Are injuries the only thing that can stop the saints

[bombermick]

Semi Final 2008

The MCG has not stopped several over teams from taking out the cup in the past, look West Coast, Sydney, Port.

'peaking' too early has nothing to do with success in September, you either have form or you do not, its injuries and form troubles that can let you down, not 'peaking too early', for example look at Essendon 2000, they 'peaked too early' and won their first 20 games, yet they still won the premiership.

True. Peaking too early is an argument that holds no water. It is good to be like Brisbane of 01 or Collingwood of this year and start to peak towards the business end. However, as you pointed out the Essendon team of 2000 came close to the perfect season. The Saints have done nothing wrong as of yet, but Geelong are far from a spent force. If the GF was played today I would probably lean slightly toward the Saints but it would be a 52%-48% ball game.

 

[EFL Boy]

Essendon. Round 20.

 

[Kildonan]

What a silly thread.

The Saints are certainties to make the finals, beyond that no-one can say much with any degree of certainty.

I hope they finish on top and force a Geelong - W Bulldogs clash.

I am uncertain who will finish in fourth spot (I expect Geelong and Saints to finish in top 2 spots, and I believe W Bulldogs and Adelaide are the next two best teams).

Collingwood, Port, Lions, Hawks, Sydney, Carlton and Essendon in my view are all fighting for the next four spots. Three will miss out, but the points will be close.

Injuries to any of these teams will alter their performance.
None are certainties.

 

[Tish]

If the saints lose ROO they are gone


You can say yeah but if the blues lose FEV we are gone. Not true he is nothing in our side right now.

Roo is st kilda

 

[highflyer91]

If the saints lose ROO they are gone


You can say yeah but if the blues lose FEV we are gone. Not true he is nothing in our side right now.

Roo is st kilda

take out the best and most important player and it would affect any side

 

[Munga]

If the saints lose ROO they are gone


You can say yeah but if the blues lose FEV we are gone. Not true he is nothing in our side right now.

Roo is st kilda

Quick question, who was the last premiership team that won without their best player?

 

[RBW_007]

saints have had 20 players play everygame this year, they have used 26 players in total hawks and pies had both used 38 by round 9

qualifying prelim and grand finals are played at the MCG not a large indoor YMCA

not over by a long way

Actually we have only had 14 players play every game.

 

[Renuo]

Anything can happen! Something crazy like Essendon or Carlton having a great few games with some added luck can mean a team you didn't even think had a chance wins the premiership.

 

[JeffDunne]

If the saints lose ROO they are gone


You can say yeah but if the blues lose FEV we are gone. Not true he is nothing in our side right now.

Roo is st kilda

Carlton are gone WITH Fev. If he's 'nothing' then why doesn't your spineless coach ever drop him?

You could have your best 22 and still not make finals - like the LAST 7 YEARS!

Fair dinkum.

 

[hater]

lol...Geelong by 40 points next time they meet.

What a load of dribble...

Saints by 120 next time they meet. Similar level of realism since the Saints were not at full strength.

What a load of horse apples

Saints injury management this year has been brilliant. No question.

Dave Misson is worth every penny.

Of course the injury list can change massively in one week. But you have to admit, they are doing everything right.

They are going to have a red hot crack at it this year.

 

[Slax]

St kilda have been blessed so far this year with injuries and the best thing to happen to them was Clarke doing his knee as it means Zac Dawson was able to remain on the senior list.

Like any club the star player is a loss, but it'd hurt St. Kilda just as much to lose any of Hayes, Montanya, Del Santo or a Gilbert/Dawson/Fisher. It's not the forward line that wins priemerships its the midfield and defence. The best forward line ever isn't much good if they dont get much of the footy.

Geelong will still win in September when it counts.

 

[krisholio14]

I don't like St Kilda very much and their failures over the years have been the source of much mirth in my household.

But I will say this right now. This St Kilda team is a different beast to any i've seen before. The change in this side compared to the flaccid outfit we thrashed in last years finals is phenominal. They are playing the sort of footy that wins flags, but unlike past Saints teams, this one has a genuine hardness about them, both physical and mental.

I am very confident that we will still knock them off in September if we come up against them, but its not going to be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[NAUGHT5]

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.

 

[krusden]

Injuries are not the only thing that can stop the Sainters. They can also be stopped by:

Cats - with a full list
Doggies - too fast for the Sainters
Also lets consider:
Bombers - 50/50
Blues - 50/50

The Saints are over-performing, and i reckon they've peaked early and will fall short come finals. Furthermore, I can see the Dogs and Cats peaking at the right end of the season.

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.

 

[The Spike]

Geelong have their measure next time they play which will hopefuly be the grand final. That said, a few injuries and they are shot because their depth players are nothing special.

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

 

[The Spike]

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.

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.

 

[lovesmahfooty]

Geelong have their measure next time they play which will hopefuly be the grand final. That said, a few injuries and they are shot because their depth players are nothing special.

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.........

 

[Jumping Jack]

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.........

Go early Saints fans - just like The Cats did after Rd 17 beating the Hawks last year .... it can go horribly wrong in the blink of an eye. I for one reckon if it's both our teams in GF then it's a toss of a coin job .... but a bit of perspective needed on some of your comments.

1) Johnson arguably the form player of 2009 so no doubt he would make a big difference despite your own comments .... averaging nearly 3 goals p/game this year - what did you beat us by ?

2) Harley - All Australian VC last year so a bit of respect might be needed on your part. Also - remember back to the final last year when we had either him or Milburn as a second player up to spoil at contests .... we did'nt play that card on Sunday but guaranteed you'll see it in September. Also - Harley was in just his 2nd game back after long lay-off from knee surgery ... I'm tipping he might have more game time and cover some more ground come September.

3) Re our forwards - I agree although propably would'nt go so far to say a joke. Hawkins found out but should be better for the big game experience and Mooney I thought started to show the form that had him in the 2007 AA team (ahead of reiwoldt). So let's be honest - if they were a joke on Sunday and we lost by a kick - you'd ask yourself if we find an extra 20% output (from joke to ok) then you're in strife next time.

Feel free to blow the lid off and get excited in Rd 14 but I can tell you from experience - it can all end in tears.

 

[HFF]

The MCG will stop them

Beat me to it.

 

[hater]

I dont think Saints fans are getting ahead of themselves.

Regardless of who played and who didnt play, St Kilda won on the weekend, in one of the hardest, most physical games of this season. If not the past few seasons. You all know what level that game was played at.

Saints won. Took the four points and bragging rights. End of story. Geelong pulled up sore. Saints did not.

Most definately looking forward to September, but there is still a long way to go.

The injury/player management at the club has been second to none this year. Least number of players used, and to have only two long term & one short term injury on the list is outstanding. They appear to be ahead of every other club in the competition in this area.

Lets face it. If StKilda can keep that injury list in check, they are going to be VERY well positioned coming into finals.

 

[kahuna71]

of course not, we can be beaten by any team good enough.

silly thread.

 

[Murraj1966]

Beat me to it.

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

 

[ishka29]

I don't like St Kilda very much and their failures over the years have been the source of much mirth in my household.

But I will say this right now. This St Kilda team is a different beast to any i've seen before. The change in this side compared to the flaccid outfit we thrashed in last years finals is phenominal. They are playing the sort of footy that wins flags, but unlike past Saints teams, this one has a genuine hardness about them, both physical and mental.

I am very confident that we will still knock them off in September if we come up against them, but its not going to be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination.

Finally a realistic Geelong Supporter, hats of to you mate!

 

[HFF]

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

It's because the Saints do not play at that venue until round 22- against Melbourne. Hardly an indicator.

Nobody is taking anything away from the Saints.

Yes, you did beat us there last season.

However, we were playing without 2 of our stars in Didak and Shaw.

Makes a big difference. It's like taking out Dal Santo and Fisher and confronting other sides.

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

 

[Violent Stool]

Yes, you did beat us there last season.

However, we were playing without 2 of our stars in Didak and Shaw.

Makes a big difference. It's like taking out Dal Santo and Fisher and confronting other sides.

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