Dare to Dream

[Saintt]

That is some incredible optimism right there.

 

[Plugger35]

That is some incredible optimism right there.

Judging by your username, I'll take that as a compliment.

 

[Quixote]

Good thread.

We're not without a chance, albeit slight.

Think Longer needs to play - I also wouldn't mind seeing D Markworth debut. As much as Beau Monster's pack-crashing is admirable, not being able to mark the fricken' thing is wearing a touch thin.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I put this up on the St Kilda youth thread on the main board, but I think it's worth planting here:

I fully recognise that we're in for a hard season from here. I have the utmost respect for the rest of the competition. But to win the spoon you have to be worse than every other team. Well, we've just spent two weeks showing the world that we are not worse than two other teams.

Now, some brilliant poster here will say, "Oh, so you're bragging that you're not the worst team in the competition - THERE'S something to be proud of... if only for an Aints supporter..."

Good on them.

Fact is, what I'm happy about is that we've proved the knockers wrong. Last week against Melbourne, we did it without Hayes, Montagna, Steven, Schneider, Fisher, and a host of other seasoned players. This week, we did the same, only with Hayes and Joey back.

We've still got a lot of other vets coming back from injury, that will make us far more dangerous than others have presumed. But more than that, here's the KIDS we haven't played yet.

1. No Billings, but he is a very exciting pick 3.
2. No Seb Ross, despite him getting 33 possessions on the weekend - there's just no room in our engine room for him.
3. No Acres, our pick 19 from this years' draft, and a pretty darn exciting prospect.
4. No Bruce, a further quiver in our backline's bow.
5. No Longer, another fantastic young ruckman, unable to get into the side because Hickey is starting to show why we could afford to trade away McEvoy.
6. No Spencaaa White, who many have called the next Buddy Franklin.
7. No Daniel Markworth, a boy defined by class that is yet to debut, but definitely would have last year if not for a knee reconstruction - he's already starting to tear it up in the VFL again, even as he builds match fitness.
8. No Webster, who was an integral part of our win against Melbourne until getting a mild injury.
9. No Lee, who is still overcoming injuries to his shoulders over the summer, but who kicked a bucketload of goals in his ten-game run towards the end of last year.

Oh, yes, the youth cupboard is bare down at Seaford...

As the year progresses, and the current youth get tired and run down, I'm genuinely excited to see the others who will slot straight in.

When you factor in the potential of these players, even this year, I think we'll do a lot better than people have anticipated. If Saunders, Curren, Dunstan, etc feel the pinch of this hard game plan, Seb Ross slots right in. Heck, one of them will have to make way for Steven in a few weeks' time anyway.

 

[Riccardo11]

I'd be happy just to finish 12th-15th and shut a few of the media mouths that said we were a lock for the Spoon and were going to be a rabble long term.

If we can push West Coast all the way and get done by 4-7 goals, I'd be thrilled.

 

[Marcus_Antonius]

Well this has been my entertainment for the day. Good luck with the rest of the season guys. Plugger35, if you are so confident, you should place a bet on the Saints making the final. I reckon the odds would be in your favour.*

*Sorry, not as good with the musical references as you so I had to settle with paraphrasing a book/movie.

 

[VDS66]

Dare to be realistic.

 

[hayes]

I put this up on the St Kilda youth thread on the main board, but I think it's worth planting here:



When you factor in the potential of these players, even this year, I think we'll do a lot better than people have anticipated. If Saunders, Curren, Dunstan, etc feel the pinch of this hard game plan, Seb Ross slots right in. Heck, one of them will have to make way for Steven in a few weeks' time anyway.

Great post mate. You're a lot braver than me as I wouldn't dare go onto the main board but hopefully you've opened a few eyes.

 

[mysainters]

Dare to pay for food at Etihad...

 

[IllBeTheJudge]

No one's giving us much of a chance against West Coast and they'll go in warm favourites at home but they've only beaten the Bulldogs and Melbourne so far so they've yet to be really tested.

I'd be surprised if we beat them but we have nothing to lose and we should at least give them a sterner test than the Bulldogs and Melbourne.

Warm as in having Scarlett Johansson appear on my door step holding a tin of golden syrup and asking whether I could spare some time to baste her would be an "ok" experience

Will take a mighty effort in Perth this week to come away with the 4 points, but not impossible

St Kilda currently at $14 by the way

 

[lewdogs]

Love this thread. We have spat in the face of expectation. Lets see how far we can take it!

 

[The Punter]

Sorry to come in and do the shameless plug, but on the Saintsblog B&F, the top ten players after two games include Hickey (3rd), Delaney (4th), Dunstan (6th), Saunders, (8th) and Newnes (9th). Templeton, Wright and Curren have all played both games, and Webster and Billings one.

So it's not just about the older blokes carrying the younger blokes. Who kicked the sealer on Saturday?

And the attitude everyone has brought to the games so far has been excellent. Plenty to like so far in 2014.

 

[sammm]

For St Kilda to grow we have to beat the teams around us, and that's what we did, the teams above us we just have it be competitive and stick to what Richardson is trying to implement, and that will show whether the guys are growing together as a group. The more games they all play together the better we will be.

Teams around us-
Melbourne - TICK
GWS - TICK
Western Bulldogs ?
Gold Coast ?
Brisbane ?

Now this is realistic.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk

 

[Nutsngum]

I think we can honestly finish the season with 5 - 7 honestly won games and still come in 16th/17th for a very high draft pick.

The bottom 4 are going to be incredibly competitive with each other and even higher teams this year. I see nothing wrong with that performance, particually if we can keep an 80+ percentage.

Then we exchange pick 2 for pick 1 with melbourne and get our next Rooey.

 

[Defacto]

For St Kilda to grow we have to beat the teams around us, and that's what we did, the teams above us we just have it be competitive and stick to what Richardson is trying to implement, and that will show whether the guys are growing together as a group. The more games they all play together the better we will be.

Teams around us-
Melbourne - TICK
GWS - TICK
Western Bulldogs ?
Gold Coast ?
Brisbane ?

great post.

IMO we should be aiming to beat Brisbane, Doggies as well. i think they are very do-able. dont like our chances on gold coast

 

[kosifantutti]

I know it's only two wins against lowly so called cellar dwellars (I think Melbourne and GWS are underrated like ourselves) but they were tough hard fought games.

We're all still in a rebuild let's get more good draft picks mindset but why can't we win enough games to sneak a finals appearance or even a flag?

Before you call me crazy, just remember '97 we were bottom 4 the previous year and were 0-4 with most of us calling for Alves head.

Then we won and won again and suddenly that little rock called momentum kicked in and became a boulder and we finished top of the ladder and won a magnificent prelim against North against the odds.



And that's where the story ends and we all lived happily ever after.

OK no it wasn't the happy ending, bloody Jarman and Spida Everitt getting injured cost us in the GF and ruined our dream that year.

Anyway I digress, the point is you never know what can happen. Our best 22 can challenge any team in the comp especially with Richo's bash and bash again gameplan.

1997 was an amazing year though, also produced one of the greatest albums of all time.



I'd tell all my friends but they'll never believe me, they'd think I've finally lost it completely.

I'm getting a '97 vibe about this year, Thom Yorke the ball is in your court.

i agree with your sentiment but we weren't bottom 4 in 1996. We were 10th of 16 with 10 wins and only a game and a half outside the eight. And we were never 0-4 in 97. We beat Collingwood in Round 3

 

[Plugger35]

i agree with your sentiment but we weren't bottom 4 in 1996. We were 10th of 16 with 10 wins and only a game and a half outside the eight. And we were never 0-4 in 97. We beat Collingwood in Round 3

You're right, we were actually 1-4 and then played Melbourne who were last in a battle for wooden spoon favouritism, we smashed them and played in a GF after finishing top of the ladder while Melbourne got the spoon.

Possibly another omen for this year.

 

[Axcellence]

You're right, we were actually 1-4 and then played Melbourne who were last in a battle for wooden spoon favouritism, we smashed them and played in a GF after finishing top of the ladder while Melbourne got the spoon.

Possibly another omen for this year.

Alas! for the foolish human nature! Its fond mistakes are persistent. The dictates of reason take a long time to assert their sway. The surest proofs meanwhile are disbelieved. One clings desperately to some vain hope, till a day comes when it has sucked the heart dry and then it breaks through its bond and departs. After that comes the misery of awakening, and then once again longing to get back into the maze of the same mistakes.

 

[karaoke]

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't -you're right.” - Henry Ford

 

[Plugger35]

Whether we were 0-4 or 1-4 in 1997 it doesn't change the theme of this thread or change the miraculous turnaround that happened under Alves in 1997, I can't think of a turnaround in a season like it and would've been even more miraculous if we won a premiership that year.

It also doesn't change the fact that OK Computer is one of the greatest albums of all time.

 

[Highlander35]

Get Hyped. We're unbeaten. We've got a good youth brigade. The oldies are still awesome.

And most importantly... Winter is coming.

Woooooooooooooh!!! Stannis The Mannis!!!!!

Sent from my LG-P713 using Tapatalk

 

[Plugger35]

Ross Lyon and Freo let down and hanging around, crushed like a bug in the ground.



The dominos are falling into place.

Ross Lyon dogged us and Freo supporters have been gloating about stealing Ross Lyon ever since and the Karma Police paid them a visit tonight just like the clowns that tipped us for the spoon and wrote off Nick Riewoldt.

Next stop West Coast and their arrogant supporters, Chris Masten's hitler hairdo is making me feel iill.

 

[mysainters]

Sweet dreams

 

[Plugger35]

Let Down sums up our game today.

Still daring to dream though, hopefully today was just a one off bad performance.

It was un-St Kilda like, hopefully we can bounce back next week.

 

[Defacto]

well that escalated quickly