Youth - now our greatest advantage

[jerry springer]

During the lead-up much was made of collingwood youth and inexperience with our band of youngsters who had played 50 games or less.Much was made of the fact the Saints had "been there, done that" in the 2009 Grand final.

Now the tables have turned slightly.Playing in that game and experiencing the highs,lows and in the end the draw, will have been a great experience for our kids against the "battle hardened" Saints.

Its up to our coaches to help get our guys up mentally for this week.But now with the young kids having a GF under their belt you have to see this as a major,major positive.Younger legs might be the thing that tips us over if its a close game deep in the last qtr

This experience now gained, with the subtraction of the brownlow medal night,open training sessions and the GF parade and any other distractions that happened out of the norm will hold us in very good stead for the replay.

 

[Paddywhackers]

I agree, and at what stage of the match did Gardiner injure his leg? Will he miss this Saturday? Also, younger players will be fresher for Saturday. I'd like to think guys like Kosi, Hayes etc will pull up sorer.

 

[Zahki]

Really?I think the opposite. They're going to be absolutely stuffed after that week and game. You could see it at the end of the game, the put absolutely everything they had left into that one effort. I can't see them being ready to play anywhere near that level again in only a weeks time. The Saints mature minds and bodies will help them push for that extra week.

 

[Paddywhackers]

Really?I think the opposite. They're going to be absolutely stuffed after that week and game. You could see it at the end of the game, the put absolutely everything they had left into that one effort. I can't see them being ready to play anywhere near that level again in only a weeks time. The Saints mature minds and bodies will help them push for that extra week.

So did the Saints and the fans. Now I am refreshed, mentally. Well almost. All bodies that p[layed will be sore. The younger ones will recover better.

 

[danielnajdek]

Let's hope their "injured" players pull up sore (Dal Santo and Gram) Then who would they have to bring in?? I think our greater depth could be a advantage if both teams have a few changes.

 

[Paddywhackers]

Let's hope their "injured" players pull up sore (Dal Santo and Gram) Then who would they have to bring in?? I think our greater depth could be a advantage if both teams have a few changes.

I agree, no time for negative bullshit... I only see positives...

 

[abs_of_STEELE]

I think our greater depth could be a advantage if both teams have a few changes.

This.

I think we could bring in a few fresh players that could really help us win the game. Guys like Lockyer and Goldsack could be very useful inclusions IMO, maybe for Blair and Davis.

 

[Keele]

Our young legs will recover better

we had so many good players down on the day... a turn around is a must for them.

Lucky we got through...

We go into the game on level terms... there will be none of the "we must make up for last year" coming from Saint players.

They still dont know if they can beat us

 

[Paddywhackers]

Goldsack should be a certain starter.

 

[HFF]

Was thinking a similar thing, particularly as we have now "experienced some hurt" in a GF.

Saints have been in consecutive GFs and have fallen short. There will be doubts in their minds that they can actually win it.

 

[Dundalis]

It's not about physical recovery. Both teams will have to go through that. It's about mental recovery. And I think St Kilda go in with a better chance of recovery, not just because of experience, but because of the genuine confidence they would have taken from the way they finished this game.

 

[rodderz]

The good thing is the young guys have experienced the intensity of a grand final, and still have the opportunity to play another one next week. They also have the advantage of watching through the video, analysing St Kilda and seeing how they can improve. Both teams are in the same boat, it just will come down to who shuts the other most next week and who stands up when it counts.

 

[lozza63]

Nice quiet week on the track, much psychological rebuilding of belief. The thing is that both sides have shown an inability to seize their premiership opportunities since 1990.
This fact may weigh equally heavier on both sides minds although the Saints must be feeling that the shut down jobs performed on our upper echelon players may not be replicated next week.
I am backing that our defence will be just as solid next week.
MM will need to review the match ups, Hayes and Goddard are the keys to our success. Keep them down on output by say 5% and our youth and pace can deliver the goods.

 

[The Panther]

You also have to factor into the effect our rotations have on their direct opponent. I've read a stat this year that Collingwood's opposition has the highest injury rate & recovery time as a result of our rotations.

This is the time our Sports Science team, which is the most heavilly financed in the AFL, shows the comparative advantage our club has.

 

[Forgotten Legend]

This.

I think we could bring in a few fresh players that could really help us win the game. Guys like Lockyer and Goldsack could be very useful inclusions IMO, maybe for Blair and Davis.

LOL, nice joke with Blair.

Like said our younger players will be able to recover quickly and the poor performance by some of our star and key players should be rectified in the replay. Also bringing in a fresh player in either Goldsack, Presti or Lockyer for Davis would benefit us greatly. Also all of our players have now experienced the pressure of a grand final and have felt the disbelief of a draw and are now on fairly even terms with St Kilda mentally wise.

 

[Dansolo]

Our bodies will be fresher sooner - bigger bodies generally take a bit longer to recover - so we'll be sharper on the track before they are IMO. In terms of mentally I reckon this'll do us the world of good. We cruised through the finals and survived an epic. Saints will be wondering what they have to do to win - considering the general consensus in the media is they played better and we we're lucky to survive. Also, the Saints gave up the lead after chasing it down. That will be playing on their minds too, and if it isn't, then they have a pretty sh*t-hot team psychologist! Cloke kicking the go-ahead goal will do wonders for his and the teams confidence too - namely that if they stick to the structures the game is never over, as the Saints found out yesterday when they put the clamps down with their 'Tempo Footy'. More than once they should have put us away and they couldn't - we're pretty tough in the head. I think we'll see a more familiar Collingwood run out on Saturday afternoon; confident and irrepressible. Things are looking pretty good, people!