Training Saints preseason 2026

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

My God I want that team back.

**** we were spoilt 2004-2005 and then 2009-10....similar but very different teams.

Dal was incredible in 2005. Looked very similar to Nas blasting through packs and hitting Kosi inside 50.

And that left foot 50m pass from Kosi was elite as well.

Not many greater injustices in footy that core missing out on a flag.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

Matty Maguire breaking his ankle / leg was a travesty

 

[akaifu]

 

[Joffaboy]

#Joffaboy, #saintmike65 & #Stravro#4

I was giving some thought to our SSP vacant position. It was reported Ainsworth has broken down again and now been offerred a VFL position (only) and given there has been no training sightings of Wanganeen Im thinking he is in the same position.

It would appear we havent invited anyone else down, I wonder if the club could be looking at one of the train on VFL players eg Bailey McKenzie, Billy Richardson, Jonah Campiglio or similiar to fill the spot? Richardson in particular could fill a versatile tall role, which I still think we need to fill on the list.

Sorry mate, I haven't a clue. Those three VFL players have been training with us and were involved in match sim. If they are trying out for SSP or just making up numbers, I cant tell you.
What I do know is that an SSP or a MSD selection would have been well thought out and not wasted on a list clogger.

 

[Parkysp]

I think there are only so many times we can gush over blokes and say what we think might happen, or what we’re looking forward to.

If peeps are interested enough to engage in the discussion it probably has merit, but if you’d rather something else was discussed, maybe rather than knocking what is being discussed, you could suggest something else, and get us started with your thoughts on it?

A bit has been talked about since my post but you're right. So here goes. Will be loved or hated. It's a tldr so to summarise...

I really don't care about the odd errant kick from a 1st year player who's not had the opportunity to play one in his second.

I'm way more interested in this...

Mentality Monster(s)

A term that Jurgen Klopp introduced it to a Liverpool team that was still getting past the (shudder) Roy Hodgson mess.

Watching a little of the semi's and final of the tennis it stirred in my mind with watching Djockovic. Not a massive fan but 10 Aus Open's and at 38 years of age he took down the world number 2 and if his 38 body wasn't wrecked he may have had the number 1 hitting the gas.

Why? Mentality. The same thing that made him when Federer and Nadal were handing out kickings to the young players when he was coming through. He willed himself to being the best physical player first then with that as a base improved his skills. With that he became the GOAT. This is from a non fan of him but his attitude didn't want my love it wanted my respect. He earnt that.

So I'm interested in

1. Who are our current mentality monsters?
2. Who will be able to join them over the next couple of years and then maintain it?

We will miss Jack Steele and Jimmy for this element. Who's going to standup?

Max Hall like many have said is chasing our senior leaders down. We need more if we are to get to the serious end of a premiership opportunity?

Too much? lol

 

[Kildonan]

A Middie in NSW?
350ml maybe?

I believe a middie was just a standard Pot 10oz / 285ml sized glass

 

[Sanctorum]

Brings up an interesting question of who has had the better career between the two?
I am not a big Kosi fan,I don’t think he met his potential, but also didn’t train near hard enough and performance showed-maybe concussion issues is a reason for this but also playing 2nd fiddle to Riewoldt wouldn’t be easy either.
To add to this I believe if Kosi has met his potential we would be a 3 time premiership team.
Roma is a heart and soul player and far more consistent.
Line them up side by side in the school yard, who are you taking ?
Heart v potential undelivered?
Mmmm Marshall for me,I know what I am going to get most games

I remember when the Saints came to Brisbane to play the Lions in round 21 in 2004 I paid $750 cash (in a brown paper bag to the property manager!!) to be Honorary Bootstudder which meant I sat on the bench with the players and on the ground at 1/4 and 3/4 time to clean their boots, and the thing that impressed me most was that Kosi was the mosty vocal of all the players in the change rooms and when running onto the ground - hard to believe as he comes across as a fairly mild-mannered sort of bloke. But he was really passionate about playing for St Kilda, more so than the others it seemed. Lions thrashed the Saints 130-85. To add insult to injury, the property guy treated me with utter contempt, barked at me when he wanted me to do something, like set up a water hose and fan as it was a warm day, and worse still, after the game and having helped to pack up all the gear he insisted on searching my backpack to make sure I hadn't knocked off a guernsey or a football!!! Can't remember his name other than Peter...
My other takeaway from that episode is that 90% of the off-field people in the rooms etc were volunteers, all of who if they weren't locals paid their own way to fly to Brisbane. I guess that's still the case today as there were a lot of people in Saints clobber in the rooms and around the place at the open training session at Maroochydore week before last.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Dodson had as good a first year for a ruck as anyone. I said during the season we should have rethought our entire ruck strategy with him in mind. Alas the club thought better. Regardless imo it’s him and TDK for the future with Roma either traded or playing forward untill the end of his career.

He’s just too good to be not in the AFL team. I’ll be really pissed if we lose him because we’re paying TDK 1.7 mill

We’ll trade Roma nearing the end of his career before we lose Dodson.
This team is being built for the future.

 

[SainterinSydney]

We’ll trade Roma nearing the end of his career before we lose Dodson.
This team is being built for the future.

I'd delist Ro and let a team take him for free if it meant Dodson stays long term. I rate him that highly.

 

[bergholt]

good song

 

[Ads734]

Marshall is 30.
Dodson played a single game against Essendon, he was NOT too good to be playing VFL.
Would have been premature to trade Marshall and have Dodson next in line last trade period.

Sorry let me rephrase. II is think Alex will be to good for VFL very soon potentially mid this year.

 

[Ads734]

When do you expect Dodson to be better than TDK?

If we play him , game 50

 

[aussierulesrules]

Fair I agree we’re lacking a pure lockdown small.
I think stocker has first dibs but we still need another. LOC is the best option imo, windy potentially but better used as a mid.
Maybe Ronnie , Hastie fincher ,.

I think LOC as a pure defender wins out as to me he’s the strongest with still descent athleticism.

Yeah I imagine Stocker will get first dibs on that too. Will be interesting to see how he goes, as he’s not as quick or athletic as Jimmy.

LOC could be the answer long term, as I think he’s quicker, more athletic, and taller, and a very determined bugger.

I do wonder if Hastie could be an option. Some are comparing him to Trav but I think he’s got quite a bit more burst speed than Trav, but not as much endurance.

He’s got genuine wheels, and he’s a terrific height.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Marshall is 30.
Dodson played a single game against Essendon, he was NOT too good to be playing VFL.

If he wasn’t he was pretty damn close, as he had some huge games, once finally given the ruck duties. He got a game in the seniors because he was legitimately smashing the door down, not because we actually needed an extra ruck that day and he was our only option.

Would have been premature to trade Marshall and have Dodson next in line last trade period.

If Ro was going I reckon we would have convinced Heath to stay and he would have been our no.1 backup, and we probably would have had one of Keeler or Dodson playing each week, with Heath, if Ro was out.

The thing that will be really fascinating will be if the TDK/Ro combo goes really well this year tho and Dodson is again smashing the door down, and other clubs are lining up for him.

Would be very brave to break up the successful partnership, and trade Ro, to convince Dod to stay, but could be dreadful long term to lose a freak young talent, especially for probably just a future second or so, so we can keep Ro.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

I heard on the grapevine that the reality was that RoMa was very very happy to stay with us and that "his request" for a Geelong move was moreso a Media beat up

 

[Stickman90]

I heard on the grapevine that the reality was that RoMa was very very happy to stay with us and that "his request" for a Geelong move was moreso a Media beat up

Thats exactly what it looked like

 

[snails13]

I believe a middie was just a standard Pot 10oz / 285ml sized glass

Correct,S/Aust and Broken Hill have middie glass which is 10oz/285 ml

 

[stfan]

Thanks, everyone! Baby looking great and mum is doing well in recovery! This year is going to be a special year--I can feel it!

Congrats, though you probably should have been at the birth instead of at training

 

[stfan]

Max Hall
If you thought he was good last year, He is better this year. Played predominantly on ball. He was clean, Quick. Worked hard and when he was able to kick inside 50 good things happened, over and over again. We have a bloody good footballer here.He Joined Pou on the B team so he was against Nas, Windy, Macrae etc. Really good showing.

Yes agree on Hall, he is SUPER-fit now. Tracking to be a star for us this season.

 

[stfan]

 

[stfan]

I thought he would struggle out of WA and obviously went far too early without giving him the opportunity, which it seems he is a hit already.

I believe that us having so many indigeous players has greatly assisted in Ryan settling in so well. He just looks right at home.

 

[The Boar]

West Coast botched it.

They were given additional rookie spots as part of their concession package from the AFL and they didn’t move a number of older players on to those rookie spots.

That would have opened up additional primary list spots at the National draft last year.

As a consequence, by the time Saints bid on Banfield at pick 41, the Eagles had already filled their 5 created primary list spots. A terrible mistake.

Eagles couldn’t match our bid for Banfield. No more primary list spots. Incompetence.

The Eagles were hoping Banfield would go undrafted and they would pre-list him at the Rookie draft as an untaken Father-Son.

The lad was miffed as well. Said so publicly. He has a point to prove. Doubt he will go back to West Coast anytime soon.

That might be a half botch but it also might mean they rated Banfield as the lowest priority of their crop? Time will tell

 

[SaintersUnite]

I finally caught up after being 15 pages behind consistently for the past 3 weeks. I can finally contribute my thoughts!

…I have nothing to contribute.

 

[The Punter]

Marshall remains underrated mostly due to his lack of hitout ability. Actually, last year he started to eradicate the dump clearance out of his game, which still gains territory and is not the total disaster some make it out to be.

What having the two of them in the team will mean is that at no stage in any game are we a liability in the ruck. Marshall up against non-ruckmen. Look out.

 

[PoppedCorn]

Was that a multi quote!?

FMD

Nice.