Sydney 2? flags - Saints nil
Why?
Part 1 - Win/Loss Ratio and The Draw
Win loss ratio
The Saints and Swans have finished 2005 and 2006, both with the same number of wins . . . nothing separates us there.
The draw
Sydney got 12 home games against travelling sides, The Saints got about 4 or 5, Sydney had the added luxury of playing the bottom three or four teams twice, Saints got them once . . . come the end of the season it makes a big difference on where you finish on the ladder, not only the wins but the vital percentage.
Part 2 - Forward Structure
Sydney had two forwards in their forward fifty all night (against the Eagles in the elimination final), Hall and O'Loughlin - Hall the dominate go to . . . 90% of the ball to Hall on the lead and lace out on the chest, Hall covered 2/3rds of the forward fifty, in the corridor and to the left, whilst O'Loughlin only lead to the right. No other player was permitted inside the 50 unless the Swans created a stoppage, i.e. bounce-down or throw-in.
Hall was demanding in his control of who came in or out . . . those that transgressed were told in no uncertain terms to get out of there.
If there was a disputed ball close to goal they brought in the troops . . . locking the ball in, preventing the Eagles getting a cheap breakaway.
O'Keefe never stopped running, working from the forward 50 arc to their back 50 arc, covering both sides of the ground, no matter where the ball was he kept covering ground.
Their runners ran in with the flight of the ball when they ventured inside 50 as Brisbane did a couple of years ago and were not stationed forward coming out to meet the ball.
Worsfold played into the Swans hands leaving Hall and O'Loughlin one out all night and not dropping someone back
Part 3 - Defensive Set-up
Whilst Sydney have the ball deep in defence they take their time, once they have found an opening they 'break' to all sides of the ground, not just one or two, but they all go. The deep backs go to half back and the half-backs break to the centre line and if there is a turnover they always have the numbers to cause a stoppage. A couple of times when the ball was in the Swans forward 50 the Swans defenders would 'break' in all directions upfield with no intention of getting involved in the play, but it seemed just to break the Eagles forwards concentration - who were caught off guard. It was fascinating watching the Eagles forwards chasing the Swans backs to nowhere.
Sydney work on the theory . . . if we have the pill . . . 'break', if it's in dispute it's all about lockdown, keeping numbers around the ball until they gain control
4 - Ruckwork - Contested Ball Set-up
Jolly could almost be called a 'Crab'. . . he doesn't do much around the ground but has a massive build which he uses to his advantage. In my opinion, his role is to negate the opposition firstly by not allowing cheap breakaways. Not being a classical tap ruckman he just drops the ball to his feet allowing his in-and-unders to go to work. He is strong 'one-on-one' and rarely out positioned and with his strength provides protection for those around him (what the Saints lack) and is not afraid to dish one out - and isn't that what you want from a big bloke?
The swans have a truckload of in-and-unders who know their limitations and work within them . . . they will go into lockdown mode all day just waiting for their time and when it comes they spread and away they go.
5 - Fitness Levels
Sydney have got to be about the fittest players going around. They work hard in close, work hard out wide and use their half-forwards and half- backs as midfielders . . . they would only have about three or four set players, the rest of them are like a swarm of bees with the footy being the honey pot.
6 - Onfield Leadership
Not having a dig at the Saints leadership group who in hardened footy terms - are a bunch of could-be's, wanna-be's, should-be's, may-be's etc stacked up against the Swans 'been-there done-that over a long period of time' outfit.
Summery
'Gotta' get on top of our injuries . . . goes without saying.
'Gotta' get mentally tougher . . . the likes of Riewoldt have 'gotta' nail the big one's when it counts. The GREAT TEAM players manage to do it.
If we get a 'cheap' draw this year, 'gotta' make the most of it and not drop 'gimmies'.
Once again the Saints had fourteen wins as last year, the Swans had fourteen wins as last year . . . they get maybe two flags and we get SFA.
Stronger bodies, stronger minds, stronger recruiting, stronger drafting, stronger list management and we can be up there next year.
Keep things similar to how they are and we will get the same result . . . don't reckon any of us 'wanna' be here again next year saying IF ONLY. - (edited)
'rogerwa'
The Thread - saintsational.com
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My 20 cents
by 'Animal Enclosure'
The 'List'
I am still very confident that our list matches up very well with any team in the comp. Putting our injury worries aside, some intelligent pruning, tweaking & smart recruiting can really rejuvenate our club very quickly.
For mine, Banger stays but we say farewell to Frankie, Thommo & Powelly. Thommo probably could go on but the time has come for the new era. Games must be 'put into' Mini, Gwilt, etc- the future 2nd liners in a quality midfield.
I don't expect us to go for Aker, although he would be a very very snug fit. I hope we have learned our lessons from the late nineties when GF side was added to with older players to the detriment of recruiting talented youth.
I don't buy the 'GT doesn't rate ruckmen' rubbish that has become universally accepted (only because he sacked Capuano & let Knobel go- which were both excellent decisions IMO). He obviously has enormous confidence in Kosi as a ruckman, who could be the answer but due to his horrible year, was outclassed (outjumped) by Jeff White. Clark Keating is available now, although he brings an ageing body & possibly more injury hassles.
In what is universally accepted as a deep & quality draft, I would love to see 5 kids come in & learn from what is a very good, young midfield with a legend in the mix. I would hate to see us sacrificing even a 3rd round pick on another 're-tread'. The performances of top 20 draft picks in this year (Thomas, Birchall, etc) give us great expectation that an 18 year old can still excel & contribute (especially when surrounded by quality talent).
If there is a possibility to trade for more later picks, then this is the year to do it. There may be some real gems going pick 50+...
For mine Murray, Peckett, Powell, Thompson gone. Big question marks over Schwarze, McGough, Brooks. I really like Schwarze for depth & I know McGough has an upside but realistically he is back up for Bally & Lenny as the in & under players. Brooks showing a bit against the Lions is bitter sweet. Should he be kept as a key forward (who can pinch hit in the ruck) or moved on if he has developed some trade value?
Has Cathal Corr been given enough of a look? Can he be developed into our Brock McLean? He's hard at it & tough, only a few years into his footy development so he has a huge upside. With Powelly finishing, hopefully he can find senior opportunity.
With at least four definately gone & an expanded rookie list, we can at least look forward to 8 new young Saints to start in 2007.
The Coach
I have been a pretty solid supporter of GT over the journey & there is no doubt he has been a great influence on turning the club around (coaches in the past would have taken Mercuri & Lucas for the No. 1 pick in 2002 - Goddard). I have also had the little man in the back of my mind wondering if our end results would have been any different with a different coach. I have concluded no but this year more than any, I have found myself annoyed with selections, tactics (or the lack of) and whether we were improving enough to keep up with the elite teams.
I suppose I would hope that Butterss & Fraser are proactive enough to have a thorough independent review & make the right decisions (should GT concentrate on coaching & have a director of footy make the contract/ coaching staff decisions?).
This is a real opportunity to rejuvenate the club while not taking too much of a back step. While Lenny is coming off a reco, his injury didn't have the additional damage that most ACL injuries do. I expect him to have a very good 2007, not a 12 months of 'coming good'. Goose is another story & Sam Gilbert must be given plenty of opportunity. If he is being groomed as Max's replacement, he must get some games into him asap.
Hard decisions need to be made but if our window is supposedly closed, we may just need a few 18 year olds to smash it.
'Animal Enclosure'
The Post - saintsational.com
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Stephen Powell retires
Stephen Powell has announced his retirement from AFL. Powell, who recently turned 30, played 142 AFL games since his first AFL game in 1997. Powell came to St Kilda in 2003 from Melbourne (2000-2002, 44 games, 43 goals) and had begun his career at the Western Bulldogs (1997-1999, 30 games, 21 goals). In his first year at St Kilda, Powell didn't miss a game and came third in the Club's Best and Fairest. Powell played a total of 68 games for St Kilda. Stephen Powell said, "I would like to thank all the players, coaches, support staff and supporters from all three clubs. I would also like to give special mention to my wife Di, my family, Ron Joseph and Danny Blake for their enormous generosity and support and helping get the best out of myself over the last 12 years."
The Article saints.com.au/13Sept06
Powell retires from Saints
St Kilda midfield player Stephen Powell has become the first member of St Kilda's old-timers brigade to retire in the wake of the Saints' elimination final exit to St Kilda. Powell, 30, was one of six members of the Saints team last Friday aged in their 30s. Justin Peckett and Andrew Thompson are also understood to be considering their playing futures, while there is much speculation over whether the league's oldest player, 35-year-old Robert Harvey, will push on for one more year in 2007. Powell played 142 matches in a 10-year AFL career for the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and St Kilda including 68 with the Saints from 2003-2006. Powell's retirement came the day after the club sacked coach Grant Thomas. "I think I was like everyone else in the footy community and I was surprised. It was a bit of a shock to me," he told Melbourne's SEN radio.
The Article TheAustralian/13Sept06
Powell done and dusted
With the demise of St Kilda coach Grant Thomas dominating news coming out of Moorabbin on Tuesday, another Saint quietly announced the culmination of his own days in the red, white and black. Tough midfielder Stephen Powell ended a career that spanned 10 seasons across three clubs and totalled 142 games for the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and St Kilda. The 30-year-old said his body was now denying him the chance to go on and named the highlight of his career as playing with three clubs. "I'm done and dusted. There isn't much more of this body that can give so it's probably a good time for me to finish," Powell said on Melbourne radio station SEN on Wednesday.
The Article Jen Witham/Sportal/saints.com.au/13Sept06
Saints' Powell calls it a day
. . . St Kilda assistant coach Matt Rendell said: "It's amazing how good a career a person can conjure from dedication, great work ethic, attention to detail, 100 per cent effort and being ultra competitive," he said. "Powelly played superbly in big games and on gun players. Twelve years in AFL football is an absolute credit to him."
The Article ABCSport/13Sept06
Future AFL dope cheats to be named
The Victorian Supreme Court has restricted the terms of the injunction preventing publication of AFL players who test positive under the AFL's illicit drugs code to just the three players who have been the subject of a court case. This means there is no blanket prohibition on the future naming of other AFL players who test positive under the code, which has a confidentiality clause for the first two offences. Media organisations will have to weigh up whether the information is deemed to be in the public domain and has lost its confidential character in deciding whether to publish the names of other players.
The Article Jacquelin Magnay/SydneyMorningHerald/13Sept06
Cherubs show how to play finals
. . . St Kilda will again review the futures of Stephen Powell, Andrew Thompson, Justin Peckett and champion Robert Harvey. Aaron Hamill's position, too, would surely be the subject of considerable discussion if he were not under contract, given the limits of his collision-prone body. Harvey, easily the most productive of that group this year, might play on, but the Saints cannot afford to carry that lethal cocktail of oldies and injury-prone players any longer. While they fielded a team without Lenny Hayes and Matt Maguire, that was about the sum of the missing and there was something horribly predictable about the physical struggles of the Clarke boys, Hamill, Harvey and Justin Koschitzke.
The Article TheAge RealFooty/12Sept06
All Australian
. . . St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo, an All-Australian last season, had almost identical statistics this year, and registered more tackles, but missed out.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge RealFooty/12Sept06
All-Australian team for 2006 HeraldSun/11Sept06
All-Australian team honours to Johnson
Damian Barrett/HeraldSun/12Sept06
Andrew Thompson: Reprimand for early plea
. . . St Kilda's Andrew Thompson's previous good record means he can escape with a reprimand with an early guilty plea for engaging in rough conduct against Melbourne's Cameron Bruce. And Demon defender Jared Rivers can accept a $900 fine for wrestling Saint Nick Dal Santo.
Collingwood's Holland faces long ban AAP/TheAge/11Sept06
Hamill not done yet: Thomas
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas intends using the inspiration provided by 35-year-old Robert Harvey as he looks to get the best out of the injury-plagued Aaron Hamill next season. Thomas, who begins a full review of the Saints' disappointing season today at Moorabbin, said critics who suggested that Hamill was on the slippery slope were being overly pessimistic. "You only have to look at Robert Harvey," said the coach. "People remember his 2005 and his 2006, but they forget about those couple of years when he was really struggling. He seemed to do a hamstring or a calf every other week." Hamill, 29, played only six games in 2006 after he damaged a posterior cruciate ligament in round seven. His season was encapsulated by the elimination final against Melbourne, when he had a handful of disposals and could not make any impact. This followed a poor 2005 season in which he played only 12 games, falling victim to calf and ankle injuries. After 11 seasons and 190 games, his career appears to be at the metaphorical crossroads, though he has two more years of contract to run.
The Article Martin Blake/TheAge RealFooty/12Sept06
| All-Australian team - 2006 |
| B: |
NBassett
(Adel) |
D Glass
(WC) |
L Gilbee
(WB) |
| HB: |
C Bolton
(Syd) |
J Bowden
(Rich) |
A McLeod
(Adel) |
| C: |
S Goodwin
(Adel) |
S West
(WB) |
A Goodes
(Syd) |
| HF: |
A Didak
(Coll) |
B Hall
(Syd, VC) |
R O'Keefe
(Syd) |
| F: |
B Johnson
(WB, Cpt) |
B Fevola
(Carl) |
N Riewoldt
(St Kilda) |
| R: |
B Lade
(PA) |
C Judd
(WC) |
B Cousins
(WC) |
| I: |
S Burgoyne
(PA) |
D Cox
(WC) |
J McDonald
(Melb) |
| |
M Pavlich
(Frem) |
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Small wonders
. . . James McDonald and Daniel Cross could probably walk down the street and not attract much attention . . . McDonald's effort on Saint Nick Dal Santo on Friday was pivotal to the Demons' success. Cross had several Pies' opponents, Nathan Buckley among them, and smashed them all.
The Article Garry Lyon/HeraldSun/12Sept06
AFL pay-TV impasse may end soon
The tension between Channels Seven and Ten and the AFL's pay television carrier Foxtel has abated after News Ltd chief Ian Frickberg intervened in negotiations. Frickberg is believed to have contacted the AFL's new free-to-air media team in a bid to overcome the impasse between the networks that stymied a deal for the next round of broadcasting rights from 2007 to 2011. The Age understands that Foxtel boss Kim Williams last week increased his network's offer for three games a weekend from $17 million to $21 million. But Williams has not budged on Foxtel's original four-game-per-round offer of $45 million. Channels Seven and Ten have vowed to go it alone next season, broadcasting all eight games on free-to-air TV over the home-and-away rounds. They claim they have at least three solutions for the Friday night football dilemma, where Seven would be forced to broadcast AFL live into NSW and Queensland.
The Article Greg Denham/TheAge RealFooty//12Sept06
Moorabbin Redevelopment: We need your help
Over the past three years, the Club has been working closely with the AFL, City of Kingston and Victorian State Government to develop a true community partnership vision for the redevelopment of Moorabbin Reserve. The upgrade will provide significant benefits to both the Club and the community, and it is central to the future success of the Club. We now NEED YOUR SUPPORT to ensure that this vision is turned into a reality. This vision will not only see the development of new state-of-the-art facilities for St Kilda Football Club, but also much needed community facilities such as an indoor pool and indoor sports court. There are a number of key steps involved in the redevelopment process, and one involves consultation with the local community with respect to the proposed acquisition by the Club, of approximately 3,850sqm of land along South Road for the purposes of relocation of the Social Club.
The Article St Kilda Football Club/saints.com.au//11Sept06
Pre-season of pain mapped out for Saints
St Kilda finished the home-and-away season sixth with the same win/loss ratio as 2005, but it was the first club to exit this year's finals series. The Saints had a similar injury interrupted season as they did in 2005, and realistically their premiership aspirations went out the window when Lenny Hayes broke down mid-season. The final straw was last month when Matt Maguire fractured a leg. Even in Friday night's loss to Melbourne at the MCG, the Saints went down like flies early, in similar fashion to last year's preliminary final against Sydney, and had virtually no run or flexibility left on the interchange bench. St Kilda won 14 games this season, including eight of its final 10 home-and-away games, but a lack of base fitness has been an issue with coach Grant Thomas and his players after the club and new fitness coach Craig Starcevich attempted something different in the pre-season.
The Article Malcolm Conn and Greg Denham/The Australian/11Sept06
Window still open: Thomas
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas believes the club's premiership window is still open despite a third consecutive painful finals exit at the MCG on Friday night. While reluctant to analyse the season so soon after yet another unsuccessful September campaign, Thomas predicted a bright future for the club which will be boosted by the returns of Matt Maguire and Lenny Hayes next year. "There were some really important and significant improvements in players this year. You look at Jason Gram, Sam Fisher and Leigh Montagna, Brendon Goddard, they've all taken a step forward and improved so that's really healthy for the club," he said.
The Article saints.com.au/10Sept06
AFL pay-TV impasse may end soon
The tension between Channels Seven and Ten and the AFL's pay television carrier Foxtel has abated after News Ltd chief Ian Frickberg intervened in negotiations. Frickberg is believed to have contacted the AFL's new free-to-air media team in a bid to overcome the impasse between the networks that stymied a deal for the next round of broadcasting rights from 2007 to 2011. The Age understands that Foxtel boss Kim Williams last week increased his network's offer for three games a weekend from $17 million to $21 million. But Williams has not budged on Foxtel's original four-game-per-round offer of $45 million. Channels Seven and Ten have vowed to go it alone next season, broadcasting all eight games on free-to-air TV over the home-and-away rounds. They claim they have at least three solutions for the Friday night football dilemma, where Seven would be forced to broadcast AFL live into NSW and Queensland.
The Article Greg Denham/TheAge RealFooty//12Sept06
Pre-season of pain mapped out for Saints
St Kilda finished the home-and-away season sixth with the same win/loss ratio as 2005, but it was the first club to exit this year's finals series. The Saints had a similar injury interrupted season as they did in 2005, and realistically their premiership aspirations went out the window when Lenny Hayes broke down mid-season. The final straw was last month when Matt Maguire fractured a leg. Even in Friday night's loss to Melbourne at the MCG, the Saints went down like flies early, in similar fashion to last year's preliminary final against Sydney, and had virtually no run or flexibility left on the interchange bench. St Kilda won 14 games this season, including eight of its final 10 home-and-away games, but a lack of base fitness has been an issue with coach Grant Thomas and his players after the club and new fitness coach Craig Starcevich attempted something different in the pre-season.
The Article Malcolm Conn and Greg Denham/The Australian/11Sept06
Are we sitting on the finals fence????
All the talk at the club is about playing finals for 10 years . . . Very little about winning a flag. Does this set the right tone . . . and perhaps create a climate where just making the finals is considered good enough? The Swans are all about winning flags here and now . . . whereas the saints are about sustainable success . . . and just hope that being in the finals each year will see you snag a GF. But is this the right path? Are we just treading water . . . being good enough to play finals but not to go all the way? Should we just keep on trying to stay where we are? . . . or should we gamble more on peaking in a particular year . . . ?
The Post 'saintsRrising'/saintsational.com
Thomas and Ball upbeat about the future
Despite its worst finish to an AFL season in three years, and with a slew of senior players contemplating retirement, St Kilda coach Grant Thomas and outgoing skipper Luke Ball remain adamant the Saints' AFL premiership window is still wide open. Admittedly, the Saints were cruelled by injuries in Friday night's 13.12 (90) to 10.12 (72) elimination final loss to Melbourne at the MCG. Brothers Xavier and Raphael Clarke (bruised back and hamstring respectively) were gone well before halftime, while spearhead Fraser Gehrig was a passenger in the second half after badly spraining his ankle. Robert Harvey - whose stellar first-quarter performance seemed to suggest that the oldest player in the AFL could go on forever - also again injured a hamstring.
The Article John Salvado/TownsvilleBulletin/09Sept06
St Kilda window still open
St Kilda champion Nathan Burke says the Saints' premiership window is still open, despite the team's third straight failed finals campaign. The former St Kilda captain said there was still plenty of improvement in the Saints, who bombed out in Friday night's elimination final against Melbourne. "I think what they're building towards is to have a good long, seven or eight, nine or 10-year run at the finals," Burke said.
The Article Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/11Sept06
Backward step will fire up St Kilda
. . . (Luke Ball) "Stats show that you probably don't reach your peak until you're 26 to 28, so we're not worried at all about a window of opportunity closing or anything like that. We want to be a team that plays finals for the next 10 years, and we've been able to do so in the last three years." Ball and coach Grant Thomas have already signalled that the club will soon launch into its most intense summer of training yet. "We'll probably do a bigger pre-season than we ever have," Ball said. Restricted by a chronic groin injury all year, Ball is looking forward to a full summer of training. He said he was unlikely to need surgery.
The Article Samantha Lane/TheAge RealFooty/10Sept06
A Saintly future
St Kilda's 22 players under the age of 22 would help it remain a great side in the years to come, a gutted but defiant Grant Thomas said yesterday as he laid out his plans for next season. Thomas said the Saints would not trade their first-round draft pick and dismissed reports they would recruit ruckman Peter Everitt back to the club. He said the Saints would consider Justin Koschitzke and Matt Maguire for the captaincy, but might look at going back to players who have held the position. Thomas admitted there were doubts over Aaron Hamill's future, but six months off could work wonders for him. Thomas said modern football was so demanding it could "rip the guts out of your life".
The Article Scot Palmer/HeraldSun/10Sept06
St Kilda '06 achievement Poll
Finals Exit: "Did St Kilda underachieve in 2006?"
yes - 84%
no - 16%
Total Votes: 1022 Poll date: 09/09/06
The Age
Captaincy may tax Kosi
Luke Ball says St Kilda must ensure that Justin Koschitzke's health and fitness are not jeopardised if he is appointed skipper next season. Ball's one-year term as St Kilda captain expired on Friday night when the wounded Saints were bundled out of the finals by a last-quarter Melbourne charge. Koschitzke endured a horrible year with injuries, but is favoured to replace Ball next year as part of coach Grant Thomas's leadership rotation policy.
The Article Jon Pierik/HeraldSun/10Sept06
Saints 2007 Midfield
Our midfield was a real weakness this season with Hayes missing in action, Ball under a constant injury cloud and Dal Santo tagged out of many games. What's our midfield going to look like in 2007? Here's the contenders:
The Elite:
 Hayes - Our #1 midfielder but coming back from a knee reconstruction. Will he return to his peak form?
Ball - Gives 110% every week but needs to overcome his groin/abdominal problems to regain his pace and kicking depth.
Dal Santo - Needs to close the gap between his best and his worse as he can go missing for long patches when tagged . . .
The Post Statsman/saintsational.com
Robert Harvey play-on plea
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas believes it is important Robert Harvey and the club disregard emotion when deciding if he should play on. Down but not out: St Kilda veteran Robert Harvey on Friday night. But departing captain Luke Ball believes Harvey, 35, still had plenty to offer. "He's been our best player for the past eight weeks," Ball said. "Physically, looking at it, you'd say, yeah, of course, he would be able to go round again. mBut it's not as simple as just turning up and playing. But we would all love him to go again because we all love him so much."
The Article Jon Pierik and Ken Piesse/HeraldSun/10Sept06
Missed chances wound St Kilda
Tick, tick, tick, tick. St Kilda can issue all the denials it likes, but this side from Moorabbin might be out of time to break that 40-year premiership drought. The hour hand on the premiership clock is flying past 12 o'clock, just when coach Grant Thomas had felt it should be frozen there for several years. That is the only conclusion you can draw from another failed season in which the Moorabbin curse descended at the worst possible time. Thomas would probably counter that no season in which St Kilda made the finals was truly failed. But he did not sign on for mediocrity, and the utopia he often speaks of has, for many reasons, become a pipedream.
The Article Jon Pierik and Ken Piesse/HeraldSun/10Sept06
Comments on article 'Brian Collis' et al/saintsational.com
Sainter surprise for White
Melbourne ruckman Jeff White admits he was surprised when St Kilda stuck with their selected side on Friday night and failed to include regular ruckmen Cain Ackland and Jason Blake. White was the dominant force in the centre square for the Demons, amassing 30 hitouts and 20 touches in a brilliant rucking display. He eclipsed the inexperienced Saint Michael Rix (13 hitouts, five possessions) and had an amazing 18 second-half hitouts. The Saints dropped Ackland, Blake and Barry Brooks from their clash against the Brisbane Lions and were made to pay a savage price. "I only found out 20 minutes before the game that Ackland wasn't playing, so I had done my homework on him, but I did my homework on (Justin) Koschitzke and Rix and Blake as well," White said. "I thought (Blake) was going to play as well."
The Article Jon Pierik and Ken Piesse/HeraldSun/10Sept06
Saints need clean out
St Kilda knows better than anyone that injuries can short-circuit your premiership aspirations in an instant. But if Grant Thomas is brutally honest this off-season he might concede they can act as a smokescreen that disguise your club's true fortunes. Now is not the time for the Saints to ponder what might have been with Lenny Hayes and Matt Maguire in the side for a full year. Instead, Thomas might consider whether it is time to prune the club's midfield back to prolong the club's much-discussed premiership window.
The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/10Sept06
Training Services technique in Sydney'Rice Paper' et al/saintsational.com
Who should go? 'luckysaint' et al/saintsational.com
Draft experts? 'Munga' et al/saintsational.com
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