To be fair, I don't think he was suggesting that you want to score 100 points for a laugh - I think he was saying you need to score 100 points to win these days.I still fear Ross Lyons tactics. Saints will have his fair share of close games in 2025 just like in 2024
Well... Lets look at the following grand finals.
- 2002
- 2005
- 2006
- 2009
- 2010 (The 1st one, drawn grand final)
- 2012
- 2013
- 2016
- 2018
- 2020*
- 2023
That is 10 AFL grand finals Since 2000. Guess what all those Grand finals have in Common? All 11 of those grand finals had both sides failed to score 100 points. Hell none of them scored 95 or even 93 points.
Yep 2010 grand final was a draw. 2020 only had 15 or 16 minute quarters So you can throw an asterisk on both of them.
I get irritated to no end about posters saying "But you gotta score 100 points to win the grand final".
Who gives a poo? Seriously.
If my dockers won the AFL grand final scoring 90 points and win by 5 to 10 goals, I wouldnt care. I dont care if its 12.18.90, 13.12.90 or even 14.6.90, I wouldnt care.
I just find it Hilarious that a swans fan like you WillHayward , that you bag out Ross Lyon and his defensive tactics.
Now.... Lets look at the 2005 and 2012 Grand final wins. Guess who won both of those flags? Oh it was The Sydney Swans!
Lets look at the winning scores the Swans posted in those 2 grand finals...
2005 AFL Grand final
Sydney Swans: 8.10.58
West coast: 7.12.54
2012 AFL grand final
Sydney Swans: 14.7.91
Hawthorn: 11.15. 81
So you gonna hand those 2005 and 2012 premierships back because your side didnt score 100 points on those days?
My view, is that now more than ever, you need to be capable of kicking 100 points on a given day against good opposition - but you also need to be capable of containing a good opposition to under 70 points (give or take) on a given day.
The modern game in 2024/25 seems to dictate what is required on a case by case basis.
The high scoring teams got found out. The overly defensive teams also got found out.
You really need to be good at either depending on the day.
To be honest, I think St Kilda are pretty close to getting this right. I don't think the question marks around their game plan are still valid. I think the second half of the season answered them. They want to score, they want to move the ball fast. They want to defend. They want to slow down the opposition. They demonstrated that they can.
The game plan is correct.
At the moment though, there are just others that are better at it than them.