Training Pre season training

[Winmar2Lockett]

And not one modicum of intelligence from yours!

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[seasonedsainter]

I just decided to look at the stats for average score involvements for 2024.
Not pretty for Saints.
Our best was Sinclair. 40th in the AFL.
then 70th Jack Higgins.
79th Jack Steele.
94th Mason Wood.
106th Hill.
112th Henry
118th King
141st Owens.
149th Clark
157th Marshall and Membrey

least score involvements on the list ,
650th Hastie with Paton and Collard challenging him.

Booo-hiss!

 

[seasonedsainter]

Pardon my ignorance in regards to the Carlton supporter getting a life ban
How does the AFL monitor this,does he get Micro Chipped?

It would be piss easy to get around imo.

 

[pebblesofsand]

100% Mike! We need 8 good mids to cover for niggles and injuries like all the top sides do. Crouch out last year really hurt us as he was our best mid the year before. You need a mix of complementary mids. When all were available he was clearly in and playing an important role. I would be picking him before Dow, Carrol, Jones and Garcia in a heartbeat, probably before Poo and Windhager too if I’m honest. To me out of the mids I would be taking in order McCrae, Steele, Clark, Poo then there’s the next group to pick from of Windhager, Dow, Carrol and Garcia. Wouldn’t be surprised if Boxsal doesn’t play at all this year unless mass injuries. Wilson may play a little bit in the middle but predominately HF/Wing and Travaglia wing.


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Crouch was not just "in and playing an important role" - he was simply our best mid. Losing him was disastrous for us last year.

Averaged 26/27 possessions a game for the previous 3 seasons and was our most consistent midfield clearance winner. It was a huge loss that we struggled to cover.

Hopefully Jack Macrae fills Crouch's spot, then its him & Steele and then add any 4 or 5 from Clark, Jones, Dow, Carrol, Phillipou, Windy or Garcia through the rotations and our midfield is looking very very solid.

 

[starcey]

Anyway, here is a Chrissy present from uncle Joffa.

Glory in this over the gloomy summer days until Jan 9th where we remorselessly march towards that last Saturday in September.

My favourite is the Italian looking Sheila desperately hitting her hand screaming touched touched

Mrs and I came to Melbourne for the first time to watch this game. Sitting front of the 3rd deck right behind the goals, one of the best things I’ve ever watched. Didn’t really mind if we lost if it meant getting better draft picks but I’m so glad Higgo kicked it. The atmosphere and noise when it went through was unbelievable

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Pardon my ignorance in regards to the Carlton supporter getting a life ban
How does the AFL monitor this,does he get Micro Chipped?

It would be piss easy to get around imo.

Authorities won’t suspect a thing

 

[True Believer]

Authorities won’t suspect a thing

Come on - they'll spot that as a Carlton supporter a mile off !! It's the club uniform!!

 

[Diehard Saint]

Anyway, here is a Chrissy present from uncle Joffa.

Glory in this over the gloomy summer days until Jan 9th where we remorselessly march towards that last Saturday in September.

My favourite is the Italian looking Sheila desperately hitting her hand screaming touched touched

That was bloody amazing
Watched it about 5 times, just smiling throughout.

Besides Clark, Pou was everywhere - in the right positions even though it didn’t all come off. And Jones had three very important moments, including the pass to Higgins and the smother right near the end as the ball went down the Blues’ end.

 

[saintmike65]

Booo-hiss!

Only way to go is up!!

 

[dougiemac]

It's like going past a bad car crash.........you just can't stop looking.

One where someone you hate is being loaded into the ambulance.

 

[Neil Elvis Winmar]

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I think you maybe underestimating Hugo..as far as Windhager is concerned, really depends on the boss wanting to go with a run with player which he’s first choice!

I really rate Hugo and I think he will make it, but he’s only in his second year. Give him time!


On iPhone using ][emoji6]][emoji6][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Sully111]

5 minutes of footy doesnt make a season. What did he do for the remainder of the game and how much of his workload did his team mates have to carry because he cant run out games. He runs like a draught horse in a game played by thoroughbreds.

Hell Billings had some of the best highlight reels getting about.

Just ask yourself WHAT top 8 midfield group would Clark get a game in? If you are genuine the answer is zero.

You have to look at the whole picture when making a judgement.

Hunter is a different type of player. He's not the quickest, but there's things he brings to the table. Just as Roma isn't as good a tap ruckman as some others.

And..... to look at his career progression and not take into account his injuries is just silly.

Yes, if he doesn't perform this year, he'll be under pressure. Great. I still see him as an asset to the team. I really hope he gets a decent run at it this year. He has some attributes that nobody else in our side has.

Really courageous player, especially considering what he's been through.

 

[hayes]

Captain killjoy coming in……I wonder if everyone will still be feeling all warm and fuzzy about the Carlton win in 5 years time when we still don’t have a midfield.

 

[Michael Goodinski]

Captain killjoy coming in……I wonder if everyone will still be feeling all warm and fuzzy about the Carlton win in 5 years time when we still don’t have a midfield.

I know I will and I won't be alone. BTW, Phillipou, Garcia, Windhager, Travaglia, Wilson, Nas, Carroll, Henry, Boxshall and whoever else we draft and trade in over the next five years all say hi!

 

[akaifu]

Captain killjoy coming in……I wonder if everyone will still be feeling all warm and fuzzy about the Carlton win in 5 years time when we still don’t have a midfield.

Time to accept what's happened and embrace it. We have seemingly 2 gun kids - one of which looks a real chance to become at least a good midfielder for us for the next decade. Adds a different dimension to our bland midfield

Clearly the coaches have faith in our pre-2024 draft crop of mids to make it; Pou, Garcia, Windy, Clark/Dow. So much so we took Tauru over a Bo Allan, and targeted Joe Berry with an F1 instead of a Murphy Reid. Who knows, maybe Tauru becomes a gun mid in time

No point dwelling on the past, especially since we wouldn't have had access to any of FOS/Jagga/Draper anyways - it would've been Smillie/Langford + Travaglia

Honestly, I'm happy with Tauru over those two

 

[jimmytigs]

Don't recall anyone "screaming for Zac Jones to be delisted at seasons end". In fact from memory most were delighted at the end of his season and there was a fair bit of talk hoping he could stay fit to provide a point of difference for us next year.

i will put my hand up here,i doubt the guy has ever been available round 1 for us,he misses plenty,his kicking has been gilbert/seb like

however the club has retained him,i think he clearly saved himself with his end to the season & i hope he can put all those things i mentioned behind him and tear a new one in it

as for clark,ive never wanted to see the back of him,big fan,but he has to produce consistently this year coming,i think we have shown our hand with the departures of van es paton hayes,maybe others,that the nice guy nostalgia stuff is over,get on the park,or gtfo

these 2 should have a sense of that & will hopefully be making every post a winner in 2025

 

[Joffaboy]

Captain killjoy coming in……I wonder if everyone will still be feeling all warm and fuzzy about the Carlton win in 5 years time when we still don’t have a midfield.

Why wont we have a midfield in 5 years time? Aren't we allowed to trade or draft until 2030 0r something?

 

[hayes]

Time to accept what's happened and embrace it. We have seemingly 2 gun kids - one of which looks a real chance to become at least a good midfielder for us for the next decade. Adds a different dimension to our bland midfield

Clearly the coaches have faith in our pre-2024 draft crop of mids to make it; Pou, Garcia, Windy, Clark/Dow. So much so we took Tauru over a Bo Allan, and targeted Joe Berry with an F1 instead of a Murphy Reid. Who knows, maybe Tauru becomes a gun mid in time

No point dwelling on the past, especially since we wouldn't have had access to any of FOS/Jagga/Draper anyways - it would've been Smillie/Langford + Travaglia

Honestly, I'm happy with Tauru over those two

We had those players last year and all Ross ever talked about in pressers is the lack of a midfield so there’s clearly not much faith from Ross. I’m sure most of them will be good players but there’s little evidence to suggest they’ll be what we need.

Just frustrates me that we’ve had the worst midfield in the AFL for ten years and we’re the complete opposite of all in trying to address it. And of course we’ll keep wondering why we never get close to a flag.

 

[saintmike65]

The perennial Clark bashing is so odd (though admittedly most seem to be in defence of him on here)

Plenty of top 10 picks don’t make it as far as he has, plenty haven’t gone through the incidental on-field injuries he’s been through

One of the few Saints players I see consistently do the intangible things on the field that make a difference pushing the contested ball forward

Suppose it’s a good sign that when your list improves it gets harder to find whipping boys

Hunter’s injury against Adelaide a few years ago was akin to a car crash…a less resilient person would not have recovered mentally from that

 

[saintmike65]

Why wont we have a midfield in 5 years time? Aren't we allowed to trade or draft until 2030 0r something?

I’m pretty comfortable having Travaglia, Phillipou, Wilson, Garcia & Windhager on our list..hopefully Boxhall can improve enough to add into the conversation

 

[saintmike65]

Hopefully you are right but there is a long list of players to compete with now, all of whom are players who can actually run. I just dont see who he displaces out of the best 25 players, we cant keep carrying a player who spends more than a 1/4 a game sitting in the pine.

I have never been a fan as I think he has wasted his talent with his distinct lack of work ethic and preparation. He is very lucky he landed at a club with one of the worst lists in the competition, otherwise he would be playing in the country somewhere.

He doesn’t need to displace anyone, he’s already best 23 in the eyes of the people that move the magnets

 

[Saint Ray]

That was bloody amazing
Watched it about 5 times, just smiling throughout.

Besides Clark, Pou was everywhere - in the right positions even though it didn’t all come off. And Jones had three very important moments, including the pass to Higgins and the smother right near the end as the ball went down the Blues’ end.

I could watch that all day and yes I loved seeing that stupid bluescum supporter trying to influence an on field goal ump. How stupid is she?

 

[stfan]

Just frustrates me that we’ve had the worst midfield in the AFL for ten years

Yes it has been poor. No doubt on that.

and we’re the complete opposite of all in trying to address it.

However ???

Over the last 2-3 draft periods I think the club has gone quite hard to try and improve our midfield.

Knowing where our picks were this year, the Club:

• Tried to trade down the order to gain one of the top mids. North not willing, but who then oddly panicked later on gaining a KP later at huge trade cost and so the mind boggles on their reluctance given that they have more quality young mids than they can play yet pick FOS and traded in Parker.
• Traded in Mcrae a quality mid by any definition
• Took TT with our first pick......and it is pretty clear the Club sees him as a player who will as a minimum be rotated through the midfield
• Traded in a pick that landed the young mid Boxshall.
• Took Carrol as a DFA

Last season we used our first pick on Wilson who will end up playing as a mid for some of his game time. Maybe even a lot of his game time eventually. Garcia at pick 50 is looking promising. We also traded in Henry as an outside and burst mid, and Dow cheaply who unfortunately then got injured.

Pou gained the year prior as a future mid with our first pick.


Despite the loss of Crouch due his knee our 2025 midfield group is shaping up as the most capable we have had for a longtime.

Do we still lack an extra true gun? Yes.

 

[saintmike65]

yeah I’m certain it was max, blokes looking thicker then a bowl of porridge

Max has longish hair plus full fascial hair

 

[MrFoster]

We had those players last year and all Ross ever talked about in pressers is the lack of a midfield so there’s clearly not much faith from Ross. I’m sure most of them will be good players but there’s little evidence to suggest they’ll be what we need.

Just frustrates me that we’ve had the worst midfield in the AFL for ten years and we’re the complete opposite of all in trying to address it. And of course we’ll keep wondering why we never get close to a flag.

Pick 5 and 6 was Langford and Smilie. By the sounds of it, we don’t rate both of them due to their lack of speed, run and dynamism. Only Lalor, Draper, Smith, FOS would have made a difference to our midfield, which we don’t have access to anyway even if Higgins missed and we landed pick 5/6.

Instead we drafted 3 mids in Travaglia, Boxshall and Said, added Macrae, Jack Carrol and Max Hall.. Basically 6 new mids compared to last year.. Yes, we still lack a star, hope we can develop 1 or 2 internally then look to LDU at end of 2025 if we’re lucky.