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2007 Round 11 Post-game Articles - St Kilda versus Kangaroos
Tough St Kilda onballer Steven Baker has been cleared of a headbutting accusation. The AFL ordered an investigation after Kangaroo Brent Harvey complained to an umpire during last Sunday's match at Telstra Dome. Field umpire Brett Allen lodged an incident referral notice to the league following Harvey's complaint to him during the first quarter. It was decided not to charge Baker after Harvey told the investigations officer the players clashed heads when the Saints' stopper vigorously blocked his run at the ball. Harvey said he didn't receive an injury or need any medical treatment from the clash . . . Baker also came under match review panel scrutiny for an incident with Roos forward Corey Jones in the first term. The panel viewed that as a legitimate attempt to spoil. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/13Jun07 Baker: No case to answer St Kilda's Steven Baker was found not to have a case to answer after Kangaroo Brent Harvey complained of a head-butt to umpire Brett Allen at Telstra Dome on Sunday. The panel investigated the incident and found Baker had vigorously blocked Harvey's run at the ball and a clash of heads occurred when Baker had thrown his whole body in his path. Harvey was not injured and didn't receive medical treatment. The Article Nick Sheridan and AAP/RealFooty/13Jun07 Injured Gehrig may not miss a game Fraser Gehrig yesterday had a plate and screws inserted into the right hand he broke in St Kilda's loss to the Kangaroos on Sunday, but the club holds some hope that its leading scorer might not even miss a match. Saints football manager Ken Sheldon said last night that, at worst, Gehrig, who played out the round-11 game but later was found to have fractured his hand in a fourth-quarter marking contest, should be back for his side's contest with Richmond in 18 days. "He's expected to be somewhere between two and three weeks before he returns to playing. Is he a chance for the West Coast (at Subiaco)? Perhaps so. But at this stage, it's likely the week after," Sheldon said. "Fraser has got a wonderful record of recovering from these things." Scans on Sunday night showed Gehrig, 31, had broken his fourth metacarpal but had received no tendon damage. The dual Coleman medallist was operated on yesterday morning. His 22 goals 18 behinds make him the Saints' top scorer for the year to date. The Article Samantha Lane/RealFooty/12Jun07 Gehrig sidelined up to three weeks Jon Pierik/HeraldSun/12Jun07 Gehrig joins injury list AAP/HeraldSun/11Jun07 Gehrig set for stint on sidelines St Kilda's woes worsened on Monday with spearhead Fraser Gehrig facing surgery to repair a broken hand. Gehrig was injured during the Saints' 22-point loss to the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome on Sunday, but played on with what was later revealed to be a fractured bone in his hand. Saints football manager Ken Sheldon said Gehrig would now have surgery to insert a plate and faces up to three weeks on the sidelines. The Article AAP/saints.com.au/11Jun07 Gehrig sidelined up to three weeks . . . Saints football manager Ken Sheldon said last night he hoped the two-time Coleman Medal winner would make a swift return. "The anticipated time is two, possibly three weeks," Sheldon said. Gehrig's discomfort was obvious in the last quarter on Sunday when he tried to take a chest mark without using his right hand. The hand was broken when he landed awkwardly earlier in the term. "He fell to the ground in the last quarter and hurt himself," Sheldon said . . . Hamstring victims Leigh Fisher, Xavier Clarke and Robert Harvey are expected to push for selection. "They'll be a few players returning, or pushing to return," Sheldon said. Veteran forward Aaron Hamill, who has not played this season because of a damaged knee, would return after the break, Sheldon said. "How soon, we'll know in the week back," Sheldon said. After completing country clinics today, the Saints have the week off and resume training on Monday. The Article Jon Pierik/HeraldSun/12Jun07 Saints: Follow the Swans lead Say what you like about the Swans and the way they play, the fact remains that under the stewardship of Paul Roos they have been wildly successful. In his four years as senior coach, they have finished no lower than fifth, have a premiership to forever brag about and went hellishly close to back-to-back flags. Yet you wouldn't have known it if you were at the MCG on Saturday afternoon . . . You get the feeling the Saints and their coach are still going through the "feeling out" process. It would be wrong to suggest that Lyon has just walked into Moorabbin, dropped the Sydney blueprint on the table, and said: "Learn it, because this is the way it is going to be." It would also be naive to think he wouldn't try and impose some of the Swans philosophy on to his new charges. As a man who was pivotal in developing the successful culture at the Swans, Lyon's coaching mantra would, understandably, be heavily influenced by the outstanding success he witnessed at his old club. The Lyon-St Kilda partnership is a work in progress. It must be given time to evolve. The Article Garry Lyon/HeraldSun/12Jun07 Lyons' season now question without notice St Kilda's Ross Lyon is a rookie coach but gives the impression of having seen it all before. The Saints have not won for a month and Lyon is in the hottest seat in football. But whatever is said before his losing streak ends, it is hard to imagine Lyon getting burned. As if to underscore this impression of wisdom before seasons coached, Lyon has taken to answering his own questions at press conferences, pinching lines from Denis Pagan and making light of the football news cycle which dictates at least one club must be in crisis and one coach headed for the gallows in any given week. In doing so, Lyon produced something even Pagan would be proud of after 15 years in the job: football's first Q&A monologue . . . The Article Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/11Jun07 Puzzled Lyon chases answers After losing four games in a row, St Kilda was two wins outside the eight and bereft of confidence and answers as to why it showed only glimpses of how it should play, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said yesterday. Having opened up its game and delivered the ball with purpose for a 10-minute burst in the final quarter, arousing the prospect of stealing a win, Lyon was at a loss to explain why his players could not sustain that type of play. "At the minute we have lost a few in a row, we are bereft of confidence. You can't head down the confidence shop and buy it . . . we are playing in patches with our ball use," Lyon said. "Early in the last quarter, all of our supporters think - and I think and the players think - where has that been? It's not happening at the minute. It's happening in patches. I would like to think early in the last quarter is how we would like to play all the time." He condemned the "butchering" of the ball and wondered whether, with more inside 50-metre entries than their opponents in recent losses, it was time to change the forward structure. The Article Michael Gleeson/RealFooty/11Jun07 Lyons' season now question without notice St Kilda's Ross Lyon is a rookie coach but gives the impression of having seen it all before. The Saints have not won for a month and Lyon is in the hottest seat in football. But whatever is said before his losing streak ends, it is hard to imagine Lyon getting burned. As if to underscore this impression of wisdom before seasons coached, Lyon has taken to answering his own questions at press conferences, pinching lines from Denis Pagan and making light of the football news cycle which dictates at least one club must be in crisis and one coach headed for the gallows in any given week. In doing so, Lyon produced something even Pagan would be proud of after 15 years in the job: football's first Q&A monologue . . . The Article Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/11Jun07 Puzzled Lyon chases answers After losing four games in a row, St Kilda was two wins outside the eight and bereft of confidence and answers as to why it showed only glimpses of how it should play, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said yesterday. Having opened up its game and delivered the ball with purpose for a 10-minute burst in the final quarter, arousing the prospect of stealing a win, Lyon was at a loss to explain why his players could not sustain that type of play. "At the minute we have lost a few in a row, we are bereft of confidence. You can't head down the confidence shop and buy it . . . we are playing in patches with our ball use," Lyon said. "Early in the last quarter, all of our supporters think - and I think and the players think - where has that been? It's not happening at the minute. It's happening in patches. I would like to think early in the last quarter is how we would like to play all the time." He condemned the "butchering" of the ball and wondered whether, with more inside 50-metre entries than their opponents in recent losses, it was time to change the forward structure. The Article Michael Gleeson/RealFooty/11Jun07 St Kilda's bad week has only one remedy Having attacked and lost in his public relations war with Grant Thomas last week, Rod Butterss and the St Kilda administration went into defensive shut down mode yesterday. Henceforth, Butterss said he would be mum about his dispute with Thomas, while his lieutenant Archie Fraser was dispatched to face the media firing squads. At three-quarter-time yesterday, coach Ross Lyon implored his players to be bolder from the kick-ins. Having introduced a more accountable and defensive game style than the free-wheeling Thomas, the coach clearly figured that they could only win by taking some risks. It worked for a time. Then, as the Saints drew within nine points, Nick Dal Santo - their best player yesterday - took a kick-in at the 14-minute mark and kicked the ball straight up the middle, where it was marked by Kangaroo Ed Lower, who played on and booted the goal that quashed the St Kilda rally. "We spoke at three-quarter-time about being bold and our kick-ins are normally conservative," Lyon said. "(I) sent a message to be more aggressive with the kick-in and it didn't pay off." The Article Jake Niall/RealFooty/11Jun07 Ross Lyon can stand the heat . . . "As coaches, I think we all know it's your turn in the spotlight . . . work your way through the war," Lyon said. "Don't doubt yourself and prepare. If I read everything that was written in the media or listened to everybody who called in, I wouldn't get too much coaching done. I respect our supporters and feel for them, but I can't sit there worrying about it. What I've got to do is coach the group, train them up, believe in myself and understand it's about the basics. Clearly, at the minute, the performance isn't what the club would like it to be. What I've got to do is get some wins on the board." The 22-point loss to the Kangaroos consigned the Saints to 14th position. They are the lowest-scoring side in the AFL. Lyon was adamant a week of headlines about the spat between former coach Grant Thomas and president Rod Butterss, along with threats of a board challenge, did not affect his players yesterday. "The outside influences had no impact on our performances today, from what I know," he said. But Lyon had no problem pinpointing areas that did have an impact on the result. "Our ability to defend early was poor," Lyon said. "I thought our ability to use the ball and use it slick through the corridor and to the advantage of our key forwards was poor." The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/11Jun07 The Saints are coming apart As Round 11 comes to a close, the Saints are 14th with just four wins. They have slipped below Carlton, which finished last in 2005-06. They have left themselves the nigh-impossible task of winning nine of the remaining 11 games, starting with a trip to Perth to face West Coast on June 24. The dire situation is the latest indictment on this most blighted of clubs. St Kilda, remember, played finals for the past three years, then dumped its coach because it didn't believe he could take the club to "the next level". The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/11Jun07 Roos suffocate Saints attack At a time when power forwards such as Jonathan Brown, Brendan Fevola, Fraser Gehrig and Barry Hall can't buy a goal, football has never wanted more the good old-fashioned half-forward flanker. The Saints sort of have one - Aaron Hamill, Aaron Fiora, James Gwilt and Brett Voss are in the mix, but they either haven't been seen this year or can't make it their own. Yesterday Jones kicked three goals in the first quarter and four for the game. The Saints' 22-point loss is a direct reflection of Jones' output in that first term. The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/11Jun07 Season all on brave Ross Lyon Apart from the failed experiment with Malcolm Blight six years ago, St Kilda has a long history of putting potential ahead of experience when it comes to choosing a senior coach. The incumbent, Ross Lyon, is the latest in a long line of untried team bosses that includes his predecessor Grant Thomas, Tim Watson, Stan Alves and Ken Sheldon. All of them came to the club with the ambition of leaving their imprint upon it. Some did so, with some success. Others left with their grand plans in tatters and their futures elsewhere. None, though, would appear to have been as brave as Lyon in his desire to make an impact. How many other first-year coaches have been prepared to re-cast the thought processes and game style of a team which, in relative terms, had achieved considerable success? The Article Trevor Grant/HeraldSun/11Jun07 Watts kicks 3 for Scorps The Casey Scorpions produced the upset of the round by overpowering Port Melbourne by 24 points at Casey Fields yesterday. Midfielder Nigel Carmody was named best for the Scorpions while Fergus Watts booted three goals as a key forward. Scorpions coach Peter Banfield was also pleased with the form of Andrew McQualter and Shane Birss. "We were behind at halftime but I thought we had control for a lot of the game," Banfield said. "We made some skill errors in the second quarter which let them in. We had a lot more of the footy than them, we just didn't capitalise in that second quarter and they got away. After halftime we just used the ball a lot better and that was the reason we got ourselves in front." The Article Geoff Poulter/HeraldSun/11Jun07 Results This site A century on, Port's revenge on St Kilda One hundred and 11 years is a long time to hold a grudge but, as we all know in this city, footy passion knows no bounds. Yep, that's why it's bad luck for St Kilda Football Club following its decision last week to leave its Moorabbin home of 42 years (over some argy-bargy with the ground's owners, the Kingston City Council) and its subsequent announcement it had its eye on a couple of likely relocation spots including Port Melbourne's Teac Oval. You see, the bloke who runs the show at Teac, Port Melbourne Football Club general manager Barry Kidd is pretty much saying, "Yeah, over my dead body". And it has emerged that deep at the heart of his reasoning - and that of plenty of other diehard Port fans - is something that took place way back in 1896 when St Kilda and Port Melbourne, then both VFA clubs, were vying for the eighth and last spot on the newly formed Victorian Football League. The Article Geoff McClure/TheAge/11Jun07 Patchy Saints must improve, says Lyon St Kilda cannot continue to "play in patches" if it wants to succeed, coach Ross Lyon said after Sunday's 22-point loss to the Kangaroos. Although the Saints again trumped their opposition with entries inside 50 - something Lyon said they have achieved in eight of 11 games this season - he frequently used the word "poor" to describe elements of their Sunday defeat. "I thought our ability to defend early was poor, and I thought our ability to use the ball and use it slick through the corridor to the advantage of our key forwards was poor," he said. "At times . . . we moved it with purpose and to the advantage of our talls, and we looked dangerous. Other than that, I thought we overused and our ball use was poor at times. Goal conversion, 16 per cent. That's been a common theme throughout the year. That's it, in a nutshell." Lyon said he will continue to "address basics and believe in the club's youth", but is adamant his players must learn to attack more effectively. Although he lamented his players' inability to hit targets, he paid credit to the Kangaroos and particularly to leading goalkicker Corey Jones. The Article Jennifer Witham/saints.com.au/10Jun07 Saints continue to walk in purgatory . . . Rookie coach Ross Lyon blamed his side's poor use of the football, early defence and goal conversion for the defeat, and he said the Butterss-Thomas feud had no bearing on the sluggish performance. But Lyon's Sydney-style gameplan - and his players' ability to carry it out - is coming into question as the one-time finals aspirants wobble past the halfway mark of the season occupying a spot in the bottom four. "Am I prepared for the criticism? I think it goes with the position," Lyon said. "Clearly at the minute, the performance isn't what the club would like it to be - or the supporters or the executive of the club. That puts me under the spotlight and I'll deal with the public criticism that comes. What deals with it is fixing performance - wins. What we've got to do is get some wins on the board, fix our ability to defend, fix our ability to score." The Article Guy Hand/FoxSports/10Jun07 Roos down insipid Saints St Kilda is in serious danger of missing the finals for the first time since 2003 after its impotent attack again misfired against the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome on Sunday. For the seventh time this year the Saints failed to score ten goals in a game and as was the case in all those previous instances it resulted in defeat - 11.14 (80) to 8.10 (58) - to the much-improved Kangaroos. At the halfway mark of the season the Saints - who reached the 2004 and 2005 preliminary finals under former coach Grant Thomas - have just four wins from 11 games and now find themselves two games outside the top eight. A season that started so full of promise for new coach Ross Lyon is fast turning into a nightmare and after watching yet another negative performance from the Saints, it's no wonder so many Saints' fans are yearning for the days of attacking football under Thomas. Thomas of course was controversially sacked at the end of last year by the man with whom he is involved in a very public slanging match at the moment - St Kilda president Rod Butterss. Butterss has accused Thomas of destabilising the team by continuing to maintain contact with the players and whether the furore is affecting the team is debatable but one thing is certain and that is the Saints are playing without spirit and flair. From the time Corey Jones booted three goals in the opening term the Saints were on the back foot and it would not be until the final term until they surged back into contention. The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/10Jun07 St Kilda wilts as Kangaroos cruise . . . Lyon's Swans-like gameplan - and his players' ability to carry it out - is coming into question as the one-time finals aspirants wobble past the halfway mark of the season occupying a spot in the bottom four . . . "Clearly at the minute the performance isn't what the club would like it to be or the supporters or the executive of the club. That puts me under the spotlight and I'll deal with the public criticism that comes. What deals with it is fixing performance - wins. What we've got to do is get some wins on the board, fix our ability to defend, fix our ability to score." Certainly Lyon has the public support of his president, who launched a spirited defence of all those in charge at his club. "I know Rossy Lyon and the playing group and everyone in the football department is doing everything humanly possible," Butterss said. "They are skilled and capable people, with high levels of integrity. They have what it takes to deliver the goods. We must not falter in our support for those people." A subdued Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley, who is believed to have learned of a family bereavement while coaching, credited his side's victory to outstanding defence. "We played a really uncompromising style of football today and I thought we did it over four quarters. The boys got rewarded for effort so I'm very pleased." The Article AAP/RealFooty/10Jun07 Late surge fails to save Saints The Saints have lost their fourth straight match, courtesy of a 22-point defeat by the persistent Kangaroos at Telstra Dome on Sunday afternoon. The Roos won 11.14 (80) to 8.10 (58), after leading nearly all afternoon but never appearing capable of blowing the Saints away in a tight contest. The Saints rallied for a brief period in the second term and another in the fourth, but for every goal they notched up, the Roos had an answer and managed to keep them at a comfortable distance after getting the jump in the first half. Nick Dal Santo and Sam Fisher tried hard for much of the afternoon, while Luke Ball characteristically threw himself into every contest and Leigh Montagna found plenty of the ball with 33 disposals. Kangaroos defender Michael Firrito kept Nick Riewoldt quiet and to just one goal, one behind, while Drew Petrie also worked hard opposite Fraser Gehrig with the G-Train ending with a pair of majors. The Saints struggled in the first half, but remained in the contest at the long break despite drifting as far as 25 points off the pace in the second term. Experienced campaigner Brett Voss was concussed in the first half from a collision with Kasey Green, but didn't let that stop him lending a hand in the next passage of play. Voss was righted with the help of two trainers and was on his way to the bench when he broke free and accepted a handpass before delivering a wobbly kick along the boundary. The act alone saw Voss stagger sideways, and he literally fell into the care of trainers once he made it to the bench. He reappeared sporadically throughout the remainder of the game, but didn't have much impact. The Article Jennifer Witham/AFL/saints.com.au/10Jun07 Saints continue losing run . . . St Kilda's run of outs was reflected on the scoreboard with Fraser Gehrig their only player to kick more than one goal. It was not through a lack of exposure to the ball however, with Leigh Montagna (33), Sam Fisher (29), Nick Dal Santo (29) and Lenny Hayes (28) leading the match disposal count. St Kilda now have a two-week break due to the split round 12 and they will resume their 2007 campaign when they meet West Coast at Subiaco Oval on June 24. The Article ABCSport/10Jun07 'No more dirty laundry' . . . (Archie) Fraser had previous adopted a similar tack, saying he had backed Butterss in his public comments about Thomas, but enough had now been said. "I said through the week those things probably needed to be said," Fraser said on Southern Cross radio. "Moving forward, everybody involved in this stoush is completely and utterly 100 per cent saying that they want the best for the St Kilda Football Club - and that's what football clubs are all about." "Everybody involved wants the right outcome." "Could it have been done differently?" "Possibly." "But I think . . . we just need to move past what's taken place this week with Grant and Rod and get on and focus on the things we're doing as a football club." "We still have to run the football club, and it's in good shape in a lot of ways." The Article Guy Hand/AAP/FoxSports/10Jun07 Not another word: Butterss Jason Phelan/AFL/saints.com.au/10Jun07 St Kilda's bad week has only one remedy Having attacked and lost in his public relations war with Grant Thomas last week, Rod Butterss and the St Kilda administration went into defensive shut down mode yesterday. Henceforth, Butterss said he would be mum about his dispute with Thomas, while his lieutenant Archie Fraser was dispatched to face the media firing squads. At three-quarter-time yesterday, coach Ross Lyon implored his players to be bolder from the kick-ins. Having introduced a more accountable and defensive game style than the free-wheeling Thomas, the coach clearly figured that they could only win by taking some risks. It worked for a time. Then, as the Saints drew within nine points, Nick Dal Santo - their best player yesterday - took a kick-in at the 14-minute mark and kicked the ball straight up the middle, where it was marked by Kangaroo Ed Lower, who played on and booted the goal that quashed the St Kilda rally. "We spoke at three-quarter-time about being bold and our kick-ins are normally conservative," Lyon said. "(I) sent a message to be more aggressive with the kick-in and it didn't pay off." The Article Jake Niall/RealFooty/11Jun07 Ross Lyon can stand the heat . . . "As coaches, I think we all know it's your turn in the spotlight . . . work your way through the war," Lyon said. "Don't doubt yourself and prepare. If I read everything that was written in the media or listened to everybody who called in, I wouldn't get too much coaching done. I respect our supporters and feel for them, but I can't sit there worrying about it. What I've got to do is coach the group, train them up, believe in myself and understand it's about the basics. Clearly, at the minute, the performance isn't what the club would like it to be. What I've got to do is get some wins on the board." The 22-point loss to the Kangaroos consigned the Saints to 14th position. They are the lowest-scoring side in the AFL. Lyon was adamant a week of headlines about the spat between former coach Grant Thomas and president Rod Butterss, along with threats of a board challenge, did not affect his players yesterday. "The outside influences had no impact on our performances today, from what I know," he said. But Lyon had no problem pinpointing areas that did have an impact on the result. "Our ability to defend early was poor," Lyon said. "I thought our ability to use the ball and use it slick through the corridor and to the advantage of our key forwards was poor." The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/11Jun07 A century on, Port's revenge on St Kilda One hundred and 11 years is a long time to hold a grudge but, as we all know in this city, footy passion knows no bounds. Yep, that's why it's bad luck for St Kilda Football Club following its decision last week to leave its Moorabbin home of 42 years (over some argy-bargy with the ground's owners, the Kingston City Council) and its subsequent announcement it had its eye on a couple of likely relocation spots including Port Melbourne's Teac Oval. You see, the bloke who runs the show at Teac, Port Melbourne Football Club general manager Barry Kidd is pretty much saying, "Yeah, over my dead body". And it has emerged that deep at the heart of his reasoning - and that of plenty of other diehard Port fans - is something that took place way back in 1896 when St Kilda and Port Melbourne, then both VFA clubs, were vying for the eighth and last spot on the newly formed Victorian Football League. The Article Geoff McClure/TheAge/11Jun07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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