Are injuries the only thing that can stop the saints

[absfab]

I dont think Saints fans are getting ahead of themselves.

I'd be interested in how you define "getting ahead" then. As far as I can see the general feeling among St Kilda fans is to send the cup to the engraver today.

Without being certain of any, I have the following questions over the Saints in Sept.

• Performance anxiety. The core of the team has plenty of experience of unfulfilled expectations. While they can rightly claim to be better equipped than inthe past, the mind remembers dark thoughts under pressure.
• Jumping teams from the first bounce. One of two aspects of the Saints that impresses me this year. But not so likely to happen in finals.
• Great use of the ball in heavy traffic - the other impressive aspect for me. And again a whole lot tougher under finals pressure.
• Pure sustained class, as in Geelong. One defeat in the final minute does nothing to take away just how good they have been for such a long time.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I'd be interested in how you define "getting ahead" then.

This is my definition.......

 

[Cheshire Cat]

The Cats and Dogs can stop them

 

[Sainters08]

Or like taking Luke Ball, Steven Baker and Michael Gardiner out?

Bang Bang

 

[Grumpy Bum]

The Cats and Dogs can stop them

Or even better, the huge weight of St Kilda supporters expectations,might also weigh heavily on the psyche of the players. Its not like St Kilda wouldn't be aware of this. Others have succumbed to it before.

I think you should be quite content with what you know about your team and sit back and watch with hidden amusement the rambling on here by some of them.

 

[Big Bad Buddy]

Saints will be the ones to watch, Especcialy when they get Steven King back, Kingy and Gardiner in the ruck would slaughter Ottens, Blake and Mumford. Also Saints had A couple of other key players out.

And Geelong supporters say "We lost because Stevie J wasn't playing", When Max was injuried also and he is one of saints Key defenders too . All you cats supporters always have excuses when you lose.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

so much is being made of the players that didn't play ie Ottens Johnson, why not go on about the players that did,
Mooney- genuine spud, a CHF too scared to have a shot from 30m out, token tough guy who is not up to big games, see last years GF.
Chapman- 40possession game, talked up about how good his game was, yet the opening ten or twelve minutes when the Saints actually won the game, his direct opponnent gathered 12 possies and set up our opening 5 goal burst.
Harley- the Geelong equivalent of ports Chad Cornes, gethers possession willy nilly when just running around loose in the back 50, manned up on sunday proved invariably to be the weak link

The cats defense when forced to go one on one were found wanting, Taylor, Scarlett and Harley were all fairly well beaten on Sunday, the forward line were only really efficient when Tablett went forward, robbing them of his "presence" in the midfield.
Their forwards were a joke, their ruckmen did not take one mark between them, so effectively they really better pray that Ottens does come good.

I'm sure Fish face will be sitting on his lofty throne at dilled stadium using stupid analogies of the Saints history or the fact that Steve Johnson will fix it all.
The fact that the saints were able to pressure them into such a mistake laden opening qtr with Selwood ling harley and others cracking under pressure and turning over goals, were able to reply every time the cats got a run on and invariably were able to smash Geelongs defensive zone at our kickins to score length of the field goals should have more study other than hey if Johnno was there.........

All that and you only won because of a flukey mark in the last couple of minutes, which was due to a bad umpiring decision.

Imagine if we play any good next time

 

[a_fighting_fury]

to be frank I think you are wrong:
cats - remember WE missed our number 1 ruckman and our best backman/men on sunday
dogs - the big question mark. they are quick but can be stopped at clearances and stoppages
bombers - can beat us, but IMo only IF they have a fully fit jobe watson. their ruck division suffers with Hille being out
Blues - up one day, down the next. would depend on fevola kicking a fair few
Over-performing - hardly. performing up to the level we should be.

Fair comments.

But tell me, how did your team manage to concede a 5 goal lead against the Cats? You guys are great at jumping out of box early and grabbing a handy lead - which has got you over the line a few times, but you cant afford to continue doing this. You guys will need to maintain intensity over 4 qtrs come finals time and, should you make it, particularly in the GF.

PS I have a feeling Adelaide wont be a pushover either in Rnd 16. Exciting times ahead. Good luck!

 

[The Fireman]

One of the first and only time i am going to agree with BigBadcam, Geelong will cream them when they next meet either in the finals or grandfinal.

I don't see St Kilda keeping this type of football up for the whole season where as Geelong have proved they can do it over like 60 games.

Geelong by 40+ next time they play

Looks like most have us written off including "Cats fans" , if we were lucky enough to pull off the big one , and luck plays a big part ,it will this one the sweetest, So many were made to look silly with their predictions of last Sundays game, heres to hoping the trend continues.

 

[The Fireman]

I'd be interested in how you define "getting ahead" then. As far as I can see the general feeling among St Kilda fans is to send the cup to the engraver today.

This is my definition.......

BANG

 

[NAUGHT5]

Gee, what logic

So using that great insight, because the tigers only lost by 20points to the cats at the cats home ground, then virtually anybody should be able to beat the cats.....even the dees.

I was simply trying to say if a Carlton side below there best can get close, a number of sides at there best can beat them.

 

[JeffDunne]

I was simply trying to say if a Carlton side below there best can get close, a number of sides at there best can beat them.

So St Kilda were at their best against Carlton?

Seriously, could you be more simplistic in your logic?

 

[Falchoon]

Anyway, we'll have to wait and see if the MCG argument has any merit at all come finals time.

is it like the Collingwood have plenty of experience in big games theory?

 

[absfab]

This is my definition.......

\

Refresh my memory. The serial attention seeking President of which club was talking premiership or failure this year?

“Before the season, McGuire declared that the Magpies were intent on a premiership this year.”

Jun 2009 “At Collingwood we are very much in active service to win the premiership in 2009."

Don't know where he finds the time, in between talking down other clubs, whining to the media about non-existent victimisation of the Pies and white anting his own coach.

 

[Hoops]

Geelong still favourites for the flag.

 

[HulkHawkins]

Geelong still favourites for the flag.

But St Kilda beat them how can they still be favourites??

 

[BigBadCam]

But St Kilda beat them how can they still be favourites??

Exactly, it doesn't make sense. StKilda had as many injuries as us and if they really wanted to they would have beaten us by as many as 10 goals after their start. I can't believe people still think Geelong are the better side. Who is SJ anyway? pfft.

 

[Murraj1966]

That's right... cling to your Favouritism... do what your Coach is deliberately avoiding... Claim that you are the team to beat this year and are favourites. Pressure comes off the saints and that'd be another positive.

 

[winty]

LOL @ the bitter and twisted cats fan.

Don't worry, we won't play as badly as we did, next time we meet. We won't ease up after we get 5 goals up

Hilarious. Of course it didn't have anything to do with Geelong moving Ablett and Bartel into the centre after they spent the first 15 minutes playing elsewhere, and Geelong kicking it up from first to second gear. You guys were out on their feet in the last quarter, and only a dodgy umpiring decision enabled you to win.

But please, keep talking yourselves up. Will make it all the more enjoyable when you crash and burn in September.

 

[JeffDunne]

. . . and only a dodgy umpiring decision enabled you to win.

Keep telling yourself that.

 

[Murraj1966]

Hilarious. Of course it didn't have anything to do with Geelong moving Ablett and Bartel into the centre after they spent the first 15 minutes playing elsewhere, and Geelong kicking it up from first to second gear. You guys were out on their feet in the last quarter, and only a dodgy umpiring decision enabled you to win.

But please, keep talking yourselves up. Will make it all the more enjoyable when you crash and burn in September.

Remember Steven Milne? Yeah I don't think getting dragged down and the umpire claiming Milne tackled first was fair when Milne only had eyes for the ball. If THAT decision had been right St Kilda would've/could've won by 12 Cos Geelong's backline would've had to deal with another high ball in the goalsquare. And about 1 minute prior to the Milne free kick... well yeah Gardy.

 

[St DAC]

Hilarious. Of course it didn't have anything to do with Geelong moving Ablett and Bartel into the centre after they spent the first 15 minutes playing elsewhere, and Geelong kicking it up from first to second gear. You guys were out on their feet in the last quarter, and only a dodgy umpiring decision enabled you to win.

But please, keep talking yourselves up. Will make it all the more enjoyable when you crash and burn in September.

At about the halfway mark of the third quarter the Saints were up by 3 points, effectively negating our faster start. From there it was anyone's game; and the Cat's had the momentum.

And yet we won. Your bleating about umpiring decisions is selective; all during the game (and any game really) there are contentious umpiring decisions that effect the result. You had some, we had some.

In reality all our win proved was that we've somewhat bridged the gap that existed between the two sides last year. Whether that translates into a GF appearance, or better yet a Premiership, is anyone's guess. It is at least possible that neither one of our teams makes the GF, so I'm certainly not counting my chickens just yet. And I'm yet to read any other Saint supporter doing so.

 

[Harvey to Hayes]

If Carlton can get within 9 points of St.Kilda then they're is alot more than injuries that can stop them.

Cats, Dogs, Pies, Crows, Lions, Bombers, Blues, Swans, Hawks, Power.

If the Blues can get so close, then any of these other sides can on their day.

If they keep winning, the pressure will mount. If they finish top, they'll most likely have to play the Bulldogs or Cats in a prelim which would be tough. All sides start to stumble late in a season after extended winning streaks.
Geelong beaten by Port in 07.
by Hawthorn in 08.
Essendon by Dogs in 2000.
I think Collingwood are far from the best side in it, but Malthouse is a genius and they have a habit of being there abouts. They could pinch a win off St.Kilda.

Wow, you just won the "Big Footy post with least substance" award for the month of July, 2009. Top stuff...

Even though we are 14-0, because we only beat Carlton by 9 points there are essentially 10 other sides who have our measure. Even though we've beaten all of those sides (except hawkesr who we haven't met yet) and we have a percentage of 170-odd...

And the second part of post is how terrible it is for sides to be undefeated coming into the business end of the season, because eventually you have to lose a game. Yes, I hate being undefeated and dream each night of us being 12-2, or, better still, 11-3... then there would be hardly any pressure at all, would there?

 

[HolyWars]

-Geelong- Get them playing outdoors and the Saints 10,000 players over 10ft tall will struggle in the weather and on the larger ground. Dont forget that they beat Geelong without Stevie J and Ottens.

-Bulldogs- If they fire at the right time, they are capible of anything.

-Collingwood- Big game team.

 

[HolyWars]

Well St Kilda beat you to the Preliminary Final last year... at the MCG wasn't it? So your comment kinda gets kicked in the balls.
Seriously why is it only Collingwood fans who cling to that futile argument that St Kilda can't play at the MCG when we beat Collingwood there last year, and the 2 other finals we had to play were against Geelong and Hawthorn, Teams that in 2008 we couldn't beat come finals time for obvious reasons.
The MCG argument has lost all sense of merit because the difference is one ground is slightly bigger and doesn't have a roof, and because we won a final there last year! If this is what it's coming to with trying to find ways to put down St Kilda... go back to mocking the 10 in a row DVD

You didn't play Collingwood in a Prelim last year.