The Sainters: Can we beat them?

[legaff]

Can we beat the saints? I think it will take something really special. We are not well matched to them as a team. We are a tackling, handballing, running and short kicking team. They are a long kicking, and marking team.

1. They have too many players that need to be shut down.
2. Have so many players who can take big marks.
3. Home Ground Advantage + Week off advantage
4. They have a lot of talls whilst we have a lot of runtlings.
5. Goodes is having a shocker, and he someone who will have to fire for us to have a chance.

Givin all of this...Can we win? On paper they will kill us, but i guess it doesn't always work out that way in football. I think we are chance to win, but i'm not expecting it.

[punter257]

saints will be raging favourites and should beat us, but the game isnt played on paper. we need alot of things to go our way

you just never know, we're due for 2 finals wins a row and a finals win in melbourne.

[Go Swannies]

I'm not expecting a win as I was last night. The Saints should beat us comfortably. But I think Roos is smarter than GT and the Swans still have great self belief. Going to need a lot of players to really step up. However, ironically, I think the game will be more open than the past two and that could suit us - it could be at our tempo.

To win the Premiership we have to win two Grand Finals this year.

[connolly]

Self belief v hubris. One thing for sure, our team will never lie down. I'm not so sure of the mental strength of the aint's. Seems to be a psychological brittleness that might be decisive when sustained pressure is applied to them in the first half of the game. Don't be fooled by the Thomas hype, the sheer will-power of the swans last night to apply pressure when out on their feet in the last quarter must have them wondering

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by jimmyconnolly
Self belief v hubris. One thing for sure, our team will never lie down. I'm not so sure of the mental strength of the aint's. Seems to be a psychological brittleness that might be decisive when sustained pressure is applied to them in the first half of the game. Don't be fooled by the Thomas hype, the sheer will-power of the swans last night to apply pressure when out on their feet in the last quarter must have them wondering

Everyone said this last year before our game against the Saints.

[ugg]

Just had a look at last year's team that played St Kilda in that final, and these are the differences:

Out: Doyle, Maxfield, McVeigh, Nicks, Schauble
In: Jolly, Dempster, Fosdike, Davis, LRT

plus Bevan most likely to be dropped as well. I think we're a more balanced side despite the loss of 3 experienced players. With the improvements of Buchanan and Ablett, I think we're in with a better shot of toppling the Sainters.

[connolly]

"Don't be fooled by the Thomas hype, the sheer will-power of the swans last night to apply pressure when out on their feet in the last quarter must have them wondering"

Was this said last year? I thought our win against the Eagles was relatively easy last year. The swans failed to apply any real pressure on them last year. This year we won't be left wondering regarding the mental strength of the saints

[NMWBloods]

No - true this wasn't said. But in reverse everyone thought the Saints were completely gone after been towelled up by the Lions.

[ROK Lobster]

I hope its's a shoot-out. Well, not entirely, but the Swans can't be too negative. They made that mistake in Perth, looking at a talent rich midfield and trying to stop all of them. They have to back themselves a little bit more.

As for the this year v last year team, does anyone think Schneider will play next week. Seems to oscillate between average and poor at the moment.

[legaff]

yeh i think Schneider will play. Roos has faith in him...i certainly dont.

[Schneiderman]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
Seems to oscillate between average and poor at the moment.

Was he average or poor against the Weagles at home?

[Sanecow]

I haven't been rating them recently because of the Fremantle game but looking back on the year, they were in good form in the late part of the season. It will take something good for us to beat them at the MCG but I won't be backing them for the flag.

[Newbie]

Originally posted by Schneiderman
Was he average or poor against the Weagles at home?

Poor. Add very little except occasion brilliances.

Still if we could get our game right, i.e., not overly defensive like we did in the previous too games, we are a good chance.

A young team usually find it easier to lose the focus after a week break. It is best to hit them right after they have the week off. If we could get some tendency by the end of the first quarter, we would be more likely going to win than the Saints. This is not saying that we need to build a good lead by the first quarter, it is more to say that if we could control the tempo of the game by then, we would be more likely going to hold it and win.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by Schneiderman
Was he average or poor against the Weagles at home?

I said at the moment. I beleive the Eagles at home was some time ago. In that game he was average to good. But as I said, "at the moment" he is not up to speed.

[Piobaireachd]

Originally posted by jimmyconnolly
Self belief v hubris. One thing for sure, our team will never lie down. I'm not so sure of the mental strength of the aint's. Seems to be a psychological brittleness that might be decisive when sustained pressure is applied to them in the first half of the game. Don't be fooled by the Thomas hype, the sheer will-power of the swans last night to apply pressure when out on their feet in the last quarter must have them wondering

all fluff, no substance. bit like my posts, but longer winded

I agree, we will never give up but to say stkilda is psychologically brittle is psychologically insane