Round 5 Pre Game Articles - Page 1
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Herald Sun Saints Update
Captain Lenny Hayes said the Saints, the competition's only unbeaten team, were striving to maintain their momentum in a bid to duplicate the psychological edge enjoyed by competition pacesetters the Brisbane Lions over the past few seasons . . . "There have been times over the last month where we've been up and down with our form, but still got away with the win, " he said. "I think we can keep it going. It's a sign of where the side is at with the number of contributors. In the past we've probably relied on too few and at the moment we've got a good mix of young guys and the older guys continuing to do the job. So far our intensity has been really good." The light week at training will be critical for St Kilda to be on guard against the rebounding Roos, fired by the second-half fadeout against Sydney in Canberra last Sunday. "We haven't spoken about it as a group, but everyone in football knows the Kangaroos don't often lose by that much, and they are a hard and tough side and we expect nothing less on Saturday," Hayes said.
The Article - Bruce Matthews - HeraldSun - 22Apr04
Injury Update - This site
Training 21/4/04 - Saintsational Fan Forum
Gehrig and Penny missing
Captain Lenny Hayes said the Saints, the competition's only unbeaten team, were striving to maintain their momentum in a bid to duplicate the psychological edge enjoyed by competition pacesetters the Brisbane Lions over the past few seasons . . . "There have been times over the last month where we've been up and down with our form, but still got away with the win, " he said. "I think we can keep it going. It's a sign of where the side is at with the number of contributors. In the past we've probably relied on too few and at the moment we've got a good mix of young guys and the older guys continuing to do the job. So far our intensity has been really good." The light week at training will be critical for St Kilda to be on guard against the rebounding Roos, fired by the second-half fadeout against Sydney in Canberra last Sunday. "We haven't spoken about it as a group, but everyone in football knows the Kangaroos don't often lose by that much, and they are a hard and tough side and we expect nothing less on Saturday," Hayes said.
The Article - Bruce Matthews - HeraldSun - 22Apr04
Injury Update - This site
Training 21/4/04 - Saintsational Fan Forum
Bookends missing but available
St Kilda's bookends, Luke Penny and Fraser Gehrig, missed their team's main training session on Wednesday, but the Saints expect the pair to play against the Kangaroos this weekend. Scans revealed key defender Penny suffered a fractured cheekbone after a collision during last weekend's match against Adelaide. He will be monitored before St Kilda plays the Roos at Telstra Dome this Saturday. A club official said Gehrig, the competition's leading goal kicker to date, was merely being rested.
The Article - Samantha Lane/Sportal - saints.com.au - 21Apr04
Lions fined $260k over payments - TheAustralian - 21Apr04
Lions sanctioned over breaches - afl.com.au - 21Apr04
Don't Just Love it - Live it!!!
The St Kilda Saints are working toward their 30,000 members target in 2004 and are now half way up the AFL club membership ladder with 26,500 members. The current culture within the club and the way our team is going about their business provides an open door for a great membership achievement this year. If you are not on the bandwagon for success - get on now.
The membership ladder - HeraldSun - 20Apr04
You get more in 2004 - Much more! - saints.com.au
Join the Saints here - saints.com.au
How are our membership numbers? - Saintsational Fan Forum
Saints survive the gauntlet
St Kilda has beaten all these sides twice, mirroring their Wizard Cup effort with that of the opening four rounds . . . Since 3rd August 2003, St Kilda have won twelve out of thirteen games and a lot of those victories have been annihilations of their opponents. The Brisbane Lions may well be the champions of the past three seasons but currently, St Kilda are sitting top of the ladder with four wins from four rounds and a healthy 153.8%. This hasn't happened in consecutive weeks since 1997 and they look better now than in that year . . . Some may argue that the Saints are yet to have a real test and need to beat sides like Brisbane, Port Adelaide and Collingwood before they can be called 'premiership contenders'. However, you can only beat who you are put up against and St Kilda has knocked every team down thus far like bowling pins.
The Article - Luca Giacobello - saints.com.au - 23Apr04
Saints, Tigers collusion probe
The AFL is investigating Richmond and St Kilda over claims that the two clubs colluded over evidence given during the appeal hearing of the Saints' Aaron Hamill, who was suspended for tripping the Tigers' Ty Zantuck two weeks ago. An AFL investigator has questioned Hamill, Zantuck and officials from the two clubs over claims that they met before the appeal hearing and discussed the evidence that would be presented. Hamill was suspended for one match at the initial hearing and failed to have the verdict overturned on appeal. He returns to the St Kilda team for tomorrow's clash with the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome. The officials questioned include St Kilda coach Grant Thomas and football manager Matt Rendell, and Tiger football manager Greg Hutchison. AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson confirmed last night that the probe was being carried out by investigations officer John Coburn into "the conduct of officials from two clubs prior to the appeal board hearing".
The Article - Dan Oakes - TheAge - 23Apr04
Match-ups R5
R.Harvey/B.Harvey - Boomer and Grant both start out of the centre and run hard, none run harder than R.Harvey, he has stitched up Cousins, Crawf, McLeod before, this time it's a job on his namesake. Gehrig/Watt - Watt has the pace and almost the size, but as we saw last year not the ability. He will have Gehig's 9 fresh in his mind. Black/Grant - in the absence of Baker, Black and Peckett to share a run with role, but attack when we have it, he is not accountable, they only need a handful of kicks between them to hurt.
Fan Forum Thread - Saintsational Fan Forum
ReeVoldt . . . that is what Roo wants - Saintsational Fan Forum
Stevens gets two after guilty plea
Former Kangaroos captain Anthony Stevens has been suspended for two weeks after he was found guilty by the AFL Tribunal of striking Sydney Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes. The forced omission of the 32-year-old midfielder is a significant blow to the Roos before they meet St Kilda in round five and the Western Bulldogs in Canberra in round six.
The Article - Samantha Lane/Sportal - saints.com.au - 20Apr04
Losing Pies fans turn on Malthouse
. . . Star-studded St Kilda is the only unconquered team after West Coast proved Brisbane was beatable, at least in Perth, and Melbourne (now with three wins) shocked Port Adelaide. Adelaide - winless and increasingly hopeless - is the only non-Victorian team outside the eight. It is not hopeless for the Pies, but it doesn't get any easier with Sunday's Anzac Day blockbuster against the in-form Essendon followed by matches against Port Adelaide (away), Carlton and St Kilda . . . Simon Zydower was equally furious. "We're playing with no passion and just like all Malthouse sides, we're playing with no flair," he said. "We've made the grand final the last two years because we've had a great run with injuries, but now we're being found out - we've got no depth." . . . Mike Guerin stood out at Telstra Dome yesterday, proudly wearing a St Kilda scarf and beanie despite his side having played a day earlier and in another state. "I'm very happy about the way we're going, so why not show it," he said. Mr Guerin adopted St Kilda two years ago after moving from New Zealand. "Some of the people at work fell off their chairs laughing when I told them, but they're not laughing now."
The Article - Shaun Phillips - HeraldSun - 19Apr04
BETTING & ODDS
Saints big firmer to go all the way
The Saints have finally convinced punters and bookmakers they are the real deal. St Kilda is a clear second favourite for the flag at as low as $4.50, firming from the $17 on offer before Round 1. "All you can do is keep winning, which is what they do each week," Centrebet's Gerard Daffy said. "I can't see any reason why they couldn't go all the way." Sportingbet's Phil Hannah said: "Winning over there (Adelaide) proved they have what it takes and all over the ground they have the right structures." Sports bookmaker Norm Short described them as "the real McCoy". "That was a big win against Adelaide as the pressure was on the home side to chalk up a victory," Short said. The only dissenter is TAB Sportsbet's Graeme Reynolds, who said the Saints were yet to beat a decent side. TAB Sportsbet tightened St Kilda from $7 to $5 after Saturday's victory.
The Article - Michael Manley - HeraldSun - 19Apr04
As Saints rise up, fans suffer vertigo
The Saints are marching in, but under their paid-up seats, some supporters are shuffling their feet uneasily. A lifetime of thrashings and subjugation has left them quite unprepared for this. Many cannot believe that the new indomitability will last, and some are not sure if they want it to last anyway. A superiority complex is an uncomfortable fit when new; it has to be worn in . . . But St Kilda has not sacked a coach for nearly three years now, nor been involved in a row since Monday. The wolf is no longer at the door, the team is made up mostly of fine, upstanding young men and Fraser Gehrig has had a hair cut and Rod Butterss a shave. It is all very disorientating . . . third - and this is the hardest - is to expect their team to be a little less loveable. Good teams mostly are. All three of St Kilda's opponents - and victims - this season had something sharp to say about the Saints' aggression and how they bend the rules to breaking point. This can only mean they are feared, which is different from admired, but a lot better than ridiculed. Nonetheless, the Saints are not used to putting the fear of God in others.
The Article - Greg Baum - TheAge - 17Apr03
The emergence of Hayes
At 19, James Begley had played just eight senior games when Tim Watson declared he would one day captain the Saints. He was surprised then, but even more amazed in February, when Lenny Hayes got the job. Drafted to Moorabbin with Hayes in 1998 (as well as Steven Baker and Troy Schwarze) Begley lived with him for four years and never thought St Kilda would see captaincy in him. Certainly, he never did. "The thing I thought about Lenny was how under-appreciated he was, with his dedication and his training ethos and his loyalty to St Kilda. I knew how hard he worked, but I never thought he would be captain," Begley said.
The Article - Emma Quayle - TheAge - 17Apr03
Don't Just Love it - Live it!!!
The St Kilda Saints are working toward their 30,000 members target in 2004 and are now half way up the AFL club membership ladder with 26,500 members. The current culture within the club and the way our team is going about their business provides an open door for a great membership achievement this year. If you are not on the bandwagon for success - get on now.
The membership ladder - HeraldSun - 20Apr04
You get more in 2004 - Much more! - saints.com.au
Join the Saints here - saints.com.au
How are our membership numbers? - Saintsational Fan Forum
Cornflakes' serial thrillers
Cornflakes Thomas was laughing in the coaching box minutes into the first quarter of St Kilda's match against Adelaide on Saturday night. His assistant Nathan Burke was laughing just minutes before the final siren. All night the St Kilda team had given their coaches unfettered reason to lick their lips. This was the Saints' most sophisticated and significant victory under Thomas. It was also perhaps the most critical loss for Gary Ayres at Adelaide.
The Article - Patrick Smith - The Article - 19Apr04
Gehrig leads way for Saints
St Kilda's flying start to the season continued last night when spearhead Fraser Gehrig booted six goals as the Saints downed Adelaide at AAMI Stadium for the first time in 13 seasons. St Kilda won a see-sawing match 18.5 (113) to 15.8 (98) to stretch its unbeaten run to four matches and keep the Crows winless. St Kilda coach Grant Thomas described the win as "a tremendous effort, a really courageous effort. Obviously it was a really hard, tough game. I thought Adelaide were terrific. They came to win. Coming off a short break and interstate and all the rest of it, I thought it was a really creditable performance from our players. A fair few of the guys were out on their feet for the last part of the game . . . it was a really courageous performance, one I'm sure they will remember for some time and one they will use as a reference point. They've got a great spirit among them and that's what you need when sides, especially of the calibre of Adelaide, pour on a couple of goals."
The Article - Alan Shiell - TheAge - 18Apr04
Saints rise to challenge - Alan Shiell - TheAge - 18Apr04
Saints exorcise another demon - Bruce Matthews - HeraldSun - 18Apr04
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