St.Kilda's Spine

[ChrisL#12]

St.Kilda's spine compared to flag winners of previous years (full strength).

St.Kilda- FB-Hudghton,CHB-Maguire,C-Hayes,CHF-Riewoldt,FF-Gehrig,R-Ackland,RR-Ball,Rv-Dal Santo.

Sydney- FB-Barry,CHB-C.Bolton,C-Williams,CHF-Goodes,FF-Hall,R-Ball,RR-Kirk,Rv-J.Bolton.

Port Adelaide- FB-Bishop,CHB-Wakelin,C-Carr,CHF-Tredrea,FF-C.Cornes,R-Primus,RR-Francou,Rv-P.Burgoyne.

Brisbane- FB-Michael,CHB-Leppitsch,C-Voss,CHF-Brown,FF-Lynch,R-McDonald,RR-Black,Rv-Akermanis.

Essendon- FB-Fletcher,CHB-Wallis/Wellman,C-Misiti,CHF-Lucas/Hird,FF-Lloyd,R-Barnes,RR-Heffernan,Rv-J.Johnson.

 

[Kildonan]

Welcome to big footy ChrisL#12

Great discussion point. Do you think that our spine is the equal of those others you have listed?

I do. The strength of our spine has never been really challenged by those who try and detract from our premiership prospects.

What do you think our greatest strengths and weaknesses are?

 

[JeffDunne]

St.Kilda- FB-Hudghton,CHB-Maguire,C-Hayes,CHF-Riewoldt,FF-Gehrig,R-Ackland,RR-Ball,Rv-Dal Santo.

I still think Kosi is our best option in the ruck.

 

[SaintsSupporter]

I don't. He's too injury prone to be kept in a ruck position for long periods of time. Put him in the ruck if you want him to have a career like Hamill's at the moment, which is playing 10-15 games a year maximum due to injury. We're trying to nurse the boy, not get him to retire at 24.

 

[m.diddy]

I still think Kosi is our best option in the ruck.

Me too JD, or at least swapping 5050 with Ackland forward.

out of those lists I think we have the easily the second best spine, Obviously brisbanes ********s all over anyones.

 

[ChrisL#12]

On the Kosi subject, I think that Kosi is one of the best in the league at the "around the ground" work. But as a ruckman from the stoppages he lacks talent and experience and this is why I would have Ackland as the main ruckman in the side and let Kosi have the minority of the workload.

I do think that our spine is equal to those premiership teams in past years which is why it may be a sign of how the Sainters fly the flag again this year if those stats are any indication.

 

[stokesy]

this is why I would have Ackland as the main ruckman in the side and let Kosi have the minority of the workload.

Chris,

Ideally you would like Kosi to be the man though, the number one player out of Ackland and Kosi surely?

Fully fit, Kosy kicks bottom.

 

[ChrisL#12]

Chris,

Ideally you would like Kosi to be the man though, the number one player out of Ackland and Kosi surely?

Fully fit, Kosy kicks bottom.

Maybe he is the better player, but he isn't the type of player where ruckwork comes naturally to him. He is better off in the forward line somewhere rather than as the main ruckman.

 

[stokesy]

Maybe he is the better player, but he isn't the type of player where ruckwork comes naturally to him. He is better off in the forward line somewhere rather than as the main ruckman.

I would of presumed that there would be no room in the forward line full time, unless of course "saint nick" plays up the ground, which admittedly, he has recently.

Could Kosi potentially be trade bait in the future?

 

[ChrisL#12]

I would of presumed that there would be no room in the forward line full time, unless of course "saint nick" plays up the ground, which admittedly, he has recently.

Could Kosi potentially be trade bait in the future?

Good luck to Carlton trying to lure him from Moorabbin in the near future, if ever. There is room if Goddard plays on a flank this year and moves in to the midfield. This would go nicely with Kosi rotating through the ruck.

Goddard-HF to On Ball, Koschitzke-(Simultaneously with Goddard)Ruck to HF, rest a midfielder to free up space on ball for Goddard.

 

[stokesy]

Good luck to Carlton trying to lure him from Moorabbin in the near future, if ever. There is room if Goddard plays on a flank this year and moves in to the midfield. This would go nicely with Kosi rotating through the ruck.

Goddard-HF to On Ball, Koschitzke-(Simultaneously with Goddard)Ruck to HF, rest a midfielder to free up space on ball for Goddard.

I was not eluding to Carlton potentially picking him up, although I would not be one to complain.

On the subject of Goddard, he played a good game from my eyes against Collingwood and I reckon he will come home like a wet sail this season and then come to Carlton

 

[JeffDunne]

I was not eluding to Carlton potentially picking him up, although I would not be one to complain.

On the subject of Goddard, he played a good game from my eyes against Collingwood and I reckon he will come home like a wet sail this season and then come to Carlton

Stop stirring.

 

[JeffDunne]

Maybe he is the better player, but he isn't the type of player where ruckwork comes naturally to him. He is better off in the forward line somewhere rather than as the main ruckman.

The new ruck rules suit Kosi to a tee. People complain about him being injured in the ruck but to date he's never been injured while playing in the ruck.

Put him on the ball as much as possible and let him follow the play - when fully fit he'll be the most dangerous follower in the league. Teams won't play dinosaurs against him because he'll kill them around the ground.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Our best spine IMO:

Hudghton
Maguire
Hayes
Riewoldt
Gehrig

Koschitzke
Ball

Kosi is by far our best ruckman, and we need him to be around the ball as often as possible. If he's playing in a forward pocket next to Gehrig he'll have nowhere near as much impact on the game compared to if he's playing in the ruck.

As JD said, people always say Kosi is too injury-prone to play in the ruck, but he's never been injured while playing in the ruck. Most of his injuries have been impact injuries where Kosi has put his body on the line and came out worse for wear. Roo is the best CHF in the league on his day, and if the NAB cup is anything to go by he's in for a big year, so there's no need to play Kos at CHF.

Also, if anyone thinks Kosi will ever be used as trade bait, get real. Kosi at his best is by far the most influential player in the league. We will not give that up.

 

[ChrisL#12]

Also, if anyone thinks Kosi will ever be used as trade bait, get real. Kosi at his best is by far the most influential player in the league. We will not give that up.

Too right Mad-Saint-Guy. He will be Red, White and Black forever let alone to be tagged as future trade bait.

 

[Kildonan]

In 2000, when Kosi and Riewoldt were drafted, we knew we would get both of them with our first and second picks, but we didn't know which order we would take them in. They eventually decided to pick Riewoldt first because they felt he would handle the media exposure better. They were considered equally highly based on skill and potential. Kosi could have easily gone number 1.

When trying to determine the worth of a player with 8+ years ahead of him, with the skill and versatility of Kosi, versus a raw recruit from the draft, you would think it would take a mighty collection of draft picks to offer St Kilda in order to start negotiations on a trade. I would expect #1 pick plus another first round pick and a second round pick just to sit at the table.

I'm glad no-one at St Kilda would ever entertain the idea in the first place - he will be a premiership player for us and may even captain a premiership team.