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Final Squad Rumours
SEN mentioned around 3.00pm today that there are rumours around that Max Hudghton will not play and James Gwilt will replace him in tonight's game. Earlier rumours suggest that Brendon Goddard will play in place of Robert Harvey but Grant Thomas said yesterday that Banger will play. Goddard, Gwilt and Murray are named as emergencies.
INTERACTICE MATCH-UPS
BJ out saintsational.com.au

Port rated underdog against Saints
Port Adelaide will start the underdog against a Victorian invader tonight at AAMI Stadium for the first time in several years. Once nearly unbeatable - and unbackable - at home, the Power has lost both matches at AAMI Stadium this season against lowly-rated opponents the Kangaroos and Fremantle and is a $2.10 outsider with TAB Sportsbet to upset St Kilda ($1.65) in their first Monday night clash. But the Power, which will be buoyed by the availability of new captain Warren Tredrea for his first game of the season, says history is on its side.
The Article Andrew Capel/HeraldSun/24April06

Saints revive Ackland
Cain Ackland is used to copping criticism, but he still says moving to St Kilda was the best thing that could have happened to him. The former Port Adelaide ruckman was scrutinised after Round 1 against West Coast for shoving teammate Jason Blake at three-quarter time after being roasted by coach Grant Thomas. But he hosed this down yesterday, echoing Thomas' post-match explanation of the incident. "We just weren't going too well. We were having a bit of a talk and we were trying to fire each other up," Ackland said of the incident which occurred after he was well beaten by Dean Cox.
The Article Anthony Barich and Andrew Capel/HeraldSun/24April06

The Flying Prince
"Just relax, go out and enjoy yourself," said Trevor Barker, unselfconsciously. When you're looking down the barrel of a career almost at end game, and things aren't going your way, words like these stand out. Doubly so, when the orator has a life-threatening disease. At any other time, what was said might seem an axiom for Trevor Barker's life, but at this moment he was coaching the seconds at St Kilda, and he was unwell. I had been dropped from the seniors due to "poor form" and sat off the back of the group listening, silently brooding, as Barker addressed the players. When he finished, he took me aside to have a quiet chat and to give me some encouragement. He spoke with passion, though he had the look of a man who knew something I didn't. His eyes were strong and sparkling, yet he'd lost a lot of weight and was far from his usual self. "The younger blokes will be looking to you for example, so enjoy the game, go for your marks."
The Article Tim Pekin/TheAge/24April06

Goddard, Gehrig out
St Kilda has dropped utility Brendon Goddard for Monday night's challenging clash against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. While the Saints welcome back skipper Luke Ball (abdominal strain) and Justin Koschitzke (patella tendonitis), they have lost spearhead Fraser Gehrig (hamstring) and decided to omit Goddard. Veteran Robert Harvey had been under a cloud with a hamstring strain but has been named on a half-forward flank. Meanwhile, Port Adelaide has left Aaron Shattock, Toby Thurstans and Jacob Surjan out of its 22-man team.
Article & Teams Scott Spits/Sportal/saints.com.au/22April06

Saints reach 30,000 members
The St Kilda Football Club is close to achieving its target of securing 35,000 Signed, Sealed Sainters, with the current membership tally standing at 30,000. If you haven't joined up, contact the Membership Hotline on 1300 734 134 and show your support to the red, white and black. This week the Club takes on Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, with the game being televised live on Network 10 at 7.30pm. This match is set to attract major viewers, which comes as no surprise to the Saints, who are officially the most watched AFL team in the league. In the past three weeks St Kilda games have reached over 1,000,000 viewers.
The Article saints.com.au/21April06

Saints trio tip top: Maguire
St Kilda defender Matt Maguire is confident key trio Luke Ball, Robert Harvey and Justin Koschitzke will take their places in the side against Port Adelaide on Sunday. Ball (abdominal strain), Harvey (hamstring) and Koschitzke (patella tendonitis) have all been named for the round four clash, and Maguire is in no doubt they will all take the field against the Power. "I think they're pretty right to go, actually," Maguire said before St Kilda training at Moorabbin on Friday. "Bally hadn't missed a game for two-and-a-half years, so it was a bit strange not having him run out with him next to us, and obviously 'Kosi' has had a lot of injury problems, so he's worked very hard to get his knee right and now coming back to make sure there aren't going to be any more mishaps."
The Article Michael Horan and Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/22April06

Ball, Kosi return
The Saints have named captain Luke Ball and key forward-ruckman Justin Koschitzke in their squad set to take on Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Monday night. Ball has played only one home-and-away game this year after suffering an abdominal strain while Koschitzke is yet to play due to patella tendonitis. James Gwilt and Allan Murray are the other additions to the squad while gun forward Fraser Gehrig - who strained his hamstring against the Lions last week - has not been named.
The Article saints.com.au/20April06

Saints confident that Harvey will make it
Despite initial fears that he would miss several games after injuring his hamstring last week, Robert Harvey has been named in a St Kilda line-up that includes Luke Ball and Justin Koschitzke, but is without Fraser Gehrig. Harvey aggravated scar tissue in his hamstring but has trained extremely well this week, according to coach Grant Thomas. Gehrig will miss at least two games with his hamstring strain. Thomas, when asked whether Harvey would be selected in Monday night's match, said the AFL was out of touch by requiring clubs playing on Monday or Tuesday to name squads on a Thursday night. "We're really confident he should be right," Thomas said. "He did a full session (Wednesday), ran as hard as any other player out there and pulled up fine and so we just take the next step (Friday). The ridiculous issue is that we are further away from playing our next game than the last one we played. We don't play till Monday night and we've got to have a team in, which is quite ridiculous."
The Article Lyall Johnson/TheAge/21April06

Koschitzke and Ball to return
Coleman medallist out, captain and star ruckman back. That's the scenario facing St Kilda when it meets Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Monday night. With full-forward Fraser Gehrig ruled out with a hamstring strain, the Saints are confident skipper Luke Ball and Justin Koschitzke will return . . . The surprise at Moorabbin is the status of veteran Robert Harvey, who is yet to be ruled out of Monday night's game. Harvey tweaked his hamstring in the first quarter against the Brisbane Lions on Friday night and was expected to miss three weeks. However, the 34-year-old is given an outside chance of playing with tests revealing he was only suffering from muscle soreness.
The Article Scott Gullan/HeraldSun/20April06

Tredrea ready to go
Port Adelaide captain Warren Tredrea has breezed through another training session to confirm his much-anticipated return for Monday night's battle with St Kilda at AAMI Stadium. The champion centre half-forward dislocated his left kneecap against the Brisbane Lions in a NAB Challenge match at AAMI Stadium nearly six weeks ago - March 19 - and missed the first three matches of the home-and-away season. But he proved his fitness on Wednesday night - in wet conditions - to ensure he would play his 180th AFL match on Monday night when the Power will be striving to record its ninth successive win against the Saints. Tredrea, 27, skipper of Port's 2004 premiership team, a three-time winner of the John Cahill Medal as the club's best-and-fairest player and a four-time All-Australian, was a late withdrawal from the Power's team which lost to Fremantle by 31 points at AAMI Stadium last Sunday.
The Article Alan Shiell/Sportal/saints.com.au/20April06
Tredrea sends a strong message Zac Milbank/AdelaideAdvertiser/18April06

Big week for us, says Power hard man
Having dealt with its pesky home hiccups, hard-man Peter Walsh says Port Adelaide is ready "to make a statement". The Power is bracing for a pivotal riposte to its critics against St Kilda at AAMI Stadium on Monday night after dropping home appointments with the Kangaroos and Fremantle. "It's a big week for the club to respond and I am sure the footy world will be looking for a response. I am sure we will deliver it," said Walsh, among Port's best in Sunday's loss to the Dockers. "We know we haven't played well here at home so I think if they come over here and think they are in for an easy match, they have to think again."
The Article Richard Earle/AdelaideAdvertiser/20April06

Grant Thomas Chat Transcript
MILNE_ROX_MY_WORLD: Hi Grant, this year we have seen Milney playing up the ground a fair bit. Will he be doing this every game or is it just for short bursts?
Grant Thomas: Yes we have. Milney needs to be versatile and adaptable like every other player in the comp. It's a horses for courses. If he can use his ability up the gorund in short bursts then that works to our advantage. He is also good one out, close to goal. The key to his performance is his work ethic, work rate, pursuit skills and his ability to cause a turnover.
The Transcript noddy/saints.com.au/19April06

Brent Guerra's hair force
. . . Me and (Stephen) Milney were fighting for the one spot and Milney being the player he is, he always kicks goals every week. I played 13 games last year and probably played a lot off the bench with Milney. But Thommo basically said there wasn't too many spots for me in the side and thought it was time for me to move on.
The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/21April06

Selection pointer from Thomas
After starting the season with an 18-point road loss to West Coast, the form line is headed in the right direction for St Kilda with successive wins placing the Saints comfortably in the top eight. Despite a few injury hiccups, coach Grant Thomas is generally pleased with the efforts his players have put in so far and will likely welcome back two star performers - Justin Koschitzke and Luke Ball - for next Monday's clash with Port Adelaide. "Kosi and Luke are serious contenders for playing this game, we would be surprised if they weren't selected," Thomas told saints.com.au on Wednesday. "Things are looking positive from our perspective (as) both are quality players and will be welcome additions to the team." Thomas confirmed that full forward Fraser Gehrig would miss as expected and shed some light on the length of Fergus Watts' absence after he broke his leg in the VFL last weekend. "Fraser unfortunately has a slight strain in the hip, combined with scar tissue in the hamstring. This will have him out this week, but I'm confident he will be right for Fremantle," he said.
The Article Jason Phelan/saints.com.au/20April06

New Saint settles in
Thursday night's win against the Lions was the Saints' second win of the season, and one that was perhaps the best team effort this year. As my first year coaching at the Saints, it is fair to say that I have settled in well and am comfortable within my role. Like any job, coaching obviously has its challenges, but the Club is a great environment to work in and the footy staff in particular have been fantastic in providing me with immense guidance and support. From Thomo right through to all the staff and people at the Saints, everyone has been very welcoming and encouraging. The players' openness, honesty and willingness to learn has impressed me the most. The boys are inquisitive and extremely competitive, which are elements that as a coach, you could not ask for more. It is also these fundamentals that contribute to the overall success of the team.
The Article Jason Phelan/saints.com.au/20April06

Big five can turn you inside out
. . . The Saints play an inside stoppage game and were the best clearance team last year, with the most success from kicking goals at stoppages. Early in the season they were still tweaking with their balance. In the opening round the balance was too inside. They had plenty of ball winners, but too few ball carriers and were too slow. To the Saints' credit, they identified this quickly and added Leigh Montagna, Aaron Fiora, Xavier Clarke, Troy Schwarze and Andrew McQualter to the line-up with devastating results. Now they have tough insiders to win the ball, plus run and speed around the edges.
The Article Terry Wallace/HeraldSun/19April06


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