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Round 11 Saints vs Adelaide
ST KILDA: 2.1, 3.7, 5.10, 8.12 (60)
ADELAIDE: 5.3, 10.7, 13.12, 18.15 (123)
GOALS - St Kilda: Riewoldt 2, Milne 2, Goddard, Gehrig, McQualter, Ackland
Adelaide: Hentschel 3, Ricciuto 2, Thompson 2, McGregor 2, Biglands 2, Reilly 2, Bode, Goodwin, Stevens, McLeod, Shirley
BEST - St Kilda: Goddard, Baker, Ball, Peckett, S Fisher
Adelaide: Goodwin, Massie, Edwards, Stevens, McLeod, Mattner, Johncock, Shirley, Reilly
INJURIES - St Kilda: Harvey (hamstring), Hudghton (knee)
Adelaide: Nil
CHANGES - Adelaide: Burton (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Vince
REPORTS - Nil
UMPIRES - Vozzo, Meredith, McInerney
CROWD - 34,170 at Telstra Dome

Harvey out three, Hudghton clear
St Kilda received a mixed injury report yesterday, with midfielder Robert Harvey ruled out for three weeks and defender Max Hudghton escaping serious damage to his knee. Scans yesterday confirmed a tear in Harvey's left hamstring. Hudghton has a corked knee and will be available to play after this week's break.
The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/18Jun03

Thomas: Saints fragile
. . . while several veterans led by full-forward Fraser Gehrig have spoken of retiring at season's end, Thomas maintains his side is still young and learning. "I have no doubt that we have got to get mentally tougher, (but) we have got a young list," he said. "We have got some older players but the nucleus of our list is very young - 21, 22, 23 - and we are very happy with where they are, and their development and how they are coming along. They have got a lot of work to do mentally and physically, but we have punched a lot of games into them over a short period and made some inroads and created a profile of St Kilda footy that, generally speaking, we are a very tough team to play . . . but this is emphatic a loss as we have had."
The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/18Jun03
Thomas demands mental toughness Andrew Wu/saints.com.au/16Jun03

Saintsational - Post of the year
My thoughts (in 2200 words . . .)
We are 6-6, a position we were in last season. That should not be forgotten. The average age of our backline, excepting Maxie, is 22 years, and the average experience 40 games. We have a young and developing full-back on our list in Sam Gilbert, and a young and developing crumbing forward in Justin Sweeney. Both are doing everything they can at VFL level at this stage of their careers. We are missing a considerable number of players through injury, and have still won 6 games. Four of our losses have been by under 18 points. One has been by 3 goals. We were belted for the first time in 2 and a half years, by a side that will probably win the premiership.
Oh When the Saints/saintsational.com/17Jun03

Ruthless Crows destroy Saints
. . . Full forward Fraser Gehrig became so frustrated with the lack of good delivery, he regularly ventured up into the midfield to try to extract the ball himself and take out some of his angst by crashing into Adelaide opponents. Adelaide defender Scott Stevens, whose career has taken a huge surge forward in recent weeks, did a good job to keep Saints star forward Nick Riewoldt quiet. And half-backs Andrew McLeod and Graham Johncock constantly swept the ball away from defence. Midfielders Brendon Goddard tried hard for the Saints to be his side's best performer.
The Article Chloe Saltau/TheAustralian/17Jun03
Ruthless Crows destroy Saints Chloe Saltau/TheAge/17Jun03

No breather for Thomas
Whatever leisure activities St Kilda has planned for next week's mid-season break, it will be no holiday for coach Grant Thomas. He must conjure another six wins from the last 10 games just to contemplate extending the season into September. And on the disjointed display against Adelaide last night, the assignment to double the winning tally is a mammoth task. Thomas must restore the team's fragile collective belief, which took a hammering after the slick Crows left town with a thumping 63-point victory.
The Aricle Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/17Jun03

"I just told him I was disappointed for him. I just said he was better than that and we as a team expect more than that. He knew that, there's no real need to go on with it. You're not going to win games of football with players who aren't giving their all. It has a flow-on effect for the rest of the team and it has an uplifting effect for the opposition." Thomas on Aaron Fiora

Fallen Harvey caps misery for Saints
. . . Thomas described the effort as "reasonably inept" and was disappointed the team's second-tier players did not step up once Nick Dal Santo, Nick Riewoldt and Fraser Gehrig were shut out of the game. "I can't remember the last 10-goal defeat we've had ... we were very, very poor," Thomas said. But he was lavish in his praise for the Crows, who laid 80 tackles and pressured the Saints into blunders. "I think most of them (mistakes) were forced by Adelaide, either directly or indirectly," Thomas said.
The Aricle Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/17Jun03

Heatley backs Riewoldt technique
Former St Kilda full-forward Jason Heatley is confident there is nothing wrong with Nick Riewoldt's goalkicking technique. The comments follow the Saints star's battle with accuracy in front of goal. "As far as set shots are concerned, it's all about over-coming those mental barriers and having the belief that you will do everything physically possible to kick the goal," Heatley said. "Nick's biggest problem is his lack of confidence. He misses the easier shots for goal, especially when 25 metres to 40 metres out. The key is to develop the ability to kick goals in pressure situations. After all, that is the job of a forward."
The Aricle Mark Robibnson/HeraldSun/17Jun03

Saints no match for Crows
Coming off one of the club's best efforts of the season last week, St Kilda was unable to back-up effectively in going down by 63 points to the Adelaide Crows at Telstra Dome on Friday night. The courage and character shown by the Saints in the mud and slush against Sydney at the SCG was not evident at all against the Crows who were more prepared to run than their opponents as they cruised to a 18.15 (123) to 8.12 (60) victory. To make matters worse for the Saints - who are already missing the likes of Justin Koschitzke, Aaron Hamill and Lenny Hayes - Max Hudghton limped off the ground after hurting his knee, while Robert Harvey did not appear after half-time.
The Article Andrew Wu/saints.com.au/16Jun03
Saints dream fast becoming a nightmare Mark Robibnson/HeraldSun/17Jun03
Craig: We can get better Michelangelo Rucci/HeraldSun/17Jun03

Crows notch crushing win over Saints
The Crows burst out of the blocks with a five-goal opening term to lead by 20 points at quarter-time. Scott Steven kicked the opening goal of the match, while Reilly, McGregor and Hentschel (two) followed up for the Crows. St Kilda's first points of the term and match came through a behind to Aaron Fiora in the 16th minute, and it was a further seven minutes before Milne kicked their first goal. Goddard found the Saints second late in the term to keep the club in touch. But the visitors turned up the heat again, piling on four unanswered goals early in the second quarter. Riewoldt pegged one back for the Saints, but McGregor's goal late in the shadows of half-time gave the Crows a 10.7 (67) to 3.7 (25) lead at the break. The third quarter was a more even affair, but the Crows continued to kick goals and won the term 3.5 to 2.3.
The Article ABC Sport/16Jun03

Ruthless Crows destroy Saints
Adelaide clinically steam-rolled St Kilda by 63 points at Telstra Dome tonight, leaving the Saints barely hanging in the top eight, let alone looking like AFL premiership contenders. Adding to the Saints' woes, two more big names were added to their star-studded injury list. Veteran midfielder Robert Harvey went off before halftime with a hamstring injury and fullback Max Hudghton damaged his right knee in a tangle with Crows skipper Mark Ricciuto early in the final term, although it did not appear to be a major injury.
The Article AAP/HeraldSun/16Jun03


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