Talking Crap!!!!!!!!!!1

[anniswan]

My weekly wrap up of Talking Crap AKA Talking Caro is non existent tonight, they devoted 10 seconds to the Swans, just briefly mentioned Magic's injury.

That suited Caro just fine

AS

[jixygirl]

Most of the time I just don't bother to watch it.

[Glenn]

Maybe we will get more coverage when we make the gf

[Pink_Lady]

We just had a small mention, yet STILL they managed to talk about Richo in particular and Richmond in general for a good few minutes... Freo got some mention as did Port....but that show has really gone down hill and FAST. I think 7 should give it away next year.
Also interesting, after Swan_song's post about black&while line fever on Fox, we had Josh Fraser as the guest again last night...
With only 2 melbourne teams left in it, it would be interesting to see what the breakdown in "coverage" from here on in is on the box...my guess...
Collywobbles 40 pc
Essendon 30pc
Port 8 pc
Brizzie 7 pc
Freo 5 pc
Crows 5pc
WCE 3 pc
Swans 2 pc

[Rob-bloods]

Just note on our darling Caro, last night that she thought ?Saints and Hawthorn? were a real (or good) chance for top four next year??.. another great assessment! Look at top 8 today look at those 2 weak pretenders?..

[liz]

To be fair to Caro on that one, it was in direct response to a question on which of the three teams that finished just outside the eight were contenders for top 8 positions last year. And I kind of agree with her that both Hawthorn and the Saints are (though I'd rate the Saints chances a lot higher if they had a coach). It is hard to see the other Victorian teams improving much on this year, though I guess Geelong could get a bit better if they can find themselves a forward line.

I predict next year will be the one where Melbourne finally break their odd year/even year hoodoo - and finish outside the 8 in an odd year. Unless Armstrong and Thompson accelerate their development into top class players (which both look like they can become eventually), their depth in midfield doesn't look good without Woewodin or Powell, and Rigoni is well past his best. More significantly, they're still going to struggle in defence and haven't learnt to spread the goal kicking duties around enough.

[Rob-bloods]

I think you are being too kind Lizzy, she indicated they were a real chance of top four, that was expanded on the "best teams out of the eight" which 9 and 10 are indeed highly likely to be!!!!

[CureTheSane]

I have always been one to wonder how Grant Thomas got to be a coach, and always thought of him as an easy target when the Saint weren't doing well.

But the players aren't coaching themselves.

credit where it's due.

How would we feel if a Saints fan came over and told us that Roos is a joke and the Swans would be doing better if we had a 'real coach'

[liz]

Originally posted by CureTheSane

How would we feel if a Saints fan came over and told us that Roos is a joke and the Swans would be doing better if we had a 'real coach'

If they came over here and said that they'd be trolling and would get what they deserved. But my comment wasn't meant to get a rise out of someone for the sake of it, just an opinion that I doubt Thomas is going to get the best out of the group of players he has at his disposal. Maybe I'll be proved wrong in years to come, who knows.

Thomas may well grow into the job, but I just get the impression he doesn't understand what it takes to win a premiership. His recent comment that he expects that squad will win two premierships in the next 10 years were strange. Premierships don't just fall into your lap. And over that period of time things change so drastically that you can't predict that far. Carlton were superb in 1995, pretty good in 1999 yet by 2002 had one of the worst lists in the competition. North won premierships in 1996 and 1999 but their current list bears little resemblance to the ones that won those premierships and is a way off challenging again, at the moment. The squads that won Adelaide their premierships in 1997 and 1998 bear little resemblance to the one playing finals this year.

Things change so quickly in football. The kids you have now look to be the brightest and the best but more emerge each year, are hailed as the next best thing and are hungry to prove what they can do. Players who look like they'll be superstars at the age of 18 or 19 don't come on, whether through injury, lack of hunger / dedication or just because they plateau, and become just good ordinary players. Salary caps rip squads apart. Fifteen other teams strive each year to improve, work out your players and how to combat them. The list of imponderables is endless.

The Saints do have a very promising squad at the moment and I think will play finals footy in the next two or three years, possibly each of these years. My opinion only, but if they had Leigh Mathews coaching, or even Malthouse, I would seriously expect them to win a flag. Looking beyond those three or so years is impossible.

[CureTheSane]

I agree, there are a million variables in footy, so all you can really go on is performance.
And at the moment I would have to say that Thomas is performing well as a coach.

He is getting the best from his players and they had some great wins.

[Rob-bloods]

I agree Thomas may be an easy target, but when you look at the way they played against us?they were appalling in their structure and pattern, and they have been frequently that way, except this sudden admittedly great run they had . They still can resort to those negative tactics and looking at Freo they look well ahead of them (as a young squad). I think, personally that Thomas is an ordinary coach and I will be very surprised if, when the pressure is on and when they are EXPECTED to do well, that they deliver the goods.
I think a man with eight children and a President with George Michael style facial growth, is a very dangerous mix running the Sainters?..

[jixygirl]

I personally believe that the Saints are an emerging side with talented youngsters but I think the jury is still out on the coach. I don't judge him to be one of the better coaches in the AFL and it was no suprise to me that the Saints were high up in the bottom eight. Of course, their young stars might nevre win them a premiership because lots of different factors contribute to a premiership and who knows what will happen in footy in the next five or so years..

[no1swan]

Originally posted by SsYwDaNnEsY

Also interesting, after Swan_song's post about black&while line fever on Fox, we had Josh Fraser as the guest again last night...

When I saw the show last night, the 1st thing I thought of was, "not another Collingwood player!", so I loved the comment made by a Brisbane supporter who mentioned something along those line. Clinton did not seem pleased with the comments.

Swans...Premiers 2003 (70 years in the wildreness)

[swan_song]

Yeah!!! The look on Clinton Grubass's face when that Brizzie supporter suggested that we could all save money and watch everything on black and white tv sets, was worth putting up with having to look at Josh all the program...

[SWANSBEST]

Lizz

Your analysis of the football world is very good but I was really amused when you used the term " GOOD ORDINARY PLAYER ' made famous by the recently deceased Captain Blood - Jack Dyer