West Coast loss has been beneficial

[Palace03]

I haven't been a believer 'needing a loss' and loosing a game of footy certainly isn't a positive thing, but I just think the West Coast loss the other week couldn't have come at a better time.

We got a rude awakining the other week and a timely reminder of how tight the comp is. Until that game we had been coasting somewhat, doing what we had to do to get over the line, we weren't playing 4 quarters and some of the boys looked like they thought it was just going to happen.

It seems that this loss was the foot up the backside they needed, to get that fire back in the belly, the boys looked primed and ready for a tough finals campaign. I just think if they had of pinched the points 2 weeks ago they would have continued on coasting through and may have got blown away when playing the big boys.

Bring on Collingwood and the finals!!

 

[greatman]

Sorry, I cannot agree with that sentiment. I don't even think St Kilda's loss to Essendon is beneficial. What actual benefits do you get out of a loss? Maybe you get a little bit of cockiness knocked out of you but I think I prefer the players to be cocky and to be uber-confident.
St Kilda now have a few little doubts that might creep into their minds. The loss we had against the Eagles was terrible, disgusting rancid football. The team that went out there that day were not playing as if it really mattered whether they won or lost, and really they were flogged, the margin was very kind to us.
Since then we have lost 3rd spot and had to fight to make sure we got a top 4 position, however the two games have been very good against Brisbane and the Cats, the quarter fadeouts are a slight concern but good wins both of them.
If I was a St Kilda supporter I would have bled when they lost to Essendon, I would have wanted the perfect season. Keep the train rolling. Now Saints look a little less invincible.

 

[The Boy From Brasil]

It is hard to tell whether the West Coast loss was beneficial or not. I guess we will find out after the finals.

But the positive from the players point of view, is that the West coast loss had the potential to destory our entire season. If we had finished fifth or sixth, then it was in all probability game over as far as winning the premiership goes. And we would have looked back at the West Coast game/s and said that was the game that torpedoed our season. But due to the players fantastic efforts to win against Brisbane in Brisbane and beat Geelong, the West Coast loss is now inconsequential.

We will finish top four, and the amazing thing of that is that we have the same playing field as the other three sides above us. St kilda have won a heap more games than use during the season, but once the finals start, we start even. The West Coast loss could have killed us but the Brisbane win and geelong win has saved us. We are still in the hunt.

 

[Bulldogs_6]

Sorry, I cannot agree with that sentiment. I don't even think St Kilda's loss to Essendon is beneficial. What actual benefits do you get out of a loss? Maybe you get a little bit of cockiness knocked out of you but I think I prefer the players to be cocky and to be uber-confident.
St Kilda now have a few little doubts that might creep into their minds. The loss we had against the Eagles was terrible, disgusting rancid football. The team that went out there that day were not playing as if it really mattered whether they won or lost, and really they were flogged, the margin was very kind to us.
Since then we have lost 3rd spot and had to fight to make sure we got a top 4 position, however the two games have been very good against Brisbane and the Cats, the quarter fadeouts are a slight concern but good wins both of them.
If I was a St Kilda supporter I would have bled when they lost to Essendon, I would have wanted the perfect season. Keep the train rolling. Now Saints look a little less invincible.

That's utter crap mate! How can you want your own team to be cocky? We have clearly put our head down since that loss, which was apparently due to an increase in training workloads and we have reaped the benefits, hopefully this lasts through the finals!

As for the Saints the loss last week would mean absolutely nothing, they are on fire, and it took an inspired Essendon team to beat them, when they clearly weren't concentrating on that particular game, but the finals.

 

[Palace03]

Beneficial is probably the wrong word, as I said no loss is good and the performance that day was disgusting, but sometimes footy teams just need that foot up the ass to get them going again.

With or without the loss we were always good enough to beat Brisbane and Geelong and I take a fair bit of confidence into the Collingwood game next week, but so much of this game is played above the shoulders sometimes a bit of shock treatment is a good thing.

 

[MrChristo]

West Coast loss has been beneficial

Unless of course, we finish 4th on % and play St. Kilda straight up instead of Geelong...

 

[Dry Rot]

From reading Murphy's column, I suspect the break up north was more beneficial - a bit of a mental refresh.

 

[the dog's kennel]

I agree that it was good to get a wake-up call. I would have been a lot happier if the wake-up call came from a draw (or a small win) than a loss though.

Even if we are playing better now solely because of the loss, there ain't much point if it costs us 3rd place on % and we get beaten by St Kilda in the 1st final.

St Kilda are the only team i fear. If we get to 3rd i would say we are a pretty decent favourite to get to the GF. The Eagles game may well have cost us 3rd.

If, on the other hand, we BEAT St Kilda in the 1st final i will be on my hands and knees thanking the Eagles for however minor a contribution they made!

 

[The Boy From Brasil]

It was the stay at the Versace Hotel that turned them around. Ever since then they have been flying.

 

[greatman]

That's utter crap mate! How can you want your own team to be cocky? We have clearly put our head down since that loss, which was apparently due to an increase in training workloads and we have reaped the benefits, hopefully this lasts through the finals!

As for the Saints the loss last week would mean absolutely nothing, they are on fire, and it took an inspired Essendon team to beat them, when they clearly weren't concentrating on that particular game, but the finals.

I want my team to be cocky and confident. All great teams are, that goes for any sport you wish to name. The game nowadays is won by minute percentages in every facet of the game, the percentages in each measurable stat between the top teams and the middling teams is very close. So to have absolute belief in yourself and your team mates is a very telling advantage.
Games and seasons are won between the ears more than they are won on pure skill. Disciplined sides that play to structures, plan, and all cover for each other will win more than undisciplined, flamboyant teams 9 out of 10 times.
When I say cocky i don't mean gobbing off and saying how good we are, I mean supreme confidence that we can get the job done.

 

[SBI]

Had we scraped over the line against West Coast, I don't think we'd have beaten Brisbane or Geelong. It was the kick up the arse we needed - and one we didn't get after a horrific performance against Fremantle the week before.

 

[Mutt]

The West Coast loss may well cost us 3rd spot and a first up final against Geelong.

I'd be quietly confident that if we play Geelong first up we win; then go straight into a Prelim without having to meet St Kilda until the big dance.

 

[maddog37]

The loss to the Eagles allowed Rocket to reinforce to the players we are not superstars and that we need to have 22 players going 100% as a team. A fact he restated yesterday on the radio after beating the Cats.

It did seem to me that against the Eagles and against Freo the week before we were playing like millionaires not scraggers.

 

[NBates]

Who knows. Unless we can get into the minds of the players we could also say that beating Geelong will either give us confidence, or on the other hand it may mean that Geelong will want revenge in the finals and we might be a little lax (or have in the back of our minds that they will come at us with more than we have to give). Same if we beat Collingwood. Or if we don't beat Collingwood they might be off their guard during finals so it's beneficial for us coz we lift and beat them. Or if we lose to Collingwood it might dent our confidence in finals. Or if we beat Collingwood it might give us more confidence in finals.

As I said, who knows...........

We just have to keep playing like we did Friday night, or better.

 

[Mutt]

The loss to the Eagles allowed Rocket to reinforce to the players we are not superstars and that we need to have 22 players going 100% as a team. A fact he restated yesterday on the radio after beating the Cats.

It did seem to me that against the Eagles and against Freo the week before we were playing like millionaires not scraggers.

Well of course the coach of the losing team, who himself was outcoached on the day, is likely to say something like that. Eade puts a positive spin on everything unless he is blaming the players. Eade is a very good coach, but he is also a spin doctor who won't take responsibility for a loss.

 

[MrChristo]

If, on the other hand, we BEAT St Kilda in the 1st final i will be on my hands and knees thanking the Eagles for however minor a contribution they made!

Given their last 5 quarters of football, you may well be onto something here...

 

[greatman]

So St Kilda beaten again. Tell me now that last weeks loss was helpful to them. They are still the team to beat but now their must be some little self-doubts beginning to fester in those heads of theirs.
If St Kilda Lost to Hawthorn in Tassie the week before it would be understandable because of all the outs they had. Losses to Essendon and Nth Melb, teams that ordinarily are cannon fodder for teams like the saints have shown what is possible.
No loss should be accepted and no excuses should be made and no pithy comments like "it was the loss that we had to have" will ever change my thoughts on that.

 

[The Boy From Brasil]

So St Kilda beaten again. Tell me now that last weeks loss was helpful to them. They are still the team to beat but now their must be some little self-doubts beginning to fester in those heads of theirs.
If St Kilda Lost to Hawthorn in Tassie the week before it would be understandable because of all the outs they had. Losses to Essendon and Nth Melb, teams that ordinarily are cannon fodder for teams like the saints have shown what is possible.
No loss should be accepted and no excuses should be made and no pithy comments like "it was the loss that we had to have" will ever change my thoughts on that.

It is an interesting argument Greatman. I tend to think the exact opposite to you, that it was beneficial for them to have a loss. I guess we will know after the GF.

I think a loss can sharpen a team up and focus on trying to improve and getting that 1% or 2% better which might make all the difference in finals. It can also be a reality check that they are not unbeatable and have to have their intensity at 100%. The downside is like you said, that they can lose confidence and start to question themselves. Either way we will find out in September.

 

[mcglee]

I tend to think our situation is different to St Kilda's. Saints have been up for 19 weeks and may be ( maybe) physically tired and emotionally spent at the moment. Doesn't mean they are gone - they can easily snap out of it. Watching both games it's been more about their lack of intensity rather than the opposition's higher effort. History says they can recover - Carlton 95 lost successive games to Saints and Sydney ( both average sides that year) then came back.

Us on the other hand have a history of inconsistent intensity against ordinary sides. We snuck home against Melbourne and Freo in shockers, and got beat by West Coast in two more games of poor effort. I think the timing of the loss rather than the loss itself has been beneficial. We don't have long winning streaks but we are now working hard as a group and only have to do that for 4 more weeks. If the loss against West Coast was followed by games against Richmond and North we might have continued to be slack. But the loss has been followed by must win games against Top 8 sides which have stung us into action. If we can continue against the Pies, then you can argue the timing of our loss resulting in us having to win has helped us. Compare that to last year when we bludged for 7 weeks knowing we would finish 2nd/3rd and couldn't snap out of it for the first final.
It's an interesting question.

 

[happy_eagle]

Happy to help

 

[St 07]

As I type this Collingwood are over Sydney by 47 points. Uh oh, I hope someone can figure out exactly how much we'll need to win by if we want to grab 3rd spot next.

Sydney just kicked a goal so back to 41.