SHEAHAN has declared Collingwood flag favourite...

[WinnersOnly]

Does that guy never learn as he definitely cant remain impartial when it comes to his team - Collingwood (filth). He wets his pants over the pies every year they make the finals and declares them the best regardless what other teams have acheived around them...

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 42,00.html

I HOPE WE PLAY COLLINGWOOD IN THE GF AND SMASH THEM SO ONCE AGAIN THEY CAN EXPERIENCE THAT OLD COLLINGWOOD FEELING OF GETTING WIPED IN GRAND FINALS...

[Eastern]

Does that guy never learn as he definitely cant remain impartial when it comes to his team - Collingwood (filth). He west his pants over the pies every year they make the finals and declares them the best regardless what other teams have acheived around them...

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 42,00.html

I HOPE WE PLAY COLLINGWOOD IN THE GF AND SMASH THEM SO ONCE AGAIN THEY CAN EXPERIENCE THAT OLD COLLINGWOOD FEELING OF GETTING WIPED IN GRAND FINALS...

Lets not let the facts get in the way of a good story here;

Mike Sheahan is a Melbourne Supporter

Opinions (even Mike Sheahan's) are like arzeholes. Everbody has one

Mike Sheahan is in the business of selling newspapers, and Collingwood sells newspapers !!

[SaintWodonga]

pretty sure he is a Hawks supporter.

[reincarnated]

Reincarnated says that finals and home and away fixtures are two different machines

Finals reverts back to basic footy and tall dominating forwards more so than home and away

Collingwood have no good talls (yes Reincarnated is aware that they have quality, creative smalls)

Therefore Collingwood won't win

[Sainterman]

Lol - I thought he was a Carlton supporter.

And I don't mind not being outright favorites, we can go about our business without that tag and the pressure. The Pies can have it, as can Geelong. All set for a great finals series if you step back and look at it. There are 4 teams all looking capable on their day.

Was very disappointed yesterday, but this morning I am just thinking we need to wait and see in 2 weeks time. It can all turn around very quickly again. I will back the players and the fitness staff from here and think that we will come out firing again when it matters.

[perfectionist]

...Mike Sheahan is a Melbourne Supporter...

Correct.

[Winmarvellous]

A valid opinion. They have the best form going into the finals, and the best record over the second half of the year. We've lost to 13th and a team that may or may not finish 8th in the past 2 weeks.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

My best friend at school was best man at Mike's son's wedding and I'm pretty much certain he follows Melbourne.
Aside from that, why wouldn't Collingwood be favourites? They've won something like 12 from 13 and are in the sort of form we were in a couple of months ago. On the "form ladder" they're clearly on top (for both wins and percentage).
We are currently going backwards at a rate of knots, while they're seemingly getting better by the week (as are the Bulldogs). They've just strengthened their team with Josh Fraser and Anthony Rocca gives them another option up front.
We have one week to get our s*** together, while they have beautiful timing and momentum. Ladder position will mean just about FA come finals, since the top 4 are all Vic teams and Collingwood are at home on the MCG. We haven't played there since last year, where we got smashed in 2 of our 3 finals. Mick Malthouse also knows his time is running out in charge, so he'll be pulling out all stops. Then there's the "Collingwood Army", who usually make a hell of a lot more noise than us to support their team.
We have a hell of a lot of work to do. Anyone who thought we had it in the bag, may like to think again. What did we learn from 1997?

[starsign]

...Mike Sheahan is a Melbourne Supporter...

Correct.

you guys may well be right but I have always gathered the impression he was a Pie supporter as well

anyway he's only working up his bonus from the usual circulation figures when the Sun writes about the filth particularly at this time of the year, and fortunately he is usually well of the mark in his predictions!

[InkerSaint]

That self-important tosser has been gagging to jump off the Saints' bandwagon ever since he was embarrassed into declaring for them in round 7 after tipping against them 6 weeks in a row.

More humble pie, Mike? Our team will happily oblige.

[Animal Enclosure]

He's definitely a Melbourne supporter.

He's also the best exponent of the 'bandwagon on... bandwagon off' move you'll ever see.

If the Bulldogs beat the Pies next week you watch good old Mike voice his grave concerns about Collingwood's finals campaign.

He's turned himself from a thoughful football writer into a charicature.

On a serious note, the Filth deserve their favoritism.

[Saintschampions08]

Reincarnated says that finals and home and away fixtures are two different machines

Finals reverts back to basic footy and tall dominating forwards more so than home and away

Collingwood have no good talls (yes Reincarnated is aware that they have quality, creative smalls)

Therefore Collingwood won't win

Really?

Thats proven by what?
Sydney in '05?
West Coast in '06?

What about Geelong?...i seem to remember Steve Johnson winning the norm smith...

How did Franklin / Roughead go last year? Neither went close to dominating...

[saint75]

Mission accomplished Ross. Pressure taken off and the focus shifted to another team. Will be interesting to see how Collingwood cope with the 'flag favourite' tag. If their recent history is anything to go by, they should choke in the 1st and 2nd week of the finals......

St Kilda will face either Geelong or Western Bulldogs in the Grand Final!

[meher baba]

If we aren't going to be favourites, I still think Geelong should be and then the Dogs and then the Pies.

Collingwood are playing to the best of their ability. They are in good form and have the best coach in the comp (I know most on here don't seem to agree, but Malthouse is the guy I'd want to have coaching for my life on GF day).

But - and this illustrates my point as to what a good coach Malthouse is - they don't have the cattle and haven't had throughout the past decade, even though they have made the finals more often than not.

Under the extreme pressure of the finals, I don't think players like Anthony, Thomas, Swan, Dick, Cloke, Medhurst, even Davis are up to the mark. Didak, Maxwell, Pendlebury and a few others probably are, but I don't reckon that's enough to swing it. And the Pies are definitely vulnerable at the back.

I was very impressed with the Dogs on Friday night. I reckon they have a good list and are running into form at the right end of the season. I would far rather we played the Pies in the first final.

As for Sheahan and others who are tipping the Pies, I reckon that's fair enough. You could argue that St Kilda are chokers (which is yet to proven wrong), Geelong are too injured and the Dogs still don't have the forward line power to win finals. So the Pies, in great form and with a coach and a bunch of senior players with lots of big game/finals experience, look a reasonable bet. I don't agree, but I don't feel like I have to abuse anyone who thinks differently.

[jonesy]

How dare he suggest he anyone but us being flag favourites! Especially declaring the most inform side in the league with a mass rabid army behind it going full steam ahead into the finals.
I hate them more than the next person,they make me sick,but they are favourites if you open both eyes. Week one of the finals is up to us to win that favouritism back

[samoht]

If we can get a fully fit squad playing in the finals we should still be overwhelming flag favourites.

Riewoldt and Hayes better be fully fit... we should give them a week off if needs be.

[bigcarl]

A valid opinion. They have the best form going into the finals, and the best record over the second half of the year. We've lost to 13th and a team that may or may not finish 8th in the past 2 weeks.

correct. collingwood have claims to being the benchmark now. would love for it to be an underdog like us to bring them down a rung.

[BaysideSaint]

noddy lost his licence last year for DUI.

[asiu]

I hate them more than the next person,

not true jonesy

i hate em more than you

[midas_touch]

Collingwood have reason to be the form team of the competition at the moment. Talent wise, they are inferior to us, but as much as I loathe them, they play extremely well as a team and for one another.

[goodie]

Is this the same football expert who's a long way behind in the HS tipping competition?

[BaysideSaint]

Is this the same football expert who's a long way behind in the HS tipping competition?

THE title of "flag favourite" is one of dubious value. Meaningful or not, it now resides with Collingwood.

betfair.com
STK $3.40
GEE $3.75
COL $4.00
Noddy should know that the Title is ours...

[Saintmania]

Can someone tell me what Collingwood have done since round nine that makes them a better team than us? Beat Bulldogs (we did that twice and by a lot more than one point) and Adelaide (we did that as well) from what I can see. Yes, we lost two games we shouldn't have and they lost one but c'mon, anyone who tries to argue that a team that has won four less games than the other is a better team is a little off in my book. Collingwood has had a lot to play for for all 21 rounds so far, we have not. That is a major statistic that people hailing the great 'pies should really consider.

[perfectionist]

SportsBet has the Saints favourites:


St Kilda $3.20
Geelong $3.40
Collingwood $3.40
Footscray $7.00

[BaysideSaint]

SM .. collingwood are BIG!! they are really really huge. they are so wealthy that they can afford to walk almost a whole kilometre to training from their base next to one of the greatest river systems in the developed world. they are so really-really BIG!
and they are confident also