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Round 8 AFL 2007 Premiership Season - Pre-game Articles - Hawthorn versus St Kilda
Saturday 19th May at 7:10pm - MCG Saints and Hawks line up for Blue Ribbon Cup On Saturday night at the MCG the Saints and Hawks will play for the annual Blue Ribbon Cup, which was established in 1999 in memory of Victoria Police officers Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller who were killed in the line of duty. The Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation perpetuates the memory of police officers killed while serving the community. St Kilda won the Cup in 2006 and the Saints will be hoping to maintain their winning record against the Hawks. All players will be presented with a silver commemorative medal featuring the Victoria Police badge surrounded by the words "Blue Ribbon Cup - Saints vs Hawks", flanked on the sides with the colours of both clubs. A gold version of this medal will be presented to the player voted Best on Ground from each Club as chosen by a media panel. The Article saints.com.au/18May07 One day does make a difference . . . Hawthorn was a team in form. They get numbers behind the ball and apply great pressure to opposition forwards. They move the ball quickly and skilfully out of defence. It took us a quarter-and-a-bit to work our way through the congestion - and the adjustments we made allowed us to turn around a 27-point deficit in the second quarter to even the score at half-time. Our second half was an improvement on the first and we took the momentum of the game back. Hawthorn kept challenging, as good sides do, and our work rate continued to match them. We finished with a hard-earned four points. The Article Mark Harvey (Dockers Assist Coach)/SundayTimes/15May07 Clarkson opens Pandora's box It's new and provocative, it has challenged conventional thinking and is a first for AFL footy. It's mysterious yet methodical. It has already brought down some teams, but we are yet to see if it can bring down an empire. Will it last? No one knows, but it's worth a close look. It's on display tomorrow night and has the potential to accelerate Hawthorn into the finals this year. Move aside Pagan's Paddock, Buddy's Box has arrived. For 90 years football teams had forward lines, but over the past 15 years the game has changed dramatically. Since Pagan's Paddock worked so well in the '90s, experimenting with positioning in the forward line has accelerated. The Article Gerard Healy/HeraldSun/18May07
St Kilda's first-round draft pick, David Armitage, will make his AFL debut tonight after the late withdrawal of first-year player Clinton Jones. Jones is expected to be sidelined for five to six weeks after aggravating a shoulder injury during training on Thursday. The Saints were also forced to withdraw ruckman Matthew Clarke because of continuing calf soreness, paving the way for Barry Brooks to come in for the Blue Ribbon Cup match against Hawthorn at the MCG. Armitage, selected at No. 9 in the 2006 draft, won the Queensland Football League Rising Star award playing for local club Morningside. St Kilda football manager Ken Sheldon said the 184cm left-footer had demonstrated consistent improvement playing in the midfield with VFL affiliate Casey Scorpions. The club will fly Armitage's parents, Greg and Annette, down from Queensland to witness their son's first AFL game. The Article Gareth Trickey/HeraldSun/19May07 Saints pick rookie Sportal/18May07 Lyon looks ahead to the Hawks With the Saints now sitting with a win-loss ration of 4-3, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is clearly focused on the round 8 match against Hawthorn on Saturday night at the MCG . . . But Clarkson is confident he has the defensive options to keep big Saints Nick Riewoldt, Fraser Gehrig and possibly Justin Koschitzke in check . . . "The Hawks can really run and they've got a lot of awesome talent" Lyon said. He also stated there would be a few candidates for the job on key Hawthorn forward, Lance Franklin. "Jason Gram is a super athlete, as is Sam Fisher. Gwilt has also been going well, so we have a few options in that area" he said. The Saints have beaten the Hawks in their past four encounters, yet Lyon conceded that claiming victory over the fast running Hawks would be no easy task. "I think the competition has evolved and there are no easy games. A few key personnel, whether in form or not on the day, can really make a difference to a team". The Saints will be aiming for consistency in their games, with the Club scoring its second consecutive win of the season against the Swans last Saturday night. While the home side came away with the four points, a season ending injury to St Kilda's Brendon Goddard was the only lowlight. "There's no doubt we will miss Brendon's talent, versatility and his run, but we'll continue to support him. We'll move on and with a really good pre-season, BJ will play in round 1 next year" Lyon said. The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/saints.com.au/18May07 Hawks ready for recent nemesis St Kilda . . . Clarkson is confident he has the defensive options to keep big Saints Nick Riewoldt, Fraser Gehrig and possibly Justin Koschitzke in check. The much-improved Stephen Gilham and Trent Croad might take Gehrig and Koschitzke; Brown's recent purple patch has him in the running to get Riewoldt, who was best afield in round 13 last year . . . The gulf in talent between the Saints and Hawks has been evident in recent years as it coincided with one of St Kilda's greatest stretches and one of Hawthorn's leanest. Clarkson said the Saints remained one of the leading premiership contenders, however was confident his side had closed the gap. "It's got a fair bit to do with the talent of the respective groups," Clarkson said. "That's where we're trying to challenge ourselves, to see how far we've come in the last few months because they have beaten us quite comprehensively in the last two times we've played them. We want to see how far we've come as a club in that period of time." The Article AAP/TheAge/18May07
The swift and clinical removal from Moorabbin of Nick Riewoldt's greatest football mentor, close friend and former coach hurt and then hardened St Kilda's most recognisable and important player. Grant Thomas is not a name Riewoldt feels obliged to whisper when in the confines of his club. Indeed, on the morning of his first game this season, it was Thomas who a nervy Riewoldt turned to for a calming chat over tea and toast. It was something Riewoldt had discussed expressly with his new coach, Ross Lyon, a man the blond forward says he is still getting to know. And as long as Lyon had no problem with that - or the continuing relationship between the star player and the former coach - everyone else, to use Riewoldt's words, could "get stuffed." "Thommo knows what frame of mind I need to be in to play well and I hadn't seen him for a couple of weeks. So I was just at a loose end that morning and I just went round there," Riewoldt said this week. "I don't know, it just sort of helped me focus on what I need to focus on to play a good game. I was pretty nervous and he helped me calm my nerves a little bit." The Article Samantha Lane/HeraldSun/19May07 Hawks ready for Saints Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said yesterday that his young side was much better prepared for St Kilda than the last time the two teams met, when his injury-depleted Hawks were crushed by the Saints. Clarkson said yesterday things would be different in tonight's match at the MCG. "We're so much better prepared this time round and we haven't got so many injuries," he said. "If we can keep our more experienced players then the bottom end of our list isn't exposed anywhere near as much. That's what happened last year, and if we can keep those guys on the park then we'll be better placed to be much more competitive this year." Clarkson said he was optimistic about the Hawks' chances. "They have beaten us quite comprehensively the last two times we've played them . . . but our results this year would indicate that we have (come a long way)," he said. "St Kilda have been a good side for a number of years now and it's a good test for our guys to see how far we've come in the last 12 months." The Article Sarah-Jane Collins/AAP/TheAge/19May07 Saints look to keep momentum The Saints have another opportunity on Saturday night to prove their finals credentials against one of the up and coming sides in the competition. The impressive effort against the Swans last weekend has people again talking about the Saints as genuine contenders. It wasn't that the Saints beat a good side, it was the way they went about it. With several key players already out and Brendon Goddard going down in the first quarter, the Saints mixed the hardness of Luke Ball, the run and carry of Jason Gram, the exquisite skills of Nick Dal Santo and a swarming defence to beat their opponents at their own game. The Saints relentlessly stuck to a game plan and the performances of the younger players in the pressure situation show the depth of the list, which will be valuable later in the season. The Article Adrian Blades/saints.com.au/18May07 In-form Brown likely to take on larger Saints Campbell Brown's ability to punch above his weight could be crucial in Hawthorn passing one of its biggest tests this season. The Hawks get a chance to show how far they have come in Alastair Clarkson's third season as coach against recent nemesis St Kilda at the MCG tonight . . . Clarkson is confident he has the defensive options to keep big Saints Nick Riewoldt, Fraser Gehrig and possibly Justin Koschitzke in check. Trent Croad and the much-improved Stephen Gilham might take Koschitzke and Gehrig, while Brown's recent purple patch has him in the running to get Riewoldt, who was best afield in the sides' Round 13 clash last year. Brown, who claimed the scalps of bigger opponents Scott Lucas (Essendon) and Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) in the past two games, is being lauded as one of the league's most improved players. The Article AAP/HeraldSun/19May07
St Kilda's James Gwilt has lined up at full-back the past two weeks. With just six senior games' experience - mainly across half-forward - he was asked to play on Brendan Fevola and Barry Hall, two of the game's strongest, most dangerous full-forwards. Like anyone starting a new job, he was unsure how he'd perform. "I'm a little bit nervous, but I don't get overawed by it. More than anything, I want to just get going and see how I go at the first contest," Gwilt said this week. His move to full-back has, with only two games to use as evidence, returned early dividends. But the changed role hasn't just happened out of the blue. It's early days, but he could become part of a long line of players that coaches are able to reinvent by sending them back to go forward. Think Justin Leppitsch at the Brisbane Lions, Chad Cornes at Port Adelaide or Michael Mansfield at Geelong. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon revealed on FOX Sport's On the Couch that he identified Gwilt as a possible defender when he arrived at Moorabbin. Gwilt's physical attributes had brought to mind a young Mal Michael, the three-time Lions premiership defender. He recalled the positive effect a move from attack to defence had on Sydney's Leo Barry, and he noted the 20-year-old's endurance and excellent skills. The Article Peter Ryan/AFL/saints.com.au/18May07 Gwilt trip: the road less travelled St Kilda's James Gwilt has been presented with a double dose of culture shock recently. On the field, it has been key defensive assignments against two of the most potent power forwards in the competition over the past fortnight, Carlton's Brendon Fevola and Sydney's Barry Hall, as the Saints recovered from a poor start to the season with successive wins. It continues a growing AFL trend of playing smaller, more agile and athletic rebounding defenders on opposing big guns, with the Kangaroos using Michael Firrito and Josh Gibson in that role, while Brazilian-born Harry O'Brien has been holding down centre half-back for Collingwood and Campbell Brown has been pushed back as a key defender at Hawthorn. Away from football, Gwilt, born in Melbourne's outer suburban Dandenong of a Welsh father and Papua New Guinean mother, visited his PNG relatives for the first time last October on the remote island of West New Britain, a 40-minute flight from Port Moresby. It was an eye-opener far removed from anything the dashing 20-year-old had experienced. "There was no electricity, phone lines, water, anything. It's out in the bush," Gwilt recalled of his two-week trip. The Article Malcolm Conn/TheAustralian/18May07 The running man Hawthorn has the youngest, and possibly most exciting list in the AFL. But among its squad of 44 finely tuned athletes with an average age of 22, it is a veteran who continues to lead the way in fitness and preparation. Shane Crawford, who turns 33 this September, still has the youthful looks, muscle definition and skinfolds of a footballer entering his prime. And he has been fanatical about maximising his athletic ability right from the start. Ray Carroll was a mentor and coach to Crawford in his time as a boarder at Assumption College. During his 50-year stint at the famous secondary school, Carroll has overseen some of the game's greats, including Peter Crimmins, Francis Bourke, Neale Daniher and Billy Brownless. However, he rates no one above Crawford for sheer dedication. The Article Andrew Wallace/AFL/saints.com.au/17May07 One day does make a difference . . . Hawthorn was a team in form. They get numbers behind the ball and apply great pressure to opposition forwards. They move the ball quickly and skilfully out of defence. It took us a quarter-and-a-bit to work our way through the congestion - and the adjustments we made allowed us to turn around a 27-point deficit in the second quarter to even the score at half-time. Our second half was an improvement on the first and we took the momentum of the game back. Hawthorn kept challenging, as good sides do, and our work rate continued to match them. We finished with a hard-earned four points. The Article Mark Harvey (Dockers Assist Coach)/SundayTimes/15May07
It's new and provocative, it has challenged conventional thinking and is a first for AFL footy. It's mysterious yet methodical. It has already brought down some teams, but we are yet to see if it can bring down an empire. Will it last? No one knows, but it's worth a close look. It's on display tomorrow night and has the potential to accelerate Hawthorn into the finals this year. Move aside Pagan's Paddock, Buddy's Box has arrived. For 90 years football teams had forward lines, but over the past 15 years the game has changed dramatically. Since Pagan's Paddock worked so well in the '90s, experimenting with positioning in the forward line has accelerated. The Article Gerard Healy/HeraldSun/18May07 Gwilt trip: the road less travelled St Kilda's James Gwilt has been presented with a double dose of culture shock recently. On the field, it has been key defensive assignments against two of the most potent power forwards in the competition over the past fortnight, Carlton's Brendon Fevola and Sydney's Barry Hall, as the Saints recovered from a poor start to the season with successive wins. It continues a growing AFL trend of playing smaller, more agile and athletic rebounding defenders on opposing big guns, with the Kangaroos using Michael Firrito and Josh Gibson in that role, while Brazilian-born Harry O'Brien has been holding down centre half-back for Collingwood and Campbell Brown has been pushed back as a key defender at Hawthorn. Away from football, Gwilt, born in Melbourne's outer suburban Dandenong of a Welsh father and Papua New Guinean mother, visited his PNG relatives for the first time last October on the remote island of West New Britain, a 40-minute flight from Port Moresby. It was an eye-opener far removed from anything the dashing 20-year-old had experienced. "There was no electricity, phone lines, water, anything. It's out in the bush," Gwilt recalled of his two-week trip. The Article Malcolm Conn/TheAustralian/18May07 The running man Hawthorn has the youngest, and possibly most exciting list in the AFL. But among its squad of 44 finely tuned athletes with an average age of 22, it is a veteran who continues to lead the way in fitness and preparation. Shane Crawford, who turns 33 this September, still has the youthful looks, muscle definition and skinfolds of a footballer entering his prime. And he has been fanatical about maximising his athletic ability right from the start. Ray Carroll was a mentor and coach to Crawford in his time as a boarder at Assumption College. During his 50-year stint at the famous secondary school, Carroll has overseen some of the game's greats, including Peter Crimmins, Francis Bourke, Neale Daniher and Billy Brownless. However, he rates no one above Crawford for sheer dedication. The Article Andrew Wallace/AFL/saints.com.au/17May07 Lions target Saint Brisbane is preparing an audacious bid for St Kilda star Nick Riewoldt. Riewoldt is one of the biggest names and top earners in the AFL and with the Saints co-captain set to start talks with the club on a new deal, the chances of prising the Gold Coast product away from Melbourne appear slim. Brisbane intends to pitch its bright future and the potential non-football earnings a locally produced player of such profile would demand in a bid to get the hometown hero to play out his career in a Lions jumper. The Lions have a strict policy of not commenting on contracts and football manager Graeme Allan would only say: "We look at all uncontracted players, especially Queenslanders." It is believed Brisbane officials have been lobbying Riewoldt's father Joe, a long-time business associate of former Lions chairman Graeme Downie. The Article Andrew Hamilton/CourierMail/18May07 Lions dangle Riewoldt carrot Andrew Hamilton/FoxSports/18May07
. . . St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser said last week the club hoped to secure Riewoldt and Dal Santo on two or three-year deals. Riewoldt and Dal Santo are among a host of sought-after players off contract at the end of 2007, including West Coast captain Chris Judd and his cross-town counterpart at Fremantle Matthew Pavlich. The Article Jordan Chong/AAP/saints.com.au/17May07 Riewoldt, St Kilda in contract talks . . . Riewoldt yesterday said he was still enjoying his time with the Saints despite an injury-interrupted 2007 and the sacking of former coach Grant Thomas last year. The talented forward will spearhead the Saints in the annual Blue Ribbon Cup match against Hawthorn at the MCG tomorrow. The clubs will pay tribute to police officers killed in the line of duty. Riewoldt said this year's clash took on added weight with both clubs fighting to cement a spot in the top eight. "It's a great honour to be able to play in memory of those fallen officers that have served us all so well," he said "Especially now, with both sides being positioned where they are this season, it carries a lot of extra weight and extra bearing. This is the stage of the season when, historically, sides start to make a bit of a break. It's a stage where you separate yourself from the pack." The Article Gareth Trickey/HeraldSun/18May07 Riewoldt to talk contracts with St Kilda St Kilda co-captain Nick Riewoldt is set to begin talks with the club over a new AFL contract. Riewoldt said his agent will sit down with the Saints in the next few weeks to open negotiations. He said he was enjoying his time at the club now more than ever. Meanwhile, Riewoldt said injured defender Brendon Goddard was in good spirits after his season-ending knee surgery on Wednesday. Riewoldt spoke to Goddard on Thursday morning and described his mood as philosophical but determined to overcome the knee injury. The Article AAP/TheAge/17May07 Go easy on melee fines: Riewoldt . . . Riewoldt said there had to be a way for players to help their teammates out in that situation without fear of sanctions. "That has been an issue the AFL Players' Association has been strong on the past few years, almost pleading with the AFL for some changes so players can support their teammates," he said on Thursday, ahead of his team's Blue Ribbon Cup clash against the Hawks on Saturday night in memory of fallen Victoria Police officers. "If someone oversteps the mark there should be a sanction but if it's a case like the weekend (where no punches were thrown) it would be in the players' interests if there was more leniency." Riewoldt said most players involved in melees were trying to break them up. "If I am trying to drag someone out (of a melee), am I engaging in a melee or trying to diffuse it - that is where the grey area lies," he said The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/17May07 Saint makes club sweat . . . Riewoldt was guarded about his future, when asked on Thursday ahead of the Saints clash with Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday night for the Blue Ribbon Cup in memory of fallen Victoria Police officers. He said he will leave his contract situation to manager Ricky Nixon but would not discuss his future any further. "Ricky will sit down with the club over the next few weeks and start negotiations - that is his area of expertise," Riewoldt said. "I will leave that up to him and that is probably all I want to say about my contract in a public forum." St Kilda president Rod Butterss recently told The Age newspaper he was keen to re-sign both Riewoldt and star on-baller Nick Dal Santo, who is also out of contract, on new two or three year contracts. But Butterss also said the club was conscious of not paying the star pair too much and in turn placing pressure on their salary cap - which could force other players to leave. The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/17May07
St Kilda will resist the urge to rush experienced full-back Max Hudghton back into the side for Saturday night's MCG clash against Hawthorn even though he appears the logical opponent for the Hawks' gun young forward Lance Franklin. Hudghton resumed in the VFL last week from a quad injury, which has sidelined him since round two, and got through his comeback match successfully. But St Kilda coach Ross Lyon, mindful of the club's ever-growing injury list and Hudghton's importance to the side, is taking no chances with his most experienced defender. Instead Hudghton will have to play another game in the VFL this week before he is considered for his AFL return. "He has just missed a fair bit (of footy)," Lyon said. "And the last time he came back from an injury he played two matches in the twos (the VFL) then came back and only lasted 15 minutes." The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/15May07 Saints use ju-jitsu to aid tackling St Kilda plans to employ one of the country's foremost martial arts practitioners to teach its players how to execute better tackles. John Donehue is a black belt in Brazilian ju-jitsu and judo, a consultant to the Melbourne Storm as well as some AFL clubs, including the Kangaroos who once tried to secure his services exclusively . . .The Kangaroos started working with Donehue around three years ago. His sessions are demanding, with players often complaining of soreness afterwards, which means clubs have to limit them during the season. Essendon and Melbourne have also used Donehue, who focuses as much on the mental approach to impeding an opponent as the desired technique. Lyon said his club - cursed with soft-tissue injuries in recent seasons - was not far off setting up a strength and conditioning structure that he was happy with. This year the Saints employed Dr Ross Smith to investigate the matter. The Article AAP/RealFooty/16May07 Saints tackle injury risks St Kilda is introducing a more professional approach to tackling as Ross Lyon steadily builds his new regime at the club. Fierce tackling was a feature of Saturday night's win against Sydney, as it was in Round 1 when Lyon started his senior coaching career with a win over Melbourne. However Lyon has been wary about the amount of emphasis he puts on tackling at training because of the injury risk. That is no small consideration for the Saints, who continue to reshape their fitness and conditioning regime as they try to stop a trend of soft-tissue problems that have plagued the club for several seasons. Lyon, normally loath to talk about his time as a Swans assistant coach, raised some laughs yesterday when he revealed he had brought in some tackling drills used by his previous employer. The Article AAP/HeraldSun/16May07 Lyon looks ahead to the Hawks With the Saints now sitting with a win-loss ration of 4-3, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is clearly focused on the round 8 match against Hawthorn on Saturday night at the MCG . . . He also stated there would be a few candidates for the job on key Hawthorn forward, Lance Franklin . . . The Saints have beaten the Hawks in their past four encounters, yet Lyon conceded that claiming victory over the fast running Hawks would be no easy task . . . The Saints will be aiming for consistency in their games, with the Club scoring its second consecutive win of the season against the Swans last Saturday night. While the home side came away with the four points, a season ending injury to St Kilda's Brendon Goddard was the only lowlight. The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/saints.com.au/15May07 Swans members paid not to go to games It has nothing to do with the team losing back-to-back matches and a fear of supporters abandoning the ship, it's just a way of allowing members to revive dead money and attracting the biggest possible crowds to home games. That's the logic behind the Swans' scheme to let members "lease" their seats back to the club if they are unable to attend a home match. The reserved seats can be re-sold, and the member gets "membership dollars" - $25 for an adult grandstand seat and $18 for a concourse seat - which can then be used to reduce the price of next year's membership fees. The scheme has proven popular this season, with the redevelopment work the SCG is undergoing on the site of the old Hill. The Article Michael Cowley/RealFooty/18May07 Spida bite sends chills through Swans Tim Morrissey/HeraldSun/18May07 No cameras in my huddle: Roos . . . I certainly wouldn't want the viewers at home to know all of our tactics and the things I thought about some of my players at that particular time. Ironically, the following night (from Sheedy's televised speech) at three-quarter time we found ourselves in a similar position against St Kilda, being four goals down. There's no way known I would've wanted the viewers to hear my three-quarter time speech - not because it was full of colourful language. But at particular times you do need to tell players a few home truths, you do need to talk through very clearly the tactics of the game. If I had a camera on me at that particular time my speech to the players would've been completely different. I wouldn't be prepared to compromise my team's ability to win the game just to supposedly enhance the broadcast. The Article Paul Roos/SydneyMorningHerald/18May07 Pink Lady at next Sydney Match . . . On August 11, before the Sydney Swans against St Kilda AFL game, the network is calling on 13,000 women to don pink ponchos and form a "pink lady" shape at Telstra Stadium, representing the number of Australians affected by breast cancer each year. Our dames glad to be in the pink SydneyMorningHerald/18May07 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, Guernsey No 6 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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