Do you think from a positional point of view, so take away, you know, Jake Stringer and his inconsistency at times, from a positional point of view, um, and take away the name Jake Stringer, is that what St Kilda need?

No. We're, we're in limbo.

We're paddling.

We do not make premiership decisions.

We make survival decisions, and whilst he may kick 50 goals next year, hip hip hooray.

Uh, good for him, uh, but it's not going to get us where we need to go.

We need to make really strong, difficult, uh, decisions to, um, put a... w- with the right strategy to ensure that we can build towards a premiership, not- Just hang in there and be half acceptable or half respectable and have this eight to 12 mentality.

What was your assessment of that, of all of those decisions?

Is he a box of chocolates player? Tomo, do you think?

Uh, look, it's a baffling or even provoking decision.

Um, you never know what you're going to get with Jake.

Um, I don't know why we're sort of doing this.

It doesn't seem to be a premiership decision to me.

I can't imagine Jake standing on the dais for St Kilda with a premiership medallion.

I mean, but I think it talks a bit more about the Saints, Matty, rather than Jake.

What was your assessment of that, all of those decisions?

Is he a box of chocolates player? Tomo, do you think?

Uh, look, it's a baffling or even provoking decision.

Um, you never know what you're going to get with Jake.

Um, I don't know why we're sort of doing this.

It doesn't seem to be a premiership decision to me.

I can't imagine Jake standing on the dais for St Kilda with a premiership medallion.

I mean, but I think it talks a bit more about the Saints, Matty, rather than Jake.

What was your assessment of that, all of those decisions?

Uh, e- essentially that, uh, you know, he's disappointed from, uh, uh, from a personal point of view, happy for Mark, but, uh, he, he spoke on Footy Furnace essentially announcing that, uh, Mark had, had gotten the job.

Yeah, I'm just staggered really.

I'm really staggered.

I'd like to know what criteria they used and or what was the compelling assessment.

Um, um, either Hird was in the ca- [laughs] If they've just done a, uh, a very disingenuous sort of du- you know, somewhat duplicitous, uh, act of keeping Hird a- along just to appease supporters, that wouldn't augur well.

Um, and I can't imagine that, uh, Mark McVeigh could stand up against James Hird in the critical components of, uh, of, um, um, coaching criteria.

You know, whether it's management, whether it's leadership, whether it's, uh, um, um, you know, all the acumen, uh, required.

How do you think the AFL have gone this year?

Uh, uh, essentially that, uh, you know, he's disappointed from a personal point of view, happy for Mark, but, uh, he, he spoke on Footy Furnace essentially announcing that, uh, Mark had, had gotten the job.

Yeah, I'm just staggered really.

I'm really staggered.

I'd like to know what criteria they used and or what was the compelling assessment.

Um, um, either Hird was in the...

If they've just done a, uh, a very disingenuous sort of du- you know, somewhat duplicitous, uh, act of keeping Hird a- along just to appease supporters, that wouldn't augur well.

Um, and I can't imagine that, uh, Mark McVeigh could stand up against James Hird in the critical components of, uh, of, um, um, coaching criteria.

How do you think the AFL have gone this year?

Like, what one lives on more? Knowing now what you knew then, what year do you think that you were best placed to go all the way? And what one maybe lives on as a, geez, a what-if sort of a year?

Well, I'm just going to send a little bit I suppose, but I mean, when you look at the age that we were, I personally believe we outperformed where we were, you know, and part of our whole thing of going overseas, our whole management program our coaching program our training program was about acceleration of maturity not waiting until you're 25 to 28 to play your best footy if you're drafted as an 18 year old we want you to be a gun by 20 and we want you to understand what life's about we want you to understand what leadership's about we want you to understand what connection's about responsibility pros pro approach to footy.

So we taught all that.

That's why we went to London and trained with some of the most amazing athletes on the planet.

We went to China and saw how the real people live with one and a half billion people.

And we went to South Africa and went to Soweto and showed them how fortunate they were as, you know, the fortunate position they were as AFL players.

And this is all about accelerating maturity.

and it was only going to be a matter of

What's your view on it?

Uh, w- w- what, what are we actually talking about? Are we talking about, uh, Hirdy's capability or ability to do the job or are we talking about the other coaches that are sooking about his appointment? [laughs] 'Cause that's, that's where I think it sits.

I mean J- James Hird, I don't wanna go into to the past.

I'm not interested in that.

I'm just interested in the best person for a job.

And the way I look at it with what he has achieved in life, both his startup business, his business acumen, uh, his leadership, all that sort of stuff, I just think he, he'd be a fantastic person to interview.

Whether he gets it or not will be based on that interview.

Do you think that is a concern at all when you're sitting down talking to a prospective coach that they haven't been in the system for a decade?

What's your view on it?

Uh, w-w-well, what, what are we actually talking about? Are we talking about, uh, Hirdy's capability or ability to do the job, or are we talking about the other coaches that are sulking about his appointment? [laughs] 'Cause that's, that's where I think it sits.

I mean J-James Hird, I don't wanna go into, to the past.

I'm not interested in that.

I'm just interested in the best person for a job and the way I look at it with what he has achieved in life, both his startup business, his business acumen, uh, his leadership, all that sort of stuff.

I just think he, he'd be a fantastic person to interview.

Whether he gets it or not will be based on that interview.

Do you think that is a concern at all when you're sitting down talking to a prospective coach that they haven't been in the system for a decade?