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Round 7 Pre-Game Articles

All 2004 Articles - Round by Round

Hamill back, Fisher to debut
St Kilda has regained inspirational forward Aaron Hamill for Saturday afternoon's Subiaco blockbuster against Fremantle. Sam Fisher has also been named by the Saints for his first game. He and Hamill replaced suspended pair, Lenny Hayes and Justin Koschitzke.
Article & Line ups - Sportal - saints.com.au - 07May04
All Teams - Sportal - saints.com.au - 07May04
Teams and INTERACTIVE MATCH-UPS - This site
Firthy's Training Report - Saintsational Fan Forum
Where we'll beat the Saints - Dockerland Fan Forum

Gehrig in doubt for Saints with leg injury
A fitness cloud hangs over St Kilda full-forward Fraser Gehrig as the Saints prepare for today's clash with Fremantle at Subiaco Oval. Gehrig, who led the AFL goalkicking entering round seven with 27 goals, barely trained with the Saints last night and had his left leg heavily strapped. He was the last player on to the oval to start training and left the field during the warm-up for treatment. Gehrig returned as the team began the main session but spent most of the time in the goal square. The Saints named three smaller players - Allan Murray, Leigh Montagna and Brett Moyle - as emergencies, but brought their entire list to Perth because the club's VFL affiliate, Springvale, has a bye. That means the club has more options to pick from than most clubs when it travels, but coach Grant Thomas said there would be no late changes. "We're not into games," Thomas said. "We're just into games of football."
The Article - Craig O'Donoghue - TheAge - 08May04

Saints aim to divert the spotlight to game-day
Coach Grant Thomas believes the Dockers are marginally ahead of his club in terms of development, after Fremantle experienced its first taste of finals football last year. Thomas also admitted the team was looking forward to finally putting all the recent off-field distractions behind it. "That's what we do best, that's what our lot in life is, so that's all we're interested in," he said. "I know they're really keen to get down to training and have a real solid hitout for half an hour and get used to the ground. Some of the guys haven't been there. We'll have a good team meeting tonight, team dinner and whack into it tomorrow," he said yesterday.
The Article - AAP - TheAge - 08May04
Saints get on with job - Digby Beacham - HeraldSun - 08May04

Danger man Hamill challenges Dockers
Unbeaten St Kilda will welcome back its resident "enforcer" and former captain Aaron Hamill for the blockbuster AFL clash with Fremantle at Subiaco Oval tomorrow afternoon. The return of Hamill, named at centre half-forward, will help offset the blow of losing captain Lenny Hayes and young star Justin Koschitzke to suspension this week. Hamill captained the Saints last year but under coach Grant Thomas' rotation policy has handed it over to Hayes for this season.
The Article - JOHN McGRATH and JOHN TOWNSEND - WestAustralian - 07May04

Milne, Montagna in the clear
Sex assault charges were unlikely to be laid against St Kilda footballers Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna, police said last night. Milne told his lawyer he had been contacted by a source close to the investigation with the news just before 9pm. "He's ecstatic," lawyer George Defteros said.
The Article - Michael Warner, Geoff Wilkinson and Shaun Phillips - HeraldSun - 05May04

Saints consider leading question
. . . (Harvey) "I didn't think that we'd be in the position we are, obviously. I didn't think that the improvement would come so quickly, so for a guy who's at the end of his career, it's great from my point of view, and I'm just loving playing with these players, and the way they go about it and they attack their footy it's a pleasure to be around." Harvey predicted the biggest adjustment this weekend would be to the vast Subiaco ground, with midfield supremacy, as ever, vital. He said coach Grant Thomas's rotation policy had been a key to St Kilda's success, with the relative fadeout against the Lions - redeemed by Troy Schwarze's late goal - an exception to the strong-finishing rule. Hayes's absence would be significant, but not insurmountable, he said. "He's been in terrific form, but we haven't relied on any one midfielder this year; we've had about six or eight that have gone through there, and we'll bring a couple more in this week."
The Article - Linda Pearce - TheAge - 06May04
Dockerland - www.dockerland.com

Fremantle at full strength
Fremantle will take a full-strength squad into Saturday's blockbuster against St Kilda at Subiaco Oval, after coach Chris Connolly yesterday declared Matthew Carr and Jeff Farmer fit to play. And Connolly said the match was the ideal chance to prove Docker doubters wrong. Carr has missed the past three matches with an ankle injury and Farmer missed Tuesday night's training because of a groin problem.But Connolly said barring mishaps, the pair would play against the Saints and the match committee would have a massive array of talent from which to pick.
The Article - Craig O'Donoghue - WestAustralian - 06May04

Bans come with our tough style
Experienced midfielder Robert Harvey yesterday rejected suggestions St Kilda was paying a heavy price for its aggression. Harvey said the suspension of four Saints in the opening six rounds was a response to being challenged and tested as a new threat to the top teams. "I think they have all been isolated incidents and probably a by-product of the hard, physical games we've played," the dual Brownlow medallist said. "I wouldn't read too much into it. There's a story behind each of those incidents and, unless that trend shows any sign of continuing, I don't think it's a concern."
The Article - Bruce Matthews - HeraldSun - 05May04

No fear of flying: Harvey
Such is the confidence of the Saints at the moment that champion midfielder Robert Harvey believes they head to Perth on the weekend with a massive chance against Fremantle. And that is despite the fact the Saints will be playing a side that has only lost one game this season, has been near unbeatable in Perth in recent seasons and that the Saints will be without skipper Lenny Hayes and key defender Justin Koschitzke due to suspension.
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 06May04
The Article - Paul Gough/Sportal - saints.com.au - 06May04

Archive: Saints' stats don't stack up
Here is something to ponder: St Kilda won the clearances from the centre convincingly. It went inside its forward 50-metre arc five more times than Fremantle. The Saints had the game's leading goalkicker and the leading possession winner. Yet they got whipped by more than seven goals as Fremantle won its third game in a row 18.15 (123) to 11.16 (82). From the 16 minute mark of the first quarter the Dockers never really looked like losing because while the Saints had the stats on their side, the Dockers had Des Headland, Dion Woods and Roger Hayden on theirs.
Article and Results - Mark Duffield - TheAge - 19May03

All aboard for the trip to Perth
Thomas said it was about supporting the senior group in foreign climes, and offering hope to those not yet among the senior team. "We're six games in, Springvale have a bye this week and we've got a big game in a place where there's not a lot of support available to the senior team," said Thomas yesterday. "We thought it was appropriate that the 17 players who aren't playing in the seniors are there to support the others from start to finish, from the aeroplane to the dining, to the game and afterward. Plus it's really good for the players from Springvale to know that they really are part of the club and strange things can happen. They can get a call-up any time." The Saints will fly 39 players - their 37 listed players plus two rookies - to Perth. The extra numbers mean they will be able to send 17 players to a planned breakfast function organised by the club's Perth-based supporter group on Saturday.
The Article - Martin Blake - TheAge - 05May04
Cashed-up Saints to take entire squad - Michael Stevens - HeraldSun - 05May04

Hayes, Koschitzke rubbed out
St Kilda has struck its first major hurdle in 2004 after losing captain Lenny Hayes for two matches, courtesy of the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night. The league leaders, Wizard Cup winners and the AFL's only unbeaten team after six rounds will now have to face Fremantle in Perth and Collingwood at the Telstra Dome without their star midfielder, who was found guilty of striking Brisbane's Tim Notting. And the news soon got worse for the Saints with 2002 Rising Star winner and key defender Justin Koschitzke also suspended for Saturday's tough trip to Perth after receiving one match for tripping Brisbane full-back Mal Michael . . .
The Article - Peter Gough/sportal - saints.com.au - 04May04

AFL penalty handed down
The St Kilda Football Club was informed by the AFL this afternoon of a $50,000 fine dating back to Season 2003 relating to Rules 10.33 and 10.34 and the failure to lodge Player Contracts with the AFL within the required time frame the required time frame specified by the rules. CEO Brian Waldron said, " The Club is extremely disappointed to have incurred this penalty which is a clear reminder to us that we must at all times act within the requirements of the AFL's rules and regulations. Given the severity of the breach we consider the AFL's penalty on this matter to be fair."
The Article - saints.com.au - 04May04

Luke worth every single Penny
Sure it's borrowing an old cliché, but this season Luke Penny has proven to be just that. Taken by the Western Bulldogs in the 1998 National AFL Draft, pick 14 overall, Penny managed just 35 games and 5 goals in four seasons before being traded to St Kilda at the end of 2002. Luke said of the move, "Initially it was a tough decision but after having a lot of injuries there, I felt a need for a change in order to progress." . . .
The Article - Luca Giacobello - saints.com.au - 04May04

Saints fans may miss big match
Unbeaten St Kilda may help Fremantle create history on Saturday with the Dockers' first sell-out for a non-derby match, but Saints fans in Victoria could be struggling to see the match of the round. The match will be played on Saturday afternoon, at 4.10pm Melbourne time, and will be telecast live into Melbourne on Fox Footy. Yesterday, St Kilda chief executive Brian Waldron said the club would hold a function at Moorabbin for fans who could not see the game on television . . . Last night, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the initial ratings results for round six showed the eight matches had 4.7 million viewers, the highest ever viewership for a home-and-away round on free-to-air television. That was about 600,000 viewers more than the same round last year. Attendances for 2004 are already up by 2.1 per cent and 1.6 million fans have attended the matches until the end of round six.
The Article - Peter Ker, Karen Lyon - TheAge - 04May04

I did nothing wrong: Milne
St Kilda star Stephen Milne has broken his silence after the collapse of a rape investigation against him and teammate Leigh Montagna. Milne, 24, told the Herald Sun he had been vindicated by the police decision not to pursue sex assault charges. "It's been a very traumatic and stressful time," Milne said yesterday. "I just want to get on with my life and my football." The two young women at the centre of the allegations continued to shun the public spotlight. But Milne, who had refused to comment since the scandal broke eight weeks ago, said he was relieved his ordeal was over. "It's a weight off my shoulders - I have been vindicated," he said. "I've done nothing wrong."
The Article - Michael Warner, Shelley Hodgson and Catherine Hockley - TheAustralian - 08May04
Experts warn on victims after Saints cleared - Catherine Hockley - HeraldSun - 08May04

Butterss expresses Saints' relief
St Kilda president Rod Butterss says the Club is relieved that no charges have been laid against players Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna over allegations of sexual misconduct. Speaking at Melbourne Airport where the Saints were preparing to fly to Perth for Saturday’s game against Fremantle, Butterss was guarded in his response to a barrage of questions from the media.
The Article - Matt Burgan/Sportal - saints.com.au - 08May04

Marina Prior a Saints fan
Q: . . . So how did you arrive at St Kilda? A: My manager for the past 15 years or so is mad St Kilda. He was always listening to games and talking about them. It was a process of osmosis. I then got to sing at the Grand Final between St Kilda and Adelaide. That was my real introduction to the game. After I sang, I sat and watched and it was such an electric atmosphere. That was 1997 and I've followed them ever since.
The Article - Steve Perkin - HeraldSun - 08May04

Harvey counts his blessings
Having watched his great mates Nathan Burke and Stewart Loewe recently retire without the ultimate success, Robert Harvey can hardly believe his luck to be still playing as the Saints' revival kicks into full swing. The 1997 and 1998 Brownlow Medalist began his career way back in 1988 and is currently in his 17th season at league level. And now suddenly the 32-year-old realises that unlike Burke and Loewe, he has a chance of being able to finish his career on the best possible note. While no-one, least of all the modest Harvey, is talking premierships at Moorabbin just yet - the facts are the Saints are the only unbeaten team after six rounds this season and only last week accounted for triple reigning premiers Brisbane.

Time forces Black back to reality with Saints
"Heath never banged the table and said, 'look, I want out'; he just thought it was best for personal reasons that he go, and we did try and facilitate it, but it wasn't able to eventuate - fortuitously, I think, for us," Waldron said. "He's settled down to play some great footy and I think life's a bit easier for him now. In the end, had Fremantle been prepared to give us what we believed Heath was worth, well, he would have gone, but we always had a value on him that we weren't prepared to back down from, and in the end we really only did that on compassionate grounds. All along we felt that he had enormous value and Fremantle 'ummed and aahed', which was their prerogative, but they were still doing other deals and the Black deal didn't eventuate."
The Article - Linda Pearce - TheAge - 08May04