Intra Club Pre-season Match

[Wrote for Luck]

there must be something to the intra-club games or they wouldn't bother
the young guys, before joining the club, would never have played against AFL material, so it's good for them
also Nick, Lenny and Gods; are they moving ok after surgery? seems so. all important stuff

[3rd generation saint]

I was at that Bulldogs practice match too, and yes it was painful to watch, though we did kick a few points that day.
But the one thing I do remember about that game that got me a little excited was the fact that we we're running the Bulldogs down, something we weren't able to do the season before.
In both games in 08 they beat us badly with pace.
As for yesterday, I just remember the quote from one supporter there and that was it was the first time for a long time, that it was the kids making the impression, and that was raising his interest in the season to come.
I am looking forward to how we go in the NAB Cup, see how some of these kids do against someone who is really playing for the opposition.
If they impress there, well, Round 1 becomes even more anticipated.

[Spinner]

Of course I will be called negative and I wasnt even there but I would have seen 20 of these games and unless they have changed they play each other. They mean very little, actually probably nothing as it is probably the third or fourth of these games they have had already this year. All they do is is pick the 22 for the next game which again means nothing for round one.

Did we get an injury? That is all that matters.

i remember seeing a saints v blues praccy match and putting alan murray down as the next saints champ. so yeah. not getting excited over an intra club. im guessing the stars aint that good and the duds aint that bad.
nab will give us some idea. not heaps but some. by round 8 we will all know where we stand.
on the positive side - this year the saints are a genuine unknown.

I saw a Saint v Bulldogs praccy at Princess Park in 2009 and the people we were with were all laughing at our pathetic attack (and how hopeless the Bulldogs were at penetrating our defence). We all agreed that neither would make the 8 and we were on a downward slide.

Suffice to say we won 19 straight, played the Bulldogs in an epic PF and got tipped out by Geelong in the GF.

Oh and we all agreed that Colm Begley was a cert for the fullback job.

Hmmm lost it with that last statement.


I was at that game also and was super impressed how opposing teams couldn't score. It was that game coupled with either the one before or after when the stats started coming out of the dismal inside 50's teams were clocking up against us.

Certainly liked us that day and certainly didn't think Begley would play seniors, if anything a running half flanker.

[clarky449]

there must be something to the intra-club games or they wouldn't bother
the young guys, before joining the club, would never have played against AFL material, so it's good for them
also Nick, Lenny and Gods; are they moving ok after surgery? seems so. all important stuff

Means nothing. Take it with a grain of salt.

[8856brother]

there must be something to the intra-club games or they wouldn't bother
the young guys, before joining the club, would never have played against AFL material, so it's good for them
also Nick, Lenny and Gods; are they moving ok after surgery? seems so. all important stuff

Means nothing. Take it with a grain of salt.

Means plenty. Everyone out to impress. Fans have been starved for nearly six months. Tell the first year players it means nothing.

[plugger66]

there must be something to the intra-club games or they wouldn't bother
the young guys, before joining the club, would never have played against AFL material, so it's good for them
also Nick, Lenny and Gods; are they moving ok after surgery? seems so. all important stuff

Means nothing. Take it with a grain of salt.

Means plenty. Everyone out to impress. Fans have been starved for nearly six months. Tell the first year players it means nothing.

I think they know. I dont think people realise they probably have played a couple of these games already. Just werent open to the public or certainly not advertised.

[whiskers3614]

In the old days they were referred to as March champions.
Guess we vare not even patient enough to wait till March anymore!

[st_Trav_ofWA]

In the old days they were referred to as March champions.
Guess we vare not even patient enough to wait till March anymore!

Don't think anyone has declared us premiership favs as yet ... So what we are getting excited for our boys being back playing footy why be the grinch to knock people for being excited

[Enrico_Misso]

Typed up a big player by player report and hit submit....told I have to log in again!!!
Haven't got another 45 mins to waste so here is a brief report.

Agree on reports above

NEW GUYS: Newnes, Ross, Markworth and Wilkes were all good and look like they will be good value for the club. Saad, Milera and the rookies were all patchy.

Here's a tip.
If I've written a long post I always do a ctrl-C copy before I submit - just in case.

But thanks to all for those reports.
Really good reading.

[Enrico_Misso]

By the way - did we win?

[Dis Believer]

By the way - did we win?

No...I mean yes,......I mean........ I dunno......

[Con Gorozidis]

By the way - did we win?

No...I mean yes,......I mean........ I dunno......

we shitted it in!

oh hang on we got pumped

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Interestingly at the Freo intra club match yesterday night Zac Dawson had 4goals kicked on him ... By a WAFL player invited to make up numbers !!! Zac also now has an Afro

[Wrote for Luck]

AN AFRO MEANS NOTHING!

[3rd generation saint]

By the way - did we win?

And the umpiring was against us all day.

[joffaboy]

Hmmm lost it with that last statement.


I was at that game also and was super impressed how opposing teams couldn't score. It was that game coupled with either the one before or after when the stats started coming out of the dismal inside 50's teams were clocking up against us.

Certainly liked us that day and certainly didn't think Begley would play seniors, if anything a running half flanker.

That was my whole point spinner.

From an out of context praccy (stinking hot as SainterK said), where both team looked very dodgey in attack we got the impression that we were in for a torrid year.

First qtr into the season nothing had changed. Four goals down to nil against Sydney and it looked like our praccy form had translated into the season proper. Sydney kicked about three more for the night and we went from strength to strength in that season.

The Bulldogs praccy was were RL first got the feeling the Saints had their defensive frontal pressure game down pat.

As for Colm Begley, he played better than Zac (or so we thought) from what we saw.

Suffice to say, we were wrong on both counts, and all my post indicated that praccy's and intra's can be misleading.

[saint66au]

Hmmm lost it with that last statement.


I was at that game also and was super impressed how opposing teams couldn't score. It was that game coupled with either the one before or after when the stats started coming out of the dismal inside 50's teams were clocking up against us.

Certainly liked us that day and certainly didn't think Begley would play seniors, if anything a running half flanker.

That was my whole point spinner.

From an out of context praccy (stinking hot as SainterK said), where both team looked very dodgey in attack we got the impression that we were in for a torrid year.

First qtr into the season nothing had changed. Four goals down to nil against Sydney and it looked like our praccy form had translated into the season proper. Sydney kicked about three more for the night and we went from strength to strength in that season.

The Bulldogs praccy was were RL first got the feeling the Saints had their defensive frontal pressure game down pat.

As for Colm Begley, he played better than Zac (or so we thought) from what we saw.

Suffice to say, we were wrong on both counts, and all my post indicated that praccy's and intra's can be misleading.

Yep I was at that game too and Ill also plead guilty to being the other party in the "Colm Begley will play Round 1" affirmation

Dont forget too in between that day and Round 1...we were walloped by Port by 80-odd points over at AAMI

[whiskers3614]

Guess after Begley and walsh we better have a "no Irish" policy!

[footynut]

Don't be so negative whiskers, maybe instead of a no irish policy, we should draft Tommy Walsh's younger brother and turn him into a superstar

[WinnersOnly]

There is no doubt if we had a 'No Ross LYING' policy before this year, WALSH would have played last year and remained.

Its amazing isnt it, the club were reluctant to resign LYING and now it is blatantly obvious why! Initially I, like others was terribly upset he left and now I feel it was one of the more stategically intelligent decisions they have made in recent years. There is no doubt he was a 'control freak' and had some issues with developing the younger players and giving them a go!

IF LYING had remained we would not have played finals this year and lost several players at years end. Under the WATTERS / PELCHEN era I am confident we will and continue our sucess and begin to development players in line with the more sucessful clubs in the competition.

[plugger66]

There is no doubt if we had a 'No Ross LYING' policy before this year, WALSH would have played last year and remained.

Its amazing isnt it, the club were reluctant to resign LYING and now it is blatantly obvious why! Initially I, like others was terribly upset he left and now I feel it was one of the more stategically intelligent decisions they have made in recent years. There is no doubt he was a 'control freak' and had some issues with developing the younger players and giving them a go!

IF LYING had remained we would not have played finals this year and lost several players at years end. Under the WATTERS / PELCHEN era I am confident we will and continue our sucess and begin to development players in line with the more sucessful clubs in the competition.

So you honestly think 2 or 3 games would have been enough for him to stay. How can you say that? you wouldnt have a clue. It seems he went for much more money which we didnt have due to the salary cap and the only way he wouldnt have got more money from Sydney is if he was really poor in those few games.

By the way the club were never reluctant to sing RL, they just couldnt match the money.

Some of the things you have just said is pretty much emotive rubbish with not one gram of fact in it.

[dcstkfc]

There is no doubt if we had a 'No Ross LYING' policy before this year, WALSH would have played last year and remained.

Its amazing isnt it, the club were reluctant to resign LYING and now it is blatantly obvious why! Initially I, like others was terribly upset he left and now I feel it was one of the more stategically intelligent decisions they have made in recent years. There is no doubt he was a 'control freak' and had some issues with developing the younger players and giving them a go!

IF LYING had remained we would not have played finals this year and lost several players at years end. Under the WATTERS / PELCHEN era I am confident we will and continue our sucess and begin to development players in line with the more sucessful clubs in the competition.

So you honestly think 2 or 3 games would have been enough for him to stay. How can you say that? you wouldnt have a clue. It seems he went for much more money which we didnt have due to the salary cap and the only way he wouldnt have got more money from Sydney is if he was really poor in those few games.

By the way the club were never reluctant to sing RL, they just couldnt match the money.

Some of the things you have just said is pretty much emotive rubbish with not one gram of fact in it.

I have to agree.

If we should be angry at anyone it is those who managed our cap between 2009 and 2011. Even then however it can be the price of success, the same thing happened at Geelong: Laidler, Djerkurra, Gamble, Callan, Playfair, Prismall etc

[KingSaint]

Interestingly at the Freo intra club match yesterday night Zac Dawson had 4goals kicked on him ... By a WAFL player invited to make up numbers !!! Zac also now has an Afro

I read with interest in Saturdays paper, Ross appeared to get a little testy when one of the journo's brought up Zac's performance in the practice match. To quote "I've seen Zac stand up under the fiercest heat". "Were you at Grand Finals in 2010 & 2009? We can talk about those performances."

Welcome to Perth Ross. Not a great place to be a footy coach if you don't like dealing with the media and dumb journo's on a daily basis.

[defacto]

Interestingly at the Freo intra club match yesterday night Zac Dawson had 4goals kicked on him ... By a WAFL player invited to make up numbers !!! Zac also now has an Afro

I read with interest in Saturdays paper, Ross appeared to get a little testy when one of the journo's brought up Zac's performance in the practice match. To quote "I've seen Zac stand up under the fiercest heat". "Were you at Grand Finals in 2010 & 2009? We can talk about those performances."

Welcome to Perth Ross. Not a great place to be a footy coach if you don't like dealing with the media and dumb journo's on a daily basis.

this. ross is in a tough position. the dockers fans will demand the club plays finals and gets progressively better each year under ross (in his 5 year contract). the problem is the dockers are in the same position as us, their key players are getting older and they need to rebuild. at least watters doesnt have the pressure of continually making finals over 5 years. he may have pressure to make a serious dent this year but for the most part i think saints supporters expect us to fade away from there and rebuild.

[Con Gorozidis]

By the way - did we win?

And the umpiring was against us all day.

adrian anderson rigged it against us . im certain of it.