I am still amazed !!!

[StrengthThroughLoyalty]

* Aug 2000 - The worst season I can remember, (I never wanted to go back to the early 80's)
* Aug 2000 - No hope no future (according to the media hacks)
* Plympton given the push from the board
* Saints in chaos (according to the media hacks)
* Dennison calls for a board split, Saints in turmoil.
* Rod Butters, Grant Thomas and Brian Waldron (We have a plan, Britain is the man)
* Talk of Gherig coming to the club, pies are front runners, former coach, $$$, doubt it.
* 151 candidates for coach (media hacks laugh), any chance of us picking up the best available, doubt it.
* Wayne Britain turns us down, who else is there
* Royle, Connell (I'm sick of this shit)
* Publicity stunt sending up new president, board members, best players, Malcolm Blight to coach the Saints, doubt it.

It was about this time when I started to excited, Blight had not refused.

* Lawrence for third round draft pick (hard at it and son of a gun)
* Sierra to Eagles for Gherig, a good club man but not in the same class as Gherig.
* McLaren for Capuano (a premiership ruck man for a midfielder that has had enough opportunities)
* Callahan for Carr (a hard in and under ball player for a player that may never be good enough)

Like all saints supporters I was hoping for the best but not really believing it, Blight was not confirmed, but I was reading every article and hanging on every tv and radio announcers update of the sports news.

* COUP DE GRACE (1)- HAMILL TO THE SAINTS, Waldron plays the "if you dont trade him we'll pick him up for nothing in the pre season draft" card. John Elliot has burnt one of Carltons future leaders and gun players. His pig ignorant manners and contempt of everything bar Caaaarlton, has cost him and the club dearly.
Ohhhhh how sweet it is.
John Elliot demanded that St Kilda should fold when we had a debt crisis, remember the 7C in the dollar. He called us 'rabble', 'why would any carlton person go there?' he muttered. I laugh when I hear Carlton people talk about cheque book players, and how Hamill left for the money. Before the salary cap Carltons success was gained by who they could buy, to see that club in despair for losing a gun player fills me with a sense of satisfying justice.

* COUP DE GRACE (2)- BLIGHT TO THE SAINTS.
Blight talks about the desire to take one of the foundation clubs to the ultimate success. He is positive that this club is moving forward due to it's new board, positive recruiting, and desire for success.

* Brett Voss (hard running and looking to prove himself)
* The best 2 young players in the country

Blokes that I know who are part time Saints supporters are jumping on the wagon. Everyone is excited and is looking forward to the ride in 2001.

Lets keep the momentum going.

Saints 2001

 

[Savatage]

I hear ya bud....what an off season.

If we can put half as much effort into our on field play as we have with our off field play...we will be a pretty handy team I'd say!

Cheers!

 

[sainter]

Still agree with you!

Things are looking good down Moorabbin way!

Whoever asked for this boards to be opened, well done too!

 

[karnaby]

bloody excellent STL
Does jumping on the wagon = going for a ride?
I've had 35yrs barracking for the Saints, lucky wasn't I? but at 9 it didn't ever mean enough to me, little kid in the country.
But good news I'm about to get my first membership ever-an iou birthday present from the missus). I will have many more!

I really hope there's others like me who finally wake up and convert support to membership. For potential new members benefit i promise not to use terms like jumping on bandwagons (which I know is not your term STL) or coming out of the woodwork.
I'm going along for a ride!


------------------
FQF

 

[StrengthThroughLoyalty]

Welcome aboard Karnaby,

Paying members are the life blood of the club.

The phrase that signifies the new optimism at Moorabbin seems to be Blights quote of "let's see where this ride takes us".
Maybe the marketing department could incorporate this into a membership drive.

Eg. Join the saints and come along for the ride of your life.

Or words to that effect. I don't have a goatee or a pig tail so I'm no advertising guru.

Anyhow, enjoy the ride.

FQF

 

[karnaby]

Cheers STL

I reckon it's time for the advertising gurus to get busy. At the moment there seems a fair bit of momentum, it's necessary to build on this as much as possible.
I've noticed comments elsewhere on these boards suggesting that the AFL would like 12 clubs instead of 16, I'd heard 14. Regardless, when they come gunning for scalps I don't want us in the firing line. To that end off- field success is probably as important as on-field.
I recently had a look at esainter & saw an article mentioning Saints Foundation 2000 and Beyond, do you know anything of what this mob might be up to?
It will be interesting to see what the club does to capitalise on "the ride".

Onward & upward.

 

[Kildonan]

Interesting thread from way back.

Since then Blight has been sacked (midseason 2001) and Thomas took over as caretaker. Then in 2002 Thomas was confirmed as coach.

 

[sainter]

No, it's not interesting

It was a LONG, LONG, LONG time ago.

So long ago I don't even remember it happening.

Not the kind of thing I want to read when we are on the verge on some exciting times ahead.

Some of those posters seem vaguely familiar too. I'm not talking about those of us with the same name either.

 

[Munga]

Far out guys, thats embarising. Don't jinx this year please!

 

[god_of_the_universe]

carr, turned out to be a gun
capuano...well u all know

its amazing how quickly things can change

 

[grinspoon]

callahan, capuano, lawrence and voss turned out to be huge hacks. hamil becomes captain but is still an average player. gehrig takes 3 years to actually pull his head out. blight well yeah, i knew he wouldnt last. funny enough, collingwood picked up rejects like brodie holland, james clement, shane wakelin etc but nothing was made of it.

 

[Joffaboy]

Originally posted by grinspoon
callahan, capuano, lawrence and voss turned out to be huge hacks. hamil becomes captain but is still an average player. gehrig takes 3 years to actually pull his head out. blight well yeah, i knew he wouldnt last. funny enough, collingwood picked up rejects like brodie holland, james clement, shane wakelin etc but nothing was made of it.

Voss isn't a hack

 

[Kildonan]

Originally posted by sainter
No, it's not interesting

It was a LONG, LONG, LONG time ago.

So long ago I don't even remember it happening.

Not the kind of thing I want to read when we are on the verge on some exciting times ahead.

Some of those posters seem vaguely familiar too. I'm not talking about those of us with the same name either.

I bumped tis thread because this is where it all started - the recruiting and trading that resulted in the core of our team.

It goes to show how long term the process really takes.

This is no quick fix - this is a campaign to win the premiership that began in 2000 and continues today but now it's beginning to bear fruit. These exciting times are due to the foresight of our club officials.

 

[sainter]

Originally posted by StKildonan
I bumped tis thread because this is where it all started - the recruiting and trading that resulted in the core of our team.

It goes to show how long term the process really takes.

This is no quick fix - this is a campaign to win the pemiership that began in 2000 and continues today but now it's beginning to bear fruit. These exciting times are due to the foresight of our club officials.

Yep, no arguments with that.

Reading through STL's post again not every decision has proved to be correct but like you have said it's the hard decisions that the club has made starting from the end of 2000 that have put us in a healthy position at the beginning of 2004.

Don't mind me, I was just referring to some of the comments I've made over the past four years that have been way off the mark and not wanting to see them bought back.

PS - Grinspoon, if Voss is a hack I wish we had a lot more hacks.