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Elimination Final
St Kilda vs Melbourne
M.C.G. Friday 8th September 2006, 7:30pm AEST
Betting: Sportingbet (GF) - Eagles 2.80, Adel 5.00, Freo 5.00, Syd 5.25, St Kilda 13.00, Coll 15.00, Melb 19.00, Bulldogs 51

Plenty on the clock but oldest Saint keeps running
Robert Harvey is 35 and has played every match this year. If he has run much the same distances as your average AFL midfielder, he has clocked another 300km on a body that has been through 18 seasons. If St Kilda loses to Melbourne tonight he will have taken his final steps this year. They may well be his last in the AFL. The one thing certain is that whatever is left in Harvey's legs today will be spent on the MCG tonight . . . Tonight on the MCG, however, St Kilda's fortunes will rest with the old man of the AFL. Harvey plays his best football in the elements and the forecast is for rain and wind. St Kilda is through to another finals series under coach Grant Thomas and for the past two years, Harvey has been his Mr September.
The Article Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/08Sept06

Saints trim talls
St Kilda has opted for experience over height and omitted three ruckmen ahead of Friday night's elimination final against Melbourne at the MCG. Coming into the side that defeated Brisbane by 51 points up at the Gabba last week are Max Hudghton, Justin Peckett and Stephen Powell, while Cain Ackland, Jason Blake and Barry Brooks all miss out. Hudghton makes a welcome return to the backline after missing last week's match with an ankle injury with both Peckett and Powell named on the interchange bench. Ackland and Blake have been named as emergencies along with Aaron Fiora.
The Article saints.com.au/07Sept06

Preview: St Kilda v Melbourne
. . . The match:
This is only the second time ever St Kilda has appeared in three-consecutive finals series (the other being 1970-73), and full credit to everyone at Moorabbin for developing a successful culture and one of the most prosperous eras in the club’s history. But, no one is satisfied, and St Kilda people have been through far too much to take any September action for granted. Melbourne, in a final, at the MCG, it’s a great way to get the 2006 campaign started.
The Article Nick Hulett/saints.com.au/08Sept06

Saints look to the heavens, and cut a couple of tall men
. . . Certainly, Thomas dispensed with Trent Knobel and Matthew Capuano. "(But) we made plays for (Brendon) Lade, we made plays for (Dean) Brogan, we tried really hard to get (Michael) Gardiner a few years ago and we came within a bee's dick of getting (Troy) Simmonds. What I don't rate is ruckmen who only give a competitive contest, but don't win possessions around the ground. I don't know a coach in the competition who disagrees with that. "Because the game has become such a quick, fast-moving midfielders' game, you can't afford to have 17 players on the ground. You've got to have 18 athletic competitors."
The Article Greg Baum/TheAge RealFooty/08Sept06
Finals Fever video Craig Hutchison and Caroline Wilson/TheAge RealFooty

Playing with the big boys
. . . St Kilda plays a brand of football which has proved successful in September. Sydney, Brisbane and the Kangaroos based their game around being physical and aggressive. They intimidated opposition sides physically and mentally and St Kilda has these qualities. The Saints have made it to the past two preliminary finals but have failed to go further. Losing a preliminary final is a demoralising experience, you're one game away from a Grand Final. But you have to taste defeat before you can truly appreciate what's required to win a Grand Final. Losing prepares you for success.
The Article Wayne Schwass/HeraldSun/08Sept06
Herald Sun Tips l The Age Tips
Saints and Demons set to turn up the heat ABCSport/08Sept06

Saints go short and gamble on experience
. . . St Kilda will pin its rucking fortunes on the inexperienced Michael Rix, who has played only 10 AFL games, and Justin Koschitzke. They will be up against Melbourne duo Jeff White and Mark Jamar after the Saints took on the Lions with as many as half-a-dozen players capable of contesting the bounces, ball-ups and throw-ins. Melbourne has regained September specialist Byron Pickett for the knockout game, along with running defender Matthew Whelan and key defender Ben Holland.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge RealFooty/08Sept06

Team differences from last Melbourne game
St Kilda changes are:
IN: Koschitzke, Rix, Hamill, R Clarke, X Clarke, Powell
OUT: Maguire, Blake, Ackland, Schwarze, McGough, Fiora
Melbourne changes are:
IN: Miller, Jones, Ward
OUT: Bartram, Johnson, Dunn
The Post StKildonan/BigFooty

It's time
For the last 40 years I have followed this mighty club and worn Red, White & Black clothes every year since. I have seen the legends come and go, I have seen them leave Moorabbin, then Waverley. I have been to the G' on GF day to see my team run out. My chest has swelled with pride on many occasions over the years and stooped with frustration and despair on many occasions too . . . Well, tonight I again have my chest swelled by my team being in the finals again. I am toey, I am ready for this - the greatest of all the legends I have seen will run out in the traditional St.Kilda jumper and take on the establishment in the form of the Dees . . .
The Post yipper/saintsational.com
The TOUGH saints will come out tonight . . . saintsRrising/saintsational.com

What I want to see . . .
Ok, this is what I want to see tonight . . . I want to see our midfield and half-back line hunting in packs. I want to see Melbournes midfield mostered the second they touch the ball. I want to see Melbourne's delivery stifled and pressured at every turn. I want to see Max flog Neitz . . .
The Post bigred/saintsational.com

Tony Shaw on how he would coach St Kilda
The Saints go into this game full of confidence, having regained some of our physical hardness over the past month - a hardness that was found wanting when we last played Melbourne, in round 10, and came away with a 13-point loss. One of our biggest strengths is our running half-backs - Jason Gram, Raphael and Xavier Clarke, Brendon Goddard, Sam and Leigh Fisher. Rotating them to keep Melbourne's forward line defensively honest is a must. I've got full confidence in Max Hudghton's ability to match up on David Neitz - even though Neitz kicked eight goals last time. There's no hesitation in giving him another go.
The Article TheAge RealFooty/08Sept06

Dean Laidley on how he would coach Melbourne
St Kilda's strength is its midfield, the Saints like it in close and have the ability to win the contested ball, so it's critical tonight that Brock McLean, James McDonald, Nathan Jones and Cameron Bruce are on song and win the inside possession. To do that, it all starts in the ruck - an area of strength for us tonight. Jeff White and Mark Jamar must exert their influence on the match by getting their hands to the ball first at stoppages. This will bring our runners and quality ball-users - Byron Pickett, Aaron Davey, Matthew Bate, Brad Green, Travis Johnstone and Adem Yze - into the game and will give David Neitz, Russell Robertson and Brad Miller a chance. To give us the best chance at winning the stoppages, I will be sending McDonald to Nick Dal Santo. His brilliance needs to be curbed as the last time the teams met, he had eight inside 50s and three goals. We can't afford him to have space to deliver to the Saints' forwards such are his sublime skills. It's important that our players do not lay-off Robert Harvey either. In the past two finals campaigns, he has clearly been their best-performed player.
The Article TheAge RealFooty/08Sept06

Hard-tackling Dees will turn up the heat against Saints
Melbourne could no longer be disparaged for being soft around the edges, star onballer Cameron Bruce said yesterday, having shown this season it possessed the hard-tackling game required to win finals, starting tonight. Bruce said the Demons would approach the finals series unburdened by the memory of consecutive exits at the first knockout stage because they had already demonstrated an ability to play the more accountable game highlighted by last year's premier, Sydney. "I would have thought that our game, our ability to play different styles, has definitely helped us perform better this year," Bruce said. "Being able to play the attacking, bold style that we played last year, that was sort of our one wood, and we didn't have too many other clubs in the bag, but this year we have shown we are a really good tackling and defensive side, and we work really hard for each other. Obviously you have got to be able to do that to win finals. Sydney proved that last year."
The Article Chloe Saltau/TheAge RealFooty/08Sept06
Mike Sheahan's Team of the Year Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/08Sept06
Herald Sun experts' Team of the Year Jon Anderson/HeraldSun/08Sept06

Demons arrive at the junction of campaign
Amid the wintry rain squalls that dampened Junction Oval yesterday morning, the scattering of Melbourne supporters spied something through the gloom that stoked a warmness in their hearts. Prominent among the Demons' players on their last training run before tonight's elimination final against St Kilda was acknowledged premiership hero and human harpoon, Byron Pickett. Not that Pickett rattled any bones or unleashed any wizardry during a session that was predictably light given it was the day before a cutthroat finals encounter.
The Article Andrew Ramsey/TheAustralian/08Sept06
Steve Harris: Still a Saints fan? Hell no! Geoff McClure/TheAge RealFooty/08Sept06

Demons on home turf
On the eve of the opening match of the AFL finals series, Bruce also deflected the pressure applied by Melbourne's failure to win a final in the past two seasons, saying the Saints' burden of unfulfilled expectations was at least as big. The Demons have won 10 of 11 games at the MCG this season and Bruce questioned whether the Saints enjoyed the venue as much, having played there only four times this year for three wins. "We're much happier playing at the MCG than at Telstra Dome or any other ground," Bruce said. Bruce also said the current Demons outfit was much better prepared for finals football than the sides that bowed out in the first round of the finals in each of the past two seasons.
The Article Robert Grant and Sam Lienert/CourierMail/08Sept06

Dees wary as Saints drop two ruckmen
St Kilda will gamble on inexperienced ruckman Michael Rix in tonight's elimination final against Melbourne at the MCG. The Demons, as expected, have been strengthened by the inclusion of Byron Pickett, Matthew Whelan and Ben Holland. The Saints last night dropped Cain Ackland and Jason Blake, who have shared the ruck duties for the majority of the home-and-away rounds, winning 361 hitouts between them.
The Article Michael Stevens/HeraldSun/08Sept06

Davey due to explode
Ask Aaron Davey to rate his finals performances and he admits: "I've been a bit quiet". For all the highlights Davey has conjured for Melbourne at home-and-away level, he has been nothing but a bit player in September. He managed just 10 disposals in each of his two finals -- against Essendon in 2004 and Geelong last year - and has kicked just one goal. But, in scary news for St Kilda, the guy's due. In 2004, Davey was a kid in his first year who struggled to believe he belonged in the AFL.
The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/08Sept06

Neitz's third time lucky
And according to crack midfielder Cameron Bruce, one big difference this year is the presence of inspirational captain David Neitz. Neitz, the club's recorder holder in games and goals, missed the 2004 and 2005 elimination finals because of a knee injury and broken leg as the Dees duly succumbed to Essendon and Geelong respectively. But Neitz sailed through a 40-minute final training session yesterday to ensure this time he will be there to lead from the front.
The Article Michael Horan/HeraldSun/08Sept06

Demon wildcard ready to play with fire
As his Melbourne coach, Neale Daniher, remarked after Pickett's sure, skilful performance before a crowd of almost 79,000 in this year's Queen's Birthday match: "He's got the confidence of, 'I've been here before, I'm a Norm Smith medallist', the bit of arrogance, which is fantastic in a footballer." It is perhaps the quality that appealed to Melbourne most when it was considering recruiting Pickett after the Demons' second, stunted finals quest last year.
The Article Chloe Saltau/TheAge RealFooty/08Sept06

Government gets tough on AFL over secrecy surrounding drug-testing policy
The Federal Government has told the AFL to abandon the practice of secret drug-testing and reveal the names of players caught under its illicit drugs policy. This comes after the Herald was prevented from publishing the names of three players, who have twice returned positive drug tests, following a late-night injunction taken out by the AFL and the AFL Players' Association. The Victorian Supreme Court has ordered the names must remain confidential. But the Federal Minister for Sport, Rod Kemp, told parliament late on Wednesday night that the sanctions and reporting arrangements of the AFL's illicit drug policy were "out of touch with community expectations". He said the government had "zero tolerance of doping in sport".
The Article Jacquelin Magnay/SydneyMorningHerald/08Sept06

League signals new rule for mature rookies
AFL clubs will from this year be able to draft one mature-age rookie provided the player has never been on an AFL list. The new rule will mean clubs can draft as a rookie a player over 23 from any competition, provided it is affiliated with the AFL. The league has written to the clubs in recent weeks outlining the change, which at this stage is an in-principle agreement it has made with the AFL Players Association. All that remains is for the new collective bargaining agreement to be completed and the AFL rules amended. Another change to the rookie system will allow clubs to relist a rookie player for three years as opposed to the present situation where a player must go back into the rookie draft after two years.
The Article Lyall Johnson/TheAge RealFooty/08Sept06
Coaching trio leads AFL into the new age AAP/TheAge/08Sept06
Kennett fears for Spida Michael Warner/HeraldSun/08Sept06
Kerr, Embley out in double blow for Eagles ABCSport/08Sept06

Saints downsize, three Demons changes
St Kilda offloaded some height and Melbourne welcomed back three key players for Friday night's AFL elimination final. The Saints experimented with plenty of tall players last weekend in the win over Brisbane, but on Thursday they left out ruckmen Cain Ackland, Jason Blake and Barry Brooks for the MCG game. They recalled key defender Max Hudghton for his expected duel with Demons captain David Neitz. Justin Peckett and Stephen Powell will also return from injury, while Ackland and Blake were named as emergencies.
The Article AAP/TheAge/07Sept06
Hope springs eternal for AFL glory TheAge/08Sept06

Saints v Dees main match-ups
Fraser Gehrig (St Kilda) v Ben Holland/Nathan Carroll (Melbourne)
The G-Train has rolled nicely into form heading into the finals. Surrounded by fellow tall forwards Nick Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill and Justin Koschitzke, the Saints' attacking strength poses a formidable challenge for a defence that is probably Melbourne's weakest link. Minding Gehrig will be a big task for either Holland or Carroll, although both have carried out adequate stopping jobs on many of the AFL's giant forwards this season.
Key Match-Ups HeraldSun/07Sept06

Burke sold on Brooks
St Kilda great Nathan Burke says selectors should persist with comeback kid Barry Brooks against Melbourne tomorrow night . . . "The big advantage that Barry's got over other ruckmen is that he has played a lot of football, especially at (VFL affiliate) Springvale, at full-forward," Burke said. "He knows how to play that position. He's a good lead, he's a smart lead. So, I think if they are looking for another option up forward, then out of the tall guys that they've got, Barry, for mine, is the best option."
The Article Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/07Sept06
Robert Harvey Poster - TheAge/saints.com.au (pdf file)

Play Rix as a tagger on White all night
I actually think that Rix should play as a tagging ruckman to nullify and take White's influence out of the game. Melbourne's midfield is where they win their footy games and if you blanket White, they as a result don't find the ball as easily and it will go along way towards winning the game . . . Rix's physical presence in the middle and aerobic capacity would I believe unsettle White who likes to roam free and when he does that is when he is most damaging
The Thread Rix4eva et al/saintsational.com

Bruce confident Dees can progress
. . . Bruce says the side has developed a better game, and is confident it can go further this year. "We've got an ability to play the defensive tempo style of footy as well as our attacking style," he said. "We got a bit of a taste of the tempo of the game last week against Adelaide, they were really fierce and that sort of prepared us for what I expect will come at us tomorrow night." Bruce said the Saints would be feeling the pressure heading into the match, having had the burden of being flag favourites in recent years and failing to meet expectations.
The Article ABCSport/07Sept06

Bumper crowds forecast for AFL finals
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has predicted bumper crowds for the opening weekend of the AFL finals series, with about 240,000 expected to attend the four games. Demetriou said more than 70,000 were expected at the MCG for tomorrow night's St Kilda-Melbourne elimination final and more than 80,000 at Collingwood-Western Bulldogs on Sunday. Crowds of more than 40,000 are forecast at both Saturday's AAMI Stadium clash between Fremantle and Adelaide and the West Coast-Sydney encounter at Subiaco.
The Article AAP/TheAge RealFooty/07Sept06
Pagan stays but Blues will revamp Caroline Wilson and Martin Boulton/TheAge RealFooty/07Sept06
Wallace: no animosity with Kellaway AAP/TheAge/07Sept06
Eagleton returns for final westernbulldogs.com.au/saints.com.au/07Sept06
Dogs will dig deep: Gilbee Jason Phelan/AFL/westernbulldogs.com.au/saints.com.au/07Sept06
Bulldogs sniff out Akermanis TheAge/WestAustralian/07Sept06
Keating axed Andrew Hamilton/CourierMail/07Sept06

In real finals test
Symbolically, Lenny Hayes stood in the middle of Moorabbin Oval yesterday dressed in black as he watched his St Kilda mates have their last full hitout before tomorrow's MCG elimination final against Melbourne. All around him the hale and hearty Saints went through their sharp, 55-minute session with that extra enthusiasm that comes on final eve. For Hayes, 26, a two-time All-Australian, a Saints best and fairest and former skipper, the pain of the knee injury that ended his season in round 9 against the Kangaroos must have been in one sense as acute as it had ever been. On the terraces a clutch of Saints fans watched those who have also been fighting injuries or are a chance to play . . . The forecast for more rain will pose a selection quandary given the Saints are looking at the prospect of a wet Friday night out in the open as opposed to their their lidded home ground down the road.
The Article Michael Horan/CourierMail/07Sept06

Injured Saints boost claims to face Demons
St Kilda's walking wounded continued their march to be right to play in tomorrow night's knockout second elimination final against Melbourne, with all but one of them completing a brisk training session yesterday. With his right knee well strapped, Aaron Hamill ran hard and completed all drills without problem, although he kicked with his right foot only three or four times, choosing mostly to kick with his non-preferred left. Hamill has played the past two weeks after being out since round seven and is slowly regaining form, although his mobility has appeared restricted in the past fortnight. Skipper Luke Ball was also an enthusiastic participant at training and showed no effects of the jarred knee that forced him to have precautionary scans this week or the groin problems that have plagued him this season. Experienced duo Justin Peckett and Stephen Powell, who missed last weekend's match against the Brisbane Lions with groin and knee injuries respectively, also trained well and are certain starters, bar mishap.
The Article Lyall Johnson/TheAge RealFooty/07Sept06

Thomas doubts Demons' ability to absorb pressure
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas yesterday took delicate aim at Melbourne's soft September underbelly and suggested the Demons would go into Friday night's elimination final under "enormous pressure" . . . "Our form is pretty good, we have the benefit of finals experience and we know what is required to win them," Thomas said yesterday. "I think there is going to be enormous pressure on Melbourne to perform and there is enormous pressure on us to perform as well."
The Article Andrew Ramsey and Greg Denham/TheAustralian/06Sept06
Ball gets bounce back for finals TheBorderMail/06Sept06

Thomas has no doubts on Hamill
. . . "We've showed glimpses of what we can do in games in the last half of this year. But we haven't put it together for a full game; there's probably one game. We've got enormous upside with the Clarkes and Koschitzke and Hamills, Luke (Ball) in the form he's been in recently as against earlier in the year, the way Fraser Gehrig's playing now, our forward structure, the defence. (Grant Thomas said) "We forget about a guy like Leigh Fisher, who basically had two years out of the system and how he's improving, and Sam Fisher and Jason Gram's form. We've got enormous upside and if we take advantage of that upside, we'll be damned hard to beat. But like every team, there's an opportunity out there. It's about seizing opportunities."
The Article Martin Blake/TheAge RealFooty/06Sept06

Who is in the mix to play?
Now discounting any new injuries, who is in the mix for selection.
Certainties:
Backs: Voss Hudghton Baker - Half-backs: Gram, S Fisher, L Fisher - Centres: Goddard, Ball, Montagna - Half-forwards: X Clarke, Riewoldt, Hamill - Forwards: Milne, Gehrig, Koschitzke - Followers: Dal Santo, Rover: Harvey - Interchange: Thompson . . .
The Thread saintsRising et al/saintsational.com

Reality Check on Lions result
Who would have thought at seasons start that we would based on good form be agonising over?
Which rucks to play
And how many to play.
Isn't it fantastic to have a choice from Kosi, Sugar, Rix and Brooks for our first final . . . and for it to be such a hard decison as to who should play as all have merits. Kosi is the only one of the 4 that is a guaranteed selection. The other 3 are also pushing fiercely. How good is that!
The Post saintsRising/saintsational.com

Pickett, Neitz to lift Demons
Melbourne midfielder Cameron Bruce believes the presence of Byron Pickett and skipper David Neitz against St Kilda on Friday night will be a huge motivator for the side. Neitz didn't play in the Demons' 2005 elimination final against Geelong due to a knee injury and missed the club's 2004 cut-throat first week clash against Essendon with a broken leg. Neitz got through the club's last training session on Thursday unscathed and it now appears as though nothing will stop him from lining up on Friday night.
The Article Jen Witham/AFL/saints.com.au/07Sept06
Bruce expects 'G to suit Dees Jen Witham/AFL/saints.com.au/07Sept06
The Outsider's Survival Guide to the Finals 'The Outsider'/Melbourne Football Club/saints.com.au/07Sept06

AFL fans snap up tickets
Footy fans have rushed for tickets as Melbourne braces itself for a two-week AFL finals drought. With just two games to be played at the MCG this weekend before the Grand Final, desperate fans yesterday swamped Ticketmaster's website, phone lines and outlets. The St Kilda-Melbourne and Collingwood-Western Bulldogs elimination finals will be the only September action at the home of football until September 30. The winner of each game will have to travel interstate to keep its premiership dream alive . . . About 23,000 were left for the Saints and Demons on Friday night. By last night, 16,000 were left.
The Article Sam Edmund/HeraldSun/07Sept06

Sadness to spur Bartram
Bartram said he had held out hope of playing a part in the finals if the Demons were to win tomorrow night's elimination final against St Kilda . . . But a visit to the specialist on Tuesday revealed he needed surgery to repair the ligament that holds together the tibia and fibula bones.
The Article Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/07Sept06

The evolution of finals
It all seems so simple in 2006 - first vs fourth, second vs third, fifth vs eighth, and sixth vs seventh. Finish in the top four, and you can afford to drop a match. Anything lower than fourth means the pressure is on to win every game to hold up the cup on that one day in September. But finals have evolved, just as the game has, and variation in the system is an accepted part of the competition. In 1897 - the first year of the VFL competition - a separate finals ladder applied for the top four clubs. Points, not percentage, determined top place on this ladder, and, ultimately, the premiership. From 1898 to 1900, concentration was placed on enabling more games to be played in the home and away season - fourteen rounds, with the season starting in May - and three rounds of sectional matches determining the premier, with the minor premier at the end of the home and away season holding the right of challenge should they be defeated in the sectional matches.
The Article melbournefc.com.au/saints.com.au/06Sept06

Elimination Final Preview
. . . THE VERDICT: When looking at current form, the size and potency of their forward structure and the fact they have two inspirational figures in Hamill and Koschitzke finally playing solid football since returning from long-term injuries, the Saints should go into this as favourites. But, looking back on the last time these two sides met, Neitz had a field day on the forward line while up the other end the Saints' key goal-kickers were kept honest. With the upper hand in the ruck and their skipper with the wood over the Saints' best defender, the Demons will certainly throw up a big challenge, but ultimately it's hard to see how Neale Daniher will manage to lock down the Saints' four big attacking targets while concentrating on penetrating their much-improved defence.
The Article Jennifer Witham/AFL/saints.com.au/06Sept06

Hamill will be ferocious
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas has warned the Demons to expect a ferocious Aaron Hamill for Friday night's elimination final at the MCG . . . The former St Kilda captain played 72 minutes and 89 minutes respectively against the Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions in the past two weeks for a return of 16 disposals and no goals. But Thomas expected Friday's clash to spark Hamill . . . One thing is certain, I know that if Aaron is not right, he will tell me he's not right and if he tells me he's right, I'll back him with my life.
The Article Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/06Sept06

Ten allows pay TV a free kick
Pay-TV groups Foxtel and Austar will broadcast their first AFL final tomorrow night after Channel 10 allowed the Melbourne v StKilda elimination match to be screened. But Ten, which with Channel7 is in tense discussions with Foxtel on the future of next year's AFL pay-TV rights, denied the move was designed to facilitate those negotiations . . . However, pay-TV viewers in NSW and Queensland will now get access to the game live as Foxtel and regional pay-TV group Austar broadcast it across the country on the Main Event channel.
The Article Jane Schulze/TheAustralian/07Sept06

Umpires' boss defends his troops
AFL umpires' boss Jeff Gieschen says he will not be giving the officials any special instructions before Saturday night's West Coast-Sydney qualifying final despite concerns by Swans officials about the lopsided free-kick count during their past two matches at Subiaco Oval. The Swans believe the raucous Subiaco crowd has been a factor in the umpiring in Perth, where West Coast was paid a combined 56 free kicks to Sydney's 32 in last year's qualifying final and this year's round-15 match. The tally in this year's match alone was 35-18 in the Eagles' favour. But Gieschen said he did not believe the umpires were influenced by the Subiaco crowd more than at any other AFL venue and the hometown factor had not been mentioned at meetings this week.
The Article Richard Hinds/TheAge RealFooty/07Sept06

Blues fail to support coach
. . . For more than six hours on Tuesday night the board stuck its knives into Pagan with almost all of them pushing to sack him. Adrian Gleeson, who came on board soon after Ian Collins departed, pushed for Barry Mitchell to replace Pagan and appeared to have the numbers. However, Pagan's belated attempt to survive by instigating the support of Stephen Silvagni - who quit the Carlton board somewhat disenchanted three years ago - provoked interesting debate. Outgoing powerbroker Bruce Mathieson liked the Silvagni compromise - and he was not alone.
The Article Caroline Wilson/TheAge RealFooty/07Sept06
Pagan to stay on as Carlton coach AAP/TheAge/06Sept06
Pearce is AFL Rising Star HeraldSun/06Sept06
Melbourne club in bid for Everitt Stephen Riellye/TheAge RealFooty/06Sept06
Smith retirement gives Dogs' push more poignancy Martin Boulton/TheAge RealFooty/07Sept06
Eade tells Dogs this could be their only shot Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/07Sept06
Keating axed Andrew Hamilton/CourierMail/07Sept06

Pressure suits us: Daniher
. . . Daniher said experienced pair Byron Pickett and Matthew Whelan would return from injury for the match along with defender Ben Holland, who will get the job on one of the Saints' tall forwards. With star midfielder Brock McLean cleared to play after accepting a reprimand from the match review panel, the Demons now have to decide who to drop from the side which lost by ten goals against Adelaide last week with only Clint Bartram (ankle) ruled out because of injury.
The Article Sportal/05Sept06

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