mellowyellow
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We're still better than Richmond insist beaten Saints
April 21 2003
St Kilda is a better side than Richmond according to coach Grant Thomas, but the Saints lost today, sit last on the ladder again and the hype is starting to sound increasingly hollow.
Richmond's 17.5 (107) to 11.15 (81) win was its third straight and elevated them to fourth on the AFL ladder while St Kilda fell to last.
After the game, Saints coach Grant Thomas insisted his side was still a finals hope, still rated his side better than Richmond, insisted the club was better off than many others, and made another appeal for patience.
"We set ourselves for this game because we believe we are better than Richmond," Thomas said after the match.
"On any measure I still firmly believe we are a better side."
Clearly the scoreboard and the ladder were not measures that registered with Thomas.
This was the first of four games against struggling opposition at Telstra Dome for the Saints, and with one opportunity lost, their season hinges on upcoming fixtures with Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Carlton.
"We can win the next three games and be four-three," Thomas said.
"The year is absolutely nowhere near finished, we've got truckloads to get out of it.
"I would still rather be in our shoes than a lot of other clubs' shoes."
It was a strange game for the Saints, who gave up a big early lead and then hung in the contest while watching Richmond kick superbly for goal to maintain a buffer of at least 20 points throughout.
The Saints attacked relentlessly in the final term but kicked 2.6 and one out on the full to blow their comeback hopes.
The win was effectively decided in the opening term when Richmond's confidence-fuelled running players were given great latitude and the forwards finished nicely to establish a 21-point quarter time lead.
"(Accuracy) is one area we haven't been able to achieve in our first three games and to put scoreboard pressure on and get reward for our efforts was something we talked about," Richmond coach Danny Frawley said.
In the recent past a Richmond side that got just two goals from tall forwards would have been thrashed, but the Tigers have found more avenues to goal and promise to improve even further when the likes of Brad Ottens and Ben Holland return from injury.
"We're going to get better when we get back some of our structure and can get on the front foot," Frawley said.
"If we can keep that consistency of effort going and we can add to that, it will make my job a little bit easier."
The Tigers were best served by three blonde runners in Mark Coughlan, Kane Johnson and a rejuvenated Greg Tivendale.
For the Saints, much attention was focussed on hyped debutant Brendon Goddard, but it was another first-year player in Luke Ball who shone while Fraser Gehrig was handy at both ends.
-AAP
April 21 2003
St Kilda is a better side than Richmond according to coach Grant Thomas, but the Saints lost today, sit last on the ladder again and the hype is starting to sound increasingly hollow.
Richmond's 17.5 (107) to 11.15 (81) win was its third straight and elevated them to fourth on the AFL ladder while St Kilda fell to last.
After the game, Saints coach Grant Thomas insisted his side was still a finals hope, still rated his side better than Richmond, insisted the club was better off than many others, and made another appeal for patience.
"We set ourselves for this game because we believe we are better than Richmond," Thomas said after the match.
"On any measure I still firmly believe we are a better side."
Clearly the scoreboard and the ladder were not measures that registered with Thomas.
This was the first of four games against struggling opposition at Telstra Dome for the Saints, and with one opportunity lost, their season hinges on upcoming fixtures with Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Carlton.
"We can win the next three games and be four-three," Thomas said.
"The year is absolutely nowhere near finished, we've got truckloads to get out of it.
"I would still rather be in our shoes than a lot of other clubs' shoes."
It was a strange game for the Saints, who gave up a big early lead and then hung in the contest while watching Richmond kick superbly for goal to maintain a buffer of at least 20 points throughout.
The Saints attacked relentlessly in the final term but kicked 2.6 and one out on the full to blow their comeback hopes.
The win was effectively decided in the opening term when Richmond's confidence-fuelled running players were given great latitude and the forwards finished nicely to establish a 21-point quarter time lead.
"(Accuracy) is one area we haven't been able to achieve in our first three games and to put scoreboard pressure on and get reward for our efforts was something we talked about," Richmond coach Danny Frawley said.
In the recent past a Richmond side that got just two goals from tall forwards would have been thrashed, but the Tigers have found more avenues to goal and promise to improve even further when the likes of Brad Ottens and Ben Holland return from injury.
"We're going to get better when we get back some of our structure and can get on the front foot," Frawley said.
"If we can keep that consistency of effort going and we can add to that, it will make my job a little bit easier."
The Tigers were best served by three blonde runners in Mark Coughlan, Kane Johnson and a rejuvenated Greg Tivendale.
For the Saints, much attention was focussed on hyped debutant Brendon Goddard, but it was another first-year player in Luke Ball who shone while Fraser Gehrig was handy at both ends.
-AAP
