2005 - AFL Home and Away Season
Round 3 - Results and Post-game Articles
St Kilda: 3.3, 7.5, 12.7, 14.9 (93)
Kangaroos: 2.2, 6.3, 10.7, 15.10 (100)
Goals - St Kilda: Gehrig 4, Milne 3, Hamill 3, Fiora 2, Ackland, Voss
Kangaroos: Grant 4, Thompson 2, B. Harvey 2, Sansbury 2, Petrie, Rocca, Stevens, Jones, Wells
Best - St Kilda: Dal Santo, Hamill, Fiora, Voss, Gehrig, Hayes, Maguire
Kangaroos: Grant, Makepeace, B. Harvey, Sinclair, Brown, Archer, Sansbury
Injuries - St Kilda: Harvey (hamstring)
Reports - nil
Umpires - Rowe, Ryan, McInerney
Crowd - 36,140 at Telstra Dome
St Kilda Hitouts: 23
St Kilda 50m Penalties: 1
St Kilda Goals: Free 3; Play 3; Mark 8
St Kilda Distance of Goals: 0-15m 4; 15-30m 1; 30-40m 5; 40+m 4
Injury List - Saints stats - Ladder
Riewoldt hopes to be back in three weeks
St Kilda's injured skipper Nick Riewoldt said yesterday that he hoped for a spectacular return to football as early as round six - three weeks earlier than expected. Despite originally being told he would be out for up to eight weeks with a broken collarbone, Riewoldt said yesterday that he hoped to return in three or four weeks' time. "It feels fantastic," he told ABC radio yesterday. "I think the surgeon would probably prefer me to have it in a sling, but no, it feels great . . . Maybe it will only be three weeks until I'm back out there." Riewoldt, who had a plate put into his right collarbone after he broke it in the season-opener against the Brisbane Lions, said the bone felt like it was healing well. "Functionally, it's spot-on, but just above my head I'm still a little bit limited," he said. "I start running Monday so, hopefully, the bone's knitting well."
The Article Julia Medew/TheAge/10Apr05
Stephanie McIntosh is Riewoldt's new love Rosanne Michie/HeraldSun/10Apr05
Milne: Saint and sinner
Was Grant Thomas tempted to drag Stephen Milne when he marked 20 metres from goal early in the last quarter yesterday, played on and was wrenched immediately to the ground by two switched-on Kangaroos? "Was I tempted to drag him? I was tempted to do a lot of things," Thomas admitted last night. "But Milney doesn't do anything to adversely affect the St Kilda footy club deliberately. He made a really poor decision, and he's aware of that, and I'm not certain that dragging a bloke for that is the right call there and then. It would have pleased me to do it, but it would only have pleased me. It wouldn't have pleased the team."
The Article Emma Quayle/TheAge/10Apr05
Milne's costly mistake Scot Palmer/HeraldSun/10Apr05
Thomas: Saints feel heat
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas admits his players are underdone and that some panicked as the Kangaroos charged from behind. With only one win from the first three rounds, and champion Robert Harvey injured and likely to be sidelined for at least a fortnight, Thomas says St Kilda's fresh bid at a flag has so far lacked poise and purpose. The Saints forfeited a 17-point lead to go down by seven points, a damning indictment on the club's preparation. "We're not as ready as we need to be," Thomas said. "Sometimes (when the heat is on) we go into our shell and become panic stricken. While we are not as fit as we need to be right now, we shouldn't have dropped this one, given we were three or four goals up with just five or so minutes to go."
The Article Ken Piesse/HeraldSun/10Apr05
Grant Thomas
. . . I think in the heat of the moment, people miss the point. Thomas has never coached for today - he probably never will (excepting finals of course and the odd designated game). He coaches for the long to medium term, and often that means missing out on the 4 points on a given day. He regularly gives players tasks and rarely helps them out by moving them if they are getting beaten - he leaves them there to deal with it, and to learn from it. This is why we are a year or two ahead in our development. Is anyone still familiar with the following quote . . . "The result isn't what matters, the process is. We get the process right and the results will follow" . . .
The Article rodgerfox/saintsational.com/10Apr05
Harvey joins list of injured Saint stars
The injury clouds over Moorabbin darkened yesterday with the news that Saint midfield maestro Robert Harvey could miss up to three weeks with a hamstring strain. The former captain watched the final quarter of Saturday's last-gasp loss to the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome from the bench, and now joins skipper Nick Riewoldt and versatile big man Justin Koschitzke on the sidelines. "We haven't got the scans back yet, but we're expecting that he's done (his hamstring), and we're expecting a two-to-three weeker," coach Grant Thomas said yesterday. "We haven't had the results back, so therefore I can't confirm it, but we're fairly certain that that's where it's at." The injury to the 33-year-old comes at the worst time for the Saints, who face the unbeaten Demons at Telstra Dome on Sunday. With Riewoldt out for at least another three weeks and Koschitzke missing, Thomas' team is stretched up front, with Fraser Gehrig, himself recently returned from injury, and Aaron Hamill shouldering the aerial burden.
The Article Dan Oakes and Julia Medew/TheAge/10Apr05
Roos cool when it counts Grantley Bernard/HeraldSun/11Apr05
Injury List - 11Apr05
No worries, yet
In his post-match media conference, Thomas was remaining calm and collected by his side's one win/two losses start to the season. "It's not drastic. There's no reason to be panicky or anything like that," Thomas said. "We're really disappointed and we're really frustrated and I'm sure it will be the fillip we need to redirect our attention for the future weeks. We've got some important games coming up and a loss here at Telstra (Dome) was probably something we needed to refocus our attention." Thomas summarised his side's season by saying it had its 'chances' against the Brisbane Lions, was 'lucky' against Fremantle and was 'competitive' against the Kangaroos. But he was adamant they 'shouldn't have dropped' their round three encounter against the Roos. "We're not as ready as we need to be yet. I thought today was a step in the right direction, based on our previous two weeks," Thomas said.
The Article Mat Burgan/saints.com.au/09Apr05
Saints stall as Roos bound away
Football's unbreakables did it again yesterday, confounding all but themselves to win another battle that seemed surely lost. Really, it should have been no surprise; the Kangaroos have made an artform of finishing beige works with the most startling splashes of colour. Stephen Milne's third goal approaching the 20-minute mark of the last quarter had put St Kilda 17 points clear and indicated that the gods were still otherwise occupied. A polarising figure, Milne yesterday had the distinction of inspiring fans of both teams to call for his head; it did not seem right that he be the matchwinner. But he had scarcely finished congratulating himself when the Roos made their familiar bound from behind, Shannon Grant kicking three goals in six minutes and Daniel Wells adding another around his body to leave the Saints stunned and silent.
The Article Peter Hanlon/TheAge/10Apr05
St Kilda nailed as Grant explodes Jon Pierik/HeraldSun/10Apr05
Dome streak snapped
Three final quarter goals from the Kangaroos Shannon Grant has ended St Kilda's 16-match winning streak at Telstra Dome, after the Roos won a thrilling encounter by seven points on Saturday afternoon. The Kangaroos 15.10 (100) defeated the Saints 14.9 (93) to inflict St Kilda's first defeat at Telstra Dome since round 14, 2003, which occurred against Essendon. In 30-plus degrees conditions, the Kangaroos, courtesy of a stunning final quarter from Grant, came back from a 17-point deficit at the 18-minute mark of the last term to continue its undefeated record in the 2005 premiership season. It also replicated the Kangaroos start to the 2004 home-and-away season when they won their opening three rounds. For St Kilda, it was almost a virtual reversal of fortune from last round's win over Fremantle, when it came from behind to steal a one-point win in Launceston.
The Article Mat Burgan/AFL/saints.com.au/09Apr05
Raph's game Saintsational Fan Fourum
Grant runs riot to steer Roos home
Kangaroos onballer Shannon Grant produced his second match-winning final quarter in as many weeks to steer his side to a seven-point AFL win over premiership fancy St Kilda at Telstra Dome today. Grant kicked four goals - three in the final quarter - to give his side a 15.10 (100) to 14.9 (93) win. The Kangaroos fought back from 17 points down at the 19-minute mark of the final term to score what had looked an unlikely victory and continue their unbeaten start to the season. Just as the Saints looked to have gained control in what had been an arm-wrestle to that point, the Kangaroos gave themselves a sniff of victory when Daniel Wells goaled to narrow the margin to 11 points. Then Grant took over, kicking three successive goals - including a free-kick to give his side a one-point lead, then a mark and 50-metre set shot from the boundary to seal his side's win.
The Article AAP/HeraldSun/09Apr05
Close the roof: Thomas
Players, coaches, umpires and supporters are being disadvantaged with having the Telstra Dome roof open on sunny afternoons, according to St Kilda coach Grant Thomas. Thomas spoke about the issue in his post-match media conference on Saturday after St Kilda lost a thrilling match to the Kangaroos by seven points. The match was played with the roof open in 30-plus degrees. "I'm at as much of a loss as you guys (the media) as to why we don't use the facility we've got and whether or not they don't want to have something unique like a roof shut - perhaps we should've thought about it before we did the deal with Telstra (Dome)," Thomas said. "It's up to television stations to complain, it's up to supporters to complain and it's up to everyone else to make their statement on it, but it doesn't seem logical to any of us."
The Article Mat Burgan/Sportal/saints.com.au/09Apr05
Roos make it three straight
Shannon Grant continued his excellent early season form to lead the scoring for the Kangaroos with four goals and he was well-assisted with doubles from Brent Harvey, Eddie Sansbury and Nathan Thompson. Daniel Wells, Corey Jones, Saverio Rocca, Drew Petrie and Michael Stevens all kicked one goal each. For St Kilda, Fraser Gehrig recorded four majors while Aaron Hamill and Stephen Milne both bagged trebles. Aaron Fiora (2), Cain Ackland, Brett Voss kicked St Kilda's remaining goals. Grant had a busy day around, managing 21 possessions including 16 kicks. Jess Sinclair registered 22 possessions for the Kangaroos while St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo worked hard all day to record 30 possessions and four marks. The loss will be a dint to the confidence of St Kilda, whose one-point win over Fremantle in Launceston last Sunday is its only victory of the season.
The Article ABC Sport/09Apr05
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