Essendon vs St Kilda Pre-Match Discussion

[MH_Bomber]

This about sums up our chances

Windy Hill I am still giggling about the above picture.

Did anyone think that West Coast would beat the Doggies ? The Doggies were $1.04 to win and didnt !

[swoodley]

Ah...MH....the doggies have lost 5 of their last 6 against the eagles and had already lost 6 games this year.

Your comparison of that game and ours this weekend doesn't add up to me.

The biblical story of David & Goliath seems a more appropriate anaolgy....I just hope we have a good sling and a keen eye

[visiting saint]

G'day Bomber fans.
I can understand your pessimism. We have owned pessimism in the past. Us Saints fans are daring to dream but are just trying to keep it to one week at a time.
Don't think all of last weeks outs will come back in and they may choose to rest players like McQualter and Jones. After last week predicting the side for this week is a lottery. Should be a good game.

[Lenni]

To all to naysayers, I can understand where your heads' are at, but I really do believe that the great football gods are smiling on us... our record is either going to fall or stand and they have handed it to us to be the deciding factor; no one else was going to fight to protect it. And also keep in mind; strange things have a habit of happening at this time of year. Let's just keep our fingers crossed.

[Crazyman]

G'day Bomber fans.
I can understand your pessimism. We have owned pessimism in the past. Us Saints fans are daring to dream but are just trying to keep it to one week at a time.
Don't think all of last weeks outs will come back in and they may choose to rest players like McQualter and Jones. After last week predicting the side for this week is a lottery. Should be a good game.

I like your optimism there visiting saint...I reckon it will be a shellacking (hopefully of your team but I doubt it... )

[visiting saint]

G'day Bomber fans.
I can understand your pessimism. We have owned pessimism in the past. Us Saints fans are daring to dream but are just trying to keep it to one week at a time.
Don't think all of last weeks outs will come back in and they may choose to rest players like McQualter and Jones. After last week predicting the side for this week is a lottery. Should be a good game.

I like your optimism there visiting saint...I reckon it will be a shellacking (hopefully of your team but I doubt it... )

Yeah well they've all been good games so far this year. I'd prefer a bit of spirit in the game myself rather than a shellacking either way.
We keep on being surprised at how resilient the Saints are this year, so if the Bombers knock us off it'll be a mighty effort. One week at a time and I'd expect your boys to show a bit more steel and awareness of what they're playing for than the Dawks did in Tassie on Saturday. Their finals chance on the line and they were average. I don't expect the Bombers to roll over that's for sure.

[Windy_Hill]

G'day Bomber fans.
I can understand your pessimism. We have owned pessimism in the past. Us Saints fans are daring to dream but are just trying to keep it to one week at a time.
Don't think all of last weeks outs will come back in and they may choose to rest players like McQualter and Jones. After last week predicting the side for this week is a lottery. Should be a good game.

Welcome back Mr Saint and congratulations to your team for an amazing year thus far. I was just wondering whether you guys are happy to keep on winning or do you think a loss may be in order to just ensure the hunger remains. Personally, I reckon the best thing that happened to the Dons in 2000 was losing the round 20 match to the Bulldogs. It just reminded all concerned that form can be fleeting. You can never take any team for granted. Would you be happy going into the finals or in fact the Grand Final knowing that statistically you are always one game closer to losing

[visiting saint]

Welcome back Mr Saint and congratulations to your team for an amazing year thus far. I was just wondering whether you guys are happy to keep on winning or do you think a loss may be in order to just ensure the hunger remains. Personally, I reckon the best thing that happened to the Dons in 2000 was losing the round 20 match to the Bulldogs. It just reminded all concerned that form can be fleeting. You can never take any team for granted. Would you be happy going into the finals or in fact the Grand Final knowing that statistically you are always one game closer to losing

I'm really trying not to get any further ahead than this week. I've followed the Saints for 40 years, was too young to remember 1966 and have had plenty of heartache over them since then. So one week at a time for me.
I don't think it matters whether they have a home and away loss or not. Of course I'd love to see them go through and win the flag undefeated. That would be a dream come true. But really I don't care about the records and undefeated stuff. All I care about is seeing my team win a flag. I remember the Bombers going through 2000 and being sort of disappointed that they didn't go right through the H&A without being defeated. But as you say, form is fleeting. You're as good as you're last match. It's cut throat and whoever can play to their ability for four quarters will usually win finals. The lid is definitely still on for me. One week at a time and pray that the injury gods keep on smiling on us.

[Windy_Hill]

Welcome back Mr Saint and congratulations to your team for an amazing year thus far. I was just wondering whether you guys are happy to keep on winning or do you think a loss may be in order to just ensure the hunger remains. Personally, I reckon the best thing that happened to the Dons in 2000 was losing the round 20 match to the Bulldogs. It just reminded all concerned that form can be fleeting. You can never take any team for granted. Would you be happy going into the finals or in fact the Grand Final knowing that statistically you are always one game closer to losing

I'm really trying not to get any further ahead than this week. I've followed the Saints for 40 years, was too young to remember 1966 and have had plenty of heartache over them since then. So one week at a time for me.
I don't think it matters whether they have a home and away loss or not. Of course I'd love to see them go through and win the flag undefeated. That would be a dream come true. But really I don't care about the records and undefeated stuff. All I care about is seeing my team win a flag. I remember the Bombers going through 2000 and being sort of disappointed that they didn't go right through the H&A without being defeated. But as you say, form is fleeting. You're as good as you're last match. It's cut throat and whoever can play to their ability for four quarters will usually win finals. The lid is definitely still on for me. One week at a time and pray that the injury gods keep on smiling on us.

well if its not us in the GF, I am sure the vast majority of Bomber Fans will wish you well and go for the Saints

[BERT]

I can smell a upset in the air.

[jimmyc1985]

You guys who think we're a chance have your heads in the clouds.

Only way we'll get close is if Lyon deliberately tries to engineer a loss to take the pressure off them associated with being undefeated, as i suspected he's tried to do over the last two weeks.

[Madden]

Only way we'll get close is if Lyon deliberately tries to engineer a loss to take the pressure off them associated with being undefeated, as i suspected he's tried to do over the last two weeks.

This might actually be a chance.

Can you imagine if they went the whole H&A undefeated and then lost their first final? The pressure on them the next week would be absolutely unbearable.

[Mrs Mercuri]

Welcome back Mr Saint and congratulations to your team for an amazing year thus far. I was just wondering whether you guys are happy to keep on winning or do you think a loss may be in order to just ensure the hunger remains. Personally, I reckon the best thing that happened to the Dons in 2000 was losing the round 20 match to the Bulldogs. It just reminded all concerned that form can be fleeting. You can never take any team for granted. Would you be happy going into the finals or in fact the Grand Final knowing that statistically you are always one game closer to losing

I'm really trying not to get any further ahead than this week. I've followed the Saints for 40 years, was too young to remember 1966 and have had plenty of heartache over them since then. So one week at a time for me.
I don't think it matters whether they have a home and away loss or not. Of course I'd love to see them go through and win the flag undefeated. That would be a dream come true. But really I don't care about the records and undefeated stuff. All I care about is seeing my team win a flag. I remember the Bombers going through 2000 and being sort of disappointed that they didn't go right through the H&A without being defeated. But as you say, form is fleeting. You're as good as you're last match. It's cut throat and whoever can play to their ability for four quarters will usually win finals. The lid is definitely still on for me. One week at a time and pray that the injury gods keep on smiling on us.

well if its not us in the GF, I am sure the vast majority of Bomber Fans will wish you well and go for the Saints

Yep im with you on that one!! If the Saints dont win this year i think i will be quite disappointed actually (wouldnt mind the Doggies getting their 2nd flag as well but cant quite see it happening).

[stryper]

I too have a Gut feeling that we will get up...
I think that the Saints are just about unbeatable this year but why would they risk injurys against us?
What more have they got to prove?
Seven senior players out against the Hawks and they smash them.
Tell me that they cared about winning or losing?

Cards are on the table...

I smell a tanking this week

[hop]

Welcome back Visiting Saint.

As for the Bombers winning on Sunday...well....I suppose it's possible that Kosi could single-handedly take out 3 of his own and himself over a couple of contests in the first quarter. Then a few hammies, groins and calf's start pinging for them after half time.

You never know - anything is possible.

[visiting saint]

Thanks for the good wishes guys. And here was I thinking that most Bombers fans genuinely hate us
Are you telling me that you have a soft spot for the Saints underneath it all?
I pretty confident though that we can all agree to hate the lowlife cheating criminals from cardboard park.

Underneath our particular allegiances we're all pretty much the same. We grew up supporting and loving our particular club and just passionately want them to do well.
And FFS don't go mentioning pinging hammies and Kosi's lack of peripheral vision. Fingers, toes, legs, everything - firmly crossed. So far so good.

Stryper - I think that leaving the guns out last week was just a clear statement from the Saints about their intentions. They were saying that they don't care about records or streaks. They have one and only one clear objective. Everything is done with that objective in mind. Simple.

[Crazyman]

Thanks for the good wishes guys. And here was I thinking that most Bombers fans genuinely hate us

don't worry VS...we still hate St Faildya...it is just we seem to hate the other teams fighting for finals that little bit more

[visiting saint]

Thanks for the good wishes guys. And here was I thinking that most Bombers fans genuinely hate us

don't worry VS...we still hate St Faildya...it is just we seem to hate the other teams fighting for finals that little bit more

Yep. That's more like it. St. Faildya. Noice. haven't heard that one before.

[andrewb]

If the Saints have one weakness (big if) it is pace. With the exception of Gram, Geary and the Clarke brothers they don't have a lot of speed and their midfield is treacle. I think this is why they looked a little fallible against us in R8. Etihad is not really the place to expose this weakness though - possession is king under the roof and they're much more efficient than us in terms of disposal.

I have two feelings in my gut about this game:

1. That we're going to sneak a win to preserve the 2000 team's heritage
or
2. That it's going to be a repeat of last year's clash and the wheels are going to completely fall off.

If it's 2, I'm not coming back here for a week.

[Jazz_84]

with the exception of Carlton and Collingwood, doesn't matter who you support as long as your capable of having a decent conversation about footy, then it's ok. and i left Port supporters out because well it's just understood that they don't have any decent supporters...

good luck mate, Saints are my bet and my hope.