Be honest, do you really think we'll win the flag in 2008?

[saintspremiers]

Just like we were January Premiers, we are now no doubt February Premiers, and the intra club, like most years, will galvanise this thought amongst a lot of us.

Optimism is all good, and it's looking like a great year for us 2008, nearly everything points to success.

But realistically, can be expect a flag after just missing the eight last year?

IMO a huge improvement over 2007 would see us finishing Top 4 and making the Prelim finals.

I honestly can't see us taking the next two hurdles - a GF and then premiership.....a bit like what happend to Collingwood in 2007 is how I see our year panning out.

[CURLY]

One word - INJURIES.

We did incrediabally well last season with the injury toll we had, thats including players carrying 2006 injuries into the season. Any team who can perform the way we did and with the recruitment of 2-3 important additions over the pre season a premiership is possible.

[asiu]

Be honest, do you really think we'll win the flag in 2008?

yep

[riccardo]

We're as good a chance as anyone right now.

[yipper]

Do you really think we cam win the flag in 2008?


Well, we can. Geelong have shown everybody what an injury free year can do for a team with some talent. So, given our talent and now some added depth along with a very bouyant preparation with no injury woes - then, yes we CAN win it in 2008. Certainly we seem to be right up there in prospects along with a few other teams. So, I believe we are as good a chance as anyone with the ability to pull it off.

I believe there is a steely resolve amongst the playing group not to let another chance slip.

[cowboy18]

Yep.

[Megamaguire]

For the last few years we certainly could have given an ounce of luck and freedom from injuries. The players have the comparatively recent memory of 2 prelim finals in their bones and know they can certainlt DO IT. These Saint Kilda players with their new coach have the unity to keep pressing forward. Rossi knows the areas that can make an instant improvement - A more intense ruck contribution and more goals. Perhaps that would have been enough in itself to see off the rampaging Cousins and Lynch last year and land the club another finals campaign. This year if it happens according to plan i genuinely expect Saint Kilda to reach the finals. I'll stop there and savour that prospect for moment and worry about the last week in september later.

KEEP AT IT SAINTERS!

[StSteven]

We have as much chance as anyone. However all the reasons we will win it, talented list, steely resolve, "not wanting to let another one slip", are what every supporter believes.

Some good luck, lack of injuries combined with our talent gives us a chance. We wont know until September. I just hope it is not a trip down the ladder in 2008 which is possible and will happen to some teams that at the moment are feeling confident about 2008.

Ever hopeful!

[evertonfc]

West Coast - have lost plenty but have so much on the line. Stronger depth than people think, with improving KPP stocks.
Geelong - A great draw and a lack of quality teams playing at their best again lets the Cats slip through.
St Kilda - Substantial list improvements added to easing injury worries places them right back in the chances. So many players with so many points to prove; impossible to ignore.
Hawthorn - Getting better all the time, though would we be saying the same thing if they'd crashed out to Adelaide in week one?
Collingwood - They have hovered around this mark for two years, and whilst improvement is expected, will they have the polish to match the elite teams if they all fire?
Port Adelaide - If Geelong slipped through to a flag, then Port fell arse-backwards into a GF. Still a quality team with plenty of kids, they will be tough to toss at home and probably smash the Saints again.
Fremantle - Fools love Freo, and with good reason. But they can beat anyone, and the signs under Mark Harvey are ominous. One of the few teams capable of blowing the league apart.
Western Bulldogs - Adding Hudson and Welsh to the side is exactly what they needed, and although they still go short in defence, improvement can be expected from so many.
----------------
Brisbane
Sydney
Adelaide
Kangaroos
Essendon
Melbourne
Carlton
Richmond

[The_Dud]

honestly, i have this underlying feeling that i'll never see St.Kilda win a flag, maybe that comes from years of failure

hopefully i am very wrong tho

[GrumpyOne]

Be honest, do you really think we'll win the flag in 2008?


Absa-bloody-lutely.

[Otiman]

Be honest, do you really think we'll win the flag in 2008?

If we didn't think, or at least hope this every year, why would we even bother being supporters?

[mad saint guy]

Too much happens in a footy season to make a call in February. The odds are against us, but any team with a solid list can win a flag if they're lucky.

[plugger66]

I hope we can win the flag but I think we will be a quality Ruckman short and anther quality midfielder short plau maybe a tall backman. i know every club has problems but we are one down on each line except up forward IMO.

This is based on King being only fair as he has been for the last 3 years and Gardiner being like he has been now for 4 years. Also Bally not really improving from his injry and Goose and maybe Max playing less than 15 games each.

[meher baba]

We can win, for sure. Any team with the likes of Harve, Riewoldt, Kosi, Gehrig, Dal, Lenny, Bally, Sam Fisher, Gilbert, etc. playing for them has to be a big chance every year

Will we win? I have no idea. For some reason, I feel a bit less confident than in the past few seasons. Injuries are, once again, the key.

The other big question is whether or not Lyon's coaching style is going to take us there. His supporters on here claim that he is injecting a Swans-style discipline into our generally attacking approach to create the ideal mix. Last year there were some signs of this, but also some signs of an inflexibility in his approach which continues to make me nervous.

I hope that the Lyon fans are right. Time will tell.

[busso mick]

If we start well to the year then we are a big show, I got us at $15 a month ago .

We will be as hungry as Geelong were last year, but I also expect big improvement from Fremantle and the Bulldogs from last years non-finalists.

With this being Lyons second year and a better than normal fitness base from our players at the moment we are a big chance for Top 4. After that a flag is a real possibility, its' going to happen one day, it may as well be this year.

[LTN16]

Too much happens in a footy season to make a call in February. The odds are against us, but any team with a solid list can win a flag if they're lucky.

I agree MSG.

It was this time last year people had the Kangaroo's winning the Wooden Spoon and Melbourne making the top 4. It's just to hard to predict and most people rarely get it right. Just take it a week at a time

[claystreet]

At the moment we are equal 1st according to my calculations
or was that equal last

I hope we win a flag but to try pick it now

[bigcarl]

i think we're a big chance if things fall our way.

we need to start the season well and have everyone talking us up like in 2004.

the boys are men now and can handle it.

the confidence a good start will bring is infectious

[esaint66]

do you really think we can win the premership this year?
why not its a long season so where going to have opur ups and downs but as of now every team is even.

[|Andy|]

yes

[SydneySainter]

I wouldn't have upgraded my membership from interstate to full member/social club if I didn't think we could do it. There are always the cliches about how good our list is should it remain injury free and the Geelong turnaround from 06 - 07, but what really matters is the little things. Sure, 07 was a disappointment in regards to not making the finals, but we still beat every team that made the top four from 06, does that not count for anything?

[saintsRrising]

If we are lucky??????


bah humbug!!!

Sure there is some luck in footy....but the most important factors are not due to luck.


If we win it will have little to do with luck and a lot more to do with:

*having put proper staff and systems in place to condition our players (The Cats were not lucky in this aspect in 2007...they reaped the benefit of having completely rebuilt their Medical and Conditioning Departments starting the season prior. While Saints bemoaned our "bad luck" luck with injuries the Cats pulled their fingers out and did something.)

* players knuckling under and taking ownership for their destiny. Roos speech was great at the B&F, but the players now have to walk the talk.
(Don't under-estimate how big an effect this was at the Cats...or the Swans when they won. Ray McLean certainly helped to turn the Ctas players around and quite probably their coach too!! Freo area classic example of heaps of player talent which is ruined by lack of application and committment)


*players delivering RL's game plan in the manner that the coach wants it delivered.

*Ross having built a better balanced list and having found replacements for gaps creared by players past their best. we will have to see if King, M gardiner and Schneider all deliver....Dempster and C gardiner may bea bonus.

*Ross having picked the right development coaches to develop our younger and fringe players. we need more players to emerge or grow.


Luck????

No I want hard nosed decions and skill...people knowing what they are doing and then being 100% committed to achieve it from the trainersand conditioning staff through to coaches and players. Everyone must do their bit.

4 leaft clovers and rabbits feet will do zip.

[spert]

If we win enough games to stay in touch of the top eight, and have a good last half of the season -anything's possible!

[Eastern]

YES !!