The Lost Years

[Ricochet]

Field Marshal: St Kilda's drafting between 2008 and 2010 will go down as the worst in history

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/field-marshal-st-kildas-drafting-between-2008-and-2010-will-go-down-as-the-worst-in-history/story-fni5ezi5-1226980866631

IN 2009 it was a Matthew Scarlett toe-poke, a Tom Hawkins goal that grazed the post and their own missed chances.

In 2010 it was a dodgy bounce that somehow eluded Stephen Milne with the goal gaping.

They are the Grand Final memories that will haunt St Kilda fans and players forever. But in 2014, it's the decisions made at the draft table that burn just as much as those made on the green stuff.

The Saints' drafting in 2008, 2009 and 2010 has proved so poor it has been referred to as The Lost Years.

In that three-year period, 24 new players walked through the doors and only four remain - Farren Ray, Rhys Stanley, Arryn Siposs and Tom Simpkin. While the Saints were dominating, they were killing their future from the inside.

Compare it to the side's Grand Final opponent in 2009, Geelong, who has 12 of the 16 players it drafted from 2008-2010 still on its list.

Not one player drafted to St Kilda in 2009 is still at the club. The Cats sat at the draft two months after that Grand Final armed with five picks in the top 56 selections. St Kilda had one - Nick Winmar at pick 32 - after it traded away its first and third round picks for Andrew Lovett and Brett Peake.

All five Cats from 2009 - Mitch Duncan, Allen Christensen, Nathan Vardy, Daniel Menzel and Josh Cowan - are still at Simonds Stadium.

None of this is anything St Kilda supporters wouldn't already know, but only now is the pain truly hitting home.

The task facing new coach Alan Richardson and co. is enormous. In the aftermath of Sunday's thrashing at the hands of Carlton he offered an insight.

"I had no illusions about the road and the journey that we'd be on... and we're as committed to make sure we turn all this around as soon as possible, but it's going to take a while," Richardson said.

"We've played 40 players, so it's been a really good opportunity for me to look at the list and see who's up to it and clearly tonight there was some guys that displayed the sort of footy that suggests they're not there yet."

With the alarm bells ringing loudly over summer, the Saints wheeled and dealed to engineer three picks in the top 20 and this time appear to have struck gold. Jack Billings (No.3) and Luke Dunstan (No.18) have both won Rising Star nominations and played 12 and 13 games respectively. Blake Acres (No.19) was showing promise before being struck down with an ankle injury.

But The Lost Years means it's likely to get worse before it gets better.

Since sitting 3-2 after Round 5, St Kilda is the worst side in the AFL. The Saints are the only winless side in the last 10 rounds, ranking 18th in the competition in a glut of categories, including disposals (average -55.8 per game), inside 50s (-16.1) and time in forward half (-14min).

Incredibly, in its last 10 games St Kilda has lead for just four per cent of matches.

SHUT THE DOOR ON THE WAY OUT

St Kilda draft picks still on senior list

2008:
Rhys Stanley

Farren Ray

Robert Eddy (Gone)

Andrew McQualter (Gone)

Tom Lynch (Gone)

Nick Heyne (Gone)

Alistair Smith (Gone)

Paul Cahill (Gone)

Colm Begley (Gone)

2009:
Nick Winmar (Gone)

Jesse Smith (Gone)

Adam Pattison (Gone)

Will Johnson (Gone)

Zac Dawson (Gone)

Luke Miles (Gone)

Andrew Lovett (Gone)

Brett Peake (Gone)

2010:
Arryn Siposs

Tom Simpkin

Jamie Cripps (Gone)

Sam Crocker (Gone)

Tom Ledger (Gone)

Ryan Gamble (Gone)

Dean Polo (Gone)

[ossie85]

Wow.  It's not like the four they have are World beaters

and think they refused to trade for Luke Ball also

[Bill Manspeaker]

old news. I dunno why reporters are still writing these articles? boring stuff

I don't even read this crap anymore

[ossie85]

old news. I dunno why reporters are still writing these articles? boring stuff

I don't even read this crap anymore

Saints are currently last and this has likely contributed.  Current news really

[Bill Manspeaker]

old news. I dunno why reporters are still writing these articles? boring stuff

I don't even read this crap anymore

Saints are currently last and this has likely contributed.  Current news really

old news. reckon I've seen at least 10 very similar articles. boring. people can read it if they want, but I wouldn't waste my energy

[ossie85]

True, it is old news that the Saints are last.  :p

[Kellogscrunchynut]

I saw it coming when Ross Lyon only played 30 players in those premiership window seasons.

[Ricochet]

I saw it coming when Ross Lyon only played 30 players in those premiership window seasons.

He would have learnt from that. Pretty sure we had 39 different players last year

[Mailman the 2nd]

Yeah this really shows the impact of difference in recruiting between clubs

[Mat0369]

He would have learnt from that. Pretty sure we had 39 different players last year

Being honest, I think Lyon is a brilliant coach in terms of matchday and game plan, but I think he is horrible in terms of development/recruiting. He has inherited two really good lists in St Kilda and Freo, but I think when he leaves at the end of the Pav/Sandilands/McPharlin era you guys might be in trouble. Just looking at the shape he left the Saints in when he jumped ship, it's not pretty.

[Nige]

Do we have a stat on how many guys Ross gave debuts to the Saints and how many so far at Freo?

[Ricochet]

He would have learnt from that. Pretty sure we had 39 different players last year

Being honest, I think Lyon is a brilliant coach in terms of matchday and game plan, but I think he is horrible in terms of development/recruiting. He has inherited two really good lists in St Kilda and Freo, but I think when he leaves at the end of the Pav/Sandilands/McPharlin era you guys might be in trouble. Just looking at the shape he left the Saints in when he jumped ship, it's not pretty.

Don't agree. Like I said, he has learnt from that. He has blooded Neale, Sutcliffe, Sheridan and co and developed them into very important members of the squad. He also turned around the careers for CPearce and MWalters. In the first couple of years at a new club you can't just go around playing kids when you are trying to suss out your senior players as well while also implementing your game plan. The same is happening with Malthouse at Carlton. Now Ross has settled the group and implemented "his way" he is able to bring in guys like Apeness, Mora, Silvagni, Taberner, Hannath, Crozier so they can also develop. When Sandi retires we have a ruck combo of ZClarke and Griffin while Hannath and Moller are still developing. When Pav retires in 2015 there is Gumbleton and Kep waiting in the 2s and we'll have more games into the likes of Apeness. This is definitely out biggest hole but we have struggled even before Ross took over. When McPharlin retires we still have a backline of Dawson, Ibbotson, MJohnson, Duffield and Silvagni who is still developing along with about 3 key defenders in the 2s. Point is, we are chasing a top 2 spot and have been for the last couple of years so we can't just 'give' games to kids that don't deserve it or can't help the team and Ross has done a very good job of developing the kids/players that he has in that time.