2005 First Preliminary Final
Post-game Articles
Preliminary Final
St Kilda: 3.1, 5.5, 9.7, 9.11 (65)
Sydney: 5.1, 6.3, 8.6, 15.6 (96)
Goals - St Kilda: Gehrig 4, Riewoldt 2, Dal Santo, Hayes, Montagna
Sydney: Hall 4, Schneider 3, Williams 2, O'loughlin 2, O'keefe 2, Davis, Buchanan
Best - St Kilda: Dal Santo, Harvey, Hudghton, Jones, Gehrig, Baker, Montagna,
Sydney: O'keefe, Hall, C. Bolton, J. Bolton, Schneider, Kennelly, Ablett, Crouch, Buchanan
Injuries - St Kilda: Dal Santo (A/C Joint)
Sydney: None
Changes - St Kilda: None
Sydney: None
Reports - Hall (Sydney) for punching Goose
Umpires - Vozzo, Mclaren, Goldspink
Crowd - 73,344 At The Mcg
Prelim 2005
In many ways it is very difficult to summarise the feeling and sensations of the last couple of days. It has been hard to sleep, even harder to contemplate next weekend without our Saints in it. It is an arduous task to sit here tonight and reflect on a season, when we, the club and the football world believed it was our time. My name is Josh Rynderman, I am 30 years old, and I am heart broken. Tonight on Saints Radio, Sport 927, I speak on behalf of Ben and Cam, and I'm sure many of you. We the St Kilda fans have had our share of defeat. We have had our share of heart break. We have watched our side over decades, and are unwavering in our belief. We are sick of listening to the naysayers, we are sicker of the bandwagon jumpers. We are the true supporters. The ones who continued to show up during the 80's when we were a rabble, we were there in Thommo's early years as coach when the side couldn't steal a win. And we are still here now. St Kilda is not just a football club for us. It is a lifestyle, an attitude, and a sense of self. We revel in victory, and wallow in defeat.
The Article Josh Rynderman/saints.com.au/19Sept05
St Kilda end-of-season report Jon Anderson/HeraldSun/19Sept05
Walls tickles coach's funny bone
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said yesterday it was laughable to suggest Matt Maguire had taken a dive after his clash with Barry Hall in last week's preliminary final. Thomas also denied a claim that had emanated from Sydney that Maguire had carried an appendix complaint in to the match. Maguire's renowned toughness has been called in to question throughout the week following his clash with the Swans forward. Some commentators, including Robert Walls, said he stayed slumped too long after the punch from Hall. "That's really, really funny," Thomas said of the appendix complaint theory . . . Thomas said Walls' views could not be taken seriously. "I don't think Robert would know and I don't think anyone really takes Rob seriously. He has been around a long time and I don't think anyone takes his comments seriously," he said. "We don't take a lot of interest in what Rob has to say."
The Article Damian Barrett/HeraldSun/22Sept05
Old Man Time
Dear Robert, Like the rest of the football world I'd feel privileged to watch you do the business like only you can for one more season (well 2 actually) but realize what a physical ask that becomes as the years roll on. Mentally though, well, I know you'll still be there in your eighties!! I was fortunate enough to be in the rooms at Football Park after our qualifying final victory over the Crows & was especially delighted how satisfied and pleased you were with the result.
The Article Steve Nankervis/saints.com.au/23Sept05
To Robert Harvey
Dear Harvs, I am writing to try and put in words what an inspiration you are to all of us. I also want to thank you for what you bring to this great club, its supporters and football. I felt the bitter pain of Friday's loss - in fact I still feel it today. It upsets me greatly that we may have lost a golden opportunity to win that elusive flag for you and your fellow veterans. I cannot imagine what you must be going through and I hope this letter can help you decide whatever future you choose. You and I have never met; I have only admired your ability from afar. But it has been an honour and a privilege to be able to watch you play. Your spirit is the essence of this club and what football should be - never-say-die, humility, loyalty, strength, sportsmanship, integrity and a wonderful mate-first attitude that is the reason why we all come back year after year, whatever the results.
The Article Todd McCarthy/saints.com.au/21Sept05
Hall is cleared to play at MCG
Three former premiership players last night took less than four minutes to clear Sydney Swans captain Barry Hall for Saturday's grand final. The AFL tribunal, comprising dual North Melbourne premiership player Wayne Schimmelbusch, two-time Hawthorn premiership winner Richard Loveridge and Richmond's 1980 grand final winner Emmett Dunne, granted Hall's only request at last night's hearing: that he hit St Kilda's Matt Maguire in play and not behind play.
The Article Peter Krupka/TheAustralian/21Sept05
The luckiest footballer in history
. . . The match review panel has handled this case poorly. It has been too lenient on the issues of conduct and impact and appeared not to understand the guidelines on the location of the incident. It follows another unsound decision not to cite Geelong skipper Steven King when he kicked Melbourne's Jeff White in the head during their round 20 match. The end of the season cannot come quick enough for the panel and the Adrian Anderson revamped tribunal system. As for Barry Hall, well, he may just be the luckiest footballer in history.
The Article Patrick Smith/TheAustralian/21Sept05
ST KILDA BROWNLOW VOTES
Nick Dal Santo 18
Justin Koschitzke 11
Fraser Gehrig 10
Lenny Hayes, Luke Ball 9
Robert Harvey 7
Stephen Milne 6
Aaron Hamill 5
Matthew Maguire, Nick Riewoldt 3
Brent Guerra 2
Leigh Montagna, Austinn Jones, Steven Baker 1
Votes Round by Round
Veteran Saints may decide futures this week
The future of several St Kilda veterans could be determined this week, with coach Grant Thomas holding one-on-one meetings with Robert Harvey, Justin Peckett, Andrew Thompson, Austinn Jones and Fraser Gehrig. Thomas said yesterday that the players would remain around the club this week before heading off "for a spell," which meant that decisions on individual players were likely to be made this week. Harvey, Gehrig and Jones have all canvassed the possibility of retirement, but are the least likely to finish up of the five who are being discussed as potential retirees. "They would have had a fair idea," Thomas said of those players' intentions for 2006. "You don't sort of get to this stage overnight. It's something that happens over a period of time. So they know where they're at. We can't wait forever obviously because we've got decisions to make as well." Thomas said there would be a list-management meeting between the coaches this week and one-on-one talks with the players before they went away.
The Article Jake Niall/TheAge/19Sept05
Soft? Not Maguire, says Thomas
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas yesterday leapt to the defence of Saints defender Matt Maguire, ridiculing any suggestion that Maguire had been soft in his reaction to Barry Hall's punch in the stomach during last Friday's preliminary final. Thomas said care had to be exercised when such clashes were later assessed and revealed that Aaron Hamill had broken two ribs following a similar incident involving Port Adelaide's Josh Carr last season. "That's just a ridiculous assessment (that Maguire is soft). Matt's a very courageous and brave individual that, you know, I think just for whatever reason, wasn't ready for it and for whatever reason, hit him in a spot that hurt him," Thomas said on radio SEN. Maguire spent at least a minute on the ground after the contact with Hall, who subsequently kicked a goal. "I think that is some sort of defence for Barry because I know a couple of (incidents) some time ago, Josh Carr punched Aaron Hamill in the stomach down at York Park and he broke two ribs".
The Article Melissa Ryan/TheAge/20Sept05
Saints surrender under fire
The cutting irony that St Kilda fans will contemplate this off-season is that the only commodities they believed were not in question ultimately cost the side a chance at Saturday's Grand Final. The Saints' twin reservoirs of hardness and hunger, seemingly bottomless and everlasting, ran dry in that final embarrassing quarter, just when they were needed most. Six injuries, a lack of continuity among key players, the scant finals experience - these were supposed to be the challenges above which the Saints had to rise, as they had done so admirably all year. Who would have thought that when it was time to rumble, these Saints would decide it was time to call it a day and down tools without a fight?
The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/18Sept05
Thomas: I'm to blame Michael Stevens/HeraldSun/18Sept05
Tears for Saints Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/17Sept05
Ball feels sick for Harvey
St Kilda midfielder Luke Ball says the thought that veteran Robert Harvey may have missed his last chance to make a Grand Final makes him "sick in the guts". Ball apologised to supporters after the Saints were swamped by Sydney in the final quarter of Friday night's MCG preliminary final, going down by 31 points after being seven points up at the last change. "To come out and let it slip in the space of 15 minutes is just inexcusable," Ball said. "We apologise to all our supporters and everyone involved at the club who had their hopes up so high and were counting on us so much."
The Article Jackie Epstein and Sam Lienert/HeraldSun/18Sept05
Play it again, Harvs wife Saintsational Fan Forum
Riewoldt: We lack mental toughness
Lamenting another missed opportunity, St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt said his team must get mentally tougher. Sydney finished with seven unanswered goals to inflict a 31-point defeat on the stunned Saints. Riewoldt said it was the worst after-match feeling he had experienced and was hurting more than last year. "You work pretty hard to find yourself in these positions and we need to keep training our minds and keep improving in the mental toughness side of things to make sure we don't make those mistakes again," he said.
The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/18Sept05
Our hardest loss: Riewoldt Jen Witham/Sportal/saints.com.au/19Sept05
Clock ticking for Saints to earn premiership wings
Nothing encourages the knee-jerk reaction at an AFL club like a finals exit that ends in a whimper rather than a bang. And St Kilda's last quarter on Friday night, possibly its most insipid of the season, considering the stakes, wasn't even worth a whimper. Hence the likely gnashing of teeth around Moorabbin in the wash-up this week of another wasted opportunity by football's most frustratingly unsuccessful club. There will be inevitable calls for the head of coach Grant Thomas, lists of potential trades and delistings circulated containing the biggest and most unlikely of names, mantras about the need for the club to become harder-nosed and nastier. There's at least some reality about the latter point. St Kilda has set itself and succeeded in becoming a physically stronger side. It's the Saints' mental strength across the board that has to be questioned after Friday night.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge/19Sept05
Saint excuses can't shield hard questions Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/19Sept05
Where were All-Australians for St Kilda? Terry Wallace/HeraldSun/19Sept05
Rod Butterss: Grant coach of year
A shattersed but proud St Kilda president Rod Butterss believes Grant Thomas should be coach of the year. Describing the feeling around the club as "numb" after the 31-point loss to Sydney, Butterss said Thomas delivered against all odds in the face of a crippling injury toll. "I think his job to patchwork a side together and finish fourth is outstanding," Butterss said. ". . . I reckon Thommo's coach of the year. He was certainly tested but he's shown he's been tough and strong and focused about what he's doing with our club and he's, I think, demonstrated categorically that he's good at the caper." After the game Thomas accepted responsibility for the loss, saying he was too "reactive" and could have coached better.
The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/18Sept05
Matt Maguire: Golden chance wasted
A shattered Matt Maguire says St Kilda wasted a golden chance to bring long-suffering Saints fans their first flag since 1966. As players and coaches were locked behind closed doors at Moorabbin for an hour early yesterday, Maguire said it was heart-wrenching to have led at three-quarter time in consecutive preliminary finals. "Each year is just as disappointing as the next," Maguire said. "When you get to the prelim final and don't get through, any team that is beaten in a preliminary final is obviously gutted and I think each year is as hard as the next. It's definitely an opportunity lost. We know we had a few injuries, but that wasn't what cost us the game. We put ourselves in a position to make the Grand Final. We just weren't good enough."
Peter Rolfe/HeraldSun/18Sept05
Barry big, bustling but too bad
If you were in a cave last night and happened to miss Barry Hall's right rip into Matt Maguire's guts, well, brace yourself for three days of instant replays of the punch that looks set to cost Sydney the premiership. Every angle will be shown in every news service from now until Monday when the AFL match review panel will finally decide to charge the Swans captain with striking. Unfortunately for everyone - Hall, the Swans, the AFL and its desire for a fairytale Grand Final - they have no real option. Peter Schwab and his gang could use any of their buzz words like reckless, negligent, careless or intentional to describe Hall's punch to Maguire 40m behind the play which sent the young Saint to his knees in agony for the next couple of minutes.
The Article Scott Gullan/HeraldSun/17Sept05
Barry Hall's punch may be costly Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/17Sept05
Here we go again: Swans' nail-biter on Hall Mark Fuller/TheAge/18Sept05
Craig has the edge in battle of coaching's kindred spirits
Grant Thomas has been our coach of the year for months now and it is his crown to keep. Neil Craig and John Worsfold have come awfully close. Paul Roos never got a look in because AFL chief Goofy Demetriou said his game plan wasn't much chop. This afternoon's preliminary final between West Coast and Adelaide will decide officially which man is runner-up to Thomas. It is not easy to pick for both sides have much in common. Quirkily, both Craig and Worsfold have been appointed coach of West Coast. Craig was the man anointed in late 2001 after Ken Judge had two awful and unproductive years as coach. However, as quickly as he got the job, Craig changed his mind and remained in Adelaide as an assistant to Gary Ayres.
The Article Patrick Smith/TheAustralian/17Sept05
Still not good enough
In the aftermath of his side's second consecutive preliminary finals defeat, St Kilda coach Grant Thomas has admitted that the Saints are simply not good enough to be playing in the grand final just yet. Thomas based this observation on the fact the Saints so blatantly fell away when seriously challenged in the final term. But, even with the surrender that gave the Swans just their second grand final berth since 1945, Thomas believes his side is developing. "Cleary we're not good enough yet, otherwise we would have had a different result in the last quarter. Late in the third we were 13 points up, and with about two minutes to go they got that last goal, but irrespective the challenge was to win the last quarter," a disappointed Thomas said after the loss. "That's all we needed to really do, and we stopped doing the things we were doing in the previous two quarters and (the Swans) took their chances." Thomas refused to draw direct comparisons regarding if and how much the Saints have improved in the last 12 months, but did say that he thought the players were often denied the respect they deserve.
The Article Jennifer Witham/saints.com.au/16Sept05
Saints swamped by rampant Swans
St Kilda's premiership quest had ended at the second-last hurdle after a 31-point loss to Sydney in the preliminary final at the MCG on Friday night. After leading by seven points at the final change, the Saints were swamped by the rampant Swans, who slammed on seven unanswered goals in the final stanza, in front of more than 73,000 fans, to earn themselves a shot at their first flag since 1933. Sydney skipper Barry Hall overcame two poor finals performances so far in September to kick four goals but faces a nervous wait ahead of the grand final following an off-the-ball incident with St Kilda defender Matt Maguire in the first term. The incident was captured by the television cameras and showed Hall appearing to punch Maguire in the stomach with the Saints defender doubling over in pain, much to the fury of the Saints crowd.
The Article Paul Gough/saints.com.au/16Sept05
Now for the wait on Hall
Sydney advanced to its first grand final since 1996 with an upset preliminary final victory over St Kilda at the MCG last night, but the win and the build-up to next week's decider may be overshadowed by the likely report of Swans captain and spearhead Barry Hall after an off-the-ball incident involving Saints defender Matt Maguire. After the match, Sydney coach Paul Roos refused to comment on the incident, which could cost Hall his place in the grand final, saying he had not seen what appeared to be a strike to Maguire's stomach. He would not enter into any speculation about whether Hall will be cited by the match review panel on Monday and whether the incident would disrupt the Swans' preparation. "Until you can see it - and he hasn't been reported - it's impossible for me to say anything," Roos said. The 31-point victory ensures that for the second consecutive season, no Victorian team will play in the grand final. Sydney will learn its opponent later today when West Coast hosts Adelaide in the second preliminary final. For the Saints - favoured to win the flag for much of the year - the defeat was, according to coach Grant Thomas, a "real smack in the mouth".
The Article Karen Lyon/TheAge/17Sept05
Barry big, bustling but too bad Scott Gullan/HeraldSun/17Sept05
Sydney plans a winning game
Sydney's game plan has been much-debated in 2005, but the reality is that there are two Sydney game plans. One is the lockdown that has attracted so much criticism, notwithstanding the fact that it works quite effectively, particularly in the confined spaces of the Swans' home ground at the SCG. The other is the polar opposite, a scintillating, offensive modus operandi with hard running from defence and long kicking to tall forwards. Both of them are likely to come out in any given game, depending on the circumstances. This is the momentum game that Paul Roos has created and it is already being mimicked, most notably by Adelaide under Neil Craig. In the semi-final against Geelong, the SCG was damp underfoot and the Cats' insistence on numbers around the ball meant that the lockdown was in place. But in last night's preliminary final, Sydney removed the defensive shackles and went into shake and bake mode.
The Article TheAge/17Sept05
Thomas takes full blame
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas last night accepted responsibility for his side's humbling final-quarter fade out against Sydney at the MCG. Thomas said he was too reactive during the match and there were other things he could have done better, but refused to elaborate. The Swans kicked seven goals to nil in the last term for a stirring 31-point victory to propel themselves into their second grand final appearance since 1996 and Thomas admitted his side was outmuscled. "I thought they really worked us over well (in the last quarter)," Thomas said. "It was a real credit to them the way they beat us at our own game; they were just too hard and tough. If we had played the way we played in the second and third quarter, even parts of the first quarter, you're probably tossing the coin up."
The Article Michael Stevens/TheAustralian/17Sept05
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