Brendon Santalab

Yeah there was Ono and a good few others who compete for my favourite player of the last 5 years.

A few (like Ono) come close and Covic of course, but for me Santa is my number 1.

The passion, work rate and the fact he has a bit of a dog / fight in him when he almost goes too far for me is everything you want. You want a player that will get stuck in like that, and yep on the odd occasion he takes it too far but that it because he is totally pumped and is fine with me.

Defenders hate him, he gives them no rest at all. He is always in their faces and making a nuisance of himself, its brilliant.

Hope Santa has a few seasons left yet.

Minutes per goal for the current top 10 scorers in the league:

Santalab - 78.0

Taggart - 102.6

Berisha - 112.2

Rojas - 121.2

Brosque - 131.0

Fornaroli - 134.2

Krishna - 164.8

Maclaren - 168.8

O'Donovan - 171.6

Keogh - 202.4

Santa's the only one averaging more than a goal per 90mins.

Minutes per goal for the current top 10 scorers in the league:

 

Santalab - 78.0

Taggart - 102.6

Berisha - 112.2

Rojas - 121.2

Brosque - 131.0

Fornaroli - 134.2

Krishna - 164.8

Maclaren - 168.8

O'Donovan - 171.6

Keogh - 202.4

 

Santa's the only one averaging more than a goal per 90mins.

That's phenomenal

Minutes per goal for the current top 10 scorers in the league:

 

Santalab - 78.0

Taggart - 102.6

Berisha - 112.2

Rojas - 121.2

Brosque - 131.0

Fornaroli - 134.2

Krishna - 164.8

Maclaren - 168.8

O'Donovan - 171.6

Keogh - 202.4

 

Santa's the only one averaging more than a goal per 90mins.

Wow, he is way ahead of the rest.

It's weird, until recently he's always been seen as a backup striker, 'supersub' etc...for some reason he doesn't have the same reputation as most on that list. I mean most neutrals I think would pick all of those except maybe Krishna and O'Donovan ahead of him. Yet his numbers are far better than them all.

He's had his injury problems in the past and he is the wrong side of 30, but as long as he's fit, we have no striker crisis.

also back when he played for the other lot, he seemed to be more of the scorer of the odd great goal rather than the great goal scorer he is now (if that makes any sense)

also back when he played for the other lot, he seemed to be more of the scorer of the odd great goal rather than the great goal scorer he is now (if that makes any sense)

Indeed.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/santas-special-says-proud-popa-449974

the santalab chant got its fair share use use at the game.

Wow, he is way ahead of the rest.

 

It's weird, until recently he's always been seen as a backup striker, 'supersub' etc...for some reason he doesn't have the same reputation as most on that list. I mean most neutrals I think would pick all of those except maybe Krishna and O'Donovan ahead of him. Yet his numbers are far better than them all.

 

He's had his injury problems in the past and he is the wrong side of 30, but as long as he's fit, we have no striker crisis.

I guess the difference is the other strikers are pretty much all 90 minute players. Santa's scoring more per minute because he's coming on for half an hour against tired defenders. I'd imagine if you brought a Berisha or a Fornaroli on for 30 mins against tired defenders they'd be pretty devastating as well.

The advantage all the others have is because they're 90 minute players week in week out they may not score more goals per minute but most of them have scored more goals in total.

 

Wow, he is way ahead of the rest.

 

It's weird, until recently he's always been seen as a backup striker, 'supersub' etc...for some reason he doesn't have the same reputation as most on that list. I mean most neutrals I think would pick all of those except maybe Krishna and O'Donovan ahead of him. Yet his numbers are far better than them all.

 

He's had his injury problems in the past and he is the wrong side of 30, but as long as he's fit, we have no striker crisis.

 

I guess the difference is the other strikers are pretty much all 90 minute players. Santa's scoring more per minute because he's coming on for half an hour against tired defenders. I'd imagine if you brought a Berisha or a Fornaroli on for 30 mins against tired defenders they'd be pretty devastating as well.

 

The advantage all the others have is because they're 90 minute players week in week out they may not score more goals per minute but most of them have scored more goals in total.

 

But as we saw yesterday when he plays the majority of the game, he still does score even when the defenders are fresh. I have seen him start a few games and he still seems to score pretty regularly. I think he would still pretty much be on top of the list even if he was starting games for us.

I think his biggest problem is injuries, and that's why he gets kept on the bench and wrapped in cotton wool. Not because he isn't good enough to be a 90 minute player.

Had he been his "usual self" he would have burried the VIC at ANZ as starting player, and the Roar both at Spotless and a week ago at Suncorp as sub.

 

 

Wow, he is way ahead of the rest.

 

It's weird, until recently he's always been seen as a backup striker, 'supersub' etc...for some reason he doesn't have the same reputation as most on that list. I mean most neutrals I think would pick all of those except maybe Krishna and O'Donovan ahead of him. Yet his numbers are far better than them all.

 

He's had his injury problems in the past and he is the wrong side of 30, but as long as he's fit, we have no striker crisis.

 

I guess the difference is the other strikers are pretty much all 90 minute players. Santa's scoring more per minute because he's coming on for half an hour against tired defenders. I'd imagine if you brought a Berisha or a Fornaroli on for 30 mins against tired defenders they'd be pretty devastating as well.

 

The advantage all the others have is because they're 90 minute players week in week out they may not score more goals per minute but most of them have scored more goals in total.

 

 

But as we saw yesterday when he plays the majority of the game, he still does score even when the defenders are fresh. I have seen him start a few games and he still seems to score pretty regularly. I think he would still pretty much be on top of the list even if he was starting games for us.

 

I think his biggest problem is injuries, and that's why he gets kept on the bench and wrapped in cotton wool. Not because he isn't good enough to be a 90 minute player.

 

Never said he wasn't playing 90 minutes week in week out because he isn't good enough. Just wondering aloud (in text form?) the advantages/disadvantages/differences of a player like Santa who's goals per minute rate is off the charts but physically isn't up to 90 minutes every week, versus a player who scores less goals per game but can get more time on the pitch and score more goals over the course of a season.

 

 

 

Wow, he is way ahead of the rest.

 

It's weird, until recently he's always been seen as a backup striker, 'supersub' etc...for some reason he doesn't have the same reputation as most on that list. I mean most neutrals I think would pick all of those except maybe Krishna and O'Donovan ahead of him. Yet his numbers are far better than them all.

 

He's had his injury problems in the past and he is the wrong side of 30, but as long as he's fit, we have no striker crisis.

 

I guess the difference is the other strikers are pretty much all 90 minute players. Santa's scoring more per minute because he's coming on for half an hour against tired defenders. I'd imagine if you brought a Berisha or a Fornaroli on for 30 mins against tired defenders they'd be pretty devastating as well.

 

The advantage all the others have is because they're 90 minute players week in week out they may not score more goals per minute but most of them have scored more goals in total.

 

 

But as we saw yesterday when he plays the majority of the game, he still does score even when the defenders are fresh. I have seen him start a few games and he still seems to score pretty regularly. I think he would still pretty much be on top of the list even if he was starting games for us.

 

I think his biggest problem is injuries, and that's why he gets kept on the bench and wrapped in cotton wool. Not because he isn't good enough to be a 90 minute player.

 

 

Never said he wasn't playing 90 minutes week in week out because he isn't good enough. Just wondering aloud (in text form?) the advantages/disadvantages/differences of a player like Santa who's goals per minute rate is off the charts but physically isn't up to 90 minutes every week, versus a player who scores less goals per game but can get more time on the pitch and score more goals over the course of a season.

 

But that's what I am sort of arguing. Is he physically not up to 90 minutes every week, or is it because he is injury prone? He proved yesterday that he can play nearly the whole game.

It's hard to say. He went well playing 87 mins against the Nix but that was his first start in ages. He can probably be managed if he plays 90 mins every other week but I reckon if he's playing week after week fatigue will set in and we won't be as effective.

that was also against a nix that were cooked in adelaide a week prior

I think naysaying Santa should be considered a treasonous offence.

It's hard to say. He went well playing 87 mins against the Nix but that was his first start in ages. He can probably be managed if he plays 90 mins every other week but I reckon if he's playing week after week fatigue will set in and we won't be as effective.

There no worry to that, if he plays 90 mins 3 games in a row hes getting a red card by then.

I think naysaying Santa should be considered a treasonous offence.

An Heretic offence. The Godly ones have more severe punishments than the political.

The emotion shown by Santa when being interviewed by Tara shows how much it meant to him.

Should be made Governor General

Santa is the most deserving of the guys who signed with us after season one to get a statue at Wanderland 2.0

All time top scorer? (Or equal with Bridge)

He's not only a brilliant striker, but a brilliant troll as well. Love how he made a point to really slowly walk up to Ninkovic and shake his hand when he came off, and then took ages to get off, just soaking it all in.

Popa should play Santa's post match interview to the players before every derby, especially the first one of the season when we have players who have never played in one.

That's the benchmark for commitment we expect in a derby.

This man gets it. He is the embodiment of the Wanderers.

That goal gets better every time I see it. You can see that he was never intending on shooting first time and it was always going to be a dummy. He'd already planned out exactly what he wanted to do before he'd sent Bobo to go sit on the eastern stand.

That goal gets better every time I see it. You can see that he was never intending on shooting first time and it was always going to be a dummy. He'd already planned out exactly what he wanted to do before he'd sent Bobo to go sit on the eastern stand.

That's exactly right and it's even better considering that he had about 1.5 seconds to make that decision.

Brilliant.

What technique and composure.

50 million dollar strikers don't even score goals like that.