Opinion Have St Kilda been overhyped this year?

[Scotland]

But keep Steele and Garcia does not get AFL game time.

Steele has gone into the perfect fit for him especially with Oliver and Petracca traded.

Melbourne saved themselves how much money swapping Petracca and Oliver for Steele? Oliver was providing them nothing and Petracca was probably 70% of himself and they both needed a fresh start. Meanwhile St Kilda upgraded from Steele to Flanders and it cost them a top 10 pick and cap space and they're still 2-4.

Not sure where all the talk about "hype" came from. The afl.com.au combined ladder predictor had St Kilda finishing 9th. The 9 "experts" had them finishing anywhere from 6th to 13th. To be sitting 13th and every game has been close one way or other isn't really a shock. They finished 12th the last two years. Who is pumping up St Kilda's tyres as a top 4 cert?

 

[Count_Zero]

Melbourne saved themselves how much money swapping Petracca and Oliver for Steele? Oliver was providing them nothing and Petracca was probably 70% of himself and they both needed a fresh start. Meanwhile St Kilda upgraded from Steele to Flanders and it cost them a top 10 pick and cap space and they're still 2-4.

Isnt Melbourne paying some of Olivers contract to play at GWS, rumors are 700K a year. I would rather give up pick 7 for Flanders then recieve a future third round draft pick and pay 700K a year.

And for sake of clarity:

Jack Steele and Sam Flanders AFL Stats Comparison

Jack Steele and Sam Flanders AFL Stats Comparison.

www.footywire.com

Ones 24 years old and the other is 30, considering youth is the path the Saints on,
it makes sense.

 

[Scotland]

Isnt Melbourne paying some of Olivers contract to play at GWS, rumors are 700K a year. I would rather give up pick 7 for Flanders then recieve a future third round draft pick and pay 700K a year.

And for sake of clarity:

Jack Steele and Sam Flanders AFL Stats Comparison

Jack Steele and Sam Flanders AFL Stats Comparison.

www.footywire.com

Ones 24 years old and the other is 30, considering youth is the path the Saints on,
it makes sense.

700k out of how much?

Last year they were paying a shit load for two players producing not much. Petracca was OK individually but they won 7 games. They've already won 4 and look rejuvenated without Goodwin, May, Petracca, Oliver etc. being the talking point every other week.

Flanders is fine, but - so far - St Kilda are no better than they were. If the Saints are on a path of youth then bringing in TDK (27 this year), Silvagni (29) and Ryan (30) is questionable.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Melbourne saved themselves how much money swapping Petracca and Oliver for Steele? Oliver was providing them nothing and Petracca was probably 70% of himself and they both needed a fresh start. Meanwhile St Kilda upgraded from Steele to Flanders and it cost them a top 10 pick and cap space and they're still 2-4.

Not sure where all the talk about "hype" came from. The afl.com.au combined ladder predictor had St Kilda finishing 9th. The 9 "experts" had them finishing anywhere from 6th to 13th. To be sitting 13th and every game has been close one way or other isn't really a shock. They finished 12th the last two years. Who is pumping up St Kilda's tyres as a top 4 cert?

I am happy that Steele is going good, Flanders is not the upgrade he is a different part of the midfield, Macrae was the 1st pick as inside mid the real choice was Steele vs Garcia and even Wilson and Pihilipou.

Like is most AFL things the media does the hype and the cutdown.

 

[Count_Zero]

700k out of how much?

1.3m

Last year they were paying a shit load for two players producing not much. Petracca was OK individually but they won 7 games. They've already won 4 and look rejuvenated without Goodwin, May, Petracca, Oliver etc. being the talking point every other week.

What does that have to do with the Saints?
The conversation was about your inaccurate comment of it cost them nothing. Which is untrue as it cost them 700k p.a. to offload Oliver to GWS.

Flanders is fine, but - so far - St Kilda are no better than they were. If the Saints are on a path of youth then bringing in TDK (27 this year), Silvagni (29) and Ryan (30) is questionable.

Three players to help shield the younger players while they develop. Silvagni helps allow Tauru/Caminiti to develop as a third tall instead of on the second best forward (which they did last year.) Who is Ryan keeping out of the team? Same question about TDK? Both allow for our younger player to develop through the VFL.

 

[maskmcgee]

Isnt Melbourne paying some of Olivers contract to play at GWS, rumors are 700K a year.

This never made any sense. Either you don't pay anything and get a junk pick, or you pay his salary and get a good pick. Melbourne paid and got a junk pick. Why?

 

[Count_Zero]

This never made any sense. Either you don't pay anything and get a junk pick, or you pay his salary and get a good pick. Melbourne paid and got a junk pick. Why?

Toxic player, i dont see how GWS added Oliver's salary when they had a very tight cap. They also brought in Laverde and retained Aleer as well as two new draftees. No way Melbourne didnt pay a huge chunk of his wage for the next 5 years.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

700k out of how much?

Last year they were paying a shit load for two players producing not much. Petracca was OK individually but they won 7 games. They've already won 4 and look rejuvenated without Goodwin, May, Petracca, Oliver etc. being the talking point every other week.

Flanders is fine, but - so far - St Kilda are no better than they were. If the Saints are on a path of youth then bringing in TDK (27 this year), Silvagni (29) and Ryan (30) is questionable.

That’s just not true. Other than the Melbourne game which game should they have been disappointing?

 

[PP34]

I think the Saints have historically been the low hanging fruit in regards to the media. During the offseason it was easy to build a narrative about the "millionaire Saints", even though the league operates under the same salary cap.

Saying that, the Saints leant into that expectation, which was completely fair to do. The 2-4 record looks bad for any surface level fan who hasn't bothered to engage with the results across the year so far.

The Saints have been in every single game they have played this year, and if I am being harsh, should be 4-2 (wins against the Pies and Dees). Even then, the loss to the Dees is looking less like a train wreck as the season progresses.

Importantly, the Saints have got through easily the toughest part of their fixture (easily one of the hardest starts). I think the next month is where the competition can start to see where the club is really at.

After games against West Coast, Carlton, Gold Coast (in Darwin), and Richmond, the Saints could easily be 5-5. With plenty of games at Marvel to end the season, there is potential to fight for a spot between 8-10 (depending on other teams).

People probably wouldn't care as much if it wasn't for some of the ridiculous hype about some of their recruits.

TDK was a good player at Carlton but $1.8mil a year? Really? He was never that consistent at Carlton to be warranting that sort of price tag, plus he isn't as well rounded as you'd expect for such an expensive ruckmen.

Flanders was being billed as this gun mid pick up. He's a solid pick up but everyone knew he is a poor kick and struggled to cement a spot in the Suns midfield as it became good because of it.

Silvagni a solid pick up but again the noise was like it was something else. Admittedly probably more to do with a third generation player leaving the club they've loved forever.

Liam Ryan an okay pick up but anyone who has watched him the last few years has seen a guy whos' been incredibly average.

I get the whole Saints have to do something argument. But are any of these players actually game changers?

 

[Scotland]

That’s just not true. Other than the Melbourne game which game should they have been disappointing?

St Kilda are 13th.

Based on current ladder positions (which don't mean a lot) they have played 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th.

Is that not disappointing?

 

[bungalow_bill]

St Kilda are 13th.

Based on current ladder positions (which don't mean a lot) they have played 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th.

Is that not disappointing?

Tbf one of those teams are the premiers and another the minor premier

 

[Mynamesinuse]

St Kilda are 13th.

Based on current ladder positions (which don't mean a lot) they have played 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th.

Is that not disappointing?

Played one home game and been interstate 3 times.
Tough draw.
Premier 2025
Minor premiers 2025
Prelim finalist
5th

 

[paulige]

Played one home game and been interstate 3 times.
Tough draw.
Premier 2025
Minor premiers 2025
Prelim finalist
5th

Played two home games (1 Marvel, 1 MCG), and an away game a stones throw away at the G.

Going interstate 3 times in 6 weeks is not noteworthy - it’s par for the course for non-VIC clubs. All have done so 3 times this year, except for Adelaide (twice), and Brisbane (4 times).

 

[Sully111]

The simple answer is it's too early to tell.

 

[schmuttt]

Wouldn't go too hard on them yet, they should be easily going 3-1 over the next 4 and squaring the ledger on their season. If they do worse than that I think it's pretty fair to say they haven't improved.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Played two home games (1 Marvel, 1 MCG), and an away game a stones throw away at the G.

Going interstate 3 times in 6 weeks is not noteworthy - it’s par for the course for non-VIC clubs. All have done so 3 times this year, except for Adelaide (twice), and Brisbane (4 times).

Played a home game at the oppositions home ground.
Ridiculous fixture.

 

[GC2015]

Played a home game at the oppositions home ground.
Ridiculous fixture.

Happens all the time for Collingwood. They play 5 "away" games at the MCG this year, 4 of which are against teams that don't play at the MCG on a full-time basis. Make it make sense.

 

[beside the seaside]

Played a home game at the oppositions home ground.
Ridiculous fixture.

We can't complain about the Pies fixture, we requested it.

Our start has been tough, and we could probably realistically be 5-1, or just as easily 0-6.

It's hard to tell with us, our best looks great but we have lapses that cost us.

To really improve we need to start regularly winning some games we're not expected to win. We've been close but haven't got there yet.

 

[Yoda_]

Melbourne saved themselves how much money swapping Petracca and Oliver for Steele? Oliver was providing them nothing and Petracca was probably 70% of himself and they both needed a fresh start. Meanwhile St Kilda upgraded from Steele to Flanders and it cost them a top 10 pick and cap space and they're still 2-4.

Not sure where all the talk about "hype" came from. The afl.com.au combined ladder predictor had St Kilda finishing 9th. The 9 "experts" had them finishing anywhere from 6th to 13th. To be sitting 13th and every game has been close one way or other isn't really a shock. They finished 12th the last two years. Who is pumping up St Kilda's tyres as a top 4 cert?

when youre in the abyss, the constant bounce od a ball can dictate whether you finish 6th or 13th, as you say, they could very easily be 4 - 2 and not 2 - 4.

 

[Yoda_]

Happens all the time for Collingwood. They play 5 "away" games at the MCG this year, 4 of which are against teams that don't play at the MCG on a full-time basis. Make it make sense.

That is the nature of "home" teams" playing at the MCG. My club is about to do it on Saturday as a Marvel tennant giving up games to Collingwood due to pulling power.

 

[Count_Zero]

Played a home game at the oppositions home ground.
Ridiculous fixture.

We asked for it, cant complain.

 

[Count_Zero]

We can't complain about the Pies fixture, we requested it.

Our start has been tough, and we could probably realistically be 5-1, or just as easily 0-6.

It's hard to tell with us, our best looks great but we have lapses that cost us.

To really improve we need to start regularly winning some games we're not expected to win. We've been close but haven't got there yet.

To really improve we need to start winning 3rd quarters, we currently are worse than Carlton at 3rd quarters.
We flip that and sky's the limit.

 

[garlic munchers]

The simple answer is it's too early to tell.

Pump WC and things will look a hell of a lot better.

Scrape over the line (or lose) then we categorically say yes because the "new players" needing to gel excuse goes out the window against WC who will likely roll out 4 2026 newbies (3 of them being kids).

Only qualifier is........ is old school suck the life out of you Rosco holding this group back (reckon he knows he ain't taking this group to the promised land and is rolling up for his cheque).

 

[Sphynx]

The big money deals will likely end in disaster.

The TDK deal looks like a complete shocker early doors

At 27, he's about what he is as well.

Keeping your own player for $2m per season hurts as well.

Melbourne are getting way more out of Steele than St Kilda are out of Flanders at the moment also.


Seems like a whole heap of currency and the war chest for being exactly where they could have been in the first place.

They have seen some really good natural improvement in the likes of Max Hall etc.

They now need it out of Travaglia, Phillipou (lol, that contract), Tauru etc.

If King ever discovers his legs again, he will obviously make a big difference.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

We asked for it, cant complain.

Not the point and it’s ridiculous for a club to be involved in opening round this is what had to happen.