2005 Qaulifying Final
Results and Post-game Articles
Odds to win Premiership:
$2.20 St Kilda, $3.50 West Coast, $6.50 Sydney
$8.00 Adelaide, $10.00 Port Adelaide, $16.00 Geelong
(Source: Centrebet/AAP/HeraldSun)
AFL considers cheaper tickets to pull in the fans Michael Gleeson/TheAge/06Sept05
Move over Mal
First it was Mal Michael. Now another Papua New Guinean youngster has shot into the spotlight in Australian Football League. For now Michael is gone because his three-time premiers Brisbane Lions are out of contention. This time, teenager James Gwilt was St Kilda's unlikely hero on Saturday night. Gwilt was the fairytale story of last year's national draft, coming into the AFL straight from suburban football. Born in Dandenong, Victoria, Gwilt's father is Welsh and mother Papua New Guinean. On Saturday night, the afro-haired teenager of Papua New Guinean descent became the fairytale story of the AFL finals - and St Kilda's latest cult hero - after starring on the big stage in just his second AFL match.
The Article Viewpoint/postcourier.com.pg/05Sept05
The 2005 All-Australian Team
Backs: D Wirrpunda (W/Coast) B Rutten (Adel) J Clement (Coll)
Half-Backs: J Bowden (Rich) T Croad (Haw) L Hodge (Haw)
Centres: N Dal Santo (StK), S West (W/Dogs) L Hayes (StK)
Half-forwards: M Ricciuto (captain, Adel) M Pavlich (Fre) S Grant (Kang)
Forwards: B Johnson (W/Dogs) B Hall (Syd) P Everitt (Haw)
Followers: D Cox (W/Coast) L Ball (StK)
Rover: B Cousins (W/Coast, (vice-capt)
Interchange: L Barry (Syd) K Cornes (P/Adel) S Goodwin (Adel) B Harvey (Kang)
All-Australian selectors snub top forwards Rohan Connolly/TheAge/06Sept05
Trio of Saints named All Australian Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/06Sept05
Season over for Fisher
St Kilda's decision to bring back Sam Fisher for Saturday night's qualifying final win over Adelaide has backfired with the defender suffering a reoccurrence of stress fractures in his foot. Fisher, one of the Saints' most improved players this season, has been ruled out for the rest of the season meaning his chances of being a part of possibly the club's first premiership team in 39 years are over. The 23-year-old, who began this season with just seven games to his name, has played 21 of the Saints' 23 matches this season and was magnificent in defence on Saturday night when he had 22 disposals and took eight marks in defence during the Saints' thrilling eight point win.
The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/06Sept05
Fractures finish Fisher's finals
Saint Sam Fisher's premiership dream is over, the emerging backman being ruled out for the rest of the finals series with stress fractures in a foot. Fisher was last night said to be shattered after discovering that the stress fractures had opened up again and he would have to have surgery this week to insert a pin. The news came just as the Saints appeared to have a surplus of riches with up to five players - including Matt Maguire, Max Hudghton and Justin Koschitzke - given an excellent chance of making the team for the preliminary final. "It's shattering, he is really upset but he is taking it well," Fisher's manager Brenton Hart said last night. "It was a stress fracture that looked like it had healed, but it has opened up considerably and probably did in the first quarter (against Adelaide), but of course he kept going which was a very brave effort and I think probably helped get them over the line."
The Article Michael Gleeson/TheAge/06Sept05
Saints injury List - Updated
G-Train out of All-Australian
St Kilda's Fraser Gehrig has become only the second Coleman medallist in 24 years to be denied All-Australian honours, with Sydney's Barry Hall named at full-forward at last night's team announcement in Melbourne. Gehrig joins his former West Coast team-mate and close friend Scott Cummings as the only players who have topped the goal-kicking in a regular season and failed to attract an All-Australian gong. Cummings was overlooked in 1999 for Matthew Lloyd, despite kicking one more goal than the Essendon forward. But if the G-Train's omission was justified by his low goal tally - his regular season haul of 74 was the lowest to win a Coleman Medal since Leigh Matthews' 67 in 1975 - the All-Australian side contained several less explicable selections.
The Article Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/06Sept05
Harvey timing is just perfect
Speaking on Fox Footy's On the Couch, Thomas said the implications of Saturday night's match were dramatic for both sides and made Harvey's performance all the more meritorious. "I know we gave him 10 out 10 a couple of years ago when he had 41 or 42 possessions against Shane Crawford and kept him to 12 or 13 and did everything else we expect on our measurements," Thomas said. "But I don't think I'd be giving anything away to say we slipped in a 10 for him at the weekend as well."
The Article Michael Stevens/TheAustralian/06Sept05
Is the joke on Sheahan?
Many of us, most of us if everyone is honest, saw a premiership dream laying in ruins in Perth on the night of Friday, August 19. St Kilda coach Grant Thomas stood defiant for the minority. A couple of hours after the Saints limped off Subiaco Oval in Round 21, beaten by the Dockers and battered by injury, the coach issued his men a challenge. What alternative did he have, you may ask, yet what he did was deliver a credible message to a group of believers. Thomas is a huge advocate of the power of the mind, the belief that the further you delve into the unknown, the more likely you are to find something special.
The Article Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/05Sept05
Ump may be dumped Damian Barrett/HeraldSun/05Sept05
Jam session as key men set for return
The maths are simple, as St Kilda coach Grant Thomas noted after his team's qualifying final victory over minor premier Adelaide on Saturday night: 39 does not go into 22. Places in the St Kilda team to play Sydney or Geelong in a preliminary final will be at a premium, as the Saints set about returning to full strength in their campaign to win the club's second premiership in 108 years of the VFL/AFL. While the St Kilda mantra this season has been based on attitude rather than personnel, the Saints will regain at least Matt Maguire (hip), Xavier Clarke (hamstring) and Max Hudghton (hamstring), with Brendon Goddard (calf) and Justin Koschitzke (quad) also to come into contention. Defender Sam Fisher was back on crutches yesterday, his foot encased in a moonboot again after he played with stress fractures, and he has two weeks to settle it down.
The Article Melissa Ryan/TheAge/05Sept05
All Saints: a giant stirs
The finals series has created a monster and its name is St Kilda. It has no injuries and no requirement to travel. It has the city of Melbourne to itself and the keys to the city if it keeps on winning. September has a long way to run but from here the premiership is St Kilda's to win or lose. Other teams will have much to say about this. Port Adelaide demolished the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome yesterday and can look forward to beating up cross-town rival Adelaide in the first finals Showdown. From there, the wounded will be loaded on to a plane to Perth, where the Eagles will have watched every blow with uproarious laughter. Remember, this is a Showdown, the match both South Australian clubs asked to be shifted from round 22 so the physical and judicial aftermath would not affect finals preparations. As far as South Australia is concerned, it is the grand final come early.
The Article Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/05Sept05
Saints poised for premiership
Not much had gone right for St Kilda in 2005. Until the weekend. Now, suddenly, all those injuries, form slumps, and a season-long struggle with the burden of expectation seem like a distant memory. Not since its one and only famous VFL premiership in 1966 has St Kilda been better placed to win its second, including 1997, when it went into a grand final against Adelaide a warm favourite. As well-performed as were the Saints eight years ago, they weren't a patch on this version. The Saints of 1997 had some midfield talent, but nothing like the roll call of stars represented in the names Ball, Harvey, Hayes and Dal Santo, nor the quality of back-up in Andrew Thompson, Justin Peckett, Leigh Montagna, and after his sensational performance against the Crows on Saturday night, James Gwilt, for that matter.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge/05Sept05
No ignoring Gwilt-edged investment
St Kilda cannot possibly afford to drop James Gwilt, the second-gamer who replaced Matt Maguire to play an integral part in St Kilda's victory over the Crows on Saturday night. While St Kilda coach Grant Thomas would have been devastated to lose Maguire before Saturday night's bounce, there can't have been too many better finals performances in the modern era by a player in his second game of AFL football than that of the 19-year-old, plucked out of Noble Park in the Southern Football League by St Kilda recruiting manager John Beveridge. Gwilt didn't provide just a couple of fancy trimmings for the Saints. He played a critical role in their eight-point win, kicking two goals in the third quarter to give them their biggest lead of the evening. But his last quarter might have been even more valuable.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge/05Sept05
All hail Harvey
This was the kind of game that makes clubs. Was going to throw in careers as well, but when the best player afield is a 34-year-old with three kids, and legs as dodgy as a pub pool table, well, it was the kind of game that caps careers. Of course, Robert Harvey will disagree. His big one will come in three weeks, hopefully, but for his teammates, watching this bloke will himself to every contest on Saturday night, and ultimately victory, was as grand as anything they had seen previously.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/05Sept05
Gwilt tackle inspires Saints
In a dressingroom bombarded by smiles, seemingly as wide as the miles from AAMI Stadium to Moorabbin, none was more contagious than that of James Gwilt. The late replacement for Matt Maguire, Gwilt came off the bench to not only kick two goals in the third quarter, but also add a touch of the unknown to a team that Neil Craig and his cohorts would have known back to front in their pre-planning. Suddenly this 19-year-old, Afro-haired left-footer with a thumping kick was a major player, which was something Ben Hart arguably would have thought unlikely before he had two goals kicked on him in two minutes.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/05Sept05
Saints show no sign of flagging
Premiershop talk was quickly stifled by St Kilda on Saturday night, mindful its passionate fan base is already gloating about a repeat of 1966. With backmen Max Hudghton and Brendon Goddard and ruckman Justin Koschitzke likely to be available for the preliminary final in a fortnight, the Saints will possibly field their best side since coach Grant Thomas took control in 2001. After Saturday night's eight-point win against Adelaide on the road, which president Rod Butterss described as maybe the best under his helm, the return of the injured group further fuels the momentum enveloping the club.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/05Sept05
Gutsy Saints go the early Crow
There is a sense of inevitability about this amazing and resilient St Kilda outfit, now only one win away from this year's Grand Final. The Saints were already the premiership favourite in the hearts and minds of most and last night they proved it in the most emphatic manner, against no less than minor premier Adelaide. Away from home, missing a swag of key talls and on a sodden AAMI Stadium track that perfectly suited their opponents' game plan, these brilliant Saints still found a way home.
The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/04Sept05
Saints snatch brave win Melissa Ryan/TheAge/04Sept05
Jones keeping the lid on
. . . Jones was asked if there had been a particular focus at Moorabbin in the week leading up to the clash. "It's probably getting a bit boring for people hearing about St Kilda, but it's just effort," he said. "If our 22 blokes out there put in an effort where they can walk off the ground, hold there heads up high and look their teammates in the eye then we accept any result and I think we did that tonight."
The Article Jason Phelan/saints.com.au/04Sept05
Perseverance paid: Thomas
. . . "If you start thinking about Grand Finals well you'll get beaten in a Preliminary Final, so we've got four hard tough quarters in front of us. It's a massive advantage for the Preliminary Final, but that's it - we've got to deliver and perform in that game as well. You don't get any credits, you don't get a five-goal start because you've won a final here against Adelaide - it'd be nice, but you don't get it. The job's not done, we haven't achieved anything other than won a very tight game of football in a manner that sends a message to the rest of the competition that we've still got a lot to offer and we've got a very committed group of players that are prepared to do whatever it takes to win games of football."
The Article Jason Phelan/saints.com.au/03Sept05
All Saints: a giant stirs
The finals series has created a monster and its name is St Kilda. It has no injuries and no requirement to travel. It has the city of Melbourne to itself and the keys to the city if it keeps on winning. September has a long way to run but from here the premiership is St Kilda's to win or lose. Other teams will have much to say about this. Port Adelaide demolished the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome yesterday and can look forward to beating up cross-town rival Adelaide in the first finals Showdown. From there, the wounded will be loaded on to a plane to Perth, where the Eagles will have watched every blow with uproarious laughter. Remember, this is a Showdown, the match both South Australian clubs asked to be shifted from round 22 so the physical and judicial aftermath would not affect finals preparations. As far as South Australia is concerned, it is the grand final come early.
The Article Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/05Sept05
Saints poised for premiership
Not much had gone right for St Kilda in 2005. Until the weekend. Now, suddenly, all those injuries, form slumps, and a season-long struggle with the burden of expectation seem like a distant memory. Not since its one and only famous VFL premiership in 1966 has St Kilda been better placed to win its second, including 1997, when it went into a grand final against Adelaide a warm favourite. As well-performed as were the Saints eight years ago, they weren't a patch on this version. The Saints of 1997 had some midfield talent, but nothing like the roll call of stars represented in the names Ball, Harvey, Hayes and Dal Santo, nor the quality of back-up in Andrew Thompson, Justin Peckett, Leigh Montagna, and after his sensational performance against the Crows on Saturday night, James Gwilt, for that matter.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge/05Sept05
No ignoring Gwilt-edged investment
St Kilda cannot possibly afford to drop James Gwilt, the second-gamer who replaced Matt Maguire to play an integral part in St Kilda's victory over the Crows on Saturday night. While St Kilda coach Grant Thomas would have been devastated to lose Maguire before Saturday night's bounce, there can't have been too many better finals performances in the modern era by a player in his second game of AFL football than that of the 19-year-old, plucked out of Noble Park in the Southern Football League by St Kilda recruiting manager John Beveridge. Gwilt didn't provide just a couple of fancy trimmings for the Saints. He played a critical role in their eight-point win, kicking two goals in the third quarter to give them their biggest lead of the evening. But his last quarter might have been even more valuable.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge/05Sept05
All hail Harvey
This was the kind of game that makes clubs. Was going to throw in careers as well, but when the best player afield is a 34-year-old with three kids, and legs as dodgy as a pub pool table, well, it was the kind of game that caps careers. Of course, Robert Harvey will disagree. His big one will come in three weeks, hopefully, but for his teammates, watching this bloke will himself to every contest on Saturday night, and ultimately victory, was as grand as anything they had seen previously.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/05Sept05
Gwilt tackle inspires Saints
In a dressingroom bombarded by smiles, seemingly as wide as the miles from AAMI Stadium to Moorabbin, none was more contagious than that of James Gwilt. The late replacement for Matt Maguire, Gwilt came off the bench to not only kick two goals in the third quarter, but also add a touch of the unknown to a team that Neil Craig and his cohorts would have known back to front in their pre-planning. Suddenly this 19-year-old, Afro-haired left-footer with a thumping kick was a major player, which was something Ben Hart arguably would have thought unlikely before he had two goals kicked on him in two minutes.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/05Sept05
Saints show no sign of flagging
Premiershop talk was quickly stifled by St Kilda on Saturday night, mindful its passionate fan base is already gloating about a repeat of 1966. With backmen Max Hudghton and Brendon Goddard and ruckman Justin Koschitzke likely to be available for the preliminary final in a fortnight, the Saints will possibly field their best side since coach Grant Thomas took control in 2001. After Saturday night's eight-point win against Adelaide on the road, which president Rod Butterss described as maybe the best under his helm, the return of the injured group further fuels the momentum enveloping the club.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/05Sept05
Gutsy Saints go the early Crow
There is a sense of inevitability about this amazing and resilient St Kilda outfit, now only one win away from this year's Grand Final. The Saints were already the premiership favourite in the hearts and minds of most and last night they proved it in the most emphatic manner, against no less than minor premier Adelaide. Away from home, missing a swag of key talls and on a sodden AAMI Stadium track that perfectly suited their opponents' game plan, these brilliant Saints still found a way home.
The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/04Sept05
Saints snatch brave win Melissa Ryan/TheAge/04Sept05
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