Round 16
St Kilda vs West Coast - Ins and Outs
... The West Coast Eagles have made four changes for Saturday afternoon's clash with St Kilda at Subiaco, with skipper Darren Glass the most notable exclusion.
Glass, who has looked hampered by injury at stages this season, is out with a thigh injury while Josh Kennedy will miss with a knee complaint. Tim Houlihan and Ryan Davis have been dropped.
Returning for the Eagles are Michael Braun, Steven Armstrong, Mark Seaby and Matthew Spangher.
Meanwhile, St Kilda has brought in ruckman Michael Gardiner for his first match against his old club.
Gardiner will replace the suspended Justin Koschitzke in the only change for the Saints. The round 17 clash will mark the first time Gardiner has returned to Subiaco Oval since leaving the west.
More Jason Phelan and Ben Broad/afl.com.au/24Jul08
R16: The Fox Report - 'Rogerfox' from saintsational.com
... We have a star studded line up. Our top 8-10 players are as good as any club's top echelon. Our bottom 6 are just Ok - but that simply doesn't matter when your guns are up and about.
Our style of play (I hate the term game plan) on Saturday was exactly what we need to do every week. The only difference I felt between the first half and the second half was the execution of footy basics. Not the execution of the style of play. The intent was always there to play on at all costs, to take risks, to move the ball quickly. But we fumbled, missed targets and looked a bit rattled to be honest.
After half time, that changed. We still took risks, still moved the ball quickly - but we actually hit targets and had clean hands.
Blake in the ruck obviously turned it, and so did Milne in the guts but really it was the fact that we hit targets and had clean hands that was the difference. Really, we should have won by 10 goals, such was our second half dominance.
Isn't footy funny. Hawthown looked very, very ordinary. That's the problem with complex 'game plans'. When they get countered, you're rooted. Keep it simple. The simpler it is, the simpler it is to tweak. And the simpler it is to execute.
Anyway, what about us? How good a footballer has Dal Santo been over the past 3 weeks? Hard nosed. Classy. Tough. Inside. Outside. Goal kicker. Match winner.
And what about Roo? When was the last time you saw 6.0 next to his name? And some were 'important' goals too. The ones where he has rightly been maligned for missing.
The good thing about Saturday, was that Ball and Lenny didn't dominate. They were Ok, but we didn't totally rely on them. It was a team effort in the middle - Milne, Joey, Dal, Harves, Mini, Blake all made a difference. And again, we fought back after being over 5 goals down. We've done that twice in a month, after not doing it for 6 years!
What sort of belief must that put into the playing group? If it's anything like the belief it gives me when watching them, it must be worth plenty. We are a top 4 team, and for the first time in a long time - we're playing like one.
I wrote a post a while ago about Ross Lyon and how perhaps he is slowly building towards something. Building towards a long term goal rather than some short term success for his own resume. Perhaps the reason for our hideous style of play at the time was to really drum some 'Lyon fundamentals' into the players. To potentially drop some games along the way, but come out at the other end better for it in the long term. Is this what has happened? Are we 'at the other end' now?
Anyway, back to the weekend....
Max Hudghton. Freak. Dal, Roo, Gram, Lenny etc. are very important players for us. But dare I say Max's hammy is the second most important muscle to me at the moment. He is just so important to us. He doesn't get beaten. Franklin kicked 3 - but only had 4 shots at goal. Only 2 of those were from beating Max in a contest. When I saw Max run to Buddy at the start of the game, I relaxed. He is just such a pro. I guarantee you he went to Lyon and claimed Franklin early in the week. He would have put his hand up for that job. What a fantastic example for the youngsters to feed off. A smallish (for KPP standards), unskilled and aging bloke demanding he take responsibility for the best player in the comp. And he beat him too.
Although Kosi was quiet, he played to BigCarl's theory of aommanding a good opponent. This meant Roo couldn't be double teamed, and meant that either Brown or Croad had to go to him. At times, that young bloke had to stand Roo, and naturally was beaten. And again, when in the ruck Kosi took big grabs at both ends. This is just something that cannot be stopped. His tap work seems to be improving each week too. He was also on the angry pills. Although he'll probably miss a week for jumper punching Osborne, it's important for a big bloke to make an impact physically. I remember Scott West commenting once about Kosi's presence in the centre at bounces, and how fearsome he was. Copping a week for putting a little hero in his place is sometimes worth it.
... We won. We look good. We look fit. Well drilled. Enthusiastic. Quick. Strong. Classy.
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Win was one of the best: Goddard
St Kilda's Brendon Goddard believes his side's 30-point win over Hawthorn at Telstra Dome on Saturday was up there as one of the finest victories he has tasted in the red, white and black.
Goddard said the Saints knew it was going to be a tough ask to knock off the Hawks, but he was confident they could overcome the third-placed team.
"It's pretty high [in terms of wins I've had at the club] - especially the emotions after the game, which were really good," Goddard told saints.com.au.
"We drew confidence from the game in Carrara and we brought that up. We'd been in worse spots than this and everyone had confidence at half-time. There was a good vibe in the room and the boys came out [strongly] in the first five or 10 minutes and we were then able to get on top of them."
"The boys then ticked off the effort in the second half, which was great. We knew it was going to be a challenge and the Hawks have been up for awhile, so we knew we might have got them on an off week and the boys put in a really good team effort."
Goddard praised the performances of underrated Saint Jason Blake and inspirational skipper Nick Riewoldt in the win. The duo provided the pivotal spark in the third term.
More Matt Burgan/saints.com.au/19Jul08
Saints outgun Hawks
St Kilda has won its fourth consecutive match and looks an outside chance of finishing in the top-four after picking up a 30-point come-from-behind victory over Hawthorn at the Telstra Dome on Saturday night.
The Saints trailed by 28 points at half-time, but held their opponents to just three goals from that point on, before going on to register a comprehensive 18.11 (119) to 13.11 (89) victory.
After being completely outplayed in the opening half, St Kilda looked a different side after half-time, with Nick Riewoldt, Jason Blake and Nick Dal Santo the three lynchpins in getting the Saints back in the match.
Riewoldt kicked three of his six goals during the third term, Blake was influential in the ruck after spending the opening half in defence, while Dal Santo's non-stop running gave the Saints plenty of forward drive.
Dal Santo was everywhere for the Saints and finished the match with a game-high 32 disposals in a best on ground performance, while Luke Ball, Leigh Montagna and Robert Harvey provided him with plenty of support
Brad Sewell and Luke Hodge tried hard for the Hawks, while Mark Williams, Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead contributed three goals apiece, but they had few contributors over all four quarters.
All of Franklin's three goals came in the opening half, with veteran defender Max Hudghton clearly taking the honours in that absorbing battle.
The Saints overused the ball in the opening half, often choosing to handball sideways or kick short instead of going long to their tall forwards.
This is only fourplay for Lyon
St Kilda won its fourth match on the trot, but coach Ross Lyon knows there is a lot of hard work ahead if his side is to finish in the top eight this season.
The Saints came from 28 points down at half-time to defeat Hawthorn by five goals at Telstra Dome on Saturday night and will head into the final six rounds of the season inside the eight and only half a win behind fourth-placed Sydney.
With games against lowly-placed West Coast, an out of form Port Adelaide and Fremantle in Perth among their next four assignments, St Kilda could easily finish the season in the top four and with a double chance in the finals.
But Lyon said a top-four finish was not yet on his radar and his team needed to keep on winning and hopefully earn a spot in the final eight.
"It was a critical result ... all it means is we stay in the hunt to force our way into the eight if we keep winning, but it was a pleasing effort from the group against quality opposition," he said.
"But there is no respite. We are pleased with the win, but we are not getting too carried away. They are all pretty important ... we are in the hunt, but if you stop winning you are in trouble."
"It's a clear objective that we need to keep winning, but in the form we are in we are building confidence and we feel like we are getting the basics right more often."
More Jonathan Healy/Sportal/19Jul08
Saints v Hawks, snippets
STAR MAN: A toss up between Nick Dal Santo and Nick Riewoldt, but the classy midfielder just gets the nod over his captain. Dal Santo collected 13 of his game-high 32 disposals during the third term and was a major reason behind St Kilda's second half revival. His use of the ball was sensational all night.
TURNING POINT: The main turning point of the match was made in the half-time break when St Kilda coach Ross Lyon decided to switch Jason Blake into the ruck in the second half. Blake started the game in defence, but gave his side a tremendous lift in the second half with three goals and some telling hitouts.
ABSOLUTE SHOCKER: To be fair, he probably wasn't 100 percent fit, but Hawthorn midfielder Jordan Lewis had one of his worst ever games against the Saints on Saturday night. Lewis was a late inclusion into the side to replace Clinton Young, but he probably wished he had remained on the sidelines. The 22-year-old finished the match with a mere 10 disposals and turned the ball over on numerous occasions.
WHAT A GOAL! Nick Riewoldt's goal early in the third term was the pick of the night. The Saints' skipper was hard against the boundary line about 45m out from goal, but produced a lovely snap over his left shoulder that sailed through at goal post height.
CLASSIC GRAB: This mark wasn't actually paid, but Michael Osborne's leap in the second quarter could have so easily been the mark of the year if he had held it all the way to the ground. Osborne stood tall on Steven King's shoulders - no mean feat considering King is 201cm - and nearly brought down a spectacular grab.
UNSUNG HERO: While Jason Blake could have easily made it into this category, we like to give praise to the performance of a younger player and Clinton Jones' game against the Hawks was full of class. Jones picked up 24 disposals, one goal and made a tremendous chase and tackle on Lance Franklin that resulted in a turnover.
More Jonathan Healy/Sportal/20Jul08
Angry Blight breaks silence
Dual premiership coach-turned commentator Malcolm Blight has broken his silence about his 2001 sacking as coach of St Kilda, blasting then president Rod Butterss for his admitted naivete at the time.
Sacked after only 15 games in the job, Blight told Channel Ten the suggestion that Butterss felt he had a lack of commitment to the Saints showed what he and his assistants - Peter Jonas and Ken Hinkley - were working against.
"All I did was ... try to handle some egos with a very bad football club that had won two games the year before," Blight said.
"I couldn't give a rat's toss bag whether he thought I could coach or if anyone thinks I could coach but ... it's an absolute slur on two other guys who went there with me ... "
"Great blokes, great football people, they left as well, had to. And you know what they have gone on and done. They have been involved in premierships."
On Butterss' comments that the coach was spending too much time out of the office, Blight said: "You know where I was spending it, with Peter Jonas and Ken Hinkley formulating plans to help kids play footy and win games of football. It was a team that had won two games the year before ... had some problems off the ground. Commitment no, might not have liked the way I did it, stiff."
St Kilda settles with Grant Thomas
St Kilda Football Club has today reached a mutually agreeable position with Grant Thomas and will now settle the case out of Court for an undisclosed sum.
Saints CEO, Archie Fraser said, "We respect that this has been a difficult time for Grant, and for the Club, and are glad that we have now reached a resolution."
"Grant is, and always will be, an important part of the history of the St Kilda Football Club. Grant has played a significant role in shaping St Kilda into what it is today and it's important for Grant and the Club that we can both now move on. We look forward to a time when Grant and his family are welcomed back to the St Kilda fold."
In the interests of moving forward, both parties have agreed that this is the end of the matter and that nothing more will be said.
More saints.com.au/18Jul08