Has a side ever come from 5 goals down to win a final and earned less plaudits?
And when has a runner-up ever knocked off the reigning premier, survived all manner of off field distraction, and set itself for a crack at another GF, but still not been given its dues.
The irony is that this may prove to be the match of the weekend.
So fire up you Doggies supporters! Where there’s life there’s hope.
Saints, dare to dream.
St Kilda 13.10.88
Western Bulldogs 8.16.64
The Saints would have been worried at half time, but put the game away with a third term burst.
The Dogs will be shattered with a third straight prelim loss, but weren’t disgraced.
Let’s hear from both camps on their thoughts.
Happy to see Sainters flying under the radar. And after last night, the idea of ‘one week at a time’ have never been more comforting.
Wowee – there’s another game tonight? Who knew!
If you really don’t like the Pies, you’d be praying for a Saints victory tonight. While our “kindred spirits of misery” the Bullies have a chance of upsetting StK, Collingwood would tear them a new one next week (and I say that based on injury/fitness grounds, not complete disrespect of ability).
If St Kilda should win, they will be the first team to actually make the Grand Final and STILL be “flying under the radar” (a phrase I may have used in my book report for the QF v Geelong Steph). I wonder if they’d let us join the GF parade this week?
The only time St Kilda contested two consecutive GF’s was 1965/66. They lost in ’65, we all know what happened the next year. Is this all part of the Footy Gods’ ultimate deja-vu master plan?
DD
DD, from your lips to gods ears about 65/66. In my heart I still feel the pain of last years loss gives us an edge, an inner strength to believe, hope and feel that we are still the other main contender. Otherwise, I can’t find something to do with myself today before going to the Game. We need all the Sainters, players and supporters, to push forward and be as loud and as proud as the Pies. We have good reason to be.
Yvette,
Underwood Stakes day at Caulfield will provide my mental diversion before heading in – and I’m in dire need of “mental diverting!”.
There is another more sombre sense of deja-vu hanging over tonight’s clash..
Jack Barker’s passing yesterday should provide another stream of inspiration for the Saints, many of our current crop knew him quite well. When Trevor died in April 1996, St Kilda wore the black armbands and played the Bulldogs that week also. The Saints won. And a bloke wearing #23 kicked 8 ..that would be very handy tonight.
DD
It would be even handier next week DD.
Predictable result. Predictably poor spectacle. Crowd to match.
..why did this have to happen… :S
SITTING right behind FlagPie cheer squad (city end goals) got some predictable reaction when I posed these queries Friday night:
“Who the hell is Toovey?” Frothy mouths and apoplexy aside, another query: “Has anyone apart from your mob ever heard of Nathan Brown. Leigh Brown, maybe. But Nathan?”
Again the frothy mouthed replies. Tact was necessary at the end as we battled up the stairs towards the exit.
The Catters’ scarf and 2007 premiership cap were best left in the inside coat pockets. Still received a few pointy fingers and plenty of talk.
But Geelong fans. Don’t despair because the dynasty is done. Smile, and smile again because it happened. Four top years, three grannies and two flags. Ain’t half bad!!
A glimmer of hope for Dogs fans. Mitch Wallis was a stand-out BOG in today’s TAC Under 18 Grand Final, and young Libba also performed well. It will be interesting what picks the Dogs have to use to get them but, considering the compromised draft of the next couple of years, it is a good time to be able to use the father-son rule to bring in some new talent.