Archives - 2006 POST SEASON

2007 OFFICIAL FIXTURE saints.com.au
ST KILDA FIXTURE HeraldSun
FIXTURES CLUB BY CLUB HeraldSun

St Kilda: Friday on their mind
The AFL has turned to its marquee Victorian clubs to resurrect interest in Friday night football. St Kilda, with a membership of 32,043 this season, is the big winner, with seven Friday-night fixtures, including the season opener against Melbourne on March 30. Saints chief executive Archie Fraser said it reflected his club's strong following and rosy onfield outlook. "I think it's a recognition of how we're viewed and that people want to watch us, which is great for the style of football we play," Fraser said. Collingwood, with 38,612 members, will play in five Friday-night games as will Richmond. Hawthorn and the Kangaroos play in just one Friday-night fixture
The Article David Hastie/HeraldSun/26Oct06
Snapshots of the 2007 draw Tim Morrissey & Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/26Oct06

Archie Fraser: Draw will help membership
. . . One club certain to make a splash is St Kilda, which has been handed the opening Friday night game against Melbourne and eight Thursday-Friday night games in which to showcase its wares under new coach Ross Lyon. Club chief executive Archie Fraser said the exposure would help to produce a record membership of close to 40,000 people. " We see ourselves as a big club," Fraser said. " Certainly the AFL seems to be thinking like that in terms of giving us a draw in the first year of a TV deal which highlights the Saints as a major drawcard. That is a pretty solid message of how we are viewed by the rest of the competition."
Level playing field for 2007 Chip Le Grand/FoxSports/26Oct06

The Six day breaks
The difference a day makes has finally been recognised by the AFL, with next year's fixtures acknowledging the difficulties clubs face when playing consecutive matches off six-day breaks. Where the AFL previously gave little weight to club concerns that a succession of six-day breaks had a cumulative, detrimental effect on performance, no club will again face the kind of draw suffered last season by St Kilda, which was forced to negotiate 11 shortened breaks including two six-day doubles and one triple . . . Hawthorn has eight six-day breaks to negotiate, including two in succession in rounds 11 and 12. Richmond has been handed seven short weeks, with a cruel double falling on its successive trips to Adelaide to play Port Adelaide and the Crows in rounds seven and eight. West Coast, St Kilda, Port Adelaide and the Kangaroos also have seven short weeks.
Rested Swans favoured by schedule Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/26Oct06
League enters twilight zone Daryl Timms and David Hastie/Foxfooty/26Oct06

Air treks long way from an even-playing field
The AFL goes out of its way to even up the competition. Strong teams accept a bum deal at the draft, salary cap pressure and that they will play other strong teams more often. But they shouldn't have to accept unreasonable travel schedules. Further, will the AFL ever get the message of just how tough a WA team's travel schedule can be? Once again, the league has ended up on the wrong side of a fine line in releasing its 2007 fixtures. Once again, West Coast and Fremantle will be doing their best impersonations of Burke and Wills, trekking all over the country, while Collingwood appear to still be suffering mass aviophobia. They will leave Victoria just four times during the course of the 2007 home-and-away season. Two of those games will involve plane trips of about an hour to Adelaide and Sydney.
The Article Mark Duffield/WestAustralian/26Oct06

SEN enters the big league of game calling
Some big football names are polishing up their vocal chords as sports-talk station 1116 SEN gets ready to broadcast AFL games for the first time next year. Kevin Bartlett, Tim Watson, Billy Brownless, David Schwarz, Liam Pickering, Daniel Harford, Andrew Maher and Anthony Hudson are already on the team and station bosses are scouring for recruits to fill the positions opened up by the station's five-games-a-week deal. "It certainly puts us in the big league," SEN group general manager Barrie Quick says. "The fact that we run a 24-7 sports format means that the AFL fits perfectly for us."
The Article Brad Newsome/TheAge RealFooty/26Oct06

ABC TV in talks for new AFL rights
The ABC has emerged as a possible circuit-breaker in the tense negotiations over AFL television rights for the next five years. A spokesman for the national broadcaster confirmed that talks had been held with the networks Seven and Ten consortium, which holds the AFL rights until 2011, and "the door is not shut" on the possibility of the ABC's digital channel, ABC2, broadcasting live games. The spokesman said: "There have been ongoing discussions about various possible scenarios. Nothing substantive has emerged at this stage, but we don't shut the door to the possibility." News of the ABC's willingness to break the logjam over AFL rights will put pressure on payTV provider Foxtel. It is understood the negotiations, which have been active for six months, are at a critical stage.
The Article Mark Day/TheAustralian/26Oct06
SA concerns: Free-to-air TV Michelangelo Ricci/AdelaideAdvertiser/26Oct06
AFL open to Foxtel Damian Barrett/HeraldSun/26Oct06
AFL facing free-to-air code war Richard Hinds/SydneyMorningHerald/26Oct06

League enters twilight zone
The AFL is shifting into the twilight zone with late Sunday afternoon games each week in its 2007 fixture. Designed solely for the television market, the bold move of games kicking off at 5.10pm in Melbourne has received cautious support from some clubs. Ten of the games will be played in Victoria, with another four in Adelaide. The 2007 fixture, released yesterday, aims to attract more than one million fans to grounds in the first three rounds.
The Article Daryl Timms and David Hastie/TheAustralian/26Oct06
Lions asked for Aka at Gabba in first round Michael Gleeson & Mark Duffield/TheAge RealFooty/26Oct06
Twilight games in every round Michael Gleeson & Stephen Rielly/TheAge RealFooty/26Oct06

Thorpedo v G-Train
Channel 9 has fired a big shot in the war against AFL rights-holders in the opening round of the 2007 premiership season. Nine will roll out swimming superstars Libby Lenton, Leisel Jones, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and American champion Michael Phelps at the world swimming championships just as Channels 7 and 10 are broadcasting Friday night football and twilight football on the opening weekend of the season. Seven will hope Melbourne and St Kilda is a ratings winner in its return to Friday night football on March 30.
The Article Jim Wilson/HeraldSun/26Oct06

Ugly footware standardised at Moorabbin
It's the year of the croc. Not the aquatic reptile known for its close association with the Irwin family, but the unisex clog-like shoes made from moulded plastic with holes punched in the top . . . But as the saying goes, before you criticise someone you should walk a mile in their shoes. And indeed the Croc is a comfortable device, insanely light and, the key word, moulded. Players at the St Kilda Football Club have been ordered into them during the preseason for precisely those reasons. No more flip-flopping in flat rubber thongs guaranteed to send arches south, says the club's strength and conditioning co-ordinator, Craig Starcevich.
Plastic not-so-fantastic Larissa Dubecki/Life&Style/TheAge
Even saints footwear is news 'saintbrat' et al/saintsational.com

Big, bad, blubbering Barry
Forget Big Bad Bustling - now, it seems, it is Big Bad Blubbering Barry Hall. Bazza is playing the sook. He hasn't been able to cop the Swans' one-point loss in the AFL grand final. The poor little bugger. Apparently some members of the media ' and it was probably worse in Melbourne than in Sydney ' have been less than overwhelmed about his goalless performance. For a man who has been labelled by Johnny Lewis as a possible heavyweight champion, he is showing the oldest glass jaw in the business. He is sounding more like an Australian handbag champion.
The Article Jeff Wells/TheDailyTelegraph/26Oct06

St Kilda's great survivor
It was about 7.30 on a weekday morning when the Chev went through a red light and introduced itself to panicked traffic. Justin "Frankie" Peckett was going home without sleep to have breakfast before football training. Ambulances were called, along with tow trucks and police. He blew over .05 and with it, he suspected, his football career. He cared, but not outrageously so, for he had been waiting for this moment for 10 years. Perhaps he was quietly searching for it. "My behaviour was always going to continue until something like a car accident happened," Peckett said. "I was not a high-profile player, so a lot of it wouldn't be reported. I was living in Frankston, going out four or five nights a week, late nights, alcohol was one of my main focuses, then I moved to St Kilda and if I wasn't at the Espy, Prince of Wales or the Vineyard, I was at the footy club. I would drink alone, middle of the day, wouldn't matter."
The Article Michael Gleeson/TheAge RealFooty/25Oct06

Saint Barker
St Kilda is fast approaching filling its assistants roster, with former Hawk John Barker believed to be the final cog. Barker, who retired this year after 167 games at three clubs under eight coaches, is poised to be named forwards coach. Barker, 31, was a teammate of Saints coach Ross Lyon in their Fitzroy days. It is believed Barker will join Anthony Rock, who was recently named an assistant, Stephen Silvagni and former Carlton assistant Tony Elshaug at Moorabbin.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/25Oct06
Saint Barker on the cards Mark Robinson/TownsvilleBulletin/25Oct06
2007 Coaching Panel !! 'Eastern' et al/saintsational.com

Moorabbin Redevelopment setback
St Kilda may be forced to end its 40-year use of Moorabbin oval after another setback to plans that would extensively redevelop the site. The Saints are understood to be considering joining their VFL affiliate Casey Scorpions at Casey Fields in Cranbourne East. TEAC Oval at Port Melbourne is another option. The $10.5 million Moorabbin redevelopment can not go ahead unless the Saints are given permission to buy a block of land, valued at $2.1 million, from Kingston council. The land, a car park, is on the corner of South Rd and Linton St and would be used for the Saints' social club, bistro, Hall of Fame and merchandise store. Despite months of consultation, Kingston Council has indicated it will again delay voting on the possible land sale at a meeting next week.
Saints blocked out Damian Barrett/TownsvilleBulletin/25Oct06
Saints blocked Damian Barrett/HeraldSun /25Oct06
Moorabbin Plans This site (images Plans - artist impression)

Saints excited about season 2007
The Saints are again opening the new AFL season with a Friday night clash at the MCG against the Demons on Friday 30th March 2007. 15 night games is also a big commercial boost for the Saints and proves they are a major drawcard for TV audiences. St Kilda fans will be able to watch their team play 17 times in Melbourne, with 11 home games at Telstra Dome. Following the announcement of the 2007 AFL fixture, St Kilda Football Club CEO, Archie Fraser said the draw is a big win for our members and all Saints supporters. "Being able to bring the two games back from Tassie, we now have 11 home games at Telstra Dome. This will enable our fans to get behind the Club and push hard for a record Membership year" Fraser said.
The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/AFL/saints.com.au/25Oct06

AFL unveils 2007 draw
. . . The AFL has released its full 2007 draw, which for the first time was compiled using state-of-the-art scheduling software which is also used by the American National Football League. The rematch between the last two premiers features on the opening Saturday night at Sydney's Olympic Stadium. The draw includes 23 Sunday twilight matches and all clubs will travel interstate at least four times. The Kangaroos will play their three Gold Coast games in the first 12 ro
The Article ABCSport/25Oct06

2007 Fixture - the big picture
. . . The AFL chose to release the draw on Wednesday despite TV arrangements for next season not being finalised. Discussions between rights holders the Seven and Ten networks and Foxtel about the pay-TV operator broadcasting up to four matches each weekend are continuing . . . Other highlights of the draw, which again sees matches take place in every state and territory, are:
The Article Matt Burgan/AFL/saints.com.au/25Oct06
AFL releases draw Sportal/25Oct06

Foxtel still in the picture as broadcast deal looms
Foxtel remains hopeful of playing a role in football broadcasting in 2007 and beyond, despite negotiations with the free-to-air consortium stalling in recent days. Last week, the AFL delayed release of the 2007 fixtures to allow Foxtel and Channels 10 and 7 time to sort out a deal to divide the telecasts. But the parties are still apart on how much money Foxtel should pay and how many games it will broadcast. With no firm timeframe on negotiations, the league decided yesterday it would press ahead and reveal the fixtures on Thursday under the assumption that all eight weekly games would be telecast free to air. But sources at Foxtel say they still expect to play a part in broadcasting AFL through the new Foxtel Sports 3 channel. Channels 7 and 10 paid $780 million for the right to telecast AFL matches from 2007-11.
The Article David Reed/WestAustralian/24Oct06

TV deals won't change fixtures, says AFL
The AFL says it does not expect to have to change its fixtures for 2007 regardless of who ends up broadcasting matches on television. AFL chief operating officer Ben Buckley released the schedule for the home and away season and the NAB Cup pre-season competition, with Sunday twilight games every weekend of the regular season a feature. While the Seven and Ten networks, which own the rights to broadcast all games for the next five years, are still negotiating with Foxtel to on-sell four games per weekend, Buckley said there were not expected to be any changes needed.
The Article AAP/TheAge/25Oct06
2007 fixtures: Top two meet in Round 1 AAP/HeraldSun/25Oct06

Rock keen as mustard
. . . "It's an exciting time for me," he told SEN. "In terms of a three-year deal, to have that sort of security in football is just a real win for me in terms of my development and where I want to go and St Kilda look like they're a very good club on the way up, so we'll see how we go." Rock was assistant coach at Melbourne for two years and the sharp improvement of the team under his guidance was one of the factors that made him such an attractive target for St Kilda's new coach Ross Lyon . . . Rock played 222 games for the Kangaroos and Hawthorn between 1998 and 2001. He coached the Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup for three years before joining the Demons.
The Article Alistair Hogg/Sportal/saints.com.au/21Oct06 (+image)

Veteran Nicholson set to retire
Melbourne veteran Alistair Nicholson is set to announce his retirement from AFL football, leaving the Demons with another vacant spot on their senior list and five selections in next month's national draft. Nicholson, 28, who is contracted for another season, will meet with the club on Friday to come to terms on a payout despite speculation he had already been delisted . . . Melbourne last week delisted Shannon Motlop, Phil Read and Nick Smith. With Adem Yze able to be listed as a veteran, Nicholson's departure will give the Demons five selections in a draft considered to be one of the strongest in years.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge RealFooty/25Oct06

Port adds silver
Port Adelaide is bringing out the silver, making the forgotten fourth colour of its AFL branding the focus of its new clash jumper. The Power - which added teal and silver to its black-and-white wardrobe on entering the national league in 1997 - on November 1 will launch the guernsey with a new supplier, Reebok. The clash jumper, worn only outside AAMI Stadium, is predominantly teal and silver and virtually based on a pinstripe design. It replaces the teal away jumper Port has worn for the past three years.
The Article Michelangelo Rucci/AdelaideAdvertiser/24Oct06
larger images (image only - comparison/front/back)

AFL finalises draw with broadcasters
Football fans will be able to start planning and assessing their clubs' path to the 2007 AFL premiership from tomorrow. The AFL, which last week delayed the release of the fixture list to allow talks between free-to-air networks Channels 7 and 10 and Pay-TV broadcaster Fox Sports to progress, last night signed off on the 2007 fixture. Still to be seen is whether the first draft studied by the 16 AFL clubs earlier this month has been significantly changed in the league's meetings with the broadcasters that continued in Sydney yesterday. And whether the draw is further adjusted if Fox Sports - with its third sports channel - enters the Seven-Ten alliance to telecast AFL football for the next five years.
The Article Michelangelo Rucci/AdelaideAdvertiser/24Oct06
AFL Pay TV deal Thread 'Black Panther' et al/BigFooty
AFL Pay TV deal Thread 'super dooper' et al/saintsational.com
2007 Fixture Leaks Thread 'barks4eva' et al/saintsational.com
Sunday Twilight's Thread 'saintspremiers' et al/saintsational.com

PREVIOUS ARCHIVED ARTICLES CRIPPS/MIFSUD ARTICLES

GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE