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Round 15 Results and Post-Match Articles - Page 1

Pre-Match Articles Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3
Round 15 Results and Post-Match Articles Page 1 - Page 2

Melbourne: 4.1 11.3 17.6 23.8 (146)
St Kilda: 4.2 8.6 11.8 13.11 (89)
Goals: Melbourne: Holland 4, Green 3, Bruce 3, Neitz 3, Robertson 2, Johnstone 2, Vardy 2, McLean, Read, Davey, White
St Kilda: Riewoldt 9, Thompson, Harvey, Milne, Hamill
Best: Melbourne: Holland, White, Bruce, Green, Broadbridge, Read, Brown, Robertson
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Ball, Gram, Harvey, Black
Injuries: Melbourne: Miller replaced in selected side by Bell, Whelan (ribs) replaced in selected side by Godfrey
St Kilda: Penny (hamstring)
Umpires: Vozzo, Margetts, Rowe
Crowd: 54,409 at MCG

Saints battle to find an anti-skid formula
Make no mistake, St Kilda is in trouble. And what could still have been termed a mid-season slump a fortnight ago is clearly something more. The Saints were shocking last week against the Power in Launceston, flat as a tack, but, perhaps even more worryingly, a lot more competitive against the Demons yesterday, yet in the finish still completely outgunned. Injuries and suspensions clearly haven't helped: Fraser Gehrig still with a week to serve of his two-game penalty, Justin Koschitzke's return still weeks away, Aaron Hamill struggling with a rib injury, and now Luke Penny and maybe Matt Maguire on the casualty list.
The Article - Rohan Connolly - TheAge - 12Jul04

One Saint no match for 22 Demons
. . . Riewoldt's game, on the other hand, was commanding and, given the flow of the match from the second term on, extraordinary. But, without support of any kind, it sadly amounted to little more than personal glory. The ability of Melbourne to create more than the one option St Kilda had up forward was a substantial part of the story of the afternoon but much was also written by ruckman Jeff White, who demolished Trent Knobel with his mobility. Knobel would often still be making his way into defence as a Melbourne forward was pulling up his socks and preparing for a set shot that was the last link in a chain of events White had created. It was only Luke Ball, who was as lonely in the centre square as Riewoldt was in the goal square, who in any way tempered White's domination between the 50-metre arcs. Aussie Jones was continually removed from the action by Peter Walsh, who will be getting his money this week for not involving himself in the play and it was a similar story with Nick Dal Santo, who was eclipsed by Chris Heffernan.
The Article - Stephen Rielly - TheAge - 12Jul04

Injury concerns for Saints
St Kilda is facing a defensive crisis in the wake of its fourth loss in five matches on Sunday with key defenders Luke Penny and Matt Maguire joining Justin Koschitkze on the casualty list after the 57 point loss to Melbourne. Penny injured his hamstring while Maguire re-injured his groin and both could be on the sidelines for several weeks at a time when the faltering league leaders badly need all their key personnel on the field. In addition Saints' coach Grant Thomas revealed after the game that former skipper Aaron Hamill needed a pain-killing injection before the game to help him cope with a rib injury while spearhead Fraser Gehrig still has another week of a suspension to serve . . . However a shocking error by Xavier Clarke when he flew for a mark unnecessarily on the outer wing and spoiled teammate Troy Schwarze, leading to a Melbourne goal, turned the game back the Demons' way - with Thomas believing that incident summed up the way his side was playing at present.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 11Jul04

Saints bow to their demons
. . . "I've got no doubt that those two 100-point wins, we didn't have a red hot crack those two games. We came up against sides that had a lot of injuries, were really flat and we gave 90 per cent. Then we put in that same effort against Sydney in a week when we were a little bit off, and we got spanked there, and then we got beaten next week, and the guys are saying, 'Hang on a minute, we're playing like we did a few weeks ago and it's not happening for us'. You can get into a false sense of security, and a false set of beliefs about your level of effort. It's a tough, competitive competition that we're in, only the bravest and most courageous endure and at the moment we're not that brave and not that courageous."
The Article - Dan Oakes - TheAge - 12Jul04

Saint Nick a one-man band
. . . Every St Kilda fan beyond adolescence can still remember the inevitable torment as they trudged away from Moorabbin and Waverley. Shades of Plugger: Nick Riewoldt's big day went unrewarded. Emotions swirled between wanting to celebrate and a desire to slit the wrists as they contemplated another bag of goals from club legend Tony Lockett and another defeat. Nick Riewoldt is almost a generation removed from this era in the club's history, but, as of yesterday, he can identify with Lockett and the emptiness he felt so often as the Saints spearhead. His nine goals against the Demons represented a remarkable feat of domination, yet it counted for nothing in the end.
The Article - Trevor Grant - HeraldSun - 12Jul04

Demons shrug Saints aside
Melbourne has stamped itself as Victoria's best premiership hope in 2004 as St Kilda's woes worsened at the MCG on Sunday despite a magnificent individual performance from Nick Riewoldt . . . Watching this game it was hard not to think these are two teams heading in vastly different directions with St Kilda stars such as Aaron Hamill, Stephen Powell, Stephen Milne and even Aussie Jones looking horribly out of form . . . In contrast even Melbourne's most maligned players such as Ben Holland, Troy Broadbridge and Phil Read are suddenly looking world-beaters . . . Exciting goalsneak Aaron Davey was also well-held but it scarcely mattered as Holland became the Demons' number one target in attack in finishing with four goals. Not even missing an unmissable goal from two metres out when he failed to connect with the ball after electing to play on quickly after a mark could spoil probably the best game of his 139 match career.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 11Jul04

Saints fight their inner demons
Thomas again accepted responsibility for yesterday's loss, which came despite Nick Riewoldt's nine goals, but it's the players who have to battle their way through the carnage. He said some of them were "turning up the fight". "We're very frustrated and very angry of course," Thomas said. "It's a tough, competitive competition we're in and only the bravest and most courageous endure, and at the moment we're not that brave and not that courageous. We had the ability to play much better and I need to take responsibility for that."
The Article - Mark Robinson - HeraldSun - 12Jul04

If it's not a crisis Saints, it's close to it
. . . St Kilda, unbeaten after 10 rounds, suddenly sits uneasily on 11-4, one of four teams on 44 points. Not only have the Saints lost four of five, they were thumped by 57 points by Melbourne yesterday, even with the best player in the match: Nick Riewoldt. The young Saint kicked 9.1 from 12 kicks. Melbourne, as it has done for much of the season, had three or four outstanding performers and a dozen other contributors. St Kilda had Riewoldt and hard-working midfielders, Luke Ball and Heath Black, and not much else. They also have Luke Penny and Matt Maguire injured and out of next Saturday's engagement with Richmond. Penny has a hamstring, Maguire a groin, with the strong suspicion he can't shake a bout of osteitis pubis. While the Saints are lucky to run into Richmond, imagine the fallout if they do what's been beyond almost every other team in the competition and manage to conjure a loss to the Tigers.
The Article - Mike Sheahan - HeraldSun - 12Jul04