Twas the last chance to win a grand final for a long time

[ralphsmith]

Yes that's right.

It was the last chance. Everything went right for us this year. Injuries weren't crippling, our game plan was superior, players at the right age.

Opposition teams will analyse the crap out of us over the pre-season and our gameplan will be destroyed. We will be thereabouts for 1 or 2 more years. Then when Riewoldt retires we're finished.

We have good list. It's not elite, it's not great. Just good but when Ross applied the gameplan and discipline it turned us into the best home and away team. With the gameplan ruined after it is studied and countered we will be struggling in many games next year.

That was the last chance to win a flag. Chances come so rarely. SO RARELY.

Hurahh.

[bigcarl]

we are going to improve and have another shot at it in 2010.

we were first in defence and fourth in attack last season. Next season we will be first in both.

[saint75]

Yes that's right.

It was the last chance. Everything went right for us this year. Injuries weren't crippling, our game plan was superior, players at the right age.

Opposition teams will analyse the crap out of us over the pre-season and our gameplan will be destroyed. We will be thereabouts for 1 or 2 more years. Then when Riewoldt retires we're finished.

We have good list. It's not elite, it's not great. Just good but when Ross applied the gameplan and discipline it turned us into the best home and away team. With the gameplan ruined after it is studied and countered we will be struggling in many games next year.

That was the last chance to win a flag. Chances come so rarely. SO RARELY.

Hurahh.

You are kidding, right?

Of course other teams are going to study our game plan. However, meaning they can copy it and get their team to follow it SUCCESSFULLY, is highly doubtful. Do you honestly believe that Ross has finished tinkering with our game plan and that it will remain exactly the same next year? If you do, you are delusional. Besides, trying to imitate or replicate someone else's idea/plan usually ends in tears.

In regards to Riewoldt, no, our team is not finished when he leaves. He will be a massive loss, but teams move on. I don't believe that 5-10 years ago anyone thought we could survive the loss of Robert Harvey to retirement or Plugga being drafted to Sydney prior to that. We have and we have moved on. There is always another star waiting in the wings.

I take great offense at your comments that our players are not 'elite'. Surely you don't believe that the likes of Roo, Dal, Hayes, Montagna, Goddard and co are not elite? Just because they play a role in a strong team structure that requires TEAM efforts, do not make the mistake of believing this team is ordinary. It takes elite players to pull off the their roles in the team game plan that Ross has devised.

[ralphsmith]

You'll see.

We were lucky to even make the grand final with the umpires helping us over the line against the dogs in the prelim.

Luck won't follow us everywhere next year.

[3rd generation saint]

Gee, everybodies studied the crap out of the Geelong gameplan, since 2007. Hasn't stopped them making the Grand Final over the last two seasons with a list, which has hardly changed, everyone rated at about the same, if not behind us at the start of 2007.

[To the top]

As I put in another post, the changes to the St Kilda list post the 2005 season have been dramatic.

The list has been replenished around its core, class players, Riewoldt, Koschitzke and Hayes who is the oldest at 29 years of age.

Plus we have the likes of McEvoy, Stanley, Steven, Lynch and Armitage ripe to introduce in 2010 - along with Lovett and Peake who they traded for.

Compare Geelong's 2005 list and you see a marked difference from where St Kilda is now at.

Geelong rely on basically the same list they had in 2005. Very mature with age catching up rapidly.

Those older players on our list, such as Milne and Baker are well covered by younger talent who will be snapping at their heels and the heels of others if the others under perform.

This dynasty will continue whilst Riewoldt and Koschitzke continue to be AFL footballers and play in the central attacking positions as they do now.

So the window is well and truly open for the next 5 years.

And my expectation is that we will dominate as we dominated in 2009 - including in the GF.

Why wouldn't we with Lyon and his staff setting the benchmark?

[markp]

All is lost.

[On the Bench]

Hey Ralphy,

you been listening to a little bit too much Leonard Cohen?

I've always loved his music to "slash your wrists".

Yes, the Saints will be the hunted next season.

Yes, other sides will improve phenomenally.

But yes the Saints still have a fantastic line up who have all shown they want to improve, a very impressive and innovative coaching panel that is big enough to admit its errors and are willing to learn.

I think the future is for a very competitive Saints. I can't ask for a lot more.

(But I can wish for a lot more)

[saint75]

You'll see.

We were lucky to even make the grand final with the umpires helping us over the line against the dogs in the prelim.

Luck won't follow us everywhere next year.

[saintsRrising]

IMO we have an excellent chance while both Lenny and Roo are at their best.
They are are two elite players and the players that we most rely on.

Whether our "era" extends past this will depend on whether others can emerge as true elite's.

[bobmurray]

IMO we have an excellent chance while both Lenny and Roo are at their best.
They are are two elite players and the players that we most rely on.

Whether our "era" extends past this will depend on whether others can emerge as true elite's.

We'll have to draft them first...

[saintsRrising]

Opposition teams will analyse the crap out of us over the pre-season and our gameplan will be destroyed. .

I think under Lyon that our gameplan will keep evolving. 2010 Saints will be different than in 2009.
We have already seen with Lovett and Peake that pace will be injected..

[saintnick12]

Yes that's right.

It was the last chance. Everything went right for us this year. Injuries weren't crippling, our game plan was superior, players at the right age.

Opposition teams will analyse the crap out of us over the pre-season and our gameplan will be destroyed. We will be thereabouts for 1 or 2 more years. Then when Riewoldt retires we're finished.

We have good list. It's not elite, it's not great. Just good but when Ross applied the gameplan and discipline it turned us into the best home and away team. With the gameplan ruined after it is studied and countered we will be struggling in many games next year.

That was the last chance to win a flag. Chances come so rarely. SO RARELY.

Hurahh.

"Our list is not great"...surely you cannot be serious!! Thats why guys like Max and Luke Ball can be forced out of the team. And why those on the up such as Armitage, Steven, McEvoy, Geary etc get forced back to Sandringham , unable to force their way in, even though they would in most teams.

What a positive outlook you have. I hope the saints don't get you as our motivational speaker this year. They may as well not even bother turning up...its all over.....

[saintsRrising]

Opposition teams will analyse the crap out of us over the pre-season and our gameplan will be destroyed. .

Though while they will try and do this...one thing they will struggle with is the team committment.

This a BIG reason for the success we had in 2009. Equal committment in 2010 will see us thereabouts again.

[bobmurray]

I think by the last part of the season and the finals the opposition had already worked us out,it will be very interesting next year,a couple of injuries and it could all come down with a THUD....

You can't rely on the saying .."There is always next year" because it's not specific......

[plugger66]

I think by the last part of the season and the finals the opposition had already worked us out,it will be very interesting next year,a couple of injuries and it could all come down with a THUD....

You can't rely on the saying .."There is always next year" because it's not specific......

If they worked us out and we were still level with 4 minutes to go in a GF after kicking poorly then i think we will continue to be a very good side next year.

[Leo.J]

Yes that's right.

It was the last chance. Everything went right for us this year. Injuries weren't crippling, our game plan was superior, players at the right age.

Opposition teams will analyse the crap out of us over the pre-season and our gameplan will be destroyed. We will be thereabouts for 1 or 2 more years. Then when Riewoldt retires we're finished.

We have good list. It's not elite, it's not great. Just good but when Ross applied the gameplan and discipline it turned us into the best home and away team. With the gameplan ruined after it is studied and countered we will be struggling in many games next year.

That was the last chance to win a flag. Chances come so rarely. SO RARELY.

Hurahh.

I agree that flags are hard to come by however I don't agree with your reasons as to why we are gawn.

From the time David Misson took over the fitness at Sydney the Swans have been in the top 4 every year for the least players used, and even after he left they are still having very few soft tissue injuries... I don't think his influence on them was just coincidence. I assume he'll have similar results with us.

As for the game plan I believe that the only way to beat us is to out pressure us with pace and precision kicking. Study it all you like I don't think it matters.

Our game plan is so successful because of what we do when we don't have the ball. We zone, pressure and tackle sides into turning the ball over then we attack with precision (with the exception of 3 games). The sides that troubled us were the ones that took risks and kicked with precision. Essendon and the Roos beat us in the midst of a tappered training regime that left us vulnerable as we didn't have the fitness to apply our game plan effectively. As for the GF we kicked ourselves out of it. The game plan stood up IMO, our nerves under pressure didn't.

Not to mention the fact that Ross will iron out any obvious defiencies in our game plan, and I'm sure he'll tweak a thing or two, to make sure we're not too predictable for our oppositions next year

Also the Cats actually won it, so while clubs will be paying close scrutiny to our game plan, the Cats are still the bench mark.

The age and experience of our players will not be effected next year IMO. I believe that with the extra year we'll improve. The only possible issue could be our aging ruck stocks, yet McAvoy showed that he was more than capable at stepping up, especially with the extra preseason under his belt.

I truly believe we'll be a genuine flag threat for at least the next 2-3 years, the only thing standing in our way will be serious injury, but that's the case with any club. Anyway as mention above Misson will take care of that.

[Thinline]

Yes that's right.

It was the last chance. Everything went right for us this year. Injuries weren't crippling, our game plan was superior, players at the right age.

Opposition teams will analyse the crap out of us over the pre-season and our gameplan will be destroyed. We will be thereabouts for 1 or 2 more years. Then when Riewoldt retires we're finished.

We have good list. It's not elite, it's not great. Just good but when Ross applied the gameplan and discipline it turned us into the best home and away team. With the gameplan ruined after it is studied and countered we will be struggling in many games next year.

That was the last chance to win a flag. Chances come so rarely. SO RARELY.

Hurahh.

So a la Geelong '09 perhaps in '10 things won't come so easily and we'll be better for it.

Chin up, fella.

Don't want you tripping over that doodums bottom lip of yours.

[saintnick12]

Yes that's right.

It was the last chance. Everything went right for us this year. Injuries weren't crippling, our game plan was superior, players at the right age.

Opposition teams will analyse the crap out of us over the pre-season and our gameplan will be destroyed. We will be thereabouts for 1 or 2 more years. Then when Riewoldt retires we're finished.

We have good list. It's not elite, it's not great. Just good but when Ross applied the gameplan and discipline it turned us into the best home and away team. With the gameplan ruined after it is studied and countered we will be struggling in many games next year.

That was the last chance to win a flag. Chances come so rarely. SO RARELY.

Hurahh.

I agree that flags are hard to come by however I don't agree with your reasons as to why we are gawn.

From the time David Misson took over the fitness at Sydney the Swans have been in the top 4 every year for the least players used, and even after he left they are still having very few soft tissue injuries... I don't think his influence on them was just coincidence. I assume he'll have similar results with us.

As for the game plan I believe that the only way to beat us is to out pressure us with pace and precision kicking. Study it all you like I don't think it matters.

Our game plan is so successful because of what we do when we don't have the ball. We zone, pressure and tackle sides into turning the ball over then we attack with precision (with the exception of 3 games). The sides that troubled us were the ones that took risks and kicked with precision. Essendon and the Roos beat us in the midst of a tappered training regime that left us vulnerable as we didn't have the fitness to apply our game plan effectively. As for the GF we kicked ourselves out of it. The game plan stood up IMO, our nerves under pressure didn't.

Not to mention the fact that Ross will iron out any obvious defiencies in our game plan, and I'm sure he'll tweak a thing or two, to make sure we're not too predictable for our oppositions next year

Also the Cats actually won it, so while clubs will be paying close scrutiny to our game plan, the Cats are still the bench mark.

The age and experience of our players will not be effected next year IMO. I believe that with the extra year we'll improve. The only possible issue could be our aging ruck stocks, yet McAvoy showed that he was more than capable at stepping up, especially with the extra preseason under his belt.

I truly believe we'll be a genuine flag threat for at least the next 2-3 years, the only thing standing in our way will be serious injury, but that's the case with any club. Anyway as mention above Misson will take care of that.

Well said Leo.J

[mick13]

The hurt should spur these guys on for success. They seemed determined as anything at the start of the season when we really had nothing to prove...imagine them now. They now know what it's like to lose a GF and they will never want to experience that pain again. I got faith that they'll come through. As Geelong did for what happened in 2008.

[joffaboy]

Well thats it.

there is no hope of a flag for years according to ralphsmith.

We may as well all save our money and not get memberships next season...or the one after that.....or the one after that......

Fair dinkum - what a pathetic mentality

[Leo.J]

Well thats it.

there is no hope of a flag for years according to ralphsmith.

We may as well all save our money and not get memberships next season...or the one after that.....or the one after that......

Fair dinkum - what a pathetic mentality

Just as uplifting as your signature...

[plugger66]

Well thats it.

there is no hope of a flag for years according to ralphsmith.

We may as well all save our money and not get memberships next season...or the one after that.....or the one after that......

Fair dinkum - what a pathetic mentality

Yes owned by Brian Waldron. No good on wet tracks so may struggle over the 2000 metres today but it isnt pathetic. It has won over $2 million.

[bobmurray]

Well thats it.

there is no hope of a flag for years according to ralphsmith.

We may as well all save our money and not get memberships next season...or the one after that.....or the one after that......

Fair dinkum - what a pathetic mentality

does that mean he's a cabbage......

[joffaboy]

Well thats it.

there is no hope of a flag for years according to ralphsmith.

We may as well all save our money and not get memberships next season...or the one after that.....or the one after that......

Fair dinkum - what a pathetic mentality

does that mean he's a cabbage......

draw your own conclusions....to you argee with his idiocy?