Discussion St.Kilda vs Western Bulldogs, 2nd AFL Preliminary Final, 18/9/2010

[StFly]

Haha over by half time? Very presumptuous that. The result should be rather close up to 3/4 time and then, depending on how well the dogs pulled up and how fit they were the result would flatter whoever is in front, either us kicking away or pegging back any deficit, expecting an easy game is just, well, ridiculous really.

Yes, easier than facing Geelong again or the Pies, but effectively write off the Dogs at your peril, because you can corner a mouse and get nothing but a nasty bite despite your superiority over the small critter.

 

[Rough_Edges]

Very
excited but already very nervous. Hopefully the win is easy as the media is expecting it to be. Hopefully Morris comes in underdone players always struggle in final

 

[captain peanut]

Hey guys do you reckon the bye this weekend will assist or hinder GF preparations? Let's be brutally honest you are going to smash the dogs to the shisenhausen this week and we all know it. The top 3 this year are miles in front of the rest let alone a dogs side minus some prime movers. The pies embarassed the dogs a fortnight ago and only our poor conversion (again) kept the margin below 100.

My question is whether you think an easy win this week is better preparation for a GF v coll or geel, the winner of which is widely expected to have come through a really tough prelim. My thinking is that i would rather be in the saints shoes as they had a tough 1st week of finals, have had time to regather, will effectively play a glorified practice match this weekend and then should be cherry ripe for the GF?

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Hey guys do you reckon the bye this weekend will assist or hinder GF preparations? Let's be brutally honest you are going to smash the dogs to the shisenhausen this week and we all know it. The top 3 this year are miles in front of the rest let alone a dogs side minus some prime movers. The pies embarassed the dogs a fortnight ago and only our poor conversion (again) kept the margin below 100.

My question is whether you think an easy win this week is better preparation for a GF v coll or geel, the winner of which is widely expected to have come through a really tough prelim. My thinking is that i would rather be in the saints shoes as they had a tough 1st week of finals, have had time to regather, will effectively play a glorified practice match this weekend and then should be cherry ripe for the GF?

Arguments both ways mate, but let's preface it with first we need to get there. I refuse to believe this game will be anything but a hard fought contest.

Look at Geelong in 2007. Smashed Nth in the 1st final, had a week off. Just got over the Pies in the PF and then absolutely tore Port to shreds. Port on the other hand came into the GF after mauling the Roos.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Well it works both ways and in the end I don't think it matters.

2007: Port won by 14 goals, Cats by 5 points.
2008: Cats by 20 odd, Hawks by 8 goals.
2009: Saints by 7, Cats by 12 goals.

I really don't think it matters. Whoever plays the best on the day will win, regardless of the game the week before.

 

[Special88]

Hey guys do you reckon the bye this weekend will assist or hinder GF preparations? Let's be brutally honest you are going to smash the dogs to the shisenhausen this week and we all know it. The top 3 this year are miles in front of the rest let alone a dogs side minus some prime movers. The pies embarassed the dogs a fortnight ago and only our poor conversion (again) kept the margin below 100.

My question is whether you think an easy win this week is better preparation for a GF v coll or geel, the winner of which is widely expected to have come through a really tough prelim. My thinking is that i would rather be in the saints shoes as they had a tough 1st week of finals, have had time to regather, will effectively play a glorified practice match this weekend and then should be cherry ripe for the GF?

Im not going to take any team for granted.. anything can happen.. but if it did play out how people expect i would rather be in our position.. Do you guys have any injury concerns on players atm? Because coming into finals we had fish, lenny, schneider, kosi all rumored to have a cloud... so if we were in your position a gruelling hit out against geelong like we had last time will not be much benefit going into the next week IMO

 

[stfan]

Doggies at their best can beat us with fast ball movement but they are so far off their best at the moment.

I can't see them turning that form around inside a week and I cannot see the Saints being anything but absolutely pumped to go.

.

Thing is with the Dogs it was not just fast ball movement, but that they moved the ball wirth exceptional footskills and accuracry.

This has dreserted them.

If we bring our high pressure game their disposal efficiency will continue to be poor, and if so we will triumph.

 

[saintsrule]

Cross is free to play. But it shouldn't be an issue. The Bulldogs haven't beaten any other top four team this year, even when they were fit and healthy. If we cannot beat the diminished, hobbled version relatively comfortably, then we don't really deserve to be playing in a PF.

 

[MYOB]

Thing is with the Dogs it was not just fast ball movement, but that they moved the ball wirth exceptional footskills and accuracry.

This has dreserted them.

1st person to post something reasonable on here.

 

[SammyFish25]

Why is it that the school decides to have footy codes week in Prelim's week. Bloody get the nerves going rocking up to school each day, and hearing theme songs at the end of every break.

Should be a good contest, however If Morris doesnt get up, I think our forwards should be able to get on top. Im thinking RL should throw Gardi/Macca down there in bursts to stretch them?

 

[Fehring]

When we played the Dogs in round 3, a lot of people said they lost because they didn't "take the Saints on". I read a quote from one of the Dogs players this week saying they intend to take us on like the Dons and Blues. I hope to God they do, because we will smash them.

Last year, in the two H&A fixtures they tried to play their breakneck speed gameplan and we humiliated them. Then, in the PF they decided to take us on at our own game and - as we all know - almost beat us. Then they repeated that in round 3 and were totally robbed (yeah, baby). To me, their attempts to beat us at our own game have been very good for them, with the desired result only just eluding them. However when they've tried to run and gun we've pulled their pants down.

So, please, Doggies. Think like the Dons and Blues and go for it.

 

[bisazc887]

So, please, Doggies. Think like the Dons and Blues and go for it.

Melbourne matches up well with Pies, Essendon with us etc.....Doesnt mean they will=Means nothing, but agree with you if they try play outside what they do well we will take advantage

 

[StringyDog]

When we played the Dogs in round 3, a lot of people said they lost because they didn't "take the Saints on". I read a quote from one of the Dogs players this week saying they intend to take us on like the Dons and Blues. I hope to God they do, because we will smash them.

I sincerely doubt that to be the case as we don't have the leg speed to play that game as Carlton and Essendon did. Cross, Boyd, Ward, Picken, Addison, Giansiracusa are not exactly outside speed machines, besides Griffen, Harbrow and Murphy we have few other line breaking players.

I imagine 8-10 goals will win the game on the weekend the same as the previous two encounters.

 

[captain peanut]

Im not going to take any team for granted.. anything can happen.. but if it did play out how people expect i would rather be in our position.. Do you guys have any injury concerns on players atm? Because coming into finals we had fish, lenny, schneider, kosi all rumored to have a cloud... so if we were in your position a gruelling hit out against geelong like we had last time will not be much benefit going into the next week IMO

pies have been very lucky with injuries (touch wood) for most of this year. didak played a bit sore v the dogs in week 1 with a shoulder but should be right a fortnight later, the only sore bloke going in might be wellingham if they take the punt with his ankle. i'm sure there's a few other sore guys that we don't know about but it seems nothing major going in. but as you guys well know any encounter with the cats is always a bruising one and even if we do manage to get through i would expect some very sore pies boys in the aftermath

i've got no doubt the dogs will throw everything at you blokes but bottom line for me is that they are just not good enough. i didn't think they were good enough to compete with the top 3 at full strength let alone missing cooney higgins and morris (who if he plays will be blowing hard after about 5 mins of chasing roo around). they were non competitive v pies a fortnight ago

the reason for my initial question was basically because i get this feeling that the prelim v geel could in effect be the pies GF. obviously i really hope i'm wrong but even if we manage to get through i think it will be tough mentally and physically to come up again within 7 days v the saints if they have a much easier time of it in their prelim. only time will tell. hopefully we will see you on 25 sept

 

[Pigdog]

I imagine 8-10 goals will win the game on the weekend the same as the previous two encounters.

We hope 8-10 goals wins this game because I can't see us kicking many more.

 

[sammm]

We have learn t from falling asleep at last years preliminary final, this is what is called experience, and I expect Lyon and the players to be totally focused at the start of the game. It should be effectively over by half time, and an enjoyable evening from then on in.

Jones bins Grifffin
Kosi bakes Lake
Zac balls Hall
Mac Qualter slays Hargrave
Nick skins Williams.

I have tried to get all frothy over this week, but can't. I am not being arrogant but for the life of me I can't see the Doggies getting up.Just too many injuries there, and we all know the effect of that come finals. I would be all sweaty and lathery if I was a Cats or Filth supporter, I wouldn't have a clue who is going to win that one. Just hope it is totally physical and goes down to the wire.

thats what i thought about them last week. I thought sydney were a shoo in to play the saints. and look what happened.

 

[Pigdog]

thats what i thought about them last week. I thought sydney were a shoo in to play the saints. and look what happened.

There is a fair bit of difference in the quality of the Sydney team & the St.Kilda team.

With the problems we have if you guys play at about 70% you will account for my team pretty comfortably.

 

[Half Back Pocket]

We hope 8-10 goals wins this game because I can't see us kicking many more.

IMO

Saints 15-11- 101
Dogs 9-13- 67

Roo to kick 5.6, Schnides, Milney and Joey to get 2 each.

 

[Pigdog]

IMO

Saints 15-11- 101
Dogs 9-13- 67

Roo to kick 5.6, Schnides, Milney and Joey to get 2 each.

It's supposed to rain for the next 4 days so I can't see this happening.

And if Morris plays (which is likely) I am predicting that he does a better job than last years PF where he couldn't run.

 

[Bourky23]

far out, a few Saints fans need to pull their heads in.

be confident, sure.

but we haven't won yet guys.

i'm confident it won't be the walkover a lot of you are predicting, the doggies have taken it up to us the last few times and i expect this saturday to be no different.

sure, they have injuries and i'll be fuming if we let this one slip, but i certainly hope rosco and the boys don't have the same mentality a few of the fans on here do

 

[Plugger35]

It's supposed to rain for the next 4 days so I can't see this happening.

And if Morris plays (which is likely) I am predicting that he does a better job than last years PF where he couldn't run.

Riewoldt was carrying a knee injury this time last year as well. I'd expect Morris will play even he isn't fully fit, don't think the Dogs have a decent match up for him otherwise. Just hoping it's a reasonably dry night as if it's wet it will reduce Riewoldt's effectiveness, although it should also reduce Hall's effectiveness as well.

Agree with Bourky that this game may be closer than people think, the Dogs will still be hurting from last years prelim loss and will be keen to make amends, they will throw everything at us. We have to be 100% on our game or they could slip under our guard.

Pretty confident Lyon will be on top of it though and will stamp out any complacency, if they let an opportunity like this slip they will regret it forever.

 

[krusden]

If this match is over 5 goals our way I will seriously go hopping.

The dogs are injured, limping and Aker-less BUT, and its a big but, they have belief. They have a retiring champ. They have Murphy. They have Hudson in the ruck.

This is not a walk in the park. I expect us to win, but I expect it to be bloody close.

 

[Defacto]

far out, a few Saints fans need to pull their heads in.

be confident, sure.

but we haven't won yet guys.

i'm confident it won't be the walkover a lot of you are predicting, the doggies have taken it up to us the last few times and i expect this saturday to be no different.

sure, they have injuries and i'll be fuming if we let this one slip, but i certainly hope rosco and the boys don't have the same mentality a few of the fans on here do

this.

 

[StFly]

If this match is over 5 goals our way I will seriously go hopping.

The dogs are injured, limping and Aker-less BUT, and its a big but, they have belief. They have a retiring champ. They have Murphy. They have Hudson in the ruck.

This is not a walk in the park. I expect us to win, but I expect it to be bloody close.

I would almost make a similar claim, that if the result is a blow out in either direction I would do something that would otherwise get me arrested some people seem to have jumped from confidence in the team to arrogance that we've already won it, which is a sad state of affairs indeed.

Should be a game filled with a lot of heart, and in the context of weather possibly playing a part, quite the encounter as well.

 

[lewdogs]

We will have to go bloody hard to win this weekend. No doubt that the Dogs will be, and we must match them in this department to have any chance of winning.