Does the thought of losing 2 GFs in a row terrify you too???

[matrix]

i am now ffs

[LisyLoo]

The sheer pain of departing the MCG in near silence with over 60,000 other Saints fans last years haunts me in my dreams ( and some waking moments) if I dare go there.

Seeing the little lad next to me crying in sheer desperation in the final minute of last years atrocity brings tears to my eyes.

I am terrified of this week.....but I too deeply believe last years pain will serve to lift our lads.

Fly high men.....our hearts will be with you!

[LaUrEnCe]

fook i hate collingwood.. come on saints!!

i'd probably feel worse if we lost two in a row to Geelong given we've beaten em twice this season.. but tbh we're not expected to win on Saturday by others ..would still feel like s*** though obviously

[rodgerfox]

The issue with the whole "use the pain of last year as motivation" thing is that we didn't lose last year because we weren't motivated enough or didn't try hard enough.

We lost because of our selection, our tactics on the day, mental fragility from the same players that we expect it from, and from skill errors - which we also tend to expect.

Trying harder than last year doesn't address the above - in some cases it may make it worse.

[matrix]

oh ffs

can you be positive just farking once this week?
is it too much to ask for

maybe another:
when we get pumped on sat arvo thread?

unbloodyreal

[bigred]

Yeah a "When we get pumped on Saturday" thread would be good.

They seem to work.

We were our own worst enemy last year though, I cannot argue that.

Our stars need to fire and we have to make the most of all our chances.

[OneEyedSainter77]

The issue with the whole "use the pain of last year as motivation" thing is that we didn't lose last year because we weren't motivated enough or didn't try hard enough.

We lost because of our selection, our tactics on the day, mental fragility from the same players that we expect it from, and from skill errors - which we also tend to expect.

Trying harder than last year doesn't address the above - in some cases it may make it worse.

the thing is Rodge, i get where you're comnig from. I get you're not trying to be negative when you say this.

Those of us using last year's pain to motivate the team are not saying it is the sole thing to focus on.

To me, there are many things you have to focus on and many variables that can lead to the flag. Let's look at some of them for both teams...

Collingwood:

Dane Swan could run riot and get so much ball that Collingwood put us to the sword immediately.

If it's tight, Luke Ball could go in there, get the hard ball out first and gfive usage to their more dangerous mids.

Then the ball goes forward and Cloke, Brown, mcCaffer, etc all have perfect days in front of the sticks. Or if they miss, Didak and Davis are there to mop up and the forwards puts a lot of pressure on our backline.

We could all be very nervous and the first ten minutes is a stalemate where too many turnovers occur and neither team can get the ball.

Riewoldt could be beaten one on one by his opponenet meaning they don't have to double or triple team him and they can zone off from defence.

Conversely things could go right for us from the word go - perfect taps to Dal and Hayes sets us up through the middle.

Roo could take the game by storm and destroy his opponenet.

Kosi could pull the blinder out of his arse we've all been hoping for.

Milne and Schneider could actually nail those shots this time.

Our bottom six, players like Eddy, McQualter could stand up and be counted in this very important game.

Our back six could absolutely blanket the Pies and put so much pressure on them they kick 4.17 or worse again.

That's just some of them..

One thing you can be sure is both teams will give it a red hot go from the start. Both teams are at full fitness and in the best form at the moment.

We are about to witness a very good, contested grand Fina.l.

The thing it will all come down to quite simply is who wants it more?

A good argument for why we would want it more would be the loss last year but nobody is saying that's the only reason - it's not even a big reason why we will win.

But it is something that we can use if it helps us.

The reason we will win is we are better. i'm of the belief that our potential has not been reached this year - not for a full game. We've shown wonderful glimpses of it - first quarter v Freo in round 12, second quarter verssu Geelong in the Qualifying, third quarter v Bulldogs in the Prelim and final quarter v Collingwood in round 3.

I honestly think we've been saving all our energy for this game and whoever we played was going to witness what they didn't even think we were capable of and then have absolutely no idea how to combat it.

Of course, I could just as easily be wrong and there's no more tricks in the book. That's the fun about footy. Oh well, we'll see.

[3rd generation saint]

I must admit it's not the thought of losing two Grand Finals in row that scares me, it's the thought of losing to them that I just couldn't stomach.

[georgie girl]

Yes. I feel sick. Physically sick.

+1

Think we can win but the fear of a loss is still very strong.

[georgie girl]

Yes. I feel sick. Physically sick.

+1

Think we can win but the fear of a loss, especially against Collingwood, is still very strong.

[degruch]

The issue with the whole "use the pain of last year as motivation" thing is that we didn't lose last year because we weren't motivated enough or didn't try hard enough.

We lost because of our selection, our tactics on the day, mental fragility from the same players that we expect it from, and from skill errors - which we also tend to expect.

Trying harder than last year doesn't address the above - in some cases it may make it worse.

It's not pain that is the motivator, it's fear. It should help 'em kick straight this year, there's your difference eliminated. If anyone should fear inaccuracy, it'll be the Pies...they won't get as many scoring chances as us.

[saintly]

Yes. I feel sick. Physically sick.

+1

Think we can win but the fear of a loss, especially against Collingwood, is still very strong.

+1 not only collingwood being the victors (cross fingers and toes and pray to the footy gods that this does not happen)

but luke ball smailing and our fooballers crying

ugh, UGH