Archives

CARLTON: 1.2 1.5 2.6 4.10 (34)
ST KILDA: 7.7 9.13 14.15 18.18 (126)
GOALS - Carlton: Fevola 4
St Kilda: Riewoldt 9, Gehrig 3, Milne 2, Baker 2, Peckett, Voss
BEST - Carlton: Fevola, Scotland, Simpson
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Hayes, Gram, Baker, Goddard, Dal Santo, Maguire, Ball
INJURIES - Carlton: Waite (ankle). St Kilda: TBC
CHANGES - Carlton: Nil. St Kilda: Nil.
UMPIRES: Allen, K Nicholls, M Nicholls
REPORTS - Nil.
CROWD - 39,908 at MCG

If we protected the ball carrier as well as West coast then BJ and Dal could be even more damaging than they are now. rexy/saintsational.com

St Kilda oozes quality, running Carlton ragged
If you wanted two stark examples to show how this game was won and lost, they were played out in the opening minutes of the final quarter. Leading by 91 points, St Kilda won the centre clearance, yet again, and charged out of the middle of the MCG, yet again. In under three seconds, the ball passed from the hands of Nick Dal Santo to Robert Harvey to Lenny Hayes, who ignited the afterburners then drilled a pass to Nick Riewoldt on a lead in the left forward pocket. The Saint took it easily and converted for his seventh goal. A minute earlier saw a ball-up 20 metres out from the St Kilda goal. The ball was knocked high towards the pocket and Carlton's Matthew Lappin moved under to intercept, only to have teammate Brett Thornton take a wild swing with his right foot that collected Lappin in mid-air
The Article Lyall Johnson/TheAgeRealFooty/22May06
Thomas sends out warningRebecca Williams/HeraldSun/22May06

Saints build momentum
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas is hoping the Saints' huge win over Carlton at the MCG on Sunday will kick-start what has been an inconsistent season to date from last year's preliminary finalists. The Saints moved back into the top eight and levelled their season record at four wins and four losses after thumping the Blues 18.18 (126) to 4.10 (34) with the result never in doubt after a seven goal to one first quarter. The Saints have only won two games on end once so far this year but Thomas is hoping the win over the Blues will be a turning point in their season. "We have been a bit off our game this year but in saying that the four games we have lost have all been winnable," he said. "But hopefully this is a confidence builder and a chance for the team to get some momentum going."
The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/21May06

Saints destroy Blues
A rampant St Kilda has put Carlton to the sword at the MCG on Sunday, outclassing the hapless Blues 18.18 (126) to 4.10 (34). The thumping continues an unhappy trend for the Blues who have now lost their last seven matches against the Saints by an average margin of 64 points. St Kilda was dominant in every statistical category that matters, but none more so than inside 50s, which finished a lopsided 58-32. Nick Riewoldt was in scintillating form and was the dominant forward on the ground, terrorising the Carlton defence and taking 13 marks to finish with nine goals. At the other end of the ground St Kilda's defensive unit provided the launch pad for many attacking forays with Sam Fisher (18 possessions), Jason Gram (27 touches) and Leigh Fisher (15 disposals) all outstanding. Lenny Hayes was the Saints' most prolific onballer and provided excellent drive through the middle with 34 possessions.
The Article Sportal/saints.com.au/19May06

Saints touch up struggling Blues
St Kilda cruised to a comprehensive 92-point victory over Carlton in their round eight clash at the MCG this afternoon . . . Fevola in fact kicked all of Carlton's four majors, an alarming statistic considering the reputed attacking prowess of several of his team-mates. St Kilda, on the other hand, had the luxury of sharing around the goal kicking duties with Nick Riewoldt registering nine for the match. Fraser Gehrig managed three goals while Steven Baker and Stephen Milne both kicked doubles. Lenny Hayes was his usual industrious self in the St Kilda midfield, posting 34 possessions and eight marks. Jason Gram was also hard at the ball with 27 touches.
The Article ABC Sport/17May06
Saints flog the Blues TheAgeRealFooty/17May06

Riewoldt boots nine as Saints flog Blues
Nick Riewoldt almost doubled Carlton's score on his own as St Kilda handed out a 92-point drubbing to the Blues in the AFL match at the MCG today. The big St Kilda forward finished the match with 9.3 as the Saints won 18.18 (126) to 4.10 (34). Remarkably, the Blues' only goalscorer was full-forward Brendan Fevola, who played a lone hand and kicked all four of his team's majors. It was easily the Saints' biggest win of a stuttering start to the season and levelled their win-loss record at 4-4. The first quarter carried plenty of warning signs for the Blues. The Saints led by 41 points at the first change after getting goals from their three most dangerous forward targets - Riewoldt (3), Fraser Gehrig and Stephen Milne.
The Article AAP/HeraldSun/21May06

Saints to answer critics
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas is backing his players to respond in a must-win game against Carlton at the MCG today. Just like Geelong did last week against the Saints, Thomas believes the team will lift with its back against the wall after coming under the microscope in the past few weeks. "We've had a fair bit of criticism levelled at us over a long period of time, so we need to react to that and usually sides who have had their backs to the wall have come out and responded," Thomas said before training at Moorabbin yesterday. " Like a Port Adelaide for argument's sake, they weren't at their best on the weekend and just looking at the game their spirit and intensity didn't look to be what it would normally be. But you'd be a brave person to bet against them this weekend because they're a proud club and I don't think they like those accusations levelled at them."
The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/21May06

Jason Gram: Back from the brink
"Before the pre-season, I knew it was crunch time for me playing four years for only playing nine games. Having spoken to family and some good people, I figured out what it took and realised how important footy is in my life." Those outside the St Kilda inner circle don't know much about Jason Gram. The former Gippsland U18 was selected by the Brisbane Lions with the 19th pick in the 2001 National Draft. However with a combination of injuries and starved chances in such a powerhouse side, Gram managed just two games in two seasons. "My attitude in Brisbane wasn't all there at all. I found it hard and didn't initially know what it took to play AFL." A Saints fan growing up, Gram's dream came true when he was traded to Moorabbin in late 2003, coming into a side bursting with youth and talent.
The Article Luca Giacobello/saints.com.au/17May06

Rules must be followed precisely
It used to be the norm. Indeed, it was encouraged. You could call an Aboriginal player a black prick and no one would flinch. Not even the abused player, so ingrained and acceptable had racism become in Australian football. Players were called much worse, of course. When indigenous footballers such as Michael Long, Nicky Winmar and Michael McLean began to resist and were joined by a vocal but small part of the media, the football world fought back.
The Article Patrick Smith/TheAustralian/18May06


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