Saints might miss finals

[thejester]

I feel sorry for Lenny. But apart from that...moral victory for teams playing the right way.

 

[PoidaCat]

Chappy was right.

Yep besides Lenny the rest of the team can go **** themselves!

 

[CF]

The Saint missing the finals in 2011........

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Chappy was right.

Yep besides Lenny the rest of the team can go **** themselves!

Spot on Poida.
I used to begrudgingly admire them but the culture and attitudes of Milne, Goddard and Baker make me think of karma , and karma can be a bitch !
I thought our KPF kicking for goal left a lot to be desired but poor old Saint Nick couldn't hit the broad side of a barn last night !!

 

[Sarah2Donohue]

Not a fan of kicking a team when they are down, because no supporter wants their own team to be in that postion....and it's not necessarily over for them just yet....remember Hawks '10?

Totally off topic: what's with OP's username spelling? Epic fail, or wot?

 

[randyzany]

Can't say I've ever been bothered by Saints fans so-called arrogance. They're one of those clubs who've experienced precious little success and thus most of their long suffering supporters aren't vicarious gloryhunting flogs like the bogan filth who are attracted to barracking for the Cawks, colonwood, bummers, etc...

Besides I have a soft spot for them and I never bought into the whole petty 'whose list is better' that started around 2004.

All the best for the remainder year (except when you play us of course) and hope your boys rediscover some of the form of '09. Any club that has the quality to prevent colonwod from laying their grubby little fingers on another cup is fine bye me.

 

[topic97]

Pretty much. Don't forget how much the entire football media drooled over them from 2002 onwards, remember the phrase "best list ever"? Perfect evidence that high draft picks don't all become superstars (Xavier Clarke picked before Bartel ), and sound recruiting and development is a much better thing to have.

We kinda did ok out of the '01 draft too.... your comment made me look at it again and i forgot, we ended up with 2 brownlow medalists and a norm smith medalist out of that one, not to mention Kelly. Shit that was a good draft for a lot of clubs!!

Not a fan of kicking a team when they are down, because no supporter wants their own team to be in that postion....and it's not necessarily over for them just yet....remember Hawks '10?

Yep, didnt make the grand final and got bundled out in the first week of finals by Freo, and your point is?

 

[Selective Retention]

Spot on Poida.
I used to begrudgingly admire them but the culture and attitudes of Milne, Goddard and Baker make me think of karma , and karma can be a bitch !
I thought our KPF kicking for goal left a lot to be desired but poor old Saint Nick couldn't hit the broad side of a barn last night !!

What has Goddard done? I would have him in the category with Hayes and Riewoldt. The guy gave absolutely everything to try and drag the saints over the line last year, he couldn't have given anything else. I think he has really mentally lost it because of that, the guy gave everything and it wasn't enough, so disheartening and then all the crap that happened at the saints over the off season and it would be hard to put in again when you can't see how the team as a whole can make up the gap to grab a flag.

Anyway I think it is a warning how quickly the end can come. We've been a lot smarter than the saints list management wise by keeping all our picks and throwing a few kids into the side to gain experience rather than get list cloggers from other clubs but once the tipping point hits it can be a very quick fall indeed.

 

[Hinkley29]

I don't understand this thread, the need for it, or the opinions of most of the posts.

St Kilda were heroic against a vastly superior team in 2010.

St Kilda were unlucky against a slightly superior team in 2009.

They have displayed toughness and innovation to be able to turn a talented but ultimately flawed list into legit contenders. Make no mistake, they were very very close to being back to back premiers. Unfortunately for them, they got zip.

I will concede that they are boring as hell to watch when they are controlling a game, but I can't say that I have any real dislike for them.

Without St Kilda as a rival over the last few years, our ride would have been far less enjoyable. Our rivalry with St Kilda is what made the 2009 flag more exciting than the 2007 flag.

 

[Scottland2007]

Can't say I've ever been bothered by Saints fans so-called arrogance. They're one of those clubs who've experienced precious little success and thus most of their long suffering supporters aren't vicarious gloryhunting flogs like the bogan filth who are attracted to barracking for the Cawks, colonwood, bummers, etc...

Besides I have a soft spot for them and I never bought into the whole petty 'whose list is better' that started around 2004.

All the best for the remainder year (except when you play us of course) and hope your boys rediscover some of the form of '09. Any club that has the quality to prevent colonwod from laying their grubby little fingers on another cup is fine bye me.

I agree. All the saints supporters I know are good blokes. I actually hope either them or Bulldogs win the flag. If Geelong doesn't of course. The way things are going, it might just have to be the cats again!

 

[goyoucatters]

I don't understand this thread, the need for it, or the opinions of most of the posts.

St Kilda were heroic against a vastly superior team in 2010.

St Kilda were unlucky against a slightly superior team in 2009.

They have displayed toughness and innovation to be able to turn a talented but ultimately flawed list into legit contenders. Make no mistake, they were very very close to being back to back premiers. Unfortunately for them, they got zip.

I will concede that they are boring as hell to watch when they are controlling a game, but I can't say that I have any real dislike for them.

Without St Kilda as a rival over the last few years, our ride would have been far less enjoyable. Our rivalry with St Kilda is what made the 2009 flag more exciting than the 2007 flag.

Couldn't disagree more. Losing the 'unloseable' in 2008, and the fact the 2009 GF was still a contest after half-time, made the 2009 flag at least as exciting as the 2007 flag.

The fact we had to knock off the team playing the ugliest game-style going around had very little to do with it in my opinion.

 

[bulletproof]

They'll still make the finals, with the state of this competition with so many poor teams it would be nothing for them to string 6 wins on the trot.

Just goes to show the importance of having players healthy, if we were to lose Bartel or Collingwood Pendlebury we might not be undeafted.

They are obviously mentally shot at the moment but one big win could change that.

 

[candiehappy]

They'll still make the finals, with the state of this competition with so many poor teams it would be nothing for them to string 6 wins on the trot.

Just goes to show the importance of having players healthy, if we were to lose Bartel or Collingwood Pendlebury we might not be undeafted.

They are obviously mentally shot at the moment but one big win could change that.

they are a fair chance of only winning 1 out of their next 6 games, finals seem a thin hope, let alone top 4 to make it worthwhile.

 

[Beth]

Hmm this thread makes me a little uncomfortable...sort of thing that bites you on the arse one day!

Having said that the death of "Saints Footy" can't come soon enough, it is an abomination.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

Hmm this thread makes me a little uncomfortable...sort of thing that bites you on the arse one day!

Having said that the death of "Saints Footy" can't come soon enough, it is an abomination.

No matter what happens from here, Geelong earned two flags with this list. People can make excuses for the runner-up every year, but the truth is that 2nd is just the highest placed loser. St. Kilda have turned "losing valiantly" into a culture, and too many people - including people giving them kudos here - buy into that crap. Geelong supporters did this in the 90's, when we got doughnuts in spite of all our flamboyance and star players. The problem is club culture, the problem is list management, the problem is coaching strategy. Winning 19 in a row in H&A means nothing, nil, nada if you don't win the flag (refer Geelong 2008 for our own example of this) - and if players on your list are more interested in gangbanging some naive girl 3 sheets to the wind than they are in rectifying internal issues, then they get what they deserve.

Also, Raph Clarke.

LOL.

 

[caitsith01]

I don't take too much pleasure in them being this bad. I have really enjoyed the big Cats/Saints games over the last few years (apart from a certain 2010 final... urgh). Hayes, Goddard and Riewoldt are all pure footballers IMHO. And I would rather see the Saints up than teams like Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and West Coast who have that disgusting air of entitlement about them.

Plus I would rather someone else was around who could soften up the Pies a bit in 2011!

I'm most surprised by Lyon's lack of reaction. Surely they're at a point where he just pulls the ripchord and starts dropping underperforming players regardless of name, age or rank. They must have some half decent kids despite their idiotic recycling program?

But shows what I know - I also assumed the Crows would have the guts to sack Craig but apparently not.

 

[InnocentBystandr]

Not comfortable with the gloating attitude displayed by some here. We're barely a third way through the H/A season and anything could happen. StK are in an ugly place at the moment but they are not a very different side that was a straight kick away from being the reigning premiers.
I think to earn respect, we have to give respect, and I think its poor form to stick the boot in when someone's down.

...there but for the grace of God (and some astute list management, good coaching and club culture) go I.....

 

[STC]

To me the Saints just look a defeated team - being on the losing end of Grand Finals 2 years in a row can do that. They just don't seem to have that drive and belief anymore. They got up after 2009 because they knew they were as close as they'd ever been but after 2010 they were overtaken by the Pies and then the offseason from hell can't have helped.

When you consider how much work the Saints have put into getting to where they are - that so highly disciplined game plan - it has to hurt a lot that they haven't been able to take the final step. 2009 will always be the one that got away from them - whereas we redeemed our one that got away by snatching a second flag from the clutches of another rival, and they almost managed to do that themselves last year in the drawn GF. But at the end of the day, it's hard to get up for another season when you feel you've wasted two incredible chances at the ultimate glory.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

What has Goddard done? I would have him in the category with Hayes and Riewoldt. The guy gave absolutely everything to try and drag the saints over the line last year, he couldn't have given anything else. I think he has really mentally lost it because of that, the guy gave everything and it wasn't enough, so disheartening and then all the crap that happened at the saints over the off season and it would be hard to put in again when you can't see how the team as a whole can make up the gap to grab a flag.

Anyway I think it is a warning how quickly the end can come. We've been a lot smarter than the saints list management wise by keeping all our picks and throwing a few kids into the side to gain experience rather than get list cloggers from other clubs but once the tipping point hits it can be a very quick fall indeed.

Goddards body language has sucked this season - can't stand looking at the wry faces he pulls - needs to toughen up and set an example as a leader at the Club. Riewoldt lost me with his pathetic press conference performance he gave a la St kilda schoolgirl response. Hayes is the only one I admire apart from Ball and he's a different story as we all know. If our senior players carried on like this we would be all over them. Even my wife who is a 30 year supporter has had enough of them and is supporting Gold Coast...............

 

[Gaz_Brownlow]

Not comfortable with the gloating attitude displayed by some here. We're barely a third way through the H/A season and anything could happen. StK are in an ugly place at the moment but they are not a very different side that was a straight kick away from being the reigning premiers.
I think to earn respect, we have to give respect, and I think its poor form to stick the boot in when someone's down.

...there but for the grace of God (and some astute list management, good coaching and club culture) go I.....

Yup, this thread should be closed.

Don't love the 'aints, but there problems are there problems...no point debating it here.

They have still got every chance of coming back this season, as have we every chance of dropping off.

Football is a very funny game!

 

[vinum coupe]

I don't take too much pleasure in them being this bad. I have really enjoyed the big Cats/Saints games over the last few years (apart from a certain 2010 final... urgh). Hayes, Goddard and Riewoldt are all pure footballers IMHO. And I would rather see the Saints up than teams like Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and West Coast who have that disgusting air of entitlement about them.

Plus I would rather someone else was around who could soften up the Pies a bit in 2011!

I'm most surprised by Lyon's lack of reaction. Surely they're at a point where he just pulls the ripchord and starts dropping underperforming players regardless of name, age or rank. They must have some half decent kids despite their idiotic recycling program?

But shows what I know - I also assumed the Crows would have the guts to sack Craig but apparently not.

good post.

I wish they had of won a flag. The supporters deserve one. They had the players. I've just never supported them through this period purely due to us being there too.

The 1st GF last year was it.

 

[David the Cat]

Top 4 looks gone for the Saints. And we all know that if you don't make top 4, your chances of making a GF are slim indeed. The form of Riewoldt ( tho better on Monday) and Goddard has been way below expectations. They look to be carrying burdens, and I don't think its physical.

As for finals...well..wouldn't write them off just yet...remember Hawthorn last year. But the effort the Hawks had to put in to get there cruelled them when the finals began. A massive game for the Saints ( and Hawks ) this coming week.

Can't see the Saints challenging for the flag at the moment tho...history says its highly unlikely.

 

[J Squad]

Most points have been made already about the Saints in this thread, i'll just add a few more.

It was talked about last year in one of the GF's, but the bottom 6 or so players at St Kilda have been the problem over the last couple seasons. And after the first GF where Goddard and Hayes gave 110%, the following week they were buggered and the bottom tier players weren't able to pick up their slack.

Their inability to blend in young, talented kids at the right time (when they are up and about), not after their slide, has been very detrimental to stretching their chances at a flag.

 

[Vdubs]

Shit thread. Shit attitudes.

I surely won't forget their 2009 H/A season for a while. Fantastic execution of a game plan over the course of many games. They didn't win a flag for it, but so what.

Whatever.

Agree with that. We pinched that one in the end, but that game plan in 09 was amazingly effective and somehow I keep thinking they can reproduce it.

 

[cancat]

I hate clubs who spend time at the bottom of the ladder then get rewarded with high draft picks for being shit. I love the fact that we have had the success without bottoming out.

I hate their fair-weather celebrity supporters. Where have Molly and Eric Bana been this season?