5 Inclusions next week?

[Axcellence]

The game against Hawthorn was over before it started - you just can't win without any bench strength... st kilda didn't have any with 3 first gamers and brooks coming back from injury.

On the bright side, how different will the team be against the dockers?

Inclusions can be:-

- Jason Gram
- Xavier Clarke
- Steven Baker
- Max Hudgton
- Matthew Clarke

Axings would be:-

- Armitage
- Sweeney
- Howard
- Brooks
- Voss

Nick Dal Santo didn't do much and Justin Koschitzke made a terrible error. Do they get any heat?

Btw, not a troll... but when is Hamill coming back? any word?

 

[Kildonan]

Very harsh on Vossy there.

I expect him to hold his spot

 

[saintsownthedome]

I think Brooks is a better long term option than Michael Rix.

Any thoughts on Kosi ? He looks to be down on confidence and form. A couple of times tonight I thought he baulked at going at the contest, which is not his usual way of going about it.

 

[SIR SAINT HOTDOG]

What are the chances of Gram and X returning next week??

 

[Axcellence]

X & Gram were out due to a virus... not due to a hammy or something... you'd expect them to pull through next week.

 

[saintwazza]

i agree with axcellence for the inclusions except i think vossy will stay in and rix will be out.

 

[kosi_23]

The game against Hawthorn was over before it started - you just can't win without any bench strength... st kilda didn't have any with 3 first gamers and brooks coming back from injury.

On the bright side, how different will the team be against the dockers?

Inclusions can be:-

- Jason Gram
- Xavier Clarke
- Steven Baker
- Max Hudgton
- Matthew Clarke

Axings would be:-

- Armitage
- Sweeney
- Howard
- Brooks
- Voss

Nick Dal Santo didn't do much and Justin Koschitzke made a terrible error. Do they get any heat?

Btw, not a troll... but when is Hamill coming back? any word?

Voss will hold his spot, although made a couple of uncharacteristics errors last night.

And why are we always rushing m.clarke back, i dont think hes been that good to warrant a automatic selection. what u guys think.

Dal Santo was tagged pretty well by Sewell last night, think he will bounce back next week, and as for kosi i dont think ross knows where to play him.

Thoughts??

 

[Fehring]

Voss will hold his spot, although made a couple of uncharacteristics errors last night.

And why are we always rushing m.clarke back, i dont think hes been that good to warrant a automatic selection. what u guys think.

Dal Santo was tagged pretty well by Sewell last night, think he will bounce back next week, and as for kosi i dont think ross knows where to play him.

Thoughts??

M Clarke's tapwork makes him worth it, at least until we get a look at Gardiner. Don't worry about Kosi. Just had a shocker. He was good last week.

 

[Kildonan]

The reason Matthew Clarke is considered almost an automatic selection is because the game plan that we are developing relies heavily on winning the ball at stoppages. In the absence of Gardiner, Clarke is easily our best tap ruckman.

Kosi might be considered a tall ruck rover, he performs well at times in the ruck, but he is not our best tap ruckman. Blake might be seen as a shorter, less effective Kosi, but his greatest asset is his fitness - he can run all day. Rix is fair in the ruck, possibly even better than Kosi, but the rest of his game is substandard, he does offer some defensive capability though. Brooks looks to be the future. His tap work is brilliant at times, although he can be a little inconsistent, and he offers us a real second string to his bow as a marking forward. His defensive game is woeful though, and even marking forwards are expected to contribute defensively.

Gardiner is the great unknown. The number 1 draft pick was later named all Australian ruckman after dominating the competition that year, but that was all in the past. His real football career starts here and now. Can he regain his previous form ? Will he even be able to run out an entire match in 2007 ?

 

[Emmo]

Very harsh on Vossy there.

I expect him to hold his spot

I reckon so, Class act!

 

[ShadowFax]

Great to see some of our better players coming back in hopefully. We desparately need some continuity in our line up so we can properly implement RL's game-style.

StKildonan i think you're being very lenient on Rix by saying his game is 'substandard'. Rix being in the team is a reflection of our lack of depth in the list especially when it comes to the ruck.

We definitely need Doc Clarke fit so we can lift our game when it comes to clearances.

I am really enjoying watching Sammy Gilbert continued improvement. We need to continue to develop the kids.

 

[ChrisFooty]

Did montagna due a cheekbone? Or is that just rumour? The g-train pulled a little short when shooting for goal in the last qrt. He will be alright?

 

[Monika72]

Brooks is no ruckman, his a good forward. I would love to see them play him up forward for at lease 2 games. It's amazing what pressure does to a team and St Kilda were under the pump most of the game. Hawks could have killed us if we didn't play that way on Saturday. I'm expected big things in the second half. I can't recall any team winning when playng 3 kids first off.

 

[Kildonan]

Did montagna due a cheekbone? Or is that just rumour? The g-train pulled a little short when shooting for goal in the last qrt. He will be alright?

Montagna does have a fractured cheekbone. It will keep him out for two or three weeks. The G train seemed to clumsily roll his ankle near the end of the match - had a laugh with Milney about it - so prob OK to play next week.

 

[BrianSpeaking]

Montagna does have a fractured cheekbone. It will keep him out for two or three weeks. The G train seemed to clumsily roll his ankle near the end of the match - had a laugh with Milney about it - so prob OK to play next week.

It has been confirmed as a broken jaw, out 6 weeks minimum...another disaster.

 

[Fehring]

Montagna does have a fractured cheekbone. It will keep him out for two or three weeks. The G train seemed to clumsily roll his ankle near the end of the match - had a laugh with Milney about it - so prob OK to play next week.

Frase wasn't on crutches yesterday, which means they mustn't be too worried about him. Or maybe they told him to use crutches and he told them to go and get Frasered.

 

[Sir Robert]

Will Fergus Watts come into contention this week?

I know a lot of people are on the Barry Brooks bandwagon, however i personally think he is a hack. I do not know how he still is on the list and Troy Schwarze isn't... Anyways leaving that alone.

Reason I'm asking is that I saw he kicked 2 goals for Casey last week. He could really trouble Freo I think and would allow for Kosi or Roo to roam around the ground a bit. I like Roo playing close to goals, however in games like Saturday night I thought maybe he should have been leading up the ground a bit to get his hands on it... And also to open up the backline a bit.

 

[ChrisFooty]

I agree brooks isn't up to standard for AFL level (well i haven't seen otherwise)

How is M.Clarke going? Is the calf going to keep him out again this week? Apparently he was named last week and was a late withdrawal. Any chance he will make the trip to perth?

 

[Fehring]

Will Fergus Watts come into contention this week?

How is M.Clarke going?

See below - Clarke and Watts both on the plane to Perth and - yes! - Lenny lives!

ST Kilda co-captain Lenny Hayes is poised to make a shock return only a month after suffering a broken collarbone.
Hayes was a late addition to the Saints squad and flew out for Perth yesterday to prepare for Friday night's clash against Fremantle.
As late as Monday, St Kilda still believed the key midfield player would miss another two-three weeks.
But Hayes put up his hand for what looms as a season-defining road trip.
"Lenny came to us and said, 'I reckon it's right'," St Kilda football manager Ken Sheldon said from Perth last night.
"We've done tests, seen the specialists and they are confident he will be all right."
The Saints will test Hayes's collarbone in their training session at Subiaco Oval today.
"He's a chance. We'll see how the test goes," Sheldon said.
Hayes faced six weeks on the sidelines after a blow to the right shoulder in the 53-point round-five loss to Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
Hayes had only returned in round one after a knee reconstruction.
But Hayes' healing powers are a significant boost for St Kilda, which had only 25 fit players available for the trip to Perth.
Although the Saints' defence has been crippled by injury, the side is likely to include its A-grade midfield trio of Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo and Hayes.
Dal Santo has been hampered by hamstring soreness and had scans on a foot injury on Monday, but looks a certain starter.
Nick Riewoldt is believed to have suffered a hamstring scare late in the loss to Hawthorn on Saturday night, but he has been declared fit after precautionary scans.

St Kilda flew out three days before the game to take time to acclimatise.

The travel plans mirror that of coach Ross Lyon's former club Sydney, which has made a habit of successful interstate raids.

Jason Gram (hamstring) did not make the flight and will not play.

The Saints' other most recent soft-tissue victim, Xavier Clarke, will probably miss another two weeks.

Ruckman Matthew Clarke flew out yesterday, pointing to his certain return from a calf problem.

The Saints also included the near-forgotten Fergus Watts in the squad.

Watts has played just one game for the Saints since being traded by Adelaide at the end of 2005.

Promoted rookie Clinton Jones also flew out yesterday, but only to catch up with family and friends in Perth. Jones will miss up to six weeks with a collarbone injury.

 

[joeblow2]

I'd like to think we might keep at least one of Armitage, Sweeney and Howard in the side for this week. Show some faith in the boys, give them a chance to adapt to the speed of AFL (assuming we play a little more agressively this week). We've nothing to lose, we're still nowhere near full strength. A bit of game time into these fellas and when the big guns come back they can play cameo roles in our charge at September.

 

[ChrisFooty]

I'd like to think we might keep at least one of Armitage, Sweeney and Howard in the side for this week. Show some faith in the boys, give them a chance to adapt to the speed of AFL (assuming we play a little more agressively this week). We've nothing to lose, we're still nowhere near full strength. A bit of game time into these fellas and when the big guns come back they can play cameo roles in our charge at September.

I would keep armitage and drop the other two (unless we don't have enough replacements).

In: M.Clarke
Out: B Brooks
I like this one