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Gehrig fast-tracking to 100
Down at Moorabbin they call him the G train. And Fraser Gehrig sure had a full head of steam yesterday. A nine-goal haul propelled Gehrig to 50 after 10 games and right on track to roll relentlessly to a century this season. Barring injury or an inexplicable form lapse, the powerful left-footer should become the first St Kilda player since Tony Lockett in 1992 to boot 100 goals. Gehrig destroyed Carlton coach Denis Pagan's bold plan to make wayward forward Brendan Fevola an accountable key defender by posting five goals with a devastating opening quarter burst at Telstra Dome . . . A measure of St Kilda's scoring clout was that Brent Guerra, who booted seven during the previous round's West Coast whipping, didn't contribute one goal this time. And to think regular midfielder Heath Black, a member of the leadership group, couldn't even force his way back into yesterday's 22 after completing his suspension.
The Article - Bruce Matthews - HeraldSun - 01Jun04

Top Goal Tally after Round 10 1. Fraser Gehrig, St Kilda 50 2. Matthew Lloyd, Essendon 37 3. David Neitz, Melbourne 36

Hawks look at rotating captaincy
Hawthorn is considering rotating its captaincy between up to half a dozen players throughout the rest of the 2004 as it begins to face up to life without Shane Crawford . . . The Hawks would become the second club in recent times to have rotating captains with the move having been a huge success at St Kilda where Aaron Hamill led the side superbly last year with Lenny Hayes doing an equally fine job in 2004. Schwab said the captaincy could be shared between experienced quartet Peter Everitt, Richard Vandenberg, Joel Smith and Angelo Lekkas while he also did not rule out giving some of his youngsters a chance to captain the Hawks.
The Article - PaulGough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 31May04
And if Hawks happen to fluke a win . . . - Saintsational Fan Forum

Matthews concedes top spot
The AFL season is not even at the half-way mark, yet Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews, like many in the football world, has virtually conceded top spot to undefeated St Kilda. "They are three games and percentage ahead, so St Kilda probably only have to win half their games to finish on top of the ladder," admitted Matthews at his regular Monday media conference. "Unless they have a severe drop in form it has going to be hard for any team to peg them back." The Saints have won their last two matches by over 100 points and Matthews says that is the plan of every side each week, but it is not that easy to achieve. "They are capable of getting sides down and kicking big scores against them - we are not capable of doing that at the moment," he said.
The Article - Andrew Browne/Sportal - saints.com.au - 31May04
Top two in class of their own - Rohan Connolly - TheAge - 31May04
Record-breaking Saints - Tim Morrissey - HeraldSun - 31May04

Blue blood spills as Saints turn gladiators
. . .there has been something very Roman about all of them. The weak and meek have run out in their chains of inadequacy, the crowds have roared, the imperial thumb has been turned down and with that, pitiless slaughter has followed. Emperor Thomas even decreed last night that there shall be no mercy . . . Of course, the compelling uncertainty of sport has been removed from these matches to be replaced by sport of another kind. The relationship between the teams has been akin to that of the fox and hound or, more accurately still, the matador and bull. With the outcome certain, it is the spirit of resistance, forlorn as it is, and the grace with which the condemned are dispatched that is of necessary interest.
The Article - Stephen Rielly - TheAge - 31May04

Football: New Millennium Style
Lockett, Dunstall, Ablett, Modra and Sumich. Ten years ago these were the men that dominated the goal-kicking table, single-handedly lifting their side to victory with spectacular efforts and were consistently the key targets of their midfielders. In the new millennium, the traditional full-forward bears no place in football. A big call considering the calibre of Matthew Lloyd at Essendon or Barry Hall at Sydney, but the fact remains that the goal-kicking prowess in modern football no longer rests on the shoulders of one man, but is spread across evenly. The mighty Saints are the perfect example. With ten wins from ten starts, they are looking unstoppable. The last two weeks have shown them flex their muscles in style with wins by 101 point against West Coast and by 108 points against Carlton. These days, playing St Kilda at the Telstra Dome is about as intimidating as West Coast at Subiaco in the 1990s or Hawthorn in finals during the 1980s. The combination of Fraser Gehrig, Stephen Milne, Aaron Hamill and newcomer Brent Guerra is how forward structures should be assembled. It has thus been proven to be the best in the competition, averaging 126.3 points a game and earning a healthy 165.5% after ten rounds.
The Article - Luca Giacobello - saints.com.au - 31May04