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Round 15 Post-Match Articles - Page 2

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Riewoldt outstanding in defeat
A magnificent individual performance from Nick Riewoldt was not enough to carry the day for the Saints who went down by 57 points to Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday. Riewoldt, playing full-forward in the absence of the suspended Fraser Gehrig, booted a career best nine goals as Melbourne won 23.8 (146) to 13.11 (89) in front of 54,409 fans. The Saints, who were three games clear on top of the ladder after winning a club record ten successive games to start the season, now find themselves ahead of Brisbane, Port Adelaide and Melbourne by percentage only. The Saints' percentage has now dropped a staggering 34 percent in just five weeks despite the 66-point win over Hawthorn in round 13.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 11Jul04

Demons belt Saints to go equal-top
Melbourne created a four-team jam at the top of the AFL ladder when it beat St Kilda by 57 points today at the MCG their fourth loss in five games and their biggest losing margin of the season . . . Nick Riewoldt kicked 9.1 in a lone hand up forward for St Kilda. Centre half-forward Aaron Hamill appeared to be playing with an injury and was clearly below his best. Defenders Matt Maguire and Luke Penny also appeared hampered by injuries and utility Steven Baker was forced off with a suspected broken nose in the second term.
The Article - AAP - HeraldSun - 11Jul04
Ladder - This site
Daniher eyes double chance

"It was a defining Moment" :Thomas
. . . Maybe the Saints' slump was finally going to end. Against the odds, they were going to stand up and be counted away from their comfort zone of Telstra Dome. Enter Xavier Clarke. While it's harsh to lump everything on the head of the young Saint, it was a bad error from the X-man that swung the momentum back to Melbourne. Clarke's decision to leap for a spectacular mark on the back of teammate Troy Schwarze as he wrestled with Russell Robertson was selfish and stupid. All he managed to do was fall over, push Schwarze over, and then watch as Robertson took two bounces and centre the ball to a leading Holland who slotted it through from 30m. Melbourne kicked the next four goals to kill the contest. As St Kilda coach Grant Thomas pointed out afterwards, the Clarke mistake was something that wouldn't have happened six weeks ago and encapsulated just how far his side had slumped in form and confidence. "It was a defining moment," Thomas agreed.
Demons ride on Holland heroics - Scott Gullan - HeraldSun - 13Jul04

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

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


Constructive idea's thread
. . . Now teams have worked out how to play us, our game plan doesn't work. Look at the Yanks in Vietnam. They treated it is a normal war and got their butts kicked badly. They operated the only way they knew how. Bigger numbers, better technology, dumped millions of gallons of Agent Orange, spend up big big big . . . but the enemy fought smarter. The Yanks (and us) lost out in the end. Our coaching staff now have some jobs to do: - work out different moves - find out which players can play in different possies (Riewoldt at FF was a very good start) - teach the team to be more accountable and more direct.
The Thread - HydePark - Saintsational Fan Forum

Saints slump again
St Kilda's grip at the top of the AFL ladder is looking shaky after a 57-point loss to Melburne at the MCG on Sunday afternoon . . . But the loss came despite the best efforts of St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt, who kicked a massive nine majors for the Saints in a losing cause. Ben Holland had four for the Demons while Cameron Bruce, Brad Green and David Neitz each scored three. Melbourne had booted seven goals to four in the second quarter to open up a 15-point lead at half-time.
The Article - ABCSport - 11Jul04

Sex code on way
The AFL has called in expert academics to revamp its sexual harassment policy. Delivering on its pledge to review its policy, it is understood the AFL has engaged expert advice from law academics and other specialists from the University of Melbourne. AFL chief Andrew Demitriou has vowed to introduce a uniform anti-harassment policy across all 16 clubs. The code would replace separate policies within specific clubs. It would be part of a broad campaign aimed at improving attitudes to women. The AFL sex scandal deepened this week when two women claimed St Kilda players made lewd remarks to them at a Sorrento hotel last month. The club has vowed to sack any players proved to be involved in impropriety.
The Article - HeraldSun - 11Jul04

Thompson revels in skipper rotation
Hawthorn coach Peter Schwab will reassess his stance on rotating the club's captaincy and consider handing it to Nathan Thompson for the rest of the season. Thompson reclaimed the role from Peter Everitt yesterday and was superb in leading the team to a much-improved performance against the Eagles at York Park, Launceston.
The Article - Jackie Epstein - HeraldSun - 11Jul04

AFL to look at overseas tribunals
As part of its coming, much-awaited review of the tribunal, the AFL has commissioned an in-depth comparison between its own judicial system and that of leading international sports such as soccer, basketball and American football. The league has arranged for Deakin University to make a complete analysis of the AFL Tribunal in comparison with America's National Football League and National Basketball League and soccer's Federation of International Football Associations . . . The AFL has also engaged the services of the former chief steward from Greyhound Racing Victoria, former policeman Bill Kneebone, to review the investigation of cases and how they come to the tribunal. Kneebone, who has sat in on nearly every tribunal case for several weeks and is a member of Racing Victoria's appeals board, will make a report at season's end. The Kneebone review and the AFL's study of international sports were set in train several weeks ago - long before the vehement criticisms this week of the tribunal system by coaches Mick Malthouse and Grant Thomas. The AFL's football operations manager , Adrian Anderson, said yesterday that the comparison between the AFL and the 'disciplinary tribunals' of international sporting bodies was part of the first stage of the review of the judicial system.
The Article - Jake Niall - TheAge - 11Jul04

Country win hands Metro the title
Victoria Country has ended the National's AFL under 18 championships on a high after thrashing Western Australia by 46 points at Optus Oval on Sunday in the final match of the carnival, yet the division one title has been won by Victoria Metropolitan. Country 12.14 (86) defeated the Sandgropers 5.10 (40) to notch up its second win of the championships, but because Vic Metro defeated Vic Country in the opening division one match, the city slickers gain the title.
The Article - Matt Burgan/Sportal - saints.com.au - 11Jul04