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If we think we are any sort of chance in this 2011 campaign to have some belief of the impossible happening?
As we've witnessed in the last few weeks the team has shown they have a bit of mettle.
It's really starting to look like the group want to silence their critics. I'm sure there is a general consensus amongst some of the older players that they feel it really could be their last shot at being a part of the ultimate.
The losses of Lenny, Gardy and Jimbo have been huge set-backs, but I'm enjoying this spirited fight back by the players still standing.
Another huge concern is our inability to play with fluency at the MCG.
There are definitely some teams above us on the ladder who won't by any means take us lightly. Perhaps a tenacious nature can really work in our advantage ala (dare I say) the Adelaide Crows of 1997?
The season's conclusion will be very interesting whichever way it pans out.
In the meantime, let's keep the faith and take it one game at a time
Curb your enthusiasm - you’re a St.Kilda supporter!!
Sainternist wrote:If we think we are any sort of chance in this 2011 campaign to have some belief of the impossible happening?
As we've witnessed in the last few weeks the team has shown they have a bit of mettle.
It's really starting to look like the group want to silence their critics. I'm sure there is a general consensus amongst some of the older players that they feel it really could be their last shot at being a part of the ultimate.
The losses of Lenny, Gardy and Jimbo have been huge set-backs, but I'm enjoying this spirited fight back by the players still standing.
Another huge concern is our inability to play with fluency at the MCG.
There are definitely some teams above us on the ladder who won't by any means take us lightly. Perhaps a tenacious nature can really work in our advantage ala (dare I say) the Adelaide Crows of 1997?
The season's conclusion will be very interesting whichever way it pans out.
In the meantime, let's keep the faith and take it one game at a time
We've had the summer crap, a shocking start that saw some fans suggesting we begin tanking and injuries to Lenny and Jimmy.
So the one thing we've got going for us in 2011 that we didn't in either 2009 or 2010 is that we've got nothing to lose.
Strap in and enjoy the rest of the season, for how ever long it goes for
"I think, 'You kick a footy mate, you kick a footy. It's not like you've got a cure for cancer. You kick a footy, stop thinking you are so special'." - Samantha Black
It's unlikely that anyone other than Collingwood will win the flag, but it was unlikely that anyone other than St Kilda would in 2009. We're never without a chance against anyone. Who knows, if we make the GF Thomas might crumble under injury, Cloke might get himself suspended and Schneider might pull 6 goals out of his arse while Steven gets 35 touches and 10 clearances. I don't think it's delusional o believe that the unlikely MIGHT happen
mad saint guy wrote:It's unlikely that anyone other than Collingwood will win the flag, but it was unlikely that anyone other than St Kilda would in 2009. We're never without a chance against anyone. Who knows, if we make the GF Thomas might crumble under injury, Cloke might get himself suspended and Schneider might pull 6 goals out of his arse while Steven gets 35 touches and 10 clearances. I don't think it's delusional o believe that the unlikely MIGHT happen
You think? The cats were actually favourites to win the GF in 09 in the week leading up to the GF, so plenty of ppl believed it was possible that we wouldn't win. Unfortunately we began to stumble about Rd 19 that year (SCG against Sydney) and lost our way a little bit. The pies haven't looked anything like doing that so far I reckon.
after the disappointment of losing a GF two seasons ago by a couple of kicks despite being the strongest team of the season all year,
after having to sack last year's star recruit before he'd even kicked a ball drawing us into a messy dispute that will linger for years,
after having one of the club's most disgusting scandals in our history dragged up all over again and fresh doubt being heaped on 2 of our finest players in Milney and Joey,
after the pain of seeing 2 of our team leaders in Max and Bally leave for nothing to a rival club who then overtook us,
after the disappointment of losing another GF (and drawing 1) to that same rival last year and watch them take the plaudits for the gameplan we pioneered,
after a scandalous pre-season that deeply humiliated the club, several key players and the captain,
after playing an exhausting gameplan that many pundits have labelled 'unsubstainable' for the last 3 years,
and after the worst start in who knows how many seasons, after being fairly written off by everyone including ourselves with several key players out for the season or deeply out of form and physically mentally and spiritually battered from the above,
we currently sit in finals contention with 6 rounds to go, yet some people here are saying "We'll never be premiers, might as well accept it".
All because we can't wear "greater disappointment"?
If we stop believing now, we're effectively giving up, and I don't know about you but to give up NOW after coming this far after what we've been through as a club and as supporters, I don't think we could look ourselves in the mirror. THAT would be the greater disappointment for me, getting this far and then putting our foot on the brake so as not to look foolish.
I don't think we could respect ourselves if we didn't try properly, if we didn't truly believe and give it everything, and I will take self-respect any day over the respect of others.
So let us "kid ourselves", let outsiders patronise and ridicule us for having the determination to never say die. Anyone that does that doesn't know what we've been through, or knows and ignores it because they delight in making others feel bad, a typically insecure trait. Do you care about the respect of these insecure people who look for excuses and cheap shots to belittle our proud club? I don't, I can tell you.
Anyone outside the club who knows/remembers what a football club has to go through to win a premiership and knows what a club needs to go all the way, they know we are not a joke and they will expect us to challenge all the way, and they won't respect us if we aren't 'fair dinkum' about it, nor should they, nor should we.
So NO we are not kidding ourselves. Egg on our faces? Greater disappointment? If we try and fail from where we've been and where we are, there's no shame at all there.
Just My Opinion
------------------------------------------------
after the disappointment of losing a GF two seasons ago by a couple of kicks despite being the strongest team of the season all year,
after having to sack last year's star recruit before he'd even kicked a ball drawing us into a messy dispute that will linger for years,
after having one of the club's most disgusting scandals in our history dragged up all over again and fresh doubt being heaped on 2 of our finest players in Milney and Joey,
after the pain of seeing 2 of our team leaders in Max and Bally leave for nothing to a rival club who then overtook us,
after the disappointment of losing another GF (and drawing 1) to that same rival last year and watch them take the plaudits for the gameplan we pioneered,
after a scandalous pre-season that deeply humiliated the club, several key players and the captain,
after playing an exhausting gameplan that many pundits have labelled 'unsubstainable' for the last 3 years,
and after the worst start in who knows how many seasons, after being fairly written off by everyone including ourselves with several key players out for the season or deeply out of form and physically mentally and spiritually battered from the above,
we currently sit in finals contention with 6 rounds to go, yet some people on this forum are even THINKING "We'll never be premiers, might as well accept it".
All because we can't wear "greater disappointment"?
If we stop believing now, we're effectively giving up, and I don't know about you but to give up NOW after coming this far after what we've been through as a club and as supporters, I don't think we could look ourselves in the mirror. THAT would be the greater disappointment for me, getting this far and then putting our foot on the brake so as not to look foolish.
I don't think we could respect ourselves if we didn't try properly, if we didn't truly believe and give it everything, and I will take self-respect any day over the respect of others.
So let us "kid ourselves", let outsiders patronise and ridicule us for having the determination to never say die. Anyone that does that doesn't know what we've been through, or knows and ignores it because they delight in making others feel bad, a typically insecure trait. Do you care about the respect of these insecure people who look for excuses and cheap shots to belittle our proud club? I don't, I can tell you.
Anyone outside the club who knows/remembers what a football club has to go through to win a premiership and knows what a club needs to go all the way, they know we are not a joke and they will expect us to challenge all the way, and they won't respect us if we aren't 'fair dinkum' about it, nor should they, nor should we.
So NO we are not kidding ourselves. Egg on our faces? Greater disappointment? If we try and fail from where we've been and where we are, there's no shame at all there.
Just My Opinion
------------------------------------------------
saintspremiers wrote:If we beat Carlton and Collingwood in the H&A season only then will I start believing te fluff and bubble of this thread.
I highly doubt we can beat both of them though.
Let's face it, we really need to storm home ala 1997 and have Bo more key injuries.
But as long as we beat Carlscum in Round 24 I'll be happy!
Injuries are huge for us now. We have basically lost all our depth for the rest of the year unless we go back to Blake and Bakes and they were dropped for a reason. We cant win it IMO because I believe the pies are unbeatable but I certainly think we have more chance than we would have had had we listened to some on here and tanked after about round 5.
And to to all those who said tank please tell me the honest truth. Do you feel more hope 2012 coming off this good form or would you have rather entered 2012 coming off the form we had in the first 6 rounds. That is why you dont tank unless you know the window is completely shut. Confidence for next year will be very good amongst the players coming off our current form.
We can get to a prelim and ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN THEN!!
After the Cats, we are the most hardened finals team. Fighting our way through in elimination games is our forte.
No team in AFL/VFL history, starved of success like us, has had to face the heartbreak and off-field rubbish of the last 2 seasons. That has to count for something when it counts.
I won't stop until its mathematically impossible for us to win - then I can turn off the tv and look to 2012
saintspremiers wrote:If we beat Carlton and Collingwood in the H&A season only then will I start believing te fluff and bubble of this thread.
I highly doubt we can beat both of them though.
Let's face it, we really need to storm home ala 1997 and have Bo more key injuries.
But as long as we beat Carlscum in Round 24 I'll be happy!
Injuries are huge for us now. We have basically lost all our depth for the rest of the year unless we go back to Blake and Bakes and they were dropped for a reason. We cant win it IMO because I believe the pies are unbeatable but I certainly think we have more chance than we would have had had we listened to some on here and tanked after about round 5.
And to to all those who said tank please tell me the honest truth. Do you feel more hope 2012 coming off this good form or would you have rather entered 2012 coming off the form we had in the first 6 rounds. That is why you dont tank unless you know the window is completely shut. Confidence for next year will be very good amongst the players coming off our current form.
Did people say tank or did they say play the kids because our development process is so questionable it looked like an ideal time to blood some newbies and get them some senior experience.
Ross did try that briefly but the kids weren't up to it physically and are now all parked in the infirmary.....
The team is now mostly loaded with experience ,as is the Lyon way, and we are winning more often than not.We still have issues and depth would be the
major one.
plugger66 wrote:We cant win it IMO because I believe the pies are unbeatable but I certainly think we have more chance than we would have had had we tanked after about round 5.
So you think we are a chance then?
BTW, I reckon we can beat the Pies away from their own dunghill, the MCG (which they leave about four times per season).
plugger66 wrote:We cant win it IMO because I believe the pies are unbeatable but I certainly think we have more chance than we would have had had we tanked after about round 5.
So you think we are a chance then?
BTW, I reckon we can beat the Pies away from their own dunghill, the MCG (which they leave about four times per season).
Who cares if we beat them away from there. I dont think we can anyway. The finals are played at the G and whether you play 6 games or 16 there it shouldnt make any difference.
plugger66 wrote:We cant win it IMO because I believe the pies are unbeatable but I certainly think we have more chance than we would have had had we tanked after about round 5.
So you think we are a chance then?
BTW, I reckon we can beat the Pies away from their own dunghill, the MCG (which they leave about four times per season).
Who cares if we beat them away from there.
I do.
It will put some doubts into their minds as to whether they actually are "unbeatable" ... as you put it.
No such thing as an unbeatable team, as history has shown. Not one team have ever won a flag without at least one loss. There is no point pontificating about a game two weeks away. The only game that matters is the one tonight. If we win that, then we can worry about Freo. Then we can worry about the following game.
Sainternist wrote:If we think we are any sort of chance in this 2011 campaign to have some belief of the impossible happening?
As we've witnessed in the last few weeks the team has shown they have a bit of mettle.
It's really starting to look like the group want to silence their critics. I'm sure there is a general consensus amongst some of the older players that they feel it really could be their last shot at being a part of the ultimate.
The losses of Lenny, Gardy and Jimbo have been huge set-backs, but I'm enjoying this spirited fight back by the players still standing.
Another huge concern is our inability to play with fluency at the MCG.
There are definitely some teams above us on the ladder who won't by any means take us lightly. Perhaps a tenacious nature can really work in our advantage ala (dare I say) the Adelaide Crows of 1997?
The season's conclusion will be very interesting whichever way it pans out.
In the meantime, let's keep the faith and take it one game at a time
This season will get a pass mark if we can win a final. From there anything else is a bonus.
It will also display the chasm between 2nd and 3rd too if we can somehow jag a prelim final spot because we are nowhere near the top 2 teams with specific reference to ladder position and the ability to play consistent football.
