Saints in trouble

[dalsanto26]

We are looking in serious trouble for the premiership. First things is WHY DO WE PLAY AT AURORA???? We are no good there, especially against PA! We needed a game at the dome to consolidate our winning streak. its ridiculous.

Secondly, WE MISS HAMILL! this is emphasised without koschitzke, as we effectively have no CHF, as Riewoldt and Gehrig have been playing out of the goal square. We need some injuries (hamill, r.clarke, kozzie, blake) back soon!

Thirdly, if we can't rouse ourselves after an incipid performance against PA, then we don't deserve to win the flag this year.

I still think that all the top 8 teams are in trouble (geelong=lost to fremantle/collingwood, richmond/melbourne= lost to saints, roos=lost to melbourne, not that good anyway and the WCE don't do well in melb!)
We can still do it, we just need to pull our fingers out!

 

[panthers]

We will get there dalsanto26 with hammer and kosi expected back soon we will be firing on all 8 cylinders. As for Aurora I agree we play badly there but apparently its a deal we have with the Tassie government to play there. They give us a sh it load of money and we also boost our memberships and merchandise sales

 

[davieblaze]

The saints should have won that game. no excuses..
Yes they dont have a good record playing at Aurora but they are contracted to play there till 2007 (i think), so there is no point crying about it. If they want to look like they are contenders to win a flag then they have to learn to win games like that even without hamill.
We are now sitting in the 8 by 4 percentage points only.. and with the rest of the ladder breathing right down our necks. If we are going to have a real crack at the premiership then we need to start finding some form very soon....
If we can string some wins together with the hawks next week and the bombers after the split round break plus getting injurys back (hamill). If we get a couple of good wins from these games in a row then we might be able to find some confidence.
After seeing the game against the crows and now the port game i would have to to say that the hawks match will be a must win for st kilda. if we loose we will drop out of the 8 over the split round break.. not good. Must win this week.

 

[m.diddy]

GT has come out said he doesn't to play in Tassie after the contract is up next year is the last year of that contract.

 

[Powerstufff]

GT has come out said he doesn't to play in Tassie after the contract is up next year.......

I'm genuinely puzzled as to why, and why he'd say it publicly.
Sure a succession of losses doesn't endear a place to you. But on the other hand you are building your membership base, and have a money losing game at TD turned into a money maker.

 

[Gary Shadforth]

We are looking in serious trouble .....

Yes! Playing the Hawks on Saturday .... lol.

 

[sainter]

I'm genuinely puzzled as to why, and why he'd say it publicly.
Sure a succession of losses doesn't endear a place to you. But on the other hand you are building your membership base, and have a money losing game at TD turned into a money maker.

The problem stems from the fact that when we made the original deal to play in Tassie were in deep financial trouble.

We've managed to turn that around to the extent that we made $1 million profit last year and membership is at record levels. Our attendances have increased to the extent that a home game against Port Adelaide at Telstra Dome would still attract over 30,000 and we'd make money out of it.

Therefore all we are doing is handing over our home ground advantage for financial gain. We've proven time and time again that we don't play the ground well.

On the other hand I've gone to a few games down there and we do have a very strong supporter base down there. I suppose the problem is that our club has made giant strides off the field in the last few years and the agreement to play in Tasmania could quite possibly be costing us games. Then again the way we played on Sunday I don't think we would have won at Moorabbin.

 

[sainter]

Yes! Playing the Hawks on Saturday .... lol.

It's our most important game of the season but it really wouldn't surprise me if we lost. I reckon we'll learn a lot about our players on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Powerstufff]

...we made $1 million profit last year and membership is at record levels. Our attendances have increased to the extent that a home game against Port Adelaide at Telstra Dome would still attract over 30,000 and we'd make money out of it........

I see. I guess though there's a problem if clubs jump into these sorts of deals when things are going badly, then leave when they can do better. Part of the reason you made $1 million is that the games there make you money rather than lose it. If you back out of this commitment what happens if things get tight again in the future? Plus when the AFL works on these deals for other clubs, as it did for the Western Bulldogs in Darwin, will regional authorities who finance these things look at the Saints' attitude here and back away?

......Therefore all we are doing is handing over our home ground advantage for financial gain. We've proven time and time again that we don't play the ground well.......

Surely that's some weird coincidental glitch, and more to do with the number of games against Port while we've been fairly strong? Again and again we are told all teams should be able to play all grounds, the old 'it's just an oval of grass with sticks at each end' approach.

.....On the other hand I've gone to a few games down there and we do have a very strong supporter base down there........

Very relevant. I'd have thought that extremely valuable, and wonder again why Thomas would say something that could erode that.

...... the agreement to play in Tasmania could quite possibly be costing us games......

No. Only the quirk of fixturing that has you playing teams there that match up well on you. That can't hold forever. The Saints are capable of beating any team, anywhere, on their day.

 

[johnnyhoward]

After the shocking position we got ourselves into this season, 5-6, we need to win the next 4 to revive our flag hopes. They are all against weak sides, so that takes us to 9-6 and we'll be looking OK again.

As for the Aurora situation, for me GT conceded the game during the week before the game as soon as he said "We only use Aurora for the money involved, and we know we don't play well there". That's a shocking attitude to have, the Saints would have heard that and it would have been running through their minds that they suck at Aurora and might as well give up. It should have been up to GT to instil some confidence at the ground.

 

[davieblaze]

All GT was saying was that from a coaching perspective he would rather play at the telstra dome where they have a much more favourable win ratio (80% over the last couple of years.. i think ). It isn't hard to see that he would rather have the saints play as many games at the telstra dome as he could because they have more of an advantage there. Home ground avantage isn't so much an advantage if you only see the ground 2 times a year (Same ammount of games we play in Subiaco). As a coach i think it is a fair call that he would rather play their home games at home where they play their best football.

Ive been to two games there and it is a massive event in tassie (even though both games i saw were a pathetic display). Saint supporters fill the stands and it gets alot of support.

Back a few years ago when the saints were second bottom on the ladder and in financial trouble they sign a contract to play a couple of games a year in tasmania to get membership and $$$...
A few years later they have bounced up the ladder and are in a good financial situation. They aren't getting so much out of their contract to play at aurora now. Maybe grant thomas was preparing the locals that they wont be renewing their contract to stay there once it expires.

 

[steveo1010]

It would be weird if you didn't win a flag in the next 5 years i think! geez what a waste it would be...