Ins and Outs vs Blue boys.

[_Ron_]

IN: L.Fisher, Gilbert, McGough, Milne, Peckett, Powell, Rix
OUT: Hamill (knee), Hudghton (suspended), Murray, Fiora
NEW: Sam Gilbert (Southport), Michael Rix (Coburg Tigers)

Now my rant against the selectors,

Fiora is being used as a scapegoat. He should not be dropped, his form has been more solid then others in the team and this includes sitting on the bench for long stretches because fatso won't play him. :thumbsd:

Leigh Fisher or Gilbert over Ferguson is rubbish considering Ferguson has been far more invaluable in the reserves then either of these two yet he's overlooked. :thumbsd:

Inclusion of Powell and Peckett is unprofessional. Get with the times, saints selectors, it's a fast game these days with young players ruling the day. We need to develop anyone who can eventually turn into a 200+ game player. We have options other then these 2, namely FIORA who has MUCH MORE UPSIDE. :thumbsd:

Ball shouldn't be playing. Wasn't GT quoted as saying he wouldn't play anyone who wasn't passed by the medicos? Well hello??? It doesn't take a genius to figure out Ball is far from ok, so unless flags are won in May why is he getting a game? :thumbsd:

Maguire and Ackland have been woeful this year and still a retain a spot. Pathetic. :thumbsd:

Murray finally got dropped. Well this is my biggest rant, WHY THE F WAS HE SELECTED IN THE FIRST PLACE!! Any godamn moron could see he's not up to this level. Must be hard to admit they stuffed up in the draft and again by selecting him. All saint supporters should get an apology for having to watch him play. :thumbsd:

Milne returns. Why on Earth was he dropped in the first place? Wouldn't have anything to do with fatso not liking him would it? If Grant reads this, my message to you is "Milne was/is 10x the player then you ever were."

Rix finally gets a game about 7 weeks to late. He should have been developing in the firsts from week 1, not coming in from week 8, having to learn to adjust to seniors level. Disgraceful!!


McGough finally gets a game after 40 possesions a week, week after week in the reserves. Wow someone actually gets rewarded for playing well!! I'm in shock!! This was also about 7 weeks to late or to be honest about a year to late.

I wonder if all the guys getting games who shouldn't be getting games are well liked for their charisma by the coach whilst others are disliked and struggle to get game time for the exact opposite reason.

Not good enough and i'd have many more thumbs down logos if i wasn't restricted to posting a maximum of 6.

[chas]

omg, ron gone to the dark side??? lol

[Kildonan]

CARLTON v ST KILDA
Sunday, 2:10pm AEST, MCG

CARLTON
B: Carrazzo, Thornton, Saddington
HB: Walker, Whitnall, Scotland
C: Houlihan, Koutoufides, Wiggins
HF: Murphy, Fevola, Deluca
F: Betts, Waite, Kennedy
FOLL: McLaren, Stevens, Simpson
I/C (from): Bannister, Bentick, Blackwell, Lappin, Longmuir, McGrath, Sporn
IN: Bannister, Blackwell, Longmuir, Sporn
OUT: Fisher
NEW: Luke Blackwell (Swan Districts)

ST KILDA
B: Baker, S.Fisher, Voss
HB: Gram, Maguire, Schwarze
C: Goddard, Ball, Peckett
HF: Powell, Riewoldt, Montagna
F: Ackland, Gehrig, Harvey
FOLL: Blake, Hayes, Dal Santo
I/C (from): L.Fisher, Gilbert, McGough, McQualter, Milne, Rix, Thompson
IN: L.Fisher, Gilbert, McGough, Milne, Peckett, Powell, Rix
OUT: Hamill (knee), Hudghton (suspended), Murray, Fiora
NEW: Sam Gilbert (Southport), Michael Rix (Coburg Tigers)

Field umpires: Allen, M.Nicholls, K.Nicholls

Looking at the team as set out, it appears as if Peckett and Powell are certain starters and the interchange and emergencies will be chosen from L.Fisher, Gilbert, McGough, McQualter, Milne, Rix, Thompson

I think Gilbert might be selected on Kennedy, but I'm not confident about the others. It seems there's only a 50:50 chance of Rix being included, and if he isn't I'm sure there will be an uproar from the supporters.


Rix in the mix for Saints (http://saints.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=266862)
18 May 2006
saints.com.au

St Kilda's selectors have swung the changes as the Saints look to get their season headed in the right direction against the Blues at the MCG on Sunday.

Seven players - Stephen Milne, Leigh Fisher, Sam Gilbert, Mark McGough, Stephen Powell and Michael Rix - have been named in a 25-man squad with all but Powell and Peckett named on the extended bench.

Out of the side that fell to Geelong by 18 points last week are Aaron Hamill (knee) and Max Hudghton, who will serve a one-match ban for striking, while Allan Murray and Aaron Fiora were both omitted.

Gilbert and Rix will be making their AFL debuts if they remain in the side after the squad is trimmed back to 22 players on Friday evening, while the highly-regarded Leigh Fisher is looking to put his chronic hamstring problems behind him and play his first senior game since round nine of 2004.

Carlton has added four players to its squad as the Blues attempt to record consecutive wins for the first time this season.

Coming into the side that overcame Essendon by 33 points at the MCG last Sunday are Jordan Bannister, Luke Blackwell, Troy Longmuir and Trent Sporn with all four named on an extended bench.

Blackwell is in the mix to make his senior debut for the club.

The only definite omission from last week's side is Brad Fisher with the luckless forward suffering a fractured shoulder against the Bombers.

Fisher's injury will not require surgery, but will be reassessed in two weeks time and it is expected he will miss between six and eight weeks.

[SpInNeR]

Ron, I agree with everything you said.

I cant believe it, I have found St.K supporter other than myself that possesses common sense.

You must be from the North Western suburbs???

HAHA.

Great Post.

[Kildonan]

Final Squads for Sunday

CARLTON v ST KILDA
Sunday, 2:10pm AEST, MCG

CARLTON
B: Carrazzo, Thornton, Saddington
HB: Walker, Whitnall, Scotland
C: Houlihan, Koutoufides, Wiggins
HF: Murphy, Fevola, Deluca
F: Betts, Waite, Kennedy
FOLL: McLaren, Stevens, Simpson
I/C: Bentick, Blackwell, Lappin, McGrath
IN: Blackwell
OUT: Fisher
EM: Bannister, Teague, Sporn
NEW: Luke Blackwell (Swan Districts)

ST KILDA
B: Baker, S.Fisher, Voss
HB: Gram, Maguire, Schwarze
C: Goddard, Ball, Peckett
HF: Powell, Riewoldt, Montagna
F: Ackland, Gehrig, Harvey
FOLL: Blake, Hayes, Dal Santo
I/C: L.Fisher, Gilbert, Milne, Thompson
IN: L.Fisher, Gilbert, Milne, Peckett, Powell
OUT: Hamill (knee), Hudghton (suspended), Murray, Fiora, McQualter,
EM: McGough, McQualter, Rix
NEW: Sam Gilbert (Southport)

Field umpires: Allen, M.Nicholls, K.Nicholls

Five changes for Sunday (http://saints.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=267094)
19 May 2006
Sportal for saints.com.au

Highly-regarded Saints' defender Leigh Fisher will play his first match since round nine of 2004 having recovered from a chronic hamstring complaint.

Fisher is named on the bench in St Kilda's final 22 to play Carlton at the MCG as is goalsneak Stephen Milne who returns one week after being sent back to the VFL to regain some touch.

The Saints will also be fielding a debutant with tall defender Sam Gilbert - who was drafted with pick 33 at last year's NAB AFL Draft - named on the bench for Sunday's match.

The final two inclusions, Justin Peckett and Stephen Powell, will have been named in the starting 18.

Going out of the side are Aaron Hamill (knee) and Max Hudghton (suspended), while Andrew McQualter, Aaron Fiora and Allan Murray were all omitted.

McQualter is named on the emergency list along with Mark McGough and Michael Rix.

Luke Blackwell will make his AFL debut for Carlton with the 19-year-old named on the bench after the extended squad was trimmed back to the final 22 on Friday.

Blackwell - a 177-centimetre midfielder - is the son of former Blue Wayne Blackwell and came to the club under the father/son rule in the 2004 NAB AFL National Draft.

He comes into the side at the expense of the luckless Brad Fisher who fractured his shoulder last week against the Bombers and will miss between six and eight weeks.

Jordan Bannister, David Teague and Trent Sporn are the emergencies

[_Ron_]

Peckett, Powell, Gilbert anf L.Fisher over McGough, McQualter, Fiora and Ferguson is just plain wrong.

Blues almost deserve to win.

PLAIN WRONG!!

[SpInNeR]

Gilbert will be a star.

His attack on the footy is second to none.

[_Ron_]

Is that right?

Then good luck to him in his first game and looking forward to seeing his potential but i figured Ferguson was ahead of him at this point in time, but really,

how on earth do Peckett and Powell, Maguire and Ackland get a game ahead of other guys.

Seriously you have to be disgusted with the selections this week.

:(

[Kildonan]

sheeds has to go, ruining future of the club, winders should have stayed in, and whats the point of bringing reynolds in, playing him completely out of posi, praising him, then dropping him

you all need to face it, sheeds has :D:D:D:Ding lost the plot.

It seems that it's not just a disease of St Kilda supporters, but seemingly teams who are underperforming.:(

[unwoken]

I was at the saints geelong game last week and on the way home heard a lot of saints supporters complaining on the radio about reiwoldts missed kick etc.

i will say now that i am not a saints fan, but i respect them, and really enjoy watching them play.

In my opinion the reason for st kilda losing that day had a lot more to do with st kilda's strange ruck policy.

i thought that geelong were very lucky. IMO geelong won because of its ruck dominance, and to blame riewoldt when st kilda should have been well gone at that point is not too fair. it looked to me like st kilda made a tactical mistake by not including Rix (probably the best ruckman in the VFL), and that they would at least give him a go this week.

i have to say that i am amazed Thomas has not bothered to even put Rix on the bench this weekend.

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=267100


what's going on? thomas may say that he isn't interested in winning the knockouts, but this alone can be the difference between winning and losing a match.

is he trying to pretend that his makeshift ruckman are good enough to win games (even a premiership) for him? You could argue that st kilda have fantastic onballers, but so do west coast, who also have Dean Cox...

the geelong game proved this tactic can be very dangerous. is he trying to prove to the media that he was right and they were wrong? does he want to be remembered for revolutionising the ruck position for the modern game blah blah???

what do you guys think? i have never criticised thomas before (except perhaps about his walnut diet), but this seems really strange.

i am not having a go here at all, i like st kilda and am just really shocked by this decision.

u.

[Kildonan]

Carlton v St Kilda (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=102423)
Tips Central
Friday May 19 15:00 AEST

Last week: The Blues got a much needed win against Essendon while the Saints flopped against Geelong.

Last time: The Saints thrashed the Blues by 80 points at Telstra Dome.

Watch for: The knives to be really out for Grant Thomas if the Saints can't win this one.

Prediction: St Kilda by 39 points.

At the start of the season this would have looked like a certain win for St Kilda but that's not the case anymore. Their form is poor and this week they will be missing key players Max Hudghton, Aaron Hamill and Justin Koschitzke. The Blues are coming off a win against Essendon and their two best players, Brendan Fevola and Lance Whitnall, are in great form. Without Hudghton, either the out of form Matt Maguire or Sam Fisher will get the job on Fevola while Whitnall is likely to stand Fraser Gehrig. Apart from Lenny Hayes and Nick Dal Santo the Saints have had few winners this season and those two will need some support if they are to get back on track. If they are to be a contender the simply must win the game.

[Kildonan]

Ball shouldn't be playing. Wasn't GT quoted as saying he wouldn't play anyone who wasn't passed by the medicos? Well hello??? It doesn't take a genius to figure out Ball is far from ok, so unless flags are won in May why is he getting a game? :thumbsd:

Thomas: Ball will play (http://saints.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=267155)
20 May 2006

St Kilda coach Grant Thomas says he would not play skipper Luke Ball if the midfielder was not given the go ahead by the club's medical staff.

Ball has suffered from stomach problems for the majority of the season and Thomas said it was up to the club's training services to decide if Ball should play or not. As a result, Ball will play against Carlton at Telstra Dome on Sunday.

"I'd rest him tomorrow, if I was told to or dictated to by training services," Thomas said on Saturday at Moorabbin. "They tell us if they're available and if they're not available."

"If they're available, I can guarantee you that Luke Ball will be picked and he's available, but if he's not available, I can guarantee you that Luke Ball won't be picked, so it's pretty simple."

"If they give us the names and we make the selections. My five-year-old son Jamieson could make that decision to play Luke if he was available."

Thomas said he believed Ball would shows signs of improvement this weekend, given that he has had a longer break between rounds.

"It's just something that he needs to manage, but when you play four games in 18 days and you come off three six-day breaks and have two interstate trips, it puts a bit of pressure on a guy that's strained stomach muscles," Thomas said.

"We've had a nine-day rest this week, so we should see a little bit of a change in his ability to get through the game."

[Rough_Edges]

It is going to be raining Ron, thats why we picked Pecko, Powell.

just shut the f up.

The best side the selectors have picked all year and you are bagging them, just :D:D:D:D off.

Clearly we can't rest Ball, we aren't going well enough, he pretty much nearly turned it last week....If we had've won we could've rested. If we go 3-5 we are in deep trouble, we have to play him.

[Rough_Edges]

I was at the saints geelong game last week and on the way home heard a lot of saints supporters complaining on the radio about reiwoldts missed kick etc.

i will say now that i am not a saints fan, but i respect them, and really enjoy watching them play.

In my opinion the reason for st kilda losing that day had a lot more to do with st kilda's strange ruck policy.

i thought that geelong were very lucky. IMO geelong won because of its ruck dominance, and to blame riewoldt when st kilda should have been well gone at that point is not too fair. it looked to me like st kilda made a tactical mistake by not including Rix (probably the best ruckman in the VFL), and that they would at least give him a go this week.

i have to say that i am amazed Thomas has not bothered to even put Rix on the bench this weekend.

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=267100


what's going on? thomas may say that he isn't interested in winning the knockouts, but this alone can be the difference between winning and losing a match.

is he trying to pretend that his makeshift ruckman are good enough to win games (even a premiership) for him? You could argue that st kilda have fantastic onballers, but so do west coast, who also have Dean Cox...

the geelong game proved this tactic can be very dangerous. is he trying to prove to the media that he was right and they were wrong? does he want to be remembered for revolutionising the ruck position for the modern game blah blah???

what do you guys think? i have never criticised thomas before (except perhaps about his walnut diet), but this seems really strange.

i am not having a go here at all, i like st kilda and am just really shocked by this decision.

u.
Rolled his ankle playing basketball, should be right for next week though
GT was going to play him but after training at home, stuffed his chances
unlucky

[bluejay]

Rolled his ankle playing basketball, should be right for next week though
GT was going to play him but after training at home, stuffed his chances
unlucky

A pity. I really wanted to see how good of a player is Rix in AFL level.

But... I don't really care what the chases anf Rons of this forum say this week. We won the Champions League in Paris and I was there! UNFORGETTABLE!!

(sorry.... I had to mention it.... I was and still am so so happy, hehe).

:cool:

[Kildonan]

Congrats Bluejay

(PS forgive my ignorance but who won?)

[Rough_Edges]

Congrats Bluejay

(PS forgive my ignorance but who won?)
StKildonan you agreed with everything I said, if you wern't mod you would be backing me up :p

[Kildonan]

StKildonan you agreed with everything I said, if you wern't mod you would be backing me up :p

:D I try to not show favouritism

[Rough_Edges]

:D I try to not show favouritism
:D No need, we all know who your favourites are ;)

[Kildonan]

My favourites are those persons who I think are most capable of taking St Kilda to a premiership.

[unwoken]

Rolled his ankle playing basketball, should be right for next week though
GT was going to play him but after training at home, stuffed his chances
unlucky

ok my apologies then. to thomas as well, i probably jumped the gun a little.

i hope he does well for you when he is fit and does get a game. good luck to your boys today then...

[bluejay]

Congrats Bluejay

(PS forgive my ignorance but who won?)

FC Barcelona beat Arsenal FC 2-1. I'm sorry again I brought soccer to a footy forum, but I was an still am so happy I just didn't care.

It's like the second time in 50 years we win the biggest european soccer trophy. You can compare it to St Kilda winning the GF, after so many years, in let's say Perth, and you witness it at Subiaco. :D

Actually I believe it's bigger, because soccer is wider spread sport around the world, but.... whatever. I am not going to disrespect footy here.

Cheers.

[Kildonan]

No problem.
You're certainly not flooding the site with it :p

Actually Sainter is a bit of a "Soccer" fan.
He is a mod over in the Association Football (Soccer) Board (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=40) and I reckon he would be keen to hear more.

[bluejay]

LOL. I didn't even know there was a soccer board in bigfooty. Thanks for the tip :).

[sainter]

LOL. I didn't even know there was a soccer board in bigfooty. Thanks for the tip :).

Congratulations on the Champions League win.

Yes, feel free to post on the soccer (or football) board as often you like.

There was plenty of discussion on the CL final which your team deservedly won.