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Results, statistics. article leaders and links for Round 3 AFL 2007 Premiership Season
St Kilda outclassed Bulldogs . . . The premiership credentials of the Western Bulldogs are already being questioned after another disappointing performance, this time being completely outclassed by St. Kilda in their 9.12.66 to 17.14.116 loss at the Telstra Dome on Saturday night. The Saints had a stranglehold on the game after a six goal to two first quarter and from there the Dogs were never in the hunt. Just as Adelaide had done in Round 2, St. Kilda strangled the Bulldogs running game and cruelly exposed their lack of forward targets with the Bulldogs by depriving the small Bulldogs forwards of the benefits of quick movement of the ball from the midfield. Nick Riewoldt starred in his return from injury with four goals and seven marks supported by evergreen veteran Robert Harvey with and Jason Gram with 24 possessions each and Brendan Goddard and Steven Baker impressive for the Saints. AFL Review Round 3 OhmyNews/Korea/17Apr07 Ball to be tested, Gehrig waits on video scrutiny . . . St Kilda will wait until later in the week to see if co-captain Luke Ball has overcome the lingering effects of concussion before deciding whether he will play in Saturday's match against Essendon. The Saints regained star forward Nick Riewoldt for their 50-point thrashing of the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, and he booted four goals in his first game since injuring a hamstring in the pre-season. "There's always a little bit of nerves when you're coming back, I think it's been about 10 weeks for a hamstring, so it's been a bit of a saga," Riewoldt said. "But it's good to come back and get a feel for it again and, most importantly, to play in a winning team. I had a few little setbacks along the way, that probably cost me two or three weeks every time. "In the end they just played the conservative card. I might have been able to play round one, I probably could have played last week, but I was definitely right this week. They took the no-risk policy and so far it's paid off. Hopefully, I'm out of the woods now." The Saints will anxiously await the outcome of video scrutiny of full-forward Fraser Gehrig, who was caught on camera swinging a fist into the midriff of Bulldogs defender Brian Harris. The Article Adam Cooper/RealFooty/16Apr07 Bulldogs have tails between their legs . . . They were credited with only 12 contested marks on Saturday night (St Kilda took 21). Riewoldt took six in the front half for the Saints, S. Fisher six at the opposite end . . . The concern for the Bulldogs is their inability to cope with the physical pressure applied by Adelaide and St Kilda, both of which have several starting 18 players on the injured list. No Ball, Maguire, Hudghton or M. Clarke Saturday night, remember. Adelaide went in against the Doggies with no Ricciuto, Burton or McGregor . . . The one certainty about the Dogs from here is that the opposition will stretch them and harass them. What Rodney Eade would do for a so-called power forward. Like Riewoldt, who made a sensational return. He hadn't played a game since the first week of finals last year, yet took seven marks and kicked four goals from nine kicks. Little wonder coach Ross Lyon said recently he would be a much better coach when Riewoldt was in his team. The Saints seem to be in good shape. Before the season started, a 3-3 return from the first six rounds was a realistic target, given the interrupted preparations for so many players. They are 2-1 with Essendon, Port Adelaide and Carlton to come. They should be feeling much better about themselves than the Western Bulldogs. The Article Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/16Apr07 GT on Voss non-selection Heard Grant Thomas on SEN this morning, pretty interesting stuff. He is very insiteful about his comments on our game plan and the way we took apart the dogs. He thinks that teams have figured out the doggies and that the way to beat them is to 'correll' them as they come out of defence, so that they cant do their 1-2 handballs and cant run through the lines, forcing them to kick long to a contest. He was asked why he thought Voss wasnt getting a game . . . He thinks there are question marks about vossys 'abillity to run out a game' (fitness) and also his possible lack of speed. He said he had no doubt that Voss would work his way back into the team and that once he did it would be 'hard for them to get rid of him' meaning he would prove that he is worthy of the spot. Interstingly he was also was asked about and said that he 'happened to run into' Rooey before the game last week and had a coffee with him . . . said that Roo was nervous and he said that he simply reminded Roo that 'nerves are good' that he has always been nervous before games, told him to just go out there and 'follow the coaches instructions'. He said he was still 'friends' with lots of the players but never initiated contact with them and only accidently 'ran in to Roo at sauna' The Post 'Pureoctain' saintsational.com Gehrig incident only dampener for Saints St Kilda forward Fraser Gehrig could come under scrutiny from the AFL match review panel following a crude hit on Western Bulldogs defender Brian Harris last night. The Saints bounced back from last week's loss with a convincing 50-point win over the Bulldogs at Telstra Dome but Gehrig, who finished with one goal from his 12 touches, could be in doubt for the Saints fourth round clash with Essendon. Coach Ross Lyon said he missed the incident about eight minutes into the third term, just moments after Gehrig had a shot at goal but missed. "I didn't see anything, I was watching another part of the ground (but) I have faith in the system," Lyon said. Apart from the Gehrig incident the Saints came out of the match without any injury concerns, co-captains Nick Riewoldt making a successful return from a hamstring injury with four goals and Lenny Hayes continuing to build his confidence after 10 months out of the game following a knee reconstruction. The Article Martin Boulton/RealFooty/15Apr07 Gehrig out for one, McQualter just a shepherd . . . St Kilda's Gehrig has been charged with striking Western Bulldog Brian Harris during the third term of Saturday's match at Telstra Dome. The Saint can accept a one-game sanction for the level two offence . . . Contact between St Kilda's Andrew McQualter and the Western Bulldogs' Cameron Wight was reviewed. The panel decided that McQualter attempted to shepherd and made contact to Wight's right shoulder. The contact resulted in Wight's head hitting the ground. If Wight had not slipped just before the contact was made, a normal shepherd would have resulted. The Article AFL/saints.com.au/16Apr07 G-train charged . . . Why did Nick take those marks in the 1st q? Obviously nothing to do with G holding off Harris on both occasions so he could fly. The ball was kicked to Fraser not Nick. There were 4 quarters of similar situations, taking the one reasonable defender they had out of the way for Kosi, Nick and even Milne to go for it. The Post and Thread 'GeorgeYoung27' saintsational.com Team of the week: Round three . . . Forwards: Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) - The St Kilda co-captain was red-hot in his first appearance this season, booting four goals and grabbed seven marks - including six contested. It was a great result after returning from back/hamstring problems. . . . Interchange: Brendon Goddard (St Kilda) - Brilliant against the Western Bulldogs, Goddard racked up 26 disposals and was desperately unlucky not to make our first 18. His disposal efficiency was excellent at 96 per cent. The Article Matt Burgan/AFL/saints.com.au/17Apr07 Saints walk tall It took just 30 seconds for the Saints to set the tone against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night. When Robert Harvey combined with Fraser Gehrig to open St Kilda's account before barely a whistle could be blown at Telstra Dome, the signs were clear the authority the Saints lacked against the Lions last week was back. And so was Nick Riewoldt. The key forward's return was a highlight of the Saints' bruising 50-point win over the Dogs, with his four goals underlining how valuable he is . . . The Dogs welcomed back Brian Harris from suspension, but the full-back's return was simply not enough to curb the height and marking dominance of the St Kilda attack. If the Saints continue to play the way they did against the Dogs, it's fair to say there's probably few backlines in the league that could . . . Koschitzke also provided a strong target in attack alongside Riewoldt, with the injury-prone big man kicking three goals and taking seven marks. The Article Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/16Apr07 Saint star vows flag Rebecca Williams/HeraldSun/16Apr07 Riewoldt leads Saints to victory Sam Lienert/AAP/saints.com.au/14Apr07 St Kilda thrash Bulldogs by 50 points AAP/WestAustralian/14Apr07 Smart debut for Saint Jones Promising St Kilda recruit Clinton Jones made his Australian Football League debut for the club on Saturday night after an outstanding start to the season for the Casey Scorpions. Jones, 23, looked the part in the match against the Western Bulldogs, picking up 14 touches and kicking a goal. The Saints selected the blond youngster with their first pick – ninth overall – in the 2006 rookie draft and he was elevated to the senior list last week. Jones took fellow draftee Jarryd Allen’s spot on the list when the latter was put on the long-term injury list with a dislocated elbow. The left-footed midfielder was the Scorpions’ best player against North Ballarat in the Victorian Football League in round one and was a regular in the best players for St Kilda throughout the pre-season. It followed Jones’ back-to-back best and fairest victories for South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and third place in the 2006 Sandover Medal, the WAFL’s equivalent of the Brownlow Medal. The Article Marc McGowan/BerwickNews/18Apr07 Saints defence standing tall At a press conference last week, the word "suspect" was used to describe St Kilda's defensive structure after Max Hudghton joined Matt Maguire on the sidelines with an injured calf. On Saturday night at Telstra Dome, it was everything but questionable as the Saints kept the usually fast-moving and high-scoring Dogs to only three goals in the first half, eventually running out 50-point winners. Rebounding defender Jason Gram praised the work ethic of his fellow backmen, in particular his housemate, Sam Fisher. "Our defence has been super. Sammy Fisher has been getting the hard jobs every week. I live with him and we've been speaking about his next few match-ups," Gram said after the win. "He's got 'Fev' (Brendan Fevola), (Matthew) Lloyd and (Warren) Tredrea coming up, but he's been super this year with Max and 'Goose' (Maguire) out. Jayden Attard has been terrific as well. He's come into the side and has been playing on the small forwards. He's just hard-at-it and he never gets beaten." Gram suggested the new defensive structure will be tested next week when the Saints meet the Bombers - with tall forwards Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas - on Saturday. The Article Jennifer Witham/saints.com.au/15Apr07 Superb Saints maul Dogs Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/16Apr07 Harvey still among the elite: Lyon It was the Robert Harvey show on Saturday night at Telstra Dome, with the league's oldest player once again making a case for why he should still be playing with the competition's elite. It was a vintage display from the dual Brownlow medallist that prompted coach Ross Lyon to compare the inspirational stalwart to some of the game's champions in his post-match press conference. "We thought we'd start him in the midfield and he's one of the game's great runners, isn't he?" Lyon said, of Harvey's 24-disposal, one-goal game. "You talk Judds and Kerrs and Lappins and Bradleys, and he's up there with them. He had 10 (touches) in the first but it was what he did without the ball, he chased and he set the tone. It was fantastic." Lyon was pleased with his side's 50-point win over the error-prone Bulldogs, but was keeping a lid on things after the match and said the focus for the week ahead will remain Essendon at Telstra Dome next Saturday. The Article Jennifer Witham/saints.com.au/14Apr07 Heavenly old and new Saints mix Lyon must count his blessings to have inherited a forward line of Riewoldt, Fraser Gehrig and Justin Koschitzke, and a classy midfield inspired by Robert Harvey. The champion veteran, 35, was instrumental in the Saints' brilliant start to the game and ran all night to collect 24 possessions. The young Dogs, touted for hard running, would do well to study's Harvey's game for clues about what makes an enduring champion. But it was contrasting forward lines that summed up the difference. The Saints had multiple options, all working together, taking turns to be targets and shields. The Article Mark Harding/HeraldSun/15Apr07 Sainters rejoice St Kilda was a different side last night. The difference was Nick Riewoldt. The normal rules do not apply to the great ones, nor the laws of nature. Riewoldt had played no previous football this season, no practice games, not NAB Cup, not reserves. Typically, such an out-of-practice footballer takes time to work into the rugged rhythms of this exacting code. Not Riewoldt. By quarter-time, he had taken five marks, kicked two goals and given the Saints a momentum the Bulldogs would never arrest. Riewoldt did not so much play centre half-forward as use the position as a reference point. From it, he roamed into defence as necessary, or to place himself strategically in the path of the Bulldogs' next likely kick. Following Riewoldt's example, St Kilda turned its opponents' tactics back on themselves. The Saints clogged up the Bulldogs' defence, crowding out Brad Johnson and Luke Darcy. Upon winning the ball, they rushed it forward at breakneck speed to forwards isolated in space. Twice, it was a case of the ball coming in from one side of the ground, Riewoldt from the other. Where they intersected, the Saint twice marked spectacularly over Ryan Hargrave for two goals. The Article Greg Baum/RealFooty/15Apr07 Saints pump Bulldogs Jason Phelan/Sportal/14Apr07 Saints skipper in great Nick Riewoldt finished with four goals and seven marks in a dominant first-up display. "There's always a little bit of nerves when you are coming back and I think it has been about 10 weeks for a hamstring, so it has been a bit of a saga," Riewoldt said. "It was good to come back and get a feel for it again and good to get a win. I have only done one hamstring before so I have been governed by what they have told me to do. There were a few setbacks along the way . . . but we took a no-risk policy and so far it has paid off." Saints coach Ross Lyon was thrilled with his side's intensity to bury the Bulldogs after making a strong start. Lyon said the forward set-up with key bigmen Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke was a matchwinning formula. "You can't tighten the reins on them too much," he said. "There is no substitute for talent and they have got a lot of respect for each other. You do training drills and they work with John Barker, our forward coach, and it seems to work OK." The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/15Apr07 Saints collar Dogs Len Johnson/HeraldSun/15Apr07 Saints smash Dogs Nick Mockford/SportsAustralia/14Apr07 Riewoldt stars as Saints thrash Bulldogs The damage started in the centre square, where veteran Robert Harvey was on fire early, along with Saints' hard man Steven Baker and Andrew Thompson. Baker set the tone for his side in the physical stakes, laying a crunching tackle on Bulldogs' star midfielder Scott West in the opening passage of play, with the subsequent turnover setting up an easy goal for Fraser Gehrig 30 seconds into the match. Harvey, 35, continued to gather touches throughout the night, also kicking a strong goal from 50 metres to start the second half. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was full of praise for Harvey's performance, saying it was particularly important given the absence of fellow midfielder Luke Ball through injury . . . Lyon was happy with the way Riewoldt slotted in alongside Gehrig and Koschitzke. "The three of them are very talented clearly, you come in and you can't tighten the reins on them too much, you've got to say basically work together," he said. "John Barker our forward coach, he's done a pretty good job working with them, but there's no substitute for talent, is there." The Article AAP/RealFooty/14Apr07 Bulldogs have tails between their legs . . . They were credited with only 12 contested marks on Saturday night (St Kilda took 21). Riewoldt took six in the front half for the Saints, S. Fisher six at the opposite end . . . The concern for the Bulldogs is their inability to cope with the physical pressure applied by Adelaide and St Kilda, both of which have several starting 18 players on the injured list. No Ball, Maguire, Hudghton or M. Clarke Saturday night, remember. Adelaide went in against the Doggies with no Ricciuto, Burton or McGregor . . . The one certainty about the Dogs from here is that the opposition will stretch them and harass them. What Rodney Eade would do for a so-called power forward. Like Riewoldt, who made a sensational return. He hadn't played a game since the first week of finals last year, yet took seven marks and kicked four goals from nine kicks. Little wonder coach Ross Lyon said recently he would be a much better coach when Riewoldt was in his team. The Saints seem to be in good shape. Before the season started, a 3-3 return from the first six rounds was a realistic target, given the interrupted preparations for so many players. They are 2-1 with Essendon, Port Adelaide and Carlton to come. They should be feeling much better about themselves than the Western Bulldogs. The Article Mike Sheahan/HeraldSun/16Apr07 Ball to be tested, Gehrig waits on video scrutiny . . . St Kilda will wait until later in the week to see if co-captain Luke Ball has overcome the lingering effects of concussion before deciding whether he will play in Saturday's match against Essendon. The Saints regained star forward Nick Riewoldt for their 50-point thrashing of the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, and he booted four goals in his first game since injuring a hamstring in the pre-season. "There's always a little bit of nerves when you're coming back, I think it's been about 10 weeks for a hamstring, so it's been a bit of a saga," Riewoldt said. "But it's good to come back and get a feel for it again and, most importantly, to play in a winning team. I had a few little setbacks along the way, that probably cost me two or three weeks every time. "In the end they just played the conservative card. I might have been able to play round one, I probably could have played last week, but I was definitely right this week. They took the no-risk policy and so far it's paid off. Hopefully, I'm out of the woods now." The Saints will anxiously await the outcome of video scrutiny of full-forward Fraser Gehrig, who was caught on camera swinging a fist into the midriff of Bulldogs defender Brian Harris. The Article Adam Cooper/RealFooty/16Apr07 GT on Voss non-selection Heard Grant Thomas on SEN this morning, pretty interesting stuff. He is very insiteful about his comments on our game plan and the way we took apart the dogs. He thinks that teams have figured out the doggies and that the way to beat them is to 'correll' them as they come out of defence, so that they cant do their 1-2 handballs and cant run through the lines, forcing them to kick long to a contest. He was asked why he thought Voss wasnt getting a game . . . He thinks there are question marks about vossys 'abillity to run out a game' (fitness) and also his possible lack of speed. He said he had no doubt that Voss would work his way back into the team and that once he did it would be 'hard for them to get rid of him' meaning he would prove that he is worthy of the spot. Interstingly he was also was asked about and said that he 'happened to run into' Rooey before the game last week and had a coffee with him . . . said that Roo was nervous and he said that he simply reminded Roo that 'nerves are good' that he has always been nervous before games, told him to just go out there and 'follow the coaches instructions'. He said he was still 'friends' with lots of the players but never initiated contact with them and only accidently 'ran in to Roo at sauna' The Post 'Pureoctain' saintsational.com Gehrig incident only dampener for Saints Martin Boulton/RealFooty/15Apr07 Champs see beyond team rules . . . At Telstra Dome on Saturday night, St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt made his first appearance for the season. Everything in the young Saint roars. His enthusiasm, his courage, his speed and his skills. He cannot contain any of those qualities. Cannot do any of them in silence. Riewoldt took four contested marks in the first quarter. Some teams don't do that in a season. He is so gifted his coach Ross Lyon said: "I am a better coach when Riewoldt is in the team." Riewoldt kicked four goals and St Kilda will soon be touted, along with Geelong, as Victoria's best team. Sport is interesting when played well and with discipline. It is memorable when the game's superstars use rules and regulations as guideposts and stepping stones, not barriers and stop signs. The Article Patrick Smith/TheAustralian/16Apr07 Coaches angry? You bet One of Australia's biggest betting shops thinks the Kangaroos' Dean Laidley is "a certainty" to be the first AFL coach to be sacked this season, and has posted a market accordingly. The Darwin-based Sportingbet last night opened the first market on the controversial bet type, with Laidley a commanding $2.25 favourite. "Regardless of what happened this weekend or next, I think he's a certainty to get the chop first," Sportingbet's Steve Fletcher said. "Chris Connolly and Neale Daniher will obviously be the shorteners if things don't change for Fremantle and the Demons very soon. On the flip-side, 'Bomber' Thompson would have been $4.75 in this market two weeks ago and now he's out to $7 because the Cats have won their past couple." The Article Adam Hamilton/HeraldSun/16Apr07 AFL to look into Showdown flopThe Article Sophie Elsworth/AdelaideAdvertiser/16Apr07 AFL to look into Showdown flop The AFL will investigate why fewer than 37,000 fans attended Saturday's Showdown, but denies live TV coverage was to blame. The record low attendance of 36,959 left the AFL stunned, with reasons including fans' safety fears set to be investigated this week. AFL chief broadcasting and commercial officer Gillon McLachlan said with 83,000 members between the teams, the game at AAMI Stadium "should have been a sellout". He said "various explanations" were being considered and the AFL would contact the Crows, Port Adelaide and the SANFL to discuss reasons for the poor attendance. "This includes some Adelaide fans not feeling safe with Port Adelaide fans," he said. He said the game's live broadcast on Foxtel and Channel 10 would not have been a contributing factor. "I don't think it being live on TV has anything to do with it," he said. "We will be talking with the two clubs and the SANFL to find out why this happened." A peak audience of 282,000 viewers tuned in to the live broadcast on Channel 10. The Article Sophie Elsworth AdelaideAdvertiser/16Apr07 Umps scrap hand signal Field umpires have dropped the hand signal warning players of the direction they will back out after a bounce. It was decided that indicating with a straight-arm action was an unnecessary delay before restarting play. Quicker resumption after a stoppage has heightened the duty of care for players to avoid colliding with umpires. The shift in procedures was revealed last night when Hawk defender Danny Jacobs beat a charge of making negligent contact with umpire Dean Margetts in the second term at Telstra Dome on Sunday. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/17Apr07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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Jason Blake