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Archives - 2007 PRE SEASON

St Kilda's 2007 Fixture Rd Date Opp Venue H/A Local Time 1 Fri,30Mar(N) Melb MCG A 7:40 2 Thurs,5Ap(N) Lions Gab A 7:40 3 Sat,14Ap(N) Dogs Dome H 7:10 4 Sat,21Ap Ess Dome H 2:10 5 Fri,27Ap(N) Port A AAMI A 7:10 6 Fri,4May(N) Carl Dome H 7:40 7 Sat,12May(N) Syd Dome H 7:10 8 Sat,19May(N) Hawth MCG A 7:10 9 Fri,25May(N) Freo Sub A 6:40 10 Sun,3Jn(Tw) Geel Dome H 5:10 11 Sun,10Jn Kang Dome H 2:10 12 Sund,24Jn Eagles Sub A 2:40 13 Sat,30Jn(N) Rich Dome H 7:10 14 Sat,7Jl Coll MCG A 2:10 15 Fri,13Jl(N) Adel Dome H 7:40 16 Sat,21Jl(N) Hawth Dome H 7:10 17 Sat,28Jl Carlton Dome A 2:10 18 Fri,03Aug(N) Dogs Dome A 7:40 19 Sat,11Aug(N) Syd TStd A 7:10 20 Sat,18Aug Freo Dome H 2:10 21 Fri,24Aug(N) Eagles Dome H 7:40 22 Sat,1Sep Rich MCG A 2:10 2007 NAB Cup Schedule Round 1. Game 5: St Kilda v Brisbane Lions - Cazaly Stadium (Cairns QLD) 24 February, 2007 - Saturday (N) 7:40 AEST FIXTURE 2007 NAB CUP afl.com.au 2007 OFFICIAL FIXTURE saints.com.au Reasons for all the Optimism!!?? by 'yipper' Just picking up on a very interesting comment from Rodgerfox re: what has Lyon done that has sent us all into a footy frenzy, can't wait for it to start sort of thing?? On the surface the club has sacked a proven coach who re-built the club over 5 long years and made finals for 3 successive seasons. No-one can say that he didn't coach superbly in 2004. He developed that list, retained the young guns, and changed the culture / fabric of our club from a complete rabble into a professionally run outfit well respected in the industry. So what's with all the optimism?? For a start, I suppose we selected the best candidate from a very transparent and professional process. The players - who were obviously initially a bit fragile about it all, are now completely re-focussed and enthusiastically embracing the new coach and his methods. The Draw is remarkably a very good one!! Would GT have got such a draw? The conspiracy theorists would say no - but I'm not so sure, I reckon this draw would have happened anyway this year. Anyways we have 17 games in Melb either at TD or the G' - where we play both very well. Initial training observations show are concerted effort at building a very good fitness base BEFORE the season start - rather than during the season as GT tried to do. The preparation for the season seems to be a very thorough one - if this is what Sydney did over the past couple of seasons - then it is worth a crack. GT was exposed a few times over the past 2 seasons for his tactical nous - unfairly at times, but maybe there have been justified concerns - he never really looked outside the square to resolve what became obvious weaknesses - in that sense he coached a lot like Tom Hafey - who was a great coach, in that he kept faith in tried and proven performers instead of changing and adjusting when things weren't working. So we are seeing, at training, an emphasis on ruck clearanes and stoppage set-ups that are going to be unique to a Saints team that has played a fairly competent - but one dimensional type of game over the past few years. There is a feeling amongst us all that our luck will change on the injury front - it never did for GT - but hopefully will for Ross Lyon. There is also a feeling that glaring weaknesses in our team - such as lack of pace has been addressed, hardness in the midfield and around the stoppages. And we seem to have acquired more depth over the summer recruiting period. And finally - a coach that has just come in and got on with it - no procrastinating, dilly-dallying. I spoke to someone today, who is on the Swans match committee - he said that he thought that as good as Longmire could be, he would have struggled at the Saints due to his demeanor being a bit to soft / nice. Lyon has the grunt / mongrel to just get blokes jumping and was the perfect fit for a fragile and confused list as ours surely would have been following the GT sacking. I think that signs are good - no doubt. Time will tell - but perhaps our optimism is justified due to the process our club followed in the wash up of what was undoubtedly a major shock and surprise at the GT sacking. Our players have appeared to have taken to RL like a duck to water. Roll on Rd 1.... The Post 'yipper' saintsational.com - - - - - - What aspect are you most looking forward too??? by 'saintsRrising' saintational.com I cannot remember a season where there were so many different aspects to watch out for in with the Saints as there is in 2007. For a Saints footy nut like me the 2007 cannot come soon enough. The good, the bad or the ugly I cannot wait to see what happens in so many areas: For example: • The ruck • How will Kosi go at CHB? • Who will be played at FB? • Will Gram continue on from his 2006 form? • Will Banger at last taste ultimate glory? • Will Sweeney get a game...and if so how will he go? Will he be our Robbo? • Will Brooks at last become a regular player? • Will Gardi excel...or go AWOL? • Will Clarke go ok as a No 2 ruck? • Will Hayes come back ok? • How long will Goose be out for? • How many games will Hamill play? • What game plan and style will Lyon have the saints playing? • Can Lyon make a better player out of Fiora's raw talent? • Can Lyon turn Rix into a footballer from being just a very good athlete? • Can Armitage have immediate impact and snag more than a handful of games in his first season? • Will Howard bean inspired selection (though I am only expecting games with casey and the pre-season cup in 2007)? • ;????etc etc Of the above . . . it is how we do in the ruck that I am most eagerly awaiting to see. We have had poor rucks since Spider left . . . and have not had a good ruck combination since Spider/Vidovic. With the securing of Gardi and Clarke . . . the possible emergence of brooks . . . and even with Rix possibly becoming a very handy back up with have potentially a very competent and solid ruck division with very good depth. BUT how will this division actually go?????? So what aspects are you most looking forward to seeing? The Post and Thread 'saintsRrising' et al saintational.com

JANUARY TRAINING REPORTS +

Danny Green Boxing at Moorabbin and more sessions to come
Australian super-middleweight boxer Danny Green had a few rounds with the boys at Moorabbin on Monday 15th January and he will be back (see article below). Getty staff photographer Quinn Rooney was there to capture some excellent shots of the boys on the turf and an image of the big 'G' and Danny Green posing at the first session.
Link to the Getty Images (courtesy of 'saintbrat')
Saints on the media front foot 'saintbrat' et al sainstational.com
Kenny Sheldon on SEN 'saintsRrising' et al saintsational.com

Danny Green Takes On The Saints!
On Monday, January 15, IBF Pan Pacific Light Heavyweight Champion Danny “The Green Machine” Green started a series of fitness boxing sessions with members of the Australian Football League St. Kilda Saints at Moorabbin Oval in suburban Melbourne, Australia. Following the session with the Saints players, Danny conducted his own training session on Moorabbin Oval in preparation for his upcoming fight against PABA Champion Paul Murdoch on Sunday, January 21 at the Melbourne State Netball And Hockey Centre . . . Further training sessions with the St. Kilda Saints will take place on Wednesday, January 17 and Friday, January 19 with each session taking place at Moorabbin Oval at 9 AM.
The Article saddoboxing.com/15Jan07
Danny Green Website dannygreen.com.au

Injured Saints battle hard
St Kilda's injury woes look to be finally easing, with four key players pushing hard to be available for Round 1 of the regular season. Injury-plagued forward Aaron Hamill, onballer Lenny Hayes and key defenders Matt Maguire and Max Hudghton are all on track for St Kilda's match against Melbourne on March 30. Saints forward Fraser Gehrig said yesterday the four were "pretty much ready to go". "I'm pretty sure they'll be available for Round 1, the majority if not all," Gehrig said yesterday at a special pre-season training session with boxer Danny Green. "As long as they get through this boxing session coming up, they'll be right." While Hudghton's groin injury is believed to be only minor, Maguire was expected to miss a good part of the 2007 season after breaking the tibia and fibula in his right leg in Round 18 last year. Hamill was forced to sit out most of last season thanks to a serious knee injury sustained in Round 12.
The Article Gareth Trickey/HeraldSun/16Jan07
Lenny Boxing Image source: HeraldSun Photo: Trevor Pinder

Saints title contenders: Gehrig
Dual Coleman Medallist Fraser Gehrig believes St Kilda simply needs an ounce of luck with injuries in 2007 to be right up there as a genuine contender in this year's premiership race. The Saints were hit hard by injuries under former coach Grant Thomas' reign, but Gehrig said a fresh approach under the tutelage of new incumbent Ross Lyon could add to a change in fortune for the club. "We just need a change of luck. The management skills have always been pretty good, but it's more luck - you can't do much about a guy breaking his leg or doing his knee - so hopefully the soft-tissue stuff will stay to a minimum and we won't have the bad luck of the stuff that we've had in the past" Gehrig said at Moorabbin on Monday.
The Article Matt Burgan/Sportal/AFL/saints.com.au/15Jan07

Friday Training by 'saintwill66'

TRAINING REPORTS:
MONDAY 29th JANUARY + pics '7777777' et al saintsational.com
FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY + pics - 'spiral2' et al saintsational.com
WEDNESDAY 24TH JANUARY - 'yipper', et al saintsational.com
MONDAY 22ND JANUARY - plus images 'apple_corr39' saintsational.com
MONDAY 22ND JANUARY - plus images 'saintbrat' saintsational.com
FRIDAY 19TH JANUARY - 'saintdooley', 'milney044' saintsational.com
WEDNESDAY 17TH JANUARY - 'Saint Corin', 'Yipper' saintsational.com

TRAINING FRIDAY 12TH JANUARY
'saintwill66', 'Mocca' and 'The Peanut' met up at training today. 'Mocca' has been given the task to write a report (link below). It was good to see Goose back with the main group. We spoke to Lenny Hayes who said that Goose is going very well and that he, Lenny, is still hoping for round one but definitely before round six and is aiming for a few pre-season runs. Lenny said that he is definitely very interested in the Captaincy this year and said that the players will have input into the decision and each player will complete a one to forty list on their preferences. We also had the opportunity to speak with Ross Lyon. 'The Peanut'
Training Reports 'Mocca' & 'junior' saintsational.com
Training Pics 'luke.l_26' saintsational.com
Quick training report + Pics and Vids 'lovin_dal_santo' saintsational.com
Image 1 image by 'lovin_dal_santo' x 2 parts
Image 1 (Image in two parts to fit on page)
Lenny Hayes image by 'mocca'

Shortest, Tallest, Bulkiest, Lightest & Youngest Teams
The Blues are the tallest team in the league, based on team averages for 2007 . . . Fremantle will be the shortest team in 2007, more than 3cm shy of the Blues at 186.5cm. Geelong has emerged as the bulkiest team in the league, with an average weight of 89.4kg. The Blues are the next heaviest at 88.7kg. The Bulldogs are the lightest at 85.9kg . . . (The) Hawks again have the youngest list, with an average age of 22.29 years. Fremantle has the oldest list at 24.17 years.
The Article Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/08Jan06

Saints get back to business after break
If it is shaping as an experimental pre-season for St Kilda, there is more than one reason why. Change, of course, is inevitable and everywhere in football but at Moorabbin, 12 recruits have arrived to join a side that is being moulded by a new coach and seven other hirings in and around the football department. There is much for everyone to learn. Then, there is the fact that at least four important senior players aren't likely to play in February and March, leaving coach Ross Lyon little choice but to discover something about his less established players in the slow burn leading up to the club's opening game of the season on March 30. When the Saints resumed pre-season training yesterday, Aaron Hamill, Raphael Clarke, Matt Maguire, Max Hudghton and Shane Birss were all penned to the side of things, kept to their rehabilitation programs and frustrations. Birss, one of the new dozen, is expected to play in the pre-season competition once he recovers from an adductor strain but St Kilda's general manager of football, Ken Sheldon, said that it was harder to make the same prediction for any of the others.
The Article Stephen Rielly/TheAgeRealFooty/09Jan06
Training Image Source: The Age - Photo: Kristian Dowling

Summer hopes spring eternal
As a supporter of an AFL club going through a tough patch, you'll hang your hat on pretty much anything. January is a particularly good time to do it. Training is in full swing, the reality check provided by actual competitive games is still a good couple of months away, and for just a little while, you're entitled to dream. The players your team picked up in the off-season might well become popular choices as recruiting blunder of the year come June or July, but for now, they're the potential difference between the disaster that was last season and a finals appearance this time 'round. The injury-prone star who seems perennially to be stuck in the medical room or on the surgeon's table is reportedly having his best pre-season in years. The bloke who habitually carries a spare tyre or two is, of course, "fitter than he's ever been".
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAustralian/14Jan07
Same Article Rohan Connolly/TheAgaRealFooty/14Jan07

Plenty of wear left in Thompson
If Robert Harvey is part of the furniture at St Kilda, then Andrew Thompson must be a much-loved couch that completes the decor at Moorabbin. That's because along with another favourite sofa, (aka Max Hudghton), no other player has been on St Kilda's list - except for the remarkable Harvey - than Thompson and the full-back. With Harvey making his AFL debut in 1988, Hudghton and Thompson are the next two longest serving members of the red, white and black. But had the pessimists got their way, Thompson may have been replaced by a sleek, modern piece of furniture long ago. "I certainly get a laugh every year when I read that I'm definitely going to retire at the end of every year, but I'm proud of the fact that it took me a long time to get into the game and people still wonder why I'm still playing at 34, but it's because I still love it," Thompson said.
The Article Matt Burgan/Sportal/AFL/saints.com.au/12Jan06

Saintly habits help in long run
There was never any danger of Steven Baker over-indulging during the Christmas break. Baker and his St Kilda teammates knew the gut-busting 3km time-trial was lurking just around the corner. "Every time you had a sip of beer it entered your mind. I didn't have too many drinks over the last couple of weeks," Baker said. The Saints returned to work yesterday, with several players finishing the promised 3km test buckled over in agony. Asked who won, the playful Baker said: "Dunno, I was too busy looking at the ground" . . . For the record, Gippsland Power draftee Robert Eddy, the Saints' third pick in the December rookie draft, was first home. The controversial Michael Gardiner was a notable absentee from the session. St Kilda football manager Ken Sheldon said Gardiner was ill and had seen a doctor. The Saints are confident Gardiner will be back on the track by the end of the week.
The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/09Jan06
MONDAY TRAINING REPORT 'Quixote' saintsational.com
The new coaching style 'sasaint' et al saintsational.com
Gardiner 'Choppa' et al saintsatonal.com

Pre-Season Match Ups !!
by 'Eastern' saintsational.com
With the Christmas break out of the way it is time to lift the intensity at training over the next two months. It is the time to build on strengths and eliminate weaknesses. Some pre-season match ups that could help are;
BAKER v DAL SANTO. Dal is still coming to terms with the hard tag. Bakes, being the best in the buisness at his craft can also hone his skills.
KOSCHITZKE v RIEWOLDT. Kosi needs to re-aquaint himself with playing at CHB. Pitting him against one of the best CHF's in the business will quickly sort him out. Class v Class
GODDARD v FIORA. Long kicking sweeper/midfielder types who can go head to head learning from each other. Could also teach Fizz to be accountable if BJ plays forward.
ARMITAGE v HARVEY. Vince Lombardi once wrote "THe only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary". Armo could learn heaps from the man who epitomises this statement.
McQUALTER v THOMPSON. Thommo to perform a mentoring role with mini.
M. CLARKE v RIX. Rixy to learn the art of ruck work from one of the best tap ruckmen going around. Doc to get the benifit of having a big strong body to compete against.
GARDINER v BROOKS. Gardi to be kept on the straight & narrow by a bloke who wants his spot in the side. Bazza to learn more about how a Ruck/Forward should work from a former AA Ruck/Forward.
X. CLARKE v BALL. A pair of very classy, very hard a it midfielders going head to head.
GILBERT v GEHRIG. If Gilbo is to step up to afl, he will need to be able to cope with the larger gorilla type forwards. G for Gorilla will provide everything needed
SWEENEY v HUDGHTON. Sweeney will need to learn to cope with close checking backs if he is to make it at AFL level. Max is one of the best at this. He can also practice playing on smaller forwards.
HAMILL v VOSS. They might need to wear "Michellin Man" suits such would be the thunder from this match up.
MILNE v S.FISHER. Both would learn to be accountable. Sam would also gain valuable experience playing on a smaller opponent.
MONTAGNA v GRAM. Will end arguments who runs further, bounces the ball more and kicks the most Long Bomb goals.
L. FISHER v R. CLARKE. Could end up competing for the same spot in the side.
HAYES v ROOKIE MIDFIELDERS. A memtoring role for Lenny at a lower intensity while he gets back to full fitness after his reco
GOOSE v SOS/BARKER. A low intensity learning period for goose while he recovers from serious injury.
There are sure to be many more that I haven't thought of. Please feel free to add to this list. Don't forget to add your reasons as well !!
Post & Thread 'Eastern' et el saintsational.com
How do you rate our list to other clubs 'Brombergsaint' et el saintsational.com

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