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2007 Pre Season Articles - Page 8
. . . "I have no doubt at all that I will get back to playing the football I know I can play and the standard that these guys and the rest of the boys set," Hamill said. "Dozens of players go in at the end of the year or during the year, it was just a quick scope, nothing that I haven't had before. The facts were probably misrepresented at the time . . . (with) headlines of career over and that sort of stuff. But that's just footy, everyone's got an opinion." Hamill said his return date would depend on how the knee responded in rehabilitation. "I think I will go on how the knee is responding with the loads," Hamill said. The Article Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/01Mar07 Hamill: Knee operation 'no big deal' Hamill said the operation was to remove a bit of loose cartilage on the lateral side of his knee ligament and was not related to the serious posterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in the same right knee after a knee-on-knee collision with Geelong's Steve Johnson last season - an injury that kept him out for 13 weeks. "That is all fine, they had a look at that during the (recent) op," he said. As a result Hamill is confident he will soon be back, adding to his 190-game career which began at Carlton way back in 1996. "I am in no doubt I will get back to playing the football I know I can play," he said. The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/saints.com.au/28Feb07 Don't write me off just yet, says injured Hamill . . . He was speaking publicly for the first time since last week's arthroscopy, which revealed fragments of loose cartilage, the third procedure on his knee since he damaged a posterior cruciate ligament last May. The news sparked widespread speculation Hamill might have played his last game, but he insisted yesterday that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of his footballing death had been greatly exaggerated. "I found it pretty extraordinary, the extent of the coverage it got," he said. The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAgeRealFooty/01Mar07 Riewoldt praises Thomas' leadership legacy . . . Riewoldt, one of Thomas' staunchest supporters who admitted being shocked and disappointed at his axing last year, couldn't resist paying tribute today to his former coach. Thomas had been roundly canned at the time he introduced a then-unheard of captaincy rotation. "It's a real testament to the rotating policy we had under Thommo," Riewoldt said. "We've really got an abundance of leaders. "The three of us up here today - there could have been another three guys that were equally as qualified to do the job." The Saints have also appointed an eight-man leadership group, with the three skippers joined by Nick Dal Santo, Fraser Gehrig, Aaron Hamill, Robert Harvey and Justin Koschitzke. The Article AAP/TheAgeRealFooty/27Feb07 Cutting Clarke was right Adelaide says it does not regret delisting former lead ruckman Matthew Clarke and would make the same decision "all day, every day", despite the ruck crisis which has rocked the club. The Crows have been left short-handed in the ruck following long-term injuries to Ivan Maric (hip) and John Meesen (knee) but chief executive Steven Trigg says he is not questioning the club's decision to part ways with Clarke, who joined St Kilda. This is despite Adelaide coming under fire for letting Clarke leave following the season-long loss of his former ruck partner Rhett Biglands with a knee injury. The Crows also have been criticised for not drafting one ruckman with their four rookie-list selections, just for insurance . . . (Chief Executive Steven) Trigg said. "The young guys on our list need to play and if you keep Clarke you arguably don't play Griffin or Meesen and you know what happens then, it's like Fergus Watts (who quit Adelaide to join St Kilda), they turn around and go home. So we were quite clear with our thinking about the big picture with the decisions made on Clarke and Hart. The decision will be debated but we are convinced it is the correct one." The Article Rebecca Williams/AdelaideAdvertiser/02Mar07 Saints stars back for Pies clash . . . Fraser Gehrig, Nick Dal Santo and new co-captain Luke Ball return to the St Kilda line-up for Friday afternoon's clash with Collingwood at MC Labour Park. Among the players involved in last Saturday night's slog in Cairns against the Lions who were not required or able to back-up this week are Leigh Montagna, Xavier Clarke and Matthew Clarke. The Magpies will enjoy a huge injection of experience with skipper Nathan Buckley, James Clement, Josh Fraser, Shane O'Bree and Dane Swan all named in Friday's squad. R2 Article & Squads Sportal/saints.com.au/28Feb07 Big things tipped for young student of game Liam Griffiths might be small but he's got plenty of ticker. The diminutive 11-year-old Mackay North player was harassing the opposition like a terrier when his school clashed with Emmanuel College in an energetic match at North Mackay oval on Wednesday . . . "I'm pretty good at kicking goals," he said before nominating Nick Riewoldt as the player he aspires to emulate. Although he's lived in Mackay for the past five years, Griffiths is a big fan of the Saints and hopes to pull on the St Kilda colours when he grows up. AFL Mackay manager Andrew Potter said Griffiths was certainly one to keep an eye on. "This little fella is only short but gee he has a real go," Potter said. The Article DailyMercury/02Mar07
Membership has its privileges. Join your AFL club today The AFL has partnered with its clubs to launch the 2007 television advertising campaign centring on the No 1 priority for the majority of the 16 AFL clubs - driving membership. The campaign includes cameo performances from some well-known celebrity members, but more importantly, involved in excess of 200 AFL Club Cheer Squad members. The Article saints.com.au/01Mar07 A-Z season preview L is for Lyon, Ross: The AFL's only new senior coach for 2007 has taken on St Kilda, a club that has promised much in recent seasons, but has been unable to deliver its second ever flag. While tantalising fans over the 2004-06 period, the Saints have been hit hard by untimely injuries to key players and now there is a question mark over whether a number of the club's players can actually last the journey. St Kilda is capable of anything in 2007 and how the club shapes up under Lyon will be fascinating to watch. The Article afl.com.au/02Mar07 St Kilda's Hayes eyeing round one start St Kilda midfielder and new co-captain Lenny Hayes says he's on track for a round one AFL return following his knee reconstruction . . . Riewoldt, also named as co-captain along with Hayes and Luke Ball, is the most advanced, and rates himself an outside chance of being fit ahead of Friday's practice match against Collingwood at Princes Park if required . . . Maguire is still recovering from his sickening broken leg from last season, while Koschitzke is battling a quadriceps injury. The Article AAP/TheAge/27Feb07 SAINTS NEW WEBSITE The new St Kilda Official website has now been uploaded. You may find some pages are either hard to find or currently not available - it will probably take a few days for 'St Kilda FC' and 'Bigpond' to iron out the bugs. Dial-up internet connection users may have to wait longer than normal for the page to open on your first visit. Some visitors may need to download some software or upgrade their browsers to view all elements of the site. If you have any difficulties accessing the site you can email westofmoorabbin.com or post a request on saintsational.com. It appears that one of the missing links is Saints Chat and thanks to 'saintbrat' you can find it through a bigpond link: SAINTS CHAT (available at this link).  ST KILDA'S NEW WEBSITE + images of Captains - saints.com.au
GT commentating on SEN's Melb/Saints R1 match The new kid on the football broadcasting block, Melbourne radio station SEN 1116, threw itself in the deep end on the weekend, covering five matches from round one of the NAB Cup competition. A couple of days on, SEN feels like it has its head above water: It broadcast the most matches of any of the accredited radio stations (five) and received mostly positive feedback from listeners . . . Former players Brereton, David Schwarz, Bill Brownless, Tim Watson, Liam Pickering, Andrew Jarman, Scott Watters and Daniel Harford, as well as current Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley and former AFL coach Grant Thomas will also be part of the rotating team, as well as well-known former Triple J and Vega presenter (and self-confessed sports nut) Francis Leach. (SEN's executive producer of AFL, Ross) Flegeltaub said the station is already anticipating its first home-and-away clash, which will be the Melbourne-St Kilda match at the MCG and will feature the Saints' ex-coach in the commentator's chair. New kid on the radio block Jennifer Witham/AAP/afl.com.au NAB Regional Challenge: Saints v Pies The Saints take on the Pies in the NAB Regional Challenge on Friday, 2nd March at MC Labour Park, 4.30pm. With only 32 days to go until the 2007 premiership season begins, be sure to come down and show your support of the Saints! All St Kilda Members and AFL Members gain free entry to this match. The Article saints.com.au Saints beef up to tackle Pies St Kilda will welcome back up to half a dozen key players for Friday's practice match against Collingwood. The Saints were overrun by seven points by Brisbane Lions in Cairns on Saturday night after fielding a bare-bones line-up missing a dozen first-choice players. Despite taking a low-key approach to the NAB Cup, coach Ross Lyon knows it is time to get some run into his midfield squad. While Justin Koschitzke (leg), Lenny Hayes (knee) and Max Hudghton (groin) are unlikely to play against the Pies at Princes Park, Lyon said yesterday he was keen to get match time into stars including Nick Dal Santo, Luke Ball and Fraser Gehrig. "Yeah, we will start to ramp it up now," Lyon said. "It's a short week of recovery, so we spoke about the ice baths and the recovery protocols to be adhered to. Friday we hope to introduce a number of players back that couldn't make the trip (to Cairns) for various reasons. You would expect Dal Santo, (Luke) Ball, (Robert) Harvey, Gehrig to play, maybe (Nick) Riewoldt, a couple of others, so they are reasonably important." The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/26Feb07 Storm has silver lining: Lyon BorderMail/26Feb07 Saints Family Day . . . The annual event will be held on Sunday, 18th March 11am - 2pm @ Moorabbin Oval. All players will be in attendance and available for signing sessions and photo opportunities. Amusements will be free all day, with the day's activities including rides, player clinics for the kids and the much anticipated guernsey presentation to the 2007 St Kilda team. The Article saints.com.au Dome axes the pass-out Now Telstra Dome has banned the kick-to-kick on the outside concourse at quarter, half and three-quarter time. Telstra Dome management yesterday introduced a no pass-out policy for all events at the stadium. Simply, once you're in, there's no going out. While smokers will be catered for in designated smoking areas - smoke pens - patrons wishing to have a kick outside, a stretch of the legs or even a bite at the outside food shops will not be allowed between the first and final sirens . . . The foodies won't be happy either. Those not satisfied with the price and/or content inside often would slip outside to do their buying and eating. No more . . . The policy is effective immediately, (started on Saturday Nights Carlton v Essendon NAB Cup match). A stadium management statement yesterday said the decision was the result of a joint effort between themselves and stadium hirers, in consultation with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/24Feb07 No more kick to kick and pass outs at TD??? 'Dan Warna' et al saintsational.com
It was the ultimate display of wet-weather football. Or perhaps it would be better called torrential slip'n'slide footy, as the Brisbane Lions overran St Kilda by seven points in a dour struggle at a humid and drenched Cazaly Stadium in Cairns last night. The Saints had a 10-point lead heading into the last quarter, but their scoring power dried up significantly - unlike the weather - after the first term, and when Joel Patfull and Matt Tyler slipped goals through, the Lions took the lead for the first time with fewer than eight minutes remaining. Indeed, the Saints' last goal had come when Leigh Montagna popped the ball through 13 minutes into the second quarter. In conditions which made it difficult for the players to stay on their feet, let alone execute skills, St Kilda - with new coach Ross Lyon overseeing his first official match, but without Justin Koschitzke, Nick Riewoldt, Robert Harvey, Matt Maguire, Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo and Fraser Gehrig - had the better of the first quarter. The Article TheAgeRealFooty/25Feb07 Monsoon sinks soaked Saints Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/25Feb07 Singing in the rain Damian Stannard/Couriermail/25Feb07
. . . St Kilda was 15th in the competition in clearances last season and 16th in winning first possession. Two of the best stoppage teams - Sydney and West Coast - played off in a second straight grand final. The numbers seem to tell a story. St Kilda is about to mimic some of Sydney's style, and that requires a bonafide ruckman. Or even two. Thus, the Saints went after Michael Gardiner and when Cain Ackland opted to leave for Carlton, Lyon chased Clarke in Adelaide. They gave up a pre-season draft pick for his services, and did not need to talk too persuasively. Clarke, always renowned for his palming, but with limited ball-winning abilities, had played some good football for the Crows in 2006 after the injury to Ben Hudson re-opened the door for him. But it had been made clear his opportunities would be limited. Clarke, a veterinarian, was thinking he would have more time to complete the MBA degree he has been chipping away at for two years now; in fact, he is about to transfer the course to Melbourne. The Article Martin Blake/TheAgeRealFooty/24Feb07 Young Saints slip in wet . . . The Saints, in their first game under their new coach, fielded five of their six rookies in a side that was missing a host of stars including Nick Riewoldt, Fraser Gehrig, Lenny Hayes, Robert Harvey and Luke Ball. Barry Brooks was the only multiple goal-scorer for St Kilda with two, while Brendon Goddard kicked the only supergoal of the night after being brought within range following a Chris Johnson 50-metre penalty. The Lions will now play the Western Bulldogs in the first NAB Cup quarter-final next Friday night, while St Kilda will meet Collingwood in a NAB Regional Challenge match at MC Labour Park next Friday afternoon. The Article Paul Gough/saints.com.au/24Feb07
Lions storm home to beat Saints Brisbane staged a gutsy fightback to overhaul St Kilda and win by seven points in a slogging contest at the Cazaly Stadium on Saturday night. The Lions trailed for most of the NAB Cup opener, but inspired by veteran Simon Black, who had 15 possessions in a sterling second-half display, they snatched the lead with eight minutes remaining in the final quarter and held on to record a morale-boosting win. The heavens opened about half an hour before the first bounce, leaving the ground sheeted in water. Driving rain continued throughout the half, reducing the contest to a slogging, graceless affair, high in endeavour but low in attractive, free-flowing football. St Kilda jumped out of the blocks, kicking a supergoal and five regular six-pointers to be 28 points up at quarter-time. Article & Images afl.com.au/24Feb07
Lions dump Saints in wet In some of the wettest conditions seen in the AFL for years, the Lions won a thriller by seven points 0.7.10 (52) to 1.5.6 (45) in a match played in a continual rainstorm in Cairns. But the final scores only tell part of the story as Lyon's unofficial debut as Saints' coach turned into a night he will want to forget as St Kilda somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The Saints did not kick a goal in the second half and did not even score in the final term as Brisbane overcame a 28-point deficit at quarter-time despite the Cazaly Stadium becoming so waterlogged after quarter-time that any precise movement of the ball was impossible. The hero for the Lions was 2002 Brownlow Medalist Simon Black, the only member of the club's "fab four" midfield currently playing for the club. The Article Sportal/24Feb07 Lions in gutsy Saints win AAP/FoxSports/24Feb07 Lions score seven-point win over Saints Life after inspirational skipper Michael Voss began with hope for the Brisbane Lions after they soaked up miserable conditions to hold out a young St Kilda 0.7.10 (52) to 1.5.6 (45) in their NAB Cup opener in Cairns. The heavens opened and the Saints marched to an early lead by piling on the first 21 points before the new-look Lions roared in a stirring second half. After trailing by 28 points at the first break and three goals at halftime, Brisbane dug deep to ensure the Saints suffered a goal drought despite the wet conditions. Brisbane lit up the gloomy, wet conditions by keeping the Saints goal-less in the second half and scoreless in the fourth quarter to nab a gutsy come from behind victory, much to the delight of more than 6,000 fans. The Article AAP/WestAustralian/24Feb07 Two ironmen running on their last legs Aaron Hamill and Chris Scott have had some great battles but injury concerns could curtail their rivalry. A member of the Lions' once belligerent backline, Scott was normally assigned the role of shutting down Hamill, who was a forward-line enforcer at both Carlton and St Kilda. Hamill's former coach at St Kilda, Grant Thomas, described the match-up like "two bulls locking horns", neither willing to give an inch. There was Scott and Mal Michael's infamous bumping of an injured Nick Riewoldt in round one, 2005. In the same game Scott lost two teeth, originally thought to be when he wore a backhand from Hamill. However, the Lions hard man told the judiciary Hamill had not made contact. In other contests, Lenny Hayes, Justin Koschitzke and Brett Voss all fell victim to Scott's ferocious approach, while Hamill has taken his share of victims, most notably ex-Lion Jason Akermanis, who was steamrolled by Hamill in the return match in 2005. The ArticleDan Koch /TheAustralian/24Feb07 Ross Lyon on Sport927 Interview Summary 'joffaboy' saintsational.com  The Interview Radio Sport 927 - sound file
Panel gives front-on bump a sideways glance only Farren Ray, the first player to be charged under the AFL's new front-on bump rule, was yesterday cleared by the match review panel. The Western Bulldogs midfielder had been reported by a field umpire for clashing with Sydney's Paul Bevan. It was the view of the panel that both players' initial action was to compete for the ball. Bevan arrived first for the ball and it was judged that Ray's action was not to forcefully bump, but to avoid the collision. Richmond's Andrew Krakouer was charged with engaging in rough conduct against Geelong's Darren Milburn in Sunday's match at Skilled Stadium. He was reported for kicking, but the review panel amended the charge. Because of his clean record, a possible three-game sanction could be reduced to a one-match ban with an early guilty plea. Hawthorn serial offender Campbell Brown was charged with striking Melbourne's Lynden Dunn with an elbow. The Article Greg Denham/TheAustralian/27Feb07 Cool Rooms and Ice vests for Saints . . . Lyon said he was concerned about the "extreme weather" in Cairns and will use two cool rooms, ice vests and continuous player rotations to combat the sapping humidity despite the game being played at night. Brisbane has an unenviable 1-4 record in Cairns where they will face the Saints for the first time. The Lions have not beaten St Kilda since round one of the 2005 season. The Article AAP/WestAustralian/23Feb07 Cairns Welcomes the Saints Cairns radio station, Sea FM conducted a live broadcast from Whitfield Primary School, where Saints player Fergus Watts dropped in for an interview. Fergus met morning show hosts Mel and Dave from SEA FM and signed autographs for the school kids. The Article St Kilda FC/saints.com.au/23Feb07 Watts arrives in Cairns St Kilda FC/saints.com.au/23Feb07  Click for image Fergus Watts in Cairns - saints.com.au
At last, footy's back . . . The Saints have five players yet to see any AFL action in their 28-man squad, along with four rookies. Aaron Hamill, Max Hudghton, Matt Maguire, Raphael Clarke, Michael Gardiner, Justin Koschitzke, Lenny Hayes and Nick Riewoldt are among those in the casualty ward. "We've certainly taken a cautious approach ... with a number of players, like Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo, Nick Riewoldt, those types of players," said Saints football manager Ken Sheldon. While fit, Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo, Fraser Gehrig and Robert Harvey will miss the trip to Cairns, while Brett Voss was restricted to light duties today and also will not play. The Article HeraldSun/23Feb07
. . . Exploratory surgery on Wednesday revealed damage, including cartilage fragments which were removed. St Kilda football manager Ken Sheldon said Hamill would undergo a rehabilitation program in a bid to play again but admitted the forward feared for his future. "He'd be having those thoughts I think," Sheldon said. "Will he play again? When will he play again? There has to be a little time go by before the full extent of it (the injury) is known." Sheldon said surgeons were surprised by the damage in Hamill's knee . . . His manager Dave Allison said last night the forward was obviously disappointed with the injury so close to the opening of the season. He said while Hamill would have doubts about his future, he would do everything possible to make a successful comeback. The Article Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/23Feb07 Hamill's injury puts his career in doubt . . . Hamill's manager, David Allison, last night queried whether the injury had been dealt with adequately, fearing permanent damage. "I don't know the full circumstances around it, but it just seems strange to me that at this time of year, a bloke goes in for an operation when he's had the last few months to get something done about it," Allison said. "When you've got a person who keeps having repeat injuries like that, somebody's got to take stock of where he's at and what's happening, because the guy's going to be a cripple if he keeps going the way he is. I think they should have looked further instead of saying, 'You're going to be right', particularly when you've got repeat injuries, and that's the case with 'Sammy', unfortunately." St Kilda football manager Ken Sheldon said yesterday that Hamill and his surgeons had been astonished on Wednesday by the extent of the damage. "That's the surprising thing, there was no particular incident and that's what has surprised the surgeons and Aaron himself," Sheldon said. He said a best-case scenario was probably a mid-year return, but conceded fears that Hamill might not return at all. The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAgeRealFooty/23Feb07 Eagles ask for salary-cap relief The all-conquering West Coast will ask the AFL for an extra salary-cap allowance in recognition of the continuing Perth property boom. The Eagles already have inquired about their chances of having the city's rising cost of living reflected in their total player payment fund, as it has been in Sydney for many years. Property prices in Perth have almost doubled since 2003, with the cost of buying or renting second only to Sydney, where the Swans last year were able to pay their players an AFL-funded $460,000 (or 7 per cent) over the salary cap. The Article Emma Quayle/TheAge RealFooty/25Feb07 They can't handle the truth The AFL document - Next Generation: Securing the Future of Australian Football - is one of the most impressive documents I've seen in my time in sport. From a league man's perspective, it's also one of the scariest. Reading the AFL's plan for the future, I was jealous. The detail and transparency shown in the intended allocation of funds by the AFL after its record broadcasting rights deals shows the code is very much on the move. The AFL has read the landscape well. It has seen the rise of football over the past two years and realises the world game is about to get stronger. The AFL has also witnessed how rugby union and rugby league have handled their TV riches. The Article Phil Gould/SydneyMorningHerald/25Feb07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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