Saints' warrior is still giving young opponents the run-around
Emerging Adelaide midfielder Nathan van Berlo has become an unlikely ally for St Kilda's Robert Harvey, rejecting recent claims the ageing champ may have played on a year too long into 2008. After chasing around the AFL's oldest player for a vital period during the third term of last Saturday night's NAB Cup grand final, van Berlo handed a glowing endorsement to the Saints' living legend. Just a week earlier, Harvey's former coach Grant Thomas and five-time Hawthorn premiership player Dermott Brereton had both questioned whether the 36-year-old dual Brownlow medallist still had the pace and physical strength to compete into a remarkable 21st AFL season. But van Berlo, one of his team's best players in a five-point loss to the Saints, was in no doubt. "Don't write him off," the Crows recruit said after the match. "He's a champion player and has been for a long period of time now. He might not be able to kick as far as he would have in his earlier days, but he certainly still uses the ball exceptionally well. It was pretty humbling just to be playing on him. He's just really smart and it's a credit to him to still be playing (in the AFL) at his age. You can't under-estimate him and anyone who has said Harvey's finished hasn't had a good look at him because he played all right tonight."
Saints claim Pre-Season Cup
St Kilda are the AFL pre-season cup Champions for 2008 following a hard fought five-point victory over the Crows in Adelaide this evening. Stephen Milne, with two minutes remaining, held his nerve to slot through an important set shot which clinch victory for the Saints, their first title since 2004. St Kilda came out of the game unscathed; however, Adelaide lost Chris Knights in the second term with a suspected quad injury. Jason Gram had 33 possessions for St Kilda, Adam Schneider had 22 and Stephen Milne grabbed three goals. Brad Symes and Scott Thompson led the possession count for the Crows with 23 and 20 respectively. Inaccurate kicking in front of goal was the main feature of a scrappy and uninspiring first quarter played in sweltering evening heat. At one stage halfway through the term the score was locked at four behinds a piece. Eventually youngster Kurt Tippett broke the deadlock with a few minutes remaining in the quarter.
Saints can go all the way
No matter how much Ross Lyon tries to play down his side's chances, there is no doubting St Kilda can win the premiership this year. We didn't know it in mid-February, but we know now. It was not only the way St Kilda lifted late against Adelaide to clinch the pre-season competition, or that it defeated the best-drilled team in football. It is the four weeks of football in their entirety that have proven many things. That the ruck combination of Michael Gardiner and Steven King can work. That David Misson's injury management was worth whatever they paid for him. That the midfield has enough depth and class to compete with the elite. And that the sum of those parts means St Kilda should consider a top-four spot its minimum goal. We have said this before about Luke Ball in March,but we will say it again - he looks like thetop-three draft pick who can kick 50m, accelerate in traffic and put some sort of trust in his body. A week after a former coach warned there were worrying signs about Robert Harvey, he was back doing what he does best, too. At least three direct assists and ice-cool nerves in the dying minutes showed he hasn't lost histalent overnight. In the midfield, it was the variety on show that offered portents of what we may in the coming season. Ball is back ingood shape, Adam Schneider was excellent off the wing and Xavier Clarke's body is not failing him asusual.
Schneider a happy Saint
Adam Schneider knows what side he'd rather be on. The left-footed livewire was a key component of St Kilda's AFL NAB Cup premiership in just his second game for the club since being traded from Sydney at the end of last year. Schneider gathered 22 possessions and launched the Saints inside their attacking 50m zone five times during their hard fought five-point win over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. The 23-year-old confirmed the Saints were a club on the rise in 2008, a season in which his former club, the ageing Swans, are tipped to fall. "They are two different sides," Schneider said. "We have got a very young side here and very talented, whereas Sydney have got the old and experienced type players who were unstoppable in their time ... We are building towards a good year." Schneider conceded the Saints weren't fussed about the result of Saturday night's pre-season playoff in Adelaide. For the third preseason match in a row, St Kilda came from behind to emerge victorious - this time heading Adelaide after the Crows took the lead early in the last quarter before their adoring home fans. "We got out of the game what we wanted," said Schneider. "You can never take away from winning, it means we are playing the way we wanted to play. But we weren't too fussed about the result. We were just trying to focus on the way we played and we were able to do that."
Jason Gram takes centre stage at the NAB Cup
Jason Gram and St Kilda took centre stage at AAMI Stadium as Adelaide coughed up its second shot at silverware in six years in the NAB Cup Grand Final. The Saints - led last night by Gram's stunning 33-possession game - humbled a wasteful Crows side that need look no further than its scoring inaccuracy for its five-point loss, and its second pre-season Grand Final failure in three years. Although Michael Tuck Medal winner Gram's influence did not seem to hurt Adelaide in the first half, his final tally of 19 kicks - 12 of them long - two clearances, eight inside-50s and eight rebounds was the difference between both sides. In front of 26,823 fans, St Kilda won by five points as serial pest Stephen Milne booted two goals that put the premiership - and the lucrative $385,000 premiership prize - beyond the Crows' grasp in the knife-edge final quarter.
What's hot and what's not in pre-season
It was hot. Damned hot. The footy, the contest, the weather and the lead-up to one of the hardest fought NAB Cup Finals for years. Those who doubt the existence of global warming obviously haven't been in Adelaide for the last week. Six successive days above 35 degrees. In autumn. With maybe a week of it to come. A game-time temperature still above a stifling 37 degrees when Simon Goodwin and Justin Koschitzke faced off for the coin toss. At 6.50pm. This NAB Cup Final - and opinion about it - was about as hot as the pre-game barbecues fired up by the Crows' faithful around the AAMI Stadium carparks (the first of those was sighted at 2.45pm - four hours before the first bounce). For a competition that's not supposed to matter to clubs, to players (tell that to Xavier Clarke after a first quarter knock from Graham Johncock) or to fans, this year's NAB Cup has generated more than its share of high octane attention. There's been days and days of media coverage dissecting the value of the pre-season competition. The usual suspects chipping in (hello Jason Akermanis). Yet a close analysis of the history of the Cup shows the final's not such a bad place to be near.
Saints look to build on win
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon believes winning the NAB Cup in searing heat over Adelaide last night will give his team much-needed momentum going into the AFL season. Lyon also said the $385,000 in prizemoney would be equally valuable to the club ... in front of 26,823 fans at AAMI Stadium. "I was really pleased with our effort in really difficult conditions, I thought we persisted," Lyon said. "I don't think either team played great football but it was a really good contest. They won under difficult circumstances against what we consider strong opposition. For the football club, (it's) some momentum going into the season, four wins even though it's a pre-season competition. Some prizemoney for the coffers of the clubs, the Melbourne clubs have to fight hard for the cash so that always helps. They are the sort of things that bring a little smile to your face." The Saints emerged with no injuries but Lyon said it would be 48 hours before any ramifications of playing in such sweltering conditions would be known.
Saints need to kick goals
... The Saints look like they should kick goals. They look like they should kick a lot of goals, as they will need to kick goals if they intend to win the premiership this year. Yet last year, they were one of the two lowest-scoring sides in the competition, which means they will need to upgrade to French baguettes and sparking mineral water if they are to make their big jump. Fraser Gehrig was not in last night's side, but St Kilda started with Justin Koschitzke in the goal square and Nick Riewoldt up high, and switched them as they went. Stephen Milne was there, Xavier Clarke was there, Adam Schneider was there and so was Charlie Gardiner. They were up, incidentally, against the other lowest scorer in the competition. The Crows have looked to new and older faces to kick their goals through the pre-season, and did the same last night. Andrew McLeod started there again and Simon Goodwin happily handed some more midfield duties to younger others, who kicked the ball long, high and happily to a former basketballer called Kurt Tippett. Tippett was drafted two years ago as a 19-year-old and kicked the two third-quarter goals that helped Adelaide respond to a St Kilda surge. He is smart, strong and exciting and could prove a good pointer as to why the likes of Ian Perrie and Scott Welsh were not wheeled through another season. The Saints looked for their fresh options in more established faces that were looking for new, rather than first, chances. Gardiner and Schneider were among them, after arriving for nothing from Geelong and Sydney respectively.
Saints squeak home in NAB Cup final
St Kilda claimed the 2008 AFL pre-season title with a deserved if scrappy five-point win over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. Leading narrowly after an ugly first half that produced only five goals, the Saints swept to a 20-point third term lead and weathered a Kurt Tippett-inspired Crows attack to win 2.7.9 (69) to 0.9.10 (64) in front of 26,823 fans. The temperature was nudging 35 degrees for the first bounce and both sides appeared to feel the weight of the heat in a contest that seldom reached great heights. Saints link man Jason Gram (one super goal) was everywhere for the visitors and won the Michael Tuck medal as best-afield, while Adam Schneider was useful and Stephen Milne (three goals) popped up importantly in the last term. Robert Harvey's precision foot passing also played a role for the visitors.
"We've had a hard-fought win, NAB Cup Grand Final, let's just enjoy this minute as it sits. I have no real thoughts on it (NAB Cup); I'll probably take some to the Coaches Association and put in a little (input) there. But we've respected it all the way through and where it sits at the minute." Ross Lyon

Lyon lukewarm on NAB Cup concept
Victorious NAB Cup Grand Final coach Ross Lyon was reluctant to endorse the competition's format after the game at AAMI Stadium on Saturday. Lyon said it was hard to make an assessment of the cup so soon after the team's five-point victory over Adelaide. Lyon was more forthcoming on his thoughts about the trialled interchange limitations. "I'm certainly not a fan of it, (but) you work within the limitations of the competition," he said. "I'm happy with all the rules but the interchange (rule) is incredibly difficult to manage." The St Kilda leader made managing the rotations appear easy during the Grand Final - he used 62 of a possible 64 interchanges effectively. Lyon said it was important to give players a break because of the hot weather. The club is optimistic the players will recover well after competing in 30-plus-degree temperatures. "We won't know the full ramifications for that until the next 24-48 hours but we had one cramp and that was 'Grammy' (Jason Gram)," Lyon said. "It was a credit to our nutritionists and conditioning coaches and performances managers that they provided great resources for them and we only had one player cramp in those conditions. Players were very disciplined to their interchange - we are confident that we came out OK." Lyon said the players would have to be 'on the ball' with their hydration at the club's family day at Frankston on Sunday.
Saints are NAB Cup champions for 2008
... Saints link man Jason Gram (one super goal) was everywhere for the visitors and won the Michael Tuck medal as best-afield, while Adam Schneider was more than useful and Stephen Milne (three goals) popped up importantly in the last term. Veteran Robert Harvey's precision foot passing also played a role for the visitors. Adelaide possessed the most dangerous forward on the ground in the shape of youngster Tippett (four goals), but fell victim to some questionable kicking and the pressure imposed by the Saints. In a battle of two of the league's least prolific attacks last year, the Crows won more of the early ball but were unable to convert that into a significant lead, despite the livewire potential of ex-basketballer Tippett. His expertly juggled mark and goal was the only major of the first term, and the Crows went into a sweaty huddle leading by those six points. The heat's effect was neatly surmised by the Saints' choice to spend the break inside their rooms rather than the traditional spot on the members wing. They started the fresher in the second as Nick Riewoldt's true conversion from a typically precise Harvey pass reduced the margin to a point, and Schneider capitalised on a Scott Thompson indiscretion to grab 50m and the half-time advantage.
Along came A. Schneider
"What's it like?" Adam Schneider expected to be asked that question a fair bit when he moved from Sydney to St Kilda last spring, and he hasn't been let down. The "it" to which his new teammates refer is, of course, being part of an AFL premiership. And when those new colleagues are part of a club that has tasted the ultimate just once in 111 seasons of league football, and not for 42 years, they're going to come thick and fast, even with a couple of other flag-winning recruits beside him in former Swan Sean Dempster and Geelong's Steven King to help answer. "A lot of the boys bring it up all the time, it's quite amazing," Schneider says. "They pick your brain a fair bit because you've been there . . . 'what do you do to win one?' and 'how do you build up to it?' and stuff. "One of the biggest things I've noticed here is how hungry they are to ask about it and find out, because they know how close they've been. It's great to see them still striving for something like that, and if there's anything I can say to help them be better in any way, I will." And Schneider, his preseason work thorough and impressing his new club, has already spent the best part of six months doing what he can to make himself better, too. The motivation was twofold. "My first goal when I got down here was to earn the respect of the boys," he says. "I just wanted to get among the team and feel part of it, and the only way you can do that is through hard work. Now I've set that up, it's about doing it on game day to get that respect from players and supporters."
Steven King trade to St Kilda unfortunate, says Mark Thompson
Geelong coach Mark Thompson has spoken for the first time about the difficulty of trading former captain Steven King to St Kilda. The premiership ruckman was off-loaded to the Saints in a package with Charlie Gardiner for the unused pick 90 during trade week. The Cats had offered King a one-year deal, but took it off the table when Mark Blake agreed to a two-year term. "It was hard, we like to play players to milestones and he was only a few off getting 200," Thompson said. "But (with the) salary cap, list management and the decisions you have to make on who stays and who goes, unfortunately Steven had to leave. It was a hard decision. If you had a choice you would actually keep the extra player on your list and pay them as much money as you could, but we didn't have that choice." Despite some senior players voicing their disappointment, Thompson said the senior group understood why it was done. Max Rooke was quoted in October as saying: "He was a mate of mine and I was shattered when he was traded. Oh, they're OK. They accept that that is part of the business," Thompson said. "As you get older, you have this pressure to play and stay fit and play decent footy and you always worry about this young bloke coming into the club ready to take your spot. That is the worry and the pressure that AFL players have. Unfortunately, Steven was injured a fair bit, missed a bit of footy and Mark Blake came up and played some reasonable football while Steven was injured and in the end it was a difficult situation. But a better situation than having no one to play."
Jason Blake - jack-of-all-trades
If Matthew Pavlich is the most versatile player in the AFL, St Kilda's jack-of-all-trades Jason Blake might just run a close second. Blake will never be named as an All-Australian rep - or in five different positions like Pavlich - but try these statistics on for size. Last year, in what Blake considers his best season to date, he played full-back, centre half-back, wing, ruck, and as a tagger of the game's starring midfielders. He played on Matthew Lloyd, Cam Bruce, Luke Darcy, Warren Tredrea, Adam Goodes, Luke Hodge, Chris Tarrant, Heath Shaw, Shane Crawford and Ben Cousins. No wonder he calls himself "Selly's No More Gaps" as a trouble-shooter for coach Ross Lyon. Blake, 27 next week, might never find a permanent spot on any line, but he hopes he has done enough to cement a position in St Kilda's starting 22 this year. Just 191cm - clearly too short for a ruckman but with an engine capable of keeping up with the league's endurance stars - he has somehow carved a niche as an old-fashioned "utility". "I enjoy it. It's one of my strengths, to multi-skill and to know the roles of each part of the field," he said ahead of tomorrow's NAB Cup grand final against Adelaide. "I have been able to fill the holes the team has really felt I needed to go into to provide a supporting role." Blake knows there are plenty of challenges ahead ... Blake is combining football with working at management consultancy firm Thinc Projects, while finishing an engineering/business management degree.
Saints wary of youthful ruck
St Kilda may have an edge in experience going into tonight's NAB Cup grand final, but coach Ross Lyon says the performances of the Crows' younger players could make the difference. The Saints will play the Crows at Adelaide's AAMI Stadium with the temperature expected to be around 39C when the game starts at 6.50pm. Lyon acknowledged St Kilda had benefited from the pre-season form of veteran ruckmen Steven King and Michael Gardiner, who will go up against the Crows' inexperienced duo of Ivan Maric and Jonathon Griffin. However, he warned against writing off Adelaide's young brigade in the ruck and midfield. "(On) paper always look good, the reality is Adelaide is in a NAB Cup grand final because their rucks have been very competitive against a number of very good opposition (teams)," he said. Lyon said St Kilda had been tested by having two close games on the way to the grand final. "Along with emerging talent, what it's done is put real pressure on for spots with the legitimate emergence of (David) Armitage and (Jarryn) Geary, along with Jarryd Allen, and through the ruck Michael Gardiner standing up and King coming in, there's some pressure on for spots," Lyon said.
Lyon to rely on interchange movements mapped out weeks ago
More trainers carrying water and five minutes extra at halftime, but there will be no concession from the AFL on its interchange restrictions during tonight's NAB Cup final at AAMI Stadium ... Lyon said: "If I can't control something, I tend not to worry too much about it. "They are elite-condition athletes. We have the best advice out of the Australian Institute of Sport on how to prepare for games in these conditions." The halftime break tonight will be stretched to 25 minutes. While both coaches have said they would dearly like to win the cup, some of their game strategies will be geared towards the home-and-away season. Lyon will continue to rely on interchange movements mapped out weeks ago, while Craig said his players were programmed to win but would take part in a considerable degree of experimentation. St Kilda will go into the match without defender Max Hudghton, who was included in the 30 but has not yet recovered from the leg (most likely hamstring) complaint he picked up a fortnight ago.
Saints jigsaw almost solved
St Kilda's premiership aspirations continue to take shape, with Ross Lyon's side close to full strength ahead of its NAB Cup grand final against Adelaide. The club has been deliberately low-key about its NAB Cup aspirations, but hopes a victory against Adelaide will give it valuable momentum for its Round 1 clash with Sydney. Last night the club released a squad for the AAMI Stadium encounter missing only three first-choice players, with the club confident it has its stars fit and in form. St Kilda brought back rested key forward Justin Koschitzke and named injured defenders Sam Fisher and Max Hudghton. Also included were encouraging youngster Jarryn Geary and rookie Andrew McQualter, with Jack Steven omitted despite kicking the winning goal against Geelong a fortnight ago. Hudghton is the subject of most conjecture and may be a late withdrawal, as rivals debate if his hamstring is worse than the club has revealed. But Robert Harvey, Lenny Hayes and former captain Luke Ball have all been named after successful returns against Essendon last week. Of the absentees, Brendon Goddard is on the verge of a return from a knee reconstruction, Fraser Gehrig is out for several weeks with a calf strain, and Matt Maguire is fit but being held back after continued foot and leg problems.
David Armitage: Excited about NAB Cup hype
... David Armitage said ... yesterday he was "lean and fit and ready to run" in the final, which kicks off at 6.50pm local time. "I've never played against Adelaide, it's a test for me and my fitness," he said. "I'm excited, there's definitely a bit of hype about this game. It would be fantastic to win it" ... Still battling to become a regular in (the) St Kilda side, he is hopeful that his early form will help for the regular season in two weeks. "I've been pushing myself a lot harder, that helps," he said. "I've been doing everything right eating, sleeping, recovery, all the key factors that help my fitness." And he's been getting good time on field in the pre-season, playing 60 to 90 minutes in each game. "It's a lot better when you're out there, I'd rather that than coming off the bench." It's the second time he's been to Adelaide for an AFL pre-season match, as he played against Port Adelaide last season. "We got flogged," he said.
Saints take gamble on Hudghton
St Kilda has surprised by naming veteran defender Max Hudghton for Saturday night's NAB Cup grand final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. Hudghton has a history of leg injuries and limped off during the Saints' quarter-final win over Geelong in Canberra a fortnight ago. The Saints insisted at the time that Hudghton - who suffered two thigh injuries as well as injuries to his quad, groin and hamstring last season - had not re-injured his hamstring and had only come off because of muscle tightness in his leg. But the 31-year-old veteran of 204 games - who could manage just 10 games and no more than five in a row last season due to his constant injuries - barely trained at Moorabbin on Tuesday before being named at full-back to face the Crows. This is despite Saints coach Ross Lyon insisting during the pre-season that he would take no risks with the club's most senior players ahead of the season opener against Sydney on March 22.
Saints pick Koschitzke for NAB Cup final
St Kilda have recalled tall utility Justin Koschitzke for Saturday night's AFL NAB Cup grand final against Adelaide. The ruckman-forward missed the Saints' semi-final win over Essendon but was included in a 30-man squad for the preseason playoff at Adelaide's AAMI Stadium. Star forward Nick Riewoldt was named despite finishing last week's encounter on the bench, while creative defender Sam Fisher was also included. The Crows, in naming their 26-man team for the grand final, made one change to the side that defeated Hawthorn last week, dropping forward rookie forward James Sellar for Bryce Campbell.
Strapping stops Nick Riewoldt playing it straight
The month-long mystery involving Nick Riewoldt's injured knee has been solved. Riewoldt has been suffering tendinitis since returning from the Christmas break. The St Kilda star also has inflammation at the back of his knee capsule. The capsule houses the knee joint, but when the back of the capsule becomes inflamed it causes pain when the leg is fully extended. Riewoldt had criss-crossed strapping on his right knee on Friday that prevented him fully straightening his leg. St Kilda said this week that Riewoldt had a capsule problem, not a strained anterior cruciate ligament. When the knee straightens, or hyper-extends, it can pinch the front of the knee joint, causing pain or tendinitis. Riewoldt normally kicks with a straight leg but his knee was noticeably bent as he kicked at goal against Essendon on Friday night. Former Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley this week said he had used the same strapping, and while it helped his knee problem, it put pressure on his hamstrings. Riewoldt has tried to lessen the problem by not kicking long for a month and St Kilda hopes it has the problem under control. The 25-year-old, who is a strong chance to be named sole captain within days, yesterday trained without strapping and will play in the NAB Cup grand final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.
Saints want to be grinners and winners
... Montagna said they would be close to fielding a full-strength side against the Crows at AAMI Stadium. Max Hudghton, Matt Maguire and Brendon Goddard would not play, but forward Justin Koschitzke and defender Sam Fisher are both good chances, along with Nick Riewoldt, who probably will play more than the three quarters he completed last week against Essendon. Luke Ball and Hayes, who came back in the semi-final win over the Bombers, got through unscathed and also will line up, as will ruckman Michael Gardiner, who after a year on the sidelines is enjoying a relatively injury-free pre-season.
Martial arts the key to tackling: Jones
St Kilda's Clint Jones says the extra sting in the Saints tackling during their NAB Cup campaign is all down to martial arts, or jujitsu in fact. The playing group has been doing sessions with John Donohue, a martial arts expert who has also done work with Melbourne Storm. "We've done a lot of wrestling and grappling (with John)," Jones says. "They were pretty full-on sessions ... it's been one of the big features of our pre-season." And while a solid pre-season has yielded a place in the NAB Cup Grand Final this Saturday night against Adelaide, Jones is in no doubt as to the team's main objectives. "Our main priority going into the game is managing players so we stay injury free and work and develop the style of play we want to play," he said. "Also it's a chance for guys like me who haven't played as many games, to get a taste of what AFL footy is really about. If we were to win it, it would be a great feeling and a good achievement and give us confidence going into round one. We'd love to win but it is all about round one."
Tall forwards to line up for Saints
... "Nick will play, he's on track, his first game was last week and he'll build up to round one, so I expect him to play," Montagna said prior to training on Tuesday afternoon. "I'm sure the fitness and coaching staff will have something similar (to last week) for him ... I can't see him playing a full game, but he'll probably more than last week. I'm not sure how (Koschitzke) will go this week, but he was rested last week and I can't see why he wouldn't play." Montagna said it was pleasing to see the Saints begin to assemble their best 22 ahead of the season proper, even it did mean the impressive younger brigade were forced to step aside. "We've been really consistent with the players we've played so far, but some of the young guys might have to be left out if Kosi and Sam Fisher and these blokes come back in," Montagna said. "That's all healthy competition and really good for round one, and if we can have 26 or 27 players vying for round one, that's going to make us a really good team."
Harvey still has a lot to offer
Get off Robert Harvey's back! That was the message from St Kilda on Tuesday in response to former coach Grant Thomas questioning the dual Brownlow Medalist's value to the side these days. Thomas claimed this week that Harvey - the game's oldest player (he turns 37 in August) - had decided to play on for one year too many after agreeing to saddle up for a 21st season in 2008. Harvey, winner of the Brownlow Medal in 1997 and 1998, is also a four-time St Kilda best-and-fairest winner and the club's games record holder having played the first of his 359 games way back in 1988. But Harvey, who would have retired as early as 2004 had the Saints been able to end a premiership drought stretching back to 1966 that season instead of losing in the preliminary final, has appeared to slow down dramatically during the Saints' NAB Cup campaign - seemingly losing his famous ability to break tackles. However the much-improved Leigh Montagna - one of Harvey's many proteges in the Saints' midfield - said the club's favourite son still had plenty to offer. "That was a real surprise," Montagna said, when asked about Thomas' comments on Tuesday as the Saints continued their preparations for Saturday night's pre-season decider against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. Montagna said just because Harvey is no longer considered the Saints' best player it did not mean he was still not a valuable member of the side. "'Harvs' is not going to be what he was like in 1997 and 1998 but we don't expect him to," Montagna said.
Saints hoping for sizzling start to season
St Kilda midfielder Leigh Montagna says his team is excited about being in Saturday night's AFL pre-season grand final despite the widespread negativity surrounding the competition. Montagna said today that Saturday night's clash with Adelaide provided players with not only a rare opportunity to play in a grand final of any kind, but also a good launching pad for the home and away season. "We played in a grand final in 2004 and had a win and it was an exciting time," Montagna said. "We went on to win our first ten games, it's always nice to play in a grand final. Getting four really good games under our belt is going to hold us in good stead and if we can come out and do what we did in 2004, it's going to be good for the start of the season." Montagna said the players were surprised at some of the negative comments made about the competition and said while coaches used it to prepare players for the season proper, the players themselves were always desperate to win once they ran out onto an AFL field ... Asked whether the club would prefer to win Saturday night's match or the home and away season, Montagna said there was no reason why they had to choose and the Saints were aiming to win both.
St Kilda lines up big guns for final
St Kilda will welcome back several big names for Saturday night's NAB Cup final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. Certain to be recalled for the match, worth $385,000 to the winner, are key players Justin Koschitzke and Sam Fisher. Saints general manager of football operations Matthew Drain yesterday said both would "definitely" play after being rested against Essendon. With full-forward Fraser Gehrig out with a calf strain, the returns of Koschitzke and Fisher will bolster the Saints' chances of winning their third pre-season final in the past 12 years after victories in 1996 and 2004. The Saints were yesterday quoted at $2.20 with Adelaide favourite at $1.67, but St Kilda is now expected to firm. Drain said defender Max Hudghton and utility Brendon Goddard were available, but they were not certain starters. "We've got to weigh up if it's worth flying Max to Adelaide," Drain said. "He was rested last weekend, but pulled up with hamstring tightness in our previous NAB Cup game" ... "Brendon (Goddard) is available, but we're not sure at the moment," Drain said. "He has not played since he wrecked his knee in round seven last year which required a reconstruction" ... Drain said it would be a match committee decision later in the week as to who would drop out for the return of Koschitzke, Fisher and Geary.
Saints bank on cup ride
St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser says the club's guaranteed NAB Cup prizemoney will help ensure the club returns to profitability this season. Fraser will announce a $414,027 loss at the club's annual general meeting on Thursday night, a figure dramatically affected by several one-off costs. The club wrote down costs associated with the aborted Moorabbin development, and included potential payouts to former coach Grant Thomas and retired forward Aaron Hamill. It meant the club's operating profit of $198,757 became a loss, and that St Kilda was the only one of 16 AFL clubs not to record a profit. Fraser said yesterday the club was already budgeting for a profit this year, and the club's coffers will be boosted by either $380,000 for a win or $176,000 for a loss against the Crows on Saturday. Fraser said the club was in good financial shape. It is debt-free, has boosted football department revenue this year and hopes to return to the $1 million profits of recent seasons.
Saints' form can hold up
Regardless of the result of Saturday night's NAB Cup decider against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, St Kilda looks the best equipped team to challenge reigning premiers Geelong in 2008. The Saints' effort in reaching the pre-season decider is even more creditable considering coach Ross Lyon has mostly played an inexperienced team during the competition - highlighting just how much depth St Kilda has at its disposal. It is easy to forget in the wake of Geelong's all-conquering 2007 premiership season that it was the Saints who were considered the more likely of the two to win a premiership from the time both clubs burst out of the doldrums simultaneously in 2004. The Saints and the Cats both made the preliminary final in 2004 and suffered narrow losses to Port Adelaide and Brisbane respectively while the Saints - unlike the Cats - reached the preliminary final again the following year only to blow it at home to eventual premiers Sydney. So the point is that St Kilda's list is every bit as mature and talented as Geelong's and equally ready to win a premiership. The Saints' problem over recent years has been their inability to keep their best players on the field - a problem which particularly haunted them during the 2004 and 2005 finals series.