"Battle or Britain" mentality for Rounds 1 - 6

[shanegrambeau]

June 1940 and the RAF stands between Britain and Hitler. Churchill says, it is THE hour etc., "never have so many been saved by so few" bla bla. We fans are the many. Hitler is the rest of the competition and the RAF is the 22 - 28 players that wear the Saints jumper Rounds One to Round Six. The RAF had some dodgy planes too, not just Spitfires, which is a good thing, because we have just a couple of Spitfires ourselves, and plenty of Sopwith Camels with keen enough pilots.

Do you think we can beat the odds, and pinch a few early wins because our mentality - through unplanned and unfortunate circumstances - has been fortuitously re-jigged and it just happens that lower expectations could meet with lucky match-ups, and we can defy the odds, get momentum and roll out to win games no-one could expect. We do beat Fremantle and Essendon etc. I heard Plough on SEN say in a 'glass half full' kinda way, we will be cornered and thus find something extra, but ultimately, we won't get there. 'There' I assume means winning say three of the first six.

There are some injuries to other teams too.

I am irrational, but I just can't help thinking that the uncertainty about Hanners, McCartin and Roberton are now buried and 'at peace' in our garden out the back of the shrine, and the rest of us have turned around and said, 'OK, on with business!'.

[ausfatcat]

Do you think we can beat the odds,

Battle of Britain was against the odds?

[shanegrambeau]

I thought it was the UK on its own, wasn’t it? All of Europe was occupied etc.,

[saynta]

Do you think we can beat the odds,

Battle of Britain was against the odds?

Of course it was.

[shanegrambeau]

I thought it was the UK on its own, wasn’t it? All of Europe was occupied etc.,

Damn it you are spoiling my metaphor. My plane hasn’t even taken off!

[shanegrambeau]

I think it was backs to the wall kinda stuff

[kosifantutti]

Josh Battle or Wayne Britain?

[ausfatcat]

Of course it was.

Why?

Because Operation sea lion was a legit plan?

Or was it because the RAF had radar or the best planes, or the lend lease program?

[skeptic]

Is Richo one of the commanders in this analogy?

[shanegrambeau]

Look, as far as my high school history classes told me, and as far as Winston Churchill could cry, the Brits were not in a good position in June 1940. Their navy was OK, probably the best in the world, their army and RAF were roundly betean in France, Europe was occupied, a host of other countries had become Hitlers allies, as were the Soviets. Britain and us humble commonwealth were alone! The RAF has a few hundred Spitfires and Hurricanes and many untested pilots. They also had a bunch of obsolete planes. I think it is fair to say they were up against it. The books say, that if the Luftwaffe had just concentrated on bombing airfields and radar sites it would have been over for Britain and a lot of history would have been different! There we have it! Shane Grambeau history prof strikes again!! I’m know the Luftwaffe wasn’t that much better in numbers and aircraft but the lend lease thing was just beginning and the wolf packs had started sinking cargo vessels. The RN just had pint sized boats to defend against them. The RAF wet audacious and bombed German cities, distracting and infruriating the Germans and they bombed cities instead of airdromes etc. Poms won! St Kilda wind see!!

[The Fireman]

if Richo is the Radar and our team are the spitfires....where can I sign the surrender papers.

[shanegrambeau]

if Richo is the Radar and our team are the spitfires....where can I sign the surrender papers.

Dad’s Army have them in Colonel Klink’s office.

[shanegrambeau]

Josh Battle or Wayne Britain?

Actually, the RAF has a plane called the Fairey Battle. It was a disaster.

[saintspremiers]

Well Rowe beat testicular cancer and has played 99 AFL games.

So we are the “good guys” unlike “bad Carlton” who will allow him to play a well deserved 100 games!

[SaintPav]

It's more like the siege at Leningrad.

[bigcarl]

We will fight them in the bleachers

[saintsRrising]

It's more like the siege at Leningrad.

So then after many hard years and massive losses we will win in the end.

[Yorkeys]

I believe the Saints had the German colours circa the great war or something similar and changed to be more politically correct. (Yes current CEO echoes that spirit). It will be a backs to the wall season, however I think we have a good core of players that can win more games than last year, say 8, if they are allowed to. Generals Lade and Ratten will probably see to that on game day. The Club has backed itself into a bloody minded position in regards to AR (think Gen. Haigh and trench warfare) so unless the playing group efforts are abysmal he will see out the year and leave with a good conduct medal at season's end much to Finnis' relief. We can regoup al la Rourkes Drift and shine in 2020 under General Improvement.

[gringo]

June 1940 and the RAF stands between Britain and Hitler. Churchill says, it is THE hour etc., "never have so many been saved by so few" bla bla. We fans are the many. Hitler is the rest of the competition and the RAF is the 22 - 28 players that wear the Saints jumper Rounds One to Round Six. The RAF had some dodgy planes too, not just Spitfires, which is a good thing, because we have just a couple of Spitfires ourselves, and plenty of Sopwith Camels with keen enough pilots.

Do you think we can beat the odds, and pinch a few early wins because our mentality - through unplanned and unfortunate circumstances - has been fortuitously re-jigged and it just happens that lower expectations could meet with lucky match-ups, and we can defy the odds, get momentum and roll out to win games no-one could expect. We do beat Fremantle and Essendon etc. I heard Plough on SEN say in a 'glass half full' kinda way, we will be cornered and thus find something extra, but ultimately, we won't get there. 'There' I assume means winning say three of the first six.

There are some injuries to other teams too.

I am irrational, but I just can't help thinking that the uncertainty about Hanners, McCartin and Roberton are now buried and 'at peace' in our garden out the back of the shrine, and the rest of us have turned around and said, 'OK, on with business!'.

A lot of pilots in the RAF were Pols or colonials, they were brought in as fodder. Perhaps guys like Rowe are our Polish expedient types.

[gringo]

I believe the Saints had the German colours circa the great war or something similar and changed to be more politically correct. (Yes current CEO echoes that spirit). It will be a backs to the wall season, however I think we have a good core of players that can win more games than last year, say 8, if they are allowed to. Generals Lade and Ratten will probably see to that on game day. The Club has backed itself into a bloody minded position in regards to AR (think Gen. Haigh and trench warfare) so unless the playing group efforts are abysmal he will see out the year and leave with a good conduct medal at season's end much to Finnis' relief. We can regoup al la Rourkes Drift and shine in 2020 under General Improvement.

This preseason looks a lot like our Battle of Stalingrad.

[shrodes]

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Godwin%27s_law

[shanegrambeau]

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Godwin%27s_law

Aha!
The ol, “all roads lead to Hitler trick” cries agent 86!

Indeed it is a narrative that gets used. I once read that until recently, there were two that Americans used as a device like this, characterized as the heroic cry for the’lost cause’. I think it was claimed that the device was used to obscure the atrocities of the Nazis. One was the German defense of the Russian front in World War Two,where there was inevitable retreat but some remarkable tactical re-posits (is that a real word?) on the way, and two, the plight of the Confederates in the Civil War and the whinsomeness of , “The night they drove ol Dixie down” etc., Sod that. I am of an age where I am scared of retreating into childhood again. I don’t wanna make military modelsyet. please. (No offenseanyone, I do like planes and stuff and have an unhealthy knowledge of models of ww2 planes, but I still wanna be a rock star! Whoops, 2019.

But this is no cry for the lost cause, just being cornered and fighting back. Come on Sainters!

[saynta]

I believe the Saints had the German colours circa the great war or something similar and changed to be more politically correct. (Yes current CEO echoes that spirit). It will be a backs to the wall season, however I think we have a good core of players that can win more games than last year, say 8, if they are allowed to. Generals Lade and Ratten will probably see to that on game day. The Club has backed itself into a bloody minded position in regards to AR (think Gen. Haigh and trench warfare) so unless the playing group efforts are abysmal he will see out the year and leave with a good conduct medal at season's end much to Finnis' relief. We can regoup al la Rourkes Drift and shine in 2020 under General Improvement.

There was no political correctness bulls*** in those days.

The Saints changed their colours to those of Belgium, an allied nation under siege by the Germans, from those of our sworn enemy.

[The_Dud]

I believe the Saints had the German colours circa the great war or something similar and changed to be more politically correct. (Yes current CEO echoes that spirit). It will be a backs to the wall season, however I think we have a good core of players that can win more games than last year, say 8, if they are allowed to. Generals Lade and Ratten will probably see to that on game day. The Club has backed itself into a bloody minded position in regards to AR (think Gen. Haigh and trench warfare) so unless the playing group efforts are abysmal he will see out the year and leave with a good conduct medal at season's end much to Finnis' relief. We can regoup al la Rourkes Drift and shine in 2020 under General Improvement.

There was no political correctness bulls*** in those days.

The Saints changed their colours to those of Belgium, an allied nation under siege by the Germans, from those of our sworn enemy.

Yep, no ‘PC crap’, back when everyone but straight white men were second class citizens, those were the days...

[saynta]

I believe the Saints had the German colours circa the great war or something similar and changed to be more politically correct. (Yes current CEO echoes that spirit). It will be a backs to the wall season, however I think we have a good core of players that can win more games than last year, say 8, if they are allowed to. Generals Lade and Ratten will probably see to that on game day. The Club has backed itself into a bloody minded position in regards to AR (think Gen. Haigh and trench warfare) so unless the playing group efforts are abysmal he will see out the year and leave with a good conduct medal at season's end much to Finnis' relief. We can regoup al la Rourkes Drift and shine in 2020 under General Improvement.

There was no political correctness bulls*** in those days.

The Saints changed their colours to those of Belgium, an allied nation under siege by the Germans, from those of our sworn enemy.

Yep, no ‘PC crap’, back when everyone but straight white men were second class citizens, those were the days...

Nothing wrong with being white, straight or gay.