1st Preliminary Final Results & Post-Game Articles
Port Adelaide: 4.0, 8.3, 10.8, 14.10 (94)
St Kilda: 4.5, 7.5, 10.9, 13.10 (88)
Goals: Port Adelaide: Tredrea 3, Lade 2, Wanganeen 2, James, K Cornes, Carr, Cassisi, Dew, Mahoney, Brogan
St Kilda: Gehrig 5, Riewoldt 3, Ball 2, Dal Santo, Voss, Black
Best: Port Adelaide: James, K Cornes, Wilson, Tredrea, P Burgoyne, Wanganeen
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Powell, Harvey, Gehrig, Thompson, Hayes
Injuries: Port Adelaide: TBC
St Kilda: TBC
Changes: St Kilda: Hamill (knee) replaced in selected side by Knobel
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Allen, McLaren, McInerney
Crowd: 46,978 at AAMI Stadium
Brave Saints fall a goal short
Brave St Kilda has gone down by a goal in a classic preliminary final at AAMI Stadium on Friday night. In one of the best games of football imaginable, the Power hung on in a thrilling finish to win 14.10 (94) to 13.10 (88) to send a record Port finals crowd of nearly 47,000 delirious with joy at the final siren. Port will now meet the winner of Saturday night's Geelong-Brisbane Lions preliminary final at the MCG in next week's grand final, as the most successful club in SANFL history attempts to win its AFL first premiership. The Saints will lick their wounds after winning the Wizard Home Loans Cup and their first 10 home and away games, but only seven of 15 games thereafter. But if it wasn't for Port's former skipper Gavin Wanganeen, it would be the Saints who would be have been contesting only their second grand final in 33 years next week. After a thrilling first three quarters, the Saints led by one point at the last change and the Power crowd could not have been more nervous at the last change.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 17Sept04
Saints plan to be young at heart
St Kilda's search for improvement will start at another overseas pre-season training camp and be driven largely from within, with coach Grant Thomas expecting the club's youngsters to guide it up the ladder. With midfielder Andrew Thompson's future to be determined in the next few weeks, and fellow veteran Justin Peckett likely to retire, Thomas looked to his next batch of youngsters immediately after the Saints' six-point loss to Port Adelaide on Friday night, nominating Brendon Goddard, Leigh Fisher and Jason Gram as likely improvers . . . "I'm certainly not retiring, put it that way. I'm out of contract, though, so it will be whether the club wants to have me there," Thompson said on 3AW. "My body feels fantastic. I'm looking forward to playing again next year, but we'll obviously have to work that out."
The Article - Emma Quayle - TheAge - 19Sept04
Riewoldt mark 'should have won' - Jon Ralph - HeraldSun - 19Sept04
Grand Final not shifting from the MCG - Sportal - 19Sept04
Saints learn tough lessons
. . . Coach Grant Thomas was honest enough to admit earlier in the finals campaign that just playing three finals would be a great result for his young side. The forward set-up is premiership-winning if Aaron Hamill, Gehrig and Nick Riewoldt stay fit, with Justin Koschitzke capable of 100 per cent improvement if he can finally throw off his injury bugbear. The midfield relied on Harvey, Stephen Powell and Justin Peckett in Friday's final and the win over Sydney, but the lift will come from Brendon Goddard, Xavier Clarke, Leigh Montagna and the injury-prone Jason Gram. We could scarcely expect the same rate of improvement from Luke Ball and Nick Dal Santo, but once again the centre line has a premiership look about it, especially if Harvey goes around again. Thomas said in his post-match press conference the defence and ruck needed bolstering, with both departments brave but just short of class.
The Article - Jon Ralph - HeraldSun - 19Sept04
Saints all terrific :Thomas
. . . A composed but disappointed St Kilda coach Grant Thomas offered no excuses after the loss. "I've got no criticism against any of our players," he said. "I thought they were all terrific. The board, the club, the supporters, the corporates, the sponsors and all of them can be very, very proud of the playing group and how they performed tonight." But Thomas said the Saints needed to improve in certain areas. "I don't think we're a long way away, to be honest," he said. "I think we're on the cusp but we've got to maximise that opportunity. We've got to make the most of everything. I think the playing group showed tonight they have the determination and resilience to perform in big games. We had a couple of average efforts against Brisbane over 12 days and to respond and rebound from that against Sydney, as we did last week, and follow it up with a similar performance tonight, I think that augurs well for the future."
Port looks to take final step - Peter Ker, Alan Shiell - TheAge - 18Sept04
Proud Thomas looks ahead
St Kilda's dreams of a premiership may have been dashed for this year but Grant Thomas feels his young side is on the verge of great things. Speaking after the Saints' agonising six-point loss to Port Adelaide, the obviously-disappointed coach has vowed his young side will learn from the experience . . . I'm disappointed for the club, I'm disappointed for all the staff - I'm disappointed for the sponsors and all the corporates - but most of all I'm disappointed for the players because I know they gave everything they had tonight and it wasn't good enough to get across the line. "Port Adelaide were too good - they won the game fair and square - but we missed a lot of opportunities." Thomas would not be drawn on particular aspects of the game and appeared to be looking forward already. "(There's) disappointment but how proud I am is taking over from that at this point in time," he said.
The Article - Jason Phelan/Sportal - saints.com.au - 18Sept04
Gehrig's feat a boon for Port
Yesterday, Power midfielder Josh Carr admitted the team had been in trouble until celebrating fans held up play. "It probably came at a good time," he said. "We had a fair idea that he was going to kick his 100th goal in the game, so before the game we had already organised everyone to get to the centre straight away for a chat about things. We didn't know we were going to be under the pump (when it happened), but the fact was, we were." As well as slowing the Saints' charge, the break allowed Port Adelaide - a team with a reputation for mental fragility on the big stage - to steady itself . . . "It probably was important to get us together," Carr said. "They had a good start. I don't think there was any panic. The guys all still seemed to be pretty focused after they (St Kilda) got off to a start. We said we've just got to get back to playing tough footy and after that I thought we played pretty good football."
The Article - Peter Ker/Adelaide - TheAge - 19Sept04
Port 'saved' by Saint invasion - Jesper Fjelstad - HeraldSun - 19Sept04
Gehrig kicks his 100th season goal - Sportal - 19Sept04
In defence of the 'invaders' - Saintsational Fan Forum
The Last Word on the Crowd Invasion - Saintsational Fan Forum
Saint posts a bittersweet milestone - Peter Ker - TheAge - 18Sept04
Stupid #x@* dumb idiot moron supporters - Saintsational Fan Forum
Century for the G-Train - Paul Gough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 17Sept04
Fraser turns torment to ton - Digby Beacham - HeraldSun - 18Sept04
100 Goal Idiots: Did you cost us a Grand Final? - Saintsational Fan Forum
Saints all terrific :Thomas
. . . A composed but disappointed St Kilda coach Grant Thomas offered no excuses after the loss. "I've got no criticism against any of our players," he said. "I thought they were all terrific. The board, the club, the supporters, the corporates, the sponsors and all of them can be very, very proud of the playing group and how they performed tonight." But Thomas said the Saints needed to improve in certain areas. "I don't think we're a long way away, to be honest," he said. "I think we're on the cusp but we've got to maximise that opportunity. We've got to make the most of everything. I think the playing group showed tonight they have the determination and resilience to perform in big games. We had a couple of average efforts against Brisbane over 12 days and to respond and rebound from that against Sydney, as we did last week, and follow it up with a similar performance tonight, I think that augurs well for the future."
Port looks to take final step - Peter Ker, Alan Shiell - TheAge - 18Sept04
Hayes smarting after final fallout
"You feel gutted. I'm feeling empty and it will take a while to get over it," Hayes said. "We were talking about whether it hurts more to lose by six goals or six points, but if you lose any preliminary final it hurts badly. It is just gut-wrenching." In his final game as captain in the Saints' rotational policy, Hayes had 32 disposals against the Power and laid nine tackles. But Hayes committed an uncharacteristic five clangers, which he conceded tarnished his night.
The Article - Mark Stevens - HeraldSun - 20Sept04
Power finally break their duck
AFL minor premiers Port Adelaide have finally done what they could not manage for the last few seasons, booking the first grand final berth in their history by holding off a spirited St Kilda at Football Park. In a classic struggle in which the lead changed nine times and Saints forward Fraser Gehrig surpassed 100 goals for the season, the Power fashioned a 14.10 (94) to 13.10 (88) preliminary final triumph in front of nearly 47,000 fans. Minor premiers for the last three seasons, the Power have notoriously struggled to make an impact in finals matches but, with wins over Geelong and now the Saints in this campaign, they have set up a title decider against either defending premiers Brisbane or Geelong at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next Saturday. Mark Williams was visibly relieved in the coach's box at the full-time siren, finally realising a dream which had agonisingly evaded him in recent years.
The Article - Joel Zander - saints.com.au - 17Sept04
Supporter: (noun) One who, or that which, supports!!!
. . . Several hundred St Kilda supporters will be able to tell their grandkids that they ran on to the ground when Fraser Gehrig kicked his 100th goal of 2004. Hopefully, that will be of some consolation when their grandkids ask why St Kilda did not progress to the grand final and was instead beaten by Port Adelaide in one of the most stunning finals of the modern era . . . But there is no doubt those supporters ran on to the ground at the worst possible time - with the Saints and Gehrig red hot, and Port's fragile mental state vulnerable. When play restarted after a three-minute hiatus, Port had recovered.
Saint posts a bittersweet milestone - Peter Ker - TheAge - 18Sept04
Stupid #x@* dumb idiot moron supporters - Saintsational Fan Forum
Century for the G-Train
St Kilda spearhead Fraser Gehrig has needed just 11 minutes to bring up his first century of goals in a season during Friday night's first AFL preliminary final. Gehrig went into the game needing just two goals to bring up his century and he booted the first two goals of the game to give the Saints a flying start against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. His century was marked by the traditional running onto the ground by fans but given there were few Saints' fans in the 50,000 pro-Port crowd, the game was only held up for a couple of minutes. Gehrig was taken off the ground by security guards as a precaution while Saints' fans ran onto the ground but was soon back on the field and back in the goalsquare. He is the first player to kick 100 goals in a season since Matthew Lloyd of Essendon in 2001 while the last St Kilda player to do it was Tony Lockett in 1992.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 17Sept04
Fraser turns torment to ton - Digby Beacham - HeraldSun - 18Sept04
Port Adelaide into first Grand Final
Port Adelaide is into its first ever AFL grand final after beating St Kilda by six points in a heart-stopping preliminary final at AAMI Stadium tonight. A despairing lunge by Power defender Shaun Burgoyne at the feet of Saint Brent Guerra with less than a minute to play saved a certain goal and preserved a 14.10 (94) to 13.10 (88) victory for the home side. Port will meet the winner of tomorrow night's Brisbane-Geelong preliminary final to decide the 2004 premiership, and after an extraordinary record of success in the SANFL competition, the Power will get a chance to win its first flag in the big time. Carrying the weight of its 'finals choker' tag into the match, Port started slowly but prevailed in a nerve-wracking second half when the lead changed hands several times and the margin was never more than two goals in either sides' favour.
The Article - ABC Sport - HeraldSun - 17Sept04
Power bury demons in nail-biter - Michael McGuire - TheAustralian - 18Sept04
Power shakes off its choker tag - Michelangelo Rucci - HeraldSun - 18Sept04
Saints' kids put up fight - Damian Barrett - HeraldSun - 18Sept04
Wanganeen bangs in final nail - Andrew Capel - HeraldSun - 18Sept04
Port looks to take final step - Peter Ker, Alan Shiell - TheAge - 18Sept04
Power finally break their duck - ABC Sport - 17Sept04
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