Round 10 Pre-Game Articles

Bipolar Saints have lost their verve
Here's the issue. St Kilda is good enough to lead the Western Bulldogs by six goals one week yet so bad it trailed Brisbane by 12 goals another week. St Kilda's best, as seen against the Bulldogs and also for an extended period against Geelong, is good. Certainly good enough to secure a finals berth. But its worst is pitiful, and the reason it is 10th with a 4-5 record. Coach Ross Lyon was embarrassed and blunt after Sunday's game at the Gabba, captain Nick Riewoldt was tense, frustrated and resolute in front of the media on Wednesday. Riewoldt's body language was loud and clear. It suggested he was ticking off the hours until the Saints get their chance of redemption against Melbourne on Sunday. He's a proud young man, Riewoldt, and doesn't enjoy seeing his club as a subject of ridicule, his own reputation eroding in the process. He had a quiet day at the Gabba. Just 13 possessions, eight marks and 1.1. He is averaging 14 possessions and two goals a game this year. Not bad, not good enough, though, from a player of his standing. Riewoldt kicked 67 goals in 2004, 60 in 2006. Perhaps quantity and quality of supply are the reasons, yet he doesn't seem to be playing with the extraordinary athleticism, the verve, the daring of previous years.
Riewoldt vows to hit back hard
St Kilda will defeat Melbourne this Sunday provided it can answer coach Ross Lyon's call to toughen up, Saints captain Nick Riewoldt vowed on Wednesday. Three days after his team-mates were labelled soft by Lyon following the 46-point drubbing by Brisbane, Riewoldt talked the talk at his press conference. He acknowledged Lyon's criticism that the Saints, with the exception of Robert Harvey, Lenny Hayes and Luke Ball, were 'not tough enough consistently enough', saying 'clearly the evidence was there for everyone to see that we were soft'. Riewoldt said Lyon, who replaced Grant Thomas as coach following the 2006 campaign, had the full support of the players and denied the Saints had been 'stifled' by the second-year coach and were no longer enjoying their football. He said the players were '100 percent' behind Lyon's game plan, blaming the Saints' mediocre start to the season on the players' inability to execute roles asked of them by the coaching staff and their failure to adhere to team structure. He refuted suggestions the club was in a rebuilding phase, claiming the Saints could still achieve its lofty pre-season aims of making the top four and possibly winning a premiership. "Have those expectations changed? Well now we're in the position where we've got to start winning games, we can't talk about finals or what follows that until we're playing in them," said Riewoldt, whose team was a game and percentage out of the eight after nine rounds. "Now it's about us winning games and fixing the things we've spoken about with how we approach the games and then later in the year hopefully we're in a position to talk about that."
Westaway meets Lyon today - Baker not ready?
... (Greg) Westaway, who is meeting (Ross) Lyon today, said the view was personal and not one he had taken to board level. "It's only me talking now. I need to talk to the whole board and make sure we are fully united there and I'd imagine we would be because everyone has indicated to me they think the same as I do," Westaway told Radio SEN. "He needs to know that he is well supported by the whole club." While the Saints' failure in Brisbane is likely to lead to changes at selection tonight, former best and fairest Steve Baker will not be recalled to add hardness to the side. The 2005 club champion resumed from a break for VFL-affiliate Casey last weekend but needs more time to overcome a posterior cruciate problem. • Contrary to this report, Both The Age and HeraldSun report that St Kilda were hoping Bakes will be ready for the match against Melbourne. WoM Ed

Saints look to marry expectations with results
Over the past five years, St Kilda has gone into every season with the football world expecting big things of it. Those expectations only grew this year after the club dominated the pre-season to win the NAB Cup. But captain Nick Riewoldt says the Saints have failed to live up to expectations, from within and outside the club. "We realise footy is a brutal business. We performed well towards the end of last year and in the pre-season, and a lot of people had big expectations for us just like we did as a playing group. When you’re not meeting those expectations, people are going to make comment and have some ordinary things to say about you," he said. Riewoldt said he and the playing group had full faith in Ross Lyon’s game plan, but were struggling to execute it. "All the players are very clear on what we have to do out on the ground, and we are 100 per cent behind the style of play Ross wants us to adopt," he said. Riewoldt said fellow tall forwards Justin Koschitzke and Fraser Gehrig were working towards getting back to their best. Koschitzke booted four goals against the Lions, while the skipper said Gehrig is making steady progress in his return from injury. "I hope he will (come back) ... I’m sure if the physios and doctors can help his body improve then I can see him play later in the year. He has fronted up for every session and meeting, so he is still 100 per cent committed to the club," Riewoldt said.
Saints boss calls for Lyon to coach for next 10 years
St Kilda chairman Greg Westaway wants Ross Lyon to coach for the next 10 years. Citing continuity as the key to success, Westaway yesterday broke his silence to offer his unconditional support for the embattled coach and the much-discussed game style. "We'd like to see him there for 10 years because that's how you run clubs," Westaway said. "We are 100 per cent behind him. If you change (coaches) every five minutes, you go nowhere. And I'm very adamant about it: he's there to stay." Westaway, in his role as chairman, recently asked Geelong chairman Frank Costa what was the plank behind last year's premiership success. "He said they were ready to burn Bomber Thompson 18 months ago, and he said, 'Look at us now, we're the greatest team of all'," Westaway said. "It's about continuity, and we've got a plan for Ross to be there for a long time" ... In his most savage public address since replacing Grant Thomas, Lyon on Sunday labelled some of his players "mentally and physically soft". Westaway yesterday supported Lyon's comments. "It was probably the shock to the system that the guys all needed," he said. "I think what he's saying is we need to shock them into a bit of reality here. The players have stood up this week and really taken notice, they know they're better than what they've been producing so that's really the message he's trying to get out there. They are better than what they showed on Sunday" ... (Fraser Gehrig) AFL medicos late yesterday signed off on the Saints' application to put the 32-year-old on the list, where he must remain for a minimum of eight weeks. The Saints can now promote a rookie in his place if they wish.
Ball and Hayes a two-man band
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has implored his players to get lowdown and dirty. But you can guarantee he wasn't thinking about Luke Ball and Lenny Hayes when he dropped the word "soft" after Sunday's loss to the Brisbane Lions. Week after week, Ball and Hayes turn up to work in the King Gees. Trouble is, too many teammates arrive in crisply pressed Pelacos. It is white collar v blue collar, and the stats suggest the Saints have too many of the white variety. Too much the responsibility for tackling and winning the contested ball is being left to Ball and Hayes. In that regard, the Saints have become a two-man band. Hayes is No. 1 in the competition for tackles with 64 -- an average of more than seven a game. Ball, the hardened midfielder who loves a scrap, is equal second with 55. Any coach would love to have No. 1 and No. 2 in the tackles in the comp. It should mean you're leading the way in the hard stuff. But there is daylight to third at Moorabbin. Leigh Montagna has laid 28 tackles and is equal 63rd in the competition. Then comes Nick Dal Santo 26 (equal 75th), Justin Koschitzke 22 (equal 111th) and Xavier Clarke 19 (equal 149th). Sydney, Lyon's former club, has three tacklers in the competition's top 10 and seven in the top 63. The Saints have three in the top 63 - Ball, Hayes and Montagna. It is a similar story with contested possession, once St Kilda's great strength. Ball ranks No. 2 in the competition for contested possessions with 96. Hayes is sitting equal sixth with 81.
Greg Westaway pledge just silly
Nice of Greg Westaway to break his silence, but he's gone down an all-too-familiar path: a new president making a naive statement. While Westaway's commitment to coach Ross Lyon was both timely and admirable, his reference to a 10-year stay was silly. Allan Jeans is the only man in St Kilda's history to coach for longer than six seasons. Only three men - Jeans, Grant Thomas and Stan Alves - have coached the Saints in more than 100 games. Yes, continuity and stability is important, but what if the coach is no good? While it's important for St Kilda supporters to hear the president affirm his and his board's support for Lyon, the coach has a 50 per cent win rate after 31 games (15 wins, one draw). If, at the end of his third year (2009), it is worse or no better, and he can't offer a genuine vision, he would have to be under fierce pressure. The Geelong situation is interesting, yet not compelling.
Storm brewing over Fraser Gehrig listing
St Kilda's application to have full-forward Fraser Gehrig placed on its long-term injury list is yet to be approved amid concerns that it amounts to an exploitation of the system by which seriously injured players can be replaced on club lists. The Saints announced last Tuesday that their troubled forward, who has an arthritic condition affecting both hands, was to be placed on the injury list and therefore ruled out of action for at least eight matches. As of last night, however, the application was still to receive endorsement from AFL medical commissioners, Drs Harry Unglik and Peter Harcourt, and had drawn complaint from other clubs who believe that, if successful, it will rewrite the definition of what constitutes a serious injury. A player placed on the injury list is allowed to be replaced on the senior list by a rookie but traditionally the injured player has been physically unable to take the field and would be unlikely to do so for some time. Gehrig played against Collingwood four days before it was decided he needed time to recuperate, and was not injured in the match. It is understood that AFL football administration manager Rod Austin received calls of complaint last week, with at least one club making the case that it would now be possible to promote a rookie for an out-of-form player with a mild ailment rather than a seriously injured one. An AFL missive yesterday did not list Gehrig on the long-term injury list, as it did the promotion of Melbourne's Shane Valenti for the recently retired David Neitz, but an AFL spokesman said this was because the application was not received until yesterday.
Grant Thomas laments 'terrible' Saints
Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas doubts the AFL side is soft, but described Sunday's dismal loss to Brisbane as "terrible". Current coach Ross Lyon was calm after the 46-point loss at the `Gabba, but did not mince his words as he said "a few" players were mentally and physically soft. The Saints are still in touch with the top eight on a 4-5 win-loss record, but they have now lost three of their last four matches. "It was a terrible performance and it's the worst for the year, obviously," Thomas told Melbourne radio station SEN. It's not how we want them to play and everything else, but I don't think Ross actually means that the players are soft. Collectively as a group, they're compounding under pressure and not playing as a team, not playing to the best of their ability."
Frawley: Recycling hurts Saints
Former Richmond coach Danny Frawley says St Kilda has made the same costly list management mistake he did when he over-rated his side in 2001. St Kilda this year topped up its list with four recycled players in a bid for its second premiership. Yet after nine rounds the Saints are struggling and were this week described by coach Ross Lyon as mentally and physically soft. Former St Kilda star Frawley believes some highly paid players have become complacent, but said the main issue is the list quality. He thinks it's time to introduce a wave of kids, and says lack of quality recruiting in past seasons is mortally wounding his old club. After a preliminary final appearance in 2001, the Tigers traded for Greg Stafford, Paul Hudson and Adam Houlihan, and missed the riches of the 2001 national draft. "They tried to win (the flag) and you can't blame them for that," Frawley said. "When you keep propping it up you have to play these guys. It's been coming for three or four years. You can get caught in a difficult spot as a coach. We did it in 2001 when we finished third. It was the super-draft, and we didn't really compete in that at all, and it leaves you vulnerable. It is a little bit where the Saints are as well." Frawley believes list management is now as important as quality coaching.
Punters steer clear of Saints
St Kilda is on the nose with football punters big time with most believing the NAB Cup winners will now miss the top eight for the second successive season. Increasingly it looks as if the punters believe this year's top eight is already set in stone and there is no place for a Saints line-up fast deserving a reputation as the league's most overrated playing list. Victorian TAB Sportsbet's Gary Davies told Sportal on Monday that for the first time this season the top eight sides were all now under even money ($2) to make the finals, with the bottom eight all over that same crucial odds barrier. The Saints are now at odds of $2.25 just to make the eight and are not even the highest rated team outside the current top eight with that honour going to last year's runners-up Port Adelaide at $2.10 - even though Port finds itself in 12th position, one win and two spots adrift of the Saints ... St Kilda began the season as second favourites to win the 2008 premiership at $6, following their NAB Cup success, behind only reigning premier Geelong but after nine rounds the Saints have blown out to $61 to win the flag and find themselves on the tenth line of betting.
Garry Lyon's 'Clog and dagger'
It is about this time of the year that clubs out of the picture or next address what one football heavyweight described to me as "list clogging". That is, identify players sitting on club lists with no great prospect of enhancing their team's chances of winning a flag. On pure statistics they may be able to justify playing from one week to the next, but the harsh reality is their time has almost come and all they are effectively doing is tempting the club to continue playing them in the hope they may continue to make the club competitive now. Ultimately, however, it is to the detriment of the club's future. And quite often, a list clogger can be drawing a significant salary, compromising the team's ability to re-sign existing talent worthy of a wage increase, making them vulnerable to offers from other teams ... Had Sydney not made a decision on Adam Schneider last year, Moore may still be waiting for his opportunity. Ross Lyon will now have to make a decision on Schneider. I think he's clogging up things at the Saints. Where was David Armitage, a top-10 draft pick who has shown a bit and kicked goals this year, at the weekend? Named as second-best player for the Casey Scorpions in the VFL. Fraser Gehrig was in the same boat, but has made some room by shuffling over to the long-term injury list. Raphael Clarke, a hefty investment, is a list tease. He could remain for another three years, and he still may be promising, but not delivering. He's clogging. So is Aaron Fiora. Michael Rix, too.
Who's clogging the list? St Kilda: Adam Schneider, Fraser Gehrig, Aaron Fiora, Michael Rix, Raphael Clarke