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Round 21 AFL 2007 Premiership Season - Pre-game Articles - St Kilda vs West Coast Eagles
ROUND 20 POST-MATCH ARTICLES
ROUND 20 POST-MATCH ARTICLES
St Kilda will let the Steven Baker matter rest because it has little chance of winning in the courts against "an 800-pound gorilla". Speaking before last night's game against West Coast at Telstra Dome, club president Rod Butterss confirmed the Saints would not take legal action. Baker received a seven-game suspension this week for rough conduct against Fremantle opponent Jeff Farmer and an appeal on Thursday night was unsuccessful. St Kilda looked at going to the Supreme Court, but received legal advice that their chances of winning were extremely slim. The Article RealFooty/25Aug07 Saints may call lawyer over Baker Guy Hand/AAP/FoxSports/23Aug07 AFL's appeals board has never overturned a verdict . . . The message from the AFL after a week of tribunal controversies is two-fold and clear: lie on the witness stand, but don't admit it, and forget about taking your case to an appeal. A week after Campbell Brown was punished for his honesty, it became apparent that had Steven Baker feigned ignorance over contact with Jeff Farmer, he might have escaped. Take it as read no player will make the same mistake again. The appeals board is yet to overturn one verdict in three years under the AFL's new system. While lawyers will try to find an error of law, there have been more than a few penalties considered "manifestly excessive" by clubs. Clubs need to feel they have at least some chance at the appeals board, and that is scarcely the case with the current model. Collingwood last year with Brodie Holland's suspension and now St Kilda with Baker have considered legal challenges after losing appeals. The appeals board needs to be more than a rubber stamp for the tribunal, or we will find a case in the Supreme Court sooner rather than later. The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/26Aug07 Swing to Saints St Kilda is poised to start favourite against West Coast at Telstra Dome tonight in a turbulent betting match. The early money came for the Eagles when Steven Baker was suspended, including bets of $10,000 and $5000 at $1.70 with Lasseters Sports and $5000 with Flemington Sports. Then news broke of Daniel Kerr's surgery and the tide turned. The Saints firmed from $2.15 into $1.95 with TAB Sportsbet and the Eagles are out to $1.85 with Lasseters. Big bets on the Saints after the Kerr news included $11,000 at $2.30 with Sportingbet Australia. "If Judd and Cousins don't play as well, and that's the tip, the Saints will start clear favourites," Darwin Sportsbet's Phil Hannah said. The Article HeraldSun/24Aug07 Saints prepared for midfield arm-wrestle ABCNews/24Aug07 Judd still winged Jon Pierik/HeraldSun/24Aug07 Baker loses season on appeal Steven Baker's season is over after his appeal against a seven-week ban for an off-the-ball incident which left Fremantle's Jeff Farmer with concussion and a broken nose was last night rejected on all grounds. The result is a savage blow to St Kilda's finals aspirations and a sobering one for Baker, who effectively sowed the seeds of his own demise by admitting that he jumped into the path of Farmer and abruptly stopped when the pair was running through the centre of Telstra Dome, some 50 metres away from the ball, in last Saturday's match. Baker's legal team insisted he had done nothing reportable and at worst, the Saints tagger should have been penalised a free-kick for making contact with Farmer more than five metres from the ball. Appeal board chairman Peter O'Callaghan said he was "by no way convinced" that a tribunal jury could not reasonably decide this amounted to rough conduct. The crux of the club's appeal was that the tribunal had erred in law by allowing the jury to find Baker guilty on the basis of his own evidence, which varied considerably from the account offered by Farmer and a Fremantle trainer. Baker's counsel, Philip Priest QC, said it was procedure unfairness for the AFL to bring a case against Baker and then change it midstream. The Article Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/24Aug07 Aggrieved Saints pondering next move ABCNews/24Aug07 Saints accept Baker ban Andrew Wu/Sportal/24Aug07 Baker loses appeal Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/24Aug07 Baker guilty Angus Morgan/Sportal/23Aug07 Baker's appeal rejected Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/24Aug07 Farmer calls for leniency on Baker Fremantle's Jeff Farmer has submitted a character reference letter for St Kilda tagger Steven Baker to the AFL tribunal ahead of tonight's appeal by the Saints. Farmer, who recalls nothing of the collision that left him dazed and with a broken nose pleaded that the tribunal be lenient with Baker after Farmer had nothing but praise for the tagger in his letter. Farmer listed Baker as one of his toughest, but most enjoyable opponents along with West Coast's Daniel Chick and Essendon's Mark Johnson in the letter which cannot be used in the appeal due to it being a new piece of evidence. He also suggested Baker would not deliberately carry out an aggressive, unprovoked attack. The appeal against Baker's seven-match ban is underway. The Article FootyGoss/23Aug07 Saints Disappointed over failed appeal Matthew Price/AAP/afl.com.au/23Aug07 Apparently Ken Sheldon was given total control of the representation by the Board and it was proven to be incompetent and overall a major blunder. Some say Ken Sheldon is a nice bloke but is the job too big for him? In hindsight Rod Butterss did not demonstrate enough anger and exasperation after the hearing last night to keep me happy, he was just disappointed. Most of the St Kilda supporters are much more than 'just disappointed'. Please don't tear up your memberships - vent your anger by sending letters to the Board and wait till the end of the season and have a good look at the overall ticket that is planning to challenge RB & Co. If the 'new ticket' can demonstrate that they can take this club to the next step - lets put our efforts into supporting them. Rod Butterss seems to be a control freak and Bakes pathetic representation was yet another joke that we are forced to endure. We have got this far - lets take the club to where we know it can go. Lets all go to the footy tonight and vent our anger in the best way we individually and as a group know how. The Post 'The Peanut' From the thread We all have decisions to make by 'joffaboy' et al saintsational.com Wouldn't it make more sense to chuck out the administration rather than help kill the club? The St Kilda Football Club is NOT Rod Butterss and his cohorts. He has f---ed this club around with his bullshit driven personal agenda. He'd prefer to give a weekly bl--job to AFL commissioners rather than take the time to communicate with members. Wonder why? Last night he should have been breathing fire. Funny he can stick to his "no comment" line so he doesn't embarrass the AFL, but couldn't give two hoots about embarrassing this football club. GT might have his detractors but he was at least prepared to fight for the club and his players. This soft c-ck wouldn't even front someone he thought was white-anting the club because he was scared of getting hurt. Members shouldn't abandon the club - they should re-claim it. The Post 'JeffDunne' Also from the thread We all have decisions to make by 'joffaboy' et al saintsational.com The club's official appeal statement St Kilda Football Club has confirmed its decision to appeal Steven Baker's suspension and has submitted a notice of appeal under the AFL guidelines. The Club has appealed on several grounds, including the ground that, having accepted Steven Baker's account of the incident, which was supported by other witnesses, the Tribunal should not have found Baker guilty or suspended him. No further comment will made by the Club until the appeal process has been concluded. The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/saints.com.au/22Aug07 Saints appeal Baker suspension AAP/SydneyMorningHerald/22Aug07 Baker cops seven matches . . . This was despite supportive evidence from leading player manager and former St Kilda player Ricky Nixon, who told the tribunal he saw the incident while watching Saturday's match at Telstra Dome from a corporate box. The incident was not captured on video and was seen by few of the 24,000 spectators in attendance. Nixon corroborated Baker's evidence that he had merely tried to block Farmer as the pair ran into the Dockers' forward line. "I saw 100 other blocks like that (during the Saints-Dockers match) and probably 1000 on the weekend," he said. "As a former half-back flanker (like Baker) I would try to block the run of a half-forward flanker (like Farmer) to get to the ball." Baker told the tribunal that Farmer had merely run into the back of him as he stepped into his path to prevent him running into the forward line. "My intention (in blocking Farmer) was to stay goal side of him and to stop him getting the ball," he said. However Baker conceded the ball was more than five metres away when he blocked Farmer and conceded his actions warranted a free-kick but not a report. In contrast Farmer said he standing watching the play when he felt someone make contact 'to the right hand side of his face.' But he was unable to tell the tribunal who had made contact with him. "Basically I was watching the play and the next thing I remember contact was made to my face and then I remember being on the ground on all fours." Farmer then needed assistance to leave the field and did not play the rest of the game and is in doubt for this week's game against his former club Melbourne. Fremantle trainer Barry Kirkwood also gave evidence telling the tribunal that Baker ran in from about 20 metres away from Farmer from 'a diagonal direction' and made contact with him. But he was unable to tell the tribunal what form of contact Baker made because his view at the moment of impact was obscured. The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/21Aug07 Saints argue Baker's own testimony should have cleared him Defence counsel Phillip Priest QC argued there were exceptional and compelling circumstances after the jury, Emmett Dunne, Wayne Henwood and Wayne Schimmelbusch, found Baker guilty of reckless conduct against Farmer. Before the jury retired again to consider further specifics of the offence and penalty, Priest emphasised these matters: • The changing nature of the case, stating that he based the defence on alleged elbow contact and he wasn't aware why the tribunal arrived at the guilty verdict. • The unusual circumstances where the charge was not laid by the AFL match review panel, therefore denying Baker the opportunity to enter an early guilty plea and access the 25 per cent discount. • If the offence was of a technical nature, in respect to where the ball was in relation to the play and the two players. Witness Ricky Nixon had spoken of Baker's conduct as "nothing a half-back flanker wouldn't do" and that he had admitted doing it himself. • Witness Ricky Nixon had spoken of Baker's conduct as "nothing a half-back flanker wouldn't do" and that he had admitted doing it himself. Priest earlier described Nixon, who played 63 games with Carlton, St Kilda and Hawthorn, as "the most preferable witness we've heard this evening" as an unbiased observer. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/23Aug07 Illegal block at root of woes Former AFL prosecutor Ricky Lewis believes St Kilda tagger Steven Baker was poorly advised on the evidence he gave the tribunal this week. Lewis said the Saints had only themselves to blame for Baker's seven-match suspension after he was found guilty of rough conduct on Fremantle's Jeff Farmer. He said Baker was doomed once he admitted he intentionally committed an illegal act by blocking Farmer off the ball. Farmer said he did not know how he suffered a broken nose and concussion in the third-quarter incident. Lewis believes Baker will not be successful when he appeals against his suspension today because he admitted committing an illegal blocking act which lead to Farmer's injuries. He said St Kilda had either been poorly advised or weren't aware of basic rules. "Baker could have said he was watching the flight of the ball, was watching where he was running and all of a sudden he felt Farmer crash into the back of him," Lewis said . . . He conceded that people could argue Baker had simply told the truth. "Why set a precedent like that at a tribunal hearing," Lewis quipped The Article Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/23Aug07 Kerr to miss Friday's match Daniel Kerr has only an outside chance of playing again this season after the West Coast midfielder decided to undergo surgery to correct a finger injury. Kerr will have an operation today to re-attach a ruptured tendon on the ring finger of his left hand, having sustained the injury in the Eagles' 31-point victory over Richmond at Subiaco Oval on Saturday. The Eagles released a statement saying Kerr would be sidelined for five to six weeks, but could be available if the club "plays deep into the finals series". With the grand final scheduled for September 29, Kerr would only be a remote chance of playing in the season decider should the Eagles qualify. Meanwhile, the Eagles have also announced that midfielder Jamie McNamara would be promoted to the club's senior list to replace Ashley Sampi. Sampi was placed on the Eagles' long-term injury list earlier this month. The Article ABCSport/22Aug07 Saint Baker found guilty in off-ball collision St Kilda tagger Steven Baker was hit with a savage seven-match suspension last night after the AFL Tribunal found him guilty of serious rough conduct. The shaken Saints will decide before today's noon deadline whether to pay $5000 to fight the stiff sentence tomorrow night at the Appeals Board. "We're disappointed and we'll make our choice on an appeal by 12 o'clock tomorrow," football manager Ken Sheldon said as the despondent delegation left the tribunal rooms at Telstra Dome. It's the heaviest penalty for a single on-field charge since dual Brownlow medallist Greg Williams copped nine games for manhandling a field umpire in the opening round of 1997. In what was a tribunal first, the jury revealed that it used Baker's own evidence to not only end his season but delay his start to 2008. The jury, Wayne Henwood, Emmett Dunne and Wayne Schimmelbusch, said after the marathon hearing that it had based the guilty finding on the tough Saint's admission that he deliberately blocked Fremantle forward Jeff Farmer in an off-the-ball clash at Telstra Dome on Saturday. The ex-players disregarded wildly conflicting versions of the incident by Farmer and Fremantle trainer Barry Kirkwood against those of Baker and surprise defence witness, prominent player manager Ricky Nixon. And the jury used its discretion to determine the demerit points tally because Baker was charged following a league investigation rather than being cited by the match review panel that usually classifies the conduct, impact and contact aspects of an offence. Henwood, as foreman, said the jury had decided on 722.5 points, which equated to the seven-game penalty. It meant that the jury had assessed Baker's costly block in the third quarter as reckless conduct, high impact and high contact. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/22Aug07 Baker cops 7 weeks Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/21Aug07 Baker out for seven games Sam Lienert/FoxSports/21Aug07  Bakers Tribunal Video FoxSports
AFL tribunal: Baker guilty Trueman video/youtube.com (small file)
R20 INJURY WRAP FoxSports
 Google - Baker Tribumal 173 Articles/23Aug07
Seven-game ban for Baker contact Lyall Johnson/RealFooty/22Aug07 AFL's surveillance system remains in camera AFL chief Andrew Demetriou this week responded to criticism brought up in this column on Monday, that the governing body doesn't use its own surveillance system at matches. He said that it would require 50 cameras to do it properly and that could not be justified given the infrequent nature of behind-the-play incidents, such as the Steven Baker-Jeff Farmer clash, that aren't caught on tape. Ignoring the mayonnaise put on the half-century figure, it totally sidesteps the real question, which is: when it comes to video footage of its own game, how can the AFL continue to avoid taking responsibility for policing it properly? . . . With its vast playing surfaces and large number of players away from the action at any given point, AFL football is possibly the hardest mainstream sport in the world to thoroughly police. So Demetriou's point - that covering every nook and cranny of an arena would not justify the prohibitive costs of what are thankfully very occasional incidents - is not without merit. Yet for the same reasons that police patrol the backstreets knowing that although it won't eliminate crime, the more they're seen, the more doubt is placed in the mind of those thinking of transgressing, the AFL needs players to know that big brother is watching . . . more often than they do now. The Article Ralph Horowitz/RealFooty/23Aug07 Eddie: No fixed cameras nonsensical Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/23Aug07 Sheahan: Baker victim of poor vision When the then VFL introduced video evidence at a tribunal hearing 21 years ago, the rationale was simple enough. It was an initiative born out of the negative publicity generated by a spate of incidents, including eye-gouging, from a vicious Essendon-Swans Queen's Birthday game at Windy Hill in June 1986. The VFL took the landmark decision to avail itself of visual evidence, and had the charges heard at Channel 7's then South Melbourne studios. Essendon's then general manager Barry Capuano was quoted the next day gravely warning the league it was duty-bound to peruse video of all future matches. Capuano was correct and video evidence was here to stay, and rightly so. It was intended to expose behind-the-play incidents that umpires reasonably couldn't be expected to see while going about their duties. Yet, 21 years on, at a time when the AFL is receiving almost $160 million a year in cash and kind from television networks, we still can't be sure of what happened in incidents that occur off the ball. The Article Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/22Aug07 RL ON MATCHDAY CAMERAS Sportal
Stars hit hard over rough play Greg Denham/TheAustralian/21Aug07 Lyon in no rush on veterans A decision on the future of St Kilda stars Fraser Gehrig and Robert Harvey won't be known until season's end, Saints coach Ross Lyon said yesterday. With his focus squarely on making the finals, Lyon said there would be plenty of time to sit down with the pair, who are out of contract at the end of the year. "Your time frames are so short from game to game and they're short turnarounds and the whole focus is on the team and not the individual," Lyon said. "I think the way we will go with those two is it will be more a post-season discussion where we've got plenty of time to talk and evaluate and contract and then finalise lists." Lyon didn't think uncertainty over Gehrig and Harvey's future was having an impact on the club. "In Sydney I was also involved in two retirements where I saw club champions and captains (go) in consecutive years, '05 and '06, Stuart Maxfield and Paul Williams who both retired mid-year, about Round 11," Lyon said. "It didn't detract from them at all or the club and they were in premiership and Grand Final years. That's an alternative, too. Do they push on and see how it goes? We've got plenty of time and the players won't be pressured into making a decision in the next two weeks. We've got months. And that might flow into six months, halfway through next season." The Article David Hastie with AAP/HeraldSun/22Aug07 Saints may retain Harvey, Gehrig in 2008 AAP/TheAge/21Aug07 Lyon urges veterans to play on John Clark/Sportal/21Aug07  MATT MAGUIRE ON 927AM SPORTS RADIO sport927.com.au/22Aug07
Mark Harvey plays straight bat to Baker questions . . . "It's not for me to judge," Harvey said flatly. "Obviously it's a lengthy sentence, so that's why they are appealing." Baker's suspension for rough conduct was the longest handed down by the AFL tribunal this season. The length of the suspension, given that lack of video footage and conflicting evidence presented by witnesses, has raised eyebrows in the AFL community. However, Harvey dismissed suggestions AFL clubs would need to discuss the impact of the Baker suspension with their players. "I think the players are well educated about those sorts of incidents," he said. "I don't think we have to go into that. They know where they stand and the AFL's non-tolerance of that kind of behaviour" . . . "Jeff will train today and we will assess him today at training," Harvey said. "He hasn't got any headaches or anything, so that is a positive. It will be a matter of how he feels when he actually starts to run and train. We'll give him every chance." The Article AAP/TheWest/22Aug07 Baker charged over Jeff Farmer incident St Kilda tagger Steven Baker was on Monday night charged with engaging in rough conduct against Fremantle's Jeff Farmer, following an AFL investigation. The incident was referred directly to the tribunal for determination, with Baker not able to enter an early plea. Farmer was severely concussed during the third term of Saturday's Telstra Dome clash with the Saints. The incident, which occurred well off the ball, with Baker the only other player in the vicinity, was not captured on camera. The charge was laid following an investigation by AFL investigations officer Graeme McDonald. The Article AAP/TheAge/20Aug07 This is it The Saints' bold second half charge for a finals spot will be put on the line in one of the matches of the season against West Coast tonight. Last week's impressive victory over Fremantle has given the Saints total control over their September destiny, while the other sides all have to rely on the Saints or other sides in the bottom half of the eight to lose . . . The Saints come up against an Eagles side that is missing Daniel Kerr and with Chris Judd in very serious doubt. Judd was missing when the Saints celebrated Robert Harvey's milestone game in Perth with a gutsy four goal victory. The Saints are boosted by the return of Justin Koschitzke, who will add another focal point to a forward line that last week fired on all cylinders. Fraser Gehrig was superb against the Dockers kicking eight goals from all angles of Telstra Dome. His five in the first half when the game was close were crucial to the Saints, building a narrow half-time advantage. Nick Riewoldt contributed 21 possessions and 13 marks. Koschitzke will cause further headaches for Eagles coach John Worsfold after he kicked four goals at Subiaco Oval in round 12, a number of those goals coming from contested marks. The Article Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/24Aug07 SAINTS MATCH PREVIEW AFL/saints.com.au/24Aug07 Saints may retain Harvey, Gehrig in 2008 St Kilda coach Ross Lyon might encourage Fraser Gehrig and Robert Harvey to keep playing and consider a mid-AFL season retirement next year if necessary. Lyon used two examples from his time as a Sydney assistant coach as alternative ideas for how the Saints could manage Harvey and Gehrig beyond this season. Harvey, who turned 36 on Tuesday, played his 358th senior game in Saturday's win over Fremantle. Gehrig is 31 and the futures of the pair will be key topics for the Saints in the off-season. Lyon brought up the retirement of Swans Stuart Maxfield and Paul Williams, who did not make it through their last seasons. "It didn't detract from them at all, or the club," Lyon said. "That's an alternative, too - do they push on and see how it goes?" The Saints coach said the club would wait until the end of the season before sitting down with Harvey and Gehrig. The Article AAP/TheAge/21Aug07 Lyon urges veterans to play on John Clark/Sportal/21Aug07 Lyon backs tribunal process St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has backed the AFL's process for investigating off-field incidents ahead of Steven Baker's Tuesday night tribunal hearing. Baker will defend a charge of engaging in rough conduct against Fremantle's Jeff Farmer . . . the Saints' injury report doesn't appear as bad as first thought, with veterans Robert Harvey and Max Hudghton (quadriceps) both expected back shortly. "Harvey's is a really minor quad, as is Max's, so we're really hopeful that they'll be back for next week (round 22)," Lyon said. St Kilda is also confident co-captain Luke Ball and Justin Koschitzke, a late withdrawal against Freo, will be fit for the Eagles clash. The Saints are one of the form teams in the second half of the season, but need to win their remaining two matches to make the eight. They will take come confidence into Friday night's clash after beating last year's premier at Subiaco when the two teams last met in round 12, but Lyon believes that counts for little when the two sides run out this week. "Nine weeks ago is a lifetime," he said. "It's a different ground, different round, different personnel, different weather conditions." The Article Ben Broad/saints.com.au/20Aug07 No Cousins, no Judd; no worries No cousins, No Judd, No Embley. No Worries. Admittedly, it was at home against the AFL's bottom side, and while the Tigers fought bravely at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night, West Coast always held the upper hand and did enough to win by 31 points. West Coast's next assignment as it aims for second spot and a first-week home final is St Kilda at Telstra Dome on Friday night. The Saints have played the Dome 12 times this year - more than any other team - for eight wins and a draw, while the Eagles are also playing well there this season, with two wins and a one-point loss. The Saints need a win to keep their finals hopes alive, while West Coast needs one to maintain its charge on second spot. And there's plenty of good news for West Coast in the lead-up. The Saints have concerns - either injury or tribunal - over Robert Harvey, Luke Ball, Max Hudghton and Steven Baker, while the visitors are expecting get Brownlow Medal pair Chris Judd and Ben Cousins back. Cousins was kept out of what was supposed to be his return to football against the Lions in round 14 by a back-related hamstring injury, and the injury kept him out again this week. The Article Mic Cullen/AFL/saints.com.au/19Aug07 This is it The Saints' bold second half charge for a finals spot will be put on the line in one of the matches of the season against West Coast tonight. Last week's impressive victory over Fremantle has given the Saints total control over their September destiny, while the other sides all have to rely on the Saints or other sides in the bottom half of the eight to lose . . . The Saints come up against an Eagles side that is missing Daniel Kerr and with Chris Judd in very serious doubt. Judd was missing when the Saints celebrated Robert Harvey's milestone game in Perth with a gutsy four goal victory. The Saints are boosted by the return of Justin Koschitzke, who will add another focal point to a forward line that last week fired on all cylinders. Fraser Gehrig was superb against the Dockers kicking eight goals from all angles of Telstra Dome. His five in the first half when the game was close were crucial to the Saints, building a narrow half-time advantage. Nick Riewoldt contributed 21 possessions and 13 marks. Koschitzke will cause further headaches for Eagles coach John Worsfold after he kicked four goals at Subiaco Oval in round 12, a number of those goals coming from contested marks. The Article Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/24Aug07 SAINTS MATCH PREVIEW AFL/saints.com.au/24Aug07 Swing to Saints St Kilda is poised to start favourite against West Coast at Telstra Dome tonight in a turbulent betting match. The early money came for the Eagles when Steven Baker was suspended, including bets of $10,000 and $5000 at $1.70 with Lasseters Sports and $5000 with Flemington Sports. Then news broke of Daniel Kerr's surgery and the tide turned. The Saints firmed from $2.15 into $1.95 with TAB Sportsbet and the Eagles are out to $1.85 with Lasseters. Big bets on the Saints after the Kerr news included $11,000 at $2.30 with Sportingbet Australia. "If Judd and Cousins don't play as well, and that's the tip, the Saints will start clear favourites," Darwin Sportsbet's Phil Hannah said. The Article HeraldSun/24Aug07 Saints prepared for midfield arm-wrestle ABCNews/24Aug07 Judd still winged Jon Pierik/HeraldSun/24Aug07 Harvey and Hudghton could be back for Richmond St Kilda stars Robert Harvey and Max Hudghton will both miss Friday night's crucial AFL match against West Coast through injury. Both players had scans on Monday after sustaining quadriceps injuries during Saturday's win over Fremantle. Football operations manager Ken Sheldon said with only a six-day break between games, Harvey and Hudghton would miss the Eagles clash. But the club was hopeful they could both recover in time to play against Richmond in the following round. Sheldon said ruckman Justin Koschitzke, a late withdrawal from Saturday's match because of soreness, and Luke Ball, who spent some time on the bench with a thigh problem, would both play against the Eagles. The Article AAP/BrisbaneTimes/20Aug07 Harvey in doubt St Kilda veteran Robert Harvey is expected to miss the match agsinst West Coast at telstra Dome on Friday after injuring a thigh muscle against Fremantle on Saturday. The six-day break between games won't help Harvey's bid to prove his fitness. Defender Max Hudghton suffered a more severe thigh injury and is certain to miss the match. Luke Ball has a corked thigh but will be fit, and the Saints will regain Justin Koschitzke, who withdrew on Saturday with general soreness. The Article Daryl Timms/FoxSports/20Aug07 Eagle at home in the Dome West Coast defender Shannon Hurn has dismissed concerns about the playing surface at Telstra Dome, where the Eagles will play St Kilda on Friday night. Telstra Dome has been criticised in some quarters due to its hardness and with Eagles captain Chris Judd and Ben Cousins missing Saturday night's win over Richmond with soft-tissue injuries, some doubt remains if the star duo will take their place at Docklands. After beating Richmond by 31 points, West Coast had just six days to prepare for the clash and must win if it is any chance of finishing in the top two and earning one, possibly two home finals . . . Worsfold said he could make several changes to the West Coast line-up for the Friday night clash. "I am expecting that (Cousins and Judd) will both play at this stage," he said. "If either of them say on Wednesday they don't think they are going to be right then we probably won't take them, but my feel is that they will be right and ready to go." The Article Stuart McLea/FoxSports/20Aug07 Saints at best when matters most The Saints saved their best for their most important match of the season and now control their finals destiny. With just two weeks of the home and away season remaining, the Saints now sit in eighth place and two more precious victories will guarantee a finals spot. Aiding the cause was Brisbane's draw with Sydney, which dropped the Lions half a game behind the Saints and takes their percentage out of the finals equation. A few weeks ago coach Ross Lyon said he wanted Fraser Gehrig to continue on next year and on Saturday the full-forward showed why. After a tight first quarter Gehrig broke the game open with a couple of brilliant goals in the second term. These goals were part of a burst that broke the game open during the middle part of the second term. Sandwiched in that run was a majestic goal from Nick Dal Santo where he burst out of the centre and nailed a goal on the run from just inside 50. Another goal came from Stephen Milne who was providing a handy option up forward and he converted from a great contested mark. The Saints had the momentum and were beginning to get away from their opponents. Gehrig had five of the side's ten goals at half-time and the Saints had a 13-point advantage. Milne featured on the highlight reel in the third quarter when he snapped a miracle goal from the boundary line that landed just over the line. It was in this quarter that the Saints took control of the match. After Fremantle kicked the opening goal of the second half, the Saints blasted six goals with some pulsating attacking football. Nick Riewoldt got on the board and Aaron Fiora also scored his first goal following a spectacular leap near the goalsquare. The Article Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/20Aug07 The Phantom of the Dome strikes Francis Leach/saints.com.au/20Aug07 Saints must win-win St Kilda's round 12 win against West Coast might have been the turning point for its season, but the return clash will be far more important in determining the club's fate in 2007. While the Saints kept their finals hopes alive with a 30-point win against Fremantle on Saturday, Ross Lyon's men face a virtual elimination final against the Eagles at Telstra Dome on Friday night . . . Midfield player Luke Ball said the Saints' season was still alive, but he conceded their fate might not be entirely in the team's own hands. The Saints' finals aspirations suffered a blow with veteran Robert Harvey and defender Max Hudghton both hurting their quadriceps against the Dockers. Ball also suffered a corked thigh, but he expects to be fit to tackle the Eagles. He hoped the Saints hadn't seen the last of dual Brownlow medal winner Harvey. "He hasn't decided (on his future) yet, so hopefully we do sneak into the eight there and his injury is not too bad and he will come back pretty soon," Ball said. "He'll make his decision at the end of the year and I won't say that we won't try and persuade him either way, but we'll leave that up to him. He has earned that right." Ball lamented the timing of the latest injury blows. "It's a bit disappointing because we have been going so well," he said. "We have had such a good run from the mid-season break, injury-wise. We have been able to get most of our good players out there and starting to play some good footy consistently, unfortunately we will probably lose a couple." The Article Rebecca Williams/FoxSports/20Aug07 Eagle Armstrong to miss Saints West Coast premiership forward Steven Armstrong will miss Friday night's showdown with St Kilda at Telstra Dome and could be sidelined until the finals after injuring his knee in Saturday night's 31-point victory over wooden spooner-in-waiting Richmond. Armstrong, collected heavily by Tiger Jake King in the second quarter, strained a medial ligament later in the match and did not join his teammates at their recovery session yesterday morning. The club is hopeful Armstrong's setback is not serious. And there are fears dependable tall utility player Jaymie Graham could have played his last AFL match for the season after tearing the medial ligament in his left knee for the second time this year in South Fremantle's loss to Swan Districts. But West Coast is likely to be boosted by the return of premiership quartet Chris Judd (groin), Ben Cousins (hamstring), Beau Waters (finger) and Daniel Chick (larynx) for the clash with St Kilda, knowing full well that victories against the Saints and Essendon in round 22 will virtually assure the Eagles of second spot and two home finals. West Coast is hopeful Brent Staker's report for striking Adam Pattison will be withdrawn, while Mark Seaby's heavy bump on Kane Johnson in the second half did not even draw a 50-metre penalty, suggesting a penalty from the match review panel is unlikely. The Article Digby Beacham/RealFooty/20Aug07 Eagles to recall champs for Saints match West Coast coach John Worsfold says star playmakers Chris Judd and Ben Cousins should be available for Friday night's blockbuster against St Kilda next week after the pair were late withdrawals from the Eagles' 31-point win over Richmond on Saturday night. Judd has been battling a groin injury since round 11 and was rested from the clash, while Cousins suffered a reoccurrence of a hamstring complaint at training on Friday that first flared when he returned from a club-imposed ban in early July. Worsfold revealed it was Cousins' call to rule himself out of the Tigers clash, but the coach was confident his star midfielder would be fit to take on the Saints at the rock-hard Telstra Dome in six days time. "He was pretty close but his hammy has been a concern since we left him out when he was ready to play against Brisbane," Worsfold said. "It's worried him in the games he's played so we will try to get to the bottom of it, but I'm pretty confident there is no strain there and he'll be available next week" . . . However, Judd will be more of a day-to-day proposition in regards to his groin. "Juddy's problem is an ongoing management thing," Worsfold said. The Article Justin Chadwick/Sportal/19Aug07 Related to Rick Lewis article: Illegal block at root of woes by Darryl Timms/HeraldSun/23/Aug07 *(Det-Sgt) 'Ricky' Lewis was an AFL special investigator and reporting officer, Lewis interviewed players and officials involved in on-field incidents behind play, as well as acting as prosecutor at the AFL Tribunal. In 2001 Victoria Police had suspended Det-Sgt Rick Lewis pending an investigation into allegations he sent "hard core" pornographic e-mails on the police computer system. Det-Sgt Lewis was the first officer appointed to the role of AFL investigator and reporting officer back in 1996 and was regarded as a "tough" AFL investigator. Apparently Rick Lewis became ill after he was interviewed by the ethical standards department and was on sick leave so they could not further interview him or proceed with a disciplinary hearing without his consent. He may know his stuff regarding the tribunal and it also appears that he knows a bit more about contact between bodies that might be deemed to be "unreasonable" too, as a poster on saintsational.com pointed out. WoM Editer - Information Source: AFL investigator under police probe Johnson Leung/afana.com/10Feb01 Baker - Trial by media A poster on Saintsational fan forum stated 'GT has said on SEN that from his information (he didn't see it, but has been told) is that Farmer tried to sprint across the ground, Baker blocked his way and they clashed heads. Baker apparently has a lump on his head from the incident.' It is believed that GT's daughter is still going out with Bakes, so I speculate that he might have some inside information on Bakers story. It has been reported that V2 has now said that he didn't see the actual incident and apparently the AFL have no video footage. There has been callers to SEN who stated that Bakes ran in front of Farmer and stopped (some say that Farmer doubled back) and there was a collision. The match review panel have announced that they are still reviewing the alleged incident and will provide their findings Monday night or Tuesday morning. Meanwhile at around 5.00pm (AEST) on SEN Nathan Buckley strongly inferred that Jeff Farmer was 'King Hit' by Baker. He appeared to have been reminded of the seriousness of his accusation from no evidence and tried to back-pedal away from his statement. WoM Editor Freo staffer to give evidence on Baker-Farmer clash A Fremantle trainer will be the key witness against St Kilda tagger Steven Baker at an AFL tribunal hearing tonight. Baker must defend a charge of engaging in rough conduct against Docker Jeff Farmer after a league investigation yesterday found he had a case to answer. The Dockers trainer, a teacher by profession, told the club he saw the incident that forced Farmer off the field with a broken nose, lacerated upper lip and concussion in the third quarter at Telstra Dome on Saturday. Baker, with a suspended sentence worth almost two games hanging over his head, was not able to enter an early plea and the incident was referred directly to the tribunal. With no video evidence, the match review panel couldn't make the standard assessments for the conduct, impact and contact categories. It will be at the tribunal jury's discretion to decide those specifics of the charge . . . Baker's defence is expected to be that Farmer cannoned into him, sustaining the injuries in an accidental clash of heads. The Saint, who is sporting a lump on his head, told his former coach, Grant Thomas, that he looked up to see Farmer running at full pace towards him. Baker's account was that he braced for the collision when he realised the Dockers' forward hadn't seen him. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/21Aug07 Club to vigorously defend Baker St Kilda's Steven Baker has been charged following an investigation by AFL Investigations Officer Graeme McDonald with engaging in rough conduct against Jeff Farmer, Fremantle, during the third quarter of the Round 20 match between St Kilda and Fremantle, played at Telstra Dome on Saturday August 18, 2007. The incident has been referred directly to the Tribunal for its determination on the matter and the player is not able to enter an early plea. The Club will vigorously defend Baker's charge and will be seeking legal advice to present to the tribunal on Tuesday evening (21st August). The Club will keep all members and supporters informed of any developments as they come to hand. The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/saints.com.au/21Aug07 Saints stick by Baker St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has revealed discussions among football authorities in relation to fixed cameras behind the goals 'fell over' on the eve of this season. As the Saints prepare to defend tough man Steven Baker at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night, Lyon told the media at Moorabbin that down-the-field cameras were talked about by league heavyweights. Baker was reported on Monday night after an AFL investigation, despite no footage of the incident that left Fremantle forward Jeff Farmer concussed and nursing a broken nose. "There was discussions, but it's hard to get 16 clubs in agreement to be fair to everyone involved. It's something going forward (St Kilda would like to see)," Lyon said. "Channel 7 and Channel 10 were fantastic but the negotiations took a fair while and there was no congruency between the clubs. It's something the coaches' association is working closely with the ground operations and the television stations for next year." St Kilda heavyweights - including football operations manager Ken Sheldon - will vigorously contest Baker's charge at the tribunal. Lyon refused to discuss the particulars of the Baker incident. The Article John Clark/Sportal/21Aug07 Saints stand by their man AAP/FoxSports/21Aug07 Dutch lights to make Dome grass grow Telstra Dome officials have ordered 18 new lighting rigs from Holland worth $2.2 million to help the turf grow at the Docklands ground. Dome boss Ian Collins announced today that the rigs should be up and running by March 2008, in time for the start of next season and that the turf supplier at Telstra Dome had changed to further improve the surface. The turf at Telstra Dome has improved markedly in the past two seasons after many problems in the first five years that the venue was in use. The Article FootyGoss/23Aug07 New lighting to boost Dome surface AAP/RealFooty/23Aug07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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