Discussion Our Tough Draw to date.

[Rough_Edges]

Just looking at the draw and gee I think we are perhaps underselling our fantastic start to the year!!!

We have beaten

Collingwood Top.
Sydney Second.
Fremantle Fourth.
Bulldogs Eight.
Kangaroos Eleventh.

And beating Collingwood, Fremantle and Bulldogs without Riewoldt (yes I know, we had VOLT for half vs. the Pies), this is some kind of effort.

Sydney interstate as well, huge win, underrated win.

Although we seemingly have a 'easier' draw coming up.

Carlton - ES (10 day break)
Essendon - ES (6 day break)
West Coast - Subiaco (7 day break)
Adelaide - ES (6 day break, from a subiaco trip - this is tough!)
Richmond - ES (6 day break - gee back to back 6 day breaks and a trip from Subi)

Hopefully if we can win 3 or 4 of these games we are really setting ourselves up for a good shot at the flag.

Because our 5 games after that aren't easy - Fremantle - Subi, Geelong - MCG, Melbourne - Etihad, Brisbane - Gabba, Collingwood - MCG.

Can't wait for the challenge.

 

[StFly]

woah woah woah woah woah stop the presses.

You mean we have games at the G before it ticks to round 20?

 

[bubblegoose]

We'll have to be careful about beating all these premiership favourites or we might start popping up on the radar for some people.

 

[Half Back Pocket]

We'll have to be careful about beating all these premiership favourites or we might start popping up on the radar for some people.

i honestly thought we would go 5 and 5 with Rooey out (assuming its a 10 week injury!!)

If we can make it 8 and 2, or even 7 and 3...gives us heaps of momentum through the middle of the year.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

We've done OK but the pressure isn't really off.
Carlton - They lost to the pies and will be out to make ammends, they are far from the worst team. I'm hoping our long run against them won't end.
Essendon - They beat us once in 2009 and gave us a hard time the other game. Hille and Gumbleton both seem to be finding some serious form.
West Coast - They aren't tanking at the moment, and their efforts will be to perform well at Subiaco.
Adalaide - maybe one of the easier ones, but it is off a 6 day break.
Tigers - OK.

I guess I'd be pretty surprised if we didn't drop at least one of these. Yet its going to depend on how the team is on the day.

 

[Gladbaqs]

I just looked at the ladder and saw three teams (other than the Saints) who have lost just one game this year.

To guess who?

So I thought I'd just have a sneaky little look at the Saints forum, et voilà, you guys are already on to it...

It's ok. I won't tell anybody.

 

[Rough_Edges]

We've done OK but the pressure isn't really off.
Carlton - They lost to the pies and will be out to make ammends, they are far from the worst team. I'm hoping our long run against them won't end.
Essendon - They beat us once in 2009 and gave us a hard time the other game. Hille and Gumbleton both seem to be finding some serious form.
West Coast - They aren't tanking at the moment, and their efforts will be to perform well at Subiaco.
Adalaide - maybe one of the easier ones, but it is off a 6 day break.
Tigers - OK.

I guess I'd be pretty surprised if we didn't drop at least one of these. Yet its going to depend on how the team is on the day.

Yep not trying to say our draw gets easy now, just outlining how tough it has been to date and how well we have performed.

We have had an underrated start to the year, and with 3 of the wins coming without our skipper and arguably the best player in the league.

 

[Zagg]

Collingwood Top.
Sydney Second.

Sydney are top, Collingwood second. Would be good to get a big win against the Blues to leapfrog both of them into first.

 

[karmafree]

Just remember seven more wins and we play finals footy again. That is the name of the game. Chance we can get at least 4 of them over the next 5 weeks, leaving half of the season to get the next three in the bank. Roo back, plenty of players getting a look in while Roo has been out. Looking good kids.

 

[mysainters]

Absolutely some saints fans are underselling our wins, to be 5-1 given all the circumstances and the quality of opponents, I am very proud.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Just remember seven more wins and we play finals footy again. That is the name of the game. Chance we can get at least 4 of them over the next 5 weeks, leaving half of the season to get the next three in the bank. Roo back, plenty of players getting a look in while Roo has been out. Looking good kids.

I'm hoping that the team will find some serious form without Roo, rather than limping like they are now. Adding Roo should then work like a turbocharger.
If they can play end of year, like they did start of year 2009, they will be hard to beat.

 

[mysainters]

I'm hoping that the team will find some serious form without Roo, rather than limping like they are now. Adding Roo should then work like a turbocharger.
If they can play end of year, like they did start of year 2009, they will be hard to beat.

I don't think we're limping, I think we are waiting for Jason Gram to come back into the side.

 

[Half Back Pocket]

I don't think we're limping, I think we are waiting for Jason Gram to come back into the side.

we smashed the Kanga's...
we beat Freo in an entertaining, high-scoring game...
we ground out good wins against the Scum, Swans and Doggies...
we lost to Port at Port (which we always do - except last year)...

This game against the cheating, salary-cap rorters will give us a much better indication of our present form.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

I don't think we're limping, I think we are waiting for Jason Gram to come back into the side.

Had to laugh, my Boss ( a downtrodden Hawks supporter) saw the game and commented that they hardley kicked it long. They worked it out of the goal square and played possession footy.
I thought of Gram blazing away out of the backline.