Don't Write Us Off

[SainterK]

I dont get your Richmond comment at all. They only lost to GC once.

I thought it was twice?

[plugger66]

I dont get your Richmond comment at all. They only lost to GC once.

I thought it was twice?

They only play them once a year because of the contract in Cairns I believe.

[lefty]

I'd prefer to be the underdogs

We have good % last year, we just needed to be that 5-10% better and win those 6 close games we lost, then instead of missing out on finals, we'd had finished top 4.

With what seems a good selection of draft picks (heres hoping), and a good breed of new blood in 12, I'm looking forward to this year

[samuraisaint]

A lot of people here have suggested that those teams may (read:should) improve. Why? Because a couple of media hacks suggest it to be so. Judd goes down, Carlton go down. Richmond have lost to Gold Coast twice and were lucky to draw with Port (in Melbourne) in round 22. I won't even discuss Brisbane except to say that unless there is another forced merger they are looking at very ordinary times ahead, especially financially. My point is that just because St Kilda has a tragic history pre-1997, this doesn't mean that we will start to struggle again now.
I do however agree with you on one point, Steven, Armo and Ben are going to be excellent players. Why? Because they have turned it on in some very big games against excellent opposition in finals and in crucial matches. You name one occasion when Richmond's "4 or 5 up and coming young stars" have actually done this and I will be the first to admit I have been wrong.

One other point - I seem to remember us making finals in 2005 and 2006 when we had very long injury lists, something that Carlton and Essendon were unable to do obviously.

I dont get this media hack rubbish. They are paid for opinions and they give it. It seems most are media hacks because most will have the Tigers, Blues and Essendon ahead of us. Who knows who is right but it doesnt make them media hacks. What it does do is make a sensible discussion, sensible. Carlton have more than Judd for a start and why would he get injured anyway? I dont get your Richmond comment at all. They only lost to GC once. Surely we dont go back 2 years to prove a point and they drew with PA. No idea what that means. We lost to PA. As for Brisbane have no idea why you mention financially when we are talking who is better. I think we will be better than them this year but their younger players are going well. And I never said Armo, Steven and Ben will be excellent players, I said they have to continue to improve and I think a couple of them can. As for naming Richmonds 4 or 5 young players that played well in crucial matches well beating Sydney by 30 points and the Hawks by 70 suggests they would have done ok and they also beat us. And have no idea what last paragraph has to do with anything relevant either this year or last year.

I don't get your "media hack rubbish" comment. They are never right, that's what makes them hacks. Just like when they kept predicting a Bulldogs premiership or Grand Final berth in the hope that one day they would be correct.
Just like they keep predicting a Richmond resurgence.
Just like they keep predicting that Carlton will finish top 4 again.
Blah Blah Blah

And we lost to PA in Adelaide, not here, back in round 1.
I don't get your "I don't get your Richmond comment at all" comment. They choke every year in games they should win to put them into the finals, that's what I meant.
Anyway, forget it, let's just agree to disagree.

[plugger66]

A lot of people here have suggested that those teams may (read:should) improve. Why? Because a couple of media hacks suggest it to be so. Judd goes down, Carlton go down. Richmond have lost to Gold Coast twice and were lucky to draw with Port (in Melbourne) in round 22. I won't even discuss Brisbane except to say that unless there is another forced merger they are looking at very ordinary times ahead, especially financially. My point is that just because St Kilda has a tragic history pre-1997, this doesn't mean that we will start to struggle again now.
I do however agree with you on one point, Steven, Armo and Ben are going to be excellent players. Why? Because they have turned it on in some very big games against excellent opposition in finals and in crucial matches. You name one occasion when Richmond's "4 or 5 up and coming young stars" have actually done this and I will be the first to admit I have been wrong.

One other point - I seem to remember us making finals in 2005 and 2006 when we had very long injury lists, something that Carlton and Essendon were unable to do obviously.

I dont get this media hack rubbish. They are paid for opinions and they give it. It seems most are media hacks because most will have the Tigers, Blues and Essendon ahead of us. Who knows who is right but it doesnt make them media hacks. What it does do is make a sensible discussion, sensible. Carlton have more than Judd for a start and why would he get injured anyway? I dont get your Richmond comment at all. They only lost to GC once. Surely we dont go back 2 years to prove a point and they drew with PA. No idea what that means. We lost to PA. As for Brisbane have no idea why you mention financially when we are talking who is better. I think we will be better than them this year but their younger players are going well. And I never said Armo, Steven and Ben will be excellent players, I said they have to continue to improve and I think a couple of them can. As for naming Richmonds 4 or 5 young players that played well in crucial matches well beating Sydney by 30 points and the Hawks by 70 suggests they would have done ok and they also beat us. And have no idea what last paragraph has to do with anything relevant either this year or last year.

I don't get your "media hack rubbish" comment. They are never right, that's what makes them hacks. Just like when they kept predicting a Bulldogs premiership or Grand Final berth in the hope that one day they would be correct.
Just like they keep predicting a Richmond resurgence.
Just like they keep predicting that Carlton will finish top 4 again.
Blah Blah Blah

And we lost to PA in Adelaide, not here, back in round 1.
I don't get your "I don't get your Richmond comment at all" comment. They choke every year in games they should win to put them into the finals, that's what I meant.
Anyway, forget it, let's just agree to disagree.

Where did you have the Saints finishing last year?

[samuraisaint]

5-8th

[plugger66]

5-8th

So your a hack as well. Why doesnt David Parkin pick every winner every week or the final 8 exactly right? Is he a media hack as well. They have opinions, that doesnt make them hacks when they are wrong. How many racing writers pick every winner every week? None. So they are hacks as well.

I had us 8th to 11th. Im pretty good arent I. Pity my footy tipping is pathetic and I didnt have the Swans close to winning the flag. I bet a lot of media people had us 9th but didnt have the Swans winning the flag. Where do they fall in the hack stakes. KB had Carlton out of the 8 and was told by everyone he was an idiot. He also said the Tigers would win both games against Carlton. They lost both. Where is he in the hack stakes? My point is they give so many preictions that they will get some right and many wrong but it doesnt make them hacks. It makes them like everyone else following footy.

[Middo]

5-8th

So your a hack as well. Why doesnt David Parkin pick every winner every week or the final 8 exactly right? Is he a media hack as well. They have opinions, that doesnt make them hacks when they are wrong. How many racing writers pick every winner every week? None. So they are hacks as well.

I had us 8th to 11th. Im pretty good arent I. Pity my footy tipping is pathetic and I didnt have the Swans close to winning the flag. I bet a lot of media people had us 9th but didnt have the Swans winning the flag. Where do they fall in the hack stakes. KB had Carlton out of the 8 and was told by everyone he was an idiot. He also said the Tigers would win both games against Carlton. They lost both. Where is he in the hack stakes? My point is they give so many preictions that they will get some right and many wrong but it doesnt make them hacks. It makes them like everyone else following footy.

What a fwit like you ...??

[plugger66]

5-8th

So your a hack as well. Why doesnt David Parkin pick every winner every week or the final 8 exactly right? Is he a media hack as well. They have opinions, that doesnt make them hacks when they are wrong. How many racing writers pick every winner every week? None. So they are hacks as well.

I had us 8th to 11th. Im pretty good arent I. Pity my footy tipping is pathetic and I didnt have the Swans close to winning the flag. I bet a lot of media people had us 9th but didnt have the Swans winning the flag. Where do they fall in the hack stakes. KB had Carlton out of the 8 and was told by everyone he was an idiot. He also said the Tigers would win both games against Carlton. They lost both. Where is he in the hack stakes? My point is they give so many preictions that they will get some right and many wrong but it doesnt make them hacks. It makes them like everyone else following footy.

What a fwit like you ...??

Did your parents eventually get your school fees back? Do you have anything to add because otherwise go to your room and continue your normal daily habit. Just dont invite the boy next door like you normally do.

[samuraisaint]

That's "you're" a hack.

But yes, I was incorrect. Having said that we still won 12 games with a large percentage of 120, which under normal circumstances would have got us into the eight.

Oh, and by the way, I predicted the Swans would win the Flag to MillarSaint, so I guess that makes me and a certain ex-Melbourne player on SEN possibly the only non-Swans diehards to not be hacks, doesn't it?

[plugger66]

That's "you're" a hack.

But yes, I was incorrect. Having said that we still won 12 games with a large percentage of 120, which under normal circumstances would have got us into the eight.

Oh, and by the way, I predicted the Swans would win the Flag to MillarSaint, so I guess that makes me and a certain ex-Melbourne player on SEN possibly the only non-Swans diehards to not be hacks, doesn't it?

No because you didnt get everything right. But you have me covered. Im not sure I would have had the swans in the 8.

[Richter]

BJ - of course we should expect to miss him, he's been an elite player for us. On the other hand, when he didn't play (Bombers game) we put up one of our best performances of the year. Trouble with BJ was that in his best position (quarterbacking half back) he wasn't what we really needed. In the end he was a quality inside game away from a top 5 player in the AFL and thus never was quite a consistent match winner. Structurally I don't think that he's as important as say Roo, Chips or even Lenny, Dal and Monty.

Gram - he easily held his place last year but he was not an essential cog in the machine. IMO his absence will easily be made up for by using Geary as a small defender and using his place to give further experience to Ross and Newnes. For rebounders we'll have Chips, Roberton, Ray and Gilbert as options.

[Con Gorozidis]

BJ - of course we should expect to miss him, he's been an elite player for us. On the other hand, when he didn't play (Bombers game) we put up one of our best performances of the year. Trouble with BJ was that in his best position (quarterbacking half back) he wasn't what we really needed. In the end he was a quality inside game away from a top 5 player in the AFL and thus never was quite a consistent match winner. Structurally I don't think that he's as important as say Roo, Chips or even Lenny, Dal and Monty.

Gram - he easily held his place last year but he was not an essential cog in the machine. IMO his absence will easily be made up for by using Geary as a small defender and using his place to give further experience to Ross and Newnes. For rebounders we'll have Chips, Roberton, Ray and Gilbert as options.

Agree with all this. Also throw in Dunnel as someone who can play Gram's position

I mean obviously we will miss BJ. No point denying it. The bloke was pretty consistent and rarely got injured. Hes a bloody lovely kick. Just hope Siposs can be a reliable player with similar attributes in coming years.

[SaintPav]

Last years percentage has nothing to do with how we will go and while previous years are irrelevant, clear trends are not. We have won about 50% of our games since the drawn GF and we have been winning less games every year since. I'd bet that this trend continues and that we win less than 12 games this year. At best, we'll win 12. I hope that I am wrong. I want to be wrong.

[Kickit]

BJ - of course we should expect to miss him, he's been an elite player for us. On the other hand, when he didn't play (Bombers game) we put up one of our best performances of the year. Trouble with BJ was that in his best position (quarterbacking half back) he wasn't what we really needed. In the end he was a quality inside game away from a top 5 player in the AFL and thus never was quite a consistent match winner. Structurally I don't think that he's as important as say Roo, Chips or even Lenny, Dal and Monty.

Gram - he easily held his place last year but he was not an essential cog in the machine. IMO his absence will easily be made up for by using Geary as a small defender and using his place to give further experience to Ross and Newnes. For rebounders we'll have Chips, Roberton, Ray and Gilbert as options.

I just hope that when we play Essendon, Dempster plays on him in a good old fashioned tag, probably keeping him to around 7 disposals and causing him to be stretchered off in a massive hissy fit.

[samuraisaint]

He's (BJ) in the paper today - Hun of course - playing golf (what else) with Stanton.

All this publicity has the possibility of coming back to bite the bombres on the a#se big style. Bj will be okay as he will just bank the bucks.

[saintkellerm]

Agree ss if he had of stayed there would be have been no pressure on him, but now that he has left, there are big expectations on him from the bombers and media imho. Could even be expectation from us as Saints fan...of not doing as well

[SainterK]

BJ - of course we should expect to miss him, he's been an elite player for us. On the other hand, when he didn't play (Bombers game) we put up one of our best performances of the year. Trouble with BJ was that in his best position (quarterbacking half back) he wasn't what we really needed. In the end he was a quality inside game away from a top 5 player in the AFL and thus never was quite a consistent match winner. Structurally I don't think that he's as important as say Roo, Chips or even Lenny, Dal and Monty.

Gram - he easily held his place last year but he was not an essential cog in the machine. IMO his absence will easily be made up for by using Geary as a small defender and using his place to give further experience to Ross and Newnes. For rebounders we'll have Chips, Roberton, Ray and Gilbert as options.

I just hope that when we play Essendon, Dempster plays on him in a good old fashioned tag, probably keeping him to around 7 disposals and causing him to be stretchered off in a massive hissy fit.

Hope not, I like Demps in the backline...leave him there