Respect for our opposition

[thejiggingsaint]

We go into a game this Friday as favourites to win the Premiership (rightly so based on our current finals form! ) I have nothing but respect for our opponents this week. The Bulldogs have a history not a lot different to our own. They have one flag to show for their efforts over the years and have for the most part of their life, (like us) struggled to survive with the "powerhouse" clubs and their wealth and clout.
The Bulldogs are a well-coached and attractive football team, and have lost the reputation for being just a bunch of "scraggers and taggers" a-la Romero, Liberatore, Southern, etc. The Club administration under David Smorgon have turned their clubs fortunes around off-field and they represent a huge challenge to us this week.
I respect our opponents and I hope that it proves to be a great nights football, I also believe that we can win, and with 100% effort from our side this can be our night!
Disrespect this side at our peril! However, respect is ALL that they should expect from us this week!
May the best team win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Goose is king]

I think we should also respect their long suffering fans.
They are like us.
The only difference is we will win our second premiership ever THIS YEAR.
So Saints fans please cheer like hell and don't diminish any Doggies fans.

[Ralphy]

i have lots of respect for doggies supporter's
be a great game Cheer like hell!

go saints

[mullet]

At the SOS (save our saints) rally way back when, the Doggies cheer squad turned up , grabbed a tin and shook it. Even the great big bloke. Thought that was pretty good

[thejiggingsaint]

Fair comment regarding their long-suffering fans (who were also victims of the Crows in '97) Give their supporters our respect, then shout your lungs off for four quarters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[matrix]

yeah i have no probs with the dogss as a side
as long as we dont see red laser dots again at the game

[saints4ever]

my mum is a Doggies supporter, Dad a Saint.... I am hoping that Dad is the one smiling at home this weekend.

[St. Luke]

If anything happens this week. A deserving side will make it through! FACT! I've not one issue with the Doggies!


......I just hope it's us!

[thejiggingsaint]

The alternative is too awful to contemplate

[TimPekin'sDirtyGuernsey]

Hmmm yes well I used to respect the old South Melbourne supporters that hadn't seen a flag since 1933.

Until we lost the Prelim in 2005 to them and they carried on like absolutely disgraceful animals after the final siren.

I don't have respect for any oppostion supporters.

Not my fault they didn't choose the Saints!

[Animal Enclosure]

Hmmm yes well I used to respect the old South Melbourne supporters that hadn't seen a flag since 1933.

Until we lost the Prelim in 2005 to them and they carried on like absolutely disgraceful animals after the final siren.

I don't have respect for any oppostion supporters.

Not my fault they didn't choose the Saints!

My sentiments exactly!

[bigcarl]

i respect them. they are a good side. also hope that we smash them. the two aren't incompatible.

[Moods]

Hmmm yes well I used to respect the old South Melbourne supporters that hadn't seen a flag since 1933.

Until we lost the Prelim in 2005 to them and they carried on like absolutely disgraceful animals after the final siren.

I don't have respect for any oppostion supporters.

Not my fault they didn't choose the Saints!

My sentiments exactly!

You mean carry on like saints supporters did after we beat the pies last week? Lady in front of me who was old enough to know better, let fly with all sorts of rubbish twds pies supporters leaving the ground. An elderly gentleman stopped and wished our team luck for the rest of the series and admitted we were far too good. She replied with, 'we don't need luck, we're heaps better than you lot.'

And for those who claim that it's all fair enough b/c of the rubbish we've had to endure from collingwood and opposition supporters in the past - I say grow up! Bloody hard work when you have two impressionable kids at the footy and one of the things you're trying to teach them is to be good losers, and gracious winners, and all they see is adults carrying on like pork chops twds other adults after a game of footy.

Why can't ppl just be rapt that their team has won and has gone on to a prelim?

AND if you do enjoy these sorts of theatrics after a good saints win (each to their own I guess) don't then sulk about how 'disgraceful' opposition supporters treated our supporters after a game

[Munga]

At the SOS (save our saints) rally way back when, the Doggies cheer squad turned up , grabbed a tin and shook it. Even the great big bloke. Thought that was pretty good

Yeah that was awesome. That shows their true colours, gives you a warm fuzzy feeling.

[Justified sainter]

Yeah i agree, we have to soak up the exitement of this year and focus on us winning as a team not any other non player related issues ie bulldogs fans etc. I am just hanging for the game on Friday, at times thinking of the what if"s.. I have been to all the other prelim's so those memories are mostley posioning my mind lol, but then i think No this is another saints outfit, one that is the best place since 1966 to get the flag. Keep the faith, We will win Friday night Gooo the mighty saints.

[thejiggingsaint]

Good post Moods! I was at the Dome in 04 when we won the wizard wok and there was a woman sitting in front of me with two little boys who were supporting the Cats. Two complete tossers in Saints gear (drunk as skunks to boot) were trashing the cats to these young boys and generally making life hard for this family. I leaned over to one of the kiddies and said "there'll be other games mate, your turn will come". And did it ever in 2007!
All clubs have morons following them. But an obnoxious moron wearing Saints colours is no less obnoxious or less of a moron. These dills went on to Boo one of their own players as he went up to accept his WINNERS medal!
One thing I have learned from my time following the Saints is that trash taliking has NO bearing on the result out on the paddock!

[SaintHomer]

Good post Moods! I was at the Dome in 04 when we won the wizard wok and there was a woman sitting in front of me with two little boys who were supporting the Cats. Two complete tossers in Saints gear (drunk as skunks to boot) were trashing the cats to these young boys and generally making life hard for this family. I leaned over to one of the kiddies and said "there'll be other games mate, your turn will come". And did it ever in 2007!
All clubs have morons following them. But an obnoxious moron wearing Saints colours is no less obnoxious or less of a moron. These dills went on to Boo one of their own players as he went up to accept his WINNERS medal!
One thing I have learned from my time following the Saints is that trash taliking has NO bearing on the result out on the paddock!

i reckon an obnoxious moron in our own colours is worse! it's like when part of your own family embarrasses you. i love good hearted fun banter as much as the next person, but the only thing that should upset you at the footy is the scoreboard.

these stories above go one every week, and are a blight on the minority of fans who feel obliged to ruin the experience for others.

[Riewoldt=Gun_09]

I think the whole country would love to see the winner of this weeks prelim between us and the dogs win the flag

[SaintHomer]

I think the whole country would love to see the winner of this weeks prelim between us and the dogs win the flag

you're right... apart from the fans of the winner between the cats n pies (and a handful of blues who hate our guts for some reason)

[Moccha]

my mum is a Doggies supporter, Dad a Saint.... I am hoping that Dad is the one smiling at home this weekend.

Expect to have takeaway for the next few weeks

[Megamaguire]

The bulldogs will be geared up to out run the Saints as they have outrun plenty this year.
St.Kilda will need to CONTROL the centre of the ground with brilliance and consistency!
As a TEAM our Sainters have it within their collective ability to mentally -never mind physically impose themselves on the playing out of this Friday Night Blockbuster.

Only a domination of possessions; inside 50s and shots on target will work this weekend.

G O F O R I T S A I N T E R S -
L E A V E N O T H I N G I N T H E C U P B O A R D

[thejiggingsaint]

Megamaguire How right you ARE!!!!!!

[Saint Bev]

You have gotta feel for the Doggies, they have suffered a long time as well. However, come Friday, no sympathy, I will hate them as much as anyone else on the day.

[mustangjack]

AS long as we play 4Q of hard in and under, and tackle like we want it ,i dont see a problem. IF we drop our guard like the crows, and the doggies get a sniff , look out

[Enrico_Misso]

At the SOS (save our saints) rally way back when, the Doggies cheer squad turned up , grabbed a tin and shook it. Even the great big bloke. Thought that was pretty good

That is my abiding memory of that day at Moorabbin.
I was really moved that those guys from a similarly struggling club came all that way to show solidarity with us.
Fantastic inspiration.

Will always have a soft spot for them.

(Oh and Jeansy made a rousing speech as well).