Lose next week = better option?

[Sam23]

Seems silly to predict a loss but, as long as we beat North we will avoid Essendon.

If results go like this;

Important Games

Hawthorn def. Carl - 12 point win
WCE def Ess - 12
North def Freo - 30
St. Kilda def Sydney - 12

St Kilda def North - 12

Bulldogs def Freo - 30
Carlton def St. Kilda - 12

Ladder

Collingwood
Geelong
Hawthorn
West Coast

Carlton
St. Kilda - 12.5
Essendon - 11.5
Sydney - 10.5

North - 10
Melbourne 9.5
Fremantle 9

Friday MCG - Collingwood vs. West Coast - MCG
Saturday Afternoon - Carlton vs. Sydney - Etihad Stadium
Saturday night - Geelong vs. Hawthorn - MCG
Sunday Afternoon - St. Kilda vs. Essendon - MCG


Terrible result for St. Kilda, Essendon will destroy us in week 1. Always beat us.

If we have a small loss to Sydney next week, around 12 points, we are still a very good chance to finish 6th ahead of them (assuming we beat North, which is a risky assumption) and even if we don't, I'd rather play Sydney in Sydney then Essendon.

We could finish anywhere from 6th - 8th as long as we win 1 game form here on in.

And the worst case scenario is us vs. essendon.

Would MUCH prefer to play Sydney/Carlton.

Obviously going into the game we are going to be giving it everything to win, but I at least think there is a slight positive to look at if we do get done.

[hotdish]

No way we play on sunday - Geel or Coll get that as a rewward for finishing top two - more rest time i would think. Likely fri or sat night

[Dan Warna]

Winning form is good form.

This is not the time for the coach to do anything but put our best foot forward.

I do hope the saints players are off the belief they are good enough to rumble with Collingwood and carlton and geelong and anyone else.

IDC what others think I believe we are only a shade of a percentage off collingwood on current form.

[saintbrat]

whilst it would be nice to manipulate to that degree I personaly feel the saints need to practice any winning they can- rythm and routine...

[sainterinsydney]

If we can't beat the bombers in a final, what chance would we have against the top 4? I know they have the wood on us, but we should be able to beat them in an intense final.

[saintspremiers]

whilst it would be nice to manipulate to that degree I personaly feel the saints need to practice any winning they can- rythm and routine...

No.

We are good enough to throw games but not good enough to beat Essendon in a final.

Some people have NFI.

Heck, let's Play The Kids.

[Iceman234]

whilst it would be nice to manipulate to that degree I personaly feel the saints need to practice any winning they can- rythm and routine...

No.

We are good enough to throw games but not good enough to beat Essendon in a final.

Some people have NFI.

Heck, let's Play The Kids.

About bloody time!

And Tommy.

[SainterK]

As someone on here so wisely pointed out to me last week, if we can't beat the bombers in a final, then the campaign probably deserves to finish week one.

[Dr Spaceman]

As someone on here so wisely pointed out to me last week, if we can't beat the bombers in a final, then the campaign probably deserves to finish week one.

Ain't that the truth!

[Iceman234]

As someone on here so wisely pointed out to me last week, if we can't beat the bombers in a final, then the campaign probably deserves to finish week one.

Ain't that the truth!

I'm OS for the last three games and just back for the first final - would certainly save me some dollars after the last few years if we played Essendon round 1 of the finals.

[desertsaint]

why would we want to avoid essendon? that's one monkey to get off our backs, and would be a confidence booster for the next week/s.
if we can't beat them then we aint worthy of going deeper.

[Dan Warna]

why would we want to avoid essendon? that's one monkey to get off our backs, and would be a confidence booster for the next week/s.
if we can't beat them then we aint worthy of going deeper.

this.

Our fate is in our own hands.

[Junction Oval]

We can't be frightened of Essendon, just get prepared to beat them!

Rest a few players against Carlton and prepare for Essendon - we used last year's final game against Adelaide as a junk game, so do the same against Carlton!

[hungry for a premiership]

Ridiculous to assert we'd be better off losing to avoid the bummers. Beating them in an elimination final would be a brilliant springboard into the rest of the finals series.

[Teflon]

Im more confident beating Sydney on the G (as we saw from the Tigers today) than face a fast running Bombers who have cut us up for pace the last 4 times?

Cant see us avoiding them though.

[bobmurray]

Heck, let's Play The Kids.

All the decent kids are in the infirmary...mothballed until 2012

[Richter]

Lose against the Swans next week and we're a not insignificant chance to miss out on finals completely.

[Old Mate]

Im more confident beating Sydney on the G (as we saw from the Tigers today) than face a fast running Bombers who have cut us up for pace the last 4 times?

Cant see us avoiding them though.

I'd take the Swans in Melb over the Bombers at the G however I don't think we would see the them free wheeling in a final like they have against us over the last few years at Etihad.

Etihad probably suits them ever more so than us. I reckon we'd win comfortably in a final against them at the G. Against the Swans I'd be more confident of a win however it would probably be an extremely close and dour contest.

[Teflon]

Im more confident beating Sydney on the G (as we saw from the Tigers today) than face a fast running Bombers who have cut us up for pace the last 4 times?

Cant see us avoiding them though.

I'd take the Swans in Melb over the Bombers at the G however I don't think we would see the them free wheeling in a final like they have against us over the last few years at Etihad.

Etihad probably suits them ever more so than us. I reckon we'd win comfortably in a final against them at the G. Against the Swans I'd be more confident of a win however it would probably be an extremely close and dour contest.

They wont change their game plan cause its finals, they d have nothing to lose.

I have no doubt we'd struggle to beat them at the G where they play in ANZAC games etc and have done ok.

We just dont have that run IMHO and they spread us well and captitalise on it. Swans cant.

[Old Mate]

Im more confident beating Sydney on the G (as we saw from the Tigers today) than face a fast running Bombers who have cut us up for pace the last 4 times?

Cant see us avoiding them though.

I'd take the Swans in Melb over the Bombers at the G however I don't think we would see the them free wheeling in a final like they have against us over the last few years at Etihad.

Etihad probably suits them ever more so than us. I reckon we'd win comfortably in a final against them at the G. Against the Swans I'd be more confident of a win however it would probably be an extremely close and dour contest.

They wont change their game plan cause its finals, they d have nothing to lose.

I have no doubt we'd struggle to beat them at the G where they play in ANZAC games etc and have done ok.

We just dont have that run IMHO and they spread us well and captitalise on it. Swans cant.

Etihad being indoor and a fast track suits their game plan, especially against us. Play at the the G with a bit of wind, due, rain, sunshine and I reckon that gives us an edge against them. Play them in finals and they won't have space even on the larger ground and with their speed advantage. I think we would account for them.

I'd still prefer to play the Swans however I don't see it as that bad a thing if we play the Bombers week one. I would prefer that than playing the Swans in Sydney.

[bigcarl]

Winning form is good form.

This is not the time for the coach to do anything but put our best foot forward.

Exactly. If we have to play Essendon, so be it. If we can't beat them we don't deserve to be there.

[OneEyedSainter77]

While avoiding Essendon would be the ideal scenario for the finals, it looks unlikely, so unfortunately that looks like being the case, however, cast your mind back to 2008 when we didn't beat Collingwood all year and then when everyone (including us) thought we had no chance, we beat them in a knockout final at the G.

Simply put, finals are a different game altogether. I am confident that we'll be able to survive against them.we have only played Essendon at the G once in the last ten years by the way, I say about time we played them there again.

Plus there are two things we are due for, a win at the G and a win against Essendon.

Why not kill two birds with one stone?

Also, if we were to throw a game next week, who's to say we will definitely beat North the following week?

[vantheman]

check the record of teams coming off a bye

[Superboot]

Just have to take whatever comes.

Were we to lose to Essendon in Melbourne, I'd be convinced that we would have had a better chance of beating Sydney, or even the Eagles, away.

Come to think of it, even without the benefit of hindsight, I see Essendon as the worst case scenario.

[Sam23]

G'day guys - after be downright shot down after making this thread before playing Sydney a few weeks back.

How are we all feeling now, getting Sydney at Etihad instead of Essendon @ the G?



I'm sure as hell happier we've got Sydney, even though it is still going to be a tough game.


saintspremiers total breakdown and insanity of any suggestion of this in that week was a joke and he should be embarrassed.