Training 2020 Pre-Season

Hannebery .....is in really good shape.
Is Roberton in match simulation, or is he still being held back? If he is back is their rust falling off him?
 

Human Person

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Training today for those interested.

Yeah definitely Carlisle & Howard are the key defensive posts in match simulation.
Brown putting plenty of pressure on though so those guys have to perform
.
Pretty much entire list did match simulation today Geary , Alabakis , Parker & Ross only exceptions.
Battle rested ...( all good)
Bytel put scare through the camp tweaked a knee , after going thru whole range of tests got all clear.

Clark was the stand out in match simulation today .
But the guy who stood out for entire training session was Marsh ..significantly fitter this year.
They won’t be able to keep him out of team if he keeps it up , getting better & better.

Thought players in no particular order that stood out were Hill , Clark , Ryder , Jones , Billings , Coffield,
Marsh and Abbott ..... certainly emphasis is speed , run & carry.

Thanks for the update man, great stuff. Do you think we’ll see as much of Wilkie this year?
 

Human Person

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Training today for those interested.

Yeah definitely Carlisle & Howard are the key defensive posts in match simulation.
Brown putting plenty of pressure on though so those guys have to perform
.
Pretty much entire list did match simulation today Geary , Alabakis , Parker & Ross only exceptions.
Battle rested ...( all good)
Bytel put scare through the camp tweaked a knee , after going thru whole range of tests got all clear.

Clark was the stand out in match simulation today .
But the guy who stood out for entire training session was Marsh ..significantly fitter this year.
They won’t be able to keep him out of team if he keeps it up , getting better & better.

Thought players in no particular order that stood out were Hill , Clark , Ryder , Jones , Billings , Coffield,
Marsh and Abbott ..... certainly emphasis is speed , run & carry.

Also, as their advocate, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least ask about Gresh and D-Mac.

Gresh in particular, was he lining up as a forward or mid in match sim?
 

Human Person

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I heard an interesting story from a friend who knows someone pretty high up at the Saints although I won't say who :D anyway he told me he asked this guy start of last year "how's it going at the Saints" and he responded "well it would help if we had a half decent coach".

I was never a big Richo bagger until late, but I know many others on here weren't impressed with him. Seems some on the inside shared those views.

I generally take all such anecdotal stories with a mouthful of salt. But a few this time last year were saying that bringing Ratts in was a plan for if Richo was sacked and/or stepped down (forced or not), and that did seem to come true, speculation or not.
 

Gavinmitchell11

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I recently watched the 97 prelim . Heatley was amazing . Then petered out . I remember holding his beer when I was about 10 in the Subiaco club rooms after the game while he signed my footy .

I’ve got a mate who worked at crown casino in 1997 and swears heatley was there drunk on the eve of the 97 grand final.

90’s footy at Waverley that was my favourite time as a saints fan
 
Good tradie makes sure he has the best possible tools he can as soon as he can

Richo was very negative and bland and sucked the confidence out of a lot players worried to much about what they couldn’t do instead of what they could do

Imo worse coach we have had and set the club back many years
Could argue Watson, Watters or Blight were worse.

Maybe things are more amplified now with social media and websites like these.

If this forum was as active now as it was back in the early 00's I'm sure people would have a different view now.

Back then all the media you got was from the papers or directly out of the club. Now anyone can post anything about the club.

I think there's a lot more pressure on public figures these days and their actions are scrutinised a lot more.

Anyway I'm rambling. I think Richo was poor but not the worst.
 
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Could argue Watson, Watters or Blight were worse.

Maybe things are more amplified now with social media and websites like these.

If this forum was as active now as it was back in the early 00's I'm sure people would have a different view now.

Back then all the media you got was from the papers or directly out of the club. Now anyone can post anything about the club.

I think there's a lot more pressure on public figures these days and their actions are scrutinised a lot more.

Anyway I'm rambling. I think Richo was poor but not the worst.

They were clearly worse (in my opinion) but Richo was given so much more time than those guys which makes his tenure worse for the club overall. That contract extension was a disaster.
 
Thanks for the update man, great stuff. Do you think we’ll see as much of Wilkie this year?
I’ve watched the odd quarter of games here and there over the offseason and he’d be almost first picked in the backline. Good defender but his skills are on another level compared to some others back there, whoever doesn’t have him in is kidding themselves. As I said many times last year he looks like he should be playing for Hawthorn.
 
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Could argue Watson, Watters or Blight were worse.

Maybe things are more amplified now with social media and websites like these.

If this forum was as active now as it was back in the early 00's I'm sure people would have a different view now.

Back then all the media you got was from the papers or directly out of the club. Now anyone can post anything about the club.

I think there's a lot more pressure on public figures these days and their actions are scrutinised a lot more.

Anyway I'm rambling. I think Richo was poor but not the worst.

I think he meant well. The club was under siege at the time, and he placed a steadying hand on a team under duress. However he continued his conservative approach for too long, even with the injuries. I also think that after Roo & Joey left he seemed completely rudderless. He was a coach for the time between 2013-2017. Hindsight is a great thing, but it was probably time for him to move on before 2018. You could already see the flaws in the game plan. Far too one dimensional...even for a team of below average quality.
 

Stewart66

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Is Roberton in match simulation, or is he still being held back? If he is back is their rust falling off him?

Roberton is fine doing everything , Wilkie is also fine doing everything and is fitter than last year.
Competition is hot for spots all over the ground , which you will hear from lots of clubs this time of
year but as said as far as Saints are concerned lots of fit guys hungry for spots competition fierce.
 

Stewart66

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Also, as their advocate, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least ask about Gresh and D-Mac.

Gresh in particular, was he lining up as a forward or mid in match sim?

Gresham was played in midfield today , was good just got to stop kicking the ball too high out of stoppages.
He played forward pocket the previous training session I was at mixing things up.

D Mac is in good shape , for mine has quite a few in front of him .
 

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Gresham was played in midfield today , was good just got to stop kicking the ball too high out of stoppages.
He played forward pocket the previous training session I was at mixing things up.

D Mac is in good shape , for mine has quite a few in front of him .

Winx please mate? Need some advocate material.

Thanks for the updates, love reading them 👍
 

Stewart66

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Winx please mate? Need some advocate material.

Thanks for the updates, love reading them 👍


Max is going well in getting his body prepared for the season , they are being conservative with
him playing deep forward , having a guy like Roughead is huge for his development.
Long game being played there , playing against Nathan Brown a lot in match simulation which is good
for learning positioning etc.
 

OxSaint

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Roberton is fine doing everything , Wilkie is also fine doing everything and is fitter than last year.
Competition is hot for spots all over the ground , which you will hear from lots of clubs this time of
year but as said as far as Saints are concerned lots of fit guys hungry for spots competition fierce.
Hi mate, thanks for the updates. Has doults been getting any inside time? Or all on the wing.
 
Our issues were with drafting after 2001. I still don't think Richo had much to wrk with.

2002 -We swapped Everitt for Barry Brookes and Matt Ferguson only above average player was Goddard who landed in our lap.
2003 -Traded for Guerra, picked up Gram in trades, only above average draftee was Sam Fisher.
2004 -Gwilt only above average from trades and draft.
2005 -Traded out of early draft for Fergus Watts, only above average player was Gilbert.
2006 - Traded in Gardiner and only above average was Armo.
2007 -Schnieder and Dempster traded in, Jack Steven and Mc Evoy best haul for years.
2008 -Farren Ray traded in, Tom Lynch and Rhys Stanley only above average players.
2009 -Mark Hutchings rookie. Zac Dawson promoted rookie.
2010 - Jamie Cripps only above average player.
2011 - Seb Ross, Webster and Newnes.
2012 - 8 players drafted not one still playing AFL.
2013 -Mc Evoy traded for Savage Acres and Dunstan. Jack Billings drafted.
2014 - Traded out Stanley for H. Goddard, Paddy and Mc Kenzie drafted.
2015 - Traded for Carlisle, Gresham.
2016 - Battle, Long, Marshall rookie.
2017 -Clark looks above average, Coffield and Paton promising. Langlands promising rookie.
2018 -Wilkie already above average. King and Bytel unknowns.
2019- Too early to call and not relevant to Richo.

The quality of players we brought in in that period seriously diminished our ability to compete. Post 2014 our drafting seems to have improved.
 
Doesn't help when those in charge think he's a good builder.

Problem was literally everyone at the club thought you build the best house on street with only those tools.

Full of sales people with really no idea. Like if you talk about how great the house will be then it will be that great.

We need to move into an era where talk is cheap and all that matters is the actions and results.


I think the foreman was an accountant who had never seen a set of tools in his life. Everyone was hoping no-one would find them out. Workers on site were hiding in the tearoom hoping not to get exposed.
 
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Went to the open session earlier in the week and thought the same about Marsh. Other stand outs for me where the obvious Roma, Hill and Clark.
Training today for those interested.

Yeah definitely Carlisle & Howard are the key defensive posts in match simulation.
Brown putting plenty of pressure on though so those guys have to perform
.
Pretty much entire list did match simulation today Geary , Alabakis , Parker & Ross only exceptions.
Battle rested ...( all good)
Bytel put scare through the camp tweaked a knee , after going thru whole range of tests got all clear.

Clark was the stand out in match simulation today .
But the guy who stood out for entire training session was Marsh ..significantly fitter this year.
They won’t be able to keep him out of team if he keeps it up , getting better & better.

Thought players in no particular order that stood out were Hill , Clark , Ryder , Jones , Billings , Coffield,
Marsh and Abbott ..... certainly emphasis is speed , run & carry.

On SM-T290 using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

Palantine

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Interesting about Marsh as it’s easy to forget he had limited preseason last year and was thrown into it, initially as a forward under Richo which didn’t work no surprises. I find him a little clumsy as a footballer but would love to see him go up a level. Just not convinced the footy instinct is there.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
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Our issues were with drafting after 2001. I still don't think Richo had much to wrk with.

2002 -We swapped Everitt for Barry Brookes and Matt Ferguson only above average player was Goddard who landed in our lap.
2003 -Traded for Guerra, picked up Gram in trades, only above average draftee was Sam Fisher.
2004 -Gwilt only above average from trades and draft.
2005 -Traded out of early draft for Fergus Watts, only above average player was Gilbert.
2006 - Traded in Gardiner and only above average was Armo.
2007 -Schnieder and Dempster traded in, Jack Steven and Mc Evoy best haul for years.
2008 -Farren Ray traded in, Tom Lynch and Rhys Stanley only above average players.
2009 -Mark Hutchings rookie. Zac Dawson promoted rookie.
2010 - Jamie Cripps only above average player.
2011 - Seb Ross, Webster and Newnes.
2012 - 8 players drafted not one still playing AFL.
2013 -Mc Evoy traded for Savage Acres and Dunstan. Jack Billings drafted.
2014 - Traded out Stanley for H. Goddard, Paddy and Mc Kenzie drafted.
2015 - Traded for Carlisle, Gresham.
2016 - Battle, Long, Marshall rookie.
2017 -Clark looks above average, Coffield and Paton promising. Langlands promising rookie.
2018 -Wilkie already above average. King and Bytel unknowns.
2019- Too early to call and not relevant to Richo.

The quality of players we brought in in that period seriously diminished our ability to compete. Post 2014 our drafting seems to have improved.
This is overall accurate and the reason that, while not a huge fan of Richo would defend him against the more hysterical posts about him.
But when it was reported by a poster here from a current playet that Richo didn't concentrate on skills but more on pressure, I was astounded.
Could not believe this was a senior AFL coach strategy.
All I hear from Ratts is skill, skills, skills which is a relief.
 

ScrappyDo

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I think the foreman was an accountant who had never seen a set of tools in his life. Everyone was hoping no-one would find them out. Workers on site were hiding in the tearoom hoping not to get exposed.
Probably the most accurate and succinct description yet.

The Seaford days were just one big dark corner where all the cockroaches gathered and multiplied.
Once we landed back in the sunshine of Moorabbin they were all scattered and squashed by the hand of Satan Lethlean and public exposure.
One hopes they've painted the joint in surface spray now, and put bug zappers in every corner.
Sexton found belly up and twitching in the cafeteria on Monday morning...
 
Watters and Richo, two of our worst coaches in history back to back. Not many clubs could pull that off!


Coupled with diabolical recruiting for more than 10 years. Trout was an assistant coach who we seemed to not notice was our under performing recruiter with no experience in the role.
 
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