Saints closer to flag than Tigers: WaldronJoshua Papanikolaou
SEN
28 Jun 2016Brian Waldron believes that by making a bold move and trading multiple senior players in recent years St Kilda is now far closer to winning a premiership than Richmond.
After two heartbreaking Grand Final losses the Saints started to drop down the ladder and decided to cash in some of their quality veterans for draft picks.
“We need to take you to task too, on the 8th of June you said St Kilda is going nowhere,” said Waldron on SEN radio to the great Kevin Bartlett.
“Well I don’t agree with you and that’s okay, I think Richmond are treading water and St Kilda now I would argue that they are far closer to a premiership than Richmond.
“Because they took the hard step a number of years ago and bottomed out and have built on a base – whereas Richmond hasn’t bottomed out and I’d say St Kilda are certainly closer now.
“Richmond have only had a team capable of finishing ninth, eighth, seventh or sixth and losing a final.”
Bartlett stood by his comments on the Saints and insisted no team should ever consider trading away its best players to go for a complete rebuild.
“That was a conversation we had about people wanting to give up their best players to draft players,” he responded.
“I said would St Kilda be any worse off if they had Goddard and Dal Santo still playing for them? Would they still be better off? That’s what I said.
“At the moment they’re hoping they’ve got some light at the end of the tunnel but I still don’t believe that you give up your best players.
“People were talking about Richmond should give up Deledio or give away Jack Riewoldt.
“St Kilda may have recruited better than Richmond, picked better players at the draft, they may have we don’t know.”
http://www.sen.com.au/news/afl/06-16/saints-closer-to-flag-than-tigers-waldron#QJ4RjDepok2OBuki.97
