View Full Version : Michael Gardiner
ultimate hater
30 Nov 2007, 07:07
Just heard on SEN that he has "fully" recovered from his injuries and expect him to be playing a lot of footy this year.
Do people think he is still a great asset for the saints considering he hasnt really played any games of footy for a long time..?
And do you think he could reach his AA form of 2003? Remembering he was the number 1 ruckman in the comp, above the likes of Cox, Lade, Everitt and Brogan.
Personally I think he will do wonders with the midfield. With alot of teams having gun midfields and there not being much difference between most, I think the ruckman will have the deciding factor on whether a midfield comes out ontop of the oppositions.
If he really is 100% recovered as they say (they did actually say he is 100%), we should get a taste of whats to come in the pre-season comp.
On the otherside, do people think he has just missed too much football and is too far behind the 8ball to have an impact this year?
Squizzy1970
30 Nov 2007, 07:57
Can't see AA form resulting, and I still think rucking on the Dome surface for any large chunk of the game will create problems. However, he has a great physical presence and can go forward. Other teams will worry about him, although (especially early) they will try and run him off his legs. He needs to be 100% if he's going to play.
bubblegoose
30 Nov 2007, 09:35
Oh bloody hell UH! SSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
The footy gods are always listening for any Saints good fortune! He's doomed now for sure!
- if he were to make it to the season proper, he'd be an improvement on what we have (Kosi aside) but I wouldn't expect any miraculaous return to AA form, I don't think that's realisitc.
Just heard on SEN that he has "fully" recovered from his injuries and expect him to be playing a lot of footy this year.
Do people think he is still a great asset for the saints considering he hasnt really played any games of footy for a long time..?
And do you think he could reach his AA form of 2003? Remembering he was the number 1 ruckman in the comp, above the likes of Cox, Lade, Everitt and Brogan.
Personally I think he will do wonders with the midfield. With alot of teams having gun midfields and there not being much difference between most, I think the ruckman will have the deciding factor on whether a midfield comes out ontop of the oppositions.
If he really is 100% recovered as they say (they did actually say he is 100%), we should get a taste of whats to come in the pre-season comp.
On the otherside, do people think he has just missed too much football and is too far behind the 8ball to have an impact this year?
He may not be great, he may not be the best in the Comp. But having Rix as 1st ruck means at 60% gardiner will be a step forward
sydney eagle
30 Nov 2007, 12:18
I hope that Gardiner can get fit, stay out of trouble, and have a good year for the Saints (Just not when you are playing the Eagles, okay ?):)
brilliant_bally
30 Nov 2007, 12:24
i heard this early last season about round 8. he was ready to make a comback at round 13 and started playing for casey at round 8 of the afl season adn played two games then the medicos changed his authotics and the were the wrong ones put him in a moon boot until round 16 then he could have made a come back at round 20 but they rather get him set for this season so he had recovered from his injury ages ago and would have started training with the main group at the start of the pre-season so he will be a 100% if he has no hick ups so he should be rareing to go in feb for the nab cup. my doctor use to be one of saints doctors and he told me and i am not naming names but reliable source
huggy_b
30 Nov 2007, 19:58
King and Gardy in tandem will be a welcome addition I reckon. Won't set the world on fire, but will at least give an honest go and hopefully at the very least halve the contest.
SS_Fury
30 Nov 2007, 20:04
gardy is a shocking kick, the way he drops the ball onto his foot..i used to cringe when he kicked...i would like to see a fully fit gardy vs cox for old times sake.
Ice-Wolf
30 Nov 2007, 20:09
gardy is a shocking kick, the way he drops the ball onto his foot..i used to cringe when he kicked...i would like to see a fully fit gardy vs cox for old times sake.
They could of had to do with his feet being stuffed though, he could be different now
SS_Fury
30 Nov 2007, 20:17
he always looked awkward with his drop- looked unco with his style more than something wrong injury wise
sausageroll
30 Nov 2007, 20:22
i heard this early last season about round 8. he was ready to make a comback at round 13 and started playing for casey at round 8 of the afl season adn played two games then the medicos changed his authotics and the were the wrong ones put him in a moon boot until round 16 then he could have made a come back at round 20 but they rather get him set for this season so he had recovered from his injury ages ago and would have started training with the main group at the start of the pre-season so he will be a 100% if he has no hick ups so he should be rareing to go in feb for the nab cup. my doctor use to be one of saints doctors and he told me and i am not naming names but reliable source
Bloody hell, that's a long sentence:p
I hope you're right. I'd like to see him play a full season and play well.
GNCLongJack
1 Dec 2007, 11:34
With a fit Luke Ball, and Hayes back to his best. Dal Santo, Armitage and Jones, and unfortunately, (for us other clubs), the list goes on, your midfield is going to enjoy the fruits of Gardiner, King, Rix and take a bit of heat off Blake. 87 goals from 129 games is a good return for a ruckman, despite the writings here about his unorthodox kicking style. The physical presence of both him and King will represent very good mentoring for Rix. good luck in '08
Saints Premiers 2006
1 Dec 2007, 15:55
With a fit Luke Ball, and Hayes back to his best. Dal Santo, Armitage and Jones, and unfortunately, (for us other clubs), the list goes on, your midfield is going to enjoy the fruits of Gardiner, King, Rix and take a bit of heat off Blake. 87 goals from 129 games is a good return for a ruckman, despite the writings here about his unorthodox kicking style. The physical presence of both him and King will represent very good mentoring for Rix. good luck in '08
im a fan of the hawks and truly believe they have built the next domiant power
after we have our few years in the premiership sun
wait your turn
sauce_head
2 Dec 2007, 00:57
i heard this early last season about round 8. he was ready to make a comback at round 13 and started playing for casey at round 8 of the afl season adn played two games then the medicos changed his authotics and the were the wrong ones put him in a moon boot until round 16 then he could have made a come back at round 20 but they rather get him set for this season so he had recovered from his injury ages ago and would have started training with the main group at the start of the pre-season so he will be a 100% if he has no hick ups so he should be rareing to go in feb for the nab cup. my doctor use to be one of saints doctors and he told me and i am not naming names but reliable source
Apparently he has had the foot surgery now, so hopefuly it will be less about managing the injury and more about full recovery.
Ripper_G
2 Dec 2007, 15:30
ball sack
gardy and Kinga will be a very handy duo, with so many injuries last year it has really improved our depth for this year and with the likes of arron fiora and X clarke (hes getting a bit better) we are really filling the cracks up. gardy will be aching to play, i think he will be a big part of our succes.
Ripper G
delirious1
2 Dec 2007, 18:12
A fit Gardiner is a very damaging player
His 2003 season was brilliant, ild like to see him return to form though,
When was the last time this club had a decent ruckman?
Hoping Gairdner comes up. Give him a go.
Peter Everitt was our last good tap ruckman.
Gaz_Brownlow
12 Dec 2007, 01:16
Peter Everitt was our last good tap ruckman.
I have been a bit lost on Gardiner...when was his last season, how well did he perform then and was he kicked out by the eagles or just injured? I forget?
I have to admit, i'm a little bit scared of the saints for 2008 - i know King is a bloody big unit, and if he holds up injury wise (and he is in his best condition for 4 years now), then given a split workload with gardiner and even kosi, they could be a formidable force.
With Ball back to his best and Hayes and Harvey running about, that is a fairly decent midfield - although Goddard has not really ever impressed me. And of course kicking to Riewoldt and Kosi up forward could be very dangerous.
Still, the window is short and i don't see a great backline and their is some suspect depth their. If you guys can keep your injury list minimal, then i think the Saints are going to be a pretty s@#t hot outfit in 2008.... Still can't beleive we gifted you Kingy!
Squizzy1970
12 Dec 2007, 07:45
What's wrong with the backline? Sam Fisher is a gun, and with Gram, Goose, Max, Gilbert, Baker and Goddard I think you haven't been watching too much.
Yeah, the midfield is "decent" - heard of Dal Santo and Montagna?
Ice-Wolf
12 Dec 2007, 08:28
What's wrong with the backline? Sam Fisher is a gun, and with Gram, Goose, Max, Gilbert, Baker and Goddard I think you haven't been watching too much.
Yeah, the midfield is "decent" - heard of Dal Santo and Montagna?
Sam Fisher should have been All Australian, but the Selectors were virtually wetting themselves over Geelong
Squizzy1970
12 Dec 2007, 08:55
Yeah, I was going to drop the "AA" in relation to Sam Fisher, but the pussies have bragging rights so we'll move on and look to address it in '08.
Oh When the Saints
12 Dec 2007, 09:25
In 2006, Gardiner played about 15 games in the WAFL for Claremont, as well as 3 games for West Coast. So his body stood up for nearly a whole season.
He battled injury in 2005, and obviously missed '04 with the knee injury.
bubblegoose
12 Dec 2007, 14:58
In 2006, Gardiner played about 15 games in the WAFL for Claremont, as well as 3 games for West Coast. So his body stood up for nearly a whole season. He battled injury in 2005, and obviously missed '04 with the knee injury.
Why are there so many conflicting reports floating around re MG? Any at training advise what the real go is?
Joffaboy
12 Dec 2007, 17:29
Why are there so many conflicting reports floating around re MG? Any at training advise what the real go is?
Word is that only Goose is a LTI. Gardiner is fit and training well and to the regime Misson has given him.
This is from a reliable source on a thread about the fitness of Kosi over at SS.
Gaz_Brownlow
12 Dec 2007, 19:56
What's wrong with the backline? Sam Fisher is a gun, and with Gram, Goose, Max, Gilbert, Baker and Goddard I think you haven't been watching too much.
Yeah, the midfield is "decent" - heard of Dal Santo and Montagna?
Goddard is soft and I see him loose to many 1 on 1's and tends to back out of heated contests. Goose and Fisher are guns yes....but the others aren't much more then low skilled defenders with limited ball use skills.
I would expect Fisher to receive a bit more attention this year as his role as the "Darren Milburn" of St Kilda was very good last year. Isn't Goose still battling injury?
Yeah Dal Santo can play, but Montagna well, i think he over acheived last year. Still if Ball can get his fitness back, I would rate him in the top echelon of midfielders.... The problem i still se about St Kilda's Defense and Midfield is that they are not attacking enough (high possessions for limited return). However, a couple of big units sharing the ruck will help out immensely! This is why i'm concerned about the Saints - i think St Kilda vs. Geelong next year will be an absolute cracker!!
ChrisFooty
12 Dec 2007, 20:01
What's wrong with the backline? Sam Fisher is a gun, and with Gram, Goose, Max, Gilbert, Baker and Goddard I think you haven't been watching too much.
Injury. Otherwise on paper, it's quite a good backline. The major problem of late is keeping both Max and Goose on the park.
SS_Fury
12 Dec 2007, 20:05
In 2006, Gardiner played about 15 games in the WAFL for Claremont, as well as 3 games for West Coast. So his body stood up for nearly a whole season.
He battled injury in 2005, and obviously missed '04 with the knee injury.
gardi was on your list in 06, not ours
Oh When the Saints
12 Dec 2007, 21:41
Sorry meant '05.
Squizzy1970
13 Dec 2007, 07:44
gardi was on your list in 06, not ours
What the????
Gardiner was a trade in 2006, so was not on our list during the season. Had to be on the WC list to do a trade!
bubblegoose
13 Dec 2007, 10:36
Word is that only Goose is a LTI. Gardiner is fit and training well and to the regime Misson has given him. This is from a reliable source on a thread about the fitness of Kosi over at SS.
Cheers JB
Ole Gill
19 Dec 2007, 08:47
From someone who knows - Gardinier is absolutely flying physically.
Squizzy1970
19 Dec 2007, 09:35
More like hurling instead of flying from some reports at pre-season.
We hope he comes up, as he's the type of player we have lacked - big, talented and nasty.
Kosi has a crack at thowing his weight around sometimes, but I'm not sure it's really him. Gardi definitely has the "Greg Stafford pointy elbows" (patent pending).
Ole Gill
19 Dec 2007, 09:57
I think if he and King give you anything in the ruck, you're in for a good year.
Persevering Saint
19 Dec 2007, 16:07
What effect do you see coming with Madden coaching Gardiner?
Squizzy1970
19 Dec 2007, 16:30
Madden made the most of body position and nouse. He also kicked 575 goals, and we will be looking for Kosi, King and Gardiner to push forward at times (Madden's style of play is well suited to the modern game).
If your query relates to a former AA (not alcoholics!!!) player who should know what he's doing, to an extent yes. But things like reading other players, the timing of your leap, set plays which suit all team members are issues which a 3 time AA like Madden would be able to identify.
Persevering Saint
22 Dec 2007, 21:23
Ta muchly Squiz... anybody else with a view?
Kildonan
22 Dec 2007, 22:02
Madden is a coup. There is no doubt about that.
I was surprised by the announcement though, because I believed that Matty Clarke was being primed for the spot.
Madden is smart, he is respected and he has a wealth of experience and credentials which fits beautifully with the quality of personnel that we are accumulating at the club.
I personally think that Madden is there for Ben McEvoy's development rather than Gardiner so the point is moot in a Gardiner thread.
Madden made the most of body position and nouse. He also kicked 575 goals, and we will be looking for Kosi, King and Gardiner to push forward at times (Madden's style of play is well suited to the modern game).
If your query relates to a former AA (not alcoholics!!!) player who should know what he's doing, to an extent yes. But things like reading other players, the timing of your leap, set plays which suit all team members are issues which a 3 time AA like Madden would be able to identify.
King is a fish out of water in the forwardline. He does get back very well though and he actually has pretty realiable disposal. Gardiner can go forward. But as St Kildonian alluded too. 10 years in the System as an AFL ruckmen means King and Gardiner know what they are doing. McEvoy and Rix are the guys that Madden will help.
SS_Fury
23 Dec 2007, 12:41
gardy is a shocking kick, watch him drop the ball on his foot...it really isnt pretty
markfarmer
23 Dec 2007, 17:11
gardy is a shocking kick, watch him drop the ball on his foot...it really isnt pretty
Don't know about that...
In the WAFL in 2005 he had bags of 5 6,7, goals(8 or 9 too I think in one game??) as the forward/ruckman... before almost getting back into the Eagles lineup before his indiscretion.....
hope he really gets his shit together. hes a great player to watch and if he started firing, the saints would benefit so much that he could push them into the top 4.
anywhere near that 2003 form would suit the saints quite well. he was the best ruckman in the game. his best > any ruckmans best, even dean cox.
hope he really gets his shit together. hes a great player to watch and if he started firing, the saints would benefit so much that he could push them into the top 4.
anywhere near that 2003 form would suit the saints quite well. he was the best ruckman in the game. his best > any ruckmans best, even dean cox.
I reckon Spider at his best was better.
I reckon Spider at his best was better.
hmm i dunno. i felt that gardiners tap work was the best in the game by far. he carried our team in 2003, when he got injured we went shithouse.
his around the ground work was great too. i'll never forget his first game without a preseason in 2004 rnd 1 against the dogs at TD (one of the best games i've ever seen). he came on when the score was like 42-6 in favour of dogs and turned the game on its head.
when do you reckon spiders best years were?
2004 & his last year at the saints I think around 2001
sauce_head
24 Dec 2007, 09:10
2004 & his last year at the saints I think around 2001
I remember that game. It was when we all knew he was leaving as he pulled out all stops to get a new contract. He has been chasing Septembers off ever since...
Squizzy1970
24 Dec 2007, 10:25
If's Gardiner's kicking is that bad, how did he slot through the 4 goals in a quarter against us in 2005?
The 2003 game with 16 kicks, 8 handballs, 39 hit-outs and 3 brownlow votes also comes to mind!!!
Squizzy1970
6 Feb 2008, 08:54
Harvs and Gehrig have talked him up in recent times :
http://saints.com.au/InternationalCupNews/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5315/Default.aspx?newsId=54968
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,23166867%255E20322,00.html
It looks like we will get a return on the investment this year. We have not had a dominant ruck division since I started following the club (Everitt was good but had little backup, and Sarau/Sidebottom were undersized). To have King, Gardiner and Kosi up and running is a completely different set-up.
sauce_head
6 Feb 2008, 18:34
Everitt had Lazer Vidivic (excuse my spelling), who was not too bad. Put it this way, if we had have had that enforcer in the GF it would have gone a long way... Some of his biff bumps and brawlers highlights are simply conversation stopping!
But I take your point Squizzy, we now have established players, admittedly post career best, in the middle. I am looking forward to it as well.
ChrisFooty
6 Feb 2008, 21:29
Everitt had Lazer Vidivic (excuse my spelling), who was not too bad. Put it this way, if we had have had that enforcer in the GF it would have gone a long way... Some of his biff bumps and brawlers highlights are simply conversation stopping!
I totally agree. Our ruck division in 1997 was by no means weak. Lazer was very serviceable as a back up, even more so towards the end of that year (until he had that major injury) 10 times better than Rix and Brooks.
Squizzy1970
7 Feb 2008, 08:34
Unfortunately big Laz did not peak at the same time as Spider. But agree he was a nasty and effective ruckman. His stats were better than I thought.
Spider :
2002 12 games 132 poss 52 mk 16 g 264 ho
2001 21 265 98 30 569
2000 15 176 74 40 186
1999 17 224 101 22 347
1998 24 411 163 45 433
1997 23 346 135 44 302
1996 19 228 101 41 139
1995 18 199 92 32 115
1994 18 111 39 13 57
1993 13 166 54 16 122
Lazar "Have I got a deal for you" Vidovic
1997 7 games 48 poss 21 mk 1 g 49 ho
1996 17 174 67 4 157
1995 9 90 26 1 120
1994 18 236 91 4 247
1993 2 33 6 0 36
1992 17 254 101 3 250
1991 9 106 43 0 130
Remember that Brett Cook, Andrew McLean and Tim Elliott were our other backup ruckmen at the time - rather than Kosi!!!
Everitt had Lazer Vidivic (excuse my spelling), who was not too bad. Put it this way, if we had have had that enforcer in the GF it would have gone a long way... Some of his biff bumps and brawlers highlights are simply conversation stopping!
But I take your point Squizzy, we now have established players, admittedly post career best, in the middle. I am looking forward to it as well.
What about Vidovic belting Ablett in the last minutes of the 1991 elimination final, giving away a (15m?) penalty and allowing them to kick more than a goal clear? I thought my bro was going to look him up in the phone book and kill him.
Still, yes, a good ruckman. And, yes, perhaps GT's disdain of rucks goes back to his playing days at the Saints - Sarau was good, but...
Squizzy1970
7 Feb 2008, 10:57
And Fehring!!!
And Fehring!!!
As much as I loved THAT goal....
DockerNJL
7 Feb 2008, 13:47
As much as I loved THAT goal....
sorry guys but seen as though where talking about goals + ruckmen, how good was Jlo's goal.......
Sorry couldn't help myself, Gardiner if he stays fit as stated before will be very handy indead, 1st game i went to was a derby and he tore us a new one + took the BOG medal.
Quality ruckmen is what the sainters have missed recently hope you guys have 1 or 2 here.
Squizzy1970
7 Feb 2008, 15:49
Wasn't that the "whispers in the sky" game? Umpire D-Head did indeed fix us up that night.
I was very disappointed we did not get the punch away - even more disappointed he slotted it nicely on the angle.
kerr brownlow 08
7 Feb 2008, 20:50
where too for kossie with gardi and king set to hold down the rucking duties for the season provided they r fully fit?
Look2Me4Guidance
7 Feb 2008, 21:25
where too for kossie with gardi and king set to hold down the rucking duties for the season provided they r fully fit?
Up forward. He said it himself in an interview earlier in the week.