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Round 8 Results and Post Game Articles

Round 8 PreGame Articles - Page 1
Round 8 PreGame Articles - Page 2

All AFL Stats - www.aflstats.tk

St Kilda: 6.3 10.7 15.10 21.12 (138)
Collingwood: 2.1 4.4 10.9 13.13 (91)

Goals: St Kilda: Gehrig 5, Milne 5, Guerra 4, Koschitzke 4, Hamill 2, Riewoldt
Collingwood: Tarrant 4, Rocca 3, Davis, Didak, Johnson, Licuria, McGough, O'Bree
Best: St Kilda: Milne, Koschitzke, Guerra, Dal Santo, Gehrig, Schwarze, Ball, Hamill, Jones
Collingwood: Woewodin, Johnson, Tarrant, Richards, Rocca, O'Bree
Injuries: Collingwood:
St Kilda:
Changes: St Kilda Nil
Collingwood: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Allen, Rowe, Woodcock
Crowd: 47,898 at Telstra Dome
R8 Saints Stats - This Site
R8 Saints Stats - HeraldSun
R8 Results & Stats - afl.com.au

Saints steamroll Magpies
St Kilda remains undefeated in 2004 after winning its eighth consecutive game of the home-and-away season, overcoming a spirited Collingwood by 47 points at Telstra Dome on Saturday night. The Saints 21.12 (138) defeated the Magpies 13.13 (91) to record their first win over Collingwood since the round 12 clash at Waverley Park in 1998. For Collingwood, it was the club's sixth loss in a row - and seventh of the season - after winning just one game for the year against the Western Bulldogs in round two. But again the story was the scintillating Saints.
The Article - Matt Burgan/Sportal - saints.com.au - 15May04
Thomas: The Clash Jumper clashed - Matt Burgan/Sportal - saints.com.au - 15May04

Thomas keeping the lid on
. . . "People can make whatever comparisons they like, but it's really insignificant in the context of something that happened nearly 40 years ago," Thomas said. "It's really, largely irrelevant to us. It's very good to be eight (and) zip and very good to be on top of the ladder and everything, but we also know that if we drop our level of effort and concentration that very quickly, we can be back in the pack. I think it's a very even competition and we're seeing every week sides knocking off other sides that we all don't expect to happen, so we've just got to make sure we keep focused." . . .
The Article - Matt Burgan/Sportal - saints.com.au - 16May04

Saints keep Pies on the bottom
Comparisons with St Kilda's sole premiership season have heightened, with the Saints bringing up an eighth straight win to start 2004, equalling its record from that famous 1966 campaign . . . The loss condemned the Magpies to a 1-7 record - their worst start to a season since their 1999 wooden spoon. Combined with their Wizard Cup win, it has been a flawless year so far for St Kilda, which has ably covered its regular suspensions. The Magpies were without six first-pick players tonight including vital contributors such as captain Nathan Buckley, on-baller Scott Burns and ruckman Josh Fraser, but would still have been disappointed with its start tonight. St Kilda's intimidating forward line overstretched an undermanned Collingwood, particularly given the Magpies' surprise decision to start Shane Wakelin on the bench.
The Article - AAP - HeraldSun - 15May03

1966 comparisons not relevant
. . . St Kilda coach Grant Thomas put little weight in 1966 comparisons. "People can make whatever comparisons they like, but it's really insignificant in the context it happened nearly 40 years ago - it's really largely irrelevant to us," Thomas said. "I'd be disappointed to think this is the best it's going to get. There are plenty of chinks in the armour, we're not out of the woods by any stretch, we've got an enormous amount of improvement to make." Dual Brownlow Medallist Robert Harvey suffered a calf strain strain last night and sat out the second half, but Thomas said he should be available against West Coast next Sunday . . .
The Article - Chris Lines, Nabila Ahmed - TheAge - 16May04

St Kilda full of finals ambition
. . . Eighteen of the Saints' 21 goals were kicked by four men. Fraser Gehrig and Stephen Milne kicked five each, while the impressive Justin Koschitzke and Brent Guerra both added four. Numerous times in the first half St Kilda scored by running forward off the ball. At every stoppage Saints players would start trickling forward. While 'downhill skiing' is often frowned upon in football, here it was being executed to perfection. Three times Stephen Milne ran to half-back, before turning and running the Saints forward with Dane Swan struggling behind. Leigh Fisher and Brendon Goddard were also keen to run forward of stoppages at every opportunity . . .
The Article - Peter Ker - TheAge - 16May04

Thomas: 'I won't be orchestrating a loss'
. . . St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said his side was happy to soak up the pressure associated with such a winning streak. "I can guarantee I won't be orchestrating a loss. If we continue to give 100 per cent effort and that is not good enough on a given day we can accept that," he said. "History shows that sides get bowled over at different points in time. We are not interested in it happening to us, but each week comes up and 16 sides set themselves for a win and we are no different. You set yourself for a win each week" . . .
The Article - Jon Ralph - HeraldSun - 16May04

Pies feel a bitter draft
St Kilda president Rod Butterss last night sent a subtle dig to the Magpies, imploring them to stay near the bottom this year and pick up quality draft picks as reward. For the first time in 107 years the two clubs faced off with St Kilda on top of the ladder and Collingwood at the other end. Butterss suggested to Collingwood president Eddie McGuire it might be time to rebuild. "We reckon it's character-building when you are sitting on the bottom of the AFL ladder," he said.
The Article - Jon Ralph - HeraldSun - 16May04

The Saints' brains
. . . Fitzroy jumps from 12th in 1980 to fourth in 1981 and is a contender for the next few years, going as close as third under David Parkin in 1986. It is into this environment that a huge, lumbering ruckman from West Torrens named Matthew Rendell arrives. His teammate and friend Michael Nettlefold nicknames the big man 'Bundy' after the professional wrestler King Kong Bundy, and it is a sobriquet that sticks forever. But Rendell shows himself as a thinker immediately, and is soon heavily involved in the team's strategy and planning. By 1985, he has won two club championships, is anointed one of the younger captains in the old VFL, and is sitting in with Walls at match committee meetings each week, absorbing ideas and throwing around a few of his own. "Really, 'Wallsy' got us to think about our football," says Scott Clayton, who these days recruits for the Western Bulldogs. "And there wasn't much of that in those days" . . .
The Article - Martin Blake - TheAge - 15May03

Gleeson revels in Saint revival
Gleeson is almost 70 and goes only occasionally, but can't help but be caught up in the fever as the long-time cellar dwellers firm as early flag favourites. "There appears to be good things on the horizon," Gleeson said. "The players seem to be making a very good commitment to one another and that's part of their secret. That success doesn't only enhance themselves but the whole club and those of us who have gone before them." A centre half-forward who became the game's top ruckman in his stellar '57 season, Gleeson said no team, not even title heavyweights Brisbane Lions, has been able to overwhelm the Saints. While premierships are not won in May, he believes the indicators point firmly to a strong September . . .
The Article - Ken Piesse - HeraldSun - 16May04

New things emerge for stars
For a long time it seemed that if either Justin Koschitzke or Nick Riewoldt was playing good football, the other just wasn't allowed. In fact, for a while it seemed if one or the other was simply playing football, the other could not get out there. When they came together at St Kilda, as 2001's top two draftees, it was Riewoldt who had the miserable time, missing all but a few matches in his debut year as his housemate made centre half-back look like the easiest place in the world to play and winning a Rising Star award because of it. The next year, his bung knee good again, it was Riewoldt who enjoyed elevation to an even higher level of superstardom and scored a matching trophy. Koschitzke hurt his back, various other parts, and there was more to worry about last year . . . If a time for these stars to share had not already arrived, it certainly seems close now.
The Article - Emma Quayle - TheAge - 16May03
MX Article - Nick Riewoldt - MX newspaper - saints.com.au