Look, let's look at it positively (if that's possible):

1. Ackland WALKED on St Kilda; they get no compensation
2. Ackland did play 41 games in 2 years with the Saints (avg. 20.5 games)
3. It's the SAINTS we buggered up...

There are negatives. Ackland is way undersized. He is reasonable around the ground though.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

He is better than the lot we have at the moment - this doesnt mean the club sees this as the be all and end all of the ruck solution

talk about panic stations - sheesh !

It probably says we will take Gibbs and not leuenberger which should please the majority of people.

Ackland is the best available at this stage and as i said better than a Deluca, Mclaren,Bryan combination

His 3 years may get us through while say a Renouf develops or Aisake.

Welcome aboard Cain - I wish you all the best

Oh Cain also shows some aggression at times on the field - a trait we severely lack.

Our ruck stocks are now better than they were yesterday.

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

The SEN crew quizzed Eade to who it might be before it was announced - said Jason Cloke

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Upside!

Hey also I'm back posting on this board after my time in the ressies! go t-bird!

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dane's trolling again

How the hell did you do 100 posts in 24 hours?

So this is what Coutts was talking about when he said "we'll see what happens in the next 24 hours" on SEN after being asked if there will be anymore announcements last night by Huddo.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

It's not the fact that he's a retread (twice over) that shits me at all.

Its the fact that he's shit that shits me.

Goodbye Bryan.

i dont reckon its that bad of a pick up, i reckon he will do alright and prove a lot of you wrong that he has a lot to offer. Also he is the same height as Jeff White and Troy Simmonds so i dont think his height is that much of a problem. And of course you know what this means

WELCOME TO THE BLUES BRYCE GIBBS

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"I can't wait to win a premiership with this club" - Fev

Must admit I'm a bit underwhelmed. A 3 year deal and on good money apparent (SEN)....ouch!! He wasn't delisted. Archie Fraser (SEN again) was very disappointed to lose him but the Carlton offer was apparently oo good to refuse. As far as hitouts stats go, don't read too much into them. Depends how much ground time he has.

All the news had been so positive for the past couple of weeks, too. Bummer.

I can understand why we've committed now, given that it sounds like St Kilda were keen to retain him (?), and list lodgement is just days away, but why have we committed for so long? To offer a three year deal, something we had been reluctant to offer Bret Thornton, is strange indeed - someone must rate him particularly highly. This also ensures that, should he fail to fire, he'll be a problem for whomever is at the helm in 2009, too.

Baffling, but let's hope he proves we doubters wrong and becomes a handy player. The deal is done, he's young enough to be shaped into a Carlton man, so show us your stuff, Cain.

If he really is on a three year deal and this goes pear-shaped, then the board can't really blame Pagan, because they have to authorise 3 year deals.

The worst he can do is still better than Adrian Deluca

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Interesting that many here are livid yet the Saimts fans seem genuinely disappointed:

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/view ... sc&start=0


I'm happy to reserve judgement, he at least deserves a chance to prove himself

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"I had to eat"

Ackland is being brought in to replace French as our No.1 ruckman.
Now although I saw a lot of Ackland earlier in his career in Adelaide and I believe he can really play. He's not a No.1 ruckman.
Just to compare the 2 from last seasons stats: -

(These figures are approximates per/game)
Both played 20 games this year.

French Ackland
Pos: 8 8
Mks: 3.5 3.5
H/O: 17.5 10


So Ackland no better around the ground from these stats and not tall enough to be dominant in the ruck contests ..... and he was playing in a better team.

Although he probably didn't spend as much time in the ruck as French, you would have thought his possie/mark stats would have been superior.

Think he will be an asset to us nevertheless .......... just not in the ruck.

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^^^

Don't worry Essendon* ....... We still hate your guts

^^^

Of course theyre disappointed.. they lost 'Sugar' Cain Ackland... their number 1 ruckman.... the man that was replaced by Rix last year.

Too short.. a bludger who likes running wide across half back and waiting for the cross (Will be running into Lance all the time) and a squib on three years....????

I remember when we used to give them all of our shit....!!!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Forgive me for being ignorant but how much game time did he actually get at the saints?

dont worry... we can play him loose across half back....

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

If we don't improve, he'll be one of about 16 others playing loose accross half back. Hope he can swim. We may become the flooding specialists.

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^^^

Don't worry Essendon* ....... We still hate your guts

^^^

At least it means that they will now work Kosi into the ground during matches and the (boom recruit) druggie, I mean Gardiner.

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Ich bein ein Carltonian