Do any of you old enough remember 1975? North Melbourne lost the first six games and were written off by the media as having recruited players past their prime under the ten year rule and they blew their chance of a flag the previous year against Richmond. All of a sudden they hit form & romped it in to win the premiership!
Could something like this be our story this year? At least we haven't peaked too early...
Remember?
Moderators: Saintsational Administrators, Saintsational Moderators
-
Legendary
- Club Player
- Posts: 1900
- Joined: Mon 04 Aug 2008 11:35am
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 56 times
We were 1 and 4 in 1997 I believe?
Our draw in the first half of this year is particularly difficult - especially as the sides who look to have improved (Essendon, Adelaide etc.) are the ones we encounter early on.
IMO we are going to drop 5-6 games in the first half of the season. However if we can address all the on-field issues, from a draw/season point of view we have a real chance to win 9 of the last 10 games and build some momentum into the finals.
Our draw in the first half of this year is particularly difficult - especially as the sides who look to have improved (Essendon, Adelaide etc.) are the ones we encounter early on.
IMO we are going to drop 5-6 games in the first half of the season. However if we can address all the on-field issues, from a draw/season point of view we have a real chance to win 9 of the last 10 games and build some momentum into the finals.
-
meher baba
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 7088
- Joined: Mon 14 Aug 2006 6:49am
- Location: Tasmania
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 462 times
I'm not a member of the "season's over: let's play the kids and tank for draft picks brigade on here, but I do find this thread a bit too Polyannaish.
Richmond is a team we are supposed to beat easily. We used to flog the crap out of them in the mid-2000s and I can't see that they've improved too much. The umps weren't much of a factor on Friday night: we were just shockingly ordinary. We have only a handful of players who would be guaranteed a spot in the 1997 team. Apart from Riewoldt, Goddard and Hayes (and we've now lost Lenny for the year), we have a very average lineup which - while it isn't anywhere near as bad as many on here are now saying - has looked better than it actually is due to brilliant coaching.
So I can't see us achieving a spectacular turn around a la 1997 or the Roos in 1975. It's going to take lots of hard work to get us there, starting next week. If we can scrape our way into the 8 - which we can definitely do - I feel confident we can get to a PF and then we'll see. All of the other teams, even the Pies, will be beatable in big games.
It's going to be a long season. We can't give up yet, but we've mad a miserable start.
Richmond is a team we are supposed to beat easily. We used to flog the crap out of them in the mid-2000s and I can't see that they've improved too much. The umps weren't much of a factor on Friday night: we were just shockingly ordinary. We have only a handful of players who would be guaranteed a spot in the 1997 team. Apart from Riewoldt, Goddard and Hayes (and we've now lost Lenny for the year), we have a very average lineup which - while it isn't anywhere near as bad as many on here are now saying - has looked better than it actually is due to brilliant coaching.
So I can't see us achieving a spectacular turn around a la 1997 or the Roos in 1975. It's going to take lots of hard work to get us there, starting next week. If we can scrape our way into the 8 - which we can definitely do - I feel confident we can get to a PF and then we'll see. All of the other teams, even the Pies, will be beatable in big games.
It's going to be a long season. We can't give up yet, but we've mad a miserable start.
"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into."
- Jonathan Swift
- Jonathan Swift
-
georgie girl
- Club Player
- Posts: 267
- Joined: Sun 01 May 2005 11:20pm
Adelaide weren't dominating in '97. Came good towards the end of the season and ended up fourth at the end of the Home and Away season. We all know what happened in the finals. A slow start is not always a bad thing. Let's hope by round 6 we have picked up that hunger and dominance we know the boys can show.