Pressure now on Bulldogs...

[One Eyed Saint]

The media will jump on the band wagon and the bookies will follow.

I don't see how the doggies can improve on tonight (Johnno maybe)

I don't see how they are going to be able to maintain this form all year with 3 of thei best forwards 30+

As long as we can minimise no. of injuries throughout the year, we will take care of the doggies in September.

It was better to lose tonight and then make changes to improve rather than winning (with Ok form) and getting beaten in RD1.

I hate seeing us lose anytime but this is a good wake-up call we needed before the season proper.

[clarky449]

Some people on here think it is the end of the world Give me a break it is march!

[SaintSimmo]

The media will jump on the band wagon and the bookies will follow.

I don't see how the doggies can improve on tonight (Johnno maybe)

I don't see how they are going to be able to maintain this form all year with 3 of thei best forwards 30+

As long as we can minimise no. of injuries throughout the year, we will take care of the doggies in September.

It was better to lose tonight and then make changes to improve rather than winning (with Ok form) and getting beaten in RD1.

I hate seeing us lose anytime but this is a good wake-up call we needed before the season proper.

VERY VERY TRUE. Great Post

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

The media will jump on the band wagon and the bookies will follow.

I don't see how the doggies can improve on tonight (Johnno maybe)

I don't see how they are going to be able to maintain this form all year with 3 of thei best forwards 30+

As long as we can minimise no. of injuries throughout the year, we will take care of the doggies in September.

It was better to lose tonight and then make changes to improve rather than winning (with Ok form) and getting beaten in RD1.

I hate seeing us lose anytime but this is a good wake-up call we needed before the season proper.

I couldn't agree more, these echo my thoughts exactly. I am not unhappy at all that we lost tonight. This is what we needed i reckon. Now we can review over the next couple of weeks and get things right for round one. The nab cup means nothing. The media and bookies will be all over the doggies now and will leave us along to a certain degree. We will be ok, there is no point being march champions, the only flag that matters is won in september and we will be firing on all cylinders by then i feel as long as we have a good run with injuries which is the key as always.

Go saints! Bring on Sydney in a couple of weeks!

[degruch]

Some people on here think it is the end of the world Give me a break it is march!

Happens every year, doesn't it? If we win it means nothing, if we lose everything's gone to hell. Did RL look worried tonight?

I agree 100% with OES's summation. I'd rather they have the 'poisoned challice' in their cabinet, as much as I hate losing (and see Barry Hall bury us...payback is coming for '05 Baz).

[Spinner]

Well our preseason has been considerable better than last years....

[degruch]

Well our preseason has been considerable better than last years....

...and this place errupted in dispair then too. Too many lemmings in the ranks.

[Hurricane]

They remind me slightly of us from 04, except not quite as good. Mark my words they will buckle under the pressure of expectation, mabey not from the media but certainly from their fans.


BANG BANG

[plugger66]

They remind me slightly of us from 04, except not quite as good. Mark my words they will buckle under the pressure of expectation, mabey not from the media but certainly from their fans.


BANG BANG

Why is that?

[3rd generation saint]

Agree, let's see how there 30+ guys are doing at round 11 and beyond.

[SydneySainter]

They remind me slightly of us from 04, except not quite as good. Mark my words they will buckle under the pressure of expectation, mabey not from the media but certainly from their fans.


BANG BANG

While I agree, the footy world is now starting to declare 'year of the Dogs' which can be a very premature distraction, why is it a given that they'll fall away? I

Dogs have had a much better pre-season than us and they've also played in preliminary finals for the last two seasons, so they're hardly in Carlton's boat when they were winning the pre-season cups.

Dogs showed every sign of being a team that will be tough to beat, even in September.

[bigcarl]

Dogs have had a much better pre-season than us and they've also played in preliminary finals for the last two seasons

i thought they outplayed us in the prelim last year and we were just fortunate to have a key forward who stood up.

They are a very good side and well coached.

hall ... if he gets through the season without belting someone ... makes them more dangerous.

[123]

Dogs have had a much better pre-season than us and they've also played in preliminary finals for the last two seasons

i thought they outplayed us in the prelim last year and we were just fortunate to have a key forward who stood up.

They are a very good side and well coached.

hall ... if he gets through the season without belting someone ... makes them more dangerous.

How can they have outplayed us if we won?

[bigcarl]

i thought they outplayed us in the prelim last year and we were just fortunate to have a key forward who stood up.

They are a very good side and well coached.

hall ... if he gets through the season without belting someone ... makes them more dangerous.

How can they have outplayed us if we won?

they weren't able to put it on the board. sort of like us the following week.

[doggerel]

i thought they outplayed us in the prelim last year and we were just fortunate to have a key forward who stood up.

They are a very good side and well coached.

hall ... if he gets through the season without belting someone ... makes them more dangerous.

How can they have outplayed us if we won?

they weren't able to put it on the board. sort of like us the following week.

Agree 100% Bigcarl.

Barry belts someone when he is frustrated and can't get into the game. What's he got to be frustrated about now with the kind of delivery he is getting from the highly-skilled Bulldogs' mids?!

All signs are that the Barry gamble is going to be more successful than even optimistic Doggies supporters thought. I really think are the main dangers for us this season.

[SainterK]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/w ... 5840648741

"The way we played against St Kilda, we would go into season 2010 fearing no one," Smorgon said.

"We have a harder edge to our club. We have been building on this for a long time, and now we have to go on with it.

[degruch]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/w ... 5840648741

"The way we played against St Kilda, we would go into season 2010 fearing no one," Smorgon said.

"We have a harder edge to our club. We have been building on this for a long time, and now we have to go on with it.

The Doggies are off to a flier again...are they going to fold up 3/4 of the way through the season, fall into the finals and lose another prelim? IMO, they look good, as they have for the past 3 years.

If Smorgs reckons he saw St Kilda at their best on Saturday night, he may be a little more fearful next time. Keep talkin' it up though.

[Milan Faletic]

Some people on here think it is the end of the world Give me a break it is march!

Exactly. We didn't exactly fire in the NAB Cup last year and it wasn't a bad season! No need to panic. Ok to feel some disappointment that we lost but as clarky said, it really isn't the end of the world. We can learn and improve and be better than 2009, which means only one thing...

[ace]

Looks like Smorgon had more than meat in his sausages.

[bobmurray]

Too many lemmings in the ranks.

Do you mean at StKilda

[degruch]

Too many lemmings in the ranks.

Do you mean at StKilda

No, flowering St Kilda forumites...FFS...