Finally a NAB Cup grand final to be excited about
Roar Pro
By Justin Rodski, 10 Mar 2010 Justin Rodski is a Roar Pro
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Michael Gardiner from St Kilda and Ben Hudson from Western Bulldogs contest a throw-in during the AFL 1st Preliminary Final between the St Kilda Saints and the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.
It’s not every year we get two premiership favourites at close to full strength playing off for a piece of silverware in March. But this is a unique situation and a great opportunity to see who can draw first blood between two teams I’m predicting, and hoping, will be this year’s grand finalists.
In many respects, the 2010 NAB Cup grand final is the perfect entrée of what promises to be a mouth-watering main course come September. Both clubs have been starved of the ultimate success for far too long, and I know premierships don’t grow on trees, but surely now St Kilda and the Bulldogs have borne enough fruit to deserve the sweet taste of victory?
It’s been 56 years for the Bulldogs, the longest current premiership drought in the league, while for the Saints it’s been 44 years since that famous grand final win in 1966. Whoever said there’s no room for sentiment in football is spot on, even if the Dogs and the Saints both make it, one still has to lose.
So will it be the Year of the Dog or a dog of a year for the Western Bulldogs?
The Cats of ’07 famously ‘kept a lid on it’ for the entire season, and it seems the Bulldogs will need to be ‘kept on a leash’ to avoid getting too far ahead of themselves. President David Smorgan felt compelled to call for calm in front of around 12,000 fans at the clubs family day, all in an effort to appease the insatiable appetite of long suffering fans.
Will it affect the players?
If you consider all the pre-season hype has been focused on the Bulldogs, and after the heartbreak of two preliminary finals in two years, the group is mature and looks ready to take the next step. The midfield is strong, fast and experienced, the back six is solid with the best full back in the comp Brian Lake anchoring the side, while the forward line is potent and diverse, of course not forgetting the recruitment of Barry Hall, the power forward many believe to be the final piece in the premiership puzzle.
Jason Akermanis declared the premiership window as wide open as it could possibly get, and I couldn’t agree more. But lets also remember as the hype and expectation builds externally so too does the pressure internally. How the club and its players handle this added pressure will no doubt determine just how dangerous the Bulldogs bite is.
Can the Saints go marching in?
The sting of last years heartbreaking loss will no doubt be a driving force, and no matter what St Kilda says 2010 is all about redemption. It’s been a horrid off-season and far from ideal preparation for a club knocking on the door of a premiership. Luke Ball left for nothing, Andrew Lovett was a disaster and Brett Peake has shown little if anything in the NAB Cup to date.
As a result, it feels like St Kilda has been almost forced to defend itself from an unforeseen public backlash. Finally the NAB Cup started and the club could let its football do the talking. Maybe all the off-field drama will in fact galvanise the group? Only time will tell but there’s no doubt internally the Saints will be doing everything possible to make the summer a distant memory.
Positively though, the Saints are almost injury free and have all but picked up from where they left off last year. The midfield group is as damaging as any, David Armitage has emerged as a star of the future and Nick Riewoldt appears to be fit and firing. In my mind he is the most important player in the competition to his team. No Riewoldt, no St Kilda. An injury free year for the skipper is crucial to the Saints chances of going one better in 2010.
There’s no doubt daring to dream can quickly become a nightmare and its true, being ripe and ready doesn’t always mean you bring home the pickings. But either way it would be a fairytale year no matter whom you support if either St Kilda or the Bulldogs were to win.
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James said | March 10th 2010 @ 4:15am | Report comment
I still worry about age for the Dogs. Aker, Johnson, Hall, Hudson are no spring chickens and their bodies might not last til September.
Redb said | March 10th 2010 @ 9:09am | Report comment
I think Hall and Aker will work very well off each.
Most of the prime attacks have two big forwards : Lions – Brown & Fevola, Hawks – Franklin & Roughhead, St Kilda – Reiwoldt & Kossie. The Bullies have Hall with Aker at his feet, not unlike Mooney and S Johnson for the Cats.
As seasoned performers on the big stage their experience will be invaluable to a team that has not made a Grand Final since 1970.
Both look in good nick.
Mister Football said | March 10th 2010 @ 6:58am | Report comment
For me personally, it has turned out to be a memorable NAB Cup (hoping it gets better).
But in paying more attention to the NAB Cup, I’ve noticed how intense the games have been, even between middlish teams.
I can’t recall any pre-season games being played with the ferocity I”ve noticed this time around.
Sven man said | March 10th 2010 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Indeed. I usually find it pretty hard to get excited about the Nab cup, but theres been some good matches and stories to come out of this years comp. St Kilda v Collingwood, Naitanui’s antics, Freo v North, Fev v Carlton and of course Barry Hall’s return. And the GF should be pretty entertaining as well.
Redb said | March 10th 2010 @ 7:54am | Report comment
yes yes yes, can’t wait to see how these teams match up.
justin Rodski said | March 10th 2010 @ 8:27am | Report comment
The age of the Bulldogs might have been a concern two years ago but the club now has the depth to cover any major injuries, whilst also having the luxury of being able to rest any of its older players throughout the season to have them ready for the finals. Jason Akermanis would be the perfect September specialist for the Bulldogs!!!!
Tom said | March 10th 2010 @ 8:38am | Report comment
I don’t know about the Bulldogs. Their list is pretty good but I’m not sure its the best in the comp, and even at their best they always seem too eager to move the ball sideways when going forwards.
The big hope is that Hall can straighten them up and make them a more effective team in general.
BigAl said | March 10th 2010 @ 8:48am | Report comment
It will be interesting, but both teams this year are capable of and hoping for so much more – and they both know it !
Maybe this could be at the back of their minds, effecting their intensity ? – or possibly push them harder to give them a phsycological edge for the season ahead.
I just hope both teams don’t suffer season effecting ‘damage’.
p.s. I was thinking not that long ago about the distinct possibility of a Port Adelaide / Fremantle NAB final right here in Melbourne ! – now that would have been a laugh
Redb said | March 10th 2010 @ 8:52am | Report comment
It would not happen, the GF would have been at AAMI or Subiaco.
bever fever said | March 10th 2010 @ 8:54am | Report comment
I hope it is a good game , but dont really like either team.
In my youth both teams were considered to be “snipers” and “dirty”.
It was a while ago (30 years ) and those players probably have moved on, but first mpressions last a long time.
It was suprising that St kildas home ground would be a mud heap after no rain.
Brett McKay said | March 10th 2010 @ 9:00am | Report comment
guys when was the last time (if ever) the pre-season GF teams met again in the Premiership decider??
Kazama said | March 10th 2010 @ 9:10am | Report comment
Had a quick look on wiki, I believe it has only happened once: 1986 – Hawthorn beat Carlton in both finals…
Brett McKay said | March 10th 2010 @ 9:29am | Report comment
ah, cheers Kaz..
Wayno said | March 10th 2010 @ 10:31am | Report comment
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said “No Riewoldt, no St Kilda”. It will be interesting to see how they manage his wellbeing this year.
justin Rodski said | March 10th 2010 @ 10:33am | Report comment
I’m not convinced about Kosi, I know he’s had a lot of injuries over the years and he’s a big body that can pinch hit in the ruck, but does he do enough? Has he ever reached his potential? I cant think of a season where he would have even made the top 50 players in the league.
Thats why i think Riewoldt is even more valuable to the Saints than any other player to his team…
Redb said | March 10th 2010 @ 10:38am | Report comment
True, but his height and courage make him hard to match up on and he will always take a quality tall defender.
BigAl said | March 10th 2010 @ 10:48am | Report comment
I feel the same – he should be traded while there is still a fair bit of general opinion that he is a gun player.
He has always been a player with huge potential – and probably always will be !
Having said all this, most likely – in true St Kilda fashion – if traded, he would go on to win premierships and all sorts of honours with his new team !