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Round 11 Results and Post Game Articles

Sydney: 4.4 7.7 14.9 17.10 (112)
St Kilda: 1.1 4.5 8.7 11.10 (76)
Goals: Sydney: Hall 5, Nicks 4, James, McVeigh, Williams, O'Loughlin, Mathews, J Bolton, Fosdike, Buchanan
St Kilda: Dal Santo 2, Koschitzke 2, Guerra, Maguire, Ball , Harvey, Hamill, Montagna, Riewoldt
Best: Sydney: Barry, Hall, Williams, Goodes
St Kilda: Ball, Harvey, Dal Santo
Injuries: Sydney: N Davis (ankle) replaced in selected side by H James, J Ball (hamstring), L Barry (ankle)
St Kilda: X.Clarke (thigh) replaced in selected side by Montagna
Umpires: Vozzo, Rowe, Nicholls
Crowd: 36,039 at SCG

Pressure Now Off

We let ourselves down: Hayes
Hayes said the club was "obviously disappointed" to lose against the Swans, which ended a 10-game winning streak - the club's greatest effort since joining the VFL/AFL in the inaugural year of 1897. "We go into every game trying to win it - there's no reason why we can't go through the whole season without a loss," Hayes said on Monday at training on Monday. "Sydney were great - they played some really good football - and it's a real credit to them and they beat us on the day. With the standard that we've set this year, we really let ourselves down and the club down yesterday and it's something we're not too happy about." Hayes said the club was "not hitting the panic buttons at this stage" and added that the players were remaining "pretty upbeat" despite the 36-point loss.
The Article - Matt Burgan/Spotal - saints.com.au - 07Jun04

Saints will learn from loss: Knobel
While Sydney's win over St Kilda may have been one of the upsets of the season so far, according to St Kilda big man, Trent Knobel it was not that much of a surprise. "Obviously everyone wants to knock off the top side and we always knew they were going to come out and play really tight football. We got a rude awakening today but we will certainly bounce back," Knobel said after the match. After St Kilda made most of the running in their first 10 games of the 2004 season, against the Swans, the Saints were forced to play the game on Sydney's terms. "It was very congested and a tight game and we couldn't adapt to that," Knobel said. The Saints will take the defeat in their stride and look at starting a new streak commencing with the Bulldogs whom they play next. "From here, we will go about our football the right way and keep following our game plan. We'll certainly bounce back."
The Article - David Wiseman/Spotal - saints.com.au - 06Jun04

Saints forwards wilt under pressure
Thomas said: "What the players are most disappointed about is their (lack of) effort. They just didn't bring their A-grade effort to the game today. If we had had a serious crack, but for whatever reason, we made mistakes and things didn't go our way, and we were beaten in the end, that makes it more palatable. But I suppose the fact we just didn't work anywhere near hard enough, which is uncharacteristic of our players, that's probably the most disappointing thing."
The Article - Michael Stevens - HeraldSun - 07Jun04
Pop goes the winning streak - Jessica Halloran - TheAge - 07Jun04

Thomas slams lack of effort
. . . Thomas said there were no big secrets."It's extremely disappointing," he said. "What we're most disappointed in and the players are disappointed in is their effort. They just didn't bring their A-grade effort to the game today. We just didn't work anywhere near hard enough, which is uncharacteristic of our players. But that said, it's one of 22 blocks, and it's a disappointing one. We'll need to review it and go through it to the extent that we get some learnings and understandings out of it. After that we need to focus very heavily on next week." (The Saints confront the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Saturday.) Thomas scoffed at a suggestion that his decision to call off training last Wednesday night and take the players to see a movie had any influence. "It wasn't that unusual," he said. "We've had several days where we haven't had training . . . It had nothing to do with anything."
The Article - Martin Blake - TheAge - 07Jun04
Saints' lack of effort upsets Thomas - Michael Stevens - HeraldSun - 07Jun04

Swans end St Kilda's unbeaten run
The Sydney Swans have halted St Kilda's sensational start to the AFL season in emphatic fashion with a comprehensive 36-point win at the SCG today. The Saints' club record for consecutive wins was stopped at 10 following the 17.10 (112) to 11.10 (76) result. The Swans had winners all over the ground and squeezed the life out of the previously undefeated Saints with the home side's undersized defence standing tall. Sydney defender Leo Barry and full forward Barry Hall (five goals) were outstanding in the victory which comes just days after Saints veteran Aussie Jones said his team could go undefeated this season.
The Article - AAP - HeraldSun - 06Jun04
Match Stats - afl.com.au - 06Jun04
The Stats - HeraldSun - 06Jun04

With one minute 51 seconds on the clock at the SCG in the Upset of the Millennium, with Sydney holding a seven-goal lead over the Saints, some urger in the press box yelled "what price St Kilda now?" "I'll lay even money for a dollar," I howled. Nobody was going to suck me in to offering overs on a team that was 10-0 and coming off two 100-point wins in a row - the best St Kilda team since they won their only flag in 1966 - against an outfit that had struggled to 5-5. I'd been looking at that sacred line-up that pulled off a one-point win over Collingwood - who had finished on top of the ladder that year - and went into the fairytale section of Australian sporting history . . .
It's a Hall of fame - Jeff Wells - TheAustralian - 07Jun04

Saints suffer first defeat
Saints coach Grant Thomas said the Swans deserved the four premiership points. "You couldn't help but be impressed by the way they went about it - they were harder than us, tougher than us, stuck to their plans better," he said. "What is most disappointing is that the players didn't bring their A Grade effort to the game today. We'll review the game tomorrow and look where we fell down and what we could have done better."
The Article - David Wiseman/Spotal - saints.com.au - 06Jun04

Swans inflict Saints' first loss
On the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the Sydney Swans stormed the SCG to inflict St Kilda's first defeat of the 2004 Season - 17.10 (112) to 11.10 (76) on Sunday. In other firsts, the Saints kicked their lowest score of the year, and for the first time this season allowed the opposition to score over 100 points. Hitting the ground running with a hardness and intensity reminiscent of last year's qualifying final heroics against Port Adelaide, the Swans had all the answers as they snapped the 10-match winning streak of St Kilda. If the Swans were to have any chance of toppling the Saints they would have to blanket the much vaunted St Kilda forward line and they did that.
The Article - David Wiseman/Spotal - afl.com.au - 06Jun04

Why Dal Santo can win Brownlow
Brownlow medallist Neil Roberts has heaped praise on young-gun Saint Nick Dal Santo, saying he has the potential to win football's highest individual honour. Brownlow material: Neil Roberts reckons Nick Dal Santo is almost the complete player after only 36 AFL games. The 1958 winner, Roberts said he believed Dal Santo could be the best of the baby Saints, a group including Nick Riewoldt, Luke Ball, Justin Koschitzke, Xavier Clarke and Brendon Goddard. Dal Santo was picked up at No. 13 in the 2001 national draft, the selection Sydney gave the Saints in return for key forward Barry Hall. Hall is sure to be throwing his weight around at the SCG today as the Swans try to become the first team to defeat St Kilda this season. Roberts said he could see similarities between former star centreman Ian Stewart, who won two Brownlows with St Kilda (1965-66) and one with Richmond (1971), and Dal Santo.
The Article - Howard Kotton - HeraldSun - 06Jun04

Luke keen on Ball v Ball
St Kilda midfielder Luke Ball is looking forward to the round-13 clash with Hawthorn and renewing on-field acquaintances with older brother Matthew. The game is still a fortnight away and with competition for spots fierce at Moorabbin and Matthew having made his debut this season, the Ball versus Ball match-up might not take place. But Luke for one is keen for it to happen, revealing that it will represent only the second time the two have graced the same field, the first occasion being when they were junior footballers with Ashburton some years ago. "Obviously they are struggling a bit at the moment the Hawks, but it's been great that he's been able to crack into the side and string a few games together," Luke said on Tuesday. "Whether he holds onto his spot until then, we'll wait and see. Hopefully he does because certainly it will be very interesting" . . .
The Article - saints.com.au - 01Jun04
who is better than who - Saintsational Fan Forum Thread