Anyone think we can actually win next week?

[Frankie23]

Wouldn't drop Blair.

a) He went in hard
b) He DID kick a goal earlier
c) Thomas should have taken that kick anyway
d) He's better than Davis and Lockyer

His influence was down, and we may be forced to drop him due to the fact that he is looking tired and out of his depth (isn't his fault, will come good with time).

I'm on the Lockyer bandwagon, the fact he is fresher, harder, and more experienced. When the pressure is on we know we can rely on Tarks compared to Blair.

 

[lgarth80]

Personally, I'm over trying to be positive when the side gave me no reason to be so after what I saw on Saturday.

Sorry, but I saw a few reasons.
One we were completely gone when Goddard scored the goal. The entire St Kilda team looked like winners and the Magpies looked like losers. The tightening in the guts of all the players and supporters at that very moment was an intense agony of opportunity lost.
Then, we saw a captain with amazing intensity, lift his side with a few passionate bursts. We saw Thomas and Swan do the same, with critical neutralising of balls, and winning of contests.
We kicked a goal - Travis kicked a goal - that transformed a loss.
We saved the match in an intense 10 second period when the scores were level and Riewoldt spent his time looking for Barry Breen instead of kicking a point himself. Heath Shaw was immense under the most intense spotlight.

That said I would have given anything for this to be rewarded with victory

Yes, the advantages SHOULD lie with us. We definitely dodged a bullet. While our zoning game was there, as 62 i50s to 35 would indicate. That swarming game we've seen the last 2 weeks wasn't. That constant harassment and intensity wasn't there, and for the last month or more I've been saying our intensity has to be up for us to win.

Absolutely correct. The I50 tally is a bit misleading as the Saints were more than happy to concede so long as they hit on the counter attack. The issue for Collingwood is the intensity of the game plan. It cannot be kept up for more than about a half. It's good enough to smash most teams but not this mob.

I can't see us being able to lift our intensity further or longer in the next week, but I can see us being more composed and using the ball better if we can get it into the open. I can see us concentrating on what works for us, and not getting sucked into the opponent's game plan.

I'm still thinking the second half will be very hard to win from behind. It was our achilles heel all year the fadeouts, and that's what made me sick at half time, and nervous bordering on morose at quarter and three quarter.

If our intensity is that low again, and we continue to kick like that, St.Kilda has this in the bag. If Davis and/or Lockyer play, then it will be a HUGE margin that the Saints whoop us by.

Ah the usual whipping boys. Nope the only reason we could lose by a big margin is Nick Riewoldt. Davis and Lockyer are bit parts at best.

I'd like to think we can win, but I doubt it. My only hope is how confident my dad is. He's normally more negative than me, and before Saturday was warning me and the rest of our group not to get too cocky because he's seen us lose too many GFs when we were favourites. He was right. But RIGHT AFTER the draw happened, he declared we'd smash them next week.

His confidence gives me confidence, but not that much. I don't see how these players can get themselves up. St.Kilda seem to have very strong mental fortitude.

St Kilda will go in massive favourites with the pundits (of course the bookies still need to lay risk accumulated over 12 months and will have us well in front, in a totally misleading manner), and I guess if Collingwood hits them harder in the first half than this week (hard but we could do it) and gets a big margin, it will feel like a massive mountain for them to climb again.

Psychologically I still see a strong first half could crack the Saints flint resolve, and is our only chance of winning. Just like it was against Geelong in the Prelim.

Manic intensity early, take your chances, get it out in the open spaces and RUN.

 

[skywalker1977]

Sorry, but I saw a few reasons.
One we were completely gone when Goddard scored the goal. The entire St Kilda team looked like winners and the Magpies looked like losers. The tightening in the guts of all the players and supporters at that very moment was an intense agony of opportunity lost.
Then, we saw a captain with amazing intensity, lift his side with a few passionate bursts. We saw Thomas and Swan do the same, with critical neutralising of balls, and winning of contests.
We kicked a goal - Travis kicked a goal - that transformed a loss.
We saved the match in an intense 10 second period when the scores were level and Riewoldt spent his time looking for Barry Breen instead of kicking a point himself. Heath Shaw was immense under the most intense spotlight.

That said I would have given anything for this to be rewarded with victory



Absolutely correct. The I50 tally is a bit misleading as the Saints were more than happy to concede so long as they hit on the counter attack. The issue for Collingwood is the intensity of the game plan. It cannot be kept up for more than about a half. It's good enough to smash most teams but not this mob.

I can't see us being able to lift our intensity further or longer in the next week, but I can see us being more composed and using the ball better if we can get it into the open. I can see us concentrating on what works for us, and not getting sucked into the opponent's game plan.

I'm still thinking the second half will be very hard to win from behind. It was our achilles heel all year the fadeouts, and that's what made me sick at half time, and nervous bordering on morose at quarter and three quarter.



Ah the usual whipping boys. Nope the only reason we could lose by a big margin is Nick Riewoldt. Davis and Lockyer are bit parts at best.



St Kilda will go in massive favourites with the pundits (of course the bookies still need to lay risk accumulated over 12 months and will have us well in front, in a totally misleading manner), and I guess if Collingwood hits them harder in the first half than this week (hard but we could do it) and gets a big margin, it will feel like a massive mountain for them to climb again.

Psychologically I still see a strong first half could crack the Saints flint resolve, and is our only chance of winning. Just like it was against Geelong in the Prelim.

Manic intensity early, take your chances, get it out in the open spaces and RUN.

Just one question for all u pie fans out there, how would u have loved right now to have drawn with the brisbane lions in the 2002 grand final????
u would have flogged them given they would have had to go fly out to brisbane after a slogfest and then come back to melbourne having the travwl factor working agaisnt them.
or any interstate team for that matter????
I heard it mentioned by a couple of journos on the local radio out here in the country this morning.

 

[Yidaki]

I don't understand why everyone wants Medhurst in. He is clearly not match fit and wouldn't even last 2 quarters. WE can't afford any unfit players in the side. Sorry Medders, you don't have a place in this years GF. Lockyer on the other hand is a maybe, but like Medders, he has missed too much footy for mine.

 

[daics_35]

I don't understand why everyone wants Medhurst in. He is clearly not match fit and wouldn't even last 2 quarters. WE can't afford any unfit players in the side. Sorry Medders, you don't have a place in this years GF. Lockyer on the other hand is a maybe, but like Medders, he has missed too much footy for mine.

I agree 100% but if you dont want Medhurst in for the reason then you cant have Lockeyer in becuase he has played just as much as Medhurst. None of them will play this week.

 

[Antz]

I reckon whoever wins it will be a blowout. The Saints will come out firing and wouldn't suprise me if they win by a good margin. But I am hoping the boys can pull their finger out and give it their all.

 

[Breakthelines]

Blair looked off the pace against the cats and the saints.

If they bring in goldsack it will be for a defensive forward role, so i think Blair would be out.

The question is would we drop Leon for Medders/Lockyer?

 

[Swooop]

Still believe we need a few fresh legs into the side even if that means sacrificing GF experience.

Fresh legs is an interesting concept.

Would players, who've not played for several weeks now, have fresh legs, or would they severely lack match fitness and cramp up in third qtr?

I think best way to get fresh legs is use the players we went with, and give them a very, very light week on the training track.

Also, GF experience is paramount...again favouring pretty much going with what we had.

Goldy (still match fit) for Leon, that's all. Sorry to Presti, but groins don't tend to recover to any extent in a week anyway.

 

[Good_Old]

I reckon whoever wins it will be a blowout. The Saints will come out firing and wouldn't suprise me if they win by a good margin. But I am hoping the boys can pull their finger out and give it their all.

Initially i was of the same mind, I thought the mental hurdles created from the draw might make it hard for the boys next week.

After thinking about it more, really, we played badly and managed a draw.
So many of the boys were quiet and will want to make a menz.

Also, I just saw some footage on the news, it was the boys today.
They were all smiles and looked up and about, so I can't see there being any demons come next weekend.

To the guys saying Blair played badly, I can't figure this out. Didn't play his best but wasn't in any means the worst out there. Give the kid a go!

 

[Mickaman]

I am not sure if Leon will be picked and fair enough if he isn't, but I would be gutted if Goldy is the man who replaces him. Goldy looked like a rabbit in the headlights against Cats I think it would be much worse this Saturday.

Only logical replacement would be Medders I think.

I might get booed off this board but I still would not mind seeing Leon in. I know he was probably one of if not the worst on Sat but I just think he could provide that spark. I think he may have saved the game for us on Sat as nobody else looked like they were going to kick a goal in the second half. He could have had a couple of goal assists to which no score ended up happening. Someone dropping a mark in the goal square in the first just before Dids kicked his goal from the boundary and Daisy not settling and taking an easy shot in the 3rd I think.

 

[lozza63]

Sorry Loz, this is tripe. All credit goes to the Saints for coming back. Nothing to do with Collingwood's subconscious. It basically showed that flag favoritism counts for stuff all and that 4 or 5 goals ahead with an hour to play in today's footy is very gettable in quick time. A neutral fan (hates Collingwood though) was in awe of StKilda's comeback but also praised the 'balls' of the Collingwood players throughout the whole game, special mention made of the goals against the run of play.
This wasn't the flag that got away, we never had it, regardless of what the media knobs say about it.

FB I did not need the media to formulate my opinion as regards to whether or not we had this game in our keeping. I was at the Music Bowl and saw it nearly slip out of our grasp - mate it was ours for 96 mins or so - so please dont infer that i am simply regurgitating their say so!

Our boys thinking the game was won at half time is tripe u say Filo - fair enough - we were simply smashed after half time by a more committed and desperate side. The Saints rose to the challenge of the half time deficit and completely eclipsed our top men. Somehow the mind must have come into calculations - the Saints mindset certainly did and ours - who knows!

Before half time Swan and Pendles had 25+ odd touches and finished with a paltry 40 - oh and add in Bally & Dids and our 4 senior midfielders produced a measly 68 disposals! . Hayes had 32 on his own!

I will admit that i could not face watching the replay. Gee we had 21, 19, 17 & 11 touches with one paltry goal from these 4 stars!!! Should this quartet produce 100 touches and we will win the game - nothing out of the ordinary just avg possy games for these blokes - oh and a collective 2/3 goals would be useful too! Cant expect Daisy and Sidey to do all the grunt work for half a game.

The rest of the team will lift as a result of our All Australians showing their true mettle! The fact that we have been given a reprieve is testimony to our backline.

Please boys be ready for the Saints onslaught after half time!

 

[Cool Kangas]

My kids burst into tears when StK hit the front on Sat! (I'm surrounded by Pies!) So needless to say...Good luck

 

[danielnajdek]

When Goddard took that grab and goaled I thought we were GAWNNN!!

Great character to fight back and get the goal back.

 

[beerbandit]

we will win. mark my words. GO PIES!!!!!!!

 

[PhiloBeddoe]

FB I did not need the media to formulate my opinion .....

Wasn't saying that, anyway this is the way I saw it. A 5 goal break at half time would have been more realistic than 6 or so. What I was concerned about during the first half was that we were breaking down at half forward and the Saints were clearing too easily. We weren't able to spread their defense enough so they were looking more and more comfortable. I aint Nostradamus but I predicted that our goals would dry up because we just couldn't continue peppering our forward fifty with sh1t balls and expect a very good defense to buckle under the pressure. It was also frustrating to watch their defenders go up for marks or punches without any real body pressure or our crumbers being nowhere near it. As it happened, they had an easy job of it after half time.

Did anyone see Goddard shove one of ours fair square in the back before Cloke kicked our last goal? Reckon the ump was too scared to pay it haha.

 

[BazzaTheBogan]

Control the ball and use our superior running/speed and skill to destroy their zone and shutdown players, we need to create more space and spread harder, plus push hard the other way.. We rolled out with something different on Sat and looked spent by half time, most of that is late night nerves and a big build up.. To be expected, hence we tried to smash them early.

The side will play 4qtrs of pure brilliance on Sat and blow them off the G in every quarter, they simply cannot get near us when the side fires, and the boys have got the perfect week to site back, relax, watch the game and pick them to pieces.

It would be like us putting Toovy and Goldsack on Hayes and Goddard and expecting them to be shutdown all game, won't happen again now they have got the GF experience and build up out of the way.

Expect to see some players fire Saturday, they will be geared up, tuned in and unstoppable.