Training Saints preseason 2026

[Catta89]

Hypothetically… What position would Armstrong play?
Was there ever a highlights video of him when we drafted him?

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Reacting like words hurt you is the epitome of an insecure snowflake club.

Fagan can say whatever he likes, all that matters to us is us.
Ross will love Fagan giving him fuel to feed a new 'us against them' narrative.

Saints Footy bubble 2.0.



I really dont think we will have windy and trav with their ordinary kicking off half back.

Elite kickers in our squad

1. Hall
2. Hill
3. Nas
4. Ryan?
5. Sharman
6. Silvagni?
7. Sinclair
8. Wilkie
9. Wood

Ordinary kickers

1. Owens
2. Tauru?

The rest are average or hit & miss.

 

[g_TRAIN]

Elite kickers in our squad

1. Hall
2. Hill
3. Nas
4. Ryan?
5. Sharman
6. Silvagni?
7. Sinclair
8. Wilkie
9. Wood

Ordinary kickers

1. Owens
2. Tauru?

The rest are average

Hill is hit and miss. Time and space he can be good but he's lost a bit of touch imo.

 

[stfan]

Hypothetically… What position would Armstrong play?

Too early to say as he only started to actually play AFL late last season. So he needs to learn the game and improve his skills (both of which he has already greatly improved since arriving).

However he has the ability to play virtually anywhere except ruck. And while he may be just a touch too short for KPP he could certainly at least pinch hit there. Though he may also grow a few more cm yet.


They are starting him down back as that is a good way to get used to play AFL. It is much harder to start up forward. But later on who knows.

Over time one would imagine that they will expand where he plays and try him out in other positions.

Gaelic phenomenon Armstrong signs with Saints

St Kilda has signed budding Gaelic star Eamonn Armstrong to its list as a Category B Rookie.

www.saints.com.au

 

[Joffaboy]

So I did some brief research on Armstrong and for those who aren’t aware, or have forgotten, apparently he not only played Gaelic football, but also represented Ireland in soccer, and is known for having a “remarkable blend of speed and endurance” and a “fierce competitive drive”.

We sure do like our 190cm-ish running machines!

Has anyone paid attention to what sort of role he’s mainly playing in match sim?

Backline last line mainly, used as the first kick on a switch, tries to hit up the winger.

 

[Joffaboy]

Elite kickers in our squad

1. Hall
2. Hill
3. Nas
4. Ryan?
5. Sharman
6. Silvagni?
7. Sinclair
8. Wilkie
9. Wood

Ordinary kickers

1. Owens
2. Tauru?

The rest are average or hit & miss.

Owens and Travs kicking was fine in match sim but Tauru, Hastie, Carroll and even Pou need to be a bit more accurate.

 

[SG34]

Hill is hit and miss. Time and space he can be good but he's lost a bit of touch

Elite kickers in our squad

1. Hall
2. Hill
3. Nas
4. Ryan?
5. Sharman
6. Silvagni?
7. Sinclair
8. Wilkie
9. Wood

Ordinary kickers

1. Owens
2. Tauru?

The rest are average or hit & miss

Elite kickers in our squad

1. Hall
2. Hill
3. Nas
4. Ryan?
5. Sharman
6. Silvagni?
7. Sinclair
8. Wilkie
9. Wood

Ordinary kickers

1. Owens
2. Tauru?

The rest are average or hit & miss.

agree with your list. Dunno about Wood, but the others. Ironically, it is the ones with the deft touch , NAS, Hill and Sincs that turn over too. But that is part of the price and still worth it to have silk.

Funny, sometimes an average kicker can still pull off great kicking and it is only in the context of a game at pace that gets them undone. I remember standing in the crowd and dead behind him when Frankie Coghlan picked up a loose ball on the run about 35-40 out on an angle in the wind, and just slotted it beautifully. I could watch the ball’s arc dead eye from where I stood. And Frankie was no known for kicking at all. I suppose he was someone like a cross between Ronnie Burns/Liam Stocker?

 

[sammm]

So, Blake Chambers has earned a SSP spot with us.
The Vfl team is showing the benefits already.

He is on trial for 4 weeks

 

[Saintos The ITK]

He is on trial for 4 weeks

Epstein list?

 

[Tyrian Lonestar]

He is on trial for 4 weeks

Chambers a better than good chance for the SSP spot, looks like mini Flanders!

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Too early to say as he only started to actually play AFL late last season. So he needs to learn the game and improve his skills (both of which he has already greatly improved since arriving).

However he has the ability to play virtually anywhere except ruck. And he may be just a touch too short for KPP though could certainly at least pinch hit there. Though he may also grow a few more cm yet.


They are starting him down back as that is a good way to get used to play AFL. It is much harder to start up forward. But later on who knows.

Over time one would imagine that they will expand where he plays and try him out in other positions.

Gaelic phenomenon Armstrong signs with Saints

St Kilda has signed budding Gaelic star Eamonn Armstrong to its list as a Category B Rookie.

www.saints.com.au

Quite amazing they can come over and mix it in a sport they’ve never played. The fact that he looks reasonable from what I’ve seen over PS is a good sign given all the development left to come. He’s hardly an experienced sportsman either - the “kid” is still 19. It’s obviously hard to know where he finishes, but it’s pretty exciting that he’s improving so quickly.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

agree with your list. Dunno about Wood, but the others. Ironically, it is the ones with the deft touch , NAS, Hill and Sincs that turn over too. But that is part of the price and still worth it to have silk.

Funny, sometimes an average kicker can still pull off great kicking and it is only in the context of a game at pace that gets them undone. I remember standing in the crowd and dead behind him when Frankie Coghlan picked up a loose ball on the run about 35-40 out on an angle in the wind, and just slotted it beautifully. I could watch the ball’s arc dead eye from where I stood. And Frankie was no known for kicking at all. I suppose he was someone like a cross between Ronnie Burns/Liam Stocker?

Cult hero status!

 

[saintmike65]

So I did some brief research on Armstrong and for those who aren’t aware, or have forgotten, apparently he not only played Gaelic football, but also represented Ireland in soccer, and is known for having a “remarkable blend of speed and endurance” and a “fierce competitive drive”.

We sure do like our 190cm-ish running machines!

Has anyone paid attention to what sort of role he’s mainly playing in match sim?

Eammon has played on talls mainly..TDK, Marshall & Sharman from memory

 

[saintmike65]

Quite amazing they can come over and mix it in a sport they’ve never played. The fact that he looks reasonable from what I’ve seen over PS is a good sign given all the development left to come. He’s hardly an experienced sportsman either - the “kid” is still 19. It’s obviously hard to know where he finishes, but it’s pretty exciting that he’s improving so quickly.

Exciting to know Kobe Macdonald will be here in July to add to our building list..

 

[Ads734]

if just one of the Irish lads can make it that would be amazing if two can incredible.

Regardless having Liam already in contention imo is a great pathway for the others to follow.

Compared to Tommy Walsh

Tommy Walsh

Age

38

Ht

193cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.4

2star

K

3.6

1star

HB

2.8

2star

M

2.2

2star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

6.4

2star

K

3.6

2star

HB

2.8

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.6

3star

, Ray and Daragh and how long it took them. I think we’re miles ahead.

 

[St Neil]

Which begs the question what were so many other clubs thinking? There must have been a few other clubs that had a good look at him.

What were Geelong thinking?

They had the pick before we drafted Dodson and they chose Jacob Molier (Dodson’s understudy at Sturt) at pick 52.

Molier could be a very good player but he doesn’t seem to have the upside of Dodson at the moment. And the ruck is their Achilles heel.

Even on draft night 2024 Shifter Sheehan was also perplexed. Could not understand it. He kept wondering why Dodson hadn’t been drafted as the AA ruckman.

For the record, on draft night 2024 Dodson was elite in disposals (ave 17.3), contested possessions (Ave 9.7), hit outs to advantage (ave 6.7) and clearances (ave 3.7).

He was above average for hit outs (Ave 19.7).

It was a fluke he lasted so long on draft night.

I’ve been reliably advised that this is the reason Dalrymple is so bullish on our draftees. Players such as Dodson (53), Boxshall (45), Garcia (50), Fincher (52) and Banfield (41) should have been drafted much earlier than when we snared them.

In the cases of Boxshall and Garcia, we traded-in on draft night to pinch them. We made our own luck.

In the case of Banfield, the Eagles miscalculated the number of primary list spots they needed and were stranded without a live pick. We were lucky but cashed in.

There is hope that these boys could be retrospectively re-rated as early picks. That’s how clubs jump up the ladder.

 

[aussierulesrules]

He's been in defence. Played a bit on Nas when he rested forward late. More defensive than offensive at this stage it seems, with him not really getting up the field but I'm sure it will be added to his game as he developed.

Cheers, that would have been an education for him!

 

[beside the seaside]

Time to simply treat King as a bonus if he plays..

Have you heard talk of a setback?

 

[aussierulesrules]

Eammon has played on talls mainly..TDK, Marshall & Sharman from memory

Interesting, does he look taller than the 191cm he’s been listed at?

 

[saintmike65]

Cool.
Couldn’t be more pleasing to see Flanders and Pou standing out.
The others, apart from Banfield are known to be good, shall we say.

Now the question of whether the honchos want Pou, NAS and Flanders in a set position rotating as part-time mids, or as starting mids.

We have go to be giving it a fair shake in those first half-dozen games if we can see off any new injuries.

At this stage, you’d have to doubt whether King, Wood, Howard will be ready to go out and give it 100 in Round One, despite what the club says now. But with these other players, we might get away with it going without them.

Howard, Wood, Clark and Dodson very close to return to full training and must be a show of playing in next Friday's match sim

 

[aussierulesrules]

Have you heard talk of a setback?

I reckon given all the issues he’s had it would almost be a shock if he doesn’t have a setback or two (to other parts of his legs) on the comeback trail.

 

[saintmike65]

Have you heard talk of a setback?

No...just recent history doesn't breed confidence the big fella will be a factor

 

[SainterinSydney]

Exciting to know Kobe Macdonald will be here in July to add to our building list..

You mean Kobe MacDaicos?

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Probably happily take a season off from the AFL medYa this year, which I largely did last year, but need to stay away from X too it seems.

I don’t have words for these types of stupid digs. “Spend happy”. Blowing all our money I heard somewhere this week too.

“Blowing all your money” and “spend happy” is also known as spending the cap - like all other 17 clubs.

Imagine getting attacked for trying to keep your own player. Especially when their name is, um, < checks notes > Wanganeen Milera. I get the price paid for those outside is overs - must admit I’m ecstatic about two being FAs, we can’t compete without improving now and keeping picks to build the future. The price paid for NWM was whatever it took and that’s even more obvious in hindsight - not sure ANY other recruit comes without that signature and how many existing players leave over the summer or in the next year or so if he had left? Perfectly fine for other clubs to offer MORE than we did for our guys, but in reverse?

Fagan talking specifically about individual players too. Imagine this was in reverse. I get the view that people can say what they like, but when he went from the Aints sHOuldNT sPENd NuuFFin to talking down individuals then that’s tipped over into Kent mode for mine. Cute that Andy Maher was standing behind him.

 

[sainterryan]

Howard, Wood, Clark and Dodson very close to return to full training and must be a show of playing in next Friday's match sim

I’m pretty sure Dodson played the first qtr on Friday