Preview Season Opener; "The War In Heaven": Etihad Stadium (H), Saturday 25 March 2017, 4;35pm

[Ads734]

Intertesing that in Tom Moris's article about his saints preview he names Acres as the player to step up and break out. Interesing because as someone who would obvious knowledge from inside the club and contacts that this would be coming out of the club. Kind of goes against what seems to have been happening in rescent weeks. Anyone shed any light on this

 

[Paddy2014]

In some ways I agree , but the players and fans didn't really do anything wrong. So in that respect I do feel for them

Oh you are shi***g me! Nearly every god damn supporter and their media mates have been pushing the whoa as me it's someone else's fault for years now. F**k em. Their bullshit needs to stop and people like you keep feeding it. They stuffed it. They sort of paid for it (top ups and low draft picks not withstanding). Give us all a break. If it was Melbourne or us we don't recover for 10 years ie. Carlton. Really.......?

 

[gringo2011]

Is joey viable in 2017

He was playing extremely good footy last year, he was technically our only elite player by position. That said the calf strain is an old mans injury. I would hope he could get back, if Roo can't be around for the next flag tilt I would like Joey to be at least.

 

[gringo2011]

Intertesing that in Tom Moris's article about his saints preview he names Acres as the player to step up and break out. Interesing because as someone who would obvious knowledge from inside the club and contacts that this would be coming out of the club. Kind of goes against what seems to have been happening in rescent weeks. Anyone shed any light on this

I would say he's basing it on the end of last year. I still haven't changed my opinion that he'll be an exceptional player even if he doesn't play round 1.

 

[RoundCubic]

I'm with you.

I'm working on a plan to destroy Etihad in the next week or so anyhow. Nothing dramatic. Just some explosions or localised airborne toxins or something along those lines.

Up for a repeat of last years bet
This feels like more of a gamble

 

[austinnn]

As much as I dislike Hawthorn winning (I'm well & truly over it), I hope they massacre the Bombers

...and injure half their team in the process.

 

[austinnn]

Crowd predictions for a weeks time?

Anything under 40k is a disappointment, and really, for a first game of the year for two very promising clubs rammed with exciting players, it should be more like 50-60k. This is a game that would attract plenty of neutrals too, surely, far more than Hawks V Dons. In fact I know of one neutral from this very board who'll probably be there ;-)

 

[JG22]

Anything under 40k is a disappointment, and really, for a first game of the year for two very promising clubs rammed with exciting players, it should be more like 50-60k. This is a game that would attract plenty of neutrals too, surely, far more than Hawks V Dons. In fact I know of one neutral from this very board who'll probably be there ;-)

Doubt we'll get 60k seeing as it is at Etihad

 

[SaintsSeptember]

In some ways I agree , but the players and fans didn't really do anything wrong. So in that respect I do feel for them

Yeah i know. I really feel for the East German girls , who didn't have a clue what they were given , and had to grow up with all sorts of conditions.

The players? Its hard to say , were they not concerned about the injections, what did the doc say if they asked him?
Somewhere further down the list i feel for the Essendon supporters , many who still think their team should not have been punished, because... they are Essendon and stuff. They don't realise that it is the athletes who need to be punished. If club officials were the ones punished you would always find someone happy to take the fall in exchange for money. Stopping the team from having success makes the whole cheat futile.

Because we can't have this stuff happening...

Effects on athletes[edit]
The results were great for East Germany, but absolutely devastating for the athletes involved: “While figures cannot be precise, the state-inspired doping program affected perhaps as many as 10,000 athletes. Not only was cheating at the center of the program, but so was the abuse of the athletes’ health. Female athletes, including adolescents, experienced virilisation symptoms, and possibly as many as 1,000 sportsmen and -women suffered serious and lasting physical and psychological damage”.[10]

Often, doping was carried out without the knowledge of the athletes, some of them as young as ten years of age. It is estimated, that around 10,000 former athletes bear the physical and mental scars of years of drug abuse,[11] one of them is Rica Reinisch, a triple Olympic champion and world record-setter at the Moscow Games in 1980, has since suffered numerous miscarriages and recurring ovarian cysts.

While the doping worked in achieving victories for the state and advancing a relatively small nation to prominence on the world stage, many concerns remain. All victories by East German athletes are tainted due to the widespread use of drugs. Many former doctors and former athletes struggling with the side effects are bringing sports directors to court. The legacy of East German sport outlasted the country

____________________________________________

 

[tim_saints]

I think it could get to 50k. Would be shocked if it wasn't at the very least over 40.

 

[austinnn]

Doubt we'll get 60k seeing as it is at Etihad

Get that old school pre-WWI crowd in that used to sit on the roof or hang off lampposts and whatnot!

I'm ashamed to admit I have no idea of the capacity of Etihad, but if it's that small it ought to be a sell out.

I was at that famous game vs Tigers at Waverley in the late 90s, iirc crowd was around 70k: that's the standard I expect.

 

[tim_saints]

Get that old school pre-WWI crowd in that used to sit on the roof or hang off lampposts and whatnot!

I'm ashamed to admit I have no idea of the capacity of Etihad, but if it's that small it ought to be a sell out.

I was at that famous game vs Tigers at Waverley in the late 90s, iirc crowd was around 70k: that's the standard I expect.

Fairly sure Etihad seats about 54-56,000 I'd be surprised if it was a complete sell out but I wouldn't be against it seeing as I'll be there. Nothing like a big crowd.

 

[joop]

Intertesing that in Tom Moris's article about his saints preview he names Acres as the player to step up and break out. Interesing because as someone who would obvious knowledge from inside the club and contacts that this would be coming out of the club. Kind of goes against what seems to have been happening in rescent weeks. Anyone shed any light on this

Just my opinion, but I think the club sees how good Acres can really be, and thus are being extra hard on him.
Same thing happened last year, no one could believe why he was dropped after round 1. Dropped a few more times throughout the year before ending really strong. Maybe he got a bit complacent over the preseason? The only thing we know is Cox (?) Said he needs to work on his kicking and decision making, which as much as I love Acres I'd agree with.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

I can't see Dempster missing if Joey is 'confirmed' out for round 1. I'd take Dempster over Gilbo any day of the week, have people seen Gilbert's ball use out of the back 50? christ on a bike if I had a nickle for every one step kick he did which resulted in a turnover I'd be a rich man. At least Dempster kills the ball 3rd man up, all well and good Gilbo being able to take a nice mark and all but ball use just as important.

You'd probably have one nickel for every game we play.

Its so totally exaggerated how bad Gilbo's kicking is.

Shinner is a great intercept mark and lock down defender but he is his kicking much more reliable than Gilbo? He is much more likely to take the safe option whereas Gilbo will take on a few opponents, break the lines and then kick under pressure.

I love Shinner and expect that predictions of his demise are very premature but I honestly think that with our current set up (with Brown & JC in) Gilbo fits our needs a bit better.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

In some ways I agree , but the players and fans didn't really do anything wrong. So in that respect I do feel for them

REDACTED

Hint: It rhymed with DUCK THEM

 

[tim_saints]

You'd probably have one nickel for every game we play.

Its so totally exaggerated how bad Gilbo's kicking is.

Shinner is a great intercept mark and lock down defender but he is his kicking much more reliable than Gilbo? He is much more likely to take the safe option whereas Gilbo will take on a few opponents, break the lines and then kick under pressure.

I love Shinner and expect that predictions of his demise are very premature but I honestly think that with our current set up (with Brown & JC in) Gilbo fits our needs a bit better.

Each to their own I guess, I don't hate Gilbo but I think with Roberton we don't really need him every week, Dempster can play a lockdown role and play as a spare as well. I get what you are saying in terms of need but I feel Gilbert can try and do too much at times which ends up biting us in the arse, happy to be proved wrong trust me!

 

[FlyingSledghamer]

The Gilbert hate is so over the top.
He's a good player.

 

[schmuttt]

45K imo, 70-30 split in crowd your way.

I've gone to just about every game we've played at Etihad since 2014 but our fans as a rule really hate going there.

Edit - I'd love it if you guys don't play Dempster, he is the perfect matchup for Watts from a St Kilda pov

 

[aussierulesrules]

The thing with the Dempster v Gilbo and who will play thing is that last weekend was supposed to be the "full dress rehearsal" for R1 and Richo also said pre game that we had our best team out there (best avail presumably), so it would not make a lot of sense for us to have all of our best available playing, bar one guy...who ended up playing that weekend anyway!

Logic would suggest that if Sean is/was in fact still seen as being a lock in the team, we would have scheduled for him to play games 1 and 3 (so that he could play in the two "full dress rehearsals", especially the final one) and had say Gilbo play JLT2 instead of him (it didn't make sense to me at the time why Dempster played that game, while the younger Sam and Robbo were rested), but we scheduled Gilbo to play games 1 and 3 instead, which probably suggests that he is seen as the club's current choice out of the two, unless something fairly weird is going on.

 

[sunny3193]

Comeback story, what a load of shit Love how they make out like they're the victims, ******* drug cheats. I'm sure most people on here have realised my hatred for them is strong, looking forward to seeing Hawthorn (hopefully) flog them by 10+ goals.

The darkness is strong in you Anakin.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I can't see Dempster missing if Joey is 'confirmed' out for round 1. I'd take Dempster over Gilbo any day of the week, have people seen Gilbert's ball use out of the back 50?

I have, but have you seen Sean's this year so far? It's been much worse than Sam's, with 2 or 3 alarmingly bad kicks in his two JLT games, which pretty much grubbered along the ground. They made some of Gilbo's missed kicks look like lace-out passes.

I hope not, but they may be a sign that he's cooked, which the club would have a better idea of than us, having seen him training all summer.

If Sean is going really well, great, let's play him, but if he's only going OK, or no better than Gilbo, I'd be very comfortable going with the quicker, more versatile and younger option.

If neither are going that well... J-Webb?

 

[Masquerade]

Maybe Dempster could replace Brown? I don't really follow other teams much, so I'm not sure if the Demons have any marking threats other than Hogan. Brown and Carlisle seem very similar but Carlisle is just sort of better in each aspect. He's taller, he takes pack marks, he tackles...so I'm not sure we should play both in the same side if the other team doesn't have many tall forwards.

Edit: Forgot Demons supporters were on here and they're being pretty nice.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I'm not saying anybody here is wrong but Joey will be given a very solid workout on Friday, if he gets through that then his recovery will be monitored. If he ticks all the boxes only then will he will be considered for Round 1.
My personal opinion is he's probably a lot more unlikely than likely.

It's okay, man; you can tell me I'm wrong.

 

[gringo2011]

The thing with the Dempster v Gilbo and who will play thing is that last weekend was supposed to be the "full dress rehearsal" for R1 and Richo also said pre game that we had our best team out there (best avail presumably), so it would not make a lot of sense for us to have all of our best available playing, bar one guy...who ended up playing that weekend anyway!

Logic would suggest that if Sean is/was in fact still seen as being a lock in the team, we would have scheduled for him to play games 1 and 3 (so that he could play in the two "full dress rehearsals", especially the final one) and had say Gilbo play JLT2 instead of him (it didn't make sense to me at the time why Dempster played that game, while the younger Sam and Robbo were rested), but we scheduled Gilbo to play games 1 and 3 instead, which probably suggests that he is seen as the club's current choice out of the two, unless something fairly weird is going on.

The preference for Gilbo I think stems from the defence heavy team line up. If we play Brown and Carlisle with our spread of mid and small defenders we have a huge number of defenders. Gilbert is an extra midfield rotation and forward if needed while still being tall enough to be a ruck if he had to. Blake used to mystify fans when he was played ahead of more talented players but multi position players are super rare.

 

[tim_saints]

I have, but have you seen Sean's this year so far? It's been much worse than Sam's, with 2 or 3 alarmingly bad kicks in his two JLT games, which pretty much grubbered along the ground. They made some of Gilbo's missed kicks look like lace-out passes.

I hope not, but they may be a sign that he's cooked, which the club would have a better idea of than us, having seen him training all summer.

If Sean is going really well, great, let's play him, but if he's only going OK, or no better than Gilbo, I'd be very comfortable going with the quicker, more versatile and younger option.

If neither are going that well... J-Webb?

I like J-Webb, tough, quick and has good use by foot but it really comes down to who we play because Dempster and Gilbert can probably take a forward and run with them all game where is Webster is more the smaller forward match-up and run and dash out of the back half.