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Round 15 Pre-Match Articles - Page 1

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Round 15: Melbourne vs. St Kilda MCG
Sunday 11th July 2004, 2:10pm (AEST)

Not the usual suspects
. . . The Saints' numbers showed they'd been beaten in midfield, where the intensity has not matched early-season levels. This leaves Trent Knobel with a hugely important task on Jeff White today. "We know that when we get beaten, it's in there that we get beaten," said Rendell. "We need a lift from the midfield this week." Another focus at Moorabbin this week has been efficiency, for St Kilda crossed its 50-metre line almost as many times as Port last Sunday (45 to 44), but kicked seven goals to the Power's 14. Rendell said St Kilda's ratio of scoring per entry to the forward 50 had been a year-long problem, running at around 52 per cent compared with, say, 58 for Port Adelaide. "We're only going (at) about 80 per cent ratpower of what we should be doing," he said . . . (Chris) Fayden (Melbourne's Assistant Coach) sees St Kilda's slide as reflecting the usual circuitous pattern, rather than teams waking up to its method . . . "Everyone's studied them, but they've just lost form. They were so brilliant early on, it's hard to sustain that. It's natural, but they'll bounce back. They're too talented not to."
The Article - Martin Blake - TheAge - 11Jul04
Brock `Chooka' McLean wings it - Jackie Epstein - Heraldsun - 11Jul04

Demons wary of ferocious Saints
Demons captain David Neitz pointed to St Kilda's red-hot winning streak at the start of the season while Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna were being investigated as evidence that the Saints will not be unsettled ahead of the critical clash that is important for Melbourne's top-two aspirations . . . Sitting a game and 24 percentage points behind the Saints at the moment, coach Neale Daniher said this was too important a match to let the premiership points slip by after last week's insipid effort against Adelaide, and he was eager to see how his team responded. "It's great for Melbourne and St Kilda to be fighting off at this stage of the season to be the No. 1 Victorian team. Who would have thought that at the start of the year?" Daniher said. "The excitement is playing in finals-type atmosphere at the MCG and that's what we focus on, being able to play well in big games. Then the percentage and the points and the outcomes will look after itself. That's what we're looking forward to. We're aware that they've, in the sense, gone underground but they'll be fired up, there's no doubt about that. But we've come off a 70-point loss as well so I'll be looking forward to our team responding in a fashion that can meet anything St Kilda throw at us," he said.
The Article - Melissa Ryan - TheAge - 10Jul04

Daniher urges all-out support
. . .Melbourne captain David Neitz believes the MCG might favour the Demons against a team that plays a lot indoors at Telstra Dome. But the bottom line could be which team has its head on straight and is focused on winning. "(Last) Sunday we were very flat and pretty disappointed. Our minds were not quite on the job," Neitz said. "After getting our bums kicked, we'll be ready to go. "I don't think they're vulnerable at the minute. When top sides go through adversity that's when they're probably going to be at their best and mentally right at the top of their game. They'll be coming at us ferociously."
The Article - Grantley Bernard - Heraldsun - 10Jul04

Gram in for Goddard
The Saints selectors have dropped 2002's top AFL National Draft pick, Brendan Goddard for Sunday's match against Melbourne at the MCG, and elected to give former Brisbane Lion Jason Gram his first run in the seniors. Gram has been named on the interchange bench along with Andrew Thompson, Brett Voss and Jason Blake. The Saints other inclusions are Sam Fisher and Matt Maguire who replace suspended duo Brent Guerra and Fraser Gehrig.
The Article - Sportal - saints.com.au - 10Jul04
JASON GRAM - Profile - saints.com.au
Maguire returns for Saints - Sportal - saints.com.au - 08Jul04
All Teams Round 15 - Sportal - saints.com.au - 08Jul04
Top eight race on in earnest - Peter Walsh - ABCSports - 08Jul04

Teams: Goddard pays for St Kilda slump
The Saints last night lost patience with inconsistent utility Brendon Goddard as they try to erase their mid-season slump. On and off the bench for most of the year, Goddard has lacked the poise he displayed last season. He will line up with Springvale at Shepley Oval tomorrow. The 2002 No. 1 draft pick, who is out of contract at the end of the season, had only seven touches in the loss to Port Adelaide at York Park last Sunday. Goddard is one of three changes for tomorrow's match against Melbourne at the MCG, with Brent Guerra and Fraser Gehrig suspended. Young Sam Fisher will line up at full-forward, while Matt Maguire and former Brisbane midfielder Jason Gram, set to play his first game of the year, have also been added.
The Article - Jon Pierik - HeraldSun - 10Jul04

Penny appeal upheld
A relieved St Kilda can include key back Luke Penny in its side ahead of Sunday's important match against Melbourne at the MCG after he successfully overturned a two-match suspension for rough play at the AFL Appeals Board on Thursday night. Reporting umpire Justin Schmitt saved the day for the tall Saint, after he conceded at the appeal that Penny was always likely to contact Port Adelaide's Gavin Wanganeen during a marking duel at York Park last weekend.
The Article - Samantha Lane/Sportal - saints.com.au - 08Jul04
Game on - Saintsational Fan Forum

Demons wary of weakened Saints
Melbourne is acutely aware of the perils of meeting undermanned sides, and will this week attack an apparently vulnerable St Kilda - presently its missing bookends and a handy utility - with a toughened resolve . . . But Demons coach Neale Daniher said his team had been lulled into complacency before it lost to a Brisbane side minus Alastair Lynch and Jonathan Brown in round ten. And he criticised Melbourne for a 'soft' performance against Adelaide, missing Wayne Carey, Nigel Smart and Ben Hart last week. "We thought 'oh yeah, that's terrific', and both times we got our biggest hidings of the year," he said before training on Wednesday.
The Article - Samantha Lane/Sportal - saints.com.au - 07Jul04

Penny free to play, but Thomas fined
While St Kilda's playing stocks were given a welcome addition last night with Luke Penny's two-match suspension for rough play overturned on appeal, off the field, coach Grant Thomas's comments about the AFL Tribunal cost him $5000. In overturning the two-week ban Penny received on Tuesday, appeals board chairman Peter O'Callaghan, QC, said Penny had been caught in an "agony-of-the-moment decision" when he chose to make contact with his left knee and leg to the back of Port Adelaide's Gavin Wanganeen rather than try to jump over him. In Tuesday's hearing, umpire Justin Schmitt said he believed Penny had the option to jump. But after viewing new footage presented to the appeals hearing that showed the collision from a reverse angle, Schmitt conceded it appeared to show that had Penny attempted to jump over Wanganeen, he would still have made contact with him either to the back or the head.
The Article - Lyall Johnson - TheAge - 09Jul04

Fisher's big chance
Sam Fisher is in line to be thrown into St Kilda's forward mix as coach Grant Thomas ponders life without Fraser Gehrig. With the AFL's leading goalkicker out suspended for two weeks, Fisher could find himself with a key forward role after a timely day out for Springvale in the VFL last week. Fisher, at 191cm and 88kg, kicked five goals and was named Springvale's best player in the Scorpions' loss to Geelong. The 20-year-old has played only one senior game, against Fremantle at Subiaco in Round 7.
The Article - Mark Stevens - HeraldSun - 08Jul04

We still have wheels
Football is a remarkable sport. After 10 rounds this year, the experts were entertaining the prospect of St Kilda travelling throughout the season undefeated. Five weeks and four games later and those same experts are hinting that the wheels have fallen off. This is not the case, but there is no doubt our playing form has tapered. It is always difficult to attribute this to one or two specific reasons. Against Port Adelaide in Tassie on Sunday there is no doubt we were outplayed and the scoreboard accurately reflected that. But to truly understand why we were beaten, we always analyse areas that have the most bearing on our games of football . . .
XX Newspaper Article - Nick Riewoldt - saints.com.au - 09Jul04

Guilty Saints face sack
St Kilda president Rod Butterss vowed yesterday to sack any player found guilty of sexually harassing women during a night out in Sorrento last month. The Saints supremo said he would not hesitate to end AFL careers if the allegations raised by two women were proved. "If I can get some evidence and some proof that this occurred and get some sort of an independent witness, that player will not be on our list next year," a fiery Mr Butterss said yesterday. "I will burn a career if that sort of behaviour is happening . . . that player's career will be over." Two women have come forward this week claiming they were indecently assaulted by a group of drunken St Kilda players at the Sorrento Hotel on June 19.
The Article - Michael Warner - HeraldSun - 10Jul04

Punters like Lions and Lappin
The Brisbane Lions for Premiers and Nigel Lappin for the Brownlow Medal is what bookmakers and punters are saying after the completion of round 14 of the AFL season at the weekend. With losses to St.Kilda, Melbourne, Geelong and Essendon over weekend Brisbane have shortened to nearly 'flip of the coin' odds at TABSportsbet to take the 2004 AFL Flag. After getting out to $3.20 some weeks back when St.Kilda were at their rampaging best, the Lions are now clear-cut favourites at $2.05 to make it four in a row.
The Article - TABSportsbet - onthepunt.com.au - 07Jul04

Aussie Jones Chat
saintnic: How do you think Fraser will cope on the sidelines for 2 weeks?
Austinn Jones: I think it will be good for Fraser - he's been carrying a few niggling injuries so it might be better for the side.
Megan: Can the Saints win the flag?
Austinn Jones: Yes!
The Transcript - saints.com.au - 09Jul04