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I posted this on my blog this morning. PM me if you want the address as I blog often on footy and other things.
It is a cliche to say that fairytales sometimes do come true. Yesterday at Subiaco, you could be forgiven for using that cliche.
The talk around St Kilda was all in one direction. Premiership window closed, list not as good as everyone said, talent wasted, players past their best before being past their 25th birthdays.
The fact that this was not true was evident even before Sunday. Form is temporary, talent is more permanent. Someone who knows this more than anyone is Robert Harvey.
Ross Lyon paid tribute to Harvey yesterday by saying it had all been said. Harvey's teammates paid tribute to him by playing their best football of the year against the reigning premier, and taking St Kilda's third win ever against West Coast at Subiaco.
The second quarter was one to savour. The physical pressure from the Saints was intense. Justin Koschitzke reminded the football world of that earlier statement about form and talent. At his best, Kosi can transform a game through sheer force of will, and his game was reminiscent of his famous purple patch of 2005.
Leigh Montagna got closer to the moniker "elite". Forgotten by most as a late afterthought of the superdraft class that brought Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo, Xavier Clarke & Matt Maguire to the club Montagna's development over the past 24 months sees him now as one of the better running midfielders in the league.
Not that his draft classmates didn't do their share either. Luke Ball shut down Daniel Kerr for a half and had an amazing 12 tackles. Xavier Clarke returned from injury with a classy, composed performance. And Nick Dal Santo provided the crescendo for a classic match when he emerged from the bench midway through the final quarter.
Dal Santo ran on the ground unimpeded, and the ball was delivered to him on Subiaco's long and narrow member's wing. He ran and carried the football, balked around an opponent, and backed himself in a way we hadn't been doing in the previous four losses. His goal essentially killed the contest, and by the time Steven Baker had completed a highwire act with the boundary line to deliver Nick Riewoldt with the sealer, the Eagles knew it would not take the four points.
After the match Ross Lyon as typically low-key. He highlighted the Eagles injuries, as they were missing Chris Judd, Andrew Embley, Ashley Hansen, Chad Fletcher and of course Ben Cousins. It was a fair point, but a fair counterpoint is that St Kilda were missing Brendan Goddard, Fraser Gehrig, Aaron Hamill, Michael Gardiner, Matthew Clarke & Matt Maguire. And of course the match was in Perth, a road trip twice as long as most European holiday journeys.
Back to Lyon's comments about Harvey. Harvey commented after the game all the adulation and celebration had made him "a bit sick of himself". In reality, words can only do so much to explain what Harvey has done, or what he means to the football club. The result was adequate tribute.
The rest of the year may play out in a much happier manner for the Saints as a result of the self-belief garnered at Subiaco yesterday. Football is a mental game, played as much above the shoulders as it is below, and Robert Harvey is living proof of this. As are the rest of the Saints today, as they enjoy their day in the sun.
It is a cliche to say that fairytales sometimes do come true. Yesterday at Subiaco, you could be forgiven for using that cliche.
The talk around St Kilda was all in one direction. Premiership window closed, list not as good as everyone said, talent wasted, players past their best before being past their 25th birthdays.
The fact that this was not true was evident even before Sunday. Form is temporary, talent is more permanent. Someone who knows this more than anyone is Robert Harvey.
Ross Lyon paid tribute to Harvey yesterday by saying it had all been said. Harvey's teammates paid tribute to him by playing their best football of the year against the reigning premier, and taking St Kilda's third win ever against West Coast at Subiaco.
The second quarter was one to savour. The physical pressure from the Saints was intense. Justin Koschitzke reminded the football world of that earlier statement about form and talent. At his best, Kosi can transform a game through sheer force of will, and his game was reminiscent of his famous purple patch of 2005.
Leigh Montagna got closer to the moniker "elite". Forgotten by most as a late afterthought of the superdraft class that brought Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo, Xavier Clarke & Matt Maguire to the club Montagna's development over the past 24 months sees him now as one of the better running midfielders in the league.
Not that his draft classmates didn't do their share either. Luke Ball shut down Daniel Kerr for a half and had an amazing 12 tackles. Xavier Clarke returned from injury with a classy, composed performance. And Nick Dal Santo provided the crescendo for a classic match when he emerged from the bench midway through the final quarter.
Dal Santo ran on the ground unimpeded, and the ball was delivered to him on Subiaco's long and narrow member's wing. He ran and carried the football, balked around an opponent, and backed himself in a way we hadn't been doing in the previous four losses. His goal essentially killed the contest, and by the time Steven Baker had completed a highwire act with the boundary line to deliver Nick Riewoldt with the sealer, the Eagles knew it would not take the four points.
After the match Ross Lyon as typically low-key. He highlighted the Eagles injuries, as they were missing Chris Judd, Andrew Embley, Ashley Hansen, Chad Fletcher and of course Ben Cousins. It was a fair point, but a fair counterpoint is that St Kilda were missing Brendan Goddard, Fraser Gehrig, Aaron Hamill, Michael Gardiner, Matthew Clarke & Matt Maguire. And of course the match was in Perth, a road trip twice as long as most European holiday journeys.
Back to Lyon's comments about Harvey. Harvey commented after the game all the adulation and celebration had made him "a bit sick of himself". In reality, words can only do so much to explain what Harvey has done, or what he means to the football club. The result was adequate tribute.
The rest of the year may play out in a much happier manner for the Saints as a result of the self-belief garnered at Subiaco yesterday. Football is a mental game, played as much above the shoulders as it is below, and Robert Harvey is living proof of this. As are the rest of the Saints today, as they enjoy their day in the sun.

