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2007 Round 12 Post-game Articles - West Coast Eagles vs St Kilda
Koschitzke injures hamstring St Kilda ruckman Justin Koschitzke has been ruled out of this weekend's match against Richmond with a hamstring injury . . . West Coast recruit Michael Gardiner is in serious doubt of playing this season and may have surgery on his troublesome foot problem . . . In better news for the Saints, Matt Maguire will line up for the Casey Scorpions in the VFL . . . Injured teammate Aaron Hamill may also resume in the VFL, but club medicos will wait on his progress this week. The Article AFL/saints.com.au/26Jun07 Kosi Hammy - Gardiner possible Season Matt Thompson from SEN reported from Moorabbin that Justin Koschitzke has a hamstring injury. There is no information on how serious the injury is at this stage as Ross Lyon would not elaborate, but apparently he stated that "I am not a doctor" when asked. Lyon said that Michael Gardiner is currently undertaking tests on his foot and may require surgery which could put him on the sidelines for 2007, but Lyon stated that Gardiner will be still in the St Kilda squad in 2008. It is believed that other previously accounced inclusions in the Scorpions will go ahead as announced. WoM Ed.  Ross Lyon on SEN (WAV file - only 32743 bytes)
Aaron Hamill, Michael Gardiner and Matt Maguire are all expected to play football this weekend. This is not a misprint. Sunday's VFL program at Casey Fields between the Scorpions and the Northern Bullants will have to be seen to be believed because two men whose senior outings have been scarce of late - one a former captain with a huge reputation, the other an ex-Eagle who landed at the Saints this year and brought a huge reputation with him - should at last be making meaningful appearances. "All three are in the same phase of conditioning, if you like," Saints football manager Ken Sheldon said yesterday. "There will be both grades out there, seniors and reserves, and as to which game Aaron is to play, or kick off in, would be determined by the level of intensity that his program requires. I would have thought he'd be most likely to play some game time in the seniors." The Article Samantha Lane/RealFooty/26Jun07 Scorps vs Northern Bullants - Casey Fields Sunday, July 1st - Seniors at 2:00pm Free entry to St Kilda members New St Kilda Fan Forum and 'Saintsational' clean-up Saintsational Fan Forum Mod 'HarveysDeciple' announced the inclusion of two new moderators. They are well known and respected forumites 'Saint66au' and 'Oh When the Saints' and it is hoped that they can help the others clean up the spam and police the rules. This appears to follow the introduction of the new fan forum 'SaintsHeaven' which is believed to have been introduced because of the consistent spamming, thread highjacking and at times becoming a repetitive and uninformative place for serious football discussion. The old emergency forum 'Oh when the Saints' has been closed down. It also appears that 'snoopygirl' has replaced 'EvertonFC' as mods on Saintsational Fan Forum as well. WoM Ed. Saintsational Fan Forum - sainstational.com Saints Heaven - temporary address saintsheaven.freeforums.org will be replaced by saintsheaven.net as the official address by the end of the week when registration protocols have been completed. Icing on the cake - Milne & Blake cleared . . . Saints small forward Milne was reported for engaging in rough conduct against West Coast's Daniel Kerr on Sunday, but the AFL match review panel threw out the charge after ruling that Milne had simply laid a high tackle. The panel said that although contact was made high, Milne did not swing his arm into Kerr. Blake's report for striking West Coast's Daniel Chick was thrown out after the panel agreed Chick had shepherded Blake. As Chick completed his shepherd, Blake raised his arm and made slight contact to the back of Chick's head. Blake's action was not judged a striking motion, but an effort to get around the West Coast player . . . The match review panel also reviewed contact between St Kilda's Steven Baker and West Coast's Brent Staker from the second quarter of Sunday's match. No vision was available and no further action was taken. The Article AFL/saints.com.au/25Jun07 Team of the (split) week: round 12 . . . CENTRES: Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda) - Instrumental in St Kilda's stunning victory over West Coast at Subiaco Oval, Dal Santo gathered 26 possessions and had a match-high eight bounces. He sent the ball inside 50 on six occasions and jagged two goals, including the sealing major deep in the final quarter. . . . INTERCHANGE: Justin Koschitzke (St Kilda) - A key member of St Kilda's stirring victory over West Coast, 'Kosi' booted four goals and took nine marks in the first half to set up the win . . . Leigh Montagna (St Kilda) - One of the pivotal performers in St Kilda's incredible victory, Montagna won 31 disposals, including 11 in the second term, while 10 of his possessions were contested. It was one of his finest performances. The Article Matt Burgan/AFL/saints.com.au/26Jun07
St Kilda believe one of the club's great wins of modern times might kickstart an ambitious tilt at reaching the AFL finals in 2007. The Saints sit in 12th spot and with a low percentage will likely need to win eight of their last 10 games to make the top eight. But they remain hopeful Sunday's stirring win over West Coast in Robert Harvey's milestone game can provide inspiration for weeks to come. St Kilda football manager Ken Sheldon said the club was hopeful of building on the performance at Subiaco, where the Saints inspired in Harvey's 350th game and kept alive their remote finals aspirations. Sheldon said the road trip had reinvigorated the Saints' season, ahead of what is now a big game against resurgent Richmond. The Article AAP/RealFooty/25Jun07 Dream milestone just the stepping stone: Harvey It's hard to imagine Robert Harvey's 350th match being any more special, and the legend said Sunday's win over West Coast at Subiaco was one of the very best of his career . . . For Harvey, it was as good as it gets, especially as the side survived a ferocious second-half comeback from the reigning premiers. "I don't think you can get much better than that win, apart from a premiership. I still want to play finals this year, but the reality is I'm 35 and coming to the end of my career," Harvey told saints.com.au after the match. "When exactly that will be I don't know. I could tear my hammy next week and never play again. I'll take this win away and it will be special to me for the rest of my life. I've only had a handful of wins in Perth in 20 years of footy, so you always treasure those sorts of wins against quality sides." The Article Chris Pike/saints.com.au/25Jun07 We showed character not to wilt: Lyon After his side's stunning win over West Coast at Subiaco Oval, Saints coach Ross Lyon paid tribute to the man who inspired his team's final-quarter determination. Playing his 350th match, Robert Harvey returned from a hamstring injury he suffered in Perth in round nine and was at his hard-running best, finishing with 30 polished possessions as the Saints broke a four-game losing streak. "It's self-evident with Robert Harvey. Everything about what he stands for is self-evident," Lyon said after the win. "We are very lucky to have him as a club, and the general public is very lucky to have seen one of the best runners of all time." The Saints opened up a commanding 43-point lead early in the third quarter before West Coast piled on the pressure to close within a goal. St Kilda then held off the home side, which had all the momentum, to kick the final three goals of the match. "We expected them to come back, but it's another thing to put a stop to it when the likes of Kerr and Cox start having a big impact and the crowd starts roaring," he said. "We had spent a lot of energy to get to where we were in the first half, but, to [the Eagles'] credit, they took the initiative back and we had to come back to even that up again. In the last quarter, we certainly didn't run over the top of them. We took our opportunities and they didn't, and that can happen in games of AFL footy." The Article Chris Pike/saints.com.au/25Jun07 Lyon-hearted Saints show grit . . . Lyon retained the faith when he reiterated the game strategy one more time before his men broke from the huddle. "I was pretty sure we wouldn't wilt," Lyon said after the 23-point upset of West Coast on the premier's intimidating home turf. "I've been here before (as Sydney assistant coach) and you don't fluke being premiers and playing in back-to-back Grand Finals. You've got a substance and character regardless of who's playing. They were always going to come and I've experienced that before. And then the crowd starts roaring and the adrenalin starts flowing. Then (Daniel) Kerr lifted and (Shannon) Hurn lifted. (Dean) Cox got going. We expected it, but it's one thing knowing it and stopping it. And we had spent a lot of energy in the first half. To their credit, they took the initiative back and we had to wrestle to get back even. Probably in the last quarter, I thought they didn't take their opportunities and we did. We certainly didn't run over the top of them." The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/25Jun07 Saints and Dal Santo slip under Eagles' guard West Coast dropped its guard when St Kilda playmaker Nick Dal Santo slid back on to the field with five minutes to go during yesterday's demanding match at Subiaco Oval. Under the influence of Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr and midfield thunderbolt Shannon Hurn, the Eagles were desperately searching for a way to bury the Saints, who had led by 44 points early in the third term. Ironically, that lead had been reached when Dal Santo kicked his team's 11th goal, but from that point the momentum had swung and for all intents and purposes it looked as though St Kilda had spent all its energy and West Coast would steal victory. Dal Santo bobbed up again at that critical point of the last term, throwing his hand up to get the attention of the St Kilda scrum moving out of the Eagles forward line. The Article Ray Wilson/RealFooty/25Jun07 Harvs: Win one our of best Robert Harvey described yesterday's miraculous win over West Coast in his 350th match as being as good as the premiership he may never win. The champion onballer produced a vintage performance in the 23-point victory he put at the pinnacle of a wonderful career. "I'd love to play in the Grand Final, but if I don't play in a premiership, you're not going to get much better than today," Harvey said. "I still want to play finals this year, but the reality is I'm 35, I'm coming to the end of my career. The Article Michael Gleeson/RealFooty/25Jun07 St Kilda finds the will, and the way, to win for Harvey Robert Harvey is a man of brevity and action for whom words can be an encumbrance to meaning, yet he found the words to put yesterday's remarkable win into perspective. "If I never play in a winning grand final at least I have played in this one," Harvey said after his team recorded its most spectacular victory in years. This was a win that could make a season for St Kilda. With its 2007 campaign on the line, on the home turf of the - albeit depleted - reigning premier and looking to pay tribute to Harvey in his 350th game, St Kilda had to win. This was arguably the best football St Kilda has played in three years. It was the first time the Saints had won at Subiaco in nine years - Harvey might remember it but few others would, for certainly no other current Saint was playing that day. Indeed only one other Victorian team has beaten the Eagles at Subiaco in the past 60 matches there. It is difficult to know how much of this win could be ascribed to Harvey's landmark game, if not to his individual match. The scrum that descended upon Harvey at the siren would suggest the former captain was the inspiration. Whether that inspiration can springboard beyond one game will be the next test. The Article Ray Wilson/RealFooty/25Jun07 A dream day for Harvey West Coast almost rained on the parade but St Kilda did enough to ensure club legend Robert Harvey got the result he deserved in his 350th match. Harvey, who debuted all the way back in 1988, showed age was no hindrance as he gathered 30 possessions in the Saints' shock 23-point victory over the Eagles at Subiaco Oval on Sunday. It was a win that keeps St Kilda's finals aspirations alive, and it was the wise head of Harvey who once again proved instrumental in the club's victory. But fans have come to expect nothing less from the 35-year-old veteran, who is the oldest player in the league yet still rated among the elite midfielders running around. Harvey's relentless gut-running and pure class have made him a joy to watch during 20 seasons in the AFL. The Article Justin Chadwick/Sportal/25Jun07 Saints, Harvey can dare to dream again St Kilda and club legend Robert Harvey can dare to dream again after producing one of the upsets of the AFL season in beating West Coast by 23 points at Subiaco Oval. The Saints gave Harvey the greatest gift in his 350th game and breathed new life into their campaign by beating the Eagles 15.9 (99) to 11.10 (76), turning what was dubbed Mission Impossible into a fairytale win. The win snapped St Kilda's four-game losing streak and keeps them alive in 2007 - just - although it came the hard way, as the Eagles got back to within a goal in the final quarter after trailing by 44 points earlier. Harvey, whose only aim left in football is to be a part of a premiership side, was mobbed by jubilant teammates on the final siren and chaired off. It was also a special game for coach Ross Lyon, who posted the landmark victory in his fledgling career, as his side had mustered just 29 goals in their past four defeats. The Article AAP/RealFooty/24Jun07 Hero Harvey inspires play-on call St Kilda champion Robert Harvey plays his 350th game today, against West Coast and has been urged to continue his long career next year. Hawk Shane Crawford said Harvey, 35, should sign on for a 21st season. "The key with Robert Harvey is preparation," Crawford said. "He just has a real passion for the game. He's a very unique individual to be doing it for so long and to be doing it so well. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he continues. He's still physically capable of performing, so you'd just keep him going. Absolutely I would." The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/24Jun07 We were terrible: Eagles John Worsfold labelled his forward line "terrible" and doused speculation champion captain Chris Judd was battling osteitis pubis after West Coast's shock 23-point loss to lowly St Kilda at Subiaco Oval yesterday. The Eagles slipped to third on the ladder after their fourth defeat in their past six matches and face a huge challenge next Sunday when they travel to AAMI Stadium to tackle premiership fancies Adelaide. The Eagles fought back from 44 points down in the third quarter before the Saints steadied to triumph 15.9 (99) to 11.10 (76), ensuring a fitting celebration for the 350-game milestone of one of the greats, dual Brownlow medallist Robert Harvey. St Kilda became just the second Victorian-based side to beat West Coast on home soil in 60 matches. The only other loss was in the same round last year (12) to the Western Bulldogs. The Article Digby Beacham/WestAustralian/25Jun07 Saints war on 'spy' claims A private detective alleges St Kilda Football Club hired him to spy on its players, reigniting the bitter war of words between club president Rod Butterss and sacked coach Grant Thomas. Magistrates' Court documents show Advanced Protective Services sued the football club for unpaid bills for "investigative services". APS private eye Normy Cove claimed he tailed players after St Kilda hired him. Mr Butterss denied the club hired spies, but said Thomas might have been behind it. Last night, Mr Butterss called the Sunday Herald Sun and retracted that accusation. Thomas denied he was behind hiring spies, adding: "I'm getting a bit tired of my name continually being brought up in relation to problems and issues with St Kilda Football Club. Obviously I'm disappointed by this." The detective agency claimed it was hired by the Saints . . . St Kilda Football Club CEO Archie Fraser last night confirmed he had spoken to board members and all denied knowledge of a private investigator being hired to spy on the players. The Article Liam Houlihan/SundayHeraldSun/24Jun07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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