Round 2 Pre-Game Articles - Essendon vs St Kilda
Round 1 Articles - St Kilda vs Geelong
Round 2 Images - Various Photographers - HeraldSun
Round 2 Images - Getty Images - saints.com.au

Lloyd cited, Hird cleared
Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd will have to face the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night after being cited on video evidence on Monday morning but skipper James Hird has been given the all-clear. AFL deputy video reporting officer Peter Carey wasted little time in citing Lloyd on a charge of striking St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo during the second quarter of Saturday night's spiteful match at the Telstra Dome. But while Hird has been given the all-clear, the Bombers could yet find themselves in more trouble with AFL Investigations Officer John Coburn to launch a probe into why Aaron Hamill was forced to leave the field under the blood rule in the first quarter . . . And the Bombers face bitter rivals West Coast at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - afl.com.au - 04Apr04

Essendon: 2.3, 3.5, 5.9, 8.12 (60)
St Kilda: 3.5, 5.10, 7.15, 13.16 (94)

Goals: Essendon: Lucas 4, Hird 2, Lloyd, Hille 1
St Kilda: Gehrig 3, Peckett, Hamill, Riewoldt, X.Clarke 2, Thompson, Voss 1
Best: Essendon: Hird, Lucas, Peverill, Rioli, Ramanauskas, Murphy
St Kilda: Hayes, Ball, Voss, Riewoldt, Maguire, Harvey, Hamill
Injuries: Essendon: M.Johnson (hamstring), McVeigh (hamstring)
St Kilda: Penny (groin)
Changes: Essendon: J.Johnson (hamstring) replaced by Alvey
St Kilda: None
Reports: None
Umpires: McLaren, Nicholls, Ellis
Crowd: 44,876 at Telstra Dome
Dr Dans Match Review - Saintsational Fan Forum
Saints go to top of AFL ladder - AAP - 7sport.com.au - 05Apr04

Dons' mid-life crisis
For sale: Three draft picks. The price: One gun midfielder. That is the crux of Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy's advertising campaign - six months out from trade week. Reeling from St Kilda's midfield domination - including a 10-0 hiding in centre bounce clearances in the first half -- Sheedy conceded on Saturday night the Bombers need help.
The Article - Mark Stevens - HeraldSun - 05Apr04

Bombers sweat on Hird, Lloyd video
Essendin's woeful start to the AFL season could take another dramatic turn for the worse today. The club's two most important players, James Hird and Matthew Lloyd, will come under video scrutiny after incidents in Saturdaynight's loss to St Kilda at Telstra Dome. The Dons have been humbled by 96 and 34 points in their opening two games, against Port Adelaide and the Saints. Some of their best players are injured and unavailable for the next fortnight. And now they must sweat on whether video reports officer Ian Robinson decides to cite their best two.
The Article - AAP - WestAustralian - 05Apr04

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
Bombers' attack borders on hysteria
. . . Essendon's artificial courage at the start was expected. St Kilda's Andrew Thompson said after the match that Essendon's response was predictable. Coach Grant Thomas had warned his players that the Bombers would attack their bodies. Thompson said the Saints' response showed unequivocally that if opposition clubs feel the Saints are susceptible to brutal football well, bring it on. Hamill said it was all about earning respect. Something Essendon must now try to reclaim. Sheedy was out-coached by Thomas and footage of their pre-match news conference on Friday showed the St Kilda coach knew what was coming but better still, knew it would come to nought. Essendon have a midfield that lacks any depth of skill, hardness and pace. Which effectively means they don't have a midfield at all. Sheedy said that he might consider giving away the first three picks in the next draft to pinch a quality midfielder from another club. So much for his mantra of developing kids.
Bombers . . . with ill-advised attack - Patrick Smith - TheAustralian - 05Apr04
The Article - Patrick Smith - FoxSports - 05Apr04

Saint defends Hird
Thompson was awarded a free kick at the time, but played down the incident yesterday. "I was charging at him pretty quickly and I think Hirdy was just trying to protect himself; there was certainly no ill-effects from it . . . there was certainly no need for (me to get) any attention from the medical staff," he said. "I thought Brendon Goddard was getting a bit of unnecessary attention (from Hird) so I was trying to get over there to help him."
The Article - Peter Ker - TheAge - 05Apr04

St Kilda vows to fight fire with fire
St Kilda players have dared opposition sides to continue attacking them with physical tactics, after they withstood an Essendon barrage at Telstra Dome on Saturday night. St Kilda's Brett Voss said yesterday that any side attempting to put the Saints off their game with roughhouse tactics would get a dose of their own medicine in return. "If anyone wants to do that, that's fine - we will take it and try and dish it back out to them," he said. "We will relish the chance if that's what they want to take to us and we will give it back."
The Article - Peter Ker - TheAge - 05Apr04

Bombers improve but a win is elusive
The Bombers' plan to bully the Saints off their game looked as though it could work, with two early goals to James Hird giving the Bombers the early lead . . . But as the match wore on the rough-stuff became less of an issue, and the more composed Saints took control. Lenny Hayes was typically prolific, while Hamill was magnificent across half-forward . . . If not for poor kicking in front of goal from Nick Riewoldt and Fraser Gehrig, the Saints could have been home by half-time . . . For the Saints, the win will send a message to the rest of the competition that they won't be beaten by biffo alone.
The Article - Peter Ker - TheAge - 05Apr04

Saints prevail in torrid affair
Essendon was tipped by many to be Victoria's best premiership hope in 2004, but it may well be a dynamic St Kilda that leads the charge, after the Saints rolled the Bombers by 34 points in a spiteful affair at Telstra Dome on Saturday night. St Kilda controlled the run of play most of the night, but did not pull away from Essendon until midway through the final quarter, to win 13.16 (94) to 8.12 (60).
The Article - Barry Levinson/Sportal - saints.com.au - 04Apr04

Sainters turn tide on lowly Bombers
It is crisis time at Windy Hill. As if further hamstring injuries to Mark Johnson, Mark McVeigh and Aaron Henneman weren't enough, the Bombers would have crawled into bed last night knowing that their two superstars, James Hird and Matthew Lloyd, will be on the TV highlight reels for aggressively fending off opponents with raised forearms. While both may be able to claim self-defence, there were plenty of other incidents that ensured the heat remained throughout the game, even after the Saints had closed the contest. It was angry from the opening bounce. The Saints had the first goal on the board inside a minute, courtesy of a down-ground free kick to Nick Riewoldt against Johnson.
The Article - Mark Harding - HeraldSun - 04Apr04
Saints turn tide on Dons - Mark Harding - FoxSports - 04Apr04
Saints banish Bomber demons - Mark Harding - Sportal - 04Apr04
Saints march past Essendon - TheAustralian - 04Apr04
HeraldSun Stats - HeraldSun
Lloyd will be rubbed out - Saintsational Fan Forum
Saints on top - Saintsational Fan Forum

Police quiz Saints again
AFL players Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna will be interviewed again by police over sexual assault allegations. The St Kilda players will be questioned by detectives from Brighton CIU on Wednesday. Both are expected to be accompanied by their lawyers. The interview will focus on printouts of mobile phone text messages sent before and after an alleged incident at a bayside home last month. Milne, 24, and Montagna, 20, have emphatically denied any wrongdoing.
The Article - Michael Warner - FoxSports - 05Apr04

Dons fear on Riewoldt hit
The Saints absorbed a savage, calculated bout of physical intimidation from Essendon to score its first home-and-away victory against the Bombers since Round 8 in 1999, with a 34-point win. Bomber midfielder Mark Johnson is expected to come under video scrutiny for a savage hip-and-shoulder on Nick Riewoldt off the ball, which drew the ire of coach Grant Thomas. "Instances like that are disappointing," he said. "The umpire was two or three metres away from it looking straight at it, and I suppose Nick has got a lot of courage and the umpires probably need a bit of courage. It is up to them to protect ball players."
The Article - Jon Ralph - HeraldSun - 04Apr04
Thomas lauds Riewoldt's courage
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas believes a clash involving superstar Saint Nick Riewoldt and Essendon's Mark Johnson was out of order. Thomas said that Riewoldt, who has become something of a marked man due to his exceptional play, would let his football do the talking.
The Article - Matt Burgan/Sportal - saints.com.au - 04Apr04

Hayes cool man at helm
The calm around St Kilda captain Lenny Hayes is remarkable considering the potential for greatness among the charges he is leading into battle this season . . . The Bombers put the acid on them early, testing the opposition's ability to stand up to not only a bit of niggle, but a full-on physical threat. That may have hurt the Saints last year, but not now, because they know handling the bash and crash is what wins big games. And big games is what they want to win. "It was a close game, a physical game, and a little bit scrappy, and I thought we fought it out well," he said.
The Article - Russell Gould - HeraldSun - 04Apr04

Saints roll out carpet from defence
The question before last night's match was how Essendon could possibly contain the ensemble cast that is the St Kilda forward line, and it was a quickly justified query. A steady stream of scuffles and unusually high number of interchange moves meant it was difficult to know where to look in the opening quarter. Mark Johnson took on at least three Saints, Dean Solomon another few, the mild-mannered Nick Riewoldt looked for his piece of the action, and Aaron Hamill was forced off when blood streamed from an early battle scar.
The Article - Emma Quayle - TheAge - 04Apr04

Blue-collar Saints beat Dons
Rather than rely on the brilliant, free-flowing football seen throughout the pre-season and round one, the Saints were forced to roll up their sleeves to win 13.16 (94) to 8.12 (60) and record their first win over Essendon since 1999. Essendon remains winless after two games, and its injury toll continued to mount as Mark Johnson and Mark McVeigh suffered hamstring injuries. The game began vigorously, with the umpires having to douse a series of spot fires - the most notable of which involved Johnson wrestling Stephen Milne then dumping Nick Riewoldt in off-ball clashes.
The Article - AAP - 7Sports - 04Apr04

St Kilda holds nerve
The Saints held their nerve and worked back into the contest, as the Bombers' aggression became misplaced. The Saints were awarded four free kicks in their attacking half in the opening 15 minutes, and while Essendon fans complained, there was no doubt it was the Saints who had their heads over the ball most of the time. As the match wore on and the biffo factor faded, the Saints pulled away. But for poor kicking at goal from Nick Riewoldt and Fraser Gehrig, St Kilda could have had a matchwinning buffer before half-time.
The Article - Peter Ker - TheAge - 04Apr04

Saints have a heavenly start
St Kilda's dream start to the new season continued last night, when the Saints demonstrated how much they had improved over the off-season by defeating Essendon for the first time since 1999. The 34-point margin at Telstra Dome did not do justice to the Saints. They led at every change to run out comfortable winners, in the process condemning Essendon to the bottom of the ladder for another week. Much has been made of Essendon's dominance over the Saints during Kevin Sheedy's two decades at Windy Hill, but last night he faced a St Kilda team unlike any in his coaching career. St Kilda smashed the Bombers out of the middle, winning the clearances 17 to seven, and did not concede a centre break in the opening half. The match is likely to have its sequel at the tribunal this week after a spiteful opening quarter. St Kilda's Aaron Hamill received early attention from Mark Johnson and the niggling between several players turned into wrestling matches all over the field. At one stage there were three different contests on the dockside wing.
The Article - Karen Lyon - TheAge - 04Apr04

POFILE ON ANDREW THOMPSON
Better late than never
Andrew Thompson was 24 when St Kilda drafted him from the amateurs. On the eve of his 150th game, he believes there is still another chapter to write in his football fairytale. Andrew Thompson could have been forgiven for feeling relieved when he was drafted by St Kilda at the age of 24 in 1996. Six years of battling through amateur football, falling on and off AFL supplementary lists and coping with rejection, had the new Saint in the mood to celebrate when finally given his chance at the elite level. It was at that point that Thompson's new coach Stan Alves stepped in with some timely advice. "He said I was effectively the last man on the list," Thompson said.
The Article - Peter Ker - TheAge - 04Apr04

Dons' bluff wearing thin
It's always difficult to know how much to read into any AFL pre-season, but if you could isolate the 25 most significant minutes of this year's Wizard Cup, it had to be the first quarter of St Kilda's semi-final victory over Essendon. This was no glorified practice match. The Bombers went in with a strong side, fully expecting to inflict not only defeat, but the same sort of physical intimidation to which they have ritually subjected the Saints over the years. Only this time, St Kilda was ready. The Saints clearly stunned Essendon early that night with their ferocity at the contest and the man, and it's a cameo that a month on, looms even larger.
The Article - Rohan Connolly - TheAge - 04Apr04