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2007 Round 6 Post-game Articles - St Kilda vs Port Adelaide
St Kilda overcame its lack of height in defence and an outstanding six-goal effort by Brendan Fevola to score a much-needed 43-point victory at Telstra Dome on Friday night. The Blues were most dangerous in the third quarter when their forwards were allowed to play man-on-man, even if this meant they lined up with nine men inside their attacking 50, slamming five unanswered goals to reduce a 34-point deficit to just four shortly before three-quarter time. However, Fraser Gehrig booted two of his six goals just prior to the final change before the Saints produced a five-goal to one final quarter to record an 18.17 (125) to 11.16 (82) victory. That the Saints were able to stem the Carlton charge was largely due to the dominance of Nick Dal Santo in the midfield and Gehrig's ability to frequently give Setanta O'hAilpin the slip. Dal Santo was polished as usual, hardly wasting any of his 30 possessions in an outstanding four-quarter performance. Fevola was Carlton's best despite being given very little room, booting six goals in a trademark Jekyll and Hyde performance. The Article Sportal/05May07 Saints sweat on Gehrig . . . While Gehrig only struck the young Blue with an open hand, the blow was forceful enough to stun O'hAilpin. Considering Gehrig has already served two one-match bans for similar minor strikes in recent years, the 2004 and 2005 Coleman Medallist is entitled to be feeling nervous right now. And both of those strikes were to the body, a less serious offence than striking to the face. Gehrig served a one-match ban for striking Collingwood's Jason Cloke to the stomach in round six, 2005 and then another one-match ban for a similar offence against the Bulldogs Brian Harris only three weeks ago. The Saints can ill-afford to lose Gehrig, who was back to his brilliant best in Friday night's big win over the Blues, with six goals - particularly with a tough match coming up this week against last year's runners-up Sydney. The only thing that might save Gehrig is if the match review panel consider his slap to the face of O'hAilpin was not forceful enough to be considered a strike. Gehrig's team-mate Steven Baker could also come under scrutiny for a front-on clash with Carlton's Jordan Russell while the Saints' hardman is also likely to come under scrutiny for a series of clashes with Blues' young gun Marc Murphy. The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/05May07 Trio face nervous match review wait AAP/TheAge/06May07
When St Kilda's much-admired recruiter, gentlemanly John Beveridge, plucked a frizzy-haired kid named James Gwilt out of the obscurity of Noble Park in 2004 and handed him a ticket to the big league, it is safe to say the Saints were not anointing him as the next great full-back. Gwilt is 188 centimetres tall, well above the old six feet, but has a low centre of gravity and a propensity for finding the ball at ground level. A goalsneak and half-forward? Maybe. A spoiling full-back? You can't be serious. But in their most dire circumstances, it was Gwilt whom the Saints turned to last night as they tried to find a way to counter Brendan Fevola and thus get over the top of Carlton at Telstra Dome. Without Sam Fisher, Matt Maguire and Max Hudghton, options one, two and three in the Fevola stakes, it would be fair to say that Ross Lyon and his coaching staff had reached the point of desperation. And here's the thing. It worked for a while. The Article Martin Blake/RealFooty/05May07 Gwilt's steep learning curve Young defender James Gwilt was given two days to get his head around the prospect of lining up against one of the league's most prolific forwards. On Wednesday, the 20-year-old was told he would spend just his seventh AFL game chasing Blues spearhead Brendan Fevola, who, coming into Friday's match, had kicked 15 goals from five games. "I went and saw [coach] Ross [Lyon] early in the week and he told me then," Gwilt told saints.com.au after the club's 43-point win. "I did a fair bit of preparation with 'SOS' [Stephen Silvagni], and spoke to Max [Hudghton] and 'Goose' [Matt Maguire], and they were all pretty helpful. I didn't think I did too bad. He still kicked six. In the first half, I was doing all right on him, but then in the third quarter, in a space of about 10 minutes, he kicked two or three. He sort of got going a bit then." Fevola may have kicked six goals, but he didn't assert his influence until the second half after a close contest with Gwilt in the first two quarters. Gwilt, who was pleased he was given the chance to play on such a strong forward, said Fevola's experience and strength made it hard to keep up with him once the Blues started getting the ball inside 50 more often. "It was a good challenge and a good learning experience for me, so I think I'll be better for it," he said. "Me and Sammy Gilbert have got opportunities to step up and get some pretty big jobs over the next few weeks, so hopefully we can stay in the side and try and prove that we're able to do it." The Article Jennifer Witham/AFL/saints.com.au/05May07 Baker still in fight . . . Tribunal chairman David Jones, a retired County Court judge, decided at the end of the cases that Baker's demerit points would not be cumulative. "It's not appropriate to attach carry-over points from the first matter (rough conduct) to this (striking) matter," Jones said. Jones added that it would be up to the AFL to clarify the situation. Amid the confusion last night, Baker and Saints football manager Ken Sheldon left AFL headquarters clearly expecting the disciplined stopper would miss only Saturday night's game against Sydney and the following Saturday against Hawthorn. It was a mystifying ending to a night when the tribunal jury was in synch with the match review panel following conflicting findings over the past few weeks that prompted criticism of the AFL's judicial system. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/09May07 Bakes found guilty on both charges St Kilda have suffered a massive blow at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night with tagger Steven Baker suspended for two matches after being found guilty on two different charges . . . The first charge found Baker guilty of engaging in rough conduct against Carlton midfielder Jordan Russell, the three man match review panel outing the 2005 St Kilda best and fairest winner for one match. The second charge found Baker guilty of striking young Carlton star Marc Murphy during the final quarter of the Saints 43-point victory, meaning the 26-year-old received another one week ban . . . "We are clear with the rules, and we have faith in the system," (Ken) Sheldon said. "We put our best foot forward, the video wasn't too flash for us and in the end our player got two weeks. We are prepared to cop that on the chin and move on." The Article Sportal/08May07 Baker suspended for two weeks AFL/saints.com.au/08May07 Baker out for two games but may face further ban . . . The outcome creates a dilemma for the AFL, which will be forced to clarify how the tribunal system of carry-over points for offences is intended to operate. Depending what action the AFL takes, Baker conceivably could have an extra match added to his sentence today. Baker accrued 177.5 demerit points on each of the two charges. In its media release earlier in the day detailing last night's tribunal hearings, the AFL specifically stated that were Baker to be found guilty of both offences, the points would be cumulative, giving him a total of 355. As 100 points equates to one game, Baker then would have been suspended for three matches, with 55 points carried over to his future record . . . It was the first time under the new system that a player has been found guilty of two offences in one game. After hearing both counsel and giving the matter consideration, the tribunal chairman, retired County Court judge David Jones, ruled that the carry-over points from the first offence should not apply to the second one. "It is not appropriate to carry over the points from the first matter to this matter," Jones said, "having regard to the fact that at the time of committing the offence of striking (the second case), he did not have these points" . . . As it stands now, however, Baker has 155 carry-over points from last night's case, which means he is on an automatic week's suspension for any offence carrying further points. The Article Len Johnson/RealFooty/09May07 Bakes to challenge both charges St Kilda's Steven Baker will appear before the AFL Tribunal tonight. Baker will challenge two separate charges. If he's found guilty of both, he will be suspended for three weeks. Baker was charged with engaging in rough conduct against Carlton's Jordan Russell in the first quarter at Telstra Dome last Friday night and then striking Marc Murphy in the last term. If he had taken an early plea, he would have only been suspended for one match for each offence. But under AFL regulations, where a player has multiple charges in a week, the sanctions are added together and each 100 demerit points counts for a one-match sanction. This means if he is found guilty of both offences - which each carry a penalty of 177.50 demerit points - it would result in a total penalty of 355 points and a three-match sanction. The Article saints.com.au/08May07 Saints may fight for Baker Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/08May07 Bakes gets two, G and Bally not charged AFL/saints.com.au/07May07 Baker tops list of reported players AAP/RealFooty/06May07 Pickett cleared on tackle Greg Denham/TheAustralian/08May07 Mixed tribunal news for Saints Paul Gough/Sportal/07May07 Saints took right approach St Kilda co-captain Nick Riewoldt has said he doesn't believe the Saints went overboard in taking a physical approach to Friday night's match against Carlton at Telstra Dome. The Saints withstood a third-quarter charge from the Blues to win comfortably by 42 points, but tagger Steven Baker was reported for striking Carlton's Marc Murphy in the final term and is likely to come under scrutiny for an earlier clash with Jordan Russell. As well, Fraser Gehrig, who kicked six goals, appeared to strike Carlton defender Setanta O'Hailpin with an open hand in a show of strength very early in the opening term. Speaking before the Saints' Saturday morning recovery session at St Leonard's College in Brighton, Riewoldt said he hadn't seen the Gehrig 'slap' but was confident it would come to nothing. "We're confident in the system and there's only been two blokes rubbed out this year, and it might stay two if it's Fraser," he said. "I think it's been good the way it's gone, a little bit more lenient if you want to call it that." Asked if the team had played 'angry', Riewoldt said the Saints had placed a special emphasis on tackling and winning the contested ball. The Article Angus Morgan/Sportal/05May07 Saints' grit praised St Kilda forward Nick Riewoldt has praised his teammates for their fighting qualities after they held off a strong Carlton surge on Friday night. The Saints bounced back from their dreadful hiding by Port Adelaide in round five to emerge 43-point winners, and came away with the double bonus of an injury-free night. The only negative was the report of Steven Baker for allegedly striking Carlton's Marc Murphy in the fourth term. Fraser Gehrig also may come under scrutiny after he made contact to the face of Carlton defender Setanta O'hAilpin with an open hand before the opening bounce. "Full credit to Carlton. They have shown a couple of times this year that they are never out of it," Riewoldt said. "When they came back really hard at us there in the third quarter, it was important that we responded . . . I think when you are challenged, it is always good to respond (and) to respond the way we did, (we) definitely take a lot out of that." Riewoldt pointed to the team's tough tackling and the performance of the undermanned back line as the keys to the Saints' victory. The Article Carley Jellett/RealFooty/06May07 Riewoldt talks up St Kilda's late surge Carley Jellett/RealFooty/06May07 Dal Santo's tip to beat taggers A few years ago, Nick Dal Santo was what Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs are now: a talented young onballer in an ordinary team, trying to figure out how to get rid of his first taggers. Now, Dal Santo is more used to winning, and has some simple advice for his young Carlton counterparts: learn to run more relentlessly than your opponent, but don't expect to burn them off in a hurry. "The tricky thing is that you can know what you want to do, but it takes a while to be able to do it. It's a work-rate thing, but it's hard to get that sort of running base as a young player," Dal Santo said after Friday night's win over the Blues. The Saints started well, then chopped off a five-goal Carlton surge late in the third quarter to win by 43 points and notch their third win. Both Dal Santo and Luke Ball found some midfield ball, and form, while Murphy endured Steven Baker's attention, no doubt wishing Nick Stevens was not out of the side, recovering from neck surgery. The Article Emma Quayle/RealFooty/06May07 Saint guns supreme The impact of St Kilda's twin midfield guns was never more evident than in the latter stages of the third quarter on Friday night. When Robert Harvey and Nick Dal Santo simultaneously came off for a breather the Blues suddenly burst back into the contest. They were winning clearances, finding space and applying the screws when previously there had been little resistance. Geelong coach Mark Thompson wondered last week who was playing on the rampaging Roo Adam Simpson and Carlton coach Denis Pagan might have uttered the same words about Harvey and Dal Santo. As soon as they returned to the fold the ascendancy was regained. Despite cramping, Dal Santo was still the key. He made the difficult look easy - weaving through traffic, handballing with precision. The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/06May07 Waite defends Fevola's antics Carlton defender Jarrad Waite has defended the antics of Brendan Fevola who continued his battle with the umpires on Friday night. Waite said the players needed to do more to support the controversial forward who, he said, was often given a raw deal against several opposition players. Fevola kicked 6.2 but almost lost his cool after the umpires awarded free kicks against him. "We're all human and it's understandable," Waite said of Fevola disputing decisions. "It's very frustrating for forwards when you're playing on two or three blokes at one time." The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/06May07 Young players were shining lights: Lyon Despite the comprehensive margin by which they won, Ross Lyon believes the biggest positives to come out of the Saints' 43-point victory over the Blues came in the form of three of the club's emerging players. Lyon, who spoke largely of the team's pre-match focus on "tackling and competing", said the performances of James Gwilt, Sam Gilbert and Clinton Jones were the shining lights from the big win. Gwilt was given the tough role of containing Blues' spearhead Brendan Fevola, and was solid against the experienced Blue in the first half, while Gilbert picked up 12 touches in just his fourth game and Jones nine in his second. "The point I'd like to make with Gwilt, and I'd like to lump him in with Gilbert and Jones, they're three young players who stood up when we wanted to be 3-3," Lyon said. "There's no bigger job in the competition, well, there's a couple, but Brendan Fevola . . . I thought in the first half, he really delivered and he had good support. I'm not sure how many people would have thought, James Gwilt, Brendan Fevola, or that Sam Gilbert would have the impact, or Clint Jones would run and chase and tackle like he did. So that's a step forward for our list, with a bit of pace and athleticism. Can they do it next week? Young players go up and down, but we're hopeful that they can . . . We'll try and coach them so they can deliver next week, but we saw the inconsistency within the game with Gwilt and Fevola, so that's the challenge." The Article Jennifer Witham/saints.com.au/05May07 Saints home by 43 points The Saints have snapped a two-game losing streak with a comprehensive 43-point win over the Blues at Telstra Dome on Friday night. In a sometimes spiteful affair, the Saints just had too much firepower for the Blues' defence, with a six-goal bag to full-forward Fraser Gehrig the catalyst for the 18.17 (125) to 11.16 (82) victory. Nick Dal Santo stood up in the absence of Lenny Hayes and amassed 30 disposals, while Luke Ball - playing without a helmet for the first time since returning from concussion in round four - was dogged and ran himself ragged. Club president Rod Butterss kicked off proceedings at the president's dinner by throwing his support behind coach Ross Lyon, who he called "a man of great integrity" and a "fantastic addition into our club". Tensions threatened to boil over before the match even began, with Irish defender Setanta O'hAilpin going straight to Gehrig. The pair instantly clashed and some fervent shoving dominated the Saints' attacking goal-square as the umpire prepared to start the game. Former forward Jarrad Waite went to Nick Riewoldt, and up the other end, Jason Gram won the responsibility of manning Lance Whitnall and James Gwilt the job of Brendan Fevola, while Steven Baker moved to tag emerging Blues' star Marc Murphy. The Saints were quick off the mark and got out to a three-goal lead in the first 10 minutes, but a free kick to Whitnall got the Blues on the board. The Article Jennifer Witham/saints.com.au/05May07
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon went back to basics last night, with old-fashioned harassment and physical pressure the key to overwhelming Carlton. After his side's comfortable 43-point victory at Telstra Dome, Lyon didn't want to to focus on Nick Dal Santo's dominance, Fraser Gehrig's six-goal bag or the club's long injury list because to him last night was all about tackling and competing. "We came in with a simple focus and that was to tackle really well and compete really well," Lyon said. "I think we did that and in the end the game cracked open. When Carlton came back to four points (in the third quarter), I thought we showed really good character and strong leadership and poise under pressure." Tagger Steven Baker certainly took on board his coach's demand to get down and dirty, but close attention to young Blues star Marc Murphy saw his number taken by the emergency umpire in the final quarter. The Article Scott Gullan/HeraldSun/05May07 Dal Santo cool in a crisis A couple of trainers would have slept as soundly as the St Kilda players after being compelled to work overtime last night. Support staff on knees worked a shuttle service massaging weary limbs during the constant rotations in the exhausting second half at Telstra Dome. With big men Matthew Clarke and Michael Rix virtually benched for the entire last quarter, the other 20 Saints ran themselves to a standstill and eventually ran Carlton into the ground. With the match still in the balance going into the last quarter, depleted St Kilda summoned the will to keep putting bodies on the line, booting five goals to the Blues' one for a hard-earned 43-point victory. This was one that will be recalled fondly long into next week at Moorabbin after the Saints, already missing eight of their best 22, refused to yield when the fresher Blues threatened to overrun them late in the third quarter. It seemed that St Kilda had an iron-grip on this tough, bruising contest when it edged to a 34-point lead with three of the first four goals after halftime. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/05May07 Stifling Saints hold out Blues . . . Extreme flooding tactics enabled an undermanned St Kilda to frustrate a dangerous Carlton attack and notch a much-needed 18.17 (125) to 11.16 (82) AFL victory at Telstra Dome tonight. The Saints' tactics were far from attractive as they lined up with as many as nine players in defence at times. But after being thrashed by Essendon and Port Adelaide in the previous two rounds, the 43-point win was certainly welcome, taking them to a 3-3 win-loss record. The icing on the cake was a six-goal haul to spearhead Fraser Gehrig. It was a welcome return to goal-kicking form for the burly forward, who had kicked just five goals in his previous four matches this season. The Article Sam Lienert/RealFooty/04May07 Team of the week: Round six . . . CENTRES: Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda) - Topped the Champion Data player rankings with 178 points in round six. Dal Santo was brilliant against the Blues, winning 30 touches at a 93 per cent efficiency rate. He also laid six tackles in a best on ground display. . . . FORWARDS: Fraser Gehrig (St Kilda) - The G-Train was outstanding against the Blues, jagging six goals in his best performance for the year thus far. Gehrig also claimed nine marks and finished with a Champion Data player ranking of 171 points. The Article AFL/saints.com.au/07May07
Carlton had nothing left to offer at three-quarter time last night when the game against St Kilda at Telstra Dome hung in the balance. Blues coach Denis Pagan conceded his men were spent in the final term and may have been feeling the effects of a third match in 13 days. Carlton surged bravely late in the third term when it rattled on five unanswered goals to slash a deficit of almost six goals to four points, but it was eventually crushed by 43 points as the Saints took control in the final quarter. "It's probably something you wouldn't want to talk about even if it was the case," Pagan said. "We had a tough game last week against the Lions. We knew it would be a tough game tonight. We made a terrific effort in that third quarter to get within four points in that third quarter - not having a lot of good players available on the night, especially in the midfield - but you look at the first 10 minutes of the last quarter, when you watch it on tape, we were really spent." The Article Michael Horan/HeraldSun/05May07 Saints summon flood to steady ship You could be forgiven for thinking Grant Thomas never left St Kilda. If he is not having cups of tea with Nick Riewoldt before a big match, he is offering public explanations for why Stephen Milne should have been traded and Troy Schwarze should have stayed. If he is not live on radio discussing the Saints' fortunes, he is locked in financial dispute with club president Rod Butterss. Thomas was sacked, you'll recall, seven months ago. Yesterday, he insinuated the primary reason he was sacked was his falling out with Butterss and, particularly, their disagreement over a $1.1 million personal loan for a bayside house that Butterss claims Thomas has failed to repay. That dispute is now the subject of Victorian Supreme Court action. But in the meantime, it is worth pointing out that the Saints have a new senior coach, Ross Lyon, a new panel of assistants, a new fitness chief and a new football manager. They also have a new way of winning football games. One of Thomas's coaching philosophies was that a team should never flood. Against Carlton last night, there came a time in the second quarter when, despite the ball being in St Kilda's attacking half, Justin Koschitzke was loose in defence, Riewoldt was stationed in the backline and Carlton's forward line was clogged with as many as nine St Kilda players. The Article Chip Le Grande/TheAustralian/05May07 Saints steady against Blues The Saints are marching again, St Kilda back on the winning list with a 43-point victory over Carlton last night. But it was not without a couple of stuttering steps, mind. St Kilda led by 34 points early in the third quarter before watching all but four points of that margin evaporate as Carlton slammed on five goals in a row. Then Fraser Gehrig, who has slipped the blade between the ribs of more opponents than Mack the Knife, missed two shots on goal at the start of the last term. Once Aaron Fiora scored a goal a few minutes later after running hard into space at half-forward, extending the lead to 23 points, the Saints found their rhythm. Brendan Fevola, who played a Dr Jekyll second half to go with his Mr Hyde first half, took a strong mark against two opponents for his sixth goal a few minutes later, but Carlton could find no more after that. Gehrig wound up with six goals after his best game of the season. The winners were also well served by the ageless and peerless Robert Harvey, Nick Dal Santo and some lesser lights in Sam Gilbert and Leigh Fisher. The Article Len Johnson/RealFooty/04May07
"I didn't do anything I wouldn't be embarrassed to do in front of my mother." That was the response from St Kilda president Rod Butterss yesterday, 24 hours after absorbing explosive revelations in the Herald Sun. Butterss was floored by claims he had lost the respect of Saints players by behaving badly on a 2004 training camp in South Africa. He didn't see former assistant coach Matt Rendell, and his cutting comments, coming. "I'm bewildered. To say the players were angry is pretty hurtful," Butterss said. "I recall myself and Glen Casey being thanked for our contribution to the trip in the gym before we left. If there was anything wrong, why would that happen?" Butterss and board member Casey spent four or five days in Potchefstroom, 90 minutes out of Johannesburg. "I paid my own way. It was a form of leave - and, contrary to some reports, the board was fully supportive of the camp," Butterss said. The senior coach invited me . . . I was invited on to the camp, too, by then coach Grant Thomas. Thomas allowed the Herald Sun pretty much full access. The only no-go zone was a balls-and-all players-only meeting, in which peers were asked to rate the list from No. 1 to No. 42." The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/07May07 Riewoldt wants off-field battle fixed St Kilda co-captain Nick Riewoldt yesterday admitted off-field issues affecting the club had been hard to deal with, but he said the Saints were confident of making the finals. Riewoldt was drawn into the legal rift between president Rod Butterss and former coach Grant Thomas, saying he had been aware there was always a "little bit bubbling below the surface between some of the people involved in the hierarchy of the club". Butterss has taken legal action against Thomas - who was displaced late last year - over an alleged unpaid loan of $1.14 million. "It seems to be dragging on a little bit, all this sort of stuff," Riewoldt said on Triple M. "All the players really want is to put it all behind us." Riewoldt said he felt he had been drawn into such matters over the past six months. He was responding to a claim by former St Kilda assistant coach Matt Rendell that players had been angry with Butterss and another board member on a pre-season camp in South Africa. "To be honest, we were all training hard at that stage," Riewoldt said. The Article Jackie Epstein and Scot Palmer/HeraldSun/06May07 Thomas needs to Butterss out Grant Thomas says the moment the inevitable blowtorch is applied to new St Kilda coach Ross Lyon, the board should extend his contract by a further two years. According to Thomas, Lyon is such a rare talent he must be given time and breathing space to achieve what St Kilda has not seen since 1966: a premiership. Since his turbulent sacking in September last year Thomas has been keen to preach how little he cares about his own well-being or reputation, as long as St Kilda prospers. If he believes that, it is time for him to close his mouth and give Lyon the clear air and opportunity he deserves to make a decent fist of his first senior coaching appointment. Lyon has finally got his side back to level pegging, but more challenges lie ahead. The last thing he needs is the fallout from the rift between Thomas and president Rod Butterss, distractions over whether Thomas deserved to go and questions about the former coach's continuing influence on his players. Thomas says it is Butterss who makes private matters public, but if that's the case he must take the high moral ground. But for the sake of St Kilda's on-field prosperity, the last thing those vexing questions over their disupte need is public airing. If Butterss and Thomas care as much about St Kilda as they say they do, the first thing they need to do is start mediation and sort out an argument that has escalated as far as the Supreme Court. The Article Jon Ralph/HeraldSun/06May07 Rendell: Saints, Butterss rift Grant Thomas's former right-hand man Matthew Rendell believes the $1 million debt to St Kilda president Rod Butterss played a role in his sacking at the end of 2006. Rendell also dropped a bombshell yesterday when he said he thought there were on-going problems between the players and the president. Rendell claimed that Butterss lost the players, several who were very close to Thomas, after the club's pre-season trip to South Africa last year. Butterss and board director Glen Casey joined the team for a week in South Africa. Rendell, who also departed the club in unsavoury fashion soon after Thomas, said the players were far from impressed with their behaviour. "The players were pretty angry with Rod and the hierarchy after South Africa," Rendell claimed. "And if anything soured (between the president and the players) it was from then on, probably Rod in particular but Glen and the board and hierarchy by association." The Article Mark Robinson/HeraldSun/05May07 Thomas links demise as coach to Butterss row Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas, who is being sued by the man who sacked him last September, Saints president Rod Butterss, last night linked the pair's disintegrated relationship to his ejection from the club. Thomas had previously denied that his tumultuous friendship with Butterss had not been a factor in their professional parting. But now that Butterss has lodged a writ in the Supreme Court to settle a financial row involving at least $1.14 million, Thomas has admitted that St Kilda's football department had been "significantly" affected by their dispute. "I would say, unequivocally, that either one of us had to go or we had to sort of be able to address the issue because there's no doubt that it was having a significant affect on the football department and to that end something had to happen," Thomas said on SEN before last night's St Kilda-Carlton clash. "We tried several times but to no avail. I don't think anyone can deny that unless you have a strong relationship with the person that makes the decisions that it's not always going to go in your favour. Rod probably has very good reasons as to why he terminated my contract. But I've got no doubt if our relationship was better and our communication was better and everything else, I've go no doubt he probably wouldn't have had that same view." The Article Samantha Lane/RealFooty/05May07 Saints continue dominance over Blues . . . A comfortable, confidence building win has the season back on level terms and now a test against one of the benchmarks of the competition awaits this Saturday night. The silky skills of Dal Santo and the hardness of Ball and co against the seasoned, hardened campaigners from up north. Another opportunity for the youngsters to show the football world what they are made of. The Article Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/07May07 Remove the barriers The AFL has a dilemma. It craves respect - from players, coaches and fans. But it has proclaimed its umpires are off limits. The league has built an electric fence around them. Making umpires untouchable is going to make things worse. The perception of umpires is at an all-time low - and there are different views as to why. My perception is they are beyond criticism, lack empathy, have little or no humour, desperately seek respect and recognition and think they are more important than they are. I am certain this perception is false and that they are terrific fellas and have great wit. Unfortunately, we rarely get a chance to witness it. Following the incident involving Richmond skipper Kane Johnson last week, AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said players can approach umpires during the game but not at the breaks. Please. This is another example of the reactive protection applied to the umpires that does them no favours. The AFL is concerned the floodgates will open and a procession of captains will be fronting umpires at breaks. Ye of little faith. The interaction and explanation will do wonders for player-umpire relationships. And surely supporters become more infuriated with umpires "snubbing" captains than engaging in some banter. Effectively, they are being ostracised. The Article Grant Thomas/RealFooty/05May07 AFL seeks shelter from air ads The AFL has sought a massive upgrade in protection under new aerial advertising laws, a move that would effectively classify more than 100 football matches each year as major events. In an audacious proposal by the AFL, every final, home and away match and some pre-season games would be protected from ambush marketing by flight-path bans. Last week, the Victorian Parliament passed its Major Events Aerial Advertising Bill, which sets harsh penalties for anyone flying advertising material over specific events. The bill was approved by the upper house on Tuesday, meaning it will be law soon. In it the AFL grand final is automatically protected every year, along with major events such as the Melbourne Cup, the grand prix, the Australian Open tennis and the Boxing Day Test cricket match. But the AFL has told the State Government it wanted its whole season and the pre-season final, to be covered by the law. The Article Peter Ker/TheAge/07May07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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