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There are a lot of myths in football and one of them surrounds Gehrig. The myth is that he is an angry, surly and selfish. As one of his former coaches, I can assure you nothing could be further from the truth. Fraser Gehrig is quite a complex person. He is also quite possibly the most generous and giving person I know. He goes out of his way to assist people from all walks of life. I have seen first hand some other great acts of care and devotion from the big fella. Most of them go unmentioned because that's the way he wants it but the football public got a glimpse of his true nature when he hung up the boots against Richmond in round twenty-two. There was no fanfare or press conferences before or after the game. He ended it on his terms, avoiding the spotlight and instead took the opportunity to make a young girl's day and probably childhood by presenting her with his jumper. I'm sure she will never forget the gesture. I still vividly remember the day the big "G" made his commitment to the Saints. Collingwood were very keen to secure his services. We were fortunate to get the quinella of Gehrig and Aaron Hamill. They were to form an imposing forward line for the next few years for the Saints and assist the development of Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke. I always found Fraser to be a likeable rogue. He had a great sense of humour and a mischievous trait in him. He was definitely different and required alternative management and handling. However, he was an important part of the team and engendered terrific spirit at training and around the club. In essence, he totally bought into the direction the club was taking. Don't get me wrong it wasn't all beer and skittles although there was a fair bit of beer along the way, I must admit! Fraser's "partner in crime" was his great mate Stevie Lawrence. Steve was hard at everything he did. He was an on field warrior who gave all he had and an off field dynamo that trouble just seemed to follow. The Article Grant Thomas/wwos.com.au/ninemsn/05Sept07 Riewoldt: We need Harvey St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt has urged football's most-decorated warrior Robert Harvey to play on for an unprecedented 21st AFL season. Riewoldt said Harvey's playing presence in 2008 was crucial to a Saints revival, especially with the retirements of veteran teammates Fraser Gehrig, Andrew Thompson, Matthew Clarke and possibly Brett Voss. "He has had a fantastic year and still has a lot to offer," said Riewoldt, after the St Kilda finished as the best team outside the top eight. Coach Ross Lyon said the Saints hoped to retain Harvey, who would finish top six in the club's best and fairest. Harvey re-injured a quad and was able to play for only half the match yesterday . . . Just turned 36, Harvey would become the first to play 21 seasons if he does decide to go on in 2008. The AFL's games record holder Michael Tuck played 20. The Article Ken Piesse/HeraldSun/02Sept07 Lyon wants Harvey to stay after retirements St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has urged veteran Robert Harvey to play on next year, after the Saints lost a wealth of experience with Fraser Gehrig, Andrew Thompson and Matthew Clarke all retiring following Saturday's match at the MCG. Harvey told Channel 10 after the win over Richmond he was still undecided about whether he will play on into a 21st year, and wants to "make sure I do the right thing" by holding off on making the call until this season is well over. Flanked by retiring pair Gehrig and Thompson, Lyon said he hopes Harvey will decide to continue playing and provide the Saints' younger players with an experienced mentor next year. "We'll give Robert every opportunity, and losing so much experience, there is a real opportunity to be a part of that transition for the group," he said. "We'll get a lot of young, talented players through again, and he's got a massive influence around the place. To lose all your leaders at once is difficult, so we're hopeful to retain Robert." Lyon called for the Saints' middle-aged players to carry on where the veterans have left off, as the club looks to take another step with its current list. The Article Jennifer Witham/saints.com.au/01Sept07 Lyon wants Harvey to stay as three leave AAP/RealFooty/01Sept07 No fanfare as content G-Train chugs into the sunset Football for Fraser Gehrig was always supposed to be as much about good, old-fashioned fun as status, accolades and financial rewards. Which is why the last of his 255 AFL games yesterday was an appropriate send-off. A beautiful Saturday afternoon in spring at the MCG, a traditional time and a traditional ground. Five goals, including the last two, to help give his St Kilda teammates a win. Even time for a bit of a joust with the opposition fans over the fence just before half-time, the ball still in play and only 50 or so metres away. And time at the end to give one lucky young Saints supporter a big thrill by presenting her with his No. 9 jumper, before being shouldered off, bare-chested and looking a little embarrassed, by teammates Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke, the powerful forward trio having booted 12 of their team's 14 goals in their last outing together. It was the way he wanted to go out. On his terms. A time of his choosing. And despite two Coleman Medals, two All-Australian nominations, without the sort of fanfare accorded some of his seasoned AFL peers also giving the game at the elite level away this weekend. The Article Rohan Connolly/RealFooty/02Sept07 . . . Fraser Gehrig (West Coast/St Kilda) Age: 31, Games: 255, Coleman medal: 2004, '05, All-Australian: 1997, 2004, Club best-and-fairest: 2nd 2001, Club leading goalkicker: 1998, 2003, '04, '05, '06 Why we will remember him: It's hard to imagine a more menacing player than the mullet-wearing strongman from St Kilda. His furious on-field outbursts and wide-eyed stares at umpires, fans and opponents meant he was largely portrayed as a brooding, cold-hearted troublemaker. But while he endured a few personal problems off the field, few on it have made the transition from full-back to full-forward as successfully. His speed was hard to combat on the lead, while superior strength made him almost impossible to beat wrestling one-out. Fond farewell to warriors Jay Clark/HeraldSun/09Sept07 Saints make hard work of it The real interest in yesterday's Richmond-St Kilda game evaporated about the time Adelaide's Brent Reilly sealed Collingwood's fate with a late goal at Telstra Dome on Friday night. And by the time Richmond coach Terry Wallace had spoken on radio pre-game yesterday about the tanking issue, this clash seemed a real lemon. St Kilda woke up yesterday knowing it could deliver the performance of a lifetime and still have the finals series off to pursue other interests. Wallace conceded it wasn't in his or his club's interests to win, the Tigers standing to lose a priority draft pick should they win. There can't have been (until Carlton plays Melbourne this evening) too many games in living memory where either side had less incentive . . . Cue the only good news story of the afternoon. A Gehrig handball bobbled on the goal line long enough for Riewoldt to get a faint touch. The G-Train's fourth put his team back in front. And with the siren having sounded, Gehrig's fifth made the margin a cosier 10 points. A nice touch to finish. And one that at least ensured that this game would be remembered for something. The Article Rohan Connolly/RealFooty/02Sept07 Gehrig thunders to golden stop Carefree footy is often cited as a good thing. Kids are encouraged to get out and play like it doesn't matter and coaches are always looking for ways to take the pressure off their players. But if you think carefree footy is a good spectacle then you weren't at the MCG yesterday. St Kilda defeated Richmond by 10 points in a match which had the life sucked out of it by the Adelaide win on Friday night. Any mild interest in whether Richmond could avoid its seventh wooden spoon was then buried by Tiger coach Terry Wallace's pre-game comments when he said he felt compromised by the AFL draft rules. Rarely has a close match had less tension . . . Perhaps the best thing to come from yesterday was the game by former Bulldog Shane Birss who, in his 12th game for the club, stopped Tiger midfielder Nathan Foley and picked up plenty of the ball himself. Pettifer was Richmond's best while Chris Newman was excellent early on Robert Harvey and then continued to get plenty of the ball. The Article Mark Harding/HeraldSun/02Sept07  St Kilda v Richmond FoxSports (Video)
Saints farewell champs with tight win St Kilda won a thrilling last round encounter with Richmond at the MCG on Saturday afternoon, handing a deserved send-off to retiring veterans Fraser Gehrig and Andrew Thompson. The Saints triumphed 14.18 (102) to 13.14 (92) after Gehrig revealed before the match that he was hanging up his boots. Gehrig capped off a fairytale ending to a stellar career, kicking his fifth goal on the siren to stretch the Saints' winning margin to 10 points. The Saints looked a spent force in the final quarter as the Tigers bravely held a slight lead for the majority of the last term. But it was St Kilda's big names once again including big man Gehrig, Justin Koschitzke and Nick Riewoldt who edged them back into the contest, handing the Saints the lead with only seven minutes remaining. Riewoldt's late goal was contentious, as he looked to have a complete air swing at the football before it trickled over the goal line after a handball from Gehrig. The Article ABCNews/01Sept07  FRASER GEHRIG POST MATCH INTERVIEW ABCNews (audio)
BIGPOND VIDS R22 afl.com.au (video) Follow the links
RL, G-TRAIN & THOMO POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE Sportal (audio)
3AW AUDIO OF ENTIRE MATCH mytalk.com.au (audio)
3AW INTERVIEW WITH FRASER mytalk.com.au (audio)
Gehrig gets personal with Tiger fan In the middle of St Kilda star Fraser Gehrig's farewell AFL match at the MCG, one member of Richmond's cheer squad got the chance to say goodbye up close and personal. Rankled by some heckling from the Tigers section of the crowd on the fence behind the goals, the burly forward decided to pay one fan a visit late in the first half, walking towards him and sticking his face just inches away. The incident took place with the ball not far away on the Saints' half-forward line, but Gehrig said he had always liked a bit of crowd involvement, whether friendly or otherwise. "I know it's always been that way where if you're up one end you've got your supporters that tend to like you and up the other end they tend to hate you," he said. "Because you're the closest player to them you tend to cop a fair bit. It's something I've always enjoyed, the interaction." The Article AAP/RealFooty/01Sept07 Final stop for the G-Train Retiring St Kilda pair Fraser Gehrig and Andrew Thompson both admitted to being "relieved" after running out for their final AFL appearance on Saturday at the MCG. The two were involved in the Saints' 10-point win over the Tigers – Gehrig in a greater capacity with a five-goal bag, including a stunning major after the final siren – and announced their intentions to the players before and the public after the round-22 match. It was the fuel that enabled the Saints to get over the persistent Tigers, after Adelaide snuffed out their finals aspirations on Friday night. The close nature of the win, combined with the perfect September conditions, provoked Gehrig to claim; "it doesn't get much better than that, other than a final". Gehrig, 31, said he made the decision with coach Ross Lyon "a month ago" – although Lyon said he tried to talk the spearhead out of it numerous times - after concluding he didn't want to become a "liability" to the side as it moves forward. The Article Jennifer Witham/saints.com.au/01Sept07 Outgoing Gehrig steers home Saints Retiring St Kilda spearhead Fraser Gehrig booted five goals in his final AFL game to steer the Saints to a 14.18 (102) to 13.14 (92) victory over bottom-placed Richmond at the MCG today. The match was in the balance until the final seconds, with Gehrig kicking his fifth goal after the siren. He had earlier told his team before the match this would be his farewell game, joining veteran midfielder Andrew Thompson in retirement. Thompson was a late addition to the side, with midfielder Luke Ball withdrawn from the selected 22. The retirements of Gehrig and Thompson gave the Saints some incentive for victory, after their finals chances were blown when Adelaide downed Collingwood last night to seal the final spot in the top eight. The Tigers' loss confirmed they will take this season's wooden spoon, but they had their chances, with the Saints building significant leads at several stages before Richmond reeled them in. The Saints looked in total control in the first term, with only poor kicking for goal stopping them from destroying Richmond as they outscored them 4.8 to 2.2. Ruckman-forward Justin Koschitzke was on fire, with three goals for the term, with fellow big men Gehrig and Nick Riewoldt also looking dangerous. That trio had seven goals between them by half-time, but after building a 25-point lead 18 minutes into the second quarter, the Saints allowed Richmond back in. The Article AAP/HeraldSun/01Sept07 Saints give Gehrig fitting send-off St Kilda's late rally defied a clear trend over the second half of the season. The final quarter was the first the Saints had won since round 13. The Saints led by 16 points at the first change on the strength of Justin Koschitzke's three first-term goals and opened up a 25-point break entering time-on in the second quarter when the Tigers rallied with four goals straight to cut the margin to one point at half-time. A feisty Kayne Pettifer started the run with a long set shot from the boundary for the second of his three majors for the term and completed it with a goal from a strong grab deep in the pocket. Incredibly the pattern was repeated in the third quarter when the Saints opened with the first four goals only to concede the next four and a two point deficit at the final change. Robbed of their chance to qualify for the finals by Adelaide's win on Friday night, the Saints looked like a side that had little to play for but managed to get over the top of the Tigers in the crucial closing minutes. Gehrig announced (to fellow players immediately before the match) that he will last game of AFL football, though veteran team-mate Robert Harvey suggested that he had not yet decided whether he would continue into 2008. The Article Angus Morgan/Sportal/01Sept07 Goddard's brother no Saint Saints footballer Brendon Goddard's half-brother Beau supplied heroin to street traffickers, a court heard yesterday. Beau Raymond Goddard, of St Albans, has pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking a large commercial quantity of heroin between February and August, 2003. The County Court heard Goddard gave drugs to Hung Minh Nguyen, 27, of Braybrook, who was a 'street level dealer'. Defence counsel for Nguyen, Michael Sharpley, said his client dealt drugs to fund his own habit. Goddard, who is on bail, faced court yesterday along with five co-accused, including Nguyen. Nguyen has pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking heroin, while his brother, Hai Minh Nguyen, 25, of Footscray, has pleaded guilty to trafficking a large commercial quantity of heroin. Two women, Lang Thi Dang, of Sunshine, and Lien Thuy Ly, 48, of St Albans, have also pleaded guilty to trafficking a large commercial quantity of heroin. The Article Kate Jones/HeraldSun/04Sept07 Cousins drug tell-all near West Coast star Ben Cousins is expected to break his silence on his drugs battle within weeks - possibly in a lucrative chequebook deal. His manager said the price tag for the interview was not important, but refused to rule out Cousins profiting from giving details of his illicit drug history. The move follows rugby great Andrew Johns's frank admission this week that he had taken drugs for a decade. Manager Ricky Nixon yesterday said he expected Cousins, who this year underwent rehab, would do a tell-all interview in the next five to six weeks. The Article Jackie Epstein and Liam Houlihan/HeraldSun/02Sept07
It was a fitting end to a wonderful career. As the siren went it was Fraser Gehrig who had the ball in hand secure in the knowledge that his four previous goals had helped secure a victory for the Saints in the final game of the season. Typically, Gehrig slotted the goal, his fifth for the match and he was mobbed by his teammates. In his typical understated fashion Gehrig did not publicise his retirement during the week, announcing it to the playing group just before the start of the match. The first indication that this was his last game was when he started farewelling the crowd just before the siren . . . Joining Gehrig in retirement is the popular Andrew Thompson. Thompson came to the Saints as a 'mature age' recruit in 1997 and was an important part of the Saints charge to the grand final in that season. Thompson could always be counted on to do a job and was always at the bottom of the packs winning the hard ball or driving the side forward. He formed a reliable combination with Robert Harvey and complemented the younger midfielders who have built a formidable reputation in recent years. Thompson played fewer than 21 games in a season just once between 1997 and 2005, missing only a handful of games in that period. His durability enduring until the last couple of years where he played a spare parts role. The Article Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/04Sept07 Fury over AFL Easter bid Church and family groups are fuming over plans to hold an AFL game on one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar. The plan for a twilight game on Good Friday at the MCG has alarmed Catholic, Anglican and other Christian churches. Even some football figures questioned the wisdom of a game on Good Friday. Catholic spokesman Bishop Christopher Prowse called the push regrettable . . . The AFL executive in charge of next season's draw, Gillon McLachlan, said he did not have the worries others had historically had about a Good Friday game. Carlton and Hawthorn have made a submission to play a match on the holy day and broadcasting negotiations already may be under way. AFL chief Andrew Demetriou said he opposed a Good Friday game. The Article Liam Houlihan/HeraldSun/02Sept07 Why we won't talk to Seven . . . The game we know is in constant flux and the stakeholder that drives this change more than any other is the media. Not only those companies with the broadcasting rights, either. The quest to get the next scoop has become a sport of its own and the image of football is suffering as a result. Bad news and scandal sell better than the alternative. The broadcasters get a fair say in running the agenda and it seems almost anything is for sale. Players and coaches are more accessible - and all this is done to take the viewers to places that used to be the inner sanctum. Areas we used to own are no longer ours alone. The demands and expectations on players are onerous. There is nowhere to hide and privacy is a long-forgotten ideal. The payoff is the financial benefits that flow from the broadcasting rights, and the playing group acknowledges our direct benefits and associated responsibilities in this area. But certain civil liberties cannot be bought, even in professional sport. This line was crossed last week by Channel 7 and, ultimately, the playing group felt it was time to remind the media and the general public of exactly that. The Article Nathan Buckley/HeraldSun/02Sept07 Aboriginal Rules is a fifty five minutes documentary produced by Warlpiri Media Association, the producers of the original 'Bush Mechanics'. It is a rare, behind the scenes look at the grassroots Aboriginal football experience that you may have heard about, but never seen before. Episode one of Aboriginal Rules will be screening on ABC TV - Sunday 2nd September at 1.30pm and episode two follows on Monday 3rd September 2007 at 6pm. The Website aboriginalrules.com | Alternative viewing times abc.net.au Gram The Midfielder What do people think of developing Gram into a midfielder? Clearly we need pace in our midfield and Gram could certainly provide that. He also lacks a bit of accountability as a half back flank and therefore may be a better option further up the ground. With Sam Fisher, Gilbert and Raph Clarke all now playing as running backmen we have the option to releases Gram to play up the ground. As a start you'd play him on the wing, much as we've done with Montagna. Over time, as he builds up his base fitness and endurance, he could move into the centre square as a true midfielder. He'll need to improve his decision making and disposal on the run, but he's not Robinson Crusoe there. Gram has the pace and evasive skills for Judd-like bursts out of the pack and into space which can be invaluable. He can also break out the middle and kick goals from 50m, which again is something our other midfielders lack. I'd play both Gram and Montagna on the wings in 2008 with the two of them working into the midfield rotation to spell the core unit of Hayes, Harvey, Ball and Dal Santo. The Post 'Statsman' saintsational.com Nominees for the 2007 AFL Rising Star award Round 1: Paddy Ryder (Essendon) Round 2: Cameron Wood (Brisbane Lions) Round 3: Tom Hawkins (Geelong) Round 4: Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) Round 5: Joel Selwood (Geelong) Round 6: Ricky Petterd (Melbourne) Round 7: Jess Smith (Kangaroos) Round 8: Shaun Higgins (Western Bulldogs) Round 9: Mitch Clark (Brisbane Lions) Round 10: Bryce Gibbs (Carlton) Round 11: Shannon Hurn (West Coast) Round 12: Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide) Round 13: Marty Clarke (Collingwood) Round 14: Scott McMahon (Kangaroos) Round 15: Justin Westhoff (Port Adelaide) Round 16: Sam Gilbert (St Kilda) Round 17: Nathan Jones (Melbourne) Round 18: Tom Williams (Western Bulldogs) Round 19: Travis Boak (Port Adelaide) Round 20: Mark LeCras (West Coast) Round 21: Tyson Goldsack (Collingwood) Round 22: Will Thursfield (Richmond) AFL allows room in draw for origin game The AFL has officially extended the 2008 home-and-away season, to be played over 24 weeks and including two mid-season breaks in the hope the clubs will accommodate a state-of-origin-style match to celebrate the game's 150th anniversary. In an unusually early start, the pre-season competition will begin on Friday, February 15, which will see a 29-week official preparation for the 2008 finals series. AFL executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed late yesterday that the season proper would begin on Easter Thursday - March 20 - with a night game to be televised on the Seven Network and that two mid-year breaks roughly one-third and two-thirds through the season would eventuate as a result. "There is the option of not playing any state-of-origin game at all unless we get the clubs' support," McLachlan said. "We need the clubs' support and we can't do it without their support but they have issues with playing their players in feature games and that's never going to change. Having said that, we want the opportunity to do something special in our 150th year. It might be state of origin, it might be Victoria versus The Rest and the other issue is we wanted to have Easter as part of the football calendar and Easter falls early next year." The Article Caroline Wilson/RealFooty/04Sept07 AFL's summer of drug tests As they commence their post-season revelry footballers are being subjected to "substantially more" tests for illicit drugs than ever before. AFL chief Andrew Demetriou revealed yesterday that he sent a memo to every club chief executive and football manager last week asking them to remind their players that, while they might not be playing, they were still being watched. "It was just reminding them about this period coming up. I won't go into the detail," Demetriou said, confirming that it was the first time he had felt moved to issue such an edict. "We've spoken to the clubs, make no mistake," he said. "All the clubs, I can assure you, like us have had briefings and understand the importance of this period. Particularly the clubs that finish in the competition. In so far as general issues relating to behaviour, I've got absolutely no doubt that the clubs have put things in place to try and minimise the incidence of (poor) off-field behaviour. They've had briefings with their players and they certainly know our views. Everyone knows that this time is a very, very important time and a very critical time for them." Adrian Anderson, the league's general manager of football operations, said that footballers would be tested like never before during this summer. The Article Samantha Lane/RealFooty/04Sept07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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