Teams v Adelaide

[Kildonan]

ST KILDA v ADELAIDE
Friday, 7:40pm AEST, Telstra Dome

ST KILDA
B: Baker, Hudghton, S.Fisher
HB: L.Fisher, Maguire, Gram
C: Fiora, Ball, Montagna
HF: Goddard, Riewoldt, Schwarze
F: Voss, Gehrig, Milne
FOLL: Ackland, Harvey, Dal Santo
I/C: X.Clarke, McQualter, Peckett, Rix
EMG: Gilbert, Murray, Sweeney
IN: X.Clarke, McQualter
OUT: Blake (hamstring), McGough

ADELAIDE
B: Bassett, Rutten, Massie
HB: Johncock, Stevens, McLeod
C: Burton, Shirley, Knights
HF: Thompson, McGregor, Reilly
F: Bode, Ricciuto, Hentschel
FOLL: Biglands, Goodwin, Edwards
I/C: Doughty, Torney, Maric, Mattner
EMG: Meesen, Skipworth, Vince
IN: Torney
OUT: van Berlo (fractured collarbone)

Field umpires: Vozzo, Meredith, McInerney

Two changes for Crows clash
15 June 2006
saints.com.au

St Kilda has made two team changes ahead of its clash against Adelaide at Telstra Dome on Friday night.

Xavier Clarke has impressed on the training track in the past fortnight and comes back into the side after six weeks out with a hip injury, while Andrew McQualter has been recalled for his fifth game of the season.

Out of the side that overcame the Swans by two points last week are Jason Blake with a hamstring strain and Mark McGough who was omitted.

Emergencies for the Saints are Sam Gilbert, Allan Murray and Justin Sweeney.


The Crows have made just one forced change to the team that defeated Brisbane by 15 points with Jason Torney coming in for his first game of the season at the expense of youngster Nathan van Berlo who broke his collarbone up at the Gabba.

Torney's preparations for the season were ruined by a serious quadriceps injury, but since recovering he has been amongst South Adelaide's best in the SANFL in recent weeks.

van Berlo is expected to miss between six and eight weeks after having surgery to insert a rod in his fractured clavicle.

Adelaide's emergencies are John Meesen, Hayden Skipworth and Bernie Vince.

 

[Kildonan]

B: L.Fisher, Hudghton, S.Fisher
F: Bode, Ricciuto, Hentschel

HB: Baker, Maguire, Gram
HF: Thompson, McGregor, Reilly

C: Montagna, Ball, Fiora
C: Burton, Edwards, Knights

HF: Schwarze, Riewoldt, Goddard
HB: Johncock, Stevens, McLeod

F: Voss, Gehrig, Milne
B: Bassett, Rutten, Massie

FOLL: Ackland, Harvey, Dal Santo
FOLL: Biglands, Goodwin, Shirley

I/C: X.Clarke, McQualter, Peckett, Rix
I/C: Doughty, Torney, Maric, Mattner

Key Match ups:
Max Hudghton on Riccuito (if he plays)
Matt Maguire on McGreggor
Sam Fisher on Hentschel

Rutten on Fraser Gehrig
??Stevens on Nick Riewoldt (they may need to rotate players on Riewoldt)
Bassett on Brett Voss

Midfield match ups:
Shirley will go to Nick Dal Santo
Baker will probably get a role on a midfielder/flanker
Montagna may take Burton (lacks height but has the speed and strength)
Fiora hasn't been accused of being accountable so he will probably be matched with Knights

Ackland v Biglands
Rix v Maric

Comments:
I think we will surprise Adelaide in the ruck contests. The loss of McGough may hurt us a little, he was surprisingly effective at the bottom of the packs v Sydney gaining 6 first possessions (St Kilda's best for this stat) and 4 clearances. He seems a little stiff to have been dropped for this. The inclusions of X and McQualter compensate though. Dal will be tagged, leaving Ball and Harvey the task of matching it with Goodwin and Edwards, a tough ask. As the match progresses Dal will shake his tag and we will see his quality disposal hit targets forward. We can't afford to start slowly in this match, so Ackland will be required to be effective from the first bounce.

St Kilda's defence is widely underestimated, yet we go in knowing just how tough theirs is. We wont be underestimating Adelaides defence - especially Rutten. Gehrig needs to use his pace - this is the key. Avoid tying himself up wrestling him. Keep Rutten busy so that he doesn't drift forward to help out with Riewoldt. Hopefully he will be the match winner. Riewoldt needs to be allowed some space to work his magic.

Adelaide are a disciplined side with the patience to play effective tempo football. Their forward line is somewhat depleted. I hope they play Riccuito because Hudghton has his measure and Riccuito's injury means that he probably wont be able to play any other role. They should not be underestimated though, as much of their offensive movements are generated from the half back region. They are vulnerable to attacking football as long as we move the ball quickly. McLeod remains the key to their game. I don't know who to match him up with. I'm sure GT has strategies to reduce his impact on the game.

 

[Kildonan]

Match Preview: St Kilda v Adelaide
1:29:50 PM Tue 13 June, 2006
Angus Morgan
ST KILDA v ADELAIDE

WHERE & WHEN: Telstra Dome, 7.40PM, Friday 16 June.

TV & RADIO: Channel Nine, 3AW, Triple-M, ABC Radio, NIRS

OUR COVERAGE: live scores, stats & audio, Game Day News Desk, match replay (24 hour delay)

HEAD TO HEAD: Played 25 - Won: St Kilda - 9, Adelaide - 15, Draws - 1

LAST TIME: St Kilda 10.5 (65) def. Adelaide 8.9 (57) Qualifying Final, 2005, at AAMI Stadium

TAB SPORTSBET: St Kilda $2.25, Adelaide $1.57

THE MEDICAL ROOM: A nasty knock to the face and a dose of concussion sustained against Sydney on Saturday night is not expected to stop skipper Luke Ball from taking his place in the line-up this week, though a host of other first-choice players are unavailable including Xavier Clarke (hip - three weeks), James Gwilt (lower leg - two weeks), Aaron Hamill (strained PCL - three weeks), Ed McDonnell (fractured thumb - two weeks), Andrew Thompson - (back - three weeks), Fergus Watts (fractured ankle - indefinite), Justin Koschitzke (fractured skull - indefinite), Lenny Hayes (knee reconstruction - season). Adelaide's already lengthy injury list is longer by a three names after Saturday night's win over Brisbane. Mark Ricciuto (groin) and Ken McGregor (ankle) pulled up sore and face a fitness test, while Nathan van Berlo (broken collarbone) will miss up to eight weeks. Jason Porplyzia (knee) also faces a test, while Luke Jericho (shoulder), Scott Welsh (quad) and Matthew Clarke (achilles/shoulder) should all be available after the mid-season break. Still at least a month away are Ian Perrie (knee), Richard Douglas (knee), Nathan Bock (back), Darren Pfeiffer (back) and Ben Hart (broken arm).

THE STORY SO FAR: St Kilda is seventh on the ladder with six wins from 11 matches. Smarting after a heavy loss?? to Melbourne in round 10, the Saints bounced back strongly to defeat Sydney in a slog at the SCG last Saturday night. Adelaide sits second on the ladder with nine wins, four points adrift of leaders West Coast. The Crows prevailed by 15 points over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night in another typically professional team effort.

THE WHITEBOARD: Typically, the midfields are critical in Saints-Crows clashes and Friday night should be no different. Robert Harvey played an unforgettable match to set up the Saints' famous upset win in last year's qualifying final in Adelaide and, though he may be a year older, the Crows would be mad to let him run free as he did that night.
The list of the Saints best in that match makes for interesting reading. They were (in order) Harvey, Dal Santo, Gwilt, Ball, Montagna and Hayes - all midfielders. Nick Dal Santo's numbers were down against Sydney and while the conditions may have been a factor, it probably had more to do with Brett Kirk's extremely close checking, something that will not have gone unnoticed by Neil Craig. Robert Shirley may find himself with the job on Dal Santo. If Mark Ricciuto plays, he's likely to be parked up forward so as not to overtax his groin, so that leaves Simon Goodwin as the key midfield target for the Saints. Steven Baker could get the job or perhaps it's time to see if the much-improved Jason Gram has the endurance to match his pace by commissioning him to go with Goodwin head-to-head. More likely, there'll be a rotation with the likes of Baker, Gram, Schwarze and Voss all pitching in. ???

THE VERDICT: Adelaide comes into this match in fine form and full of confidence. The Crows have managed brilliantly without the services of first-choice key forwards Scott Welsh and Ian Perrie for much of the season, but if Ricciuto and the versatile McGregor should fail to come up, their scoring power will be critically diminished. There'll be no chance for Craig to push Ben Rutten forward in a pinch-hitting role as the All-Australian full-back will be needed for the job on Fraser Gehrig. On paper, and by just about every other measure, there's nothing much in this contest. St Kilda by five points.

 

[Kildonan]

Recent History:

Qualifying Final, 03-Sep-2005 at AAMI Stadium : Adelaide vs St Kilda 57 - 65
Round 9, 20-May-2005 at Telstra Dome : St Kilda vs Adelaide 57 - 103
Round 19, 07-Aug-2004 at York Park : St Kilda vs Adelaide 91 - 68
Round 4, 17-Apr-2004 at AAMI Stadium : Adelaide vs St Kilda 98 - 113
Round 17, 27-Jul-2003 at AAMI Stadium : Adelaide vs St Kilda 143 - 86
Round 2, 05-Apr-2003 at Telstra Dome : St Kilda vs Adelaide 99 - 91

 

[Axcellence]

Slight area of concern here.

- Montagna
- McQualter
- X Clarke

Three small midfielder types - the thing that concerns me is that they are all small (ie impact on marking ability, except X). However, its clear from McGough's dropping that we are going for pace. Additionally, with the "luxury" of having X back, it means clearly that either X or BJ will play loose man, should the situation arise - or in the midfield.

 

[bluejay]

I am really happy X is back .... and Rix keeps his place in the 22 (although it might only be because Blake is out, which is a bad new). Does anyone know what and when exactly happened Blake's injury?

 

[samm]

Does anyone know what and when exactly happened Blake's injury?

at training

 

[nicko016]

Does anyone agree that McGough was stiff to get dropped. He had 15 disposals in the wet in about only 70 minutes of game time. I would of rather they dropped Peckett. He had about 10 disposals against the swans and I think because McGough is only 22 and Peckett 33 we should of gone for McGough. I really admire Franky but think we could do with giving some game time to our younger players. They would both give roughly the same output so go for the younger player who you can give experience and develop. For that reason I like the inclusion of McQualter becasue he will develop into a very good player with game time. He will give roughly the same output as Peckett so again give the younger player a game to develop him.