Strategy Can the Saints make the finals this year?

[SaintsSeptember]

I'd love us to make finals.
The young kids would stand out there on the big stage, taking it all in, and proceed to crumble like a week old cupcake.
With that out of the way they would all be hungry to do better in the future.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I'm in the "I'm not really sure I want us to make it" camp, as I'm really concerned that if we scrape in and are drawn to play a team like West Coast or GWS interstate that we could get demolished like North did in that final a few years ago and it could leave a fair mental scar.

Playing a team like Geelong here would be OK, but I really doubt we're ready to play a final interstate.

Would really help our chances of making it if we get Paddy and Fisher back for the North game after Savage this week though and don't lose anyone of note in between.

 

[bird_man]

I'm in the "I'm not really sure I want us to make it" camp, as I'm really concerned that if we scrape in and are drawn to play a team like West Coast or GWS interstate that we could get demolished like North did in that final a few years ago and it could leave a fair mental scar.

Playing a team like Geelong here would be OK, but I really doubt we're ready to play a final interstate.

Would really help our chances of making it if we get Paddy and Fisher back for the North game after Savage this week though and don't lose anyone of note in between.

Whatever happened in the finals wouldn't matter to me. making finals would be huge for the club going forward. It would give the guys a heap of confidence as well helping out with recruiting over the off season. If we were to get smashed it would be a good lesson for them going forward.

It's not going to happen though unfortunately.

 

[sauce_head]

Always play finals.

Never finish 9th.

It's tough.

 

[plugger66]

Whilst I don't think we have much chance of playing finals this year I do know if we can only win one of the next 2 it must be North. A loss to them is the end.

 

[Joffaboy]

While there is hope we have to strive for the 8. Don't think we can make it and quite frankly we aren't a top eight team - yet.

We would need to win virtually every game which would give us 14 wins to be guaranteed a spot with our poor %.

If we do that we deserve to be in the 8. But the odds are heavily we wont. Probably our first loss will be as early as this weekend.

 

[Persevering Saint]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2016-07-18/consistency-not-finals-the-focus-on-the-run-home

 

[SaintsSeptember]

While there is hope we have to strive for the 8. Don't think we can make it and quite frankly we aren't a top eight team - yet.

We would need to win virtually every game which would give us 14 wins to be guaranteed a spot with our poor %.

If we do that we deserve to be in the 8. But the odds are heavily we wont. Probably our first loss will be as early as this weekend.

Stop being sensible.

 

[Persevering Saint]

For mine, we COULD play finals, if we win 5 out of these last 6 games. Should we try to get to the finals? No. Should we try to win every game? Absolutely, especially since 5 of them are, to differing degrees, winnable:

• Bulldogs: Winnable, but tough.
• Kangas: Definitely winnable, with North becoming extremely vulnerable.
• Carlton: Should win.
• Sydney: Probably the one we definitely can't pull off.
• Tigers: A good chance.
• Lions: Absolutely.

We win those 5 other than the Swans, and we get 13 wins. That may or may not be enough. But that's not the point. It's about going into each game with a fair chance to take the chocolates. Finals will take care of themselves.

 

[plugger66]

I'm in the "I'm not really sure I want us to make it" camp, as I'm really concerned that if we scrape in and are drawn to play a team like West Coast or GWS interstate that we could get demolished like North did in that final a few years ago and it could leave a fair mental scar.

Playing a team like Geelong here would be OK, but I really doubt we're ready to play a final interstate.

Would really help our chances of making it if we get Paddy and Fisher back for the North game after Savage this week though and don't lose anyone of note in between.

If you got beaten in a final by 100 points it wouldn't matter at all. It hasn't effected us in home and away games. The season is over and they regroup. It isn't like losing 2 GF's by less than 2 goals. That is mentally to tough for anyone to take. We wont make finals but surely the best thing for the club is 8th over 9th.

 

[Murraj1966]

Got flogged by 80 in our first final 2004; Bounced back the week after to win our first final since 1997 and come within a kick of the GF the week after.

Finals all day up and down over no finals. Otherwise you run the risk of becoming a Richmond always missing out then maybe playing a few elimination finals and thinking you've done enough

 

[puppy_dog7]

I'll say this..
If we beat North Melbourne in 2 weeks time then most definitely we can.

Port and North both have tougher draws in the run home then we do.

Bulldogs - L
North - W
Carlton - W
Syd - L
Tiges - W
Bris - W

I'm definitely Hopeful but don't think we'll pull it off unless we upset one of Sydney/Dogs, otherwise we'd be relying on North and Port to lose games as our percentage is pathetic.

 

[saintbill]

I'll say this..
If we beat North Melbourne in 2 weeks time then most definitely we can.

Port and North both have tougher draws in the run home then we do.

Bulldogs - L
North - W
Carlton - W
Syd - L
Tiges - W
Bris - W

I'm definitely Hopeful but don't think we'll pull it off unless we upset one of Sydney/Dogs, otherwise we'd be relying on North and Port to lose games as our percentage is pathetic.

Dont think we will make it as we will do something stupid like lose to Tigers or Blues. However, that being said I think 4 wins rather than 5 would get it done, provided beating Kangas was one of those wins.

If that were to happen Kangas wont win more than 11 games, wont win a game past the next fortnight. Even this week the Pies are a real chance.

 

[aussierulesrules]

If Collingwood beat North this week and we beat WB then we could still lose to North in Boomer's record-breaking match and yet still make the 8, as long as they lose the rest of their games, which they could.

 

[plugger66]

If Collingwood beat North this week and we beat WB then we could still lose to North in Boomer's record-breaking match and yet still make the 8, as long as they lose the rest of their games, which they could.

The most important game is the North game. If we lose to them we are 2 games and huge percentage behind and that's allowing for a very big upset this week. 2 actually because even though North are struggling they will be favourites this week. Unless we win both the must win game is North.

 

[TassieSaint]

Still no, but stoked to be a chance at this point. Doubt north will be poor enough to drop out, and even then Port is in a much better position (gold coast loss really hurt us in that regard).

Still another few wins and we will have the perfect launching platform for finals next year.

 

[kosifantutti]

The most important game is the North game. If we lose to them we are 2 games and huge percentage behind and that's allowing for a very big upset this week. 2 actually because even though North are struggling they will be favourites this week. Unless we win both the must win game is North.

We could go 3 games and % behind North this week and still finish ahead of them as long as we beat them.

 

[Murraj1966]

The biggest twist would be us doing a number on the dogs and North falling apart against Collingwood this week.

If that were to happen then the game against North would be our most important since 2010

 

[Half Back Pocket]

If I offered up 11 wins before the season started, only a madman would not have taken it...beat Tigers, Carlton and Brisbane = 11 wins

Still only gives us 1 win against a team above us though

 

[#1_pigeonracer]

If Collingwood beat North this week and we beat WB then we could still lose to North in Boomer's record-breaking match and yet still make the 8, as long as they lose the rest of their games, which they could.

No Port still too big a hurdle if we lost to Nth imo.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

If I offered up 11 wins before the season started, only a madman would not have taken it...beat Tigers, Carlton and Brisbane = 11 wins

Still only gives us 1 win against a team above us though

Hawks have had no wins against a team above them , so we are better than them.

 

[aussierulesrules]

No Port still too big a hurdle if we lost to Nth imo.

What I said is 100% correct though. We have 8 wins and if we get to 12 then we're a chance, because if North lose to Collingwood this week, but then beat us, that might be their last win, which would leave them on 11 and if Port only win 3 more that would likewise leave them on 11 and it would mean we'd need to win 4 of our other 5 to get in, which is certainly do-able, but of course not easy.

I was just pointing out that we don't necessarily have to beat North if we want to get in, as long as they lose to Collingwood this week and then lose their last 4, against very good teams.

 

[crasha301]

Imagine if we made finals and had to travel and play either syd or wc! I dont think i could watch.

 

[saint_]

We lost to the Gold Coast though. We are so inconsistent we'll probably lose against Carlton & Richmond but beat Sydney.

How do you think the game plan stacks up for finals footy?

 

[Murraj1966]

Imagine if we made finals and had to travel and play either syd or wc! I dont think i could watch.

I'd travel to Sydney to watch definitely.

I think we'd be so fired up about that interstate hoodoo that we'd come out blazing