Grand Final - your predictions?

[mightytiges]

Yep Eddy out but for who will be interesting as there's no one obvious. Out of Armitage, Geary or they could add an extra tall in Stanley.
McEvoy will need to come in for Gardiner if he's injured.

I think McEvoy will definentely come in for someone. I thought Eddy was okay in the last quarter. McQualter is another one who may be in the gun unless Gardiner does not come up and the swap will be like for like.
Leon Davis despite his goal only had 6 touches or so so he will be under pressure from Goldsack to keep his spot. Interesting to see what the weather will be like. If its raining I like St Kilda's chances even more.

2010 may have something to offer the Collingwood hating fan. Two Grand Final failures in the one season.
Their record is now 3 wins in their last 21 Grand Finals.

I hope the Pies keep Neon Leon in. The more maggies in the side that go missing in GFs the better lol. I also hope that Jolly gets sighted for his round-arm whack to Kosi's jaw on the boundary in the last quarter.

If the Saints had a reasonable bottom 6 they would've won today. Eddy, Ray, Blake, Dempster (although he was pretty decent in the second half), Peake and McQualter are the weak links. Do they still want Jordie?  .

ps. I think trade week will be left at it is. It might be problem if there's another draw  . Remember also the Draft Combine (Camp) is on this week so the Saints and Pies will only be able to send up their recruiters to Canberra while their coaching staffs have to remain in Melbourne to prepare for the GF replay.

[Tigermonk]

Yep Eddy out but for who will be interesting as there's no one obvious. Out of Armitage, Geary or they could add an extra tall in Stanley.
McEvoy will need to come in for Gardiner if he's injured.

I think McEvoy will definentely come in for someone. I thought Eddy was okay in the last quarter. McQualter is another one who may be in the gun unless Gardiner does not come up and the swap will be like for like.
Leon Davis despite his goal only had 6 touches or so so he will be under pressure from Goldsack to keep his spot. Interesting to see what the weather will be like. If its raining I like St Kilda's chances even more.

2010 may have something to offer the Collingwood hating fan. Two Grand Final failures in the one season.
Their record is now 3 wins in their last 21 Grand Finals.

I hope the Pies keep Neon Leon in. The more maggies in the side that go missing in GFs the better lol. I also hope that Jolly gets sighted for his round-arm whack to Kosi's jaw on the boundary in the last quarter.

If the Saints had a reasonable bottom 6 they would've won today. Eddy, Ray, Blake, Dempster (although he was pretty decent in the second half), Peake and McQualter are the weak links. Do they still want Jordie?  .

ps. I think trade week will be left at it is. It might be problem if there's another draw  . Remember also the Draft Combine (Camp) is on this week so the Saints and Pies will only be able to send up their recruiters to Canberra while their coaching staffs have to remain in Melbourne to prepare for the GF replay.

hearing you MT but on Neon Leon he has been getting managed for a injury for months & be very unlikly to play. Koz will be replaced cause his a very sore man tonight & if he plays would be a injustice to McEnvoy

[TigerLand]

LOL Jake and Tucky. Very apt result when you put it like that


I'm for one pro to keeping the replay. What's wrong with keeping a rare tradition when we all new the rules beforehand. Nah Nick let's have a sook after the result because the result didn't go your way . Not to mention the AFL will make $$$ from another $100k seats sold. Hopefully like 1977 more of the ordinary members can go to the replay. However I won't hold my breath as it'll be so typical of Demetriou and Anderson to overreact to something that has happened just 3 times in 150 years and change the rules to extra-time  .

Agree MT its not the AFL's fault its a replay the rules have been their for 150 years. However it's a bad one, horrible one. My cousin a Saint tragic, missed out on a GF ticket, paid for a Sydney Swans corporate ticket package worth 1.4k and flown himself from London costing him $2k return has come and seen a draw and walk away without seeing a result... Makes no sense.

That aside in no professional sport do we have our Premiership day replayed if the teams are dead locked. Its common sense play extra time of 2 x 5 or 10 minute halves. If the scores are tied have another 2 minute halves and so on.

The draw as a whole is pointless, historical or not it shouldn't hold a place in our game anymore. Our game is not like soccer that rewards weaker teams for being defensively strong against stronger teams. If an AFL game is drawn both teams are good enough to win and should be given the opportunity to do so.

Its common sense, go into the rooms come out 10 mins later and play 2 x 5 or 10 min halves....

The replay is the fairest way to do it for the ones that matter -the teams. If you can't beat another side after two goes at them then you don't deserve the flag. Sorry about your cousin's bad luck Pope but there's plenty of mad Pie and Saint members who won't be able get a ticket to either GF.

Extra-time might sound good in theory but what happens if a side is down to two players on the bench. An extra 20 minutes would put them at a severe disadvantage. Speaking of Soccer there's even talk of having 50m kick-offs at goal  . Sheesh how ridiculous would that be. At least now both sides can go away for a week and put 22 players on the park next Saturday and fight it out again.

Yeah understandably see the fairness of it, but the argument is endless is it fair that St.Kilda have to play another game without any input from Michael Gardiner? Understand they would in extra time as well but Jolly has a week to rest an go up against McEvoy/Kossi for 4 qtrs instead of Kossi for extra time.

If you've lost a player in a GF that cant come back for extra time it's very unlikely they'd be able to recover in 7 days, only in the minority of cases with concussions. Most other injuries would be multiple weeks otherwise in a GF the player would return.

The 50m shootout is ridiculous, hope it never even comes into the NAB cup.

I just feel for the players, they've given 400% for nothing. Yeah they get another chance next week but it just doesn't seem right.

[Tigermonk]

oh BTW MT there were no weak links on the ground for any club today, there was 2 full teams giving 100%

[Tigermonk]

MT who was your BOG today

[Tigermonk]

THATS WHAT I'M TALK'IN ABOUT  l love being a Richmond supporter. my son just showed me a video clip of a tuff Coughlan, memories

[mightytiges]

oh BTW MT there were no weak links on the ground for any club today, there was 2 full teams giving 100%

In terms of 44 blokes showing guts, determination and leaving nothing out on the park that's true. Leigh Brown's mark against Gilbert in the last qtr with both running back with the flight of the ball was proof of that. However I was talking more about ability and making the right decisions under pressure. The bottom 6 of the Saints are jittery under pressure and can suffer from deer in the highlights not going for the first option.

My B.O.G. today was a toss up between Hayes and Goddard. Both are freaks in different ways. Hayes is similar to Brett Kirk. He just wills his side leading by example. Leadership we would love down at Richmond. Yes your man Thomas was best for the Pies. I thought Nathan Brown did a pretty good job on Riewoldt especially 1-on-1 inside 50 so it's going to interesting if Presti comes up which way Malthouse goes.

[Tigermonk]

played a good game Thomas thought he was easy BOG but anyway now my son & l was watching things in the car on thewway home & l just to get you to watch this cause its worth every minute of committment from a old footballer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbNyfl33GEU

[TigerLand]

played a good game Thomas thought he was easy BOG but anyway now my son & l was watching things in the car on thewway home & l just to get you to watch this cause its worth every minute of committment from a old footballer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbNyfl33GEU

Goddard was best on by daylight. Hayes was superb and awesome in the last qtr and did the 1%'s all day but Goddards possessions got the Saints back in the game, his drive off half back ke[t them with in range of the Pies and his mark and goal at the end and his 2 goals got them in the lead. Easy BOG. Hayes still deserved but should have been Goddard. Fisher also had a cracker.

[Smokey]

Without responding specifically to the numerous good posts about today's game, here are my thoughts:

Was a great game.
Toss up between Hayes and Goddard for Norm Smith, Thomas best for Collingwood.
Body and verbal language from Saints camp post-game was much more positive than Collingwood.
Absolutely no need to change the draw to a shootout or extra time.  And I need to address this one further - our game is great because it is what it is, we don't need to follow any other code because what they do seems good or right, we are the best code because we are unique and just one of the small things that make us unique is sending both teams back out next week for another crack.  Other football codes have penalty shootouts, golden points, 5 minutes each way - which is the magical 'perfect' solution out of all of them?  There is no other football code I know of that allows players forward of the ball - should we adopt an offside rule because of that?  We hear constant whinging about the changing/adding/removing of rules that take away from the spectacle of our great game - why should we change one that is not broken and doesn't need fixing.  Chasing a result with extra time etc only sates the needs of those seeking instant gratification and does nothing to enhance our game by reputation or as a spectacle.  Leave the damn thing alone - 100k extra people will get to see an AFL grand final this year - how great is that!

[mightytiges]

LOL Jake and Tucky. Very apt result when you put it like that


I'm for one pro to keeping the replay. What's wrong with keeping a rare tradition when we all new the rules beforehand. Nah Nick let's have a sook after the result because the result didn't go your way . Not to mention the AFL will make $$$ from another $100k seats sold. Hopefully like 1977 more of the ordinary members can go to the replay. However I won't hold my breath as it'll be so typical of Demetriou and Anderson to overreact to something that has happened just 3 times in 150 years and change the rules to extra-time  .

Agree MT its not the AFL's fault its a replay the rules have been their for 150 years. However it's a bad one, horrible one. My cousin a Saint tragic, missed out on a GF ticket, paid for a Sydney Swans corporate ticket package worth 1.4k and flown himself from London costing him $2k return has come and seen a draw and walk away without seeing a result... Makes no sense.

That aside in no professional sport do we have our Premiership day replayed if the teams are dead locked. Its common sense play extra time of 2 x 5 or 10 minute halves. If the scores are tied have another 2 minute halves and so on.

The draw as a whole is pointless, historical or not it shouldn't hold a place in our game anymore. Our game is not like soccer that rewards weaker teams for being defensively strong against stronger teams. If an AFL game is drawn both teams are good enough to win and should be given the opportunity to do so.

Its common sense, go into the rooms come out 10 mins later and play 2 x 5 or 10 min halves....

The replay is the fairest way to do it for the ones that matter -the teams. If you can't beat another side after two goes at them then you don't deserve the flag. Sorry about your cousin's bad luck Pope but there's plenty of mad Pie and Saint members who won't be able get a ticket to either GF.

Extra-time might sound good in theory but what happens if a side is down to two players on the bench. An extra 20 minutes would put them at a severe disadvantage. Speaking of Soccer there's even talk of having 50m kick-offs at goal  . Sheesh how ridiculous would that be. At least now both sides can go away for a week and put 22 players on the park next Saturday and fight it out again.

Yeah understandably see the fairness of it, but the argument is endless is it fair that St.Kilda have to play another game without any input from Michael Gardiner? Understand they would in extra time as well but Jolly has a week to rest an go up against McEvoy/Kossi for 4 qtrs instead of Kossi for extra time.

If you've lost a player in a GF that cant come back for extra time it's very unlikely they'd be able to recover in 7 days, only in the minority of cases with concussions. Most other injuries would be multiple weeks otherwise in a GF the player would return.

The 50m shootout is ridiculous, hope it never even comes into the NAB cup.

I just feel for the players, they've given 400% for nothing. Yeah they get another chance next week but it just doesn't seem right.

Jolly has Leigh Brown as 2nd ruck as well so it would've been Jolly/Brown vs Kosi/Blake in extra time. Only Jolly is a true class ruckman from that quartet. At least now both sides can reset with two rucks of their choosing. I agree if a player cops an game-ending injury then he'll most likely not come up the following week but not always though. Ball and Dal Santo looked to have done their hammies last week and were off for the rest of their respective Preliminary Final but they came up for the GF. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one Pope. You'll get your wish next Saturday as the AFL site says extra-time will be played if there's another tie in the replay (two 5-minute periods).

[Tigermonk]

played a good game Thomas thought he was easy BOG but anyway now my son & l was watching things in the car on thewway home & l just to get you to watch this cause its worth every minute of committment from a old footballer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbNyfl33GEU

Goddard was best on by daylight. Hayes was superb and awesome in the last qtr and did the 1%'s all day but Goddards possessions got the Saints back in the game, his drive off half back ke[t them with in range of the Pies and his mark and goal at the end and his 2 goals got them in the lead. Easy BOG. Hayes still deserved but should have been Goddard. Fisher also had a cracker.

Goddard played half a game of football wake up

[TigerLand]

I understand all the opinions and agree and love how unique our game is.

It just doesn't make sense to me that the score is even after 4 qtrs so lets restart in 7 days and see if its different after another 4 qtrs.

Grand Final day is Grand Final day, I don't know what the right answer is, they all have flaws. Yes it's great we have another grand final but that means it demeans the efforts of today, and I don't agree with that. If Saints win, Maxwell's diving save on the goal line means nothing. If Collingwood win, Goddards cloud soaring mark and goal means nothing. If we had extra time and St.Kilda won we would be talking about Goddards "Saint leap into Heaven and plucks out a Premiership" mark and goal that contributed to the draw and the eventual win.

A team should leave Grand Final day as Premiers no matter what in my opinion. And thats all it is just an opinion.

[TigerLand]

LOL Jake and Tucky. Very apt result when you put it like that


I'm for one pro to keeping the replay. What's wrong with keeping a rare tradition when we all new the rules beforehand. Nah Nick let's have a sook after the result because the result didn't go your way . Not to mention the AFL will make $$$ from another $100k seats sold. Hopefully like 1977 more of the ordinary members can go to the replay. However I won't hold my breath as it'll be so typical of Demetriou and Anderson to overreact to something that has happened just 3 times in 150 years and change the rules to extra-time  .

Agree MT its not the AFL's fault its a replay the rules have been their for 150 years. However it's a bad one, horrible one. My cousin a Saint tragic, missed out on a GF ticket, paid for a Sydney Swans corporate ticket package worth 1.4k and flown himself from London costing him $2k return has come and seen a draw and walk away without seeing a result... Makes no sense.

That aside in no professional sport do we have our Premiership day replayed if the teams are dead locked. Its common sense play extra time of 2 x 5 or 10 minute halves. If the scores are tied have another 2 minute halves and so on.

The draw as a whole is pointless, historical or not it shouldn't hold a place in our game anymore. Our game is not like soccer that rewards weaker teams for being defensively strong against stronger teams. If an AFL game is drawn both teams are good enough to win and should be given the opportunity to do so.

Its common sense, go into the rooms come out 10 mins later and play 2 x 5 or 10 min halves....

The replay is the fairest way to do it for the ones that matter -the teams. If you can't beat another side after two goes at them then you don't deserve the flag. Sorry about your cousin's bad luck Pope but there's plenty of mad Pie and Saint members who won't be able get a ticket to either GF.

Extra-time might sound good in theory but what happens if a side is down to two players on the bench. An extra 20 minutes would put them at a severe disadvantage. Speaking of Soccer there's even talk of having 50m kick-offs at goal  . Sheesh how ridiculous would that be. At least now both sides can go away for a week and put 22 players on the park next Saturday and fight it out again.

Yeah understandably see the fairness of it, but the argument is endless is it fair that St.Kilda have to play another game without any input from Michael Gardiner? Understand they would in extra time as well but Jolly has a week to rest an go up against McEvoy/Kossi for 4 qtrs instead of Kossi for extra time.

If you've lost a player in a GF that cant come back for extra time it's very unlikely they'd be able to recover in 7 days, only in the minority of cases with concussions. Most other injuries would be multiple weeks otherwise in a GF the player would return.

The 50m shootout is ridiculous, hope it never even comes into the NAB cup.

I just feel for the players, they've given 400% for nothing. Yeah they get another chance next week but it just doesn't seem right.

Jolly has Leigh Brown as 2nd ruck as well so it would've been Jolly/Brown vs Kosi/Blake in extra time. Only Jolly is a true class ruckman from that quartet. At least now both sides can reset with two rucks of their choosing. I agree if a player cops an game-ending injury then he'll most likely not come up the following week but not always though. Ball and Dal Santo looked to have done their hammies last week and were off for the rest of their respective Preliminary Final but they came up for the GF. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one Pope. You'll get your wish next Saturday as the AFL site says extra-time will be played if there's another tie in the replay (two 5-minute periods).

Yeah Ball looked very hindered, Dal looked OK.

Yeah its just my opinion, and yours is valid. I just think GF day should end in crowning a premier. If GF Day 2 is good enough for extra time, then why not the real GF day lol? Doesn't really make sense AFL. If a GF shouldn't be decided for extra time cause its unfair or for whatever reasons then next week should be the same? So I can't really understand that.

[TigerLand]

played a good game Thomas thought he was easy BOG but anyway now my son & l was watching things in the car on thewway home & l just to get you to watch this cause its worth every minute of committment from a old footballer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbNyfl33GEU

Goddard was best on by daylight. Hayes was superb and awesome in the last qtr and did the 1%'s all day but Goddards possessions got the Saints back in the game, his drive off half back ke[t them with in range of the Pies and his mark and goal at the end and his 2 goals got them in the lead. Easy BOG. Hayes still deserved but should have been Goddard. Fisher also had a cracker.

Goddard played half a game of football wake up

Please, please try and argue that Goddard wasn't best on or at least 2nd best on. This will be humorous.

You must have been in the TAB at the end of the first qtr when Goddard resurged St.Kilda back within 1 kick.