Honestly, what is your gut feel - will we win or lose?

Verdun66 · Post: # 826859Post **Verdun66** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 8:49am

I'm with Maxstar.....we just had to get past the PF. Am quite calm now...what will be will be. Had been a jibbering wreck last week. Feel good now!

Ghost Like · Post: # 826863Post **Ghost Like** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 9:03am

saintdooley wrote:lose

Geez Dools, I hope our banner on Saturday will be slightly more inspiring!

Saints by 7 goals!!!

aussiejones · Mon 21 Sep 2009 12:42pm

We have the ability and the desire. No injuries and another cog to go up if we can extract it.

But , disaster if we give them a start.Its time to hold nothing back .

Geelong are beatable , but they will be reminded of last year .

Await a MONUMENTAL battle ..... Saints in a close one.

st.byron · Post: # 827124Post **st.byron** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 1:02pm

Gut says - I don't what the F*** it says. It's churning big time already. Am telling myself that Geelong look like the better side at the moment and in a way am preparing myself for cushioning a defeat coz I remember too well how much it hurt last time. Hoping and praying and at times daring to imagine what it might feel like if we actually do it.

Thinline · Post: # 827137Post **Thinline** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 1:07pm

Am glad for an extra day off and a tough, desperate prelim.

Am equally glad Geelong had a soft game against soft opposition.

Am even gladder they will go in favourites.

We will win. 16 Points.

bethb7 · Post: # 827164Post **bethb7** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 1:30pm

Win, but there is always that thought in the back of your mind what if we lose; but quietly confident. I love it how the media has all jumped on geelong and the fact their favourites

.

AP Erebus · Post: # 827171Post **AP Erebus** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 1:36pm

I rekon we've got the cats measure.

Our backline is better than their forward line, our forward line is better than their backline. It's going to be the midfield where this is won or lost.

I can see the entire game balancing on CJ's job on Ablett

meher baba · Post: # 827222Post **meher baba** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 1:52pm

I think it's going to be desperately close: and most likely will still be undecided as we go into time on in the final quarter.

We undoubtedly can win. We showed that in our game against the Cats earlier this season.

But will we win? I don't see how anybody can be certain how it's going to pan out: I'm sure in their heart of hearts not one member of the playing or coaching staff of either club is overly confident of succeeding.

If the ground is slippery again, as appears quite likely, then Geelong will rightly run out as favourites. We play most of our games at the Docklands, and are not particularly experienced at slippery grounds. Geelong have plenty of experience, and their key midfielders have super strong bodies and an amazing ability to stay on their feet.

You could see how the slippery conditions gave Geelong a big advantage over the Pies.

I reckon it will all come down to how many goals we can kick. It's no good trying to hold Geelong back: we need to apply "scoreboard pressure" as we did in the H&A game.

We need to score early and score often: ideally have a 2-3 goal lead at quarter time. Geelong are going to come at us as the game goes on.

If we are significantly behind early on, I reckon it will be extremely hard to come back.

My gut feeling is that we will win, but I reckon we'll know pretty soon after the opening bounce.

I if were Bomber Thompson (perish the thought), I would get my players to go in really hard and try to injure some of our key, potentially proppy, players: particularly Lenny, the two Nicks and Kosi.

I would expect to see Ling or one of the other midfielders come off the line at Dal pretty early on. And Riewoldt can be pretty certain that the first mark he takes in which he doesn't remain on his feet is going to be followed up with the full weight of a defender onto the backs of his legs. And Kosi and Riewoldt can both expect to experience mistimed "punches" at the ball which connect at full force with the backs of their heads.

How our key players stand up to that type of treatment is going to go a long way to determining the final result. Unfortunately, Geelong don't seem to have as many vulnerable players as us, but - if Geelong start something at the opening bounce - I'd hope to see Stevie J hobbling down the stairs to the rooms shortly afterwards (and perhaps Burns with him).

St. Luke · Post: # 827240Post **St. Luke** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 1:56pm

Gut- win
Head- Win

But I'm nervous as hell about it! Personally I don't think the Cats will know what hit them!

We must have 22 contributors to destroy them! Any cracks in the armour will put us in danger!

saintsRrising · Mon 21 Sep 2009 2:05pm

Epic battle...too close to call.

Both teams are fit and in form...with good seasons.

My guts says win...my head says EPIC battle!!!!

I am as nervous as hell.................

ace · Post: # 827292Post **ace** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 2:14pm

YES WE CAN!

SaintHomer · Post: # 827347Post **SaintHomer** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 2:44pm

Head - Lose, Heart - Win (obviously)

My reasoning for above, we aren't playing as well as we were in rnd 14 when we beat them, and they'll have Johnson back in (and Chappy playing well).

We should have beaten them by more back then though, bulls*** 50 to ablett, bulls*** goal to chappy and bulls*** kicking from mooney outside of the 50.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong...

Start is crucial.

claystreet · Post: # 827381Post **claystreet** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 3:06pm

quietly confident of a 12 point win

imagine if the boys hit the ground going my heart says win but my head says lose

No1_Saint · Post: # 827385Post **No1_Saint** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 3:07pm

My gut makes me want to vomit every time I think of the GF. It's like I have permanent butterflies in my stomach. Soooooooooooo very nervous.

My heart, gut and hearts says the Saints will win.

As always...Go Saints!!!

Beej · Post: # 827478Post **Beej** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 3:59pm

Imagine everything just came together and we played our best, most-inspired football of the season in a grand final.

No matter what Geelong tried we had all the answers and totally smacked them to the tune of 10 goals.

bigred · Post: # 827485Post **bigred** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 4:01pm

I can see the entire game balancing on CJ's job on Ablett

Double tribunal penalties in Grand Finals isn't it?

I reckon someone like Schneider could do a better job on Ablett.

Off the tip of the square.

Thinline · Post: # 827488Post **Thinline** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 4:03pm

OLB wrote:Imagine everything just came together and we played our best, most-inspired football of the season in a grand final.

No matter what Geelong tried we had all the answers and totally smacked them to the tune of 10 goals.

I'm SOOOOOO putting THAT vibe out there.

An avalanche of everything going perfectly.

claystreet · Post: # 827666Post **claystreet** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 5:49pm

Thinline wrote:
OLB wrote:Imagine everything just came together and we played our best, most-inspired football of the season in a grand final.

No matter what Geelong tried we had all the answers and totally smacked them to the tune of 10 goals.
I'm SOOOOOO putting THAT vibe out there.

An avalanche of everything going perfectly.

My thoughts exactly, my feeling is tough uncompromising footy that smashs the cats.

I had some people at work trying to put shyt on us and i just ignored it to the point that i just politely asked them how their teams performed this year, one oddball woman supporting both the scum and the filth was just about to say something about us and umpires and i asked her did the filth really go down by 72points, they must have been heads on sticks to Geelong and that she is the ultimate supporter of cheats liars and under achievers.

eppo67 · Post: # 827691Post **eppo67** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 6:02pm

We will win.

Take a close look at pressure Collingwood put on Cats in the 1st Half of Preliminary. Cats looked very sus and were lucky not to be 3 to 4 goals down.

Make no mistake our pressure will be twice that and it will last 4 quarters.

Last time 2 sides went into G/F with a slog and an easy win was 2007 when Power won easy and Cats had a slog and we know what happened the following week. I'm so relaxed I can't believe it I'm normally a nervous wreck. I just know what is coming.

Gardiner for Norm Smith.

SainterK · Post: # 827695Post **SainterK** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 6:05pm

Believe!

mad saint guy · Mon 21 Sep 2009 6:09pm

I think we'll get beaten in the midfield and we won't be able to stop Chapman and Johnson when they move it forward quickly. They now have three solid marking options up forward as well as the gun crumbers so it will be much, much harder to defend.

I desperately hope I'm wrong, but I'm predicting a 3-5 goal loss.

To win we need to put in a genuine four-quarter effort all over the ground and can't afford to waste forward entries.

claystreet · Post: # 827716Post **claystreet** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 6:15pm

mad saint guy wrote:I think we'll get beaten in the midfield and we won't be able to stop Chapman and Johnson when they move it forward quickly. They now have three solid marking options up forward as well as the gun crumbers so it will be much, much harder to defend.

I desperately hope I'm wrong, but I'm predicting a 3-5 goal loss.

To win we need to put in a genuine four-quarter effort all over the ground and can't afford to waste forward entries.

Go Away!!

SainterK · Post: # 827721Post **SainterK** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 6:17pm

claystreet wrote:
mad saint guy wrote:I think we'll get beaten in the midfield and we won't be able to stop Chapman and Johnson when they move it forward quickly. They now have three solid marking options up forward as well as the gun crumbers so it will be much, much harder to defend.

I desperately hope I'm wrong, but I'm predicting a 3-5 goal loss.

To win we need to put in a genuine four-quarter effort all over the ground and can't afford to waste forward entries.
Go Away!!

In his defence he is being honest, incorrect....but honest

meher baba · Post: # 827724Post **meher baba** » Mon 21 Sep 2009 6:19pm

mad saint guy wrote:I think we'll get beaten in the midfield and we won't be able to stop Chapman and Johnson when they move it forward quickly. They now have three solid marking options up forward as well as the gun crumbers so it will be much, much harder to defend.

I desperately hope I'm wrong, but I'm predicting a 3-5 goal loss.

To win we need to put in a genuine four-quarter effort all over the ground and can't afford to waste forward entries.

If we can't keep Johnson to 1-2 goals when he's only 60% fit then we are a lot worse at defending than I think we are.

Chapman is a big worry IMO. As are Bartel, Ottens and Burns going forward. Mooney and Hawkins are only minor concerns.

The key for us is to kick enough goals. If we go into the game with a totally defensive mindset, we will definitely lose.

saintly · Post: # 828498Post **saintly** » Tue 22 Sep 2009 11:03am

we just might be a little bit biased to answer the question.

my head says we may lose , but if so it won't be by much.

my heart desparately wants the saints to win.

i do think its going to depend on the saints other fowards. if kosi, schneider and milne can kick some goals besides reinwoldt, then we have a great chance. if they don't . then i doubt we can beat the cats!