Unofficial Preview 2016... Why Worry?

[hayes]

I agree, I think we really need to address the mid field quickly, it just hurts when the only teams you can see being worse than you are Carlton who look like a drunk on rollerskates and Essendon who are paying for their own corruption. I reckon we need another 5 or so high quality mids and as you said that could come internally but realistically we need to start drafting some in as well. They Dogs best players have come from A grade drafting as well. Stringer, Mc crae and Bontempelli are great gets. We haven't found an absolute gun yet with Billings the best so far but we need a Chad Wingard, Bont or Cripps to fall in our laps. Just something to keep us motivated. No pressure Gresh. I reckon Brisbane are pretty hard to read they were decimated by injuries last year and after the first half of the season should come home strong.

I'd say we currently have 2 A graders in Armo and Steven. We need 3-4 more out of:

Billings
Sinclair
Dunstan
Newnes
Gresham
Ross
Freeman
Acres
McKenzie
Minchington
O'Kearney

To join them in that category. Throw in the draft picks still to come plus hopefully a FA/trade or two and hopefully we'll get there. I think we're fine for depth just need the cream whether it's from those already on the list or recruited.

 

[Smoke_Me_AKipper]

I'd say we currently have 2 A graders in Armo and Steven. We need 3-4 more out of:

Billings
Sinclair
Dunstan
Newnes
Gresham
Ross
Freeman
Acres
McKenzie
Minchington
O'Kearney

To join them in that category. Throw in the draft picks still to come plus hopefully a FA/trade or two and hopefully we'll get there. I think we're fine for depth just need the cream whether it's from those already on the list or recruited.

It's the weakest part of our team, (as you say we have 2 a graders). Here's hoping a couple can step up this season and we recruit well this year and next....

 

[gringo2011]

I'd say we currently have 2 A graders in Armo and Steven. We need 3-4 more out of:

Billings
Sinclair
Dunstan
Newnes
Gresham
Ross
Freeman
Acres
McKenzie
Minchington
O'Kearney

To join them in that category. Throw in the draft picks still to come plus hopefully a FA/trade or two and hopefully we'll get there. I think we're fine for depth just need the cream whether it's from those already on the list or recruited.

Not as bad when you see the list. Ross looks ready to go, Newnes is at least solid with more upside, Acres and Sinclair have shown promise. Gresham probably the next best pure mid, Billings probably realistically a forward who can spell some full time mids. Mav and Sav are others along with Webster who could possibly transition in. Maybe Gilbert too. NOK I would like to more of to judge him.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Not as bad when you see the list. Ross looks ready to go, Newnes is at least solid with more upside, Acres and Sinclair have shown promise. Gresham probably the next best pure mid, Billings probably realistically a forward who can spell some full time mids. Mav and Sav are others along with Webster who could possibly transition in. Maybe Gilbert too. NOK I would like to more of to judge him.

Given we are talking about NOW. I'm not sure you can consider that Gresham is above Dunstan or anyone else in the pecking order.
Just a reminder that he hasn't played a proper AFL game yet.

 

[Rors]

Not worried at all.

Just want to see improvement. I actually have a feeling that if we do see a slight drop off this year, it will be due to the senior blokes feeling the effects of being another year older IMO. I mean, Dempster, Fisher, Riewoldt, Montagna, Gilbert are best 22 when fit, but if there's a drop off in productivity from them, then I'm hoping the young guys can pick up the slack more so than knowing the younger guys can.

Above all, I just want to see improvement from pretty much everyone on the list who is under 26 years of age, especially from the blokes in the 20-23 yr old bracket, they are the key!

 

[Fruity Boots]

Why worry?
Hopefully the absence of Carlisle cost us a ladder position lol

 

[Defacto]

why is it billings reminds me of steph curry for some reason?

 

[Fruity Boots]

why is it billings reminds me of steph curry for some reason?

 

[gringo2011]

why is it billings reminds me of steph curry for some reason?

Shit haircuts?

 

[Dr Spaceman]

why is it billings reminds me of steph curry for some reason?

Shit haircuts?

So it's the actor not the basketballer we're talking about then?

 

[Defacto]

Shit haircuts?

more big game player that you just know will get it done. looks to be a class above and silky smooth

 

[gringo2011]

more big game player that you just know will get it done. looks to be a class above and silky smooth

I hope Billings is as good as Steph. He's a freak, Jack will need to kick big scores and be accurate from outside 80 meters.

 

[Rors]

A top 10 pick this year is gold, very strong draft so win 8-9 games and take a 200 game player, perfect scenario.

Have also heard if JOM doesn't make headway with his knee we won't be going hard at him.

Hope the bottom part is still the case

 

[BrianSpeaking]

Top part not what I was expecting, an average draft. Re JOM, we aren't going to contract players that are no good physically.

 

[austinnn]

I don't care (a sort of rhyming poem on 2016, adapted from the post by VDS66):
Which players join the team
If Carlisle's nose is clean
Who Ameet swaps
Who Richo drops
Which players will stop being crap
When I get my scarf or cap
The colour of the bumper sticker
The level of our players' ticker
Which newbies join our motley gang
Or whether Nathan's hammies twang

I want to see what picture this season paints
And spend it following our beloved Saints

Beautiful!

 

[plugger66]

Worried? We have had a better year than any non biased person would have expected. Most likely 12 wins and maybe percentage off 8th and finish in 9th position. No one could have picked that apart from a few biased or very smart Saints supporters. Now the hard facts about next year. Fact in the fixture is harder, Fact is one or two regular older guys will retire, Fact in the older guys still playing must eventually fall over the cliff. Opinion is we couldn't possibly have a good of a run with injury so to at least hold our spot we must improve I would think 10%. Fact is Carlisle plays next year. Opinion is Freeman gives us more run next year. Opinion is the younger guys should improve further. We need one top 15 on out list player next year to actually improve IMO but ever happens this year has been around a B+ IMO.

 

[gringo2011]

Worried? We have had a better year than any non biased person would have expected. Most likely 12 wins and maybe percentage off 8th and finish in 9th position. No one could have picked that apart from a few biased or very smart Saints supporters. Now the hard facts about next year. Fact in the fixture is harder, Fact is one or two regular older guys will retire, Fact in the older guys still playing must eventually fall over the cliff. Opinion is we couldn't possibly have a good of a run with injury so to at least hold our spot we must improve I would think 10%. Fact is Carlisle plays next year. Opinion is Freeman gives us more run next year. Opinion is the younger guys should improve further. We need one top 15 on out list player next year to actually improve IMO but ever happens this year has been around a B+ IMO.

I'd probably agree with that B+ is about right IMO. If we'd made finals even if we went out week one it would have been an A + for getting us a year ahead of schedule. Two winnable games we didn't win and that's the difference. It would have ben a good year to play finals with no real stand out and plenty of lame ducks stumbling in. a real chance we could have pinched one or two finals and had a very exciting year. It will be harder next year but then I thought this one would be hard so who knows. If Blake Acres and one other can go up to Ross kind of levels we would be on our way, another couple of trade targets will emerge and hopefully we get in a couple of semi developed kids this year.

 

[bergholt]

I think the thumpings mean we couldn't possibly be higher than B+. Much more improvement than I dared hope for, but we still look a long way from good teams on their day.

 

[gringo2011]

I think the thumpings mean we couldn't possibly be higher than B+. Much more improvement than I dared hope for, but we still look a long way from good teams on their day.

I reckon we are getting closer though. The win over Geelong and close losses to Hawks and Roos mean we are still uneven more than a long way off. Still heaps of variables in footy so can still go either way next year. Our percentage says we weren't having huge wins and we were blessed with very minimal injuries to key players.