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2007 Round 2 Post-game Articles
Hudghton hopes for early return St Kilda hopes that its most experienced defender Max Hudghton will require no more than three weeks on the sidelines after the veteran's first outing for the season lasted only 21 minutes on Thursday night. On an early assessment, the Saints' medical team is confident that Hudghton has only a grade two quadriceps strain, following the club's 52-point away loss to the Brisbane Lions. Before boarding a flight to Melbourne yesterday, Hudghton had a cooling device attached to his upper leg, but could walk freely. He will have his injured left leg scanned. The Article Samantha Lane and Nick Sheridan TheAgeRealFooty/07Apr07 Hayes brands Saints sinners St Kilda co-captain Lenny Hayes yesterday blamed a lack of mental toughness for the Saints' 52-point loss to the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Thursday night . . . Hayes, playing his fourth game since returning a knee injury suffered in Round 9 last year, was critical of his own performance. "I still don't feel 100 per cent right," he said. "The confidence is there, it's just getting that running ability back and I'm still a bit rusty in a few other areas." The Article Gareth Trickey/HeraldSun/07Apr07
Reeling from another injury setback and Thursday night's upset loss, St Kilda should at least regain two co-captains for round three. The Saints experienced at the Gabba what they had inflicted on the Demons in round one. They were out-tackled, beaten to the ball and in most individual duels. Compounding the 52-point loss, the Saints lost key defender Max Hudghton before half time with a quad muscle strain. Hudghton will be out for at least two weeks. His injury came three days after fellow backman Matt Maguire learned he will miss six weeks with a leg stress fracture. But St Kilda now has a nine-day break before playing the Western Bulldogs and this should help ensure Nick Riewoldt (back and hamstring) is ready for his first game of the season. Luke Ball (concussion) was a late withdrawal from last night's game and he also should be fit to take on the Dogs. While their fellow co-captain Lenny Hayes was more cautious about their outlook, the Saints expect Riewoldt and Ball to be ready. The Article Roger Vaughan/AAP/saints.com.au/06Apr07 Lyon refuses to hit panic button Coach Ross Lyon was making no excuses following the Saints' 52-point defeat by the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Thursday night. Having already had to travel north after only a six-day break following its first-round win over Melbourne, the team's cause was not helped when it lost defender Max Hudghton in the first quarter with a thigh injury. "He strained a quad. I haven't been told a time frame but it doesn't look fantastic," Lyon said. He was not hitting the panic button over his defensive options despite Hudghton's loss. "We will have to restructure a little bit. Riewoldt will definitely be back (against Western Bulldogs) next week, (Justin) Koschitzke can play centre half-back, so there's options," he said. Lyon dipped his hat to Brisbane's midfield after they "dismantled" the Saints. "It was won and lost in the midfield, we make no bones about that," he said. "Brisbane have reinvented themselves. After the NAB Cup we said they were the form team of the competition. The reality is Brisbane made 60 effective tackles. They're renowned for that and we didn't deal with it." The Article AAP/saints.com.au/05Apr07 Matthews hails his young guns Catherine Murphy/AFL/saints.com.au/06Apr07 Nightmare on Vulture Street When it comes to horror movies, you know you haven't made the big time unless you have spawned a legion of sequels. Think The Evil Dead or the Scream flicks and you know what I'm talking about. One good fright, it seems, deserves another. And so it is for our very own horror movie franchise at St Kilda. Freddy Krueger might have done his best work on Elm Street but if you ask any Sainter, it's more like "Nightmare on Vulture Street" when the Saints take on The Lions at the Gabba. Save for a rather meaningless four points in round 22 last year, nearly every trip to the old dog track on the Brisbane River has been a calamity for this club. Like any decent horror movie franchise, it seems the longer it goes on, the more gruesome it gets. Here's a list of the three most frightening moments in the series so far. The Article Francis Leach/saints.com.au/07Apr07 Ball to play in Brisbane a smokescreen: Dal Santo . . . At yesterday's launch of the AFL's "rivalry round", Dal Santo said Ball "should be right to go this week" and hoped Riewoldt would be available. "I'd like to think that he will play this week," Dal Santo said. He also revealed that St Kilda coach Ross Lyon's claim that Ball would fly to Brisbane the day after his teammates last week had been a smokescreen, with Ball ruled out of the game before the Saints left. "It was, I think, initially decided that he was going to fly up the day of the game and then it was changed during the week. (They) thought it wasn't the best for him," Dal Santo said. The Saints face the Bulldogs, who are coming off a loss to Adelaide. Hopes rise for Riewoldt AAP/RealFooty/11Apr07 St Kilda hopes to regain stars after being thumped by Brisbane Reeling from yet another injury and last night's embarrassing AFL turnaround, St Kilda should at least regain two co-captains for round three. Brisbane did to the Saints last night what St Kilda had done to Melbourne in round one - out-tackled them comprehensively, beat them to the ball and won most individual duels. Topping off the 52-point loss, the Saints lost key defender Max Hudghton before halftime with a quad muscle strain. Hudghton will be out for at least two weeks and his injury came three days after fellow backman Matt Maguire learnt he will miss six weeks with a leg stress fracture. But St Kilda now have a nine-day break before playing the Western Bulldogs and this should help ensure Nick Riewoldt (back and hamstring) is ready for his first game of the season. Luke Ball (concussion) was a late withdrawal from last night's game and he also should be fit for the 'Dogs'. While their fellow co-captain Lenny Hayes was more cautious about their outlook today, the Saints expect Riewoldt and Ball to be ready. The Article GeelongAdvertiser/06Apr07 Irish youngster picks up Harvey There was a good reason why Brisbane Lions' Irish recruit Colm Begley was not overwhelmed when asked to mark St Kilda legend Robert Harvey in their top-of-the-table AFL clash. "The fact he's from Ireland he's probably not in awe of Robert Harvey because he doesn't know who he is," Lions coach Leigh Matthews laughed. "But even if he knew about Harvs he's got confidence in himself." mThat confidence would have been sky-high after the Irish youngster kept the two-time Brownlow medallist under wraps as the Lions ran over the top of St Kilda 15.12 (102) to 7.8 (50) at the Gabba on Thursday night. Brisbane used to be known for their "fab five" midfield, but it has been their "super six" featuring Begley that Matthews has been raving about this season. The Article AAP/BrisbaneTimes/06Apr07 Lion-hearted effort thrills Matthews AAP/TheAgeRealFooty/07Apr07 Brisbane farewells Voss with Saints thrashing AAP/TheAustralian/06Apr07 Longer break will do us good, says Baker Tagger Steven Baker says he and his teammates will move on as quickly as possible from the disappointing 52-point loss to the Brisbane Lions and take full advantage of a nine-day break before their next game. The Saints will play the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome on Saturday week and Baker, who curbed the influence of Simon Black to be among St Kilda's best against the Lions, believes the extra couple of days rest will do the side a power of good. The Saints entered the Gabba showdown off a six-day break in the wake of its season-opening win over Melbourne. "We'll get our learnings out of the game in the next couple of days and then we'll try and move on as best we can," Baker said. "We'll do a review, see what we can improve on and just work on it. It was disappointing. We had pretty much the same game plan as against Melbourne and just didn't execute. All we can do is look forward and hope to have a better week next week." The Article Simon White/saints.com.au/05Apr07 Lions stun Saints, Critics No one who saw Brisbane's scrapping win over Hawthorn last week - much less anyone who witnessed the Saints' clinical dismantling of Melbourne - would have predicted this. In their previous four encounters, St Kilda had smashed the Lions by an average of 76 points, but at the Gabba last night the Lions reversed the form guide. The final margin of 52 points was a fine return for a hard-working, courageous and even skilful win, notable for Jonathan Brown's game-high five goals, Fraser Gehrig's none, and outstanding performances from the Lions' brigade of young players. On this performance, Brisbane will be anything but an easybeat at its once-feared home this year. For St Kilda, the picture was much bleaker. Max Hudghton went off in the first term with a quadriceps injury to continue the club's tortured run with injury, and by the last, the Saints looked desperate to get anything out of a match that had slowly ebbed away from them. The Article Andrew Stafford/TheAgeRealFooty/06Apr07 Got to stop blaming injuries!!! 'fugazi' et al saintsational.com Last Night Was A Big Deal 'carn_sainter' et al saintsational.com
It will be a Good Friday in Brisbane after Lions coach Leigh Matthews outpointed Saints counterpart Ross Lyon in their traditional Easter Thursday clash in front of 28,266 at the Gabba. Some imposing defence after a shaky start and a five-goal haul from superstar forward Jonathan Brown handed the home side a convincing 15.12 (102) to 7.8 (50) victory against a team many have tipped as premiership favourites. The Lions entered the contest having been thrashed by an average of 76 points in their past three meetings with the Saints, but they never looked like even conceding 76 with the goalless Fraser Gehrig stifled by Daniel Merrett. Brisbane, which now tops the ladder outright before the second round program restarts on Saturday, added five goals in the second quarter and six straight in the second half to run out 53-point winners. The Saints threatened only sporadically with Justin Koschitske and Aaron Fiora each goaling twice. The Article Marc Fox/Sportal/05Apr07 Brisbane v St Kilda, snippets Turning Point Saints coach Ross Lyon admitted the game was won and lost in midfield with the Lions taking the game by the scruff of the neck in the second quarter after an uncertain start. When Simon Black started to get away from Steven Baker in the second-half, St Kilda had no answer. Absolute Shocker Fraser Gehrig, fresh off a four-goal haul last week against the Demons, was kept to check by full-back Daniel Merrett all night long. Gehrig, who had six disposals and one behind, finished the game on the interchange bench. The Article Marc Fox/Sportal/06Apr07 Saints run ragged as Lions dominate St Kilda coach Ross Lyon had a simple reason why his team capitulated to the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba last night: "We struggled to find a winner." The Lions made a mockery of their five-day break, outrunning and out-tackling the Saints for their second win of the season. The Lions' midfielders, despite an average night from Simon Black, controlled the contest in the 52-point win: 15.12 (102) to 7.8 (50). St Kilda's injury woes continued when defender Max Hudghton, playing his first game of the season, strained a a quad in the first quarter. The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/06Apr07 Saints fall to Lions at Gabba . . . The match began brightly enough for St Kilda when Justin Koschitzke booted the opening goal of the game and Aaron Fiora a second as the Saints matched their opponents in an even opening term to trail the Lions by a single point at the first break. But the Lions then stretched their lead in each of the next three quarters against a listless St Kilda outfit. However, when Leigh Montagna slammed home the last of three consecutive goals midway through the third term, the Saints looked to be back in the contest. But Leigh Matthews' men steadied, added three goals of their own and managed to go into the final break 35 points to the good. Fiora tried hard for the Saints, kicking two goals along with Koschitzke, while Fraser Gehrig had a rare quiet night as he finished without a major to his name. Going into the match, the Saints had held the upper hand over Lions, who had not roared against St Kilda since their Easter clash in 2005, losing three straight encounters by an average of 76 points. The Article AFL/saints.com.au/05Apr07
Brisbane beat the Saints in almost every facet of the game, making this young group under coach Leigh Matthews a formidable opponent. The Saints matched them in the first quarter, were swamped in the second and then kicked three of the first four goals in the third term. Hopes of a contest then disappeared when the Lions booted the last three goals of the quarter to lead by 34 points. Beaten in the midfield and powerless to stop the Lions' run out of defence, the Saints frustrated themselves with poor field kicking and, surprisingly, a lack of accountability which was in stark contrast to last week's stellar effort against the Demons. Brisbane's toughness at the contest was also telling. The Saints were continually pushed wide and forced to kick short by a Lions' game plan that has now claimed two scalps. Jonathon Brown kicked five goals and Justin Sherman three, while midfielder Michael Rischitelli continued his emergence with a best-afield performance. Rischitelli was pushed for that honour by Jared Brennan, the forward turned key back, who had 23 kicks, no handballs and took 13 marks. The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/06Apr07 Stars on the rise delight Matthews Matthews compared Michael Rischitelli - who gathered 26 hard possessions in a best-on-ground effort - to Simon Black, justifying his prediction that the kid from Keilor was a future All-Australian. "I think Michael's capable of being in that top bracket," Matthews said. "He plays a lot like Simon Black. He works hard defensively, he chases, he tackles, he chases, he pressures, he smothers and he gets the ball. He's a good all-round player. You know your Black and (Jonathan) Brown and (Luke) Power have been very good players for a long time, but Rischitelli's really elevating himself; (Scott) Harding and (Marcus) Allan and (Cheynee) Stiller, guys like that. I guess we're all pretty thrilled that we're seeing it, rather than just talking about potential." Others to win Matthews' eye were Irish rookie Colm Begley, playing his fourth senior game, and emerging full-back Daniel Merrett, who came to the club as a power forward but is finding his niche in the back line. The Article Andrew Stafford/TheAgeRealFooty/06Apr07 Lions pounce on wounded Saints . . . the Saints also had big problems in attack last night, with Fraser Gehrig held goalless and Justin Koschitzke and Aaron Fiora their side's only multiple goalkickers, with two apiece. In the absence of Hudghton, St Kilda had to reshuffle its defence. Fisher remained on Brown, Jason Gram stuck with Justin Sherman and Leigh Fisher minded Chris Johnson. But Brendon Goddard was switched into the back line for the second term, which proved costly for the Saints, who managed only one goal for that quarter. By the third term, Goddard was back in attack, flanking Koschitzke and Gehrig and, for periods, Xavier Clarke and Fiora both spent time in defence. The Saints got to within 16 points after Leigh Montagna goaled midway through the third term, but the Lions, through Johnson, Brown and Sherman, kicked the next three majors, which gave the home side a 35-point advantage at the last change. It became an uninterrupted six-goal run when Brown nailed his fifth goal early in the final quarter. The Article Samantha Lane/TheAgeRealFooty/06Apr07 Lions roar at Gabba . . . Brisbane were surprise ladder leaders entering the contest, sitting on top of the table for the first time since round 17 2004 after a round one hammering of Hawthorn, but they looked every bit the part as they finally toppled their bogey side Saints. The Lions had not roared against St Kilda since their Easter clash in 2005 - losing three straight by an average of 76 points. Aaron Fiora tried hard for the Saints, kicking two goals along with Justin Koschitzke, while Fraser Gehrig had a rare quiet night as he finished without a major to his name. Trailing by 27 points at halftime, the Saints marched into the third term by booting three of the first four goals to cut the deficit to just three kicks. The Article AAP/TheAgeRealFooty/06Apr07 Reconditioned Saints hit same speed bump on Lyon's map Luke Ball did not turn up because he was injured. Max Hudghton hung about for 20 minutes and two touches, then left with a muscle tear. Fraser Gehrig stayed all match but may as well not have. He touched the ball six times and kicked one point. St Kilda's new coach Ross Lyon has won and lost in his first two matches. He is teaching St Kilda a new way to play in the AFL, but he is being hindered, in part, by the curse that so permanently settled over Grant Thomas's coaching reign at Moorabbin - injuries. Lyon had lost Matt Maguire after the first round to a stress fracture in the foot. Now Hudghton is gone, too, so he is running out of hulking defenders to stand opposition key forwards. Sam Fisher took Jonathan Brown on Thursday night and conceded five goals. Up forward, Aaron Hamill has not played and may be gone for good with his knee that just won't heal. Nick Riewoldt tore his hamstring in the pre-season and might return after Easter. Michael Gardiner, the former West Coast ruckman recruited to help establish Lyon's game plan, continues to be treated for a groin problem. All this despite a change in conditioning staff from last year and much touted computer software that was to ensure the club did not repeat the run of injuries that so rarely allowed Thomas to put his best 22 players on the field at the same time. The Article Patrick Smith/TheAustralian/07Apr07 AFL looks to smash gates in 'rivalry round' The AFL is hoping to break the all-time record for attendance in a round this weekend. Round three has been designated rivalry round and features the Western Derby, South Australian Showdown and couple of old-time Victorian match-ups. AFL chief broadcasting and commercial officer Gillon McLachlan said today the full-house sign was expected at at least three venues this weekend. "We're optimistic of sell-outs in at least three of the games," McLachlan said, referring to matches at Subiaco Oval, AAMI Stadium and the Sydney-Brisbane clash at the SCG. McLachlan said there was a chance Telstra Dome will also be at capacity for Saturday's clash between St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs. Crowds of at least 60,000 are hoped for at each of the MCG's three games - Collingwood-Richmond on Friday night, Carlton-Essendon on Saturday afternoon and Melbourne-Geelong on Sunday. The best total attendance in a single round was in round 22, 1998, when 367,974 fans went through the turnstiles. The second-best came in the opening round this year, which saw 364,544 attend the eight matches played. The Article AAP/TheAustralian/10Apr07 Tribunal gets week off It will be a rare week off for the AFL Tribunal with all four players charged from Round Two opting to accept their sanctions. No suspensions were handed out by the Match Review Panel, with Brisbane's Luke Power and St Kilda's Andrew McQualter fined $900 for wrestling each other. Tom Logan of the Power was also fined $900 for wrestling Andrew Swallow of the Kangaroos. All accepted their punishments. The Article Sportal/10Apr07 Match review panel update . . . Brisbane's Luke Power and St Kilda's Andrew McQualter can both accept $900 fines for wrestling . . . The incident between Brisbane midfielder Simon Black and St Kilda's Andrew Thompson was cleared due to inconclusive video evidence. The Article Sportal/09Apr07 Saints aim to add touch of theatrics Imagine this scenario. It is Friday night, August 24, at Melbourne's Telstra Dome. Five seconds remain on the clock and West Coast is trailing by five points when Ben Cousins, making his comeback, marks 35m out in front of goal. A huge buzz of anticipation reverberates around the stadium as Cousins walks slowly back with the ball. Then, just as he is about to move forward and attempt the goal, the Dome's lights gradually start dimming. Simultaneously, a blinding spotlight focuses on both Cousins and the goalposts. And the fans erupt as though The Rolling Stones had just flounced onto the stage. Implausible? Probably. But not entirely impossible - if, that is, St Kilda's intriguing and exciting initiative to make its AFL matches much more of a spectacle is ever allowed to go to the max. Commendably convinced that adding a hefty dose of theatrical contrivance to night games would further boost their already strong appeal, St Kilda president Rod Butterss appears to have convinced the AFL hierarchy to let him experiment with some initial "touches". It is hoped the first such foray will eventuate during the Sainters' Friday night, May 4, Telstra Dome, round six clash with Carlton. Full Article Geoff Roach AdelaideAdvertiser/12Apr07 Dome defends passouts ban Twlstra Dome boss Ian Collins has defended the stadium's ban on passouts, saying it prevented rorting and people being hurt by stray footballs. Fans have attacked the move, which sees smokers herded into cages. They also claim they are being forced to buy expensive food inside. Nando's Docklands outlet says the rule is costing it $1250 a match -- or $55,000 this season. It has produced a mock passout rule guide it plans to hand out this weekend. "Hiding a Nando's Double Breast Burger in your favourite footy beanie is strictly prohibited," it says. Telstra Dome plans to replace the temporary fencing with more attractive permanent structures soon. Mr Collins said general security was a big issue, and some fans used to rort the passout system. Others kicked footies on the concourse at half time, endangering people. "We've got an insurance problem with that," he told the Herald Sun. "We've had so many idiots who go out there and kick the football and hit elderly people. We've got insurance claims to prove it." Full Article Cheryl Critchley HeraldSun/12Apr07 Clash over sash Two diehard Essendon Football Club supporters have launched a last-ditch campaign to save their beloved club's jumper. Essendon resident Christos Harisopoulos and Matthew Kassis of Moonee Ponds are calling on the club to fight the AFL's decision to strip the Bombers of their traditional design in two games this season. The Bombers are set to wear a guernsey with a wider red sash in their clashes against St Kilda and Richmond, to make the jumpers more easily discernible from the opposition. Essendon managing director Peter Jackson said the club had received legal advice that it could not argue against the AFL's decision. "We have never wanted our players to wear a clash guernsey but as a licensee and equal shareholder in the game, we have no choice but to abide by the rules of the competition," Mr Jackson said. The Article Benjamin Preiss/MooneeValleyCommunityNews/10Apr07 The brand that bothers An Important part of planning for a game of football is understanding opposing teams' playing patterns, more commonly referred to as their game plan. At the Saints, we referred to it as "brand". A team's brand is what they stand for - simply, how you would be described. The process of planning normally goes like this: a scout attends an opponent's game or training and reports back with a detailed and descriptive outline of all playing aspects. They would outline ball movement, speed, skill, directness, patterns of play, kick/handball ratio, long-kick/short-kick ratio, tagging players, inside players, outside players, go-to players, accountability, morale, courage, persistence, aggression, intimidatory opportunities, leadership and so on. In essence it is a detailed account of what a team will be up against in a match. The coaching staff then decides how much to alter its playing style to combat or nullify the opponent's strengths. In most cases, the teams that doubt the ability of their playing group apply the most strategy and tactics, because they do not believe they can get the result without negating a more highly skilled team's strengths. Most teams now have a strong emphasis on getting players behind the ball, which helps defensively and provides a great launching pad for counter-attack on the turnover. This demands elite fitness or else the whole strategy caves in. Most teams have similar foundations, but there are always little adjustments that differentiate them. Let's take a snapshot of unique features and subtleties of some of the teams. ST KILDA Historically the Saints play on quickly, use the corridor and kick long rather than short when able. Ross Lyon seems to have introduced subtle changes, working more from a defensive base with counterpunch strikes and a heavy focus on structures and ruckmen at clearances. There seem to be more tagging roles and greater emphasis on accountability, maintaining possession and hitting the lead-up players. The Article Grant Thomas/RealFooty/08Apr07 Conquering the travel challenge Interstate travel gets a bad rap. It's not that difficult to endure and it can't be that hard to conquer. For proof, take a look at the AFL honour roll and the last six premiership teams. It seems the non-Victorian combatants have a handle on the travel situation. At the risk of exploding the myth, flying is not the inconvenience it is made out to be. I've always enjoyed the opportunity an interstate game brings. Most clubs and players do. All the physical issues regarding food, sleep, hydration and times of travel are constantly addressed and have, for the most part, been solved by each club and best practice is in place for most destinations. Travel can provide respite from the normal week-to-week timetable and inject stimuli that gives players the opportunity to freshen up mentally at set periods during the year. The Article Nathan Buckley/HeraldSun/08Apr07 AFL needs to step up drug tests Charles Johnson/RealFooty/08Apr07 AFL seals UK, US TV deal The AFL has signed an international TV rights deal, giving overseas viewers unprecedented access in the US and UK markets. With the AFL intent on spreading the game globally through exhibition games and international recruiting, sports broadcaster Setanta has agreed to a five-year deal. The subscription channel will carry three live AFL matches as well as a highlights program in the US, Canada and the UK, up from only one live game last year. It completes the AFL's recent wave of media deals that has seen it sign agreements for free-to-air TV, pay-TV, radio, the internet and mobile phones. The AFL is confident it has maximised its rights deals, with most signed up for five years. AFL chief commercial officer Gillon McLachlan said yesterday The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/08Apr07 M Voss on coaching Michael Voss/RealFooty/08Apr07 The great mistake of closing Waverley It's hard to believe that 1999 was the last time a league footy match was played at Waverley Park. Will anyone at AFL headquarters ever admit they got this one wrong, that selling the venue was a mistake? When the league decided to pump millions of dollars into Sydney's Telstra Stadium so footy could be played there, they said the ground was located in the city's fast-growing demographic area. They said it made sense. Hello, where is Waverley Park? The VFL showed foresight when it bought the 85ha at Mulgrave in 1962 to build what was then called VFL Park. When the ground opened in 1970, $2.5 million had been spent on the first stages. Staggering as it sounds, the ground would have accommodated 166,000 fans, with seating for 126,000, had it been finished. Government interference, to protect the MCG, ensured building was not completed, leaving Waverley with a "never finished look" because the top stands weren't built all the way around. The Article Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/09Apr07
The Saints brought some Easter cheer to seriously ill children at the Royal Children's Hospital yesterday, as part of the annual Good Friday Appeal. Players came directly to the hospital upon their arrival back from Brisbane, where the Saints spent the afternoon visiting patients at the Royal Children's . The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/saints.com.au/07Apr07 Rookie full-back in Merrett-orious effort You did not have to tell Gold Coast product Daniel Merrett how important his match-up with St Kilda star forward Fraser Gehrig was in the context of Thursday night's showdown at the Gabba. Because the big Lions defender, thriving in his new role at full-back, already knew it. Merrett was fully aware his performance would go a long way towards deciding the outcome of the match. Gehrig is the type of player that can win a game off his own boot, and it was certainly one of Merrett's biggest tests to date. The former Mermaid Beach local passed with flying colours, and the club enjoyed an emphatic 52-point thrashing of the hapless Saints. "Obviously he (Gehrig) played really well last week and I was actually reading the website and it said the key match-up was Merrett on Gehrig so there was a little bit of pressure before the game," said Merrett. But if the big red-head was nervous he did not show it, and played arguably his best game to date to derail the feared G-Train. The former Surfers Paradise junior was sensational and kept Gehrig goalless, with the final humiliation coming in the final term when the two-time All-Australian was dragged from the ground. The Article Nick Smart/GoldCoastBulletin/07Apr07 AFL tribunal booklet available The AFL page afl.com.au/01Apr07 Booklet direct Link (pdf file) GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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