Stan Alves on the radio

[markinUSA]

Said that this team is comparable to the Saints of 1997.

Wow... big call.

He stressed the way young players were really making an impact, and the way that Goddard and others could add to the attack so it wasn't one dimensional.

[kosifantutti23]

Already 2 wins ahead of the '97 team

[BakesFan]

Exactly... IIRC we were the ones on the end of a 90+ point hiding in one of the early rounds in '97.. Was it Round 3?...I can remember watching the Brions absolutely spank us at the 'Gabba.

It's a long way to go before the finals, but the boys are certainly looking like genuine contenders.

[Enrico_Misso]

The Brisbane debacle was R2.
We won R3 against Collingwood but then lost the next two to be 1-4.
Then played Melbourne in R6 for a match they were billing as the battle for the wooden spoon.

Then something clicked

[skeptic]

that's right and it felt like common knowledge that the losing coach of the game VS melb would be sacked...

bye bye Balms

[widereceiver]

I wish Stan was right, "and things like that"

Unfortunately, our team in the 97 prelim played with the fury our guys have shown the last three weeks.

Our team in the 97 GF was overawed and outcoached.

[casey scorp]

I wish Stan was right, "and things like that"

Unfortunately, our team in the 97 prelim played with the fury our guys have shown the last three weeks.

Our team in the 97 GF was overawed and outcoached.

And in mourning - Loewe's sister & Winmar's father.

[skeptic]

and crippled

Out
Everite
Vidovic
Smith
Young
Wakelin (Shane)

And a few more i think

[SuperSaint]

and crippled

Out
Everite
Vidovic
Smith
Young
Wakelin (Shane)

And a few more i think

There was nothing wrong with Shane Wakelin. He left him out of the GF Team in favour of Robert Neill, which didn't go down too well with a few of the players. Shane Wakelin contributed well to the team that year and a month earlier kicked 5 goals in the win against the Pies when we lost Joel Smith with his knee injury. Robert Neill hadn't played a game in the seniors for most of the year and we all know how he performed in the GF. Stan will not bring this up. He should have played Shane Wakelin, it was a poor and illogical decision on that Thursday night prior to the GF, which we should never have lost.

[Sainternist]

Does this mean we will have our hearts broken again in the GF?

[Scoop]

There was nothing wrong with Shane Wakelin. He left him out of the GF Team in favour of Robert Neill, which didn't go down too well with a few of the players. Shane Wakelin contributed well to the team that year and a month earlier kicked 5 goals in the win against the Pies when we lost Joel Smith with his knee injury. Robert Neill hadn't played a game in the seniors for most of the year and we all know how he performed in the GF. Stan will not bring this up. He should have played Shane Wakelin, it was a poor and illogical decision on that Thursday night prior to the GF, which we should never have lost.

Spot on SS....one of the most nonsensical selection decisions of all time...and in a grand final

...now look at what you have done SS....just when I thought I had come to terms with this issue....(sigh)... back to counselling

[SuperSaint]

There was nothing wrong with Shane Wakelin. He left him out of the GF Team in favour of Robert Neill, which didn't go down too well with a few of the players. Shane Wakelin contributed well to the team that year and a month earlier kicked 5 goals in the win against the Pies when we lost Joel Smith with his knee injury. Robert Neill hadn't played a game in the seniors for most of the year and we all know how he performed in the GF. Stan will not bring this up. He should have played Shane Wakelin, it was a poor and illogical decision on that Thursday night prior to the GF, which we should never have lost.

Spot on SS....one of the most nonsensical selection decisions of all time...and in a grand final

...now look at what you have done SS....just when I thought I had come to terms with this issue....(sigh)... back to counselling

He, he,he.....sorry to send you back to counselling on that one. The pain of watching Jarman in that last quarter and having a Crows Supporter next to me at the match singing their club song for a large part of that last quarter, still gives me nightmares. Only one act of redemption on that last Saturday of September will totally cure me too from the scars of that one.

[maverick]

There was nothing wrong with Shane Wakelin. He left him out of the GF Team in favour of Robert Neill, which didn't go down too well with a few of the players. Shane Wakelin contributed well to the team that year and a month earlier kicked 5 goals in the win against the Pies when we lost Joel Smith with his knee injury. Robert Neill hadn't played a game in the seniors for most of the year and we all know how he performed in the GF. Stan will not bring this up. He should have played Shane Wakelin, it was a poor and illogical decision on that Thursday night prior to the GF, which we should never have lost.

Spot on SS....one of the most nonsensical selection decisions of all time...and in a grand final

...now look at what you have done SS....just when I thought I had come to terms with this issue....(sigh)... back to counselling

He, he,he.....sorry to send you back to counselling on that one. The pain of watching Jarman in that last quarter and having a Crows Supporter next to me at the match singing their club song for a large part of that last quarter, still gives me nightmares. Only one act of redemption on that last Saturday of September will totally cure me too from the scars of that one.

+1
Can never forgive Stan for that day, what a waste

[skeptic]

is that right???

stuff me

[saintly_safes]

Vidovic was playing the best footy of his career. I think alot of saints fans under estimate how valuable he was in 97 & to lose Everit was the killer blow. Brett Cook tried hard but he was no match for Shaun Rhen ( excuse the spelling) they controlled the centre clearances & the rest is history.

[yipper]

Vidovic was playing the best footy of his career. I think alot of saints fans under estimate how valuable he was in 97 & to lose Everit was the killer blow. Brett Cook tried hard but he was no match for Shaun Rhen ( excuse the spelling) they controlled the centre clearances & the rest is history.

Yes, so why didn't Stan throw big Stewie into the ruck??? He had done that previously through the season - why not in the GF ?? sheesh.

The Wakelin decision was a shocker!!

[SuperSaint]

Vidovic was playing the best footy of his career. I think alot of saints fans under estimate how valuable he was in 97 & to lose Everit was the killer blow. Brett Cook tried hard but he was no match for Shaun Rhen ( excuse the spelling) they controlled the centre clearances & the rest is history.

Yes, so why didn't Stan throw big Stewie into the ruck??? He had done that previously through the season - why not in the GF ?? sheesh.

The Wakelin decision was a shocker!!

Exactly. He had put Stewie in the ruck against the Swans in Sydney as he was having a bad one and this move went a long way in the team coming from behind and winning a great game.

The Wakelin decision for Robert Neil (who had no impact at all in the home and away games) was truly a shocker and only served to dampen enthusiasm with some players, during a week that every possible negative thought should have been eliminated. Shane Wakelin played some very good games during 97 and should have got the nod ahead of Neill without a second thought.

I liked Stan as a coach but his Grand Final performance both at the selection table and on the day of the game was very poor. Adelaide gang-tackled and roughened up Harvey and Burke and had Pitman wearing Loewe like a glove. Stan did bugger all to countermeasure any of these Blight tactics, not to mention keeping Shanahan on Jarman for the whole of that last quarter, instead of putting the harder, close-checking Sziller on him.

One more thing, the way he pretty much gave up on Matty Lappin in the 98 season because of what he called "persistent attitude problems" also cost us a very good, clever player (who could play forward and back). As we all know, he went on and played many great games for Carlton and had an excellent career there.

[stinger]

stewie had personal problems that day...so did cuz......

[jack]

Can anyone else remember during the 97 season that one of our supporter groups handed out a newsletter. In one of the newsletters they had an interview with Vidovic. In the interview he stated if he ever played his last game in a Grand Final, he guaranteed that the next season would have an order off rule. The 97 Grand Final would have been his last game.

[Saints Premiers 2008]

the constant whinging about the 97 is another example of st kilda fans and their loser-ish negative psyche....

[3rd generation saint]

Another factor in the Lazar Vidovic factor is that the 97 Grand Final probably would have been his last game and Lazar couldn't have cared less what the tribunal gave him the following week as long as he had premiership medallion.
Also losing Everitt was bad because Spider went down forward for a rest.
If I remember correctly Heatley had kicked 70 odd goals, Spider and Buckets had both kicked 40+ goals for the year.
With Spider in the forward line, it stretched all the defences.
Of course one cannot think why Stan did not have a counter manouvere for Jarman as Adelaide had used the exact same tactic the week before and it was one of main reasons we were playing Adelaide instead of the Bulldogs in the GF.

[stinger]

the constant whinging about the 97 is another example of st kilda fans and their loser-ish negative psyche....

if you were there you would never forget the hurt....but a flag would sure go some way to easing the pain....

[st.byron]

if you were there you would never forget the hurt....but a flag would sure go some way to easing the pain....

agree with Stinger on this one. Were you there SP?

[stinger]

if you were there you would never forget the hurt....but a flag would sure go some way to easing the pain....

agree with Stinger on this one. Were you there SP?

thanks mate....a first????

[st.byron]

thanks mate....a first????

I'm sure there was one other time back in 2005...................