Why are we nervous?

[mohannair]

Why are we nervous about this week?

I know the Preliminary Finals are tense ones but looking at the record of the Doggies this year they have not defeated any Top 4 sides. Colling wood has killed them all 3 times.

More over they beat Sydney who has not won a game at the ‘G’ this year. Sydney lost to Richmond & was smashed (by 73 points) by the Demons.

They have lost their best players in Cooney & Higgins. May not have Morris (even if he plays he will be only 50% because of match fitness) no Aker, Johno is limping, Reid & Lake are injured, also heard that Tom Williams is only 60% fit, on the other hand we have a full healthy list to choose from. Had a week off & confident after beating the Cats.

Only we can beat us & that’s because of complacency.

[Thinline]

It's because it's our first eliminator.

The consequences of a poor effort - as far off as the possibility of one may seem - are revolting.

[Dr Spaceman]

Why are we nervous about this week?

I know the Preliminary Finals are tense ones but looking at the record of the Doggies this year they have not defeated any Top 4 sides. Colling wood has killed them all 3 times.

More over they beat Sydney who has not won a game at the ‘G’ this year. Sydney lost to Richmond & was smashed (by 73 points) by the Demons.

They have lost their best players in Cooney & Higgins. May not have Morris (even if he plays he will be only 50% because of match fitness) no Aker, Johno is limping, Reid & Lake are injured, also heard that Tom Williams is only 60% fit, on the other hand we have a full healthy list to choose from. Had a week off & confident after beating the Cats.

Only we can beat us & that’s because of complacency.

As I posted elsewhere mohannair, the fact this is the first elimination match we've played for 51 weeks means we're all going to be very nervous until late into Saturday night.

[bigred]

By 8.30pm we may have a fair indication

[Dr Spaceman]

By 8.30pm we may have a fair indication

I hope you're right bigred.

I hope that when we start chipping the ball around the backilne in the last 15 minutes it's because we are 10 goals up; not because we are trying to hold on!

[saintlee]

Can't say I'm nervous. This is our game to lose. Doggies have limped in...if we can't beat them now, then we don't deserve to be in the GF.

[older saint]

Because we are so close to the big dance. Win this week and you can enjoy all the activities of next week lose and you have to watch your opponents enjoy it and you cannot do anything about it.

[noob]

for me its a bit annoying.. if we were to lose then you know pretty much that either geelong or collingwood are going to win by 10 goals in the granny

[SydneySainter]

Why are we nervous about this week?

I know the Preliminary Finals are tense ones but looking at the record of the Doggies this year they have not defeated any Top 4 sides. Colling wood has killed them all 3 times.

More over they beat Sydney who has not won a game at the ‘G’ this year. Sydney lost to Richmond & was smashed (by 73 points) by the Demons.

They have lost their best players in Cooney & Higgins. May not have Morris (even if he plays he will be only 50% because of match fitness) no Aker, Johno is limping, Reid & Lake are injured, also heard that Tom Williams is only 60% fit, on the other hand we have a full healthy list to choose from. Had a week off & confident after beating the Cats.

Only we can beat us & that’s because of complacency.

You've just answered your question. Our game to lose.

This current squad has one win from four prelims and were bloody lucky to get that one win. At first, I wasn't confident at all because of the how we won last years prelim and the fact that the Dogs still have a chip on their shoulder about it. Also, because the Dogs should have beaten us in their last two encounters and finally, because it's a game that the Dogs have no right winning. An injured mob with their backs to the wall can be a scary surprise packet.

Now, I'm so confident that it scares me. What I do agree with is that if we don't win, we didn't deserve to be in the grand final.

[bigred]

We are good enough.

Because it is an elimination, there are going to be nerves.
We are definitely good enough.

AS long as we come out switched on, then we should win.

I dont see a massive margin, but I would like to see a solid hit out.

We have to win.

We have unfinished business.

[plugger66]

Why are we nervous. Answer is simple. The prelim is the hardest game of the year to win or watch. I was more nervous during last years prelim than at any stage during last years GF. Lose a prelim and you dont even get to the big dance.

[SainterK]

Nervous isn't the right word, I'll go with respectful..

[markp]

Because Prelims are hell.

[St. Luke]

A simple Prayer

[Solar]

agree with most of what has been said.

What worries me is that I can't find a way for the dogs to beat us. We havethem covered with our backline. Our midfield has so much class compared to theirs. Our forward line has the ability to blow the game away or keep it in there.

Its part of being a saints supporter. I would not even believe it if we were 1 goals up with 2 mins to play in the grand final!

[OneEyedSainter77]

Why are we nervous. Answer is simple. The prelim is the hardest game of the year to win or watch. I was more nervous during last years prelim than at any stage during last years GF. Lose a prelim and you dont even get to the big dance.

This.

All this year has been about getting to the Grand Final - from there, destiny - or you know? Whatever happens...but we need to get there - therefore the last step is going to be hardest - that's this week.

This year I've sort of been coasting, soaking up great wins for a few hours then putting all focus onto the next opponent, praying we'd still be alive at this point. To lose our best player for half a season and STILL finish here is amazing. But we're not done - not by a long shot.

We still have two massive mountains to climb in 2010 - bring on the next two weeks!

[spert]

Just get arrogant..we're third on the ladder, beat Geelong the other day yet again, the Dogs are not at full strength and we can beat their full strength team- we will win..OK!

[Cairnsman]

NERVOUS, WHO'S NERVOUS, I'M NOT NERVOUS, WHY ALL THIS TALK OF NERVOUS, REALLY WHO'S NERVOUS. ME NERVOUS. NOT ME, I'M NOT VERVOUS.

[gringo]

For all of you needing to pray, I just noticed some divine inspiration on the corner of Inkerman Street and st kilda Rd in St Kilda. A HUGE marking N.Riewoldt touching the hand of god painted on the wall of a factory. I didn't have time to grab a pic as I drove past but worth a reassuring look or a shrine anyway.

[OneEyedSainter77]

NERVOUS, WHO'S NERVOUS, I'M NOT NERVOUS, WHY ALL THIS TALK OF NERVOUS, REALLY WHO'S NERVOUS. ME NERVOUS. NOT ME, I'M NOT VERVOUS.

You said nervous a lot...

You also said "Who's nervous? I'm not nervous" twice.

You're nervous.

[saintlee]

NERVOUS, WHO'S NERVOUS, I'M NOT NERVOUS, WHY ALL THIS TALK OF NERVOUS, REALLY WHO'S NERVOUS. ME NERVOUS. NOT ME, I'M NOT VERVOUS.

You said nervous a lot...

You also said "Who's nervous? I'm not nervous" twice.

You're nervous.

I think he was being humorous....

[Eastern]

NERVOUS, WHO'S NERVOUS, I'M NOT NERVOUS, WHY ALL THIS TALK OF NERVOUS, REALLY WHO'S NERVOUS. ME NERVOUS. NOT ME, I'M NOT VERVOUS.

You are a Fibber who can't spell !!

[OneEyedSainter77]

NERVOUS, WHO'S NERVOUS, I'M NOT NERVOUS, WHY ALL THIS TALK OF NERVOUS, REALLY WHO'S NERVOUS. ME NERVOUS. NOT ME, I'M NOT VERVOUS.

You said nervous a lot...

You also said "Who's nervous? I'm not nervous" twice.

You're nervous.

I think he was being humorous....

I know - I was trying my hand at a plugger66 type post - you know where I'm stating the obvious and making it sound like I'm stupid but really its my own twisted form of humour.

Good to know I pulled it off

[3rd generation saint]

We are nervous because we have lost 3 of these, & only fell in last year.
In all honesty, if we play anything like we did against Geelong, the game will be over at halftime.
I was so nervous last year, and if you watch the replay, pay close attention to when they played the national anthem, the players we're nervous too, you can see it in their body language, a loss last year would have put a gorilla on our backs.
Remember, Geelong just fell in against Collingwood in 07, last year they smashed them.
Hope the same pattern occurs for us, the monkey of winning a prelim is off our back, we know how to win one, all we need to do is play Saints footy and we will triumph.
Personally think we are at least a 5 goal bettter side than the Dogs, probably more so now because our list is fit, theirs isn't.

[Animal Enclosure]

I'm sick of waiting for it already... to borrow a line from Billy Birmingham, "I'm sh1tting like a big black alsatian".

Nerves for the reasons above, walking out of the G last September thinking it's such a long road back....

All the rubbish that this amazing group has dealt with & continues to deal with.

The questions over whether we still had it in light of average performances.

And the fact that various St Kilda teams over the years have not delivered when it counted most.

I'm confident but definitely not strutting around helping encourage karma to bite us on the arse.