No 19-0 this time.

[Murraj1966]

Saints didn't look the well drilled team they were before we lost to Essendon after that point and through the Finals. We should have beaten the Pies and Dogs more substantially, and the Melbourne and Roos games weren't flashy.There was flashes of that team throughout the finals, and it jumped us to the Grand Final, but there were just too many niggling little errors that the round 1-19 team wouldn't have let happen in a heartbeat. I don't know why, I just feel we need a loss in rounds 1-5 just to almost break the ice and relieve that pressure and then the drop off of form in the games after the first loss. I know it's probably just a bit neurotic of me, but If we get it out of the way... maybe we can have some good form running into September.

 

[Squizz]

I thought Essendon were very good, we beat the Pies and the Dees fairly comfortably, and the Dogs and Cats were just great football matches.

We were poor against North, but still had chances to win the game with #31's effort and Roo's late shot from outside 50.

If we'd won just enough game to finish in the 8 and then made it to third, would we be saying "good year" - but if we win 22 games and lose the GF to a team who has been the benchmark for 3 years it is no good?

 

[Murraj1966]

Don't twist my words dude.

I'm extremely proud of the boys efforts. And being my first Saints grand finals in which I was old enough to fully understand or remember the game, It was cruel in the end but still exciting until Chapman had an Amon Buchanan style goal at the end. I would never say I am ashamed of the Saints today. I just think that while Ross says winning is a good habit, maybe it'd be better to get one out of the way early, NOT Deliberately of course, just so we can not have the stress after the end of a Streak of games won. In 2004, we were shaky after the Sydney game which ended 10-0, we should not have needed chances to beat North Melbourne because they're North Melbourne. And the Melbourne game was terrible until the 4th in which we made it a little easier on the eyes.

 

[Squizz]

I thought we had our reality checks in close games like against Sydney.

Melbourne ran their balls off early, but didn't have anything in the tank.

North were playing their first game after the coach was announced.

Didn't mean to twist words - I'm just not a believer in the "recession we had to have" logic.

I thought that the guys got a bit tired towards the end of the year, but Ross didn't want to tinker.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Ross not tinkering was a problem.
Too slow getting horse out.
Didnt recognise Max's past achievements ( if LH had an injury would you keep Geary in instead of him just because he was OK ).

 

[Squizz]

Yeah, was a bit of that.

Gears ran out of puff earlier in the year, but they played him for a few weeks after that. Bit the same with Horse unfortunately.

I really thought Geelong presented the match-ups that would allow both Max and Zac to play (but Max was told weeks ago he wasn't part of the finals plans and had been out too long to make an impact).

When the heavens opened I thought we should have changed the team - with Kosi in the ruck. Who honestly believed he could have a big influence up forward in those conditions? I still can't believe we didn't play the Red Bull as a forward.