Grant Thomas

[Chris_Judd]

Hamill a winner but policy to stay
By Chloe Saltau
July 02 2003

St Kilda coach Grant Thomas was again forced to defend his radical rotation of the captaincy yesterday after admitting his team's leadership stocks were substantially reduced when robust skipper Aaron Hamill was not on the ground.

The Saints have lost each of the four games in which Hamill has not played because of injury this season, but Thomas vowed to stick to his policy of transferring the captaincy to another senior player next season.

"You don't have to be Einstein because the facts are pretty compelling - he plays, we win. In a lot of the games he hasn't played, we've lost and the intensity has been poor. He's really important," Thomas said.

"It's not a matter of lacking leadership, it's just that we don't have as strong a leadership (without Hamill). He compels his teammates to go hard at the footy and hard at the man. It's something we've spoken about."

But Thomas said with a hint of exasperation that whether or not Hamill had "captain branded against his forehead" next year was not important. The fact that the Saints had struggled for leadership without him had not caused him to question the policy.

Is this man for real? He admits that without Hamills leadership.. the Saints struggle to win.. yet he is taking the leadership off him next year. How thick is his skull.. we all know he has no idea about coaching but surely this is taking the cake. This is the man taking St Kilda to their next premiership? They may as well put up a cardboard cut out of the pope in the coaches box and let that coach the team. It would make less mistakes. God I hope St Kilda renew Grant thomas's contract for another 5 years... that should be enough to see Reiwoldt never play a final in his career.

 

[Stone Cold]

Chris_Judd- 950posts and still not a decent bit of information yet!!!!!

 

[noodle]

hamill is easily the saints best captain material. it's common knowledge that they lack experienced players that know how to play pressure football. who would be next? fraser?

 

[Jars458]

If a person needs the title of Captain to provide leadership on the ground then that is a sad state of affairs.

 

[Falchoon]

Originally posted by Chris_Judd
Is this man for real? He admits that without Hamills leadership.. the Saints struggle to win.. yet he is taking the leadership off him next year. .

where did it mention taking the leadership off him?

Developing more leaders at Moorabbin would seem to be a high priority. If you can keep Hamills leadership and grow someone like Lenny Hayes at the same time the club is a winner.

I bet you were good at join the dots as a kid, but failed fingerpainting.

 

[morgoth]

Sweat

I saw this thread and sweat broke out across my forehead. I tried to stop myself but I just can't.

Thomas is either the biggest idiot in the AFL or he will be a genius who introduces new successful ideas into the AFL and radically changes the way things are done. Personally I think he is a fool, leaders are born not made. Yes you can improve but if you have a natural leader then you let him lead.

It is pretty simple stuff. Simple being the operative word when discussing Thomas.

 

[The Scarecrow]

Hamill could be a good captain, but he doesn't need that next to his name to be a "leader" he can still offer leadership to the young saints.

 

[Falchoon]

Re: Sweat

Originally posted by morgoth
I saw this thread and sweat broke out across my forehead. I tried to stop myself but I just can't.

Thomas is either the biggest idiot in the AFL or he will be a genius who introduces new successful ideas into the AFL and radically changes the way things are done. Personally I think he is a fool, leaders are born not made. Yes you can improve but if you have a natural leader then you let him lead.

It is pretty simple stuff. Simple being the operative word when discussing Thomas.

fingerpaint failure no.2, where's _tragic?

 

[Falchoon]

as for the poll, are you impyling Gieschen will be gone in 6 months?

 

[Yze_Magic]

Grant THomas is a fool

 

[Stegelator]

Originally posted by Chris_Judd
Is this man for real? He admits that without Hamills leadership.. the Saints struggle to win.. yet he is taking the leadership off him next year. How thick is his skull.. we all know he has no idea about coaching but surely this is taking the cake. This is the man taking St Kilda to their next premiership? They may as well put up a cardboard cut out of the pope in the coaches box and let that coach the team. It would make less mistakes. God I hope St Kilda renew Grant thomas's contract for another 5 years... that should be enough to see Reiwoldt never play a final in his career.

err... where's the no option in your poll?

 

[Falchoon]

Re: Re: Sweat

Originally posted by Falchoon
fingerpaint failure no.2, where's _tragic?

Originally posted by Yze_Magic
Grant THomas is a fool

Right on cue

 

[The Scarecrow]

It's like he has a radar, mention his name, and he comes running, I wish my food was that smart

 

[moomba]

Can't you develop leaders without giving them the official title of captain?

Pure unadulterated new age, corporate w@nk if you ask me. I bet Thomas regrets ever making the statements as IMO he is only making himself stupid by not having the bloke who deserves it most as captain of the club.

Getting the captaincy is a source of pride at most clubs, at Saint Kilda, it's like winning a raffle ticket.

Moomba

 

[Falchoon]

Originally posted by moomba
Can't you develop leaders without giving them the official title of captain?

Pure unadulterated new age, corporate w@nk if you ask me. I bet Thomas regrets ever making the statements as IMO he is only making himself stupid by not having the bloke who deserves it most as captain of the club.

Getting the captaincy is a source of pride at most clubs, at Saint Kilda, it's like winning a raffle ticket.

Moomba

To the same extent, no. Danny Frawley was a great captain, those that followed not. Why not?

 

[moomba]

Originally posted by Falchoon
To the same extent, no. Danny Frawley was a great captain, those that followed not. Why not?

Any number of reasons, has leadership been something your recruiters have considered an important trait, are you choosing the right people to be you leaders, has the captaincy of the club been given to quality players rather than quality leaders.

If a player needs a title to be a leader I suspect he doesn't deserve the job in the first place.

Moomba

 

[Destructive]

Originally posted by Chris_Judd
Is this man for real? He admits that without Hamills leadership.. the Saints struggle to win.. yet he is taking the leadership off him next year. How thick is his skull.. we all know he has no idea about coaching but surely this is taking the cake. This is the man taking St Kilda to their next premiership? They may as well put up a cardboard cut out of the pope in the coaches box and let that coach the team. It would make less mistakes. God I hope St Kilda renew Grant thomas's contract for another 5 years... that should be enough to see Reiwoldt never play a final in his career.

Wait til Eddie is assasinated, which the way he is going will be in about 6 months. Then Grant Thomas will be the stupidest person in football.

 

[riccardo]

I actually went to St Kilda public training and asked Aaron Hamill if he would like to be captain next year. He told me he was happy with the rotation system. Don't see why he would lie.
GT is smarter than alot of people think. I don't believe he is the very best coach walking the earth at the moment, but he's far from the worst.
I don't undersand that when St Kilda beat Brisbane, everyone was all "oh, the coach dosen't beat opposition teams, the players do". Now that St Kilda has lost, it's all GT's fault again.
I am happy with GT as our coach, and I firmly believe if a club, any club, is to be successful, they need to stick to one coach, one game plan and one direction for more than 5 seconds. All the change that comes with a new coach is probably very confusing for the players, and unnecessary at this stage for St Kildsa to change.
No way is GT the "stupidest" person in the AFL. Not even sure what you mean by that. Have you got everyone involved in the AFL's IQ scores with you?

 

[moomba]

Originally posted by riccardo
I actually went to St Kilda public training and asked Aaron Hamill if he would like to be captain next year. He told me he was happy with the rotation system.

I'd be amazed if he said any different on such a controversial topic as this, regardless of what his actual feelings were.

Moomba

 

[rabs68]

It never ceases to amaze me the lemming like loyalty that St Kilda fans have for their club, no matter how stupid the ideas or appointments that the club makes.

I grew up inMoorabbin, and a lot of my mates follwo the Saints. Almost all of them give responses like "at least he (Thomas/Butterrrrrrs) are having a go" or words to that effect.

Thommo played with the Saints when they were the worst side in the VFL, went to a successful club (North Melbourne) and couldn't cut it and then to the Roys (then a successful club) and couldn't cut it there either. I have read that he regrets ever leaving St Kilda, probably because it was easier to get a game at a side that wasn't travelling well. He was part of the disco set in the late 70's and early 80's, and as such was an integral part of the maligned culture of the club.

GT is an absolute joke, and I will be very suprised if the Saints can survive the next few years of the "process" they are going through under the stewardship of GT and Buttterrrrrrs in their present form.

Don't worry, these bloke will have the Saints playing half their home games in Tassie and Queensland. Maybe they will have a Tasmanian captiain and a Queensland captain by then!!

 

[morgoth]

Well it is official the majority of big footy fans think that Grant Thomas is the biggest joke in AFL footy.

Bet this will make the news tonight.

 

[Joffaboy]

Originally posted by morgoth
Well it is official the majority of big footy fans think that Grant Thomas is the biggest joke in AFL footy.

Bet this will make the news tonight.

At least he isn't mentally unstable like Mother Theresa. Has he had a good blub recently. What an embarrassment that fool is.

 

[morgoth]

Oh dear Joffa you just admitted Thommo is a fool. MM is so weak we just can't handle St Kilda can we? When was the last time you beat us again?

 

[Perty4]

I hate to say it but i actually agreed with him on a topic when he was whinging about players being taken to see Geischen over umpiring incidents.

 

[Slax]

Difficult call.

If you are talking of people with senior positions inside football then yes. If it is in football then no.

I voted no purely because I hate Caro and Sheehan. Plus how could anyone be dumber than Tim Watson.