Suffocating Saints starting to earn some respect

[kosifantutti23]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfnews/su ... 53957.html

SOMETIMES, you can have your cake and eat it, too. And, in a football context, the St Kilda of 2009 appears to be living proof.

While it’s only two games into the new season, the Saints are well on the way to winning over the sceptics who refused to see them as a legitimate premiership contender, despite having finished fourth last year, just one
game away from a grand final appearance........

[thirty-seven!?]

Great article! I liked the quote that the Saints are "More Hawthorn than Hawthorn!"

[Ice Wolf]

Great article! I liked the quote that the Saints are "More Hawthorn than Hawthorn!"

Well, we can "out Sydney, Sydney", so if we can be more Footscray than Footscray, we'll be the whole package

[markp]

I like... let's hope we can keep it up.

[bigcarl]

good read.

if we can get our scoreboard pressure as good as our defensive pressure we can just about win it.

we're better than we were, but to me that's the bit that still needs some work.

[PJ]

This article might give a little food for thought for those that think that coaches don't win games. Tacticians don't win games on the day, players have to execute the plan. The coaches put mega hours into planning and drilling. If you think that the defenders are just lifting their efforts take another look at any of the games this year and last half of 08.

This style of play is not fool proof and it would just take a couple of weak links on any day to open the defence up. Attrition and depth will be important parts of this plan. Can we keep it up? Do we have the players to back it up if some go down? I think definately we do but time will tell.

[Beej]

The more praise we receive for our defensive abilities, the more the players will pride themselves on it. Defensive discipline should be the number one focus week in, week out - that's our game and it is what we're best at now.

When your team is sound defensively, you're never out of a game. Vitally important.

[thejiggingsaint]

I'm a wee bit wary of praise from Connolly. This "expert" had us finishing out of the eight at round ten last year (remember?) However I like the response from you Sainters.

[stinger]

didn't see this thread...looked though....better look harder next time ..oops....

[stinger]

I'm a wee bit wary of praise from Connolly. This "expert" had us finishing out of the eight at round ten last year (remember?) However I like the response from you Sainters.

yes...the guy's a dead set saints hater normally.....but seeing they are sponsoring us...maybe caro made him do it...the article......not her....