2005 - AFL Home and Away Season
Round 10 - Results and Post-game Articles
ST KILDA: 4.1, 5.6, 9.8, 15.11 (101)
SYDNEY: 1.0, 3.1, 6.6, 8.10 (58)
GOALS - St Kilda: Gehrig 7, Milne 3, Riewoldt 3, Goddard, Fisher
Sydney: Hall 3, O'Loughlin 2, O'Keefe, Crouch, Nicks
BEST - St Kilda: Gehrig, Milne, Hayes, X. Clarke, Blake, Dal Santo, Maguire, Fisher
Sydney: Goodes, Crouch, Kirk, Bolton
INJURIES - St Kilda: J Blake (corked calf). Sydney: Nil
CHANGES - St Kilda: nil
Sydney: Williams out (strained calf), replaced in selected side by Saddington
REPORTS - nil
UMPIRES - Stevic, McLaren, Ryan
CROWD - 41,177 at Subiaco Oval
SAINTS HITOUTS: 32
SAINTS 50m PENALTIES: 0
SAINTS GOALS: Free 1; Play 5; Mark 9
SAINTS DISTANCE OF GOALS: 0-15m 2; 15-30m 4; 30-40m 2; 40+m 7
All aboard G-Train as Swans dive
The Saints are back. They took on Sydney at their own dour, defensive game at Telstra Dome last night, ended a three-match losing streak and also played a couple of stars back into form. If St Kilda can mirror the efforts of its skipper and its full-forward, then the club has much to look forward to in coming weeks. Fraser Gehrig celebrated his 200th game by booting seven goals - an invaluable tally for such a low-scoring and low-possession contest. But the three second-half goals to skipper Nick Riewoldt are likely to have a much greater impact on the Saints' premiership ambitions. Early on, Riewoldt couldn't get near a goal - literally. He was able to win enough contests to be a dangerous player, but three behinds and two out of bounds on the full could have had him downhearted. The longer the game went, though, the better he looked. He finished with seven marks, 16 possessions and nine shots at goal for 3.4.
The Article Mark Harding/HeraldSun/29May05
Walls lashes Swans Nikki Tugwell/HeraldSun/30May05
Axe to fall after Swans' tactics backfire Michael Stevens/HeraldSun/30May05
Ugly Swans' flag hopes at half-mast Michael Cowley/SydneyMorningHerald/30May05
No such thing as a certainty, I'll give you the tip
. . . The best form line of the round must surely be the Saints. Stick with them. Coach Grant Thomas was confident all week that his team would be up to the Sydney deluge. Before the game he was interviewed for Channel 10 and nearly collapsed on camera he was so relaxed. He predicted the encounter would be a signature game for the club. And it was. Fraser Gehrig booted seven goals, Matthew Maguire and Xavier Clarke added air and ground skills to defence. And skipper Nick Riewoldt held up his head of his own accord. As for Sydney, it is out of both breath and inspiration.
The Article Patrick Smith/TheAustralian/30May05
Thomas predicts further improvement
. . . A delighted Thomas had plenty to be pleased about after the game thanks to the fine return from injury of defensive duo Matt Maguire and Xavier Clarke, a much-improved performance from skipper Nick Riewoldt, seven match-winning goals from spearhead Fraser Gehrig and arguably a best ever performance from goalsneak Stephen Milne. And all this achieved with five of the club's best starting 18 in Aaron Hamill, Robert Harvey, Justin Koschitzke, Luke Penny and Aaron Fiora still out of the side with injury but all expected to return in coming weeks. "I think it's all upside for us as a club (from here on this season) if we can stay on top of our injuries," Thomas said after the win over the Swans. "We still had five of our starting 18 out tonight and that is a pretty big dent in the side but to the guys credit they rallied tonight" . . . "It's good for us that Nick Riewoldt is getting some confidence back and he is pretty elated at getting a win on the board as captain."
The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/28May05
Thomas signs off on bad start Michael Stevens/HeraldSun/30May05
Gehrig to Stay
Thomas suspected that Gehrig had set himself for a dominating performance, and not because of the milestone, and dismissed as "absolute rot" Gehrig's comments earlier this week he may not play beyond this season. Thomas said contract talks would begin in the next couple of weeks. "He was set for a big game and it was nothing to do with his 200th, because he's not that sort of player," Thomas said. "He's got a lot of pride and he knew he'd been down a bit . . . We'll be talking to Fraser's management over the next few weeks which was always the plan, around mid-year."
Saints coach looks ahead Melissa Ryan/TheAge/29May05
Gehrig's future kicks on
In his laconic way, St Kilda spearhead Fraser Gehrig had hinted at retirement at the end of the season, suggesting, in a story on the AFL website late last week, that his time may be running out. His seven-goal effort against Sydney at Telstra Dome on Saturday night, however, suggested that talk of an early leave pass might be premature. From the opening minutes leading to the Saints' 43-point victory - after three losses on end - Gehrig, in his 200th game, looked primed for a night out. He hustled and bustled, too strong for Leo Barry, who is usually a vital cog in the Sydney running machine.
The Article Karen Lyon/TheAge/29May05
Talks with Gehrig to start soon
St Kilda is set to start talks with reigning Coleman Medalist Fraser Gehrig over a new contract with coach Grant Thomas revealing the move following Gehrig's match-winning performance in his 200th AFL game on Saturday night. The "G-Train" kicked seven goals as the Saints lifted themselves back into the top eight with a 43-point win over Sydney and ominously Gehrig has suddenly moved into third place on the goalkicking tally with 32 goals for the season. And this is despite an injury-interrupted pre-season and a recent one-match suspension with Gehrig telling afl.com.au after the win over the Swans that he feels he is only just starting to regain full fitness in what shapes as an ominous warning to rival clubs in the second half of the season. "I thought I was starting to go okay but the suspension (suffered against Collingwood in round six) set me back a bit," Gehrig said.
The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/29May05
Milne likes a change
. . . Milne has made his name as a cheeky, crumbing forward with an uncanny ability to snap freakish goals. On Saturday night at Telstra Dome, he still played as a forward but started centre bounces on the wing - and played one of the best games of his 83-game career. Milne kicked three goals to take his year's tally to 27. But it was his running through the lines, chasing and pressure that won him coach Grant Thomas's praise. "I think it was one of the best games he has played for the club, primarily because of his efforts," Thomas said. "There's a correlation between influence and effectiveness in the way he plays, as well as making the most of opportunity". . . "When Milney just wants to make the most of his opportunity, he's nowhere near as effective for the team as he can be by tackling and pressuring and putting his body in contested situations" . . . "I thought the way he played up the ground and won the ball there, and followed the ball in, was really good. He had seven selfless acts . . . probably the best he's had for the club."
The Article Michael Stevens/HeraldSun/30May05
Milne everywhere
. . . Milne played further up the ground than usual, using his speed and dash to dominate the game from the wing. Gehrig and Milne kicked the Saints' opening goals of the night to grab the early ascendancy. From that point they held the upper hand but the match wasn't sealed until the four-minute mark of the final quarter, when Milne gratefully received an errant kick-in from Craig Bolton and slotted through the goal, extending the Saints' lead to 26 points. Minutes later, Saints skipper Nick Riewoldt kicked his second of three goals with a snap across his body, and when Sam Fisher ran from defence to kick just his second goal of the season, the match was over. From that point, the Saints had not only the lead but absolute control of the game. Despite his goal-scoring efforts, Riewoldt still looked troubled by his hip injury. He may have kicked three goals but he had nine scoring shots and didn't appear as mobile as usual. He was still able to exert some influence on the match but his efforts appeared hampered. So while Gehrig and Riewoldt were getting plenty of scoring opportunities, the Swans forwards were starved.
Saints break drought Karen Lyon/TheAge/29May05
Riewoldt leads a winner
Relief came for St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt on several fronts last night. His team snapped a three-match losing streak, he skippered his first winning side and he also managed to gain much-needed confidence after a productive final quarter. Since Riewoldt returned to St Kilda's line-up in round seven, the Saints had not posted a victory. With pressure mounting on the under-performing team that had been tipped as premiership favourites pre-season, Riewoldt, who was also down on form, admitted to feeling the strain. "I couldn't help but take it a little bit personally," he said. "I had a few good chats with Thommo (Grant Thomas) during the week, and he made it pretty clear that I was doing a good job. And as long as the boys and he think I'm doing that, then I'm satisfied. A few of the boys had a chat to me during the week just to try and give me some positive reassurance that I'm doing a good job and all that sort of stuff."
The Article Samantha Lane/TheAge/29May05
Back on the winners' list
Fraser Gehrig has celebrated his 200th AFL game in style with a match-winning performance against Sydney on Saturday night to lift St Kilda out of its form slump and back into the top eight. The 'G-Train' was the difference between the two sides during the first three quarters as he booted five goals in a low-scoring game as the Saints found it hard to overcome the Swans' trademark stifling tactics. But after three successive losses, which had resulted in last year's preliminary finalists and pre-season premiership favourites dropping to ninth place, the Saints finally re-discovered their best form in the final quarter to run out 15.11 (101) to 8.10 (58) winners, with Gehrig finishing with seven goals.
The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/28May05
G-Train gets up head of steam to sink Swans
. . . Last night Matt Maguire, Xavier Clarke and Andrew Thompson all came back from the injury plague that has rampaged through the club, but ruckman Jason Blake appeared to suffer a knee injury and hobbled off the ground in the last quarter. The Saints had lost their previous three games by an average of 33 points and copped a barrage of criticism in the wake of last week's capitulation to Adelaide. Still, the Saints' fifth win of the year, while momentarily stopping their slide, puts them only in a shadow of the position they held last year after 10 rounds, when they were undefeated. "We're five and five so we're back in the hunt. Top four's what we're after and top two would be great," former captain Aaron Hamill, still out with an ankle injury, said on radio after the match.
The Article Melissa Ryan/HeraldSun/SMH/29May05
Gehrig kicks seven as Saints win
St Kilda full-forward Fraser Gehrig celebrated his 200th AFL match with seven goals tonight as the Saints enjoyed a badly-needed win over Sydney. Gehrig was the difference between the two sides in the even opening three quarters and the Saints then kicked six goals to two in the last term to win by 43 points, 15.11 (101) to 8.10 (58). St Kilda was desperate for a win tonight, with the premiership fancy losing its last three matches and sliding to a 4-5 record. While Gehrig was the standout forward in tonight's Telstra Dome game, team-mate Lenny Hayes was best afield with an outstanding game in the midfield. After a dour first half that yielded only eight goals, the tempo picked up noticeably in the third quarter.
The Article AAP/HeraldSun/28May05
Gehrig runs riot in 200th match
Full-forward Fraser Gehrig celebrated his 200th AFL match with seven goals as St Kilda crushed Sydney by 43 points in their round 10 clash at Docklands in Melbourne. The 15.11 (101) to 8.10 (58) victory ended a three-match losing run for the Saints and pushed them into the top eight at Sydney's expense. Gehrig shone for the Saints with 7.2 while Nick Riewoldt recovered from a sloppy start to kick three goals and post his first victory as club captain. The Swans, employing their usual flooding style of play, managed to restrict the Saints to a 17-point half-time lead before the home team broke the shackles to run away with the match. Stephen Milne also slotted three majors for the home team while Lenny Hayes led the possession count with 22. Barry Hall (three goals) and Michael O'Loughlin (two) led Sydney's goal scoring while Adam Goodes (22 touches) was never far from the action.
The Article Joel Zander/ABCSport/28May05
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