I Love what RL is doing

[older saint]

Having watched the way RL has gone about things this season it is clear to me that this side had(has) 2 basic goals - finish top 4 and then when the premiership.

With the way things have gone so far and with the draw we have left top 4 position should be comfortably obtained. Tick 1. As mentioned somewhere else if Victorian teams fill the top 2 spots then finsihing 1,2,3,4 does not matter for StKilda. Therefore we have seen a clear resting and experiementing start over the past few weeks. While i am not saying injuries or illnesses have not occurred the conservatism shown has been extreme. Goddard, Dal Santo, Kosi, Roo extra week , Gram etc. - good management. We have also seen experiementation to find out IF push comes to shove can certain players stand up if required in a final - Pattison for example, Dawson getting games when perhaps not in form but seeing the big picture knowing he is needed. Very Smart.

Everything is now aimed at being in peak physical condition come the start of September and also in the best form possible.
Look at Geelong this time last year, dropped a couple of games and people were starting to write them off - perhaps if had have kicked straight they may have been correct but they got to the big dance and that was the key.

Expect to see more outs during the next 6 weeks ( although this week maybe a little different ) and perhaps even a form dip as has happened as training loads change.

Collingwood had to win on the weekend or they were gone, StKilda were not switched on ( see tackle count) but if McCaffer and Leigh Brown beat you in a final in September then you do not deserve to be there.

Premierships are not won in July but in September and to me thatis exactly where this group is being set towards.

Love your work.

[St. Luke]

I'm genuinely not worried about the result against the Pies. It's no big deal in the big picture of things. As you said, Premierships aren't won in July!

Hawthorn are the team to beat IMO, this week is the real challenge.

[Superboot]

Top 4 finish looks likely, especially if we win this week.

We are going along nicely, but the nature of the loss came as something of a shock. I had a bad feeling about the game and thought that Collingwood would really be up for it, but some of our errors and efforts were shocking.

I don't fancy playing Geelong in the first week of the finals, but there's no point in worrying about that now. We could get into a discussion along the lines that it might be better to finish 4th than 2nd or 3rd, but it would all be speculation at the moment.

[saint patrick]

Having watched the way RL has gone about things this season it is clear to me that this side had(has) 2 basic goals - finish top 4 and then when the premiership.

With the way things have gone so far and with the draw we have left top 4 position should be comfortably obtained. Tick 1. As mentioned somewhere else if Victorian teams fill the top 2 spots then finsihing 1,2,3,4 does not matter for StKilda. Therefore we have seen a clear resting and experiementing start over the past few weeks. While i am not saying injuries or illnesses have not occurred the conservatism shown has been extreme. Goddard, Dal Santo, Kosi, Roo extra week , Gram etc. - good management. We have also seen experiementation to find out IF push comes to shove can certain players stand up if required in a final - Pattison for example, Dawson getting games when perhaps not in form but seeing the big picture knowing he is needed. Very Smart.

Everything is now aimed at being in peak physical condition come the start of September and also in the best form possible.
Look at Geelong this time last year, dropped a couple of games and people were starting to write them off - perhaps if had have kicked straight they may have been correct but they got to the big dance and that was the key.

Expect to see more outs during the next 6 weeks ( although this week maybe a little different ) and perhaps even a form dip as has happened as training loads change.

Collingwood had to win on the weekend or they were gone, StKilda were not switched on ( see tackle count) but if McCaffer and Leigh Brown beat you in a final in September then you do not deserve to be there.

Premierships are not won in July but in September and to me thatis exactly where this group is being set towards.

Love your work.

Great post Older Saint..love your work

In Ross we trust and keep the faith

[plugger66]

I dont think the loss is the end of the world but losing bar such a margin to genuine contender isnt great especially as we could be meeting them in 7 weeks. Yes premierships arent won in July but this wasnt a planned loss. i dont by they had more to lose than us because a win by us would have rendered the pies useless in September so we had plenty to play for. We will know more this Friday because there is no way we want to lose 2 in a row to potential finalists this late in the year no matter which way people spin it.

[Thinline]

I dont think the loss is the end of the world but losing bar such a margin to genuine contender isnt great especially as we could be meeting them in 7 weeks. Yes premierships arent won in July but this wasnt a planned loss. i dont by they had more to lose than us because a win by us would have rendered the pies useless in September so we had plenty to play for. We will know more this Friday because there is no way we want to lose 2 in a row to potential finalists this late in the year no matter which way people spin it.

We also got trounced by Carlton but they are a shadow of their former self.

Much water left to flow under the bridge yet.

Friday will be our biggest game of the year. We must win to steady, they must win to stay in the hunt.

Huge.

[Milan Faletic]

Interesting that of the four teams that have beaten us this year:

Collingwood's coach is being replaced
PA's coach has been sacked
Carlton and Essendon's coaches are highlighted in the media today as under the pump.

Just a little weird.

Coll nearly lost to Melb twice this year. If they did they would be 3rd.

Geelong lost to Carlton and Freo. Does that mean they are gone.

St Kilda beat Geelong, Freo x 2, WB, Coll but lost once to Coll and once to Carlton. We have two key players coming back from serious surgery. Baker and Clarke who played in the GF are out. Yet we are level on points with Geelong. Baker will be back and have no niggling injuries.

I think we are better placed this year because we are building, and haven't peaked too early. It would not surprise me if we lost to Hawthorn this week. However, if we win 4 of our next 6, we will finish 16 and 6 and should be set up for the Final thrust.

[spert]

I loved RLs understated reaction to the loss on Saturday..it was like, gee Collingwood were good wern't they..they played a lot better than us (yawn, now onto Hawthorn)

[rodgerfox]

Having watched the way RL has gone about things this season it is clear to me that this side had(has) 2 basic goals - finish top 4 and then when the premiership.

Excuse my ignoance, but what other possible goals are there??

And what do you think every other club in the AFL's goals are??

[sunsaint]

Collingwood had to win on the weekend or they were gone,

Im intrigued to know why you think a collingwood loss would have meant they were gone.
they were half a game behind us and have a percentage that we wont catch.
We lost the air of invincibility, so come finals they wont have that eating away at them.

[3rd generation saint]

We need to win on Friday to keep the top two open, and to me finishing top two is better than top 4.
Collingwood have to play Geelong, Hawthorn and Adelaide yet, so have a much harder draw home, even though every game is at the MCG.
I know we can beat any side in the competition when we come to play, but we need to start building with good winning form over the next 6 weeks.
Momentum is important.

[Thinline]

Collingwood had to win on the weekend or they were gone,

Im intrigued to know why you think a collingwood loss would have meant they were gone.
they were half a game behind us and have a percentage that we wont catch.
We lost the air of invincibility, so come finals they wont have that eating away at them.

Like the Cats this time last year, huh?

[older saint]

Having watched the way RL has gone about things this season it is clear to me that this side had(has) 2 basic goals - finish top 4 and then when the premiership.

Excuse my ignoance, but what other possible goals are there??

And what do you think every other club in the AFL's goals are??

Not every club starts the year thinking they can win a grand final that year. Several other possible goals -

Melbourne/Richmond - get games in to young players , develop a game style and win between 8-12 games

North- New coach, develop new game style and make top 8 (not top 4)

Goals must be realistic to be bought in to by any playing group.

[older saint]

Collingwood had to win on the weekend or they were gone,

Im intrigued to know why you think a collingwood loss would have meant they were gone.
they were half a game behind us and have a percentage that we wont catch.
We lost the air of invincibility, so come finals they wont have that eating away at them.

Not gone in regard to ladder position but in regard to psychologically. Had they lost they would have dropped 5 consecutive games to Stkilda and 4 to Geelong which when facing them again in September would have made it a huge challange. Consistantly losing to the same teams plays on players mentally. StKilda know they can beat Collingwood if Collingwood had of lost they would have known they cannot win. StKilda losing does not know mean StKilda do not think they can beat Collingwood.

[plugger66]

Collingwood had to win on the weekend or they were gone,

Im intrigued to know why you think a collingwood loss would have meant they were gone.
they were half a game behind us and have a percentage that we wont catch.
We lost the air of invincibility, so come finals they wont have that eating away at them.

Not gone in regard to ladder position but in regard to psychologically. Had they lost they would have dropped 5 consecutive games to Stkilda and 4 to Geelong which when facing them again in September would have made it a huge challange. Consistantly losing to the same teams plays on players mentally. StKilda know they can beat Collingwood if Collingwood had of lost they would have known they cannot win. StKilda losing does not know mean StKilda do not think they can beat Collingwood.

But by losing we have given the Pies an advantage that tthey didnt have before the game as you suggested.

[older saint]

Collingwood had to win on the weekend or they were gone,

Im intrigued to know why you think a collingwood loss would have meant they were gone.
they were half a game behind us and have a percentage that we wont catch.
We lost the air of invincibility, so come finals they wont have that eating away at them.

Not gone in regard to ladder position but in regard to psychologically. Had they lost they would have dropped 5 consecutive games to Stkilda and 4 to Geelong which when facing them again in September would have made it a huge challange. Consistantly losing to the same teams plays on players mentally. StKilda know they can beat Collingwood if Collingwood had of lost they would have known they cannot win. StKilda losing does not know mean StKilda do not think they can beat Collingwood.

But by losing we have given the Pies an advantage that tthey didnt have before the game as you suggested.

Would not say we gave them it, they wer better on the day. Need to pick you batles to win the war and I back RL and his troops wisdom of what battles they need to win to achieve victory in the war.

[Thinline]

For christ's sake if people are claiming that 1 out of the last 5 wrests some sort of long term ascendancy, then you're pretty deluded...

We were s***. They weren't. For once in a long time.

[bobmurray]

Goals are our weakness..

The worst forward line in the eight...

September will be interesting....will the forwards fire...will they kick straight..

[SainterK]

Goals are our weakness..

The worst forward line in the eight...

September will be interesting....will the forwards fire...will they kick straight..

'

It's a interesting discussion...

Their forwards kicked 5 goals between them, so did ours. They had 5 other non-forwards kick multiple goals, we had one in Geary.

September will arrive again, the better teams will have the better defenders who will be on our key forwards again, surely others are going to have to lift.

I truly hope that we don't undo all the good work acheived in Roo's absence, and go back to an over-reliance on our key forwards.

Of course our forwards could function better, but that will come in the next few weeks learning to gel again, but it won't help us become less predictable and more prone to attack even when they are taken out of the game.

[plugger66]

For christ's sake if people are claiming that 1 out of the last 5 wrests some sort of long term ascendancy, then you're pretty deluded...

We were s***. They weren't. For once in a long time.

I certainly didnt say that but this thread nearly suggests that it was all part of the plan to lose to the pies. Well that is just crap. seems some people love the coach so much they would believe Paul Hogan is a good serious actor if RL said it. We lost to a better side on the day. There was no plan.

[Wrote for Luck]

I don't think we've ticked the top four box yet.

[rodgerfox]

Having watched the way RL has gone about things this season it is clear to me that this side had(has) 2 basic goals - finish top 4 and then when the premiership.

Excuse my ignoance, but what other possible goals are there??

And what do you think every other club in the AFL's goals are??

Not every club starts the year thinking they can win a grand final that year. Several other possible goals -

Melbourne/Richmond - get games in to young players , develop a game style and win between 8-12 games

North- New coach, develop new game style and make top 8 (not top 4)

Goals must be realistic to be bought in to by any playing group.

So what other goals could we have possibly had?

[sunsaint]

For christ's sake if people are claiming that 1 out of the last 5 wrests some sort of long term ascendancy, then you're pretty deluded...

We were s***. They weren't. For once in a long time.

totally disagree
they would have blown us away in rnd3 if they had kicked straight. Simple as that. Collingwood have climbed to being a real contender in very short time, the addition of Ball and Jolly has helped but the consistency of their players has risen as has the spread of contribution around the ground.
I get really amused/confused with supporters who say "but we played like crap and we still won" All that says is your opposition played reeaally s***.
And there have been many games were the first sideline comment you get after the game was, "we ground out the win".

[Thinline]

For christ's sake if people are claiming that 1 out of the last 5 wrests some sort of long term ascendancy, then you're pretty deluded...

We were s***. They weren't. For once in a long time.

totally disagree
they would have blown us away in rnd3 if they had kicked straight. Simple as that. Collingwood have climbed to being a real contender in very short time, the addition of Ball and Jolly has helped but the consistency of their players has risen as has the spread of contribution around the ground.
I get really amused/confused with supporters who say "but we played like crap and we still won" All that says is your opposition played reeaally s***.
And there have been many games were the first sideline comment you get after the game was, "we ground out the win".

Blown us away? They had two more scoring shots! We rushed several of theirs, and had a couple of out on the fullers of our own. For all intents and purposes opportunities were even. We pushed them wide. Most of their misses were more acute than 45 degrees. You couldn't be more incorrect. Respectfully.

They are now the form side. We were too this this time last year. Did that do us any good?

Perhaps you need to take a deep breath, mate.

[therabbitinthehat]

I have a lot of faith in Ross the boss. I made a quick detour while heading home via Moorabin today to check out the 66 cup, Ross happened to walk by and I made a cheeky comment that the cup looked lonely and needed a friend. Ross quipped back "come back late September" with a smile.