2012 Flag Wide Open

[saintsRrising]

The way the teams and year is shaping up the 2012 flag is wide open.

Weagles have some key injuries....and may cost them beinga huge threat this year now.
Pies and Cats not quite what they were.
* Pies gameplan advantage is gone...and Jolly nowhere near where where he was. No Lean, Didak etc
* Cats still have a fantastic midfield, but around the ground they are weaker and no Ottens.
Hawks in the doldrums and too reliant on the mercurial Buddy and Rioli who are both inconsistent.
The Blues have nice balance, but are not as good as the Cats were.
The Swans have been the big improvers, and an example that recruiting is not just about kids....and that hardworking players with great commitment can give you the edge.
The Dons if they get over their soft tissue injuries could be up at seasons end.

More than many years the flag now looks wide open, with whomever being the one that can get their best team on the park in the finals and playing well in Sept being the one that will most likely take the flag.

Saints are still in with a crack, and tonight's game against the Hawks will give an indication of how much of a crack.
With Schneider and Gwilt to both come back we are yet to field our best 22 (though many teams have some players out) and importantly both are good users of the ball..

[tweedaletomanning]

Agree

[jonesy]

We will need to click the fingers and improve by 10 goals overnight,otherwise we aren't in the same hemisphere

At least people who cling to religion for hope aren't dissapointed,as when they die they either sleep forever and they never find out,or they are up in the magical cloud land,however saints still clinging to premiership hope this year to try and ease the pain of 2009/10,it's a slow painful journey ahead,with no happy ending

[mad saint guy]

It would take significant improvement, but that could well come with the team getting used to the adjustments in game plan. Gwilt and Schneider are major playmakers and will be very handy. We need a lot to go right (basically no injuries to key players) but there is more hope for middle-range teams than there has been for a long time.

I think this team in good form can take it up to anyone

B: Gwilt, Simpkin, Geary
HB: Fisher, Blake, Goddard
C: Gilbert, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Schneider, Riewoldt, Milera
F: Milne, Koschitzke, Siposs

Foll: McEvoy, Dal Santo, Steven
Int: Armitage, Dempster, Stanley, Ledger

[asiu]

.no happy ending ... yep , thats about the story.

[saintsRrising]

Well with all this weekends upsets including the Saints over The Blues tonight, the the flag is wide open this year.

May even be a "Bradbury Year" where the team left standing at the finish going strong and on it's feets slides past to win the main prize.

Squeezing in Ben, Sam and Schneider into tonights team...and maybe Gwilt too is looking "juicey"!!!

[battye]

The window is ajar?

I think making and securing a spot in the eight has to be the main priority. There are still a few good teams below us, and a lot of good teams above us that are unlikely to drop. Too early to be thinking beyond that, but I do agree with you saintsRrising - if we make it then who knows what can happen. This group is experienced enough, and based on tonights effort, still hungry enough, to put in 4 solid weeks of football and have one last crack at it.

I think tonights win has given us a chance to dare to dream anyway.

[Scollop]

Yep. Good Call...not only for some of the teams challenging for the flag but also for the spots in the top 8 I reckon. Managing your list is the key and dropping blokes who have had a couple of poor games in a row will ensure that all the list is on notice....Sandy are travelling well and there are guys hungry for an opportunity. With what we saw tonight against Carlton, if we get enough wins for a couple of home finals...you never know...our depth and hopefully no injuries to key personnel at the pointy end could see us seriously challenging and Saints sticking it up all the doubters.

There are a lot of teams looking at the Collingwood and Geelong templates for success. The competition for spots in 2010 was fundamental to Pies form. In 2011 the emergence of West and Vardy and a handful of young running types helped the Cats maintain their form and their hunger to perform (as well as wanting to stick it up bomber thompson and gary junior)...Hopefully we keep improving from here on and we keep our spot in the bottom half of the 8. If we beat our opponents in Rnd 19, 21 and 23...we will not only be running hot at the right time of year, but also have enough belief that this is finally OUR YEAR.

GO YOU SAINTERS!!!

[Con Gorozidis]

no gwilt. no macca. no fisher. no schneids.

arguably 4 of our top 10 missing.

great win by us.

if we win one from the next two I think we might to seriously start think.... mmm.... were could be on here.....

[hungry for a premiership]

We will be the first and only team to ever win the flag from 8th on the ladder by defeating Fremantle interstate week one, Collingwood at the MCG round 2, West Coast away in the prelim in a game that finishes level and requirs extra time, then go on to smash Essendon by 44 points in the GF.

[bigcarl]

Who says we can't win it?

If we get on a roll with the team rejuvenated with young players shades of 97, anything can happen.

This team won't die despite having been written off by just about everyone, including some of our own. Go Saints

[dals_da_bomb]

Hungry for a preiemship.. I like where you went with that however i have a slight issue with the GF you prediction.

My first child is due the GF weekend, and my husband barracks for essendon. I fear with your prediction neither of us will turn up to delivery! (if i hold out that long) (I sure as heel will not be going anywhere is My saints are playing!)

Im worried enough as it is about missing any finals action.. let alone my husband forgetting about me with his Bummers in the Final!

[markp]

We're currently premiership favourites in an Age poll... so we're a lock.

http://www.theage.com.au/polls/afl/roun ... 1ynsf.html

[TJMcCarthy]

We're currently premiership favourites in an Age poll... so we're a lock.

http://www.theage.com.au/polls/afl/roun ... 1ynsf.html

Wow! Must have really shocked some footy fans out there last night. Either that or our fans are coming out of the woodwork.

[saintsRrising]

Flag wide open this year.

If you ae flying in Sept...provided you make the 8...you are every chance.

The Saints are in with a crack.

* We are getting more use to Watter's gameplan
Plus Watters is learning and getting better.

* We needed our younger players to step up and they have:
Jack is now a star.
Armo is having his best year = a deeper midfield

Simpkin is Mr Cool
Geary has continued where he left off in 2011 = more options down back

Milera and Saad have added extra pace and flare, as has Stanley. And this is vital in today's game and indeed is a real lynch -pin in evolving the Saints. Milney more than any other player is probably relishing the extra freedom it is giving him.

Lenny and Roo are both back playing good football (well Lenny is playing superbly!!!)....and to a lesser extent so is Kosi.