It is a deeply flawed competition and governance, turned front for gambling companies, chicken shit greed filled private school ‘for the good of game and country’ father son loving blotch addict produced costumed family friendly drive your toyota to aus kick and have a snag because you’re an Aussie legend facade bush league, with a storied and disturbing history (from First Nations treatment, to the DV numbers which spike after every loss) that has shown time and time again that it has simultaneously the upmost regard for the traditions it comes from and also zero regard for its traditions at all if the price is right (night time grand final, round zero, the newly rumoured wild card round).
We owe the AFL nothing, and yet it is such a unique cluster**** that we are proud of it, because we are Australian, and we’ll take our idiosyncrasies where we can get them. As a sport seperate from the organisation, it has its moments though, where it is a purely entertaining spectacle, and there is something to be cherished there. But in the scheme of things, saying the AFL has any sanctity left is oxymoronic, emphasis on the moron. Though patience runs thin for our tested supporters, I love the Saints, and we all want a flag dearly. But there is no such thing as a noble flag in this competition anymore (if ever). It’s a product and we’re the suckers, waiting for it to produce. My ultimate point being, think critically, and enjoy the sport for what it is, deeply flawed but not without immense value to us the fans. Again, I am mainly reminding myself of this here, though others might agree/disagree. The irony to me here is that as I write this, Dustin Martin announced his retirement.
This coming off season will really be telling, re: the direction and management of the club. We did great last off season, cut the dead wood, did well out of the draft, and brought in two young but experienced players (Henry, Dow). Rinse, repeat. Embrace the transience. That’s sports.
Just maximise the draft hand, equalise the list across age and ability and have patience. There is no other way.
We are already fortunate that we have drafted well in the 2020s thus far, it’s a solid foundation to build on pre tassie coming in.
Don’t get caught up in comparing to the rest of the comp, literally doesn’t matter. AFL teams have zero consistency. Even great teams like Sydney or Geelong have only managed one premiership after many years of sustained success in the last decade or so. Good for them, they do a lot right.
Brisbane were a disaster half way through this season, Sydney were the unchallenged premiers. Hawthorn were shit and Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton were top 4. Saint win 4 of the games we lost by under a kick and we are challenging for finals. No point trying to predict where teams are at, even if they have exceptional lists and advantages on paper.
Maximise the draft hand. Cut the dead wood. Rinse, repeat. Get it right and the problem will change from quality of list to quality of development, to quality of coaching. Sure, we will have to take some risks, we may have to trade some good players, but no one got no where without taking risks.
Let me cook for a moment, and preface this as more of a point to myself then necessarily the readers here. The AFL is not a noble enough institution to warrant faith and supporter-ship of the highest regard. It is a deeply flawed competition and governance, turned front for gambling companies, chicken shit greed filled private school ‘for the good of game and country’ father son loving blotch addict produced costumed family friendly drive your toyota to aus kick and have a snag because you’re an Aussie legend facade bush league, with a storied and disturbing history (from First Nations treatment, to the DV numbers which spike after every loss) that has shown time and time again that it has simultaneously the upmost regard for the traditions it comes from and also zero regard for its traditions at all if the price is right (night time grand final, round zero, the newly rumoured wild card round).
We owe the AFL nothing, and yet it is such a unique cluster**** that we are proud of it, because we are Australian, and we’ll take our idiosyncrasies where we can get them. As a sport seperate from the organisation, it has its moments though, where it is a purely entertaining spectacle, and there is something to be cherished there. But in the scheme of things, saying the AFL has any sanctity left is oxymoronic, emphasis on the moron. Though patience runs thin for our tested supporters, I love the Saints, and we all want a flag dearly. But there is no such thing as a noble flag in this competition anymore (if ever). It’s a product and we’re the suckers, waiting for it to produce. My ultimate point being, think critically, and enjoy the sport for what it is, deeply flawed but not without immense value to us the fans. Again, I am mainly reminding myself of this here, though others might agree/disagree. The irony to me here is that as I write this, Dustin Martin announced his retirement.
This coming off season will really be telling, re: the direction and management of the club. We did great last off season, cut the dead wood, did well out of the draft, and brought in two young but experienced players (Henry, Dow). Rinse, repeat. Embrace the transience. That’s sports.
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