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Round 17 Results and Post Game Articles

Round 17 Pre-Game Articles Page 1 - Page 2

St Kilda: 6.4 9.5 15.6 20.7 (127)
Essendon: 2.1 4.3 9.7 14.8 (92)
Goals: St Kilda: Gehrig 8, Riewoldt 7, Montagna 3, Guerra, Dal Santo
Essendon: Lloyd 6, Hille 2, Haynes 2, J Johnson, Lovett-Murray, Winderlich, Ramanauskas
Best: St Kilda: Gehrig, Riewoldt, Black, Harvey, Dal Santo, Hayes, Jones, Montagna
Essendon: Lloyd, J Johnson, McVeigh, Solomon, Misiti
Injuries: St Kilda: Nil
Essendon: Hird (ribs) replaced in selected side by Mercuri, Fletcher (teeth) replaced in selected side by Winderlich
Umpires: Vozzo, Allen, Woodcock
Crowd: 50,392 at Telstra Dome
Goal Record - Saintsational Fan Forum

Glory in an all-Saints effort
St Kilda again showed on Friday night that it is a tough team to beat under the Telstra Dome roof. In contrast, Essendon confirmed that without captain James Hird, it can look like a rudderless ship. . . One of the lesser lights who has had a tumultuous six months is Montagna. In only his fourth game of the season and his 17th overall, he collected 19 disposals and kicked three important goals. In an evening dominated by the tall forwards, there was not a lot on offer for crumbers such as Montagna, Guerra and Stephen Milne. "I think it was one of my better performances for the club," Montagna said. "Not so much the three goals, but the effort and intensity of my game. I know if I'm to keep my spot in the team that my defensive pressure is just as important as my offensive game." . . . Elsewhere on the field, Aussie Jones was once again elusive and damaging at half-back and the return to form of Goddard gives the Saints defensive options when Max Hudghton, Penny and Maguire become available in the coming weeks. The Bombers look to be struggling, no matter how positive coach Kevin Sheedy was in his post-match comments . . .
The Article - Len Johnson - TheAge - 25Jul04
A case study of a 'has been' coach - The Peanut
Hawks will have a Ball recruiting players - Kevin Sheedy - HeraldSun - 25Jul04

Thomas proud of 'proud' Gehrig
Raphael Clarke has been selected to make his senior debut for the Saints against Essendon at Telstra Dome on Friday night. He'll have his brother Xavier for company after Xavier was recalled to the line-up after a week with Springvale in the VFL. The Clarke brothers will be joined by a third inclusion - Fraser Gehrig - who has completed a two match suspension arising from the Saints' round 14 match against Port Adelaide in Launceston.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - afl.com.au - 23Jul04

Saints' twin targets two good
Fraser Gehrig has returned to his devastating early season form as he and Nick Riewoldt destroyed Essendon on Friday night to put the Bombers in serious danger of missing the AFL finals for the first time since 1997. The man known as 'The G-Train' booted eight goals and had a hand in several others as St Kilda thrashed the disappointing Bombers 20.7 (127) to 14.8 (92) at Telstra Dome. And with Riewoldt booting seven, the pair outscored the Bombers on their own as they took full advantage of an Essendon side missing not only Sean Wellman and Scott Lucas but also late withdrawals Dustin Fletcher and skipper James Hird.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - afl.com.au - 23Jul04

Dons hit by G-force, Riewoldt
. . . Whenever Essendon threatened, the response from St Kilda was always the same. Go to Riewoldt or Gehrig, mark, goal. The last occasion summed it up perfectly. Essendon had drawn within 23 points with four goals in a row early in the final term. Another Lloyd goal had been disallowed. Robert Harvey pumped those strong legs through the middle of the ground. He got the ball to Brendon Goddard and his beautifully weighted kick to the opposite forward pocket was always drifting Gehrig's way. That goal sank the Dons, as if they were not already shipping enough water . . . That was after Nick Dal Santo had checked Essendon's run with a goal that would not have been out of place in a World Cup final. Taking possession inside the centre square and facing a pack of players, Dal Santo jinked and bobbed his way through to emerge 40 metres out in front of an open goal. His kick did justice to the build-up.
The Article - Len Johnson - TheAge - 24Jul04

Fraser's eight of the best
. . . (Grant Thomas:) "Not just because he kicked eight goals - I couldn't really give a continental about that - it's more the way he went about it. He was very team-orientated. He was very purposeful. I reckon he was trying to read the writing on the football, he was that focused on the football. "When he is focused on the football and doesn't get focused on opponents and other things, he's a very, very important player." Thomas said Gehrig, who has a season tally of 64 and is still within reach of a ton, was a proud person who was always going to strike back. "He's probably copped a bit, and some of that deservedly so," Thomas said. "But like any good person, decent person and person with character and integrity, they let their actions show they want to do something about it." Gehrig, able to freshen up during his enforced break, was unleashed to the half-forward line, with Riewoldt continuing to play a deep forward role.
The Article - Mark Stevens - HeraldSun - 24Jul04
Dons defence has no answer
St Kilda has awakened from the mid-season slumber . . . and so has the G-Train to drive that feared forward line again. Rested and recharged Fraser Gehrig rejoined forces with Nick Riewoldt to destroy Essendon at Telstra Dome last night, as they shared the glory to put the finishing touches to a 35-point triumph. Gehrig was understandably eager to please after that costly two-match suspension and he saw off Dean Solomon, then the unfortunate Mark Bolton and finally Adam McPhee to trumpet "I'm back" with eight goals.
The Article - Bruce Mattews - HeraldSun - 24Jul04

A night Bolton should forget
If Mark Bolton assumed the role of a taxi driver last night, he would have endured three flat tyres and been robbed of the night's takings on the last trip. Where'd he come from? Even Mark Bolton couldn't believe the trouble he had with Nick Riewoldt. If he had taken on the work of a publican, he would have run out of beer with the joint packed and the cops would have nabbed him for serving Bacardi Breezers to minors. If he was a head chef at a five-star restaurant, patrons would have got food poisoning. Either that, or there would have been a gas strike. It really was that sort of night for Mark Bolton, Essendon footballer, at Telstra Dome.
The Article - Damian Barrett - HeraldSun - 24Jul04

Saints fume over Bombers strip tease
St Kilda chief executive Brian Waldron yesterday lashed out at Essendon over its refusal to embrace an alternative playing strip. Waldron said it was "ridiculous" the Saints had to wear their alternative strip for last night's home game against the Bombers at Telstra Dome. While stopping short of saying it was the last time the team would change its strip for a home fixture, Waldron said he was fast losing patience on the issue. "Obviously, for both sides, when there's clashes it's better if some allowances are made," Waldron said. "But it's ridiculous that the home side has to make an allowance. A few clubs need to recognise that there's 16 sides with history and 16 sides with equal importance. For the good of the game, the sooner clubs find an alternative strip the better it will be for everyone."
The Article - Rebecca Williams - HeraldSun - 24Jul04

Sheedy youth policy after Saints sizzle
The Bombers, in a nosedive with five losses in the past six games, are on the brink of falling from the top eight after a 35-point defeat against St Kilda at Telstra Dome last night . . . The veteran coach made it quite clear his goal and expectation was to make the finals, but he will also continue to bring through and encourage the young talent at Windy Hill, regardless of the short-term consequences . . . "We're not the only ones with a tough draw," Sheedy said. "The others have got a tough draw, hanging in and around there for a final eight position. If we can get that right, then we don't know what can happen. But we've got to win next week. We're disappointed we lost, but we showed some spirit. We're going to get about five players back next week and if we get back to our best team or anywhere near it . . . we'll be a pretty exciting team running home to Round 22 if we can get enough wins."
The Article - Grantley Bernard - HeraldSun - 24Jul04
No praise whatsoever from Sheedy - Saintsational Fan Forum

Gehrig stars as Saints down Bombers
Fraser Gehrig booted eight goals on his comeback from a two-match suspension as St Kilda secured a 35-point win over an under-manned Essendon at Docklands on Friday night. The Saints won 20.7 (127) to 14.8 (92) to shore up their lead over Brisbane and Port Adelaide at the top of the AFL ladder. Nick Riewoldt added seven goals for the Saints in what was a high-scoring encounter in front of a sell-out Friday night crowd.
The Article - ABC Sport - 24Jul04

Bombers under the pump
. . . Assistant coach Mark Harvey was disappointed with the final result and said that the Bombers inexperienced backline struggled to contain St Kilda's forwards. "Mark Bolton and Ted Richards were outplayed and couldn't match it with Nick Riewoldt and Fraser Gehrig," Harvey said. "St Kilda's delivery into their forward-line was just too good and too quick. Putting aside Riewoldt's seven goals and Gehrig's eight, they also had other scoring options. Montagna (Leigh) booted three goals and that hurt us."
The Article - essendonfc.com.au - 24Jul04
Saints topple Bombers - essendonfc.com.au - 24Jul04

Get a real job
AFL players would have to get a job or go back to school under a radical plan to stem the flood of indiscretions involving highly paid sportsmen. Victorian Sports Minister Justin Madden is proposing that footballers' contracts include mandatory 'earn or learn clauses'. The AFL yesterday threw its support behind the plan, while the players' association dismissed it as ridiculous. Recent police investigations, court cases, anti-social behaviour and other allegations were black marks against the sport and the public was sick of players misbehaving, Mr Madden said.
The Article - Ian Haberfield and Nicole Cox - HeraldSun - 25Jul04

Saints fume over Bombers strip tease
St Kilda chief executive Brian Waldron yesterday lashed out at Essendon over its refusal to embrace an alternative playing strip. Waldron said it was "ridiculous" the Saints had to wear their alternative strip for last night's home game against the Bombers at Telstra Dome. While stopping short of saying it was the last time the team would change its strip for a home fixture, Waldron said he was fast losing patience on the issue. "Obviously, for both sides, when there's clashes it's better if some allowances are made," Waldron said. "But it's ridiculous that the home side has to make an allowance. A few clubs need to recognise that there's 16 sides with history and 16 sides with equal importance. For the good of the game, the sooner clubs find an alternative strip the better it will be for everyone."
Hird returns - Rebecca Williams - HeraldSun - 24Jul04