I'm lovin' it

[Fehring]

The Saints are massive underdogs, according to about everyone in the press. In fact, most journos are making it sound like it will be nothing short of a miracle if we win. Now we just need big profiles in tomorrow's papers on Medhurst and Swan and we're as good as home.

 

[Signd Sealed Saint]

It's gonna be our night, Harvs won't be eating sour grapes, he'll be havin the night of his life. GO THE MIGHTY SAINTERS!!

 

[Fehring]

From the Age:

Last week's demoralising loss to Geelong, who proved when they stepped up in the second and third quarters then coasted home that they have no problem dictating the tempo, is probably still worrying St Kilda. That's not what they need heading into a game against a side which has beaten them the past three times they have met and is fresh from an away win over Adelaide for a major boost in spirits. If they are to challenge Collingwood they will need a serious lift from star forward Nick Riewoldt, who ran up the dismal statistics of nine disposals and one goal. Similarly Nick Dal Santo and Justin Koschitzke must improve. A slight lift from Lenny Hayes, Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna would also bother the Magpies. But Collingwood can draw on their round 19 win - albeit by 14 points - over St Kilda and their previous victory in round eight, by just nine points. Emerging successful from two close ones in a row is a big boost for them. The Magpies might have lost talent and experience with the unavailability of Anthony Rocca and the suspended Heath Shaw and Alan Didak, but their replacements are on fire. The returning Dale Thomas along with Marty Clarke, Dane Swan and Harry O'Brien were instrumental against Adelaide last week while the electric Leon Davis and Paul Medhurst in the midfield and attack are always dangerous.
Key Collingwood appears to have too many in-form players for St Kilda to hold down while the backbone of the Saints side needs a serious lift. Unless Riewoldt can shake off the blues they have little hope
Tip Collingwood by 25 points

 

[Fehring]

From the Oz

Stephen Rielly | September 12, 2008

ON balance, things don't look good for St Kilda.
The Saints last won a final in 2005 and have lost their last three. They have not beaten Collingwood since 2006 and have already lost twice to the Magpies this year, most recently five weeks ago when the rain fell on Robert Harvey's retirement parade.
When they meet again tomorrow night, in a semi-final at the MCG, a crowd of more than 80,000 will be there to witness the occasion, an audience of a size that might numb or inhibit the uninitiated but not the Magpies, who either complain or brag of big-match-itis.
There is the fact, too, that the Saints are trying to recover from the trauma of an encounter with Geelong. It isn't as easy as forgetting. Only one team, Collingwood no less, has beaten the Cats this year but almost as ominously only three sides in the second half of the season, after taking their licks, recovered sufficiently to win the next week.
All of which makes Leigh Montagna's decision this week to look forward and not back entirely understandable.
"It would be disappointing, obviously, to finish top four and go out in straight sets. It would make it a disappointing year," the St Kilda midfielder said yesterday.
"But we're not looking at that yet. We're looking at what we need to do this week, to play good footy, and give ourselves every chance of beating Collingwood. We can't get too caught up in looking at if we lose both games and how our season pans out. We've just got to focus on this week."
Focus intently and with simple ambitions in mind, it seems. Winning back the respect coach Ross Lyon said his team lost with its headless performance against Geelong will be a start.
"We were on a big stage, against the top team, and obviously we didn't deliver so in some regards we do lose a little respect," Montagna conceded.
"But the lucky thing about playing AFL is that we get a chance to do it again in a week's time and that's what we're focused on now. You move on pretty quick. You have to. You can't dwell on the past. We're looking forward to this week's game and earning some respect back."
That and demystifying Collingwood's recent superiority.
"There's no real secrets. At the end of the day, there's no real secrets to beating teams, especially a team like Collingwood. They're an honest football club. We've got to get our hands on the footy first, use the ball well and when they've got it put a lot of pressure on.
"They're a really good team at doing that and they're a proven finals team. They had a great win last week but as I said before we have to look at what we need to do to play good footy -- get our hands on the footy first, use it well to give our forwards a chance and when they've got it put a lot of pressure on them."
Should none or little of this transpire, however, and the Saints' record in September since the grand final loss of 1997 slip to a dreadful 2-11, Montagna understands that much of the progress he and his team-mates have made this year will be viewed with suspicion, if not discredited.
The argument that St Kilda was extremely fortunate to snaffle fourth position in the last quarter of home-and-away football for the year will stand, awaiting challenge.
"In the fact that we're playing finals this year, it's obviously progress from last year," Montagna protested.
And yet Rodney Eade has said that if his Bulldogs, who, like St Kilda, finished top four after 22 rounds but failed abjectly last week, fail again they will be left with a "hollow" season. With a sense of dissatisfaction rather than achievement.
On balance, then, things won't look good at all.

 

[Signd Sealed Saint]

This is great, I'm sure it'll contribute to the collywobbles

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

I thought Collingwood would win last week so I find it funny that it was touted as an against the odds win. There's no doubt we can knock them off. Riewoldt will deliver.

 

[Sainters66]

I thought Collingwood would win last week so I find it funny that it was touted as an against the odds win. There's no doubt we can knock them off. Riewoldt will deliver.

Kosi and Dal really need to stand up if we are to win. They are due.

 

[KissStephanie]

The Saints are massive underdogs, according to about everyone in the press.

Last week Collingwood fielded the youngest winning finals team since 2000, and this week it is the team that finished 4th (St.Kilda) v. the team that finished 8th (Collingwood) after Round 22. According to the bookies, St.Kilda are not massive underdogs at all, and in fact considering that Collingwood are without Didak, H.Shaw, Rocca, Rusling and a couple of others, St.Kilda should be expected to win of course. Collingwood are aware that they face the challenge of playing a team that finished above them on the ladder, and that is more significant than favouritism I'm sure.

In fact, most journos are making it sound like it will be nothing short of a miracle if we win.

That's hilarious. The tipping in The Age was seven each, and there is no doubt that there is very little in this match. I have not seen any journo that makes it sound like it would be some sort of miracle if St.Kilda wins. Why does it matter anyway? Isn't the prize of a Preliminary Final enough of an incentive, or do St.Kilda need an extra prod to get going?

Now we just need big profiles in tomorrow's papers on Medhurst and Swan and we're as good as home.

Talking about papers, I heard that Collingwood have posted the article featuring Leigh Montagna spruiking about how they don't need Luke Ball to beat Collingwood. The comment smacked of arrogance and disrespect for their upcoming opposition.

 

[dan0z]

cher steph...

i thought it was good to see leigh say what he did, made me feel better about our loss last week knowing our players still felt strong..

 

[CHBench]

First Semi Final
St Kilda vs Collingwood (MCG, 7:30pm AEST Saturday night)
This weekend’s games though fall into the “skills” versus heart. Collingwood won with a bigger heart than Adelaide, and they will rely on more of the same when they front up against St Kilda.
The Saints again showed they are death “warmed” up, but believe me their footballing body is only slightly above freezing!
I just can’t see how their weak filled heart will overcome a club that actually tries its hardest. Collingwood may not have the fashionable list, and maybe without two of their better players, but they do play like a team that cares.
Winning in Adelaide last week showed the difference between science and religion. Religion will always beat science when the latter is not top of the draw, backed up with at least hypnotism.
I don’t want to bag Adelaide, as they did well to finish where they did, considering they are not that good. In fact the competition is not much chop outside the top two teams. Way too many teams fell over like girls in a playground and stayed down screaming of their grazed knees.
St Kilda will turn up again with fear on their faces, fear in their hearts, and mad Monday on their wish list. Coach Ross Lyon spoke what he hoped for before the game, saying that he expected a tough attack on the ball etc.
This dream lasted a few minutes, before it was St Kilda at its most truthful, giving nothing. Nick Riewoldt dropped mark after mark, when his team needed much better. When their beacon was dulled so early, so too was any light or faint hope they ever had.
Not that they had any hope at all. As I have proclaimed all year, St Kilda has no depth of belief. It was killed by Brisbane and Port, years ago, and they have never been taught to understand, and learn from those torturing times.
Whilst I am far from climbing up ladders to get my eyes close to seeing how good Collingwood are, I can’t deny I respect their effort.
When they played in two grand finals against Brisbane they were pretty ordinary on paper, but once they hit the field, they were super. Port was a far superior outfit in player talent, but did not quite have the understanding.
Port should have been playing Brisbane, but Collingwood showed the importance of mental and physical desperation. Port has since learnt it, and has won the big one. St Kilda curled up, and have been a footballing stiff ever since.
This Collingwood team is nowhere near as good as those teams that were beaten by Brisbane, and they won’t be making this year’s big game, but they will sort out St Kilda. It will be heart versus jelly.
On principle I don’t want to put too much good money on this match, as it is not important to the truth of grand final bets, but I rate Collingwood at about $1.30, and St Kilda at $3.70. My line is about the 19-point mark.
Collingwood don’t deserve to be at such a short quote, because their playing list is not that great, but they are playing St Kilda, who have nothing, when it comes to big time mental and physical belief. I doubt I will bet on this game, as my grand final bets will be even more beautiful. Magpies by 36 points.

This type of stuff makes me even more excited about the game.
Hope we tear the pies a new one.

 

[ChrisFooty]

Very confident about St.kilda's chances. Collingwood do have a young team, and Riewoldt can not play that badly twice in a row. Reputation will suffer badliy if he does, which i do not think will happen. Great chance for Riewoldt to enhance his finals football reputation.

Saints by 19.

 

[Sweaty]

Saints will do it for Harvey, if for nothing nothing else.

Like ye olde Bulldogs bounced back this week, ye olde saints will bounce back this week to smack Collingwood by 67 points-you saw it here first!

I used 'ye' to make myself look cool, and you cannot bag me for that because i know it fails, so dont even try magpies.

 

[Sweaty]

ok Steph, remember back to 2004? I doubt it, so i shall remind you. Brisbane Lions Massacred St Kilda by 80 points at the gabba in the qualifying final.

They went into the semi final against Sydney and were NOT FAVOURITES. They went on to smack sydney by 51 points 107 to 56.

Favourites dont always win. The $2.30 odds on St Kilda are a bargain, ill put my money on it for easy money back.

Also, continuing on this note St Kilda won the qualifying final in 2005, only to lose the preliminary-thus proving its possible to lose a preliminary when you win a qualifying final (some Geelong/Hawthorn fans seem not to know this little fact).

Dang Arrogant Pies fans (not all of you, some of you are really nice) can you please GTFO unless you want to listen to both sides and not push your "ill be looking foward to seeing harveys last game this Saturday" crap.

 

[IllBeTheJudge]

I think it's fine to show that players feel confident, but I would say that he crossed the line of arrogance and disrespect for a team that has won the past three encounters between each other. That said, I'm sure that St.Kilda don't rate this Collingwood team considering it is so young, inexperienced and undermanned, and I'm sure that Collingwood are aware of that, particularly after what he said.

Where is this article? DO you have a link? I haven't seen anything with Montagna in it that references anything about Luke Ball, nor that shows any disrespect towards Collingwood

I don't subscribe to the "we'll give you a bath" mentality, and I would be highly surprised if St Kilda don't rate this Collingwood team. In fact, I think they should be applauded (as they have been) for their handling of Shaw and Didak, and the result of that seems to have steeled their resolve. The wins the Pies have had lately should have made everyone stand up and take notice. I don't care who is in their forward line, beating the Crows at home is a fine effort, especially with such an inexperienced team

As far as talent lining up on both sides, Collingwood smack of "champion team" as opposed to "team of champions" to me. Hence only one AA selection (Thomas isn't yet consistent enough, ditto Cloke, Anthony could make it but will get more attention next season IMO)

I'm looking forward to another great contest. If both teams bring their best, it'll be a ripper and although I'm hoping the Saints can get up, reckon it's 50/50

 

[mightymightyblues]

Nothing makes me happier then seeing Collingwood getting knocked out in a finals series.
If you boys knock them off tonight, you would have done a great service to the football world. No matter who the pies play, finals or not, I am always supporting their opposition almost as hard as i support the blues.
I'll be barracking hard for St.kilda tonight.
C'MON SAINTERS

 

[tim_saints]

Is it just me or are the journos getting way to ahead of them selves, every1 does need to remember we played GEELONG who have pretty much killed every1 this season, and look at it this way if we are capable of beating Hawthorn by 30 points and we are playing collingwood who lost to hawks both times by around 60 points u wood think if we are on our game we can take care of the pies.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Montagna DID say, "We don't need him," referring to Ball, but that was in direct answer to a question from a reporter, "Do you need Luke Ball to win against the Pies?" What the heck was he meant to say? "Oh, you betcha, if Luke doesn't play (and we all know, just quietly, that he won't...), then we might as well go out there with tutus on, because we're done and dusted!"?!?!?!?!?

It wasn't arrogance Steph. Don't worry. It was just very un-deft handling of a mongrel question from a journo.

 

[CHBench]

Double page spread in the HS today on Scotty Pendlebury.
That's never a good thing on gameday. Certain Jynx.