1st Qualifying Final
Results & Post-Match Articles
BRISBANE 6.3 11.8 17.9 23.11 (149) defeated St Kilda 3.2 4.4 6.7 10.9 (69)
Goals: Brisbane: J Brown 6 D Bradshaw 4 C McRae 3 A McGrath 2 T Notting 2 B Caracella M Voss B Scott R Hadley S Black N Lappin. St Kilda: N Riewoldt 3 F Gehrig 2 S Baker H Black J Koschitzke T Knobel B Guerra.
Best: Brisbane: H Black J Brown L Power N Lappin D Bradshaw M Michael. St Kilda: M Hudghton H Black L Hayes N Riewoldt.
Injuries: Brisbane: C Keating (virus) replaced in selected side by J McDonald, D White (virus) replaced in selected side by A McGrath. St Kilda: Nil.
Reports: J Brown (Brisbane) reported by field umpire S McBurnie in the first quarter for unduly rough play against Jason Blake (St Kilda).
Umpires: S McBurnie S McClaren D Woodcock.
Crowd: 33,582 at the Gabba.
Saints shocked and awed at thrashing
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas admits his side was overawed in last night's 80-point loss to Brisbane in the AFL qualifying final at the Gabba. Thomas says there were signs some of his players were physically intimidated. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't... it looked to me as though we had some guys standing just off the ball in awe on occasions, it looked like that," he said.
The Article - ABC Sport - 04Sept04
Electric Swans advance
. . . Roos isn't expecting the Swans' sudden-death semi-final clash against St Kilda to be as easy, even though the Saints were smashed by 80 points in Friday night's qualifying final against Brisbane at the Gabba. "That's not the team which is going to turn up [for the semi-final]," said Roos. "The St Kilda team that we play this week is the one that's been very good all year. They had an off night and, if you you have an off night against Brisbane, that's what can happen. I've got no doubt that they have got too many good players not to regroup and not to come out a million miles an hour." After their polished performance in miserable conditions last night the Swans will go into the semi-final brimming with confidence.
The Article - Tim Morrissey/TheSundayTelegraph - 7Sports - 05Sept04
Swans find edge in match-ups
Sometimes the best tag is an unstoppable flow of ball in the other direction. It was on that theory that Sydney coach Paul Roos defeated the dynamic West Coast midfield last night, and specifically, Chris Judd. All week Roos had been happy to feed the myth that his midfielders were drab, dull and little more than workmanlike. Stopping the likes of Judd was crucial to victory, he said, and Brett Kirk - a man whose tagging exploits are becoming legendary - was floated as the name most likely to tackle the Eagles' running phenomenon. So when veteran speedster Paul Williams - a player traditionally less noted for the defensive side of his game - sidled up to Judd at the start of the match, it was clear the public had been sold a line.
The Article - TheAge - 05Sept04
Thomas: We can bounce back
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas says the magnitude of Friday night's loss to the Brisbane Lions means it will a be significant challenge for his team to return to winning form in next week's knockout MCG semi-final. Thomas said St Kilda had enough steel to recover mentally from the thrashing, but whether it could muster the type of football needed to win finals this year was another question. "I know they will (bounce back)," Thomas said. "You don't win 16 games with a young inexperienced-type side in this level of competitive competition and not have some integrity and character and valued qualities. I am extremely confident we will respond. The question is will that be good enough to get us over the line next week. We need to have a good chat and start the ball rolling, start the process moving forward. There is an enormous amount for our players to learn, especially our midfield."
The Article - Jon Ralph - HeraldSun - 05Sept04
Saints stall to shock and awe
. . . By the last quarter even Riewoldt was devoid of second efforts after his marking attempts were ruined so repeatedly by Justin Leppitsch. He stood with hands on hips in one passage as Leppitsch rebounded the ball upfield and the "Mexican wave" swept around the Gabba. Thomas didn't underestimate the size of the challenge in bouncing back from such a spanking. After commenting that his side has been in awe of the Lions and at times mesmerised, he said they would willingly dissect the match to identify their shortcomings. "I'm extremely confident we'll respond," he said. "The question is, will that be good enough to get us over the line next week? As far as I'm concerned I have a great deal of confidence in this group." It looks a massive task, but the Saints have shown what they are capable of this year . . . There should be 22 St Kilda players intent on winning back some respectability next weekend, not to mention a preliminary final berth.
The Article - Jon Ralph - HeraldSun - 05Sept04
rodgerfox (has his two bobs worth)
. . . We have a spine and core group of players that are under the age of 22. Lists such as this do not win flags. The rubbish about how good our list is is just that - rubbish. We have finished 2nd last, 3rd last and 11th in the past 3 years. Why would people say things such as 'anyone could coach this team to flag'? I find this comment excrutiatingly moronic. A total of 20 wins in 3 years and a list of kids should win a flag? It's rubbish. The reason we won 10 in a row and were a force early, is because our game plan is sound and we are well coached. A team this young (even a fully mature team) cannot sustain that intensity for an entire year. To be truthful, I think that fact that we have manged to win 6 of 12 in the second half of the year is a fine effort, and was above my expectations. Pre-season I posted where I expected us to be at by season's end. This was to beat teams below us all year, to win more than we lose against teams equal to us, and to be competitive against the top sides, and not to get the thrashings that have been synominous with the Saints for the past 5 years. Making the 8 would be a bonus but probably a year early. We have done this. We have also shown that we have more resolve and ability than I thought we would have by now.
My Thoughts - Take them or leave them - rodgerfox - Saintsational Fan Forum Post
Does history suggest the Saints can bounce back?
When the Saints ventured to Brisbane on Friday night it was their second trip in 12 days and the third game of footy in 12 days. Lethal Lee, after the game, surmised that he expected the Saints to lack run, and he was right. He applied a brilliantly conceived physical and verbal attack on the young Saints, then the Lions mid field ran "the boys" off their legs . . . The match ups didn't work and the positional moves failed to get the desired result. The end outcome an eighty point drubbing.
Can the Saints bounce back? - Allan Grant - saints.com.au - 04Sept04
Thomas defends match-ups
. . . (Thomas)"So I was happy for Riewoldt to take six or eight marks and being in scoring positions all the time. So that was the tactic there. And the tactic with Gehrig was to try and move around a bit on Michael, and turn him inside out and onto his left (side) and for 'Kosi' to be a presenting high target for us." . . . in the end, it was the superiority of Brisbane's midfield rather than key forward or defensive match-ups that was the Saints' undoing. Thomas said his side had 25 entries into its forward 50 in the opening three quarters. By that stage the Lions had an 11 goal lead. "The game was in the midfield and we got absolutely belted to smithereens," he said.
The Article - Samantha Lane/Sportal - saints.com.au - 04Sept04
Saints shocked and awed at thrashing
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas admits his side was overawed in last night's 80-point loss to Brisbane in the AFL qualifying final at the Gabba. Thomas says there were signs some of his players were physically intimidated. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't... it looked to me as though we had some guys standing just off the ball in awe on occasions, it looked like that," he said.
The Article - ABC Sport - 04Sept04
Stunned Saints play scared footy
Frightening and frightened. Let's not beat around bush here. The Saints were belted, on the scoreboard, about their heads and in their hearts in a finals assault of the highest brutality.
Last night the Saints may have bled to death. They played scared, physically and mentally, in what was their worst effort of the season. At the start, they picked a fight with the tough boys, the warriors of Brisbane, and got their heads kicked in. It did their heads in as well. After that, they lost energy and hunger. At worst, they lost their courage.
The Article - Mark Robinson - HeraldSun - 04Sept04
FINALS CALCULATOR
SAINTS STATS - QUALIFYING FINAL
Thomas: We were hit by a 22-wheeler
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said his team had been smashed by a semi-trailer after it lost by 80 points to a powerhouse Brisbane at the Gabba last night. Thomas conceded his team was intimidated across the board by the bullish Lions who, he said, had a fourth premiership for the taking. Asked if he thought his team had been intimidated in what was a physical opening, Thomas said: "I'd be lying if I said I didn't. It looked to me we had some guys standing off the ball in awe on occasions; it looked very like that."
The Article - Mark Robinson - HeraldSun - 04Sept04
We were clobbered: Thomas
. . . "I think they were just mesmerised. I think they were just in awe," he said after the match. "We've gone backwards as a team because we had very high expectations, we had strong confidence, we really felt that we could put them to their test tonight. We really did, we firmly believed that. But talking about it and doing it are different things as we know, and they're an outstanding team and club and they showed us what it was all about. I'd be lying if I said I didn't (think they were intimidated). It looked to me as though we had some guys standing just off the ball in awe on occasions. It looked very like that. I'm extremely confident we'll respond. The question is, will that be good enough to get us over the line next week. We don't know who we're playing yet, but as far as I'm concerned I have a great deal of confidence in this group." Thomas said his players needed to review the match piece by piece in order to properly recover before they meet the winner of Saturday night's elimination final between the West Coast Eagles and Sydney, most likely next Friday night.
The Article - Samantha Lane/Sportal - saints.com.au - 03Sept04
Brisbane 6.3 11.8 17.9 23.11 (149)
St Kilda 3.2 4.4 6.7 10.9 (69)
Goals: Brisbane: J Brown 6 D Bradshaw 4 C McRae 3 A McGrath 2 T Notting 2 B Caracella M Voss B Scott R Hadley S Black N Lappin. St Kilda: N Riewoldt 3 F Gehrig 2 S Baker H Black J Koschitzke T Knobel B Guerra.
Best: Brisbane: H Black J Brown L Power N Lappin D Bradshaw M Michael. St Kilda: M Hudghton H Black L Hayes N Riewoldt.
Injuries: Brisbane: C Keating (virus) replaced in selected side by J McDonald, D White (virus) replaced in selected side by A McGrath. St Kilda: Nil.
Reports: J Brown (Brisbane) reported by field umpire S McBurnie in the first quarter for unduly rough play against Jason Blake (St Kilda).
Umpires: S McBurnie S McClaren D Woodcock.
Crowd: 33,582 at the Gabba.
(Lions) Hopes may hinge on Brown
Brisbane's powerhouse centre half-forward Jonathan Brown was philosophical as he walked off the Gabba last night with yet another report hanging over his head. "I'll have to let it take its course," Brown said. The man, who many see as the key to the Lions' chance of a fourth successive premiership, was reported at quarter-time for rough play after grabbing St Kilda's Jason Blake in a headlock. Brown has already served three suspensions this season - two matches from last year's Grand Final, another two for striking Carlton's Darren Hulme in Round 8, and four for striking Bulldogs skipper Chris Grant in Round 15. With veteran full-forward Alastair Lynch out of action with a hamstring strain, Brown will be vital to Brisbane's forward structure.
The Article - HeraldSun - 04Sept04
Saints live to fight another day
The Saints will need to take a deep breath, reflect and regroup before planning to take on either Sydney or West Coast next week after going down to Brisbane by 80 points in Friday night's qualifying final at the Gabba . . . It was a strong victory by the Lions, who lined up without injured spearhead Alastair Lynch, ruckman Clark Keating who failed to recover from a virus, and Darryl White, who pulled out moments before the match after also falling ill. But in the end, the main concern for Brisbane was the report of forward Jonathan Brown - who kicked six goals - for engaging in rough play with Jason Blake on the quarter-time siren . . . Saints coach Grant Thomas threw his best men - skipper Lenny Hayes, Brownlow Medallist Robert Harvey and Luke Ball - into the middle first. They lined up on Simon Black, Nigel Lappin and Michael Voss, supported by Luke Power and Jason Akermanis. The Lions' Black accumulated 37 touches, kicked a goal and took two marks, Lappin had 32 disposals and next best was Power with 23.
The Article - saints.com.au - 03Sept04
Suddenly
Saints not travelling well
The Saints seemed to hold their own in all the first-quarter scuffles; Jonathan Brown's report suggested that they even won the last one. Knobel kicked their first goal, Nick Riewoldt threaded a second, and a three-goal deficit was no disaster. That the Lions then swept the Saints aside with such absolute contempt did two things. It said finals experience might just count for a little, and that it was easier to add layers to reputations than to start piecing them together. But where the match was notable for how easily Brisbane did what it always does, the way St Kilda slipped so quickly into its shell also stood out. Baker did not get his first kick until halfway through the second quarter; the same went for Aussie Jones. Ball kicked a ball into the man on his mark; Brent Guerra put Richard Hadley on his backside with a high, heavy bump, but was run down when he would normally have thumped the ball through the goals.
The Article - Samantha Lane/Sportal - saints.com.au - 03Sept04
Brutal Lions bare their claws
Confidence that took the Saints a year to build up was destroyed in 60 powerhouse first-half minutes by the brutal Lions, whose only concern was the report of six-goal star Jonathan Brown. St Kilda, with 15 players enduring a finals initiation they will never forget, will face the winner of tonight's Sydney-West Coast elimination final in Sydney. If it was the heat that got St Kilda in Brisbane 12 days ago, it was the heat in the Brisbane kitchen that did it last night. Half-time stats said it all. Brisbane had 179 possessions to St Kilda's 107, with Simon Black (22 possessions) and Nigel Lappin (17) among seven Lions in double figures. Nick Dal Santo, with 10, was the only Saint to reach that mark.
The Article - Peter Blucher Brisbane - TheAge - 04Sept04
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