9 hours ago, Redleg said:

The doom hopers for the Dockers may be disappointed in round one, given the Saints injuries.

Saints are heading for bottom four.  Freo should get a huge % boost.  A so-so win won't say much for their credentials this year.

18 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Saints are heading for bottom four.  Freo should get a huge % boost.  A so-so win won't say much for their credentials this year.

Unfortunately, they then play North, WCE, Adelaide and GCS. They could conceivably start the season 5 - 0 🤮.

Hopefully, the sky will fall in with Adelaide, GCS or the Dogs and Lions after that.

16 minutes ago, Roger Mellie said:

Unfortunately, they then play North, WCE, Adelaide and GCS. They could conceivably start the season 5 - 0 🤮.

Hopefully, the sky will fall in with Adelaide, GCS or the Dogs and Lions after that.

For various reasons (mostly I don't like the club) I hope they slide but doubt they will slide too far.

They may start 5-0 but then have a difficult draw.  I wouldn't underestimate GCS (who beat them last year) and Adelaide who are my smokey to rise up the ladder.

In the meantime it is good fun to wish and hope they slide...

Saints, North and West Coast is as soft as start as any team could hope for

I'm holding out hope that Ross will be so desparate to put one over his old team he somehow motivates the saints to play out of their skin.

West Coast will be up for the Derby and might just get the win.

North. I've no hop for them tbh.

If Dockers aren't 3-0 I'll be surprised.

17 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

For various reasons (mostly I don't like the club) I hope they slide but doubt they will slide too far.

They may start 5-0 but then have a difficult draw.  I wouldn't underestimate GCS (who beat them last year) and Adelaide who are my smokey to rise up the ladder.

In the meantime it is good fun to wish and hope they slide...

TBH, we all know that after the first couple of standout players, often the next batch are fairly even, or not the players they will later become, with maturity or development.

In other words, a couple of spots up the order in the draft doesn’t guarantee success with picking future players. There are countless examples of this.

We might be playing one new player this week and he was our absolute last pick that year.

While we have Freo’s first pick, it is unlikely to be very high and at best mid fist round but still very useful.

3 minutes ago, Redleg said:

TBH, we all know that after the first couple of standout players, often the next batch are fairly even, or not the players they will later become, with maturity or development.

In other words, a couple of spots up the order in the draft doesn’t guarantee success with picking future players. There are countless examples of this.

We might be playing one new player this week and he was our absolute last pick that year.

While we have Freo’s first pick, it is unlikely to be very high and at best mid fist round but still very useful.

Is this intended for my post about games 🤔

7 minutes ago, BDA said:

Saints, North and West Coast is as soft as start as any team could hope for

I'm holding out hope that Ross will be so desparate to put one over his old team he somehow motivates the saints to play out of their skin.

West Coast will be up for the Derby and might just get the win.

North. I've no hop for them tbh.

If Dockers aren't 3-0 I'll be surprised.

Yeah hopefully he turns the game into a total bog hole and Saints win 53 to 48. Stranger things have happened in Rd 1 I guess. 

10 hours ago, Redleg said:

The doom hopers for the Dockers may be disappointed in round one, given the Saints injuries.

‘Doom hopers’?!

We. Are. Death Riders.

1 hour ago, Roger Mellie said:

Unfortunately, they then play North, WCE, Adelaide and GCS. They could conceivably start the season 5 - 0 🤮.

Hopefully, the sky will fall in with Adelaide, GCS or the Dogs and Lions after that.

That is the creamiest puff of all cream puff fixtures. What a way to ease into the season!

They really should start 4-1 as a minimum with that kind of draw. Anything less won't be good value. 

14 hours ago, Redleg said:

The doom hopers for the Dockers may be disappointed in round one, given the Saints injuries.

On the other hand, if the Saints get up we might as well start planning for our top-6 draft pick now.

Even injury free I wouldn't expect much from St Kilda in 2023, but, I mean, yikes;

St Kilda injury list updated Mar 13

Name	Injury	Estimated Return
Matthew Allison	Foot	TBC
Jack Billings	Leg	6-9 weeks
Nick Coffield	Calf	4-6 weeks
Jack Hayes	Foot	10-12 weeks
Max Heath	Ankle	Round 1-3
Olli Hotton	Back	TBC
Zak Jones	Achilles	TBC
Max King	Shoulder	6-9 weeks
Tim Membrey	Knee	Round 2-3
Daniel McKenzie	Calf	TBC
Angus McLennan	Back	TBC
Seb Ross	Calf	Round 1-3
Marcus Windhager	Wrist	Round 1-2

Fun fact; unless something unexpected happens with the bottom teams this season, Freo will compile three years of playing almost exclusively non-finals teams in the first five rounds of the season.

14/15 games, with the only exception being against us in round 1 of 2021 (after we had finished 2020 outside the 8).

5 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Is this intended for my post about games 🤔

Well yes, I was commenting on us hoping Freo drop, which is the theme of the thread.

Oh, I see.  You thought I wanted Freo to slide to get a better/top draft pick.  No, unlike many others, it isn't the reason...as I mentioned it is mostly that I don't like that club.

My reasons aside, I agree with you that getting a better pick doesn't mean a better/more successful player.  Last year's trade is a great example of this:  3 top 10 picks from the 2015 draft were traded for 3rd/4th round picks which weren't meaningfully used.

 

15 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

My reasons aside, I agree with you that getting a better pick doesn't mean a better/more successful player.  Last year's trade is a great example of this:  3 top 10 picks from the 2015 draft were traded for 3rd/4th round picks which weren't meaningfully used.

 

Again Luci, there is a caveat on that, as these players had been in the system for a number of years.

Top picks won't always keep their value throughout their AFL career, it's just impossible, unless you are an absolute star.

There generally comes a time when they start to lose value as a trade for picks.

2 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

On the other hand, if the Saints get up we might as well start planning for our top-6 draft pick now.

Even injury free I wouldn't expect much from St Kilda in 2023, but, I mean, yikes;

St Kilda injury list updated Mar 13

Name	Injury	Estimated Return
Matthew Allison	Foot	TBC
Jack Billings	Leg	6-9 weeks
Nick Coffield	Calf	4-6 weeks
Jack Hayes	Foot	10-12 weeks
Max Heath	Ankle	Round 1-3
Olli Hotton	Back	TBC
Zak Jones	Achilles	TBC
Max King	Shoulder	6-9 weeks
Tim Membrey	Knee	Round 2-3
Daniel McKenzie	Calf	TBC
Angus McLennan	Back	TBC
Seb Ross	Calf	Round 1-3
Marcus Windhager	Wrist	Round 1-2

Death, taxes and St Kilda having an injury list from another post code. 

Off to Freo training on Thursday.

Hoping to see the unicorn in his natural environment.

Any message you want passed on....that wont get me chucked out or arrested?

6 minutes ago, defuture15 said:

Off to Freo training on Thursday.

Hoping to see the unicorn in his natural environment.

Any message you want passed on....that wont get me chucked out or arrested?

Hope he has his frequent flyer card ready, because he'll be in the air much more than had he stayed with us.

17 minutes ago, defuture15 said:

Hoping to see the unicorn in his natural environment.

 

At left:  Luke Jackson during his time at Melbourne

At right:  Luke Jackson after going to Fremantle

10 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

 

At left:  Luke Jackson during his time at Melbourne

At right:  Luke Jackson after going to Fremantle

The picture on the right was Luke Jackson in last year’s finals campaign.

1 hour ago, defuture15 said:

Off to Freo training on Thursday.

Hoping to see the unicorn in his natural environment.

Any message you want passed on....that wont get me chucked out or arrested?

Ask him to say hello to his Mum for me!

No I definitely want Freo to slide. It's on the Xmas list. 

Watched training from outside the fence. Not much intensity

Very much a holiday vibe. Hopefully they will be pantsed by the saints but equally they could win without much resistance from st kilda

Ordinarily I would not have given the Saints, Freeo game too much thought. 
 

Watching eagerly with 🧐

Edited March 19, 20232 yr by Demonsterative
Grammar

Let the death riding begin!