Kildonan
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Saints can't match the hype
07 June 2006 Herald Sun
Mike Sheahan
EVENTS of the past six weeks suggest St Kilda and Melbourne are travelling in opposite directions.
The sad reality for St Kilda supporters is that the perception is built on fact.
For example, the Saints kicked 50 goals in two encounters with Melbourne last year, winning both by a total of 135 points.
On Sunday, Melbourne beat St Kilda by 13 points, its sixth win from seven games; the Saints' fourth loss in the same time.
It now is beyond dispute St Kilda has slipped rather than improved.
The Saints are nowhere near their levels of 2004, when they won their first 10 games and 17 of 25, stamping themselves as an emerging force.
The question now is whether an elite group is performing way below its capabilities, or an overrated team is functioning at or near its modest capabilities.
It is a minority view, but I am inclined to accept St Kilda's predicament as a reflection of a list rated much higher than it deserves to be.
Not when everyone is up and running, but currently.
While it's more fashionable to focus on Grant Thomas and his coaching, the injury list tells an undeniable tale.
Compare Saturday night's opponents, Sydney, and St Kilda. Sydney has had 17 players play all 10 games this year, the Saints 10.
Sydney's top five -- Hall, Goodes, Kirk, Barry and Jude Bolton -- haven't missed a game; St Kilda's top five -- Riewoldt, Hayes, Ball, Koschitzke and Dal Santo -- have missed 11 between them.
Hamill and Xavier Clarke, both so important to the balance of the St Kilda team, have missed 10 between them.
None of Hayes, Koschitzke, Hamill and Clarke played on Sunday. Surely that's a reasonable alibi.
Coach Thomas is big on "continuity" and it's a reasonable argument.
The best teams of every year keep their better players on the field, playing together for the best part of six months.
St Kilda has used 31 players this year, Sydney 24. The Saints are expected to stretch the number to 32 this week with the inclusion of untried ruckman Michael Rix.
Rix, 25, is big and willing, and needs to be tested sometime soon.
When the Saints announced themselves in 2004, 14 players played 20 or more games. Koschitzke, Hamill and Clarke all played 17-19 games.
Since 2004, the departures include Heath Black, Austinn Jones, Luke Penny and Trent Knobel.
The replacements include Cain Ackland, Aaron Fiora and Fergus Watts, who hasn't played since he broke his leg in the VFL on April 16.
Of St Kilda's 22 on Sunday, up to 12 carry queries under one or more of the classifications of age, talent, pace or foot skills.
The Saints were called together at 7am on Monday for their recovery session, this time at the coach's home, but Thomas said there was nothing unusual in the early time and unusual venue.
"I just wanted to change the environment; we do it about eight times a year," he said.
"We wanted to get in and deal with yesterday's game as quick as we could, and then move on.
"We're not into standing blokes in the corner and doing push-ups."
The Saints say they almost beat themselves on Sunday.
They had 55 inside-50s, 12 more than the Melbourne figure and a figure that would translate to victory in nine of 10 games.
Melbourne also had David Neitz, who kicked 8.3; while St Kilda full-forward Fraser Gehrig kicked 2.2.
07 June 2006 Herald Sun
Mike Sheahan
EVENTS of the past six weeks suggest St Kilda and Melbourne are travelling in opposite directions.
The sad reality for St Kilda supporters is that the perception is built on fact.
For example, the Saints kicked 50 goals in two encounters with Melbourne last year, winning both by a total of 135 points.
On Sunday, Melbourne beat St Kilda by 13 points, its sixth win from seven games; the Saints' fourth loss in the same time.
It now is beyond dispute St Kilda has slipped rather than improved.
The Saints are nowhere near their levels of 2004, when they won their first 10 games and 17 of 25, stamping themselves as an emerging force.
The question now is whether an elite group is performing way below its capabilities, or an overrated team is functioning at or near its modest capabilities.
It is a minority view, but I am inclined to accept St Kilda's predicament as a reflection of a list rated much higher than it deserves to be.
Not when everyone is up and running, but currently.
While it's more fashionable to focus on Grant Thomas and his coaching, the injury list tells an undeniable tale.
Compare Saturday night's opponents, Sydney, and St Kilda. Sydney has had 17 players play all 10 games this year, the Saints 10.
Sydney's top five -- Hall, Goodes, Kirk, Barry and Jude Bolton -- haven't missed a game; St Kilda's top five -- Riewoldt, Hayes, Ball, Koschitzke and Dal Santo -- have missed 11 between them.
Hamill and Xavier Clarke, both so important to the balance of the St Kilda team, have missed 10 between them.
None of Hayes, Koschitzke, Hamill and Clarke played on Sunday. Surely that's a reasonable alibi.
Coach Thomas is big on "continuity" and it's a reasonable argument.
The best teams of every year keep their better players on the field, playing together for the best part of six months.
St Kilda has used 31 players this year, Sydney 24. The Saints are expected to stretch the number to 32 this week with the inclusion of untried ruckman Michael Rix.
Rix, 25, is big and willing, and needs to be tested sometime soon.
When the Saints announced themselves in 2004, 14 players played 20 or more games. Koschitzke, Hamill and Clarke all played 17-19 games.
Since 2004, the departures include Heath Black, Austinn Jones, Luke Penny and Trent Knobel.
The replacements include Cain Ackland, Aaron Fiora and Fergus Watts, who hasn't played since he broke his leg in the VFL on April 16.
Of St Kilda's 22 on Sunday, up to 12 carry queries under one or more of the classifications of age, talent, pace or foot skills.
The Saints were called together at 7am on Monday for their recovery session, this time at the coach's home, but Thomas said there was nothing unusual in the early time and unusual venue.
"I just wanted to change the environment; we do it about eight times a year," he said.
"We wanted to get in and deal with yesterday's game as quick as we could, and then move on.
"We're not into standing blokes in the corner and doing push-ups."
The Saints say they almost beat themselves on Sunday.
They had 55 inside-50s, 12 more than the Melbourne figure and a figure that would translate to victory in nine of 10 games.
Melbourne also had David Neitz, who kicked 8.3; while St Kilda full-forward Fraser Gehrig kicked 2.2.
