First quarter is vital...

[saintsRrising]

While traditionally the 3rd quarter is labeled the "Premiership Quarter", this week against the Pies IMO the first quarter will be the most vital of the game.


This is because:

* of late that the Pies have been such brilliant starters
* that Roo's influence will grow once he has had time to tire out his opponents


For the Saints to win we do not necessarily need to be in front at quarter time (though it would help!!), but we do need the Pies to have not jumped out to a big lead.

The Pies are chock full of confidence and youthful enthusiasm at present. We need to dampen this with at least a solid start.

They will be expecting a start fast and denying them this will prick their bubble, and their doubts will grow.

Against the Cats they were able to roll out their gameplan with little resistance from the Cats.

The Pies need to run into a tackling machine in that first quarter.
Didak and the other Pies who are prone to being confidence players need to be shutdown.

Important to will be too exploit Maxwell. We will go to rooa lot, but it is important to not overuse him. When Maxwell peels off we must go through his man...and his man must be instructed to keep well away from Roo and Kosi.

I am reminded of the 2005 PF against the Swans when the Saints were worried about Hall and O'Loughlin.

Voss was deployed in his normal role to be the third man in to support against these two. Roos however had O'Keefe play on Voss..and whenever Voss went to support against H&O, O'Keefe went away instead with the Swans being directed to go through O"Keefe instead.


O"Keefe became their leading possession getter for the whole team and set up their forward play beautifully.

This is what we need to do to Maxwell any time he attempts to get clear and double team on Roo.

[InkerSaint]

...and the beauty is: they played their ace-in-the-hole last week. The Saints will know what to expect.

[St. Luke]

I am confident of a few things. The main one is that Ross Lyon is a master tactician! He is surrounded by an extremely compentent, self motivated unit who are able to implement those instructions at the drop of a hat. Collingwood are going to be overly Riewoldt conscious! Are they then also going to be Goddard conscious, Hayes conscious, Fisher conscious??? And that’s just the start! Forget about another strong and mobile forward in Kosi (let alone Gardiner who may float up the park from time to time) forget Milne and Schneider! If the Pies go into this game, as I suspect they will as “player consciousâ€

[gringo]

Another interesting perspective is from Dennis Pagan- Collingwoods big finals wins have not been a good GF preparation. Said GFs are usually not as open as prelims and that being able to know how to handle the pressure comes from tight finals.

[Beej]

First quarter dictates the way a game will be played.

Pies get off to a little buffer and we're looking at lock-down footy by us while we attempt to grind our way back inch by inch.

We get off to a little buffer and we'll be able to play the game on our terms - tempo footy, lots of keeping's off, while they're forced to throw numbers forward leaving lots of space for Riewoldt and co. This is when we're at our best.

Due to Collingwood's last two first quarters, you can be sure Lyon will have us on guard early doors.

Collingwood, this finals series, have never been headed. I'd love love love us to get off to a flyer because I reckon it will send the Pies into shock. Being behind will be a new feeling for them, they won't know how to handle it and will begin to panic I reckon.

[bigred]

We get off to a little buffer and we'll be able to play the game on our terms - tempo footy, lots of keeping's off, while they're forced to throw numbers forward leaving lots of space for Riewoldt and co. This is when we're at our best.

Spot on...

[Quixote]

The first quarter is vital -

YOU FRICKEN BET IT IS!

[#1GILL]

What I would give to be 5 goals up at 1/4 time...

[SainterK]

I don't doubt our first quarter...

I remember last year the vision of the boys having to do stretches in the carpark because of all their restless energy.

Remember our first quarter, it was simply breathtaking.

This year I expect much of the same, with some all important fury thrown in.

[OneEyedSainter77]

First quarter dictates the way a game will be played.

Pies get off to a little buffer and we're looking at lock-down footy by us while we attempt to grind our way back inch by inch.

We get off to a little buffer and we'll be able to play the game on our terms - tempo footy, lots of keeping's off, while they're forced to throw numbers forward leaving lots of space for Riewoldt and co. This is when we're at our best.

Due to Collingwood's last two first quarters, you can be sure Lyon will have us on guard early doors.

Collingwood, this finals series, have never been headed. I'd love love love us to get off to a flyer because I reckon it will send the Pies into shock. Being behind will be a new feeling for them, they won't know how to handle it and will begin to panic I reckon.

Excellent point. i hadn't realised that myself.

Everyone in this thread makes good ppoints though - a good start is paramount.

If we have three shots at goal in the first ten minutes, we need to get them all.

Usually, Grand finalists can be a bit jittery in the opening minutes and miss shots they otherwise wouldn't. We want to not fall prey to this and at the same time hope Collingwood does.

[bigred]

If we have three shots at goal in the first ten minutes, we need to get them all.

Usually, Grand finalists can be a bit jittery in the opening minutes and miss shots they otherwise wouldn't. We want to not fall prey to this and at the same time hope Collingwood does.

Not us...


Not this year. Count on it.

[Quixote]

What hasn't been mentioned too often is the fact that some people (including myself) believe Collingwood for the last few years have been coached and structured SPECIFICALLY to BEAT GEELONG. As fate would have it, they have finally made their Grand Final, but it's not Geelong they meet.

Spewing hey?


We've had a good, hard look at them since the last time we met.

There will be no cakewalk on Saturday.

As a matter of fact, I believe they have no idea what is about to hit them.

[OneEyedSainter77]

If we have three shots at goal in the first ten minutes, we need to get them all.

Usually, Grand finalists can be a bit jittery in the opening minutes and miss shots they otherwise wouldn't. We want to not fall prey to this and at the same time hope Collingwood does.

Not us...


Not this year. Count on it.

I'm counting. I've said it before but we will NOT kick that badly two years in a row.

[markp]

We get off to a little buffer and we'll be able to play the game on our terms - tempo footy, lots of keeping's off, while they're forced to throw numbers forward leaving lots of space for Riewoldt and co. This is when we're at our best.

Spot on...

I'm all for 'little buffers', but if we get one early and try to protect it we're likely screwed.

As for the OP, I think we should be able to settle before them, and hopefully lay a few on.

They wont have the crowd advantage they're used to... but silencing them early would be great.

[OneEyedSainter77]

What hasn't been mentioned too often is the fact that some people (including myself) believe Collingwood for the last few years have been coached and structured SPECIFICALLY to BEAT GEELONG. As fate would have it, they have finally made their Grand Final, but it's not Geelong they meet.

Spewing hey?


We've had a good, hard look at them since the last time we met.

There will be no cakewalk on Saturday.

As a matter of fact, I believe they have no idea what is about to hit them.

I Agree 100%. Almost all teams have tried to build a gameplan that is to defeat Geelong. Ours is one of the only ones that we have used to try and beat EVERYONE!

[markp]

Collingwood, this finals series, have never been headed. I'd love love love us to get off to a flyer because I reckon it will send the Pies into shock. Being behind will be a new feeling for them, they won't know how to handle it and will begin to panic I reckon.

I just hope we get to hear that audible gasp/groan, as we see their panic creeping in... and we go in for the kill.

[Gershwin]

I'll be happy to be even at half-time and up the tempo in the 2nd half - same as last week.

[saint3d]

We get off to a little buffer and we'll be able to play the game on our terms - tempo footy, lots of keeping's off, while they're forced to throw numbers forward leaving lots of space for Riewoldt and co. This is when we're at our best.

Spot on...

I'm all for 'little buffers', but if we get one early and try to protect it we're likely screwed.

As for the OP, I think we should be able to settle before them, and hopefully lay a few on.

They wont have the crowd advantage they're used to... but silencing them early would be great.

I believe the observation was that if Collingwood are behind, their best chance of catching up also gives us our best chance of going further ahead.

[markp]

We get off to a little buffer and we'll be able to play the game on our terms - tempo footy, lots of keeping's off, while they're forced to throw numbers forward leaving lots of space for Riewoldt and co. This is when we're at our best.

Spot on...

I'm all for 'little buffers', but if we get one early and try to protect it we're likely screwed.

As for the OP, I think we should be able to settle before them, and hopefully lay a few on.

They wont have the crowd advantage they're used to... but silencing them early would be great.

I believe the observation was that if Collingwood are behind, their best chance of catching up also gives us our best chance of going further ahead.

Ahhhh... well, I like that plan!

[saintsRrising]

I believe the observation was that if Collingwood are behind, their best chance of catching up also gives us our best chance of going further ahead.

Indeed.

Open the holes and we have the tools to exploit them.

[3rd generation saint]

What I'd love to see at the first bounce, handball to Didak, bang, Lenny hit's him just like he did Chapman and Didak get's up holding his shoulder because it has been dislocated.
Absolutely perfect and priceless start to the game and would put the absolute fear of God into those young Collingwood players.

[lurker#134]

Dumb stat #16468: In the 2009, 1997 & 1971 Grand Finals, St. Kilda has lead at half time only to lose. St. Kilda's deficit at half time in 66' was 1 point.

[SainterK]

Collingwood people always say, it doesn't matter about the inaccuracy, we have so many scoring shots it's irrelevant.

Hoping St Kilda make it relevant, we have certainly managed to limit their scoring shots this year.

Certainly if we limit their scoreboard pressure in the first, the 'pressure' then becomes Collingwoods, and their having to kick truly with the limited opportunties our boys allow them.

[dcstkfc]

The first quarter is vital -

YOU FRICKEN BET IT IS!

+1

[battye]

First quarter is vital...

YOU FRICKEN BET IT IS!

St Kilda making a big statement in the first quarter would be good, it will be interesting to see how much of a difference having Grand Final experience has.