Michael Gardiner

[Gaz_Brownlow]

What's wrong with the backline? Sam Fisher is a gun, and with Gram, Goose, Max, Gilbert, Baker and Goddard I think you haven't been watching too much.

Yeah, the midfield is "decent" - heard of Dal Santo and Montagna?

Goddard is soft and I see him loose to many 1 on 1's and tends to back out of heated contests. Goose and Fisher are guns yes....but the others aren't much more then low skilled defenders with limited ball use skills.

I would expect Fisher to receive a bit more attention this year as his role as the "Darren Milburn" of St Kilda was very good last year. Isn't Goose still battling injury?

Yeah Dal Santo can play, but Montagna well, i think he over acheived last year. Still if Ball can get his fitness back, I would rate him in the top echelon of midfielders.... The problem i still se about St Kilda's Defense and Midfield is that they are not attacking enough (high possessions for limited return). However, a couple of big units sharing the ruck will help out immensely! This is why i'm concerned about the Saints - i think St Kilda vs. Geelong next year will be an absolute cracker!!

 

[ChrisFooty]

What's wrong with the backline? Sam Fisher is a gun, and with Gram, Goose, Max, Gilbert, Baker and Goddard I think you haven't been watching too much.

Injury. Otherwise on paper, it's quite a good backline. The major problem of late is keeping both Max and Goose on the park.

 

[SS_Fury]

Re: Saints dud ruckman

In 2006, Gardiner played about 15 games in the WAFL for Claremont, as well as 3 games for West Coast. So his body stood up for nearly a whole season.

He battled injury in 2005, and obviously missed '04 with the knee injury.

gardi was on your list in 06, not ours

 

[Oh When the Saints]

Re: Saints dud ruckman

Sorry meant '05.

 

[Squizz]

Re: Saints dud ruckman

gardi was on your list in 06, not ours

What the????

Gardiner was a trade in 2006, so was not on our list during the season. Had to be on the WC list to do a trade!

 

[bubblegoose]

Re: Saints dud ruckman

Word is that only Goose is a LTI. Gardiner is fit and training well and to the regime Misson has given him. This is from a reliable source on a thread about the fitness of Kosi over at SS.

Cheers JB

 

[Ole Gill]

From someone who knows - Gardinier is absolutely flying physically.

 

[Squizz]

More like hurling instead of flying from some reports at pre-season.

We hope he comes up, as he's the type of player we have lacked - big, talented and nasty.

Kosi has a crack at thowing his weight around sometimes, but I'm not sure it's really him. Gardi definitely has the "Greg Stafford pointy elbows" (patent pending).

 

[Ole Gill]

I think if he and King give you anything in the ruck, you're in for a good year.

 

[Persevering Saint]

What effect do you see coming with Madden coaching Gardiner?

 

[Squizz]

Madden made the most of body position and nouse. He also kicked 575 goals, and we will be looking for Kosi, King and Gardiner to push forward at times (Madden's style of play is well suited to the modern game).

If your query relates to a former AA (not alcoholics!!!) player who should know what he's doing, to an extent yes. But things like reading other players, the timing of your leap, set plays which suit all team members are issues which a 3 time AA like Madden would be able to identify.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Ta muchly Squiz... anybody else with a view?

 

[Kildonan]

Madden is a coup. There is no doubt about that.

I was surprised by the announcement though, because I believed that Matty Clarke was being primed for the spot.

Madden is smart, he is respected and he has a wealth of experience and credentials which fits beautifully with the quality of personnel that we are accumulating at the club.

I personally think that Madden is there for Ben McEvoy's development rather than Gardiner so the point is moot in a Gardiner thread.

 

[DanA]

Madden made the most of body position and nouse. He also kicked 575 goals, and we will be looking for Kosi, King and Gardiner to push forward at times (Madden's style of play is well suited to the modern game).

If your query relates to a former AA (not alcoholics!!!) player who should know what he's doing, to an extent yes. But things like reading other players, the timing of your leap, set plays which suit all team members are issues which a 3 time AA like Madden would be able to identify.

King is a fish out of water in the forwardline. He does get back very well though and he actually has pretty realiable disposal. Gardiner can go forward. But as St Kildonian alluded too. 10 years in the System as an AFL ruckmen means King and Gardiner know what they are doing. McEvoy and Rix are the guys that Madden will help.

 

[SS_Fury]

gardy is a shocking kick, watch him drop the ball on his foot...it really isnt pretty

 

[markfarmer]

gardy is a shocking kick, watch him drop the ball on his foot...it really isnt pretty

Don't know about that...

In the WAFL in 2005 he had bags of 5 6,7, goals(8 or 9 too I think in one game??) as the forward/ruckman... before almost getting back into the Eagles lineup before his indiscretion.....

 

[anti.]

hope he really gets his shit together. hes a great player to watch and if he started firing, the saints would benefit so much that he could push them into the top 4.

anywhere near that 2003 form would suit the saints quite well. he was the best ruckman in the game. his best > any ruckmans best, even dean cox.

 

[DanA]

hope he really gets his shit together. hes a great player to watch and if he started firing, the saints would benefit so much that he could push them into the top 4.

anywhere near that 2003 form would suit the saints quite well. he was the best ruckman in the game. his best > any ruckmans best, even dean cox.

I reckon Spider at his best was better.

 

[anti.]

I reckon Spider at his best was better.

hmm i dunno. i felt that gardiners tap work was the best in the game by far. he carried our team in 2003, when he got injured we went shithouse.

his around the ground work was great too. i'll never forget his first game without a preseason in 2004 rnd 1 against the dogs at TD (one of the best games i've ever seen). he came on when the score was like 42-6 in favour of dogs and turned the game on its head.

when do you reckon spiders best years were?

 

[DanA]

2004 & his last year at the saints I think around 2001

 

[sauce_head]

2004 & his last year at the saints I think around 2001

I remember that game. It was when we all knew he was leaving as he pulled out all stops to get a new contract. He has been chasing Septembers off ever since...

 

[Squizz]

If's Gardiner's kicking is that bad, how did he slot through the 4 goals in a quarter against us in 2005?

The 2003 game with 16 kicks, 8 handballs, 39 hit-outs and 3 brownlow votes also comes to mind!!!

 

[Squizz]

Harvs and Gehrig have talked him up in recent times :
http://saints.com.au/InternationalCupNews/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5315/Default.aspx?newsId=54968
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,23166867%5E20322,00.html

It looks like we will get a return on the investment this year. We have not had a dominant ruck division since I started following the club (Everitt was good but had little backup, and Sarau/Sidebottom were undersized). To have King, Gardiner and Kosi up and running is a completely different set-up.

 

[sauce_head]

Everitt had Lazer Vidivic (excuse my spelling), who was not too bad. Put it this way, if we had have had that enforcer in the GF it would have gone a long way... Some of his biff bumps and brawlers highlights are simply conversation stopping!

But I take your point Squizzy, we now have established players, admittedly post career best, in the middle. I am looking forward to it as well.

 

[ChrisFooty]

Everitt had Lazer Vidivic (excuse my spelling), who was not too bad. Put it this way, if we had have had that enforcer in the GF it would have gone a long way... Some of his biff bumps and brawlers highlights are simply conversation stopping!

I totally agree. Our ruck division in 1997 was by no means weak. Lazer was very serviceable as a back up, even more so towards the end of that year (until he had that major injury) 10 times better than Rix and Brooks.