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2007 Round 7 Post-game Articles - St Kilda vs Sydney Swans
Team of the week: Round seven HALF BACKS . . . Sam Fisher (St Kilda) Fisher not only held Sydney star Michael O'Loughlin goalless and to just eight disposals, he also won 23 touches himself in an outstanding display. He grabbed 14 marks for the Saints. FOLLOWERS . . . Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) The co-captain was a major factor in St Kilda's win over Sydney, collecting 21 disposals and 14 marks. He also sent the ball inside 50 on eight occasions. The Article Matt Burgan/AFL/saints.com.au/15May07 Scans confirm worst for Goddard St Kilda midfielder Brendon Goddard will have his left knee reconstructed this week after scans yesterday confirmed he has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament. Goddard hurt his knee in the first quarter of Saturday night's win against Sydney at Telstra Dome. His knee will be assessed by an orthopedic surgeon, who expects to perform the surgery in the next few days. Goddard was devastated at the game as he realised the severity of the injury. But he was in better spirits yesterday, according to St Kilda football manager Ken Sheldon. "He shares a confidence and belief knowing that many players before him have come back from similar injuries and have been able to resurrect their 100 to 150-game careers," Sheldon said last night. Goddard, who will turn 22 on Sunday, was taken as No. 1 selection in the 2002 national draft. The Article Daryl Timms/HeraldSun/14May07 Footy drugs farce An AFL player has escaped being tested for illicit drugs after telling testers he was unable to produce a urine sample. The player, from Hawthorn, was allowed by an AFL-contracted drug agency last week to avoid being tested in the latest flaw to be exposed in the game's illicit drugs code. Permission for the footballer to escape the drug test was an unprecedented break of protocol followed by sports drug-testing bodies around the world. The drug testers, from Dorevitch Pathology, instead asked club officials to provide a replacement player. Dorevitch, a Melbourne-based drug-testing laboratory, is contracted by the AFL to carry out tests for its controversial illicit drugs policy. The excused Hawk had already provided a urine sample that day for testers from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA). The Article Damian Barrett/AdelaideAdvertiser/16May07
There were so many things to enjoy about Saturday night's 26-point win over the Swans that it’s hard to know what my favourite moment was. Where do you start? With Xavier Clarke’s and Luke Ball’s rapacious appetite for tackling? Nick Riewoldt’s taking his annual kamikaze mark against the Swans in the second quarter? Maybe Fraser Gehrig’s forward-pocket feng shui rearrangement of the occasional furniture by the boundary line? Then he casually threaded another goal from an impossible angle . . . When Peter Everitt collected his first touch early in the game, he was greeted with a chorus of jeers that sounded like a choir of blue whales doing their best impersonation of Welsh opera star Bryn Terfel. It was a long and sustained rich baritone of boos. There’s nothing sinister about it. It’s part of the great tradition of greeting any pantomime villain who returns to his old club wearing another jumper. The Article Francis Leach/saints.com.au/14May07 Saints' rebound aces Any coach will tell you the value of a defender who can run and rebound in today's never-ending search for pace. Like the mix of strength and speed of St Kilda's Jason Gram and Sam Fisher that thwarted and then threatened Sydney on Saturday night. Not only did the pair extinguish the goal-scoring potential of Nick Davis and Michael O'Loughlin, they became offensive components with clean hands, superb judgment and pinpoint disposal to try to beat those unsightly flooding tactics. It seems no coincidence that Sydney has fallen victim on successive Saturday nights at Telstra Dome without the injured Tadhg Kennelly. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/14May07 Sydney gets a taste of its own game Greg Baum/RealFooty/13May07 Determined Saints outplay Swans . . . The Saints stuck to a game plan that starved the Swans of opportunities after they jumped out to an early two goal lead and the Saints did so with a player down from late in the first quarter. Brendon Goddard showing great determination against three opponents hit the ground clutching his knee and will be out for the rest of the season. After Sydney’s lightning start, the Saints replied through Fraser Gehrig who proved too physically strong for Leo Barry. The Saints midfield began to come into the game and win plenty of the ball, setting up plenty of forward opportunities. One of those opportunities was well converted by Stephen Milne who threaded a great left foot shot on the run. The Article Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/14May07 Clarke tackles new role Operation Tackle, the theme of Hawthorn's 1989 grand final win, is becoming the bedrock of St Kilda's 2007 season. The Saints outdid Sydney at its own game on Saturday night, winning the tackle count 55-39 in the 26-point Telstra Dome win. St Kilda co-captain Luke Ball racked up 14 by himself, while forward Xavier Clarke had five to go with his two goals and 13 touches . . . (Xavier) Clarke earned a tick from coach Ross Lyon for his game and is also encouraging his new boss after a solid pre-season. After spending most of his first five AFL seasons in defence, Clarke has played more as a small forward this season under the new Lyon regime. Lyon said Clarke and Justin Koschitzke, another injury-prone player who is building form this season, were showing the benefits of solid summers. "That was a role (forward pressure) he played and he's another one who's been able to get a pre-season into him," Lyon said of Clarke's game. "He was one, probably along with Kosi . . . he played 15 games last year but probably not at the optimum level of fitness. It's good for St Kilda, it's good for Xavier - he's starting to find his feet in league footy." The Article Roger Vaughan/AelaideAdvertiser/14May07 Saints tackle a winning formula AAP/RealFooty/14May07 Swans beaten at their own game The Sydney Swans are off to their worst start during the Paul Roos era - but the last time they lost three of their first seven games they went on to win the competition. The Swans were brought undone by one of their own last night, with Roos' former assistant Ross Lyon masterminding St Kilda's 26-point win. Lyon used Sydney's own tempo-style of football against them to expose deficiencies in last season's grand finalists. Roos was clearly disappointed, but he said he would retain faith in a team that has sustained their excellence over the past two seasons. The Article Tim Morrissey/SundayTelegraph/13May07 Rookies grab last chance to shine If the rookie list was not available, aspiring footballers may well have abandoned their quest. Over 11 seasons it has made a world of difference in the cut-throat business of football. It may not be as fashionable as the national draft, but the rookie draft is proving to be a valuable source of players . . . A look at other clubs reveals St Kilda, Western Bulldogs and Richmond have had the fewest rookies since its inception in 1997 . . . St Kilda's gem has been Stephen Milne who was going to be cut from the list had Grant Thomas stayed as coach. For the first time it has a full quota of six rookies. Former recruiting manager John Beveridge said it was an area the club made an effort to bolster. Having seen other clubs prosper, the Saints devoted more time to developing the resource. "It's been hard because if we invite a Matt Priddis and West Coast also invite him, then he's going to stay at home," Beveridge said. "It's a fairly costly business to bring players over between drafts, and it's very hit and miss. "Our board gave us permission to pick six if we felt they were there, but back in 1997 and '98 when finances were much tighter we didn't pick any and wanted to have a serious crack at the draft. "So it's the first year we've really put our nose to the wheel. The interstate clubs have had good success with rookies." A new player pay deal announced last August increased base payments for rookies to $30,000. It rises to $43,200 if elevated and $2400 for each match played. The Article Jackie Epstein/HeraldSun/14May07 MONDAY WRAP One for the vault . . . Fraser's chair-kicking feat Bog-snorkeling and cheese rolling are now major events in Europe and perhaps after Saturday night, chair-kicking could be another novelty sport that takes off. If you want an Australian representative, St Kilda goalkicking ace Fraser Gehrig is a monty to wear the green and gold. The dual Coleman Medallist was lining up for goal on a tight angle on the boundary line against Sydney, when he was forced to push back against the Telstra Dome fence. With the trainers' plastic chairs sitting in the way, the G-Train simply stuck the boot in, executing a beautifully-timed end-over-end roll. And if that was Fraser’s warm-up, it did the trick, as he then bagged a goal for the Saints. A demonstration sport for Beijing, anybody? The Article Matt Burgan/AFL/saints.com.au/14May07
. . . Clarke says that the success of St Kilda's new game plan - which they executed to perfection against the Swans at the Dome - had prompted debate among players after defeating the 2005 premiers at their own game. "I was speaking to Leigh Montagna and we were just debating who's the brains behind Sydney - is it Rossy [Lyon] or Paul Roos?," Clarke said. Speaking at a pre-match press conference during the week, Saints defender Jason Gram said that the new game plan, modelled on Sydney's premiership-winning style, would take time to catch on. The 23-year-old said it could even take until the mid-season break to come to fruition. However, on Saturday night, the Saints looked as though it was them and not the Swans who were the masters of it, much to Clarke's delight. "The good thing is the boys believe in the plan, which is a major thing. We speak about weight of numbers at the club. When we get 22 blokes on game day believing in the game plan and sticking to the disciplines, there is no doubt that we're either going to come away with a good win or a great effort. If the scoreboard doesn't show that we've won in the end, and we stick to the things that we do, we're always going to be in with a chance," Clarke said. The Article Catherine Murphy/saints.com.au/13May07 Ferocious Saints smother Swans St Kilda coach Ross Lyon should feel well satisfied to chalk up a major victory against last year's grand finalist - as well as his old boss at the Sydney Swans. In just his seventh match in charge of the Saints, Lyon executed a game plan that first frustrated and then starved the Swans, along the way notching up his fourth win and reasserting his club's finals aspirations. It was an impressive 26-point victory, forged without several key defenders, a gun midfielder and more than a few doubts hanging over the team's ability to match it with the competition's top teams. The Saints had more of the footy and used it more quickly in a tight encounter, but the Swans are no strangers to dealing with pressure and hung on in the first half before lifting their intensity in the third term. After pulling out to a two-goal lead midway through the third term the Saints looked in control but Sydney, through goals by Nick Davis and Ryan O'Keefe, bounced back, before eventually being overrun by a more committed, ferocious team. The Article Martin Boulton/RealFooty/13May07
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says Brendon Goddard may have suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Saints' 26-point win against the Swans at Telstra Dome. Goddard had to be helped from the field with a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury in the first quarter. "It looks like 12 months, ACL," Lyon said. "You come into a club and you don't know what people stand for, you might make some judgments from afar. But Brendon Goddard, he's full of character and a hard worker - he's one of the real young leaders around the club. So I feel for him and I feel for St Kilda, but that happens in league footy. As a strong club, our job is to support him and make sure he gets back to playing the football that he was playing early tonight." The Article AFL/saints.com.au/12May07 Goddard hobbled by knee injury . . . Goddard ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the first quarter of the victory over Paul Roos and his Sydney side, for which Lyon worked as an assistant coach before moving to Moorabbin late last year. The latest in an extensive list of St Kilda players to succumb to injury, Goddard was hurt during a marking contest involving a handful of players late in time-on in the first term. The 21-year-old clutched at his left knee as soon as he landed and was promptly helped off the ground and into the change rooms, where he was comforted by his mother. He will have scans to confirm the damage today. A huge improver in 2006, Goddard had been the Saints' fourth-best ball-winner this season, a year in which they have lost Aaron Hamill, Matt Maguire, Lenny Hayes, Max Hudghton, Andrew Thompson, and recruit Michael Gardiner for extended periods. Defender Sam Fisher returned from a hamstring injury last night. The Article Emma Quayle/RealFooty/13May07 Crushed Goddard out for season . . . Coach Ross Lyon said it was almost certainly a 12-month injury. Club doctor Ian Stone said Goddard knew he was in trouble as soon as he hit the ground. The defender, 22 next Sunday and in his fifth season, had been in career-best form. "It was one of those one-versus-three situations," Lyon said. "It was really unfortunate, a harsh reality of AFL football. Brendon is full of character, a hard worker and one of the young leaders around the club. I really feel for him." Extending its lead at every break St Kilda played inspired football last night with veteran Robert Harvey declaring the win probably the Saints' best for several seasons. Lyon agreed there had been an emphasis on tackling and smothering, attributes which, along with the free-kick count, allowed the Saints to motor into the top eight. The performance of youngster James Gwilt in restricting Sydney champion Barry Hall to 3.1 was pivotal in St Kilda's fourth win. Ruckman Justin Koschitzke and livewire Stephen Milne also displayed season-best form. "I have the utmost respect for Sydney," said Lyon, a former Swans assistant coach. "It was really difficult for them, back-to-back interstate trips . . . but we will certainly gain confidence and understanding from what we have done tonight." Sydney coach Paul Roos said he had never seen the Swans perform so poorly with their basic kicking and handball skills. The Article Ken Piesse/HeraldSun/13May07 Saints confident injured Gardiner will have impact St Kilda is confident that Michael Gardiner,controversially recruited to bolster the Saints' ruck stocks but yet to play a senior game for his second club, still can have an impact this year. The 27-year-old former West Coast vice-captain, who relocated after being offered an AFL lifeline, was upbeat, according to Saints football manager Ken Sheldon, despite being unlikely to play until after the mid-season break. After being withdrawn from two VFL matches because of a foot injury, Gardiner was taken out of the selection mix. "I would think there's an underlying confidence that he'll be OK in that … he's lived this before with his other foot and there's actually a little extra time being dedicated to correcting this one," Sheldon said. "We're expecting to learn more about that probably in the coming fortnight as he increases his workload and works out whether his foot can withstand the increased workload." The Article Samantha Lane/HeraldSun/15May07 St Kilda impress with tough tackling . . . "When you look at those games, we can probably say we won them with our tackling and pressure," Clarke said of the Melbourne and Sydney wins. "So that's going to be the theme for the rest of the year - tackle and chase." Clarke said the team watched how the Kangaroos had beaten the Swans at the same venue the week before and it was no surprise that pressure was one of the keys. "That's one thing we worked on, we watched the Kangaroos last week - their forward pressure was really good, so we thought that's the way to beat the Swannies and we worked on it a lot," he said. "To execute was great and we got a few goals from it. I was setting myself for just a hard-tackling game and I was a bit disappointed last week, I didn't really do too many tackles in the forward 50. It was something I really wanted to work on tonight and if I got a few goals, that was a bonus." The Article AAP/TheAge/12May07 Swans beaten at their own game The Sydney Swans are off to their worst start during the Paul Roos era - but the last time they lost three of their first seven games they went on to win the competition. The Swans were brought undone by one of their own last night, with Roos' former assistant Ross Lyon masterminding St Kilda's 26-point win. Lyon used Sydney's own tempo-style of football against them to expose deficiencies in last season's grand finalists. Roos was clearly disappointed, but he said he would retain faith in a team that has sustained their excellence over the past two seasons. The Article Tim Morrissey/SundayTelegraph/13May07 Lyon scores win against old club Ross Lyon will enjoy the next phone chat with his old boss after St Kilda beat Sydney by 26 points in tonight's match at Telstra Dome. Lyon has regularly kept in touch with Sydney coach Paul Roos since leaving his assistant role at the Swans to take over at the Saints, who won 15.7 (97) to 11.5 (71). It was the first time Lyon had coached against his old club. But St Kilda's shocking run with injuries continued, as utility Brendon Goddard was helped front the field in the first quarter with a knee injury. A scan tomorrow will confirm whether he has suffered a season-ending injury to the anterior cruciate ligament. St Kilda beat Sydney at its own game, winning the tackle count 55-39. Saints co-captain Nick Riewoldt was best afield with 14 marks, 21 possessions and a goal, while fellow key forward Fraser Gehrig kicked four goals. The Article AAP/RealFooty/12May07 Lyon's Saints bury Swans The apprentice became the master at Telstra Dome on Saturday night as former Sydney assistant coach Ross Lyon got one over on his old boss, Paul Roos, when he guided his Saints to a 26-point win - 15.7 (97) to 11.5 (71) - over the Swans. With Roos and Lyon at the helms of the opposing sides it was always going to be an encounter for connoisseurs of the defensive aspects of the game, but what transpired in the first half bordered on ridiculous at times. There were actually occasions when up to 34 players were in one 50-metre arc with the other two trying desperately to find a free man in the congestion, but mercifully for the 37,816 people at the ground, the game opened up in the second half when the Saints broke it open with a five-goals-to-two third quarter. However, the win was soured somewhat by an apparently serious knee injury to Brendon Goddard who was helped from the ground in the first quarter and did not return. The Swans got the start they were after when Barry Hall and Adam Goodes banged through the first two goals of the match and while the Saints soon got moving, they were wasteful in front of goal. Four consecutive points followed Fraser Gehrig's opening goal (he finished with four), but thankfully for St Kilda, Nick Riewoldt ended the run and when Gehrig added his second his side was up by three points at the first break. Scoring opportunities were few and far between in the first term, but they became even more scarce in the second as both sides attempted to strangle the life out of each other. Xavier Clarke somehow found some space to mark and goal three minutes in, but the game then became bogged down in an ultra flood of biblical proportions. Ryan O'Keefe scuffed the ugliest goal of the night over the heads of every Saints player on the park and Hall's second shortly before the half saw his side trail by six points. The Article Jason Phelan/Sportal/12May07 Montagna at home in midfield St Kilda's Leigh Montagna says he is "thoroughly enjoying" his reincarnation as a midfielder. The speedy Montagna was a crucial player in the Saints' 26-point victory against Sydney, raking in 24 possessions - including 16 kicks - and lifting his side in the third quarter when the game was evenly poised. The former Northern Knights TAC Cup player said an uninterrupted pre-season and solid 2006 had laid the groundwork for season 2007. "There is always a point in a player's career where they know they belong and I think last year was a really good stepping stone for me," he told ABC Radio. "I played 22 games and got a bit of consistency in my footy. I had a good pre-season, which was important to step up and play more of an important role in the midfield this year." Montagna is averaging 22 possessions a game this season, including 29 touches and 10 marks against Carlton in round six. The Article Ben Oliver/saints.com.au/12May07 Saints too strong for Swans St Kilda has marched into the top eight, toppling grand finalist Sydney in the process, to post a memorable 26-point victory at Telstra Dome. Four goals to Fraser Gehrig guided the Saints home. They were simply hungrier when the game was in the balance, blowing Sydney apart with a five goal to two third quarter to set up victory, 15.7 (97) 11.56 (71). St Kilda had too many options when it pressed forward, with Gehrig and Nick Riewoldt among the Saints best, the later collecting 21 possessions, 14 marks and one goal. The Sherrin may have deflated the first minutes of the game, but the match that followed was far from flat. After looking dangerous early, Sydney was reined in by St Kilda, overtaken and eventually blown away, with a six-point half time deficit expanded to 31 points in the final quarter. In the first quarter, St Kilda was caught on the hop as Sydney slotted a pair of early goals, before Fraser Gehrig got the Saints on the scoreboard with his first. The Saints proceeded to dominate the next 10 minutes of play but were unable to snatch the lead until Gehrig slotted his second at the 27-minute mark. Xavier Clarke extended the Saints lead in the second term with his first major, as the quarter settled into an arm wrestle with both sides struggling to gain the upper hand. St Kilda restricted Sydney's run with some tough tackling around the clinches and when Gehrig kicked his third goal, the Saints were propelled to a 13-point lead. The game's tempo lifted noticeably in the third quarter, with the Saints in particular lifting their intensity. The Article AFL/saints.com.au/12May07 Gram admits flat-out Saints still to slow down With St Kilda still coming to grips with its game style under coach Ross Lyon, the Saints were yesterday given an understanding critique by a player from Lyon's former club Sydney. Swans forward Ryan O'Keefe, who is to play against the Saints tonight at Telstra Dome, said he could see similarities in the styles of the Saints and the Swans. "Obviously it is going to cross over a bit," O'Keefe said yesterday. "It's something we see a little bit of (in) them and it's probably going to take the Saints a little while. Our game style didn't happen overnight, it took us a few years to get it going and master a bit. Obviously the Saints are going to have some of their new stuff but some old habits will creep in as well. We're prepared for everything." St Kilda defender Jason Gram admitted the players had taken time in adapting to the more tempo-oriented game plan. "Yeah, it's been pretty slow, we're six weeks in now and we're still probably not fully in there," he said. "Maybe after the break I'm sure we'll be fully adapted to what Rossy wants us to do." Gram suggested the difficulty in coming to grips with Lyon's plans was "maybe because we're a very fast team and we want to play on as fast as we can". "Rossy probably (wants us) to play a bit of tempo footy at times and normally we're going as fast as we can and that's something he wants us to work on." Gram suggested Lyon might be a little more excited about this match than any other so far this season. The Article Lyall Johnson/RealFooty/12May07 A Victorian team won't win the flag With almost one-third of the season completed it is hard to go anywhere without someone asking which Victorian team will stake a claim in September. Interstate dominance has created some intimidation in the minds of most local teams. There has been much spoken about why a Victorian team cannot compete on an equal footing with interstate teams and enough examples of them being "disadvantaged". There is a hint of resignation among Victorian teams that results in them aiming to be the best Victorian team rather than reducing the perceived gulf that exists before they can compete for the premiership. To be the best in the business you must be very good in the following at the very least . . . The Article Grant Thomas/RealFooty/13May07 Lockett says no to new ruling Sydney and St Kilda great Tony Lockett has slammed the league's hands-in-the-back rule, saying it is destroying the traditional contest. The former Sydney and St Kilda full-forward, who booted 1360 goals during his 281-game career, said the new interpretation, introduced this season, had made life too difficult for defenders. He also slammed the tactic of constant flooding, saying it was making the game hard to watch. When Lockett was asked at an SCG promotion for junior AFL in Sydney last night how many goals he could have ended up with under the new interpretation, the 1987 Brownlow medallist replied: "How long is a bit of string? For mine it's not a good rule," he said. "I don't think anyway. A contest between a forward and a back should be a contest." The Article Tim Morrissey/AAP/RealFooty/17May07 Spida lashes misfiring midfield Too old. Too slow. Too soft. Too predictable. Too much talk, not enough action. Everyone, it seems, has a theory on why Sydney's season is on the verge of imploding with its 3-4 win-loss ratio leaving it facing ladder leader Port Adelaide in a must-win game at the SCG on Sunday. However, the real cause of the Swans' dire predicament, according to recruit Peter Everitt, is the fact the midfield is letting the side down. The Article Tim Morrissey/AAP/RealFooty/17May07 Clubs gagged over drug testing The AFL has gagged clubs from publicly discussing drug testing of players following another embarrassing flaw in the game's illicit drugs policy. Revelations in the Herald Sun yesterday of a Hawthorn player escaping testing because of an inability to produce a urine sample prompted the AFL to issue the gag last night. In an email sent to all clubs by AFL general manager football operations Adrian Anderson, the clubs were told not to comment on tests conducted at their clubs, nor the timing of the tests. The gag came after Dorevitch Pathology, the AFL-sanctioned organisation assigned to conduct illicit drug tests, gave permission for the Hawk to be excused from testing. Amid yesterday's fallout, renowned athletics coach Nic Bideau described the AFL's illicit drugs code as a "joke". The Article Damian Barrett/HeraldSun/17May07 Voss preparing for coaching Retired Brisbane Lions' champion Michael Voss has begun actively working towards an AFL coaching career, privately attending an executive leadership and coaching course at Melbourne University since March. Voss, who turns 32 in July, has revealed that he enrolled in the course at the university's Melbourne Business School with a view to "mapping out a pathway" towards a senior coaching position. While he stopped short of declaring himself on the coaching market, he said last night: "If the opportunity comes and you want to do it then you want to be ready. I'm not just going to sit on my hands until the end of the year. If it unfolds, it unfolds. Until then I can't remain idle." The Article Caroline Wilson/RealFooty/17May07 Defiant Sheedy clearly not retiring type Greg Denham/TheAustralian/17May07 Former St Kilda captain-coach Allan Hird passes away Former St Kilda captain-coach Allan T Hird has passed away, aged 88. Hird is most associated with the Essendon Football Club, where he played 102 games and went on to become club president, but he also spent two seasons at St Kilda, in 1946-47. Hird was the grandfather of current Essendon champion James Hird, and father of Allan Hird jnr, who played four games with the Bombers. The Article AFL/saints.com.au/16May07 Allan Hird Senior St Kilda Captain-Coach 1946-47, Date of Birth 11/08/1918, Guernsey No 6 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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