2005 - AFL Home and Away Season
Round 2 - Pregame Articles
St Kilda vs Fremantle
Sunday April 3rd
Aurora Stadium 1:10 AEST
TV - Melb: 1.00pm, Perth 11.00am (Live)
Weather: Showers, wind - Max 21
Sportsbet: Saints $1.65 Freo $2.27
The leader bunch
. . . When Rendell answered his own question on Thursday - "the important thing with our club is that the leadership group is the important thing, not so much the captain" - his mantra was entirely in keeping with the philosophy that guides McLean. (Ray) McLean is an architect and advocate of St Kilda's system of rotating captains and he has no doubt the process is working. At the core of it, he says, is the formation and operation of the leadership group. It is about getting "strong players of influence all on the same page". "I think the strength of any leadership system, in the teams that I've worked with, has been the leadership group, not much around the issue of who's captain," he said. "I think the strength of what they have at St Kilda, for example, is they've got a very strong group of leaders who are selected by their peers against a set behavioural criteria. As long as you have that in place, I think you have the foundation. Now, who happens to be captain from that group, I would say, probably tends to be a little less important (than) how well that leadership group functions in terms of driving the standards of the club."
The Article Mark Fuller/TheAge/03Apr05
Crying shame, but no regrets
. . . Riewoldt said he did not have a problem with the treatment he got from Mal Michael and Chris Scott. " I wouldn't (do it), but it doesn't mean that I wouldn't expect it from other players," he said. " I wasn't too sure what the shoulder actually meant. I heard about Daniel Motlop obviously missing 16 weeks with a shoulder, but I didn't really know what that meant." Riewoldt is looking forward to the Round 22 re-match. " We've still got a few demons there definitely," he said. " We had the opportunity to head up to Brisbane (in) Round 1, we played them there twice in our previous five games and had been smashed and we didn't atone for it. We were intimidated. I wouldn't say as much as last time, but there were still signs of intimidation."
The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/03Apr05
Saints may hand Ball skip's role
. . . The coach looked forward to the club putting last week's frenzy, stemming from the Riewoldt incident, behind it and focusing on the match against Fremantle, which defeated reigning premier Port Adelaide in round one. He expected underdone forward Fraser Gehrig to have improved "a little bit" after he came into round one with no practice matches under his belt. But Thomas said he was not counting on too much from last season's Coleman medallist. "I don't want to expect too much from him as he's only had one game under his belt. I've basically said to him the first four games - zero, zero, zero, zero - and anything he gets is a bonus," Thomas said. "I think about game four or five we should start to see Fraser getting back to his original form."
The Article Melissa Ryan/TheAge/03Apr05
Penny, Peckett in for Saints
St Kilda has brought in defender Luke Penny and veteran midfielder Justin Peckett, at the expense of skipper Nick Riewoldt and utility Jason Blake for its clash with Fremantle in Launceston on Sunday. Riewoldt has been sidelined for about six weeks with a broken collarbone, while Blake has been omitted.
The Article Sportal/saints.com.au/01Apr05
Peckett picked, Brooks in squad Samantha Lane/saints.com.au/01Apr05
Black up against old mates
"I don't expect too much at all, verbal or physical because I think Grant (Thomas, St Kilda coach) is too good a coach for that sort of stuff," Black said this week. "I think it will be a stock standard game where there will be a player on the wing or on the ball that I'll have to pick up and that will be the crux of it. I feel like we have all bases covered and well take a confident side into the game this week." Black gathered 22 possessions and booted a goal in his return game against Port and was delighted with the good showing after being one of the big-name trades during the off-season.
The Article Adam Cooper/AAP/HeraldSun/02Apr05
Tassie test for Fremantle
The club (Freo) has played at the ground three times (all against Hawthorn) and have been within ten points on two occasions. quot;We didn't play the ground well there last year, so that will be the challenge this weekend" said Senior Coach Chris Connolly. "We have to be prepared to have our defence run and create opportunity through the middle of the ground and switch play when the time is right. We have to really attack through the corridor and that will be a real focus for us. There is going to be a time where we start to win consistently there," he said.
The Article Mark White/via saints.com.au/01Apr05
'Saints' van in Launceston
Rocherlea's Margaret Morley has done, decking out her Toyota Hiace van in the red, white and black of her beloved St Kilda. "I've been a St Kilda supporter for most of my life and my dad, who is 61, has been following them since he was 16," she said. "My son and I go to their matches here and my favourite player is Aaron Hamill." Ms Morley said she didn't think the Saints received the recognition they deserved so she decided to paint her van in the team colours to do something about it.
The Article Phil Edwards/The Examiner/02Apr05
Breaking the hoodoo The Advocate/02Apr05
Burke blasts Lion bumps
St Kilda assistant coach Nathan Burke has spoken openly about his dislike for the Brisbane Lions' attack on superstar Nick Riewoldt. Mal Michael and Chris Scott escaped a visit to the tribunal for bumping the Saints skipper's injured shoulder, but Burke said yesterday: "Personally, I didn't like it." Burke, respected for his toughness and fairness in 323 matches with the Saints, said he didn't think the incident was good for the game's image. "There are several areas under the rules where it probably contravened -- unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct - that sort of thing," Burke told radio Sport 927.
The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/01Apr05
Finger probe closed
The AFL yesterday closed the alleged biting case from last Thursday's Brisbane-St Kilda match at the Gabba. Interviews by AFL investigator Allan Roberts failed to clarify why Saint Steven Baker animatedly showed his finger to Brisbane Lion Chris Johnson. Roberts concluded: "On the video evidence available and the statements made by the players, officials and umpires, there is insufficient evidence to charge any player with any offence over the incident involving the injury to Steven Baker's finger."
The Article Damian Barrett/HeraldSun/01Apr05
Saints ignore lead Jordon Chong/HeraldSun/01Apr05
Ball or Koschitzke to skipper
It is expected one of Luke Ball or Justin Koschitzke will act as stand in captain for the injured Nick Riewoldt when St Kilda take on Fremantle in Tasmania this Sunday. Though the Saints say the issue of selecting a substitute captain has not even been discussed since Riewoldt suffered a broken collarbone in round one, the club doesn't appear to be shying away from promoting another youngster into the ultimate leadership post. The announcement won't be made until the Saints arrive in Launceston.
The Article Samantha Lane/Sportal/saints.com.au/31Mar05
Round 2 teams - All games HeraldSun/31Mar05
Dockerland discussion board - Freo's Fan Forum pre-game topics
Spot a skipper Emma Quayle/TheAge/01Apr05
Thomas favours Ball for captain
Luke Ball, still two months shy of his 21st birthday, is Grant Thomas's choice as St Kilda's stand-in captain. The coach said yesterday: "I just see it as a great opportunity for Bally." As if to keep his options open until a final decision is made this afternoon, he quickly added: "Or we could give it to 'Kosi'" (Justin Koschitzke). "It's really an opportunity to give someone some experience. Someone who hasn't done it before has got more to gain than someone who has," Thomas said. "There's a great learning opportunity for those two." Koschitzke, though, is struggling with his form and probably will have the extra responsibility of filling in for Nick Riewoldt at centre half-forward against Fremantle in Launceston on Sunday. Most observers believed the Saints would turn to Aaron Hamill or Lenny Hayes, captains in 2003 and '04 respectively, in the absence of the injured Riewoldt. Hamill became the clear favourite after escaping a striking charge
The Article Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/31Mar05
Membership drive in Tassie
Former St Kilda great Kevin 'Cowboy' Neale is heading to Tasmania for a 2 day tour to promote St Kilda's membership for Tasmanians for the 2005 season. Cowboy will be in Hobart on Friday, 1st April and will be in Launceston from 2nd - 3rd April. There are about 600 lapsed Tasmanian members who haven't re-joined for 2005 and the Club needs them to break last year's record of 2,100 Tassie members.
The Article Footy Gos/31Mar05
Maguire near his peak
St Kilda centre half-back Matt Maguire expects to be hitting peak form in a couple of weeks after having surgery during the off-season to repair osteitis pubis. The 20-year-old, who missed eight games during 2004 due to the debilitating groin injury, says he's recovering from matches much quicker and reveling in his new-found physical condition . . . "Each week I become more confident in how I play and in the body so I'm just taking it week by week, gradually gaining strength and should be hitting peak form in a couple of weeks."
The Article Scott Spits/saints.com.au/30Mar05
SAINTS TACKLING Saintsational Fan Forum
Black ready for the Saints on Sunday
Premiership midfielder Josh Carr celebrated his arrival at Fremantle with a win against former side Port Adelaide in the opening round of the season. On Sunday in Launceston another of club's big summer signings will have his chance when Fremantle clash with St Kilda in round two. After three years at the Saints Heath Black asked to be traded back to Fremantle, rejoining the club where he made his AFL debut in 1997 and played 69 games in five years. "It has been a great move for my family and I'm really happy to be playing for Fremantle again," he said. The tough midfielder says he was eager to show Fremantle's legion of fans he had plenty to offer the club and opened his 2005 account with 22 possessions 8 marks and a goal against the reigning Premiers at Subiaco Oval.
The Article Mark White/via saints.com.au/29Mar05
Black on this weekend Saintsational Fan Forum
Polak set for 50th Mark White/via saints.com.au/30Mar05
Time for Kosi to step into the possie
Even at 197cm, Justin Koschitzke lives in Nick Riewoldt's shadow.It is the giant shadow of the No. 1 player in the AFL. Yet it is a shadow that probably had its origins back at the AFL's 2000 national draft, when St Kilda claimed the youngsters at Nos 1 (Riewoldt) and 2. Two years into their careers they were regarded as equals and paid accordingly in their second contracts. Riewoldt's spectacular development since, coupled with Koschitzke's injury problems and inconsistent formline, has created a significant gap in their standing. Admittedly, Koschitzke made the better start at AFL level, winning the 2001 Rising Star in a year Riewoldt was restricted to six games by a knee problem. AFL 2002 described him as "arguably the best new talent to hit the AFL in 2001".
The Article Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/30Mar05
Ackland has arrived
In the past, many have sworn that the ruckmen is the most important player in the game, for it is he who gets the first touch, who is the starter of a passage of play and the person who can dictate the flow of the game. Judging by his performance in Thursday night's season opener, Cain Ackland showed that he understands this and is capable of doing it. Taken by Port Adelaide in the 1999 National AFL Draft with the 27th overall pick, Ackland was touted as being a young player who could learn and be moulded under the then #1 Port big man, Matthew Primus.
The Article Luca Giacobello/saints.com.au/30Mar05
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