did the crowd of invaders cost us

[stinger]

guerra certainly could have drawn the scores level...

http://media.theage.com.au/sport/afl-re ... video=true

[evertonfc]

No, they didn't. I get annoyed at the inference as well.

The crowd had zero to do with what cost us - those two freak Gavin Wanganeen goals in the last quarter. Pure brilliance.

We also kicked 4.5 to quarter time. Inaccurate kicking that really let us down AFTER the crowd came on.

Frankly, the fact that some of our players have mentioned it as an excuse has never sat well with me. It's re-writing history, and what's more, alleviates the players of the responsibility they had for letting a winnable game slip.

We led five key finals matches in the last quarter against Port (04), Sydney (05), Melbourne (06), Geelong (09), Collingwood (10) - yet didn't win one of them. We also very nearly blew 3Qtr time leads against the Western Bulldogs (09) and Geelong (10).

Fact is, we were terrible closers of big matches.

That was the real issue, but, to this day, nobody addresses it, and the myth of the crowd-cost-us is allowed to live on.

[plugger66]

No, they didn't. I get annoyed at the inference as well.

The crowd had zero to do with what cost us - those two freak Gavin Wanganeen goals in the last quarter. Pure brilliance.

We also kicked 4.5 to quarter time. Inaccurate kicking that really let us down AFTER the crowd came on.

Frankly, the fact that some of our players have mentioned it as an excuse has never sat well with me. It's re-writing history, and what's more, alleviates the players of the responsibility they had for letting a winnable game slip.

We led five key finals matches in the last quarter against Port (04), Sydney (05), Melbourne (06), Geelong (09), Collingwood (10) - yet didn't win one of them.

That was the real issue, but, to this day, nobody addresses it, and the myth of the crowd-cost-us is allowed to live on.

Im not sure I can totally agree with that. We were dominating until the crowd ran onto the ground. Could have been coincidence but being at the ground I certainly think it cost big time. Certainly there were other issues as well but it cost plenty.

[evertonfc]

We were dominating until the crowd ran onto the ground.

We won a few clearances and kicked a few goals. Dominating is being ten goals up. What were we - two or three?

We started well but it was no more than that. Games last four quarters, not 15 minutes.

And we led at 3Qtr time, having fought back hard in the third. Didn't seem to affect us then. I think a lot of people have forgotten that.

Blaming the crowd is a fairly convenient argument, though an incorrect one, and certainly one that needs correcting.

[plugger66]

We were dominating until the crowd ran onto the ground.

We won a few clearances and kicked a few goals. Dominating is being ten goals up. What were we - two or three?

We started well but it was no more than that. Games last four quarters, not 15 minutes.

And we led at 3Qtr time, having fought back hard in the third. Didn't seem to affect us then. I think a lot of people have forgotten that.

Blaming the crowd is a fairly convenient argument, though an incorrect one, and certainly one that needs correcting.

That's your opinion but not mine. At the ground it seemed we were dominating and then we weren't after the crowd ran onto the ground. To much of a coincidence to think it didn't have an effect on us.

[evertonfc]

At the ground it seemed we were dominating and then we weren't after the crowd ran onto the ground. To much of a coincidence to think it didn't have an effect on us.

But we were again on top in the third. So it can't have had that big an impact.

[plugger66]

At the ground it seemed we were dominating and then we weren't after the crowd ran onto the ground. To much of a coincidence to think it didn't have an effect on us.

But we were again on top in the third. So it can't have had that big an impact.

Only has to effect you by 7 points. Maybe we would have been 40 points up in the third. Its all guess work.

[SaintPav]

At the ground it seemed we were dominating and then we weren't after the crowd ran onto the ground. To much of a coincidence to think it didn't have an effect on us.

But we were again on top in the third. So it can't have had that big an impact.

It's all hypothetical but it's not a ridiculous claim. We had momentum and they could not get their hands on the ball. I'm pretty sure they had a ridiculously, ridiculously low possession rate up until that stage of the game.

Even if we had kicked one more goal and they kicked one less, it would have made the difference.

[saintsRrising]

We had momentum...and lost it. Port were struggling to hold us, and all of a sudden we were stopped, but not by them.

Williams used the time to speak to and steady his players.


We may have lost anyway, but the way we were playing we would have been much more likely to have won.

[Bunk_Moreland]

Boof head halfwit Saints fans cost us a flag that night.

Fkn idiots

[magnifisaint]

Guerra was too slow to kick the ball off the ground to level the scores. I'm sure most other players would have got that through.

[asaint]

Yes. Its a game of momentum , and that delay cost us ours.

[SENsei]

I was at the ground for that game and it was the prevailing view amongst those in my vicinity that there was a big momentum shift against the Saints after the crowd invasion. It allowed Port to settle and get back into the game. That may have happened anyway, but it certainly helped Port and not St Kilda.

[saintspremiers]

I was at the ground for that game and it was the prevailing view amongst those in my vicinity that there was a big momentum shift against the Saints after the crowd invasion. It allowed Port to settle and get back into the game. That may have happened anyway, but it certainly helped Port and not St Kilda.

Why wasn't there proper security to stop the invasion?

I blame the AFL and ground management. It was an interstate final - not like they had to control 20,000 fans!

[plugger66]

I was at the ground for that game and it was the prevailing view amongst those in my vicinity that there was a big momentum shift against the Saints after the crowd invasion. It allowed Port to settle and get back into the game. That may have happened anyway, but it certainly helped Port and not St Kilda.

Why wasn't there proper security to stop the invasion?

I blame the AFL and ground management. It was an interstate final - not like they had to control 20,000 fans!

How can you stop them? Its impossible if they want to run out. You really love blaming people. Is that your day job as well?

[spert]

I remember in that game that although the ball got down there, our forward line just didn't click in the last quarter, Milne went missing, and although Lenny had a great game, his opponent(can't remember his name) got on top and gave Port plenty of drive from the middle in the second half of that last quarter, and that just tipped it.

[borderbarry]

I took my then 10 yr old grandson to the game. Have hated Port Adelaide supporters ever since. I had one boof come up and try and threaten me just cause I was barracking for the Saints. Being a retired Detective and in a bad mood at the state of the game and the supporters in general I gave him an earful, then spent the rest of the night convincing the grandson that granddad had not really used bad words....

[borderbarry]

When the crowd ran onto the ground I could not help but wonder who they were as tghere were not anywhere near that number of Saints supporter at the ground.

[Johnny Member]

I reckon Roger James was why we got rolled, moreso than the crown running on.

We were absolutely dominating, but he kept them in it and we leaked a couple of easy goals against the tide. You can dominate and score, but when you're dominating if the opposition is able to score easily also, it gives them huge confidence that they're still in it.

[stinger]

I took my then 10 yr old grandson to the game. Have hated Port Adelaide supporters ever since. I had one boof come up and try and threaten me just cause I was barracking for the Saints. Being a retired Detective and in a bad mood at the state of the game and the supporters in general I gave him an earful, then spent the rest of the night convincing the grandson that granddad had not really used bad words....

[samoht]

Apart from Hamill missing the game through injury, we had a few passengers.
Also, Goddard must have been injured? - he only had 2 possessions?


Brent Guerra 2k 0 hb 2 D
Brendon Goddard 1k 1hb 2 D
Stephen Milne 1k 0hb 1 D
Trent Knobel 0k 0hb 0 D

[Saints43]

No, they didn't. I get annoyed at the inference as well.

Absolutely killed the Saints momentum and gave Port, who could hardly get a touch of the ball, the opportunity to regroup.

I reckon the only people who argue that it didn't were those that ran onto the ground.

It was our Peter Hoare - Aus v Iran - moment.

[perfectionist]

Guerra was too slow to kick the ball off the ground to level the scores. I'm sure most other players would have got that through.

To be fair, the ball was skewing away to his right and he is a one sided left foot kick. In any event, it would only have levelled the scores.

The 2004 flag was lost in rounds 11 and 12 when after 10 straight wins, Grant Thomas decided to experiment with the team and dropped Jason Blake. It meant the difference between finishing top 2 (home final week 1) or having to do it the harder (interstate) way. A home state PF route to the GF works 93% of the time.

[stinger]

Apart from Hamill missing the game through injury, we had a few passengers.
Also, Goddard must have been injured? - he only had 2 possessions?


Brent Guerra 2k 0 hb 2 D
Brendon Goddard 1k 1hb 2 D
Stephen Milne 1k 0hb 1 D
Trent Knobel 0k 0hb 0 D

interesting stats

[Sainternist]

guerra certainly could have drawn the scores level...

And he certainly would have, if it weren't for Shaun Burgoyne saving the day for Port. We were just desperately unlucky that night. For mine, Wangerneen cutting loose in the last quarter was the difference.