Dons show that we need to be on our guard

saintsRrising · Sat 09 May 2009 12:23am

Result tonight againts the Hawks shows that any team can win.....

If we bring our best game on Monday we will win....

Relax..and anything can happen..

thirty-seven!? · Sat 09 May 2009 12:34am

This game made me a little scared for next week...

If you were to beat the Saints right now, you would need to tackle hard, break the lines, and take risks...

Exactly the style of game that the Dons brought tonight...

However, the question is, which Dons will we see next week?

Mr Magic · Post: # 735892Post **Mr Magic** » Sat 09 May 2009 12:43am

thirty-seven!? wrote:This game made me a little scared for next week...

If you were to beat the Saints right now, you would need to tackle hard, break the lines, and take risks...

Exactly the style of game that the Dons brought tonight...

However, the question is, which Dons will we see next week?

It also depends on how much pressure your opponents put you under?

saintbrat · Post: # 735905Post **saintbrat** » Sat 09 May 2009 1:02am

I only watched a little but how slow and tired do the hawks still look?

saintsRrising · Sat 09 May 2009 1:04am

Yes the Hawks rolling zone broke down.... and they had no counter to the Dons being able to run through it.

Our success of late is to pressure immediately. We stopped the running Dogs...and will need to do likewise against the Dons.

But yes some of those Dons players had some pace....

The Hawks workrate looked to be down...and injuries are no excuse as the dons havea lot of injured playes out...Hille, fletcher. McVeigh etc...

Clarkson may have to move on to Plan B...and their rolling zone no longer seems to be-fuddling teams. Looks like the various coahes have been wearing out their video-tapes over summer.

kaos theory · Sat 09 May 2009 1:07am

Yes, we need to be on our game, but the hawks have been very poor all year.

They are living under the delusion that they can switch on with great form any time they like and win the flag again.

That is BS, you need to be showing consistent form through the year. Look at the cats, they have come out from the start winning games.

Hawks used the injury excuse....but that's all it is, just an excuse for deeper problems. They will probably still make the finals, but imo, they wont be a flag threat this year....

kosifantutti23 · Sat 09 May 2009 1:45am

Yes any team that beats Hawthorn is a real threat to us.

eg. Sydney, Port Adelaide.

The OtherThommo · Sat 09 May 2009 2:46am

OFCOL (Have a guess at that lot).

I'll sum it up - there's now 2 sides in it, us and Geelong, that's it.

There is an outside chance we may meet Geelong in round 14 with both sides undefeated, and the 3rd best side on the ladder having a 50/50 record.

It is our time. And, we are good enough - watch Monday night.

Shaggy · Post: # 735922Post **Shaggy** » Sat 09 May 2009 2:57am

The OtherThommo wrote:OFCOL (Have a guess at that lot).

I'll sum it up - there's now 2 sides in it, us and Geelong, that's it.

There is an outside chance we may meet Geelong in round 14 with both sides undefeated, and the 3rd best side on the ladder having a 50/50 record.

It is our time. And, we are good enough - watch Monday night.

First time I have ever agreed with you.

But we will lose some-time without it being anyone's fault.

Currently I think I am watching the best Saints side ever but the Cats are the best ever (but on the day they can be beaten as last GF shows

).

The OtherThommo · Sat 09 May 2009 3:03am

Settle there Shagster, never, ever agree with a Bonehead like me. I'm just a 45+ year lover of what's happening. It's grand, we're up and stuff everyone who doesn't get it. Mind you that's just me.

Sainter_Dad · Sat 09 May 2009 8:41am

The OtherThommo wrote:Settle there Shagster, never, ever agree with a Bonehead like me. I'm just a 45+ year lover of what's happening. It's grand, we're up and stuff everyone who doesn't get it. Mind you that's just me.

I agree - I happen to think that last night was not a real display of Hawthorns power - they are still suffering at 3 and 4 this year - having beaten North, limped in against Carlton and only just beaten The Eagles. I did tip them this week but there is no way that a solid win by Essendon over a very lacklustre Hawks will put a damper on my expectations for the Collingwood game. The boys will leave 110% on the field - we need to leave our voices in the stadium on Monday night!

GrumpyOne · Post: # 735950Post **GrumpyOne** » Sat 09 May 2009 9:43am

Essendon are not up to maintaining that intensity they showed against Hawthorn week after week after week. They are still building a style and a game plan.

However given our start to the season, we will be targets for them. Knights is working on the fact that he can say at the end of the season "You beat x, y and z..... ,you can beat anyone", and building up for a big crack next year.

I have concerns for our game against the Dons.

supersaints · Sat 09 May 2009 10:17am

bombers will have an extra 3 days rest, wich will go in their favour, so I expect them to be super quick. however, if we play the same we have all year i expect that they will struggle to break our lines ,and they will have quite a few turnovers we can exploit. certainly a danger game if we are not fully focused. Because I expect the Colliwobbles will try to out-tackle us on Monday.

falka · Post: # 735957Post **falka** » Sat 09 May 2009 10:32am

Has everyone been in a coma since 66.

We have achieved nothing, been in good positions early in seasons, even late in the season (04 and 97).

Don't recall too many Saints fans concerned when we were 10-0 (didn't even make Granny) or when we were raging favourites in 97 paying about $1.30

Things can change overnight in this game, and I will admit, the brand of Footy we are playing is far better than any other year, but there are another 19 games to go (including finals if we get there)

Get enthused, no doubt get excited but don't make silly statements until its all said and done.

Winmar7Fan · Sat 09 May 2009 10:41am

Would I be the only one to think that maybe Hawthorn are a little overrated or Inconsistently fragile? I know they won the flag and can be very Impressive on the day with Buddy, Roughhead and co but many times I watch them (even last year) they can look very average and lack the consistent polish of a power team like Geelong.

They don't worry me at all if we can keep our focus and discipline Geelong are really our only concern and as we saw last September anything can happen on the day if you can get down to the final two.

Cairnsman · Post: # 735981Post **Cairnsman** » Sat 09 May 2009 11:33am

Winmar7Fan wrote:Would I be the only one to think that maybe Hawthorn are a little overrated or Inconsistently fragile? I know they won the flag and can be very Impressive on the day with Buddy, Roughhead and co but many times I watch them (even last year) they can look very average and lack the consistent polish of a power team like Geelong.

They don't worry me at all if we can keep our focus and discipline Geelong are really our only concern and as we saw last September anything can happen on the day if you can get down to the final two.

As discussed in the following thread. My view is the Hawks caught everyone napping in 2008. I reckon Clarko must have been pinching himself throughout last year with the whole footy world ooozing over his percieved inovative coaching techniques. I mean even the man himself looks like a stunned rabbit on the road with the high beam lights. And I question the whole rolling zone thing being created by Clarko. I reckon he ripped that off Lyon.

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/view ... ight=hawks

Winmar7Fan · Sat 09 May 2009 12:12pm

Cairnsman wrote:
Winmar7Fan wrote:Would I be the only one to think that maybe Hawthorn are a little overrated or Inconsistently fragile? I know they won the flag and can be very Impressive on the day with Buddy, Roughhead and co but many times I watch them (even last year) they can look very average and lack the consistent polish of a power team like Geelong.

They don't worry me at all if we can keep our focus and discipline Geelong are really our only concern and as we saw last September anything can happen on the day if you can get down to the final two.
As discussed in the following thread. My view is the Hawks caught everyone napping in 2008. I reckon Clarko must have been pinching himself throughout last year with the whole footy world ooozing over his percieved inovative coaching techniques. I mean even the man himself looks like a stunned rabbit on the road with the high beam lights. And I question the whole rolling zone thing being created by Clarko. I reckon he ripped that off Lyon.

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/view ... ight=hawks

Interesting in your thread peoples predictions. Just goes to show how much can change in a couple of months.

saintsRrising · Sat 09 May 2009 12:57pm

thirty-seven!? wrote:This game made me a little scared for next week...

If you were to beat the Saints right now, you would need to tackle hard, break the lines, and take risks...

Exactly the style of game that the Dons brought tonight...

However, the question is, which Dons will we see next week?

I think the bigger question is which Saints..

If it is the Saints team we have seen in the first 6 weeks we will win.

Self-belief can be a wonderous thing....I think our players are now on-board and view themselves as a good team...and more importantly are committed to being a good team. Working hard for a full four quarters...and week in week out will be the test of this.

The Cat's have that same attribute. So when we do battle...other factors such as individual ability, skill errors etc will be crucial to the result.

aussiejones · Sat 09 May 2009 1:19pm

we dont need the Dons win as a Reminder. Just continue on doing what we are doing.

Geelong will be a test.

desertsaint · Sat 09 May 2009 2:00pm

All games will be a test - need to keep up the intensity and belief for all games. Go into any game slightly off key and we'll lose.

tweedaletomanning · Sat 09 May 2009 2:31pm

supersaints wrote:bombers will have an extra 3 days rest, wich will go in their favour, so I expect them to be super quick. however, if we play the same we have all year i expect that they will struggle to break our lines ,and they will have quite a few turnovers we can exploit. certainly a danger game if we are not fully focused. Because I expect the Colliwobbles will try to out-tackle us on Monday.

This I find very annoying....How ridiculous is the fixturing, that it allows one team to have a 3 day rest advantage...

Why oh WHY is the AFL Soooooooo Incompetent?????