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Round 13 AFL 2007 Premiership Season - Pre-game Articles - St Kilda vs Richmond
Saints look to take next step The Saints will look to build on their amazing win in Perth when they return to Telstra Dome against bottom side Richmond on Saturday night. The Saints not only beat the reigning premiers on their own turf, but celebrated the 350th game of the great Robert Harvey in style. Most importantly, the win also put the Saints back into the thick of finals action and a win against the Tigers will bring the side back to within one game of the eight, all this after virtually being written off going into the bye. To win in such a difficult environment takes a team effort and the Saints have shown they are a dangerous side when there is an even performance across the board. They have now beaten last year's two grand finalists and in those games there were significant contributions from players on each line. The Saints played an exciting brand of football going long with confidence to the twin towers of Koschitzke and Riewoldt. The Article Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/29Jun07
Ian Stewart was a football genius who could turn it on. Out of the centre, his precision passing, evasive skills and pace made him unstoppable. He is one of four triple Brownlow Medallists. Ian Stewart was a gifted centreman whose skilful performances dazzled football fans and the opposition but rarely satisfied him . . . When Stewart joined the Saints the shy young player went out and bought himself a club guernsey rather than ask for one. He was delighted to be playing with his idols Darrel Baldock and Verdun Howell. He suffered a bad knock in his first game but was able to battle on. He soon moved from the wing to take over the centre role from state rep player Lance Oswald. Other clubs became aware of his great talent and he became a frequent target. The secret of his game was immaculate balance and perfection in foot passing. Whether cornered in a pack or clear of his opponents, Stewart was always able to spot a team mate further afield and land a pass on his chest. Most of his passes found his skipper and fellow Tasmanian Darrel Baldock with whom he formed one of football's great partnerships. The Article footballlegends.org - Dan Garlick & Ken Anderson Editors Saints and Tigers to honour Ian Stewart Players from the St Kilda and Richmond Football Clubs will once again compete for the annual Ian Stewart Medal, when the two teams meet at Telstra Dome on Saturday night. The Ian Stewart Medal, which was established in 2004, was the brainchild of music guru and Saints' fanatic, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum. It has been struck in recognition of the only player in league football history to win Brownlow Medals and premierships at two clubs . . . Channel Ten boundary rider Christi Malthouse will present the winner of the Ian Stewart Medal to the player judged best-on-ground by the network's team of broadcasters, on ground after this Saturday night's match. The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/saints.com.au/29Jun07 Royal tips tough tag for Brown Richmond assistant coach Brian Royal expects star forward Nathan Brown to be watched closely after his impressive return from long-term injury last weekend . . . Steven Baker or the improving Jayden Attard are among the contenders for the job on Brown . . . Brown pulled up well from his first senior match for the season, according to Royal, but opted for goal-kicking practice as the team went through its paces on Friday . . . Important big man Troy Simmonds did little at training on Friday morning but Royal declared him a certain starter. Shane Edwards has also been included with Andrew Krakouer (ankle) and Cleve Hughes out. The Article John Clark/Sportal/29Jun07 Forward Scout: St Kilda vs Richmond . . . THE MIDFIELD BATTLE: I think it will be both hard running and close checking. Nick Dal Santo and Leigh Montagna are both in good form and when you throw in Robert Harvey, Luke Ball and Lenny Hayes it is easy to see why this area is a major strength for them. We certainly have a big job ahead of us to try and maximise our midfielders' opportunities and also negate St Kilda's . . . We think their midfield is definitely their strength and we have put a lot of time into how we are going to play them. Our forward line is in very good form, individually and collectively, that is an area of concern for St Kilda. The Article Jayde Rawlings/Greg Lange/richmondfc.com.au/saints.com.au/28Jun07 Thursfield wants Riewoldt rematch Will Thursfield has waited a long time for another crack at St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt. The young Richmond defender did a good job keeping the Saints star in check 15 months ago before suffering a knee injury that ended his 2006 season and delayed the start to this campaign. Thursfield would like to stand Riewoldt again at Telstra Dome tonight and hopefully finish the job he couldn't complete in Round 2 of 2006. "I'd like it," he said. "I like playing on any of the good players. It's a good challenge and I'd be happy to" . . . "I played on him (Riewoldt) for three quarters, and at the start of the last quarter did my knee, and he ended up kicking a few goals and they ended up winning the game." The Article AAP/HeraldSun/30Jun07 Saints weigh their options The St Kilda Football Club and Casey Council have met for the first time to discuss the club's possible relocation to Casey Fields. St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser met Casey mayor Colin Butler, councillors Kevin Bradford, Rob Wilson and Steve Beardon and chief executive Mike Tyler at the council chambers last Thursday. St Kilda is considering its options for a home base after a fallout with its local council, Kingston Council, last month over whether poker machine licenses could be located to a rebuilt home. St Kilda has now begun speaking formally with other councils while continuing negotiations with Kingston. Mr Tyler said a relocation was still up in the air. He said he believed while there was a 20 per cent chance of St Kilda coming to Casey, there was a better than 50 per cent chance that they would stay at Moorabbin. Cr Butler said the initial meeting had gone very well, but there were still a few things for St Kilda to sort out. The Article Sarah Schwager/Cranbourne News/28Jun07 Comment by 'The Peanut' The final decision not to proceed with the land sale on South Road appears to be in the club's long term interest, as the possible debt level without the semi-guaranteed income of the current number of machines could become ugly in the long term and it's quite understandable that the Board are hesitent in making such a committment with the members money. The fact is that under the current arrangements the council get the final say through the planning process to reduce the machines regardless of how many we get approved at the gaming commission. The main problem is that if we make a committment now, in 14 months time we will have spent another $700k to get to that point and they could then say we are getting 40 machines or any other number they like. It appears that we have made the right call as the Kingston Council has demonstarated that they can't be trusted. The Post 'The Peanut' saintsational.com Saints stand by injured Gardiner . . . St Kilda football manager Ken Sheldon said the surgery would allow the 2003 All-Australian to focus on getting his body ready for next season. "The expectation is that he will be up and going for the pre-Christmas sessions," Sheldon said. "That will stand him in good stead for the pre-season which in turn will see him in good stead for the 2008 season. These early decisions are sometimes the tough ones, but Michael has been there before in that he had the same operation on the other foot, so he is well aware of the process to go through." Gardiner is on a one-year deal with the Saints, but the club has already backed a contract extension. The Article Sarah Schwager/HeraldSun/28Jun07 Losses bring us back to the pack: Dean Cox It has been relatively rare in the last few years for the West Coast Eagles to lose successive games, but back-to-back losses have really put us back in the pack. We believe it's just a hiccup, something we experienced at roughly the same time last year when Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs beat us in consecutive games. After losing to Essendon in the lead-up to the mid-season break we expected to rebound against St Kilda last week, but the Saints were outstanding with their pressure skills and we were not able to produce our best footy. We expected the Saints to be pumped for Robert Harvey's 350th match. Like everyone else who follows the game, all of our players have a great deal of respect for the dual Brownlow medallist and can only imagine the esteem in which he is held at his club. But we still thought we would answer the challenge. The Article Dean Cox/AFL/saints.com.au/27Jun07 Michael Gardiner Injury Update St Kilda's Michael Gardiner will later this week undergo surgery to correct an injury to the second metatarso phalangeal joint in his right foot, which he sustained in round 1. Gardiner, who has been diligent and professional during this entire rehabilitation period, is intended to be placed on the long term injury list. The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/saints.com.au/27Jun07
. . . The essence of the St Kilda coach's remarks was encapsulated in the comment (ten weeks ago): "I don't want to have things lingering over the club that don't need to linger." Yesterday, he would have given up his PIN number rather than provide the media any detail about Justin Koschitzke's pesky hamstring. Even allowing for the frustration associated with recurring injuries to important players, it was a performance that was both bizarre and rude. It was, remember, a media conference called by the Saints, with Koschitzke a player of some interest. The Article Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/27Jun07 Rocca to miss Saints match in two weeks Even the emphatic support of a field umpire failed to save Collingwood forward Anthony Rocca as the traditional bump took another hit last night. Unless the Magpies appeal, Rocca will miss Sunday's match against Hawthorn and their next, against St Kilda, after the AFL Tribunal found him guilty of rough conduct. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/27Jun07 Season's over for luckless Gardiner St Kilda ruckman Michael Gardiner's season is over before it even started. The former West Coast big man will have surgery on his inflamed right foot on Saturday which will rule him out for the rest of the year. It will be the 15th time Gardiner has had surgery for a multitude of problems since his debut in 1997. The Saints' stocks of big men have plummeted even further with Justin Koschitzke out for several weeks after straining a hamstring in St Kilda's upset win over West Coast on Sunday. And veteran ruckman Matthew Clarke, who has missed the past month with a hamstring problem, is again in doubt to play Richmond on Saturday night. Gardiner was due to resume in the VFL this weekend alongside team-mates Matt Maguire and Aaron Hamill, but broke down at training after stepping up his intensity over the past fortnight. The Article Greg Denham and Malcolm Conn/TheAustralian/27Jun07 Simmonds' return welcomed by Tigers . . . (Troy) Simmonds broke his ankle in the pre-season, and after returning in round three, re-injured it in round six. With the big man having pulled up well from his VFL comeback, Tigers coach Terry Wallace said it was a "50-50" call as to whether to include him in the AFL side on Saturday night . . . Meanwhile, Wallace said star forward Nathan Brown pulled up well from his successful comeback against Melbourne on Friday night and would have his gametime increased. He said the Tigers had plenty of motivation against the Saints . . . " St Kilda's had the wood on our club for quite some time now and they have been pretty decent beltings that they've given us along the way," Wallace said. The Article AAP/TheAge/26Jun07
The next 72 hours will determine if Michael Gardiner's 2007 is a write-off or whether the former West Coast ruckman can salvage something from his first season at Moorabbin. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon revealed on Tuesday that Gardiner has suffered a setback with the stress-related foot complaint that has kept him watching from the sidelines since his transfer from the Eagles in October last year. Gardiner . . . now faces the prospect of season-ending surgery to correct the unusual condition not in his right foot which has caused problems over several years, but his 'good' left foot. "All the weight goes through the second metatarsal (bone) rather than the first and inflames his foot," Lyon said. "It leaves him behind the eight ball. I think we have to assess if it is, and we'll find out in the next 72 hours, a legitimate setback, the option is for an operation to get him set for next year. If that's the case, then we'll do that." The Article Angus Morgan/Sportal/26Jun07 Saints stick with proppy Gardiner, Gehrig to resume . . . Despite a career hampered by knee problems, Gardiner, who turns 28 next week and is on a one-year deal, has been told by coach Ross Lyon he will be offered another contract . . . While soft-tissue injuries remain a major talking point at Moorabbin, there was some good news with full-forward Fraser Gehrig to resume after recovering from a broken hand. Gehrig missed the Saints' stunning victory over West Coast on Sunday and will be an automatic replacement for the unlucky Koschitzke, who will be sidelined after producing his finest effort of the season with four goals against the Eagles. The Article Jon Pierik/HeraldSun/27Jun07 St Kilda is keeping Gardiner . . . Asked if this meant Gardiner would definitely be at Moorabbin next year, Lyon said: "It's a one-year deal, but he'll definitely be here next year. Let's put it in black and white." But St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser said talks with Gardiner's management had not yet been initiated. His 2007 contract was weighted heavily towards incentives rather than a big base fee, meaning he will not have been an expensive buy this year. A 2003 All-Australian, he has managed only 129 games in 11 seasons of AFL football. Fraser said yesterday that the club wanted Gardiner to stay. "He's shown enough athletically, behaviour-wise and professionally, to suggest he can add value to the club and the team. "If he makes that decision (to have surgery), we'd certainly back him by re-contracting him." The Article Martin Blake/RealFooty/27Jun07 Kosi out with hammy St Kilda's soft tissue curse has struck again with Justin Koschitzke set to miss Saturday night's clash against Richmond with a hamstring injury sustained late in Sunday's famous victory over West Coast at Subiaco. Koschitzke's setback was revealed on Tuesday by coach Ross Lyon, though Lyon declined to elaborate on the severity of the injury. "He's got a hamstring injury and won’t play (against Richmond). I think that's enough information," a pithy Lyon told a media conference at Moorabbin. According to the club's official injury list released later in the day, Koschitzke will miss the next two-to-three matches. The Article Angus Morgan/Sportal/26Jun07 Saints' Eagle slayer hamstrung AAP/TheAustralian/26Jun07
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. Another bad blow for Koschitzke . . . "All summer we just focused on Justin doing a pre-season and then playing some football and still he hasn't had a lot of continuity," (Ross) Lyon said. "It would be great for him to get two years of solid footy and then really make a judgement, but he's only (24), so his best football is still in front of him" . . . St Kilda (are) trying to address how better to manage players. "There's no witch hunts here," Lyon said. "It's (Subiaco Oval) a big ground, it's unfortunate. We'll put it on the table now and move on. I can only control the time I've been here and going forward ... it's not ideal, but we're working towards getting better as a club." Gehrig will meet with his surgeon later this week to ask for the all-clear after missing the win over the Eagles. (On Gardiner) "He's been fantastic since he's been here and it's real frustrating for him and the group, but he's an important part of our future and we'll do everything we can to get him right," he said. The Article AAP/TheAge/26Jun07
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 Freeentry 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 Telstra to quit Dome Telstra is preparing to withdraw from its sponsorship of the Docklands football stadium that currently bears its name. The Age believes that the communications giant has decided against renewing its massive naming rights sponsorship for the Telstra Dome when the contract expires in 2010. Telstra is also trying to extricate itself from the contract earlier if possible. Sports consultancy firm Gemba has been charged with finding a new sponsor to take over the contract and replace Telstra's name above the stadium door. A spokesman for Telstra said last night that the company did not respond to rumours. "We have a contract in place until 2010 and we are locked into that contract," he said. The Article Dan Silkstone/RealFooty/27Jun07 AFL dumps 'best fit' policy The AFL admitted yesterday that it was unlikely ever to switch the venue of a match, even if it was to the detriment of fans. The "best fit" policy the league trumpeted when it began playing games at Docklands in 2000 guaranteed that any game likely to draw more than the venue's 52,000 capacity would be moved to the MCG. But seven years on, AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said yesterday that edict had become out-dated. Demetriou would not concede that Sunday's Col-lingwood-Hawthorn match - a contest between the fourth and second-placed sides that will be played at Telstra Dome at 5.10pm - would deny attendance to possibly thousands. The Article Samantha Lane/RealFooty/28Jun07 Rock band 'Jets' to play at Grand Final Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/28Jun07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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