Official List Changes

[Squizz]

Rhys is 22 next year.

Thought you said Staley

But you can keep Rhys outta there too!!! What a waste of his talent (aside from that he's never played there before). Surely needs to be a free-wheeler, rather than a lock down defender.

Wilkes should have another crack, now that he's got a better fitness base.

Failing that, Lee (who has played back before).

But this is backup anyway? Otherwise where are Simpkin, Blake, Gwilt, Fisher, Dempster, and Gilbert going to play?

 

[Persevering Saint]

I think the logic is that it's better than keeping Lee in the backline, and would be a good training exercise for Stanley (much like chucking Kosi back there in his early years).

 

[stkildathunda]

Thought you said Staley

But you can keep Rhys outta there too!!! What a waste of his talent (aside from the fact that he's never played there before).

He'd make a better defender then he does forward

 

[Squizz]

He'd make a better defender then he does forward

But that wouldn't be hard given how you've rated him as a forward

He'll be right (just needs a bit less panic from the club).

 

[Squizz]

would be a good training exercise for Stanley

I don't mind this aspect, as it would help the flexibility of the team if he could assist with a mismatch (if the opposition decided to play a 200+cm ruckman as a forward).

But it wouldn't be in the long term interests of the club (for much more than that), with a number of forwards getting towards the end of their careers (Kosi, Roo and even Wilkes at 27yo next year).

 

[hayes]

Roo wasn't kicking 60 goals a year in his first season, and Stanley is yet to even play the equivalent of one season. Barring injury I think he'll be a star, if he plays back I hope it's only for a season. Wastes his talents IMO.

If I were Wilkes I'd be almost begging Watters to put me back. With Stanley, Lee and White coming through combined with Roo probably having two years left (not to mention all the mediums and smalls) spots are going to be hard to come by in the forward line. If he can hold down a key back spot he's locked in to around 5 years of an AFL career. Yes I remember how putrid he was against West Coast, but so were all of our other defenders against that monster forward line and it was only one game. Give him 4-6 weeks even taking the second tall and see how he goes I reckon. If it doesn't go well then we're just in the exact same position we are now.

 

[Squizz]

If I were Wilkes I'd be almost begging Watters to put me back. With Stanley, Lee and White coming through

Plus you'd assume Hickey will get games (particularly if Rhys is injured again!) and he & McEvoy will spend time forward.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

My concern with Wilkes is that , even when he played as a back all the time ( West Coast ) he wasn't up to it.
He's reinvented himself as a forward, and I'd suggest that if we dont give him a decent shot at it someone else will.

I can't believe that Stanley will play two practice games and then suddenly be able to stop Jack Riewoldt or Cloke
kicking goals.

My preference would be to play enough of both Wilkes and Lee in the forward line to see what's going on.

 

[hayes]

My concern with Wilkes is that , even when he played as a back all the time ( West Coast ) he wasn't up to it.
He's reinvented himself as a forward, and I'd suggest that if we dont give him a decent shot at it someone else will.

I can't believe that Stanley will play two practice games and then suddenly be able to stop Jack Riewoldt or Cloke
kicking goals.

My preference would be to play enough of both Wilkes and Lee in the forward line to see what's going on.

He wasn't up to it at West Coast either? Bit strange that we recruited him then in all honesty. I'm sure they would've been aware of his goals in the WAFL but when we picked him up I remember Watters saying he's done some jobs in the past. If that's the case then yeah might not be worth.

 

[Defacto]

He wasn't up to it at West Coast either? Bit strange that we recruited him then in all honesty. I'm sure they would've been aware of his goals in the WAFL but when we picked him up I remember Watters saying he's done some jobs in the past. If that's the case then yeah might not be worth.

wilkes will help the transition of roo and will offer depth whilst the kids take time. wilkes will be happy to play what ever role the club hands down to him, be it depth in the VFL or down back.

although when lee was acquired i started to question his long term viability in the side. will be very interesting to see how it pans out.

 

[Squizz]

I note the Saints have listed Lee as 194cm and 90kg, despite previous reports of 195cm and 94kg (which didn't look right from the pre-season footage, as he still looks to have some filling out to do).

Hickey is listed as 96kg (previously 87).

 

[SAINTsincebirth]

Roo wasn't kicking 60 goals a year in his first season, and Stanley is yet to even play the equivalent of one season. Barring injury I think he'll be a star, if he plays back I hope it's only for a season. Wastes his talents IMO.

If I were Wilkes I'd be almost begging Watters to put me back. With Stanley, Lee and White coming through combined with Roo probably having two years left (not to mention all the mediums and smalls) spots are going to be hard to come by in the forward line. If he can hold down a key back spot he's locked in to around 5 years of an AFL career. Yes I remember how putrid he was against West Coast, but so were all of our other defenders against that monster forward line and it was only one game. Give him 4-6 weeks even taking the second tall and see how he goes I reckon. If it doesn't go well then we're just in the exact same position we are now.

It might work as I remember fish getting apair of sixes kicked on him in his first two weeks in defence in I think 04' and see how he turned out.