2004 Post-Season Articles
Gehrig: From wild child to mild man
. . . "I'm public property and with that comes responsibility. It's difficult to understand, but I'm not going to fight that any longer. I'm going to make some changes," he said . . . There is much more to Gehrig than the hard-living rebel tag he has been lumped with. The respect he has within the playing group is obvious. When he speaks in his trademark deep voice, people listen. If he's not already in the official bookworm class, he's halfway there. When he's not reading, he's telling yarns about his extensive travels with a dry sense of humour.
The Article - Mark Stevens - HeraldSun - 04Dec04
Nisbet one of select Saints
Des Nisbet, St Kilda's longest serving and most successful chairman of selectors, died on Sunday, aged 83. Nisbet's love affair with St Kilda began as a player in 1944 and continued in 1946-52 when he returned from World War II. He played 110 games despite starting aged 25. While a fine player, it was as a chairman of selectors from 1958-83 that Nisbet left his mark. He sat alongside Allan Jeans in the coach's box when the Saints won their only premiership in 1966, and played a huge part in moulding that team.
The Article - Jon Anderson - HeraldSun - 30Nov04
Des Nisbet - Saints Hall of Fame - saints.com.au
AFL lifts adult ticket price by $1
The AFL last night announced general admission prices to the 2005 season would rise by $1, taking the adult price to $17.50. The increase is the first in two years and equates to a rise of just over 6 per cent - slightly more than CPI, which is running at about 2.3 per cent. The family ticket price will also rise by $2 to $35, taking in the increase in price of two adult tickets while the price of concession and children's tickets remains unchanged.
The Article - Lyall Johnson - TheAge - 03Dec04
AFL: Bush football needs $30m - Shaun Phillps - HeraldSun - 02Dec04
Membership hits the ground running
After a successful early bird offer (with almost 8,000 members joining) and the membership mailout hitting letterboxes as of Thursday last week things are starting to heat up in the Saints membership department! Reserved seats are the hot items this season. With the Saints playing the most exciting brand of footy in the AFL, pulling in large crowds and spectators from other clubs coming to watch, Saints supporters are ensuring they secure their own prime seat for season 2005. The free 2005 player calendar again appears to be very popular with a stream of requests to have this as soon as possible keeping the membership department busy. The calendar has been so successful that other clubs have followed in the Club's footsteps.
The Article - saints.com.au - 30Nov04
Plan for sin bin
The AFL is considering borrowing another rugby league tradition and may trial a sin-bin rule in the Wizard Cup pre-season competition. While discussion is still very much at a preliminary stage, there are some club officials who believe the rule is a sensible way of calming player emotions . . . If introduced, it's unclear whether players only on report would be sin-binned or whether the send-off rule could be used as a way of penalising actions which do not warrant a report. How long a player would face on the sidelines has yet to be determined, as well as whether the offending player could be replaced.
The Article - Jon Pierik - HeraldSun - 26Nov04
Schwab keen to mete out justice - Jake Niall - TheAge - 26Nov04
Demetriou to join Long awareness trek
AFL heavyweights including chief executive Andrew Demetriou and Geelong president Frank Costa have thrown their weight behind Michael Long as the former Essendon star walks to Canberra to highlight the plight of indigenous Australians. Speaking from near Chiltern, close to the NSW border, Long said that since he set off from Melbourne eight days ago, he had been overwhelmed by support from former and present players, officials and fans. But Long's biggest coup could be a visit from Demetriou. Long works for the AFL and he said yesterday that he expected the league's chief to join him en route to Canberra at some stage this week, probably today or tomorrow. Aboriginal players Dean Rioli, Daniel Motlop and Nathan Lovett-Murray have already accompanied Long for sections of the walk and yesterday Essendon rookie Andrew Lovett, a cousin of Lovett-Murray, said that he intended doing the same.
The Article - Dan Oakes - HeraldSun - 26Nov04
AFL tribunal's facelift
The AFL has announced sweeping changes to its long-maligned tribunal and judiciary system. During a two-day session last Sunday and Monday, the AFL Commission has accepted the recommendations of a tribunal review committee set up this year and the changes will come into effect for the 2005 Wizard Home Loans Cup and premiership season. Among the changes are:
 A three-man match review panel.
Players will be able to accept a set penalty.
A tribunal chairman will control the hearings.
Victim players only required to attend the tribunal.
The cost of appeals hearings will be reduced.
Melees and wrestling fines set monetary penalties.
The rules on public comment on tribunal outcomes will be relaxed.
The Article - Sportal - 24Nov04
Sweeping changes to tribunal - Ashley Browne/Sportal - saints.com.au - 24Nov04
Football's bad boys to face set penalties - Jake Niall - TheAge - 25Nov04
Tribunal overhaul backed - Karen Lyon - TheAge - 25Nov04
Salary concessions scrapped by 2007
The controversial location allowance for Sydney and the Brisbane Lions will be abolished at the end of the 2006 season. The AFL Commission resolved at a two-day meeting last weekend, after a review of the contractual arrangements for players at both clubs, that the concessions had outlived their usefulness. AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said on Wednesday that the concessions had allowed both clubs to stabilise their playing lists when they were struggling in the early 1990s, but that the situations at both clubs had changed markedly since that time. "Both Sydney and the Brisbane Lions now have terrific administrations, excellent coaching and structures, first-class facilities, the best medical care, attract large crowds and record good profits," he said.
The Article - Sportal - 24Nov04
Lions not happy with even playing field - lions.com.au - saints.com.au - 24Nov04
Cap concessions to end - Ashley Browne/Sportal - saints.com.au - 24Nov04
Lions lash Vic clubs on cap cut - Peter Blucher - TheAge - 25Nov04
Swans say the cap fits - Ray Thomas - TheAustralian - 25Nov04
Sore Saint pays price
Aaron Hamill has been warned to brace himself for both a hip and knee replacement by the time he is 40. It is a graphic reminder of the physical toll of AFL football, but Hamill is philosophical about spending the second half of his life with the help of artificial joints on his left side. "We choose to play the game, so we choose to pay the price later on," he said yesterday in South Africa, where St Kilda is on a pre-season training camp. "The surgeon is pretty certain I will need some sort of replacement by the time I am 40. Probably a hip and knee. As long as I can chase the kids around the park, I'll be happy." Hamill, 27, had post-season surgery on his left hip and knee. To cap it off, he needed some repair work to his left ankle as well. "I feel 57 at times," he laughed. But Hamill, a veteran of nine seasons and 169 games and now one year into a five-year contract, is confident his best football is yet to come. Hamill has taken advice from St Kilda teammate Robert Harvey and is determined to train more smartly to preserve his battered body.
The Article - Mark Stevens - FoxSports - 23Nov04
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