2005 - AFL Home and Away Season
Round 19 - Results and Post-game Articles
St Kilda: 5.1, 7.7, 9.14, 13.18 (96)
Geelong: 4.2, 6.3, 7.5, 8.7 (55)
Goals - St Kilda: Hamill 4, Riewoldt 3, Voss, Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Gehrig, Jones, Milne
Geelong: Kelly 2, Bartel, Chapman, Kingsley, Ablett, Ottens, Haynes
Best - St Kilda: Hamill, Hayes, Dal Santo, Riewoldt, Voss, Baker, Ball, Jones, Thompson
Geelong: Scarlett, Corey, Bartel, Ling, Kelly
Injuries - St Kilda: Hudghton (Hamstring)
Geelong: Chapman (Hamstring), Enright (Shoulder)
Changes Nil
Reports Nil
Umpires Wein, Woodcock, Mcinerney
Crowd 46,848
Hats off to Hamill
After 3 1/2 quarters of premium crash-and-bash footy, Saints coach Grant Thomas had seen enough. He summoned Aaron Hamill to the bench in acknowledgement that keeping his star forward's body fit and healthy will be a key to continued success. The game was wrapped up and there was no point risking injury to a player who operates only at high speed, even in junk time. Not surprisingly, Hamill's insatiable appetite for a contest meant he wanted to stay on the field.
Hamill Interview Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/07Aug05
Saints affirm top-four claims
Aaron Hamill is back in business and, as a result, St Kilda begins to take on an even more awesome look with the finals fast approaching. That was the only conclusion that could be drawn on Friday night as Hamill's sheer presence lifted the Saints to their sixth successive victory at the expense of a gallant but injury-hit Geelong. And it was just as well that Hamill was in such devastating form as the Saints struggled for much of the night to put away a Geelong side that was already decimated by injury and which lost two more key players in Paul Chapman (hamstring) and Corey Enright (shoulder) during the game. However the Saints did not come out of their 13.18 (96) to 8.7 (55) victory unscathed with full-back Max Hudghton limping off with a hamstring injury, a worry with the finals now less than a month away, while Justin Koschitzke could be in trouble for putting his hands on one of the field umpires as he attempted to gain his attention.
The Article Paul Gough/saints.com.au/05Aug05
Geelong's season on knife's edge Jay Clark/Geelong Advertiser/06Aug05
Geelong crisis deepens Grantley Bernard/HeraldSun/06Aug05
MCG pact to be tested
The MCG will push for more Friday night games despite negotiating a peace deal with the AFL. The AFL has been freed of its obligation to play at least one preliminary final at the MCG, with the venue awarded four more home-and-away games in return, but the peace deal brokered between the parties after two years will be tested by the MCG's determination to host more Friday night games. AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said yesterday the league's six non-Victorian clubs would be able to relax after the signing of an agreement with the MCG Trust and the Melbourne Cricket Club that cleared the way for two preliminary finals to be hosted away from the MCG if ladder positions dictated. As part of the bargain, the AFL has committed to playing at least 10 week-one and week-two finals at the MCG over five years, and has awarded the venue four extra home-and-away matches, raising its minimum requirement to 45.
The Article Mark Fuller/TheAge/06Aug05
Max's hammy tempers Saints' joy
St Kilda will be without its best defender Max Hudghton for the rest of the home and away season and possibly for the start of the finals after he succumbed to a hamstring injury during Friday night's win over Geelong. Hudghton suffered the injury just before half-time and could barely walk in the rooms after the game as he faces at least the usual minimum three week recovery period from a hamstring injury before he can play again. After the game St Kilda coach Grant Thomas admitted the Saints would now face a race against time to have their full-back available for the start of the finals with the injury taking the gloss of the club's sixth successive win which keeps the Saints on course for a top four finish and the double chance in the finals.
The Article Paul Gough/saints.com.au/05Aug05
Hamill earns his tough reputation
. . . When Hamill was grounded, his reputation was at its zenith. Tough, fearless, the Pied Piper of Moorabbin. Indeed, he was St Kilda's Liberty Valance and the opposition would bow before him. In a way they have. Last week against Melbourne, he was good. Last night he was bloody good. t was his second game back after missing three months with an assortment of leg injuries and he took 11 marks, had 19 touches, kicked four goals and laid four tackles as he prowled the half-forward line. Mind you, Hamill is not your typical half-forward. He officially laid four tackles, but was probably involved in another 20, he took 11 marks but probably caused another 10 spillages.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/06Aug05
Hamill helps St Kilda regain its focus
Aaron Hamill played his first game of football in a long time last week. The St Kilda forward kicked only one goal and collected just a small bunch of possessions, but wove himself into the middle of some pre-match push and shove, threw his body around, threw even more Melbourne bodies around and provided a presence that his teammates immediately appreciated . . . Hamill got his side thinking clearly again at the start of the last quarter. He floated in front of the two Geelong defenders storming towards him, got his feet off the ground, his arms up higher and made his long shot look as straightforward as it probably should have. But he was one of the game's more meaningful figures before then, advertising not only what the Saints have built on their way to September, but what happens to the Cats when they lose not only players, but all the big ones. Tom Harley and Cameron Mooney would have been handy last night. Instead, with Scarlett by Gehrig's side and Henry Playfair thrown back to at least match Riewoldt for height, Geelong got stuck with no appropriate match-up for Hamill.
The Article Emma Qualye/TheAge/06Aug05
Koschitzke scrutiny for three incidents
St Kilda big man Justin Koschitzke will be the subject of video scrutiny for three incidents from last night's 41-point victory at Telstra Dome. Koschitzke twice came in contact with field umpires and then was caught on camera for an off-the-ball clash with Geelong's Joel Corey . . . Koschitzke, a fine contributor who alternated between ruck and forward duties, collided with an umpire after a ball-up 13 minutes into the second quarter.
The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/06Aug05
St Kilda blitzes flimsy defence
. . . If the Saints had kicked straight, the final margin would have been more like 60 points than 41. And it could have been closer to 100 if Matthew Scarlett had not played close to the game of his life on the dangerous Fraser Gehrig. As the chairs shuffled around him, Scarlett kept his composure to take 10 marks and restrict Gehrig to four disposals and 1.1. When he wasn't out-pointing the "G-Train" in the one-on-ones, Scarlett was steaming forward, producing a game-high nine rebounds from defence. Most of Scarlett's teammates followed his lead in the commitment stakes. No one could accuse Geelong of not having a crack.
The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/06Aug05
Saints extend Cats' run of outs
AFL heavyweights St Kilda have made it six wins on the trot, downing Geelong by 41 points in their round 19 clash at Docklands. The Saints' 13.18 (96) to 8.7 (55) victory featured some wayward kicking but was effective nonetheless, and dealt the Cats their third successive defeat, and fifth in seven games. Forward Aaron Hamill, fit and back in form, led the goal kicking for St Kilda with four while skipper Nick Riewoldt led the support act with three. Nick Dal Santo led the charge through the midfield, compiling 25 possessions and kicking a goal.
The Article ABCSport/05Aug05
Saints march on against poorly Cats
St Kilda's powerful march towards the AFL finals continued as a sensational performance from tough forward Aaron Hamill led a 41-point AFL victory against an impotent Geelong at Telstra Dome tonight . . . They have now won six straight games in impressive fashion, while Geelong has lost seven of its past 10 and its hold on a top-eight berth is starting to look shaky. The margin did not reflect the Saints' dominance of the game, particularly after half-time, with some poor kicking for goal meaning they kicked 8.17 in the last three quarters.
The Article AAP/HeraldSun/05Aug05
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