A beautiful dream or a nightmare!!

[saint patrick]

Healys first question to Roo last night on the couch suggested that may,be St.Kildas supporters are becoming nervous and wondering whether this season is the beginning of a dream come true or the mother of all nightmares...and whether the players share that view.

Thought that Riewoldt answered it beautifully by sticking to the players being focussed on the shorterm goals rather than fast forwarding to september but the question struck a chord with me as to how this battle weary supporter was starting to feel this week prior to the show.

The ridiculous irony of feeling more insecure with every win

Can't help but have the mind wander ahead to unknown ectasy or agony but Roo's response was just what I needed to hear.

The players have a resolve and belief this year that is unlike anything I have seen in following this club for 45 years.

Roo's explaination in regards to not needing a loss to learn lessons for improvement also rang very true.

I have been guilty after many disappointments of lacking faith in the past but I am now very determined to look ahead with confidence in this fantastic group of players and coaching staff.

Destiny awaits...

and I don't share Healeys view that this years premiership is ours to lose....

Its ours to bloody win...

AMEN

[jonesy]

Geelong are licking there lips at the moment I reckon. Thompson's little plan of resting players has worked a treat at Geelong. It's taken the spotlight 100% off them,and now it's been placed completely on us.

I've heard this "it's Stkilda's to lose now" thrown about all week now. I don't like this. The perception out there now is we are monty's to win,otherwise we're chokers. Geelong are still the team to beat well and truly in my books, and we're going to have to do everything right to beat them if they are near full strength.

[snoopygirl]

I think a few cracks are starting to appear in the veneer that is Geelong.

I listened to Roo last night & got the same impression as you saint patrick. Was pleased that he knew what year we won the flag!

[saint66au]

This year is different. We KNOW that our best footy will win us a flag. On our day we are THE BEST SIDE IN THE COMPETITION We suspected we might have been in 04..in 05 we knew deep down injuries would rob us..and in 08 the reality was we were a cut below Haw and Gee..and so it proved.

The core of this side felt the pain of the 04, 05 and 08 Prelims..and erasing those sort of memories is a powerful motivator.

IF we dont win the flag this year, Im as good as certain it will be because something has transpired to have us not at our best. Geelongs best will not beat us if we bring OUR best..weve proved that this year.

In other years Ive hoped..this year I know..bring our "A" game for 3 games in September, let the injury Gods smile on us for just a lil while longer...and that cup is ours!!

[Iceman234]

I thought of a thread that was started - can't find it now - about "Am I dreaming?" or similar the other day...

[OneEyedSainter77]

This year is different. We KNOW that our best footy will win us a flag. On our day we are THE BEST SIDE IN THE COMPETITION We suspected we might have been in 04..in 05 we knew deep down injuries would rob us..and in 08 the reality was we were a cut below Haw and Gee..and so it proved.

The core of this side felt the pain of the 04, 05 and 08 Prelims..and erasing those sort of memories is a powerful motivator.

IF we dont win the flag this year, Im as good as certain it will be because something has transpired to have us not at our best. Geelongs best will not beat us if we bring OUR best..weve proved that this year.

In other years Ive hoped..this year I know..bring our "A" game for 3 games in September, let the injury Gods smile on us for just a lil while longer...and that cup is ours!!

So no lid for you then, Mike?

[OneEyedSainter77]

I thought of a thread that was started - can't find it now - about "Am I dreaming?" or similar the other day...

That was me!

lol, I'm always saying i go under the radar here and one of the more high profile posters notices my topic. Similar posts, but we raise different posts.

I was very tempted to reply with the link to the other post. but restrained myself after reading the OP.

[chook23]

This year is different. We KNOW that our best footy will win us a flag. On our day we are THE BEST SIDE IN THE COMPETITION We suspected we might have been in 04..in 05 we knew deep down injuries would rob us..and in 08 the reality was we were a cut below Haw and Gee..and so it proved.

The core of this side felt the pain of the 04, 05 and 08 Prelims..and erasing those sort of memories is a powerful motivator.

IF we dont win the flag this year, Im as good as certain it will be because something has transpired to have us not at our best. Geelongs best will not beat us if we bring OUR best..weve proved that this year.
In other years Ive hoped..this year I know..bring our "A" game for 3 games in September, let the injury Gods smile on us for just a lil while longer...and that cup is ours!!

On that day..........and it was only 6 pts

Will we be good enough to get 5 goal jump again
Will Cats be good enough to prevent and if so..............will we be good enough to hold and then win......

a long way to go yet..

Cats a little under radar at moment....
Johnson and maybe Ottens about to presume.

both sides will be hard to beat....

Hope we come out on top....

[saint66au]

This year is different. We KNOW that our best footy will win us a flag. On our day we are THE BEST SIDE IN THE COMPETITION We suspected we might have been in 04..in 05 we knew deep down injuries would rob us..and in 08 the reality was we were a cut below Haw and Gee..and so it proved.

The core of this side felt the pain of the 04, 05 and 08 Prelims..and erasing those sort of memories is a powerful motivator.

IF we dont win the flag this year, Im as good as certain it will be because something has transpired to have us not at our best. Geelongs best will not beat us if we bring OUR best..weve proved that this year.

In other years Ive hoped..this year I know..bring our "A" game for 3 games in September, let the injury Gods smile on us for just a lil while longer...and that cup is ours!!

So no lid for you then, Mike?

Oh the lids on mate....as I said we have to bring our very best game..Im not assuming we will..or be this injury-free..

One silly free or incorrect disposal in a final can bring 25 weeks of work crashing down around your ears

[OneEyedSainter77]

This year is different. We KNOW that our best footy will win us a flag. On our day we are THE BEST SIDE IN THE COMPETITION We suspected we might have been in 04..in 05 we knew deep down injuries would rob us..and in 08 the reality was we were a cut below Haw and Gee..and so it proved.

The core of this side felt the pain of the 04, 05 and 08 Prelims..and erasing those sort of memories is a powerful motivator.

IF we dont win the flag this year, Im as good as certain it will be because something has transpired to have us not at our best. Geelongs best will not beat us if we bring OUR best..weve proved that this year.

In other years Ive hoped..this year I know..bring our "A" game for 3 games in September, let the injury Gods smile on us for just a lil while longer...and that cup is ours!!

So no lid for you then, Mike?

Oh the lids on mate....as I said we have to bring our very best game..Im not assuming we will..or be this injury-free..

One silly free or incorrect disposal in a final can bring 25 weeks of work crashing down around your ears

Oh I know, tongue firmly in cheek there, believe me! FWIW though, I COMPLETELY agree with you. Thaere is a certain - aura, if you will, about the team this year.

[Captain Impossible]

I agree with the sentiment St Pat and Roo did handle the questions with aplomb, but I disagree with Healy saying the flag is ours to lose. How many Geelong fans would have said the same thing going into last year's Grand Final? Strange things happen in finals and on recent history, we haven't performed, even when we were supposed to.

Geelong must be rapt with all the publicity going our way. They are still favourites for me and realistically, if the round 14 game had gone on 5 minutes longer, they would probably have won against us. They have suceeded in finals, we haven't.

Don't get me wrong, we look fantastic at the moment, but I can't escape 97. I woke up that morning of the Grand Fnal thinking that it would potentially be one of the greatest days of my life...it wasn't. I remain hopeful, but cautious of a proven performer who seem to be timing their run perfectly. Lid firmly on.

[barks4eva]

ONE WEEK AT A TIME!

[chook23]

I agree with the sentiment St Pat and Roo did handle the questions with aplomb, but I disagree with Healy saying the flag is ours to lose. How many Geelong fans would have said the same thing going into last year's Grand Final? Strange things happen in finals and on recent history, we haven't performed, even when we were supposed to.

Geelong must be rapt with all the publicity going our way. They are still favourites for me and realistically, if the round 14 game had gone on 5 minutes longer, they would probably have won against us. They have suceeded in finals, we haven't.

Don't get me wrong, we look fantastic at the moment, but I can't escape 97. I woke up that morning of the Grand Fnal thinking that it would potentially be one of the greatest days of my life...it wasn't. I remain hopeful, but cautious of a proven performer who seem to be timing their run perfectly. Lid firmly on.

agree plus we have to get to the GF first. (Prelims are very hard to win!!)

One week at a time......then finals

[stinger]

i'm not thinking further ahead than the swans game....

[Iceman234]

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/view ... ight=dream

There it is.

[OneEyedSainter77]

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/view ... ight=dream

There it is.

lol, nice. Somoeone bump it up, it does my self-esteem good to see my threads on the first poage.

Actually, someone sticky it!

Too far?

[Quixote]

Good post St Pat - something I've been thinking about a lot.


Was very happy with Roo's answer - we can improve whilst winning. And indeed we have improved since the Geelong game (our last two wins point in case for mine). In this time, I don't think many would argue in the positive that Geelong have improved.

Are we peaking too early? Are Geelong timing their run perfectly? Who bloody knows.

What I do now however is that the Club, from the coach through the players and down, do not care for outside pressures or speculations. Are not affected by them. I know this if only for the fact that they repeat it most weeks. And apart from the fact that we are 17-0.

So I think we are in good hands.






However...... in my heart of hearts, by god, I'd be bloody nervous if we hadn't lost one come Grand Final day.


The other, perhaps more logical side of this coin is we are now intent on becoming one of the best teams ever - go through to the Cup undefeated. Really no reason why this couldn't happen.

[bethb7]

There’s something about this group of players that I don't think they will let failure be an option there is an air of confidence and hunger, I’m no longer worried about how Geelong are travelling or any other team, it's all up to this group and I’m confident/hopeful we can do it in 09.

[Quixote]

^^^ Nice post.

I think it would be remiss also to discount the hurt this group of players must have felt after last years Prelim final loss (their 3rd). Couple this with the Robert Harvey's last game fact and you have pain.

[saint3d]

However...... in my heart of hearts, by god, I'd be bloody nervous if we hadn't lost one come Grand Final day.

I think this is a fallacy. Do you think you'll be less nervous if we make the Grand Final having lost one along the way? I know it won't make a difference to my nerves one way or the other.

[Quixote]

However...... in my heart of hearts, by god, I'd be bloody nervous if we hadn't lost one come Grand Final day.

I think this is a fallacy. Do you think you'll be less nervous if we make the Grand Final having lost one along the way? I know it won't make a difference to my nerves one way or the other.

Nope no fallacy.

If we haven't lost one, the possibility of a final hurdle choke and fall will be all the more real, if only (and hopefully, more than likely!!) in my mind.

But honestly - I don't want to discuss this topic!

The STKFC know what they are doing - external means nothing!

One week followed by another! That is all.

In Ross and Nick we trust.


(breaths deep sigh of relief).. I'm better now.

[Beej]

This year is different. We KNOW that our best footy will win us a flag. On our day we are THE BEST SIDE IN THE COMPETITION

Whilst that is true, it may also be not enough. Look at Geelong last year.

I know that if we play our best footy we'll have a flag, but what if we don't get the opportunity to play our best footy?

What happens if half the side comes down with flu on the week of the grand final?

What happens if we lose a player or two in the first quarter of a prelim or, god forbid, a grand final?

What happens if... you get my drift.

Whilst we are the best placed team on current form, we still need a hell of a lot to go right for us over the next two months and that makes me nervous.

Of all the things the coaches and the players can control, I have full faith that they will tick all those boxes as they have done all year. However, it's the things that are out of their control, the things that are in the hands of the gods that leave me feeling insecure.

I know one thing, not winning a flag this year will hurt more than any other year.

[Moccha]

Well I had a dream about 6 weeks ago that we beat Geelong in the grannie by 26 pts. It was never in doubt

[bigcarl]

our to lose? what a complete crock.

we're the best performed team up to round 17 and nothing more.

everyone knows the real game doesn't start until september.

we're lucky to have ross ... a real master of expectation management ... in control. he is certain to make sure that no-one who counts gets ahead of themselves.

it will be ours to lose if we make the grand final and are 10 goals up at half time.

[widereceiver]

I have loved this season.

It makes not a whit of difference to me whether or not we are undefeated going into the Grand Final, should we get there. Either way, I'll be totally freaking out until I see Roo hold up the cup.

I was convinced, after our thrashing of the Roos in the 97 prelim, we were going to do likewise to the Craw. What a dog of a birthday that was for me!

I hope for all of us the footy gods are smiling, but it's months away.

Lid's on!