Ross, Play The Kids Please?

[ChrisL#12]

This week I would like to see Lyon make several changes and play a few kids. Rest some of the older bodies and fringe players for maybe five changes. It's time that we see what our younger players have got so that we can make an educated decision at years end about who to delist. I propose, Hudghton for Ferguson, Gehrig for Watts, Rix for Brooks, Jones for Sweeney and Fiora for Armitage. I'm not saying that all my inclusions are in danger of getting the chop at the end of the season, just that some are on the razors edge and the others I would like to see get some gametime before the end of the year.

 

[kosi_23]

This week I would like to see Lyon make several changes and play a few kids. Rest some of the older bodies and fringe players for maybe five changes. It's time that we see what our younger players have got so that we can make an educated decision at years end about who to delist. I propose, Hudghton for Ferguson, Gehrig for Watts, Rix for Brooks, Jones for Sweeney and Fiora for Armitage. I'm not saying that all my inclusions are in danger of getting the chop at the end of the season, just that some are on the razors edge and the others I would like to see get some gametime before the end of the year.

why? if were trying to make finals why would we bring in these kids. Max is coming back from injury starting to hit some quality form, and the others have been servicable all year.

 

[ChrisFooty]

Agree.

However, if the saints beat Freo, with Brisbane losing, Ross may still be hoping for finals (Even though we are playing bottom four type footy)

 

[mad-saint-guy]

I would like us to play the kids who have earnt the opportunity and drop the senior players who aren't performing.

OUT: Gilbert (inj), Jones (delist), Attard (form), L.Fisher (form), Gehrig (rest), Rix (omit)
IN: Ferguson (form), Birss (quality), Thompson (form/last chance), Voss (form/last chance), Watts (form), Brooks (form)

B: Ferguson, Hudghton, Baker
HB: Gram, Maguire, S.Fisher
C: X.Clarke, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Harvey, Riewoldt, Birss
F: Milne, Koschitzke, Watts

Foll: Brooks, Ball, Dal Santo
Int: Blake, Fiora, Thompson, Voss

Emg: Gwilt, McQualter, M.Clarke

Think of what we're losing from last week - Gilbert is the only actual loss

Jones - 8 disposals (turned it over every time he got near it)
Attard - 5 disposals, 1 goal (did nothing)
L.Fisher - 5 disposals (did nothing)
Gehrig - 4 disposals, 2 goals (did nothing after the first 5 minutes)
Rix - 4 disposals, 12 hitouts (did nothing)

Surely Birss, Thomspon, Voss, Watts and Brooks would end up with a total of more than 26 disposals between them. Birss could get that himself with 95 minutes in the midfield.

Gehrig wouldn't usually be rested, but he has been struggling lately and has a poor record against Freo. Give him a week off to get his hand right.

 

[ChrisL#12]

why? if were trying to make finals why would we bring in these kids. Max is coming back from injury starting to hit some quality form, and the others have been servicable all year.

Because we're not going to win it from 8th anyway. The draw in the finals will be too hard. This year we've been decimated with injuries and it has been a great effort to get where we have but let's face it, we won't fire a shot in the finals. Better to think of next year.

 

[Laser123]

Because we're not going to win it from 8th anyway. The draw in the finals will be too hard. This year we've been decimated with injuries and it has been a great effort to get where we have but let's face it, we won't fire a shot in the finals. Better to think of next year.

What a ridiculous statement. Why bother turning up at all over the next few weeks if we think the opposition is going to be too hard! Nobody in their right mind would play kids for the heck of it when we're still a big chance to play finals

 

[sauce_head]

Merit in the above comments. I would be sad to think we would not try to make the finals from this point. In the last few weeks we have played poorly to lose only against last years grand finalists! Dogs was not a great match but they played vastly different to normal (perhaps that says sometihg about us), but it is not THAT disasterous. If we lose this week, then it is the eagels and pretty much game over. Win the rest, and we will make it almost certainly.

I would not like to sacrifice a finals potential position for blooding the kids, who will merly come in and get flogged by the eagles, and then get over the tigers, who have little incentive to win.

 

[The Punter]

Nice to see everyone quitting on the rest of the year. I fully expect all of you to be absent on Saturday afternoon.

 

[ChrisL#12]

I really don't see the point in finishing middle of the pack this year and then not having the games in the legs of our younger players if injuries were to happen next year. Who knows? We might need kids like Armitage and Sweeney to play a big part next year and if we haven't got games into these kids then it's going to take them half of next year to pick up the speed of the game. We might as well miss the finals this year and play the kids instead of scraping into the eight and potentially sacrifice next year when we can have a real dip at it. Our injuries this year have written us off.

 

[NeXus_Helen]

Rix out Brooks in. Reason...Rix is not good enough, give Brooks a chance.
Gehrig out Watts in. Gehrig was a great player but his time has passed.

If we lose this week the season is over. Then and only then do we play "all" the kids. For now, we are still a chance to make the 8.

 

[kosi_23]

I really don't see the point in finishing middle of the pack this year and then not having the games in the legs of our younger players if injuries were to happen next year. Who knows? We might need kids like Armitage and Sweeney to play a big part next year and if we haven't got games into these kids then it's going to take them half of next year to pick up the speed of the game. We might as well miss the finals this year and play the kids instead of scraping into the eight and potentially sacrifice next year when we can have a real dip at it. Our injuries this year have written us off.

Whilst we still have a chance of playing finals theres no point looking to next year. PLaying the kids for the last couple of games isnt gonna make our chances for next year any better.

Brooks is a spud anyway

 

[sauce_head]

Nice to see everyone quitting on the rest of the year. I fully expect all of you to be absent on Saturday afternoon.

Not writing them off unless we lose this week.

http://sportal.com.au/default.aspx/afl-news-display/lyon-stands-by-g-train-33311

Looks like RL has the same idea as most posters here. This week it the tipping point if we lose the match, season over.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Nice to see everyone quitting on the rest of the year. I fully expect all of you to be absent on Saturday afternoon.

C'mon Cap. Most people here are primarily talking about if it becomes mathematically impossible to make the finals. And the rest are merely suggesting we might more like lywin if we play Watts/Brooks than Gehrig/Rix. Besides, if Saints fans were absent every time they thought the team was going to lose, historically our attendances would have been even worse than they've been (think back to the 80s... uuuugghhh...)!

 

[The Punter]

I'm just sick of the negativity. We played poorly and didn't win once in the last five games. Sydney are a very good side, Roos rated it their best win of the year, and we have still tons of improvement.

If we win on Saturday, which I believe we will, we can then gain momentum and run the table until finals. Even if we lose to West Coast we can make the finals. If we get Hawthorn, Kangaroos or Collingwood in the first week of the finals (or even Port Adelaide in Adelaide) we can win that first final. That would represent progress from last year. I don't think there is any team we cannot beat, with the possible exception of Geelong.

Today in his Stats Confidential article, Mark Stevens discussed our last quarters. He quoted Wayne Schwass, indicating that the style of play Sydney plays as implemented by Roos is really taxing aerobically.

I cast my mind back to the Preliminary Final in 2003, when Sydney had Brisbane on toast at three quarter time, only to fall to an inspired display by Jonathan Brown and the Lions. Two years later Sydney were carrying the cup around.

Now if that is the style, or even the ideology, we are now trying to adopt, then anyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel. All of our draftees post 2000 (Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Ball, Dal Santo, X Clarke, Montagna, Maguire, L Fisher, Goddard, S Fisher, R Clarke, Gilbert, Armitage, Gram, Brooks) are no yet at their peak performance age.

So let's keep the mood positive. We may make the finals, we may not, but I am still utterly convinced 2008 will be a massive year on field for the St Kilda Football Club.

 

[m.diddy]

They wont drop the G-train in possibly his last couple of games.

Considering we have almost won the last 8 or so games, with a draw to the dogs, pies and a narrow lost to sydney we could be sitting well in the 8 but at least we still have a chance, they wont think about playing the kids until we are mathematically an impossibility of making the 8.

 

[amer]

How did that Jones guy make it onto your list? From what I've seen, he is TERRIBLE.

 

[m.diddy]

How did that Jones guy make it onto your list? From what I've seen, he is TERRIBLE.

Did you see him at the start of the year? Last few weeks he has been coming back from injury and also started off as a rookie, give him a break.

 

[kingbrown]

Our depth is the worst in the AFL. John Beveridge is accountible to this. Ross Lyon's game plan needs players who are 50-90 games experienced with bodies that are prepared to crash and bang. The problem lies at the saints with all there high draft picks, keeping them on the field and expecting them to play a brand of football that is foreign to their natural instincts. Let's be real we are playing the most boring football ever, the game against Sydney was a joke. I don't believe for one minute the players are completely buying into Lyon's game plan. Look at Geelong, they are our arch enemy, what style do they play? What style do West Coast play? Game plans should be built around what suits the team fabric, we have gone backwards, to bring Sydneys game plan to the saints is laughable.

 

[panthers]

How did that Jones guy make it onto your list? From what I've seen, he is TERRIBLE.

How many AFL games have you played champ????
Another loungechair expert that hasnt played at the highest level

 

[sirviv]

I really don't see the point in finishing middle of the pack this year and then not having the games in the legs of our younger players if injuries were to happen next year. Who knows? We might need kids like Armitage and Sweeney to play a big part next year and if we haven't got games into these kids then it's going to take them half of next year to pick up the speed of the game. We might as well miss the finals this year and play the kids instead of scraping into the eight and potentially sacrifice next year when we can have a real dip at it. Our injuries this year have written us off.

three games at the end of the year are not going to make these kids AFL superstars overnight you guys have lost the plot id rather play finals and finish 8th than be bored shitless in september get a grip quitters

 

[amer]

How many AFL games have you played champ????
Another loungechair expert that hasnt played at the highest level

Jones >>>>>>>> Me.

But that doesn't mean I can't have an opinion on him.

 

[ChrisL#12]

I'm just sick of the negativity. We played poorly and didn't win once in the last five games. Sydney are a very good side, Roos rated it their best win of the year, and we have still tons of improvement.

If we win on Saturday, which I believe we will, we can then gain momentum and run the table until finals. Even if we lose to West Coast we can make the finals. If we get Hawthorn, Kangaroos or Collingwood in the first week of the finals (or even Port Adelaide in Adelaide) we can win that first final. That would represent progress from last year. I don't think there is any team we cannot beat, with the possible exception of Geelong.

Today in his Stats Confidential article, Mark Stevens discussed our last quarters. He quoted Wayne Schwass, indicating that the style of play Sydney plays as implemented by Roos is really taxing aerobically.

I cast my mind back to the Preliminary Final in 2003, when Sydney had Brisbane on toast at three quarter time, only to fall to an inspired display by Jonathan Brown and the Lions. Two years later Sydney were carrying the cup around.

Now if that is the style, or even the ideology, we are now trying to adopt, then anyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel. All of our draftees post 2000 (Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Ball, Dal Santo, X Clarke, Montagna, Maguire, L Fisher, Goddard, S Fisher, R Clarke, Gilbert, Armitage, Gram, Brooks) are no yet at their peak performance age.

So let's keep the mood positive. We may make the finals, we may not, but I am still utterly convinced 2008 will be a massive year on field for the St Kilda Football Club.

Yeah and that worked for Pagan at Carlton. Different personnel, different club. We're not carbon copies of Sydney by any means, and it certainly doesn't mean we're going to win a flag just because we play like Sydney and they won a flag.

 

[ChrisL#12]

three games at the end of the year are not going to make these kids AFL superstars overnight you guys have lost the plot id rather play finals and finish 8th than be bored shitless in september get a grip quitters

I'd rather be bored shitless in September this year and win a flag next year than tiptoe around the daffodils forever echoing our clubs shit history for all eternity.

 

[Laser123]

I'd rather be bored shitless in September this year and win a flag next year than tiptoe around the daffodils forever echoing our clubs shit history for all eternity.

You really think that playing a few kids for 3 weeks is going to help us win the flag next year? I highly doubt it

 

[The Punter]

With the personnel Carlton had/has, they could have played any style and it wouldn't have made the slightest difference.

If you are comparing our talent level with Carlton's without mentioning the words "... is much, much better than..." then I would argue that you don't belong here.

We have the talent - all we need is the fitness. And it will come.