News 2025 St. Kilda Media Thread

[saintmike65]

Thats fine for flankers and others, but for key positional players they have to be pretty advanced, its very unusual.

Other than Cordy, all Battle replacement options are young

 

[gringo2011]

I cant believe you even put him in the same group as those two, i know he has a fan boi club but i just think he is lacking in too many areas of his game,
Time will tell

He's played a couple of games. I'm not sure what you're expecting from him but I think if that's your measure you'll find every player disappointing.

 

[pebblesofsand]

I havent seen Barrat play or train against men so perhaps he is up to it, but its dangerous exposing talls too early in their development. The calls last year was he is a really mature kid with an already progressed rig, so perhaps he is our answer. If he struggles we can always try Shoenmaker or cough cough... Cordy.

I would be more adventurous by giving Caminiti the year at CHB to develop his game, he might actually become a better defender than forward. With that to occur the options are either play Marshall with Boyd or Marshall with Keeler as 2nd tall forward. Our defence has been our saviour since Lyon returned and its a huge ask for a first year kid. Not even many top 10 talls play a key position role in their first year.

Hammer was already 19yo when picked up and is now a couple of years ahead, so make him accountable and use his extra size down back. That would allow us to ease Barrat in with games as a 3rd or 4th tall either forward or back throughout the year. Let him develop his game ala Essendon - Caddy, Brisbane - Morris, Hawthorn - Weddle.

The long term plan seems to use Barrat as a key defender, but lets not break him in his first year.

Barrat may not play from Round 1 but looking at at the way he plays, he's the most obvious like for like replacement for the Battle role.

194 cm, moves well, good mark, neat kick, reads the play well and can actually defend when required.

In the meantime perhaps we do go Cordy/Caminiti as a "key" defender and utilise Wilkie more as the 3rd tall.

Not sure where Schoenmaker fits into this given his defensive short comings. Very tall Bonner???

 

[saintmike65]

He's played a couple of games. I'm not sure what you're expecting from him but I think if that's your measure you'll find every player disappointing.

Don’t forget Alix Tauru..hopefully not too far down the track

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Barrat may not play from Round 1 but looking at at the way he plays, he's the most obvious like for like replacement for the Battle role.

194 cm, moves well, good mark, neat kick, reads the play well and can actually defend when required.

In the meantime perhaps we do go Cordy/Caminiti as a "key" defender and utilise Wilkie more as the 3rd tall.

Not sure where Schoenmaker fits into this given his defensive short comings. Very tall Bonner???

Still early days of course but I have wondered similarly about Arie.

 

[Sully111]

Barrat may not play from Round 1 but looking at at the way he plays, he's the most obvious like for like replacement for the Battle role.

194 cm, moves well, good mark, neat kick, reads the play well and can actually defend when required.

In the meantime perhaps we do go Cordy/Caminiti as a "key" defender and utilise Wilkie more as the 3rd tall.

Not sure where Schoenmaker fits into this given his defensive short comings. Very tall Bonner???

Can't see us using Wilkie as a 3rd tall. He's too valuable in the role he's in.

 

[SteeleSaints]

Don’t forget Alix Tauru..hopefully not too far down the track

I'd be surprised if Tauru makes it into the AFL side this year, he may be lucky to jag a couple of late games. He is coming from a long way back and will take some time even to return to full training after the back stress fracture.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Barrat may not play from Round 1 but looking at at the way he plays, he's the most obvious like for like replacement for the Battle role.

194 cm, moves well, good mark, neat kick, reads the play well and can actually defend when required.

In the meantime perhaps we do go Cordy/Caminiti as a "key" defender and utilise Wilkie more as the 3rd tall.

Not sure where Schoenmaker fits into this given his defensive short comings. Very tall Bonner???

By the sounds of it Schoonermonster is being developed into an offensive player so even if he's put at CHB it should just be viewed as development in the short term for a guy who's only in his 2nd year. Keeler spent the best part of 2 years in defence and everyone was WTF about it, and now he's back to his more natural position, or at least it seems that way from training reports.
If Keeler is to slot into the forward line at some point then Hammer becomes homeless. Barrat is almost certainly a KPD which puts the squeeze on for that role.
Being that all the options are so young it's impossible to predict and there's a chance none of them end up making it and keeping Doogs on a 1 year contract says to me that the club are on the hunt for a replacement which will push one of these young guys off the list.

Schooner performing Bonner's old job seems about right. If things don't work out, Tassie will be offering overs for anyone before long.
Lots to play out over the next 2 years though. Wilkie the only certainty, and probably Hastie if he keeps on track.

 

[beside the seaside]

I'm thinking it makes sense to start with Cordy in the side. Other sides have made this kind of thing work look at Hawks with Frost last year. He's experienced and can play a defensive role, good interceptor and reader of the play, slow no doubt.

See if Arie and Barratt can belt the door down in the twos.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Can't see us using Wilkie as a 3rd tall. He's too valuable in the role he's in.

Agree it is his natural spot - when we had Battle playing third tall.

With Battle gone the question whether we lose more by playing someone like Arie as the 3rd tall defender rather than playing Cordy or Caminiti alongside Howard as the key talls allowing Wilkie to be the intercept (Battle) role?

By the sounds of it Schoonermonster is being developed into an offensive player so even if he's put at CHB it should just be viewed as development in the short term for a guy who's only in his 2nd year. Keeler spent the best part of 2 years in defence and everyone was WTF about it, and now he's back to his more natural position, or at least it seems that way from training reports.
If Keeler is to slot into the forward line at some point then Hammer becomes homeless. Barrat is almost certainly a KPD which puts the squeeze on for that role.
Being that all the options are so young it's impossible to predict and there's a chance none of them end up making it and keeping Doogs on a 1 year contract says to me that the club are on the hunt for a replacement which will push one of these young guys off the list.

Schooner performing Bonner's old job seems about right. If things don't work out, Tassie will be offering overs for anyone before long.
Lots to play out over the next 2 years though. Wilkie the only certainty, and probably Hastie if he keeps on track.

As for Howard - never understood the lack of love for him. Limited, perhaps overpaid but easily our best "big" defender - leaves a huge hole in our defense if he isn't available for an extended period.

Clearly not the whole reason but last year we won 2 lost 5 when he wasn't playing, won 9 lost 5 when he was playing.

 

[wannabewinner]

Arie might end up on the wing once he builds up his running capacity more?

 

[ScrappyDo]

Agree it is his natural spot - when we had Battle playing third tall.

With Battle gone the question whether we lose more by playing someone like Arie as the 3rd tall defender rather than playing Cordy or Caminiti alongside Howard as the key talls allowing Wilkie to be the intercept (Battle) role?





As for Howard - never understood the lack of love for him. Limited, perhaps overpaid but easily our best "big" defender - leaves a huge hole in our defense if he isn't available for an extended period.

Clearly not the whole reason but last year we won 2 lost 5 when he wasn't playing, won 9 lost 5 when he was playing.

Doogs regularly did stupid stuff which turned people's opinions, and probably also had an inflated belief in his own leadership qualities. Ross seems to have knocked that out of him now and he's definitely better for it.
I think he's problem ATM is that's he's good enough to keep, but not good enough that you wouldn't replace him if the opportunity arose.
"If" the club can make itself an appealing destination then poaching a high end 23<26yo KPD would be 100% on the agenda.

We're well stocked with young talls so if you're a ruthless list manager then you're not handing out longer contracts ATM.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Arie might end up on the wing once he builds up his running capacity more?

With that boot on him you want him kicking over zones and taking the odd pot-shot at goals.
CHB would be the go but he's not a natural defender and isn't real flash in the air. The fact they've slimmed him down and built his tank says you might be right but he'll never get to Moso's endurance level so he'll just have to carve out a role for himself somehow.

 

[saintmike65]

With that boot on him you want him kicking over zones and taking the odd pot-shot at goals.
CHB would be the go but he's not a natural defender and isn't real flash in the air. The fact they've slimmed him down and built his tank says you might be right but he'll never get to Moso's endurance level so he'll just have to carve out a role for himself somehow.

He’ll be freed up in the back half to launch attacks..can be a weapon with that lethal left foot!

 

[wannabewinner]

Doogs regularly did stupid stuff which turned people's opinions, and probably also had an inflated belief in his own leadership qualities. Ross seems to have knocked that out of him now and he's definitely better for it.
I think he's problem ATM is that's he's good enough to keep, but not good enough that you wouldn't replace him if the opportunity arose.
"If" the club can make itself an appealing destination then poaching a high end 23<26yo KPD would be 100% on the agenda.

We're well stocked with young talls so if you're a ruthless list manager then you're not handing out longer contracts ATM.

You mean an enigma player like Acres?

 

[ScrappyDo]

You mean an enigma player like Acres?

No. There can only be 1.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Agree it is his natural spot - when we had Battle playing third tall.

With Battle gone the question whether we lose more by playing someone like Arie as the 3rd tall defender rather than playing Cordy or Caminiti alongside Howard as the key talls allowing Wilkie to be the intercept (Battle) role?





As for Howard - never understood the lack of love for him. Limited, perhaps overpaid but easily our best "big" defender - leaves a huge hole in our defense if he isn't available for an extended period.

Clearly not the whole reason but last year we won 2 lost 5 when he wasn't playing, won 9 lost 5 when he was playing.

Yep.
Overly maligned player. I’m not sure why.
We definitely missed him when he was out last year.
Some short memories in here I think.