Playing for What???

[St. Luke]

Two scenarios:

1) We're not overly concerned about how the season finishes as we'll retain the number one spot after the Cats coughed up Friday night (Which I suspected was going to be the case)

2) Teams have worked us out and are competing harder for the contested ball (Thus being seriously threatened!)

....well, all I can say is HOGWASH for number 2 scenario!

Why the hell are we busting our guts in the remainder of this season???? Is it Finals??? NUP....are we trying to retain a number 1 finish after watching the Cats go down on Friday night??? Seriously....what do you think?!!! Ridiculous to fathom the notion that our players have "NO IDEA" and would have to keep digging hard until seasons end!! What are they?? Uneducated dummies?????

We can all stand around, joining in on the media frenzy and start to rule ourselves out of Flag contention....but really....19 straight, we drop a bunch of key players in Round 20 and HOLY CRAP...that would send some sort of message to the rest of the group that we're a little relaxed about the final 3 results????:lol: .......the doubt sets in??? What a load of crap!

I went out today and watched the senior team for the club I play with play one of its finals....I recorded the Saints game, but not content with that I keep a close eye on the Saints V North Game on my stoooopid phone behind our scoring posts...I see we've gone down...and my care-factor is (unbelievably) .....well.....friggin' ZERO! No great reaction! (quite frankly!)

I turn to my kids and say we've lost. They've asked me "why did we lose against North Melbourne" and I said "why did we NEED to win?"....even a 10yr old didn't have an answer, because there is none! There is no POINT!

How can a team focused all season, for so long justify stretching themselves more than what they have been to secure a win that means so little????

Mark my words! Chalk it up now! I'll be talking to you all Grand Final time and discussing the line-ups! Out in straight sets in the Finals!!! Bwahahahhaahahah!!!! I'll put big money on the fact we'll get there! Everyone else is just filling the spaces!

GO SAINTS!!!

Belief, strength and focus!...We've seen it all season!+

Strength Through Loyalty!

[saint patrick]

I want to have beer with you Lukey Boy...

Hopefully after our first finals win

Post of the night

Going to bed with a more positive spirit...GO SAINTS

[BakesFan]

I BELIEVE!!!!!
(but i was still pretty cranky this arvo )

[St. Luke]

I'm a pessimist by nature, but JESUS...how can you not be optimistic about such a fantastic season! All Aboard folks! This finals campaign is going to be a corker!!!

[SaintWodonga]

Playing for momentum running into the finals would be pretty handy.

[starsign]

Playing for momentum running into the finals would be pretty handy.

but maybe not at the cost of injuries ??

guess we can only wait and see what transpires against the Dees

[Thinline]

Having had an evening and a night to blow steam, vent spleen, punch doors, and mow the lawn extremely angry (some rather aggresive whipper-snippering has left some gaping holes) I'm starting to come around to the idea that there simply has to be something calculated about the pre-final malaise. We are a mostly fit list. Everyone wants to play finals. Everyone's training for the finals. 19 wins is/was no fluke. Our succesful gameplan is easily replicated under pressure.

I do have concerns re Zac, Baker and Dempster, but there are players ready and willing in Geary, Eddy, Bal and Maxy (assuming Max isn't too serious).

I'm also not convinced that McEvoy isn't a top 22 player.

But all in all I feel okay again.

I do hope, however, we look the part against Melbourne. Plus 30 in contseted ball should be a target.

[markp]

For mine it's the same as it was with the pre-season practice games (port thumped us remember)... the real stuff starts in 2 weeks.

A bold move perhaps by Ross to risk breaking the momentum and make full use of our advantage and these last meaningless games to this end.... but you dont win flags by playing it safe.

It's more like the Tour than a marathon, and we're approaching the mountains.

[nobhead]

Two scenarios:

1) We're not overly concerned about how the season finishes as we'll retain the number one spot after the Cats coughed up Friday night (Which I suspected was going to be the case)

2) Teams have worked us out and are competing harder for the contested ball (Thus being seriously threatened!)

....well, all I can say is HOGWASH for number 2 scenario!

Why the hell are we busting our guts in the remainder of this season???? Is it Finals??? NUP....are we trying to retain a number 1 finish after watching the Cats go down on Friday night??? Seriously....what do you think?!!! Ridiculous to fathom the notion that our players have "NO IDEA" and would have to keep digging hard until seasons end!! What are they?? Uneducated dummies?????

We can all stand around, joining in on the media frenzy and start to rule ourselves out of Flag contention....but really....19 straight, we drop a bunch of key players in Round 20 and HOLY CRAP...that would send some sort of message to the rest of the group that we're a little relaxed about the final 3 results????:lol: .......the doubt sets in??? What a load of crap!

I went out today and watched the senior team for the club I play with play one of its finals....I recorded the Saints game, but not content with that I keep a close eye on the Saints V North Game on my stoooopid phone behind our scoring posts...I see we've gone down...and my care-factor is (unbelievably) .....well.....friggin' ZERO! No great reaction! (quite frankly!)

I turn to my kids and say we've lost. They've asked me "why did we lose against North Melbourne" and I said "why did we NEED to win?"....even a 10yr old didn't have an answer, because there is none! There is no POINT!

How can a team focused all season, for so long justify stretching themselves more than what they have been to secure a win that means so little????

Mark my words! Chalk it up now! I'll be talking to you all Grand Final time and discussing the line-ups! Out in straight sets in the Finals!!! Bwahahahhaahahah!!!! I'll put big money on the fact we'll get there! Everyone else is just filling the spaces!

GO SAINTS!!!

Belief, strength and focus!...We've seen it all season!+

Strength Through Loyalty!

smartest thing i have read on this forum today .players where definately not going hard at it .nor should they be .thought we played at 50% and still nearly won .no worries here.

[yipper]

Can we catch up for a beer before the big one on September 26th Lukey?? Absolutely a very sensible perspective on what is going on here. I am planning my credit card budget around 3x finals games at the G' - the last one being where I will have that beer!! Just maybe, the coach and the players are not to concerned about where we are at. Just maybe we are in control and getting everybody up and ready for September - not late August!!

[St. Luke]

For sure, I'm always up for a pre-game ale or two fellas, we'll have to catch up during the Finals

Whilst I don't like seeing us lose games, even my own "care factor" about Essendon and North are/were at an all time low. I'm over trhe Home and Away season and know we'll treat Melbourne this week as a training drill. I dare say our playing list are looking past the last few games also and that's where we've lost the edge. I don't mind this, because now we look unpredictable in the eyes of our oppoenents....Jeeeez, even Collingwood think they are half a chance!

[Con Gorozidis]

Two scenarios:

1) We're not overly concerned about how the season finishes as we'll retain the number one spot after the Cats coughed up Friday night (Which I suspected was going to be the case)

2) Teams have worked us out and are competing harder for the contested ball (Thus being seriously threatened!)

....well, all I can say is HOGWASH for number 2 scenario!

Why the hell are we busting our guts in the remainder of this season???? Is it Finals??? NUP....are we trying to retain a number 1 finish after watching the Cats go down on Friday night??? Seriously....what do you think?!!! Ridiculous to fathom the notion that our players have "NO IDEA" and would have to keep digging hard until seasons end!! What are they?? Uneducated dummies?????

We can all stand around, joining in on the media frenzy and start to rule ourselves out of Flag contention....but really....19 straight, we drop a bunch of key players in Round 20 and HOLY CRAP...that would send some sort of message to the rest of the group that we're a little relaxed about the final 3 results????:lol: .......the doubt sets in??? What a load of crap!

I went out today and watched the senior team for the club I play with play one of its finals....I recorded the Saints game, but not content with that I keep a close eye on the Saints V North Game on my stoooopid phone behind our scoring posts...I see we've gone down...and my care-factor is (unbelievably) .....well.....friggin' ZERO! No great reaction! (quite frankly!)

I turn to my kids and say we've lost. They've asked me "why did we lose against North Melbourne" and I said "why did we NEED to win?"....even a 10yr old didn't have an answer, because there is none! There is no POINT!

How can a team focused all season, for so long justify stretching themselves more than what they have been to secure a win that means so little????

Mark my words! Chalk it up now! I'll be talking to you all Grand Final time and discussing the line-ups! Out in straight sets in the Finals!!! Bwahahahhaahahah!!!! I'll put big money on the fact we'll get there! Everyone else is just filling the spaces!

GO SAINTS!!!

Belief, strength and focus!...We've seen it all season!+

Strength Through Loyalty!

im with you. no cups handed out in august last time i looked! the fact is - after geelong lost - we could forfeit 2 games and still end up on top.


the facts:

we go into finals ON TOP of the ladder - 2 games clear of 2nd.

week 1 of finals = ground zero. everyone starts on zero.

i WILL ONLY panic if we lose week 1 of finals. until then. nothing to worry about.

[saintspremiers]

Well said St Luke, agree 100%, all will be fine!

Con - Do you reckon we should forfeit against Melbourne?

It would hand them 4 points, deny them of a 1st round Priority Pick in the draft, and save our club some money (reason: whilst it's a Melbourne home game, Saints members are admitted free, which means for every Saints fan that swipes in, we have to pay $$$ to Melbourne!).

[Con Gorozidis]

Well said St Luke, agree 100%, all will be fine!

Con - Do you reckon we should forfeit against Melbourne?

It would hand them 4 points, deny them of a 1st round Priority Pick in the draft, and save our club some money (reason: whilst it's a Melbourne home game, Saints members are admitted free, which means for every Saints fan that swipes in, we have to pay $$$ to Melbourne!).

that would be awesome! deny them a priority pick! save some money. get a rest and no injuries!