Considering all of their 'outs', I'm sure Saints supporters will be thinking "thank Christ we've only got Melbourne."

I think they'd rather play a better team so they don't suffer such an inglorious loss. Just like I'd rather play a better team in a lot of ways to get in to the season just because of how bad our round 1 performances have been!

Losing round 1 to a top team as long as you aren't smashed isn't so bad. Losing round 1 to Melbourne or round 1 to an undermanned St Kilda isn't great. Whoever loses this game will be the instant target for media backlash.

I think they'd rather play a better team so they don't suffer such an inglorious loss. Just like I'd rather play a better team in a lot of ways to get in to the season just because of how bad our round 1 performances have been!

Losing round 1 to a top team as long as you aren't smashed isn't so bad. Losing round 1 to Melbourne or round 1 to an undermanned St Kilda isn't great. Whoever loses this game will be the instant target for media backlash.

It will not be the Dees so don't fret.

Considering all of their 'outs', I'm sure Saints supporters will be thinking "thank Christ we've only got Melbourne."

only for the first 5 mins minute...then it'll be....WTF !!!

Roos and George Stone will have the Demons prepared.

It will not be the Dees so don't fret.

I'm waiting for the Hawks game until I get any sense of confidence. Their were patches of our old self against Geelong that we turned around. The Hawthorn game will show us where we are at. Any kind of competitive effort and I might start getting a bit excited. The saints have Port at Alberton. It's fair to say travelling to face a superior team at their training ground is likely to result in a loss.

Hope JKH has a blinder against the Hawks as Brynes was very disappointing against Geelong.

IMO all of Cross, Tyson, Vince & Mitchie will be in the staring 18 come round 1 and I would be picking Viney as the sub if needed way before Jordie gets a gig !!

I guess losing Lenny Hayes and Maverick Weller (well, I guess he doesn't enter the equation anyway, being rookie listed) to suspension isn't going to help their chances... but it certainly gives us the big midfield advantage.

Edited March 4, 201411 yr by hardtack

I guess losing Lenny Hayes and Maverick Weller to suspension isn't going to help their chances... but it certainly gives us the big midfield advantage.

I'm not sure there backs are up to stopping Hogan, Dawes, Fitzy and Howe if we smash them out of the middle, the scoreline could get as bad as the GWS game.

I'm waiting for the Hawks game until I get any sense of confidence. Their were patches of our old self against Geelong that we turned around. The Hawthorn game will show us where we are at. Any kind of competitive effort and I might start getting a bit excited. The saints have Port at Alberton. It's fair to say travelling to face a superior team at their training ground is likely to result in a loss.

next weeks's post:

I'm waiting for the Saints game until I get any sense of confidence. Their were patches of our old self against Hawthorn that we turned around. The Saints game will show us where we are at. Any kind of competitive effort and I might start getting a bit excited.

two weeks's post:

I'm waiting for the Eagles game until I get any sense of confidence. Their were patches of our old self against Saints that we turned around. The Eagles game will show us where we are at. Any kind of competitive effort and I might start getting a bit excited.

Not having a go at you specifically just the prevailing attitude around here. Let people get excited if they want.

Roos and George Stone will have the Demons prepared.

I think it's the mental preperation that will be the key this year.

I so want to see an absolute hiding dished out to the Saints. A win will do wonders for the boys but to hand out a flogging in round 1 should really get their tails up.

After the last few seasons and the "relax we've got this" threads heading into round 1, I'm a bit nervous about this game. Yes we look better this year and our opponent looks worse but I won't be confident until we are more goals in front than there are minutes left. Any predictions around here that we'll [censored] St Kilda make me even more nervous.

On the Viney thing, I don't think he walks straight into the side just because he's declared fit this year, we have a helluva lot more midfield depth than the past few seasons. He needs to get a run or two into his legs and hopefully he can do that over the next couple of weeks. When up and running there's no doubt he's best 22. Does anyone know if Casey have a practice match in the week between the Hawks game and round 1? If so he's still a chance to press his claims for a spot in the 22 for the season opener. I really can't see Michie missing out if he gets through this week unscathed, he's been very good in the preseason.

Not having a go at you specifically just the prevailing attitude around here. Let people get excited if they want.

Don't mind you getting excited C&B but I reserve the right to be a bit nervous. We haven't won in round 1 for what seems like an eternity, don't think we've won in round 2 for a fair while either.

Edit: really, f l o g is censored, so i have to type easily beat or win by a fair margin. The auto censor around here is out of control.

Edited March 4, 201411 yr by furious d

Melbourne was ranked No. 1 for disposals and time in possession over the NAB Challenge pre-season series, according to Champion Data.

​Yes it says Melbourne, that's us.

Carry that into round 1 and look out Saints.

christ I really like that stat

christ I really like that stat

You called C & B?

The Giants showed up stKilda's inability to contain any real height in the fwd 50.. if Say Dawes is ready to go to team up with Hogan and Howe and with, lets be iffy and suggest a 60-40 share of the ball, then again the Aints are up against it.

I'll be more concrete in these thoughts if we have a reasonable showing against Hawthorn but I can see no reason currently not to think we cant cause Nick's no-hopers anything but a whole lot of grief

My condition - Pollyanna Syndrome - is currently under control (just) and i cannot allow that genie to get out of the football. It was so bad last year that i confidently told mates we'd make the 8 and actually backed us to do so. It took precisely 1 game to realize i had a problem (and one more to ram home the point).

So i refuse to countenance winning.

& apparently a concussion?

I think Viney is important as he already has strength & aggression so I'd be surprised if he's not in the side off the bench Rnd 1.

its Hogan I'd hold back for a few.

Lets hold back Hogan who been dying to play for over 12 months and our only true big forward at the moment, dumbest post Iv read for a while though I'm hardly surprised.

Melbourne was ranked No. 1 for disposals and time in possession over the NAB Challenge pre-season series, according to Champion Data.

​Yes it says Melbourne, that's us.

Carry that into round 1 and look out Saints.

We lost to Geelong, matched them in most areas of the game and outnumbered them by quite a margin with number of possessions, but did you see the inside 50 count?

Stats stats stats. Champion data blah blah.

While it's a positive thing that we're holding onto the ball and playing a holding of possession style game when it's needed, we still over-possessed the ball against Geelong.

It'll take time, but we need to become a lot more efficient and direct with our kicks.

I hope you realise this, and you that you don't actually believe that the outcome of round 1 will be based on whether or not we win the possession count overall...

Edited March 4, 201411 yr by stevethemanjordan

We lost to Geelong, matched them in most areas of the game and outnumbered them by quite a margin with number of possessions, but did you see the inside 50 count?

Stats stats stats. Champion data blah blah.

While it's a positive thing that we're holding onto the ball and playing a holding of possession style game when it's needed, we still over-possessed the ball against Geelong.

It'll take time, but we need to become a lot more efficient and direct with our kicks.

I hope you realise this, and you that you don't actually believe that the outcome of round 1 will be based on whether or not we win the possession count overall...

Believe it, I BELIEVE IT!

If we have it they don't.

Did you see StKilda play GWS, they were [censored] and GWS finished last.

Our inside 50 count was poor as you say, not enough big forwards to kick too.

Remember, missing Garland, Frawley Dawes, Clark a decent ruckman,

You take FB CHB FF CHF & ruck from any side see how they perform, we were magnificent because we had a plan and we stuck to it, yes we over possessed but at least we had the pill.

We lost to Geelong, matched them in most areas of the game and outnumbered them by quite a margin with number of possessions, but did you see the inside 50 count?

Stats stats stats. Champion data blah blah.

While it's a positive thing that we're holding onto the ball and playing a holding of possession style game when it's needed, we still over-possessed the ball against Geelong.

It'll take time, but we need to become a lot more efficient and direct with our kicks.

I hope you realise this, and you that you don't actually believe that the outcome of round 1 will be based on whether or not we win the possession count overall...

Whatever way you cut it though, that stat, in isolation is a very positive one

The inside 50 stat doesn't concern me much, it needs to improve but i think as our execution of the game plan does so will that, we are getting the ball enough to win games that's a huge bonus

Agreed, can't stand the flogs. Will gladly watch any other team in the league suffer miserably without direction for years, just as we have been the laughing stock of other teams for the best part of 5 years.

You must have a lot of hate in you (not that that is a bad thing).

There are plenty of others who have done worse by us than the Sainters.

The inside 50 stat doesn't concern me much, it needs to improve but i think as our execution of the game plan does so will that, we are getting the ball enough to win games that's a huge bonus

pretty much...its just the confidence to finish things off with the actual entries into the 50.. There were undoubtedly times a longer kick to advantage, or even a contest but whereby their defence is under siege would have been a better decision than to start playing pass the parcel.

But hey, we're just getting used to this new thing ( having the ball) . Other better teams have been doing this for years and are more poised and practised in such things. It looks like we'll get there........but not overnight

pretty much...its just the confidence to finish things off with the actual entries into the 50.. There were undoubtedly times a longer kick to advantage, or even a contest but whereby their defence is under siege would have been a better decision than to start playing pass the parcel.

But hey, we're just getting used to this new thing ( having the ball) . Other better teams have been doing this for years and are more poised and practised in such things. It looks like we'll get there........but not overnight

Yeah, it'll take time to grasp it, already gotta take a step back and think these boys have only played this game plan twice, it's not surprising they are making errors but they are certainly all in and that much is obvious, the buy in is what's going to make it work.

We lost to Geelong, matched them in most areas of the game and outnumbered them by quite a margin with number of possessions, but did you see the inside 50 count?

Stats stats stats. Champion data blah blah.

While it's a positive thing that we're holding onto the ball and playing a holding of possession style game when it's needed, we still over-possessed the ball against Geelong.

It'll take time, but we need to become a lot more efficient and direct with our kicks.

I hope you realise this, and you that you don't actually believe that the outcome of round 1 will be based on whether or not we win the possession count overall...

Yeah, but equally blindingly obvious is that we stand more of a chance of winning with 100 more possessions than with 100 less possessions.