News 2025 St. Kilda Media Thread

[jwikked]

I remember AFL player ratings saying Sincs was elite before he actually became elite. Sometimes their data sets look weird other times they can be onto something.

Glad Longy is doing well. I haven't watched enough GC games to even know if he was playing.

He was listed as elite in a specific position, not an overall elite rating. I think his rating on the wing was classed as elite.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

We need a Pou.

 

[StCicatriz]

We need a Pou.

life always feels better after a Pou

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Mmmm - first date and u knock on the door & RTB opens it - what’s ur opening line?

 

[Saints43]

Let's not let facts get in the way of a good story about Long. He played primarily forward in last 18 months with us and part of the reason he moved to the Gold Coast because he wanted to play half back and they believed that was his best position.

And he's played a few weeks of good football. I'm sure he did that with us as well.
If he's still playing well at the end of the year we can discuss him like Blacres who got to just about decent years after leaving the club.
Can't wait.

 

[Barrels]

I think committing to a developing a competitive stand alone VFL team is the most effective single thing that we could do as a footy club to get closer to a flag. More than trading in say a LDU or a Butters or a TDK. Obviously the two are not mutually exclusive, but that's how important I think having a proper VFL team is, particularly when you look at how young our list is.

Sandy are terrible, theyve got no real culture, no good players, no leadership, no depth. Watching them play is like watching ammos, and this has been the case for years. The only time that they've looked even half decent has been when the Saints have had a small injury list, and thats just not sustainable.

Because Sandy are so terrible, our young players get terrible development when they play there. You look at the massive jump that our young guys have when they get a look at seniors, that has to be evidence of a really poor system at Sandy. Look at Collard for instance. While no doubt some of the jump is just natural progression, I reckon a huge part of why he seems to have come on so fast is that he just couldn't play to anywhere near his potential when Sandy were so uncompetitive. People said he looked disinterested in games last year. I mean no shit, I'd be disinterested too if I was a small forward who had his talent and I was playing with a bunch of jabronis who could hold a chest mark, couldn't kick anything but a helicopter pass, and could get the ball near me so I could do my thing

If we're serious about developing our list, and giving guys like Tauru and Trav and Keeler when he goes back a proper shot at it, we have to have our own team filled with our own style of players and this team has to be quality. Richmond backed up their dynasty with a brilliant stand alone team. Geelong continue to find and develop A graders because of their stand alone team. And GWS and GC have definitely started to get better on the back of having their own team playing in the VFL.

The better Ammos sides would easily beat Sandy without our players.

 

[ScrappyDo]

We need a Pou.

We need a healthy Pou. If you rush these things it will sting.

 

[Sainttony]

Clubs do that really well. Nice to see the young guy seem so overawed.

 

[Spider Eater]

He need a healthy Pou. If you rush these things it will sting.

Better then that Windy Pou someone was talking about a few pages back.

 

[sammm]

Clubs do that really well. Nice to see the young guy seem so overawed.

really nice to see.

 

[Saint Ray]

I remember a savage Yabbie after he got the news. He was filthy, snapping, “How would you like it if you had your superannuation snatched away from you?

Fortunately, he had his very generous police super as a back up. It was one of the only times I saw him lose his rag. I bet the others felt the same, but voted to save the club anyway. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude.

As for those carnts Carlton, they tried to sink us over a $7,000 debt we owed them for Greg Sharp, a very ordinary player who played only a handful of games for us.

I’ve never forgotten, nor forgiven, and it’s why I despise those arrogant, entitled, cheating, big nosed Lygon St. coffee waiters and plastic gangster wogs. heck them to death. Long may their current drought continue. Now, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m off to therapy with my psych.

"Plastic gangster ***s" ..you forgot to say ' "with guns".........I love it.

 

[SG34]

I might be wrong here because I can't be bothered doing the necessary research. I'm pretty sure that since the AFL reserves system was scrapped, and apart from Melbourrne in 2021 (covid year) and Essendon in 2000 (first year of new system), Hawthorn is the only Victorian team without a stand alone VFL team that has won an AFL premiership. It should be noted that I'm not sure when Collingwood got their stand alone VFL team, so I could also be wrong about 2010.

It's a fair call and a point well made, even if a few minor exceptions are permitted. And we could add that Sandy very successful (multiple flags) just before we got hold of them. They quickly tumbled after that. Now, that is not to say they could survive now, but maybe they could. Maybe they too would do better without us.

 

[luca77]

It's a fair call and a point well made, even if a few minor exceptions are permitted. And we could add that Sandy very successful (multiple flags) just before we got hold of them. They quickly tumbled after that. Now, that is not to survive they could survive now, but maybe they could. Maybe they too would do better without us.

When the Giants busted out the "tsunami" they use in the firsts, the benefits of having your own reserves team were pretty clear to me.

Sandy had Melbourne as their affiliate team before us, if I remember. But they were a good side before that anyway.

 

[SG34]

When the Giants busted out the "tsunami" they use in the firsts, the benefits of having your own reserves team were pretty clear to me.

Sandy had Melbourne as their affiliate team before us, if I remember. But they were a good side before that anyway.

Yes, you are right, and now I couldn't be bothered checking, but scratch my point about them being better off, and read this instead (from wiki)

Sandringham and Melbourne were the first two clubs to form an alignment. This was announced in 1999 and began in the 2000 season. The alignment had an immediate effect with Sandringham winning the premiership in 2000, and a further three premierships (2004, 2005 and 2006) were won during the affiliation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandringham_Football_Club.

Oh and they made a prelim in 2015. The rest with us has been pretty crappy.

EDIT :
Melbourne during their alliance with Sandy (Games won)
'00- 14, '01 -10, '02- 12, '03 - 5, '04 - 14, '05 - 12, '06 - 13, '07 - 5, '08 - 3

Conclusion:
Sandy kicked arse under Melboure.
Melbourne - actually not too shabby (double-edit) , but finished terribly.

 

[luca77]

Yes, you are right, and now I couldn't be bothered checking, but scratch my point about them being better off, and read this instead (from wiki)

Sandringham and Melbourne were the first two clubs to form an alignment. This was announced in 1999 and began in the 2000 season. The alignment had an immediate effect with Sandringham winning the premiership in 2000, and a further three premierships (2004, 2005 and 2006) were won during the affiliation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandringham_Football_Club.

Oh and they made a prelim in 2015. The rest with us has been pretty crappy.

EDIT :
Melbourne during their alliance with Sandy (Games won)
'00- 14, '01 -10, '02- 12, '03 - 5, '04 - 14, '05 - 12, '06 - 13, '07 - 5, '08 - 3

Conclusion:
Sandy kicked arse under Melboure.
Melbourne - actually not too shabby (double-edit) , but finished terribly.

Yeah, but they still probably had some pre-alignment heart and soul players back then. And a handy skipper in ex pie Chad Liddell from memory.

 

[SG34]

I asked ChAT GPT about the alignment and the prospects for alignments. It is pretty interesting. Here is the reply:
That’s a great and thoughtful question — and a pretty classic one if you follow the evolution of the AFL-VFL system over the last 20+ years. Let’s unpack it a bit:

---

Sandringham & Melbourne (Zebras & Demons) – Was it successful?​

Yes — by many accounts, the Sandringham-Melbourne alignment (2000–2008) was one of the more successful VFL-AFL partnerships. Key points:

• On-field success: Sandringham won three premierships during the alliance (2000, 2004, 2005, and 2006) — a golden period.
• Mutual benefits: Melbourne got a stable VFL home for its developing players, and Sandy gained access to higher-calibre AFL-listed players.
• Club identity preserved: Sandringham was able to retain much of its own identity (jersey, nickname, local culture), which fans appreciated.

However, Melbourne’s internal instability in the mid-2000s (on-field and administratively) meant that long-term planning was limited. By 2009, the alignment ended.

---

Sandringham & St Kilda – A bumpier ride?​

The St Kilda-Sandringham alignment (2009–present) has been more controversial and less successful:

• On-field performance has dipped. Sandringham hasn’t reached the same heights as during the Demons era.
• Tension over identity: The alignment moved from partial to almost full control by St Kilda (especially during 2016–2018 when it became essentially St Kilda’s VFL team in all but name).
• Fans' dissatisfaction: Some Sandringham supporters felt the club had lost its soul, especially as the team started wearing St Kilda-style kits and taking more direct instructions from the AFL side.

Still, it's geographically logical: St Kilda trains at Moorabbin, close to Sandringham, and many fans overlap.

---

The Trend Away From Alignments​

You're right that the AFL is steadily moving away from these alliances:

• AFL clubs want control over coaching, game style, minutes, injury management, etc.
• Stand-alone AFL reserves teams (like Geelong, Essendon, Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond, and the Western Bulldogs) are now the norm.
• Only a few alignments remain: Hawthorn-Box Hill and Sandringham-St Kilda are two of the last significant ones.

---

Future of VFL-AFL Club Alignments?​

The future looks like this:

1. Fewer alignments, more stand-alone AFL reserves teams.
2. VFL teams may return to being fully independent or become AFL reserves in all but name.
3. VFL risks becoming a 'reserves league', which may dilute local identity unless measures are taken.
4. AFL clubs will continue to prioritise performance over tradition, pushing toward full integration of their reserves.
5. State league teams like Sandringham will need to reassert community roots or face becoming satellites.

---

Final Thought:​

The Sandringham story is emblematic of the larger tension in Australian football: community vs control. Alignments can be golden (like Sandy-Melbourne) when mutual respect exists. But as AFL clubs professionalise, alignments risk becoming takeovers — and the VFL club’s soul often gets lost in the process.


Would you be interested in a quick timeline or graphic comparing the alignment eras for Sandringham and how performance changed?

 

[KingDiamondHead]

All comments using AI or mentioning dreamteam points should be held in the same esteem and deleted.

 

[mighty_sainters]

All comments using AI or mentioning dreamteam points should be held in the same esteem and deleted.

Can I please add to that.

“Saints by eleventy million”.

Stop!

 

[gringo2011]

He was listed as elite in a specific position, not an overall elite rating. I think his rating on the wing was classed as elite.

Elite on a wing that year

 

[tomjoad]

Long still plays on the edge .... he is one mistimed bump away from a 6 week holiday given his past tribunal history

He'll be fine doing it up there for GC. They're a protected species up there.

 

[Sully111]

I asked ChAT GPT about the alignment and the prospects for alignments. It is pretty interesting. Here is the reply:
That’s a great and thoughtful question — and a pretty classic one if you follow the evolution of the AFL-VFL system over the last 20+ years. Let’s unpack it a bit:

---

Sandringham & Melbourne (Zebras & Demons) – Was it successful?​

Yes — by many accounts, the Sandringham-Melbourne alignment (2000–2008) was one of the more successful VFL-AFL partnerships. Key points:

• On-field success: Sandringham won three premierships during the alliance (2000, 2004, 2005, and 2006) — a golden period.
• Mutual benefits: Melbourne got a stable VFL home for its developing players, and Sandy gained access to higher-calibre AFL-listed players.
• Club identity preserved: Sandringham was able to retain much of its own identity (jersey, nickname, local culture), which fans appreciated.

However, Melbourne’s internal instability in the mid-2000s (on-field and administratively) meant that long-term planning was limited. By 2009, the alignment ended.

---

Sandringham & St Kilda – A bumpier ride?​

The St Kilda-Sandringham alignment (2009–present) has been more controversial and less successful:

• On-field performance has dipped. Sandringham hasn’t reached the same heights as during the Demons era.
• Tension over identity: The alignment moved from partial to almost full control by St Kilda (especially during 2016–2018 when it became essentially St Kilda’s VFL team in all but name).
• Fans' dissatisfaction: Some Sandringham supporters felt the club had lost its soul, especially as the team started wearing St Kilda-style kits and taking more direct instructions from the AFL side.

Still, it's geographically logical: St Kilda trains at Moorabbin, close to Sandringham, and many fans overlap.

---

The Trend Away From Alignments​

You're right that the AFL is steadily moving away from these alliances:

• AFL clubs want control over coaching, game style, minutes, injury management, etc.
• Stand-alone AFL reserves teams (like Geelong, Essendon, Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond, and the Western Bulldogs) are now the norm.
• Only a few alignments remain: Hawthorn-Box Hill and Sandringham-St Kilda are two of the last significant ones.

---

Future of VFL-AFL Club Alignments?​

The future looks like this:

1. Fewer alignments, more stand-alone AFL reserves teams.
2. VFL teams may return to being fully independent or become AFL reserves in all but name.
3. VFL risks becoming a 'reserves league', which may dilute local identity unless measures are taken.
4. AFL clubs will continue to prioritise performance over tradition, pushing toward full integration of their reserves.
5. State league teams like Sandringham will need to reassert community roots or face becoming satellites.

---

Final Thought:​

The Sandringham story is emblematic of the larger tension in Australian football: community vs control. Alignments can be golden (like Sandy-Melbourne) when mutual respect exists. But as AFL clubs professionalise, alignments risk becoming takeovers — and the VFL club’s soul often gets lost in the process.


Would you be interested in a quick timeline or graphic comparing the alignment eras for Sandringham and how performance changed?

F*ck that guy

 

[tomjoad]

Mmmm - first date and u knock on the door & RTB opens it - what’s ur opening line?

Sorry...wrong door mate.

 

[Yawkey way]

The better Ammos sides would easily beat Sandy without our players.

The issue is really about the quality of the top ups. Most teams would flog what we put on the park, 5 listed players two senior and 3 kids.

I’d hate to see Sandy fold and think it’s counter productive given how many bayside supporters see sandy. We need more control that’s a given but the colours and TB oval need to live on in at least a few games a year Imo.

 

[The Jack]

Because hawks have FULL control over boxhill in all decisions. St Kilda dont with Sandringham

No injuries also helps.

 

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

Elite on a wing that year

yeah but champion data is cooked, that guy is cooked, he was good on the wing but not elite