None of our opposition kicked the ton against us this season. First time since

[freely]

This is a bit meaningless isn't it? Nobody kicked the ton against us - or (far as I can see) against port or freo or brisbane or richmond or melbourne or north or west coast or gws. You might just as well say we only kicked the ton once this season and that was against Sydney.

[Vortex]

This is a bit meaningless isn't it? Nobody kicked the ton against us - or (far as I can see) against port or freo or brisbane or richmond or melbourne or north or west coast or gws. You might just as well say we only kicked the ton once this season and that was against Sydney.

Most games barely had 100 points scored by both teams on the field.

[saynta]

I don't agree. We only got thumped twice. By the girls from sleepy bum bf hollow and the filth. We could very easily have won 3 or 4 other games which would have put us on top of the ladder.

I get what you're saying but the ladder doesn't lie, we are a 5th to 8th best side. We had 2 wins from 6 games before the GWS match and we were lucky GWS were imploding as a club. I've been to my fair share of GF losses and I can't claim we should have more than one cup, the scoreboard tells me we've come 2nd each time.

This season tells us we are on the right path, that is all, we have some work to do yet to become a sustainable top 4 side but the signs are promising.

I'm extremely hopeful of playing the Pies next week. It would be hugely beneficial for our first final to be against a powerhouse club. The finals simulation will be as real as you can get for this season and a chance for us to see which players like it.

As you said, the ladder doesn't lie. So with that in mind, why do you rate Collingwood a powerhouse club? If the ladder doesn't lie as you said then surely Collingwood are a 5th to 8th best side like us? Contradicting yourself much Vortex???

[samuraisaint]

Brings up the whole question of records in this year, shorter games, shorter season odd home and away fixture (no vic home games). Do the records stand up ?

Nup. Ridiculous to even go there. Especially a stat about scores above 100.

I think with the shorter quarters and one less game it is fairer to compare a season like this to earlier eras than a regular season, as players back then were only semi professional, and had very little in the way of conditioning.

I have watched a lot of non Saints games this season and I usually watch our replays at least once, and when you aren't watching as an invested fan you really get an objective feedback loop. I can't see much about the 2020 game that is comparable to full strength competition. The season will be an outlier in the histrory of the game, and just like COVID-19 itelf, this year's results are unprecedented and unremarkable. So it's very hard for me to compare this season to any other season.

Results and stats are, and relative to each other within the 2020 comp itself and that really is the only measure one can be objectively applied. This season can't be measured against any other season becuse of the changes to the game and the circumstances clubs and players have had to operate within.

Having said that we have benefitted from the season, the team has bonded and had games to establish understanding and cohesion and the new and young players have had games to practice their craft. I really feel sorry for the players who have suffered badly due to there not being a feeder comp.

As a side note, and something you won't hear discussed by the AFL controlled media, which is all of the footy media, is the longer Ad breaks between goals, players have been getting double the time to recover.

'unremarkable'? I certainly think this season has been nothing but remarkable really.

However, I do take your point, but there are possibly two even bigger benefits - finals experience and regularly winning interstate as a group, two things we have not done for this many a year.

It's been remarkable in the sense we have got a glimpse of the fab 5 rectuits and how they can instantly transform us. The excitement around what they could do for the team was there before COVID-19 derailed the season and so this season has at least given us something to really get excited about and our prospects of a flag in the next few years. I don't think we will win it this year as we are clearly around the 5th to 8th best side in the 8 this year.

The interstate wins in 2020 aren't really something we can use as measure of improvement as most of the comp has been played at 2 grounds and the Port win was with a very small crowd so not the usual hostile and intimidating crowd.

Really we have fallen into the finals in the end and so I think a really good box to tick will be a win against a side like the Pies. If we can, get that done then we can launch into a good pre season.

4 grounds - including WA and SA - and we won two games against opponents who had owned us for years, and both of those matches were in front of hostile crowds. We also played the Lions and the Suns on their home grounds and went close to knocking off the Lions. I was very surprised we came so close.

We even traveled across to Alice Springs to play for the first time to play.

I reckon we have learned a lot about playing and winning interstate this year.

EDIT: And we might have to play our first final against either Collingwood or the Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval, which is even more experience and ironic given that was the scene of our last interstate final win way back in 2005.