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SATURDAY NIGHT 7.40pm (AEST) - DOME:
Wizard Home Loans Cup
St Kilda v Geelong
ON THE BIG SCREEN IN PERTH - 6.30pm
The largest ever 'Big Screen' event in Perth for Sainters has been planned by Roger (Western Saints) at the Hyde Park Hotel. Come and celebrate with fellow Sainters. Everyone welcome, Free Entry, Meals available - bring the family. To get a seat, table bookings may be an idea - Phone The Hyde Park Hotel.
Click Here for full details
Full house expected for Cup - Sportal - afl.com.au - 09Mar04
It was only 18 months ago - RogerWA - Saintsational
WIZARD CUP SQUADS - Interactive Line-ups

Harvey fit, fired up, and true to the dream
Robert Harvey sits in the category alongside Nathan Buckley among the players who most deserve an AFL premiership. Although he has two Brownlow medals, a pre-season premiership, four club championships, three Whitten medals and eight All-Australian spots to look back upon over 16 seasons, Harvey still has not achieved his ultimate ambition. But he does not want to be described as 'long-suffering'. He wants to put it right
The Article - Martin Blake - TheAge - 13Mar04

Instilling a Saintly culture
There seemed to be two bodies of opinion in Melbourne this week about the final of the AFL's pre-season competition. One is that St Kilda will win by at least five goals. The other, much smaller in number, is that St Kilda will trip up, as is its destiny - if not in the game itself, then by over-indulging in the celebrations afterwards.
The Article - Martin Blake - TheAge - 13Mar04

2004 Preview: Watson
Without question, St Kilda is the glamour side of the competition. This is not to say the Saints are all looks and no substance, though. Three years anchored at the bottom has delivered them the opportunity to pick over the best available young talent and, to their credit, they didn't trade away the picks and appear to have recruited wisely.
The Article - Tim Watson - TheAge - 13Mar04

Riding on Saints bandwagon
The Saints leader hopes to steer his team to glory in tonight's Wizard Cup final against Geelong. But while tonight's game plan is hit-and-hurt, it was softly, softly in this BMW 645Ci convertible, one of only a few in Australia. After all, the car's $220,000 price tag exceeds the prizemoney the Saints will collect if they snare the pre-season flag.
The Article - Fiona Hudson - WeekendAustralian - 13Mar04
Davis recalls finals glory - Simon Towley - Geelong Advertiser - 13Mar04
No Cheap Shots, Aaron - Fiona Welsh - Geelong Advertiser - 13Mar04
This one's all about respect - Fiona Welsh - Geelong Advertiser - 13Mar04
Hit man Hamill claim - Leo Schlink - FoxSports - 13Mar04

Wizard finalists want respect
Thomas said that the young Saints would not be worried 'in the slightest' about the possibility of believing their own hype, adding that respect would be earned via strong ethics within the playing group of the club. "The guys want to be known as a very selfless and strong team," Thomas told a joint AFL media conference on Friday at Telstra Dome "They don't necessarily subscribe to the individual status."
The Article - Matt Burgan - Sportal - 12Mar04

Koschitzke in for Wizard final
Utility Justin Koschitzke has been added to a near full-strength St Kilda squad for Saturday night's Wizard Home Loans Cup grand final against Geelong . . . Rookie Nick Stone, who debuted for the Saints last week after being traded by Hawthorn, has been cut from the 28-man squad, which will be trimmed before the final.
The Article - Samantha Lane - Sportal - 11Mar04
Don't forget us, says Thompson - Michael Stevens - HeraldSun - 11Mar04

Cats accuse Hamill of 'cheap shots'
The Cats have launched a carefully-considered attack on St Kilda forward Aaron Hamill in the lead-up to Saturday night's Wizard Home Loans Cup final, accusing him of taking 'cheap shots' . . . St Kilda coach Grant Thomas defended Hamill, denying that his conduct 'crossed the line' regarding what's acceptable. "Aaron's a very fierce competitor. That's the way we want him to be and the way we want all our players to be. We don't want to single Aaron out. We expect every player to be like that".
The Article - Matt Burgan - Sportal - 12Mar04
Cup final to start rivalry for ages - Matt Burgan - Sportal - 12Mar04
Thompson calls Hamill a sniper - Saintsational Fan Forum Thread

'An Inside Look' (Pt 1) - Steven Baker
Many people are looking at the Wizard Home Loans Cup Grand Final as a glimpse into the future. In this title fight, the majority agree the Saints are poised to take its first silverware since 1996 and an air of excitement is around the club. One player who is filled with such an aura is Steven Baker.
The Article - Luca Giacobello - Sportal - 12Mar04
Coaches to prove point in final - Patrick Smith - FoxSports - 12Mar04

Saints too skinny
Glamour side St Kilda fully deserves its favouritism tomorrow night, but is under the odds at $1.30. So the advice is don't bet, just watch what should be a corker between two emerging teams. The game could be won in St Kilda's forward line, where the Matthew Scarlett-Fraser Gehrig match-up looms as a classic.
The Article - AAP - 7Sports - 12Mar04

Geelong can't win: Parkin
Parkin said he saw Geelong play Carlton in the second round of the Wizard Cup and was not impressed. "It was the worst defence against the worst attack," Parkin said. "Carlton have got absolutely nothing in the back half and I reckon Geelong have got very little in the front half".
The Article - Michael Stevens - FoxSports - 12Mar04
King tips decade of rivalry in finals - AAP - WestAustralian - 12Mar04

Saints count loyalty profits
When David Friend quit Hawthorn two years ago to take over St Kilda's membership department, he immediately put a few noses out of joint at his new club. "People said to me we have got a loyal supporter base but I disagreed," Friend said this week. "I said we don't have a loyal supporter base because they don't put their hands in their pockets. "They say they follow the St Kilda Football Club, they know the club needs cash, but they don't actually do anything about it. What we have got to do is convince people they need to be a part of it."
The Article - Chip Le Grand - FoxSports - 12Mar04

Other HOT Wizard Cup Stories

Saints prepare to 'have a crack'
If St Kilda is meant to be enveloped in hype about a rare grand final appearance, then it was scarcely evident at Moorabbin last night. The players were chirpy and sharp as they held their second-last training session before Saturday night's encounter with Geelong, but hardly anything out of the ordinary. Only a few diehards watched from the stands.
The Article - Martin Blake - TheAge - 11Mar04

Q & A with Aussie Jones
Q: You must be getting sick of this talk about the young guns.
A: Most of the talk is from outside the club, everyone inside knows the role the older blokes still have to play. I'm one of those older blokes now.
The Article - HeraldSun - 11Mar04

Talent waiting to be recognised
With the wave of talent being swept into the St Kilda Football Club in the last few seasons, it is very easy for fans to hold players like Nick Riewoldt and Nick Dal Santo in such high regard, given their efforts. One man who is hoping to become another name on every fan's lips is Jason Blake. Up until the beginning of this seasons Wizard Home Loans Cup, Blake was another hopeful on the Saints' list, but his form thus far has shown selectors he has what it takes to play a part in the season ahead.
The Article - Luca Giacobello - Sportal
saints.com.au - 11Mar04
Jason Blake Chat Transcript - Spelly - saints.coma.u - 10Mar04

Saints to hold nothing back
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas expects Saturday night's Wizard Cup final against Geelong to be a crash-bang, last-man-standing affair. That's the only interpretation fans could put on his comments yesterday before training at Moorabbin.
The Article - Michael Stevens - HeraldSun - 11Mar04
Cats hold back great expectations - Scott Gullan - HeraldSun - 11Mar04
Peter Krupka and Michael Davis - TheAustralian -11Mar04

Thomas easy on Saints' celebrations
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas says he will leave it up to the leadership group on how to celebrate if the Saints defeat Geelong in Saturday night's Wizard Home Loans Cup final at Telstra Dome . . . Thomas said that if St Kilda won the final it would create hype externally, although it would not change the club's way of thinking internally. But he was adamant that the Saints were still hungry for success in all forms of competition.
The Article - Matt Burgan - Sportal - 08Mar04

Saintsational Site Back Up
Saintsational.com - New site up and running

Saints embrace finals experience
They have the top draft picks and the young list that's frequently touted as one of the best in the league. But until now, one crucial ingredient the blossoming Saints have lacked is finals experience. St Kilda will take a step to changing that pattern when it chases it's first pre-season flag since 1996 in the Wizard Cup grand final against Geelong on Saturday night.
The Article - Rebecca Williams - HeraldSun - 10Mar04
Slick deals put kids on block - Greg Denham - The Australian - 10Mar04
Time for Cats and Big Ben - Scott Gullan - The Australian - 10Mar04
Time for success - David Davutovic - GeelongAdv. - 10Mar04
Bomber puts case for forgotten Cats - Sportal - afl.com.au - 09Mar04
Saints wary of Cats defence - AAP - 7Sports - 10Mar04

Saints firming for Wizard glory
St Kilda will start a red-hot favourite in Saturday night's Wizard Cup final against Geelong. The Saints, an AFL pre-season 'buzz' team, were as short as $1.35 with Centrebet last night and firming. "There are two factors and one centres on people not liking to back Geelong ($3)," Centrebet's Gerard Daffy said yesterday. "The other is the boom on the Saints and I can see them starting even shorter."
The Article - Jon Anderson - HeraldSun - 10Mar04

Koschitzke rated a big chance
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas says Justin Koschitzke is a big chance to return for Saturday night's Wizard Cup final against Geelong. Koschitzke has been sidelined since injuring his hamstring in the Saints' first-round Wizard Cup win over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. The 22-year-old joined in St Kilda's light skills session at Moorabbin yesterday morning before completing extra running drills in a breakaway group.
The Article - Rebecca Williams - HeraldSun - 09Mar04
Bartel cleared for Wizard final - afl.com.au - 09Mar04
Dirty, filthy pack of animals - Rogerwa - Saintsational.com

Saints starting to walk the walk in the right direction
Thomas may still talk in business cliches and have grown irritable with his critics but he has a team playing brilliant, direct football. The players admire and respect him. These are all hallmarks of a good coach. He has changed the culture of the club through acquisition and attrition. The kids came into his system, the recalcitrants went out. The by-product is respect. He has been forced to forsake his ambition to run the club from cheque book to bootlace. Everyone is better off for that. 'Cornflakes' may yet be one out of the box.
The Article - Patrick Smith - The Australian - 10Mar04

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