2005 - AFL Home and Away Season
Round 18 - Pregame Articles
Round 18
Melbourne vs St Kilda
M.C.G. Sat 30 July 2005, 2:10pm AEST
TV: Network 10 - Saturday, 30th July
Melbourne, 3.30 (delay)
Syd, Bris 2.00 2.00pm (live)
Perth, 12.00 (live) - Adel, 1.30 (live)
Radio: ABC Live all states (others in Melb and Adel)
Saints' good cheer
St Kilda star Nick Riewoldt told his coach Grant Thomas on Thursday just how good it would be to have Aaron Hamill back alongside him when the pair return to the Saints' senior line-up today against Melbourne. What he said next not only took Thomas aback, but probably left him wondering whether the two would have to be formally re-introduced. Since St Kilda played Fremantle in round 22 last year, Riewoldt continued, the current and former club captains had spent only two quarters on the ground together. Two quarters of a possible 80. Hamill hurt his knee in that final home-and-away game and would miss the entire finals series. Riewoldt's shoulder was infamously crunched in the third quarter of the opening game of 2005 in Brisbane. By the time he'd recovered, Hamill already had missed two of what would become an 11-week lay-off with an ankle, then a calf injury.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge/30Jul05
Dees dance the huff and puff
. . . As Melbourne prepares for St Kilda, a team restocked with stars Nick Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill and Rob Harvey, all that toughness has been exposed as no more than huff and puff. Whether it was fair or not, ruckman Jeff White was singled out on television for not reaching a contest against Fremantle last Sunday. The team has been labelled downhill skiers, players highlighted for not getting their shorts dirty. The coach has complained about umpires, travel demands and short breaks.
The Article Patrick Smith/TheAustralian/30Jul05
Teams: Hamill one of four Saints recalled
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas admitted last night that today's training session would determine the make-up of the side to play Melbourne at the MCG tomorrow. Grabbing his chance: The Saints have named Aarron Hamill to take on the Demons. The Saints have named big guns Nick Riewoldt, Robert Harvey, Aaron Hamill and Luke Penny. Defender Max Hudghton pulled up sore after last week's game and will have to prove his fitness. "There could be a change tomorrow after training, but at this point in time if the game was tomorrow we'd be going ahead," Thomas said. Thomas said Brendon Goddard was not risked because of a slight hamstring twinge, but Raphael Clarke, named as an emergency, was not injured.
The Article Michael Stevens/HeraldSun/29Jul05
Small is beautiful
Twelve months ago Stephen Milne was in a rut. He had failed to kick a goal in his team's Round 17 clash against Essendon and, a week later, he would draw another blank against Geelong. The crafty small forward was axed not once, but twice from the senior side at the tail end of the season. His final two matches were typical of his year as a whole - four goals in a dazzling display against the Swans before another goalless return in the preliminary final loss to the Power. If the Brownlow Medal were awarded for mercurial talents, Milne would have been an annual frontrunner in the betting. One year on, Milne is still delighting Saints fans with his moments of magic and still, occasionally, frustrating them. However, there has been one major difference. He is now consistent. Consistently good.
The Article John Murray/saints.com.au/28Jul05
Matt Rendell Cat Transcript Noddy/saints.com.au/27Jul05
SAINTS ROOKIE QUITS/SACKED - saintsational.com
Fab four return for Saints
St Kilda has received a huge boost with the all-star quartet of Nick Riewoldt (collarbone), Robert Harvey (hamstring), Aaron Hamill (calf) and Luke Penny (knee) all back into the starting 18 for the match against the Demons at the MCG on Saturday. Both Clarke brothers come out of the side that thumped Collingwood by 73 points last week - Raphael dropped and Xavier with a hamstring tear. Also out are Brendon Goddard (hamstring tightness) and Troy Schwarze who was omitted. Melbourne has made three changes as it attempts to halt a worrying five-game slide. Hard-hitting forward Brad Miller is back after two weeks out with a hamstring strain, Paul Wheatley returns after a virus forced him out last week and Daniel Ward has been recalled after one week in the VFL.
The Article saints.com.au/28Jul05
Saints come marching back
St Kilda is set to field its best team for the season against Melbourne on Saturday with coach Grant Thomas facing the difficult task of deciding who should make way for the team's returning stars. Thomas indicated on Wednesday that skipper Nick Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill, Robert Harvey and Luke Penny would all return to the side following injury, while of the team that beat Collingwood by 12 goals last week - only hamstring victim Xavier Clarke is definitely out. Defender Max Hudghton (hip) and ruckman Cain Ackland (knee) both injured against the Pies look like making rapid recoveries to take their place this week after the pair both joined in training at Moorabbin on Wednesday along with Riewoldt, Hamill, Harvey and Penny. "There is every likelihood they will all play and I certainly don't want to come out and tell Aaron (Hamill) he is not playing," Thomas said.
The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/27Jul05
Miller and Wheatley likely to return for McDonald milestone melbournefc.com.au/saints.com.au/27Jul05
Koschitzke settles for less than he's worth
"We want to follow the Brisbane trend and if it was good enough for the other guys to do it (re-sign with the Saints), it was good enough for me," Koschitzke said yesterday. "I love the boys and love the environment we have created here and I am pleased I was here when we were on the bottom of the ladder. Whether I've had a big influence or a little influence or whatever it is, I'm proud of the fact that we're a reasonable side now and hopefully I can help take us further." Acting skipper Koschitzke said none of that trio of other players who had re-signed had contacted him to encourage him to stay at Moorabbin. "I was never going to leave, it was just a matter of agreeing to terms," the AFL's 2001 Rising Star said
The Article Michael Gleeson/Sportal/saints.com.au/28Jul05
Loyal Saints follow Lions' example
The two latest Saints to show their commitment to the club - acting skipper Justin Koschitzke and veteran defender Max Hudghton - say the players are determined to follow the example set by the Brisbane Lions and keep their team together for years. Hudghton and Koschitzke have joined the likes of Nick Dal Santo, Nick Riewoldt and Luke Ball in agreeing to new contracts as the Saints continue to lay the foundations for what would be the second premiership in the club's history. Koschitzke, whose form in the past month has been the main reason the Saints have won their past four matches by an average of ten goals to surge into the top four, says he was never going to leave Moorabbin, particularly after the club's other young stars had already agreed to new contracts. "We want to follow the Brisbane trend and if it was good enough for the other guys to do it (re-sign with the Saints) it was good enough for me," he said before training on Wednesday.
The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/27Jul05
Saints re-sign Kosi, Max
St Kilda has secured the key re-signings of Justin Koschitzke and Max Hudghton until the end of 2007. Chief Executive Officer, Jim Watts said the club was delighted to have retained the services of two of its most important players. "Justin Koschitzke and Max Hudghton typify all the values that the St Kilda Football Club prides itself on," Watts said. "They are brave, committed and honest individuals, who week in week out, selflessly give their all for the team. By re-signing with the club for a further two years they have sent the message of solidarity to their team mates, our staff, directors, members and our corporate partners. The club is thrilled that both players have made such a significant statement and we are confident that all St Kilda members will be equally excited."
The Article Sportal/saints.com.au/27Jul05
Koschitzke, Hudghton stay at Moorabbin
St Kilda has moved to end any speculation on Justin Koschitzke's future by securing the acting captain for the next two years. The Saints last night announced that Koschitzke and key defender Max Hudghton had re-signed until the end of 2007. It is understood coach Grant Thomas met Koschitzke's management yesterday. It effectively thwarted any attempts by rival AFL clubs to poach the out-of-contract Koschitzke and allows the ruckman-forward to concentrate solely on the push to the finals. The injury-prone ruck-forward has been in blistering form over the past month and was prominent again last Friday night against Collingwood.
The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/27Jul05
Saints keep Kosi (and Max)
A crucial part of St Kilda's long-term future fell into place last night when 22-year-old Justin Koschitzke agreed to a two-year deal with the club after a series of urgent talks yesterday between the player's management and coach Grant Thomas. And defender Max Hudghton, on the brink of All-Australian selection, also has accepted a two-year deal with the club. Both players have settled for substantially less that they could have received in the open market, with Koschitzke's decision potentially costing him $1 million over five years. The Koschitzke deal came as a massive relief for the Saints. Not only has he been fielding multimillion-dollar long-term deals from Carlton and Sydney but St Kilda's decision to put off negotiations with the 197-centimetre ruckman forward six weeks ago could have proved disastrous given his spectacular return from injury over the past month. Koschitzke until last night had been football's most wanted man with Carlton having offered him a five-year contract worth more than $3 million. The Swans also were a key bidder for the services of the young Saint. Their offer was believed to be closer to $700,000 a year but for three years. Koschitzke's form over the past month had pushed up his value to such an extent that his management company considered asking the Saints to defer contract negotiations until the end of the season. And yet he would have accepted a pay cut as recently as June. Now he has re-signed for a two-year deal worth at least $400,000 in 2006 and substantially more the following year.
The Article Caroline Wilson/TheAge/27Jul05
Kosi and Max done!!!! saintsational.com
Cut-rate Kosi
Collingwood offered Luke Ball and Nick Dal Santo about double what they ended up accepting. Now, in this game of musical Saints, Justin Koschitzke is the latest young gun to place loyalty over the prospect of big money. Earlier in the season, the Saints approached Koschitzke with a contract offer that would now seem laughably cheap - in effect, he was asked to take a haircut, a little less than the million dollars or so he'd earned in the three-year deal he signed at end of 2002. Koschitzke, a strong-willed character, declined the St Kilda offer. It was a courageous call, given that he wasn't in such a strong negotiating position then. A succession of injuries had tarnished his once blue-chip brand; we no longer spoke of "Riewoldt and Koschitzke", but of "Riewoldt, Ball, Dal Santo and Maguire". Koschitzke had fallen down the batting order to be the fifth Beatle. Over the past month, with Riewoldt grounded, Koschitzke's hand turned from a pair of deuces to a royal flush. Negotiations could not have been timed worse for the Saints, who have kept Kosi but not at the bargain retention they'd counted on. While figures aren't mentioned in St Kilda's announcement last night that it had re-signed the young star, it had been considered up until yesterday that an outlay of $400,000 a year would be a good result at Moorabbin.
The Article Jake Niall/TheAge/27Jul05
Jack of all trades
In the fierce competitive world that is AFL football, very few can be effective in different positions. It is rare that someone who is so adaptable and versatile can keep such a low profile but Stephen Powell manages to pull it off. Capable of playing in the midfield, a half-forward or as a run-with player, Powell has become the Saint's chameleon, "It's been a mixed bag this year which is good because for me I've had the opportunity to play in the midfield which I love doing as well as having a run-with role. I also like creeping into the forward line to add pressure also." Powell is in his third season at Moorabbin after being picked up by the Western Bulldogs in the 1996 National AFL Draft. He remained there for three seasons before heading to Melbourne where he played 44 games for 43 goals. The highlight of his time with the Demons was his effort in the 2000 Grand Final where he gave Melbourne a rare highlight with four goals. He was an impact player at Melbourne but left at the end of 2002 where he was taken in the pre-season draft with the 1st pick by the Saints.
The Article Luca Giacobello/saints.com.au/26Jul05
Hot chips
Amid all the drama of the Saints' resurgence in recent weeks - the downing of the Bulldogs, the demolition of Carlton, Richmond and Collingwood, the heroics of Justin Koschitzke, not to mention the misfortunes of Nick Riewoldt - it has been easy to gloss over the contribution of one young defender. But the performances of Sam Fisher in recent weeks have been anything but insignificant. After making his AFL debut in round seven last year, the young backman, who is called 'Chips' by his teammates, won plaudits for some solid displays in six further senior appearances that season. In spite of this, a regular first team spot still appeared unlikely in 2005 with the likes of Luke Penny, Max Hudghton and Matt Maguire all ahead of him in the pecking order. In truth, only Fisher's most optimistic supporter would have expected him to have been ever-present in the senior side after 17 games of the home-and-away season.
The Article John Murray/saints.com.au/25Jul05
Broken hand sidelines Rivers Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/25Jul05
Odd things keep happening in schemozzle
. . . Oddest of all, though, was that for the first time this season no player was charged under Adrian Anderson's new tribunal system. Up until last weekend 96 players had faced charges, according to AFL statistics. That's an average of six a round. The umpires made three match-day reports but the review panel dismissed them all . . . Five other incidents were studied by the match review panel, but none was considered serious enough to warrant a charge. So what does all this tell us? Firstly, that no player could have done what Fraser Gehrig did to Jason Cloke in round six. That's tickle his opponent's tummy. It means that no one could have done what Alan Didak did to Darryl Wakelin in round 14. That is, push back into your opponent's tummy with your elbow. Both of those were considered serious crimes, for neither player could beat the system even though Gehrig had a two-match suspension reduced to one by the tribunal . . . When Gehrig was suspended his coach Grant Thomas said that there would be a rush of frivolous charges. That was a courageous assessment from the coach because it presumed Anderson's tribunal system would be consistent in its decision making . . . Was it improper for Gehrig to contact Cloke in the manner that he did? Must have been for he got a week. Yet it cannot be improper, for identical incidents have happened countless times and no action has been taken.
The Article Patrick Smith/TheAustralian/27Jul05
Saints boosted by Max factor
St Kilda's imminent return of a glittering array of key-position stars was yesterday boosted by an improved injury report on Max Hudghton. The Saint full-back was injured as he threw his body head-long into a contest on Friday night and he was expected to miss a week with severe hip bruising. But Hudghton's date with Melbourne's David Neitz seems secure after he pulled up well overnight. He is expected to be joined by Nick Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill and Robert Harvey. All three declared themselves starters after Friday night's win over the Magpies. Luke Penny is also set to line up for Springvale today and could also return.
The Article Jon Ralph and Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/24Jul05
Injuries: Saints swing changes
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas will be forced to ring the changes for Saturday's MCG clash against Melbourne. The Saints' rotten injury luck continued when Xavier Clarke damaged his hamstring again in the win over Collingwood. He could be on the sidelines for a month, while ruckman Cain Ackland and key defender Max Hudghton are in doubt. Hudghton hurt his hip in a heavy collision with Pie forward Alan Didak, while Ackland clashed with David Fanning at a centre bounce contest. But better news for St Kilda is that captain Nick Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill, veteran onballer Robert Harvey and defender Luke Penny all may return. Hamill has not played since Round 6 because of ankle and calf injuries, meaning the Saints might be wary of him resuming in the AFL. But St Kilda's VFL affiliate Springvale has the bye next weekend, although he could play for the Springvale seconds
The Article HeraldSun/25Jul05
Return of star trio to bolster Saints
St Kilda is set for a massive boost with captain Nick Riewoldt and his predecessors, Aaron Hamill and Robert Harvey, poised to return this weekend. The injured trio worked strongly at training yesterday in a fillip for the fourth-placed Saints, who take on Melbourne on Saturday. But coach Grant Thomas last night warned against expecting too much from them. "They're all very good players and important to the structure of the team," Thomas said. "But they haven't played a lot of games and we shouldn't be expecting too much from them. We haven't decided if they'll play in the seniors yet, but in all likelihood they all will. So we shouldn't expect too much. Just as long as they give their A grade effort, that will be fine."
The Article Grantley Bernard/HeraldSun/26Jul05
Ambit claims annoy MCG
The embarrassing MCG preliminary final impasse could end within days despite talks breaking down last week when the AFL tried to introduce a range of "ambit claims" to negotiations. MCG officials were angry at the AFL's bold attempt to incorporate commercial matters unrelated to football or the preliminary finals to the contract negotiations at the 11th hour. The talks had derailed until AFL Commission chairman Ron Evans and MCG Trust chairman John Wylie spoke on Friday and agreed to attempt to salvage the deal by limiting negotiations to football matters at a meeting today. It is believed the AFL wanted to introduce into negotiations a right of veto over signage at the ground and of the MCG's ticketing contract with Ticketmaster. Under the current deal with the AFL, the MCG must host at least one preliminary final, regardless of whether interstate teams deserve the right to a home game by finishing higher on the ladder. In exchange for varying the contract to allow preliminary finals to be held outside Victoria, the Melbourne Cricket Club, which runs the MCG, has sought a minimum of 45 games a year, including 10 of the best drawing 12 home-and-away matches each season.
The Article Michael Gleeson/The Age/26Jul05
The finals straw: September without football Michael Gleeson/The Age/26Jul05
AFL faces ridicule over its finals farce Chip Le Grand/The Australian/26Jul05
In a game of high-stakes brinkmanship, money talks Patrick Smith/The Australian/26Jul05
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