IT has been a mixed day for St Kilda with the club securing the services of Western Bulldogs midfielder Farren Ray and announcing the re-signing of ruckman Michael Gardiner, small forward Stephen Milne and youngster Robert Eddy.
They also said their final goodbye to veteran Robert Harvey, who will join Carlton in 2009 in a development coaching role.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said Ray, who played 75 games for the Dogs, will be a valuable addition to the Saints’ midfield.
"He will really add to our midfield run and our flexibility and he can play at half-back to release (Jason) Gram and (Brendon) Goddard (to other roles) and that was the rationale behind the decision and clearly we still can take six picks into the national draft," Lyon said.
Meanwhile the Saints announced that Gardiner, Milne and Eddy had all signed contract extensions keeping them at the club for 2009.
"They each bring something unique to the team and we look forward to seeing what they have to offer from season 2009 and beyond," Lyon said of the trio.
Meanwhile, St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser said the club were both sad and excited about Harvey’s decision to begin his coaching career at the Blues after an illustrious playing career.
"It is with a heavy heart but excitement and optimism for Robert that he becomes a development coach at Carlton from next season," Fraser said.
"Harvs will always be a favourite son of the Saints and while we did offer Robert a full time position at the club next year, he decided to expand his experiences outside the club after 21 outstanding years at the Saints and we wish him every success in his new role."
Carlton chief executive Greg Swann said Harvey will play an important role in developing the club’s younger players.
"Robert's record speaks for itself, he has outstanding knowledge of the game, is respected by everyone in football and he will play an important role in assisting to fast-track the development of our young players," Swann said.
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ST KILDA defender Sam Fisher has capped off a stellar season by winning the club’s best-and-fairest award for the first time.
Fisher, who was named All-Australian for the first time this season, won the award with 680 votes to finish 37 votes clear of Nick Riewoldt (643), with Lenny Hayes third on 627.
Max Hudghton was fourth on 507 votes while Robert Harvey rounded out the top five with 492 votes in his final year.
Raphael Clarke took out the Most Promising Player award while retiring greats Harvey and Fraser Gehrig were recognised for their services to club.
Hayes won the inaugural Robert Harvey Best Clubman Award for his tireless commitment to the club.
Trevor Barker Award Top 10
1. Sam Fisher 680 votes
2. Nick Riewoldt 643 votes
3. Lenny Hayes 627 votes
4. Max Hudghton 507 votes
5. Robert Harvey 492 votes
6. Leigh Montagna 473 votes
7. Brendan Goddard 469 votes
8. Jason Gram 467 votes
9. Luke Ball 418 votes
10, Jason Blake 402 votes
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ST KILDA full-forward Fraser Gehrig has announced his second retirement from AFL football in as many years.
Gehrig, who played 255 games and kicked 540 goals in 13 years with the Saints and West Coast, originally called it quits at the end of last season.
But just weeks after playing his final match against Richmond in round 22 last year, Gehrig registered for the national draft in the hope of extending his career into a 14th season.
St Kilda selected the 32-year-old with pick No. 57 in the 2007 national draft but he struggled to have an impact this season.
Gehrig was restricted to just five matches in 2008 thanks to a debilitating arthritic condition in his hand.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon paid tribute to Gehrig and said he will be sorely missed.
"Fraser's dedication to the St Kilda Football Club is unquestionable. He is one of the greatest forwards to ever pull on a red, white and black guernsey and his contribution to the Saints will not be forgotten."
"Unfortunately his 2008 campaign was shortened due to injury, but he maintained a strong training and fitness regime which gave the rest of the team a significant boost. Fraser is a shining role model on and off the field and will be missed."
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September 21st 2008 02:19
RETIRED St Kilda champion Robert Harvey described the Saints’ preliminary final loss to Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday night as 'unacceptable'.
The 54-point loss to the Hawks means Harvey ends his career with the unwanted record of having played the most games in AFL history - 383 - without winning an AFL premiership.
The 34-year-old said it was not the way he wanted to go out.
"I never really expected in my final game that I would be looking forward to that final siren but that was the case," he said.
"We just didn't put our best foot forward but we are a better side than that."
"We have come a long way as a club and it's a great credit to the group to bounce back from we were halfway through the season (struggling to make the eight) but it was unacceptable today."
Harvey said the loss will help drive the club towards bigger and better things next season and that he is confident the Saints can eventually break a premiership drought stretching back to 1966.
"I know this (loss) won't be swept under the carpet and I know there will be some hungry boys here next year," he said.
"The future is in good hands but we have got to find a few more (quality players) so the draft becomes important in the next few years."
Harvey also thanked the club and the Saints fans for all they had done for him during his 21-year career.
"All this attention never sat comfortably with me but I appreciate everything the club has done for me and I have enjoyed every minute of it," he said.
"I appreciate the way the fans have treated me over the last 21 years and over the last 12 months they have just been exceptional."
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said Harvey’s standing in the game shouldn’t be affected by the fact that he didn’t win a premiership.
"He is only one item short (of having the perfect football resume) but that doesn't make him a lesser player," Lyon said.
"People don't understand his mental strength and to see the relentless nature of his preparation to play each week is to understand what made Robert great."
"And that is the legacy he has left at our club and he will always remain a role model at our club."
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September 20th 2008 09:03
ST KILDA has suffered a major blow ahead of Saturday night’s second preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG with midfielder Luke Ball a late withdrawal.
It is the second week in a row the Saints have named their former skipper only to see him be a late withdrawal on game day.
Ball, who has not played since injuring his hamstring in round 18, has been replaced in the Saints’ side by Aaron Fiora.
The Hawks also made a late change with young defender Thomas Murphy replaced by Stephen Gilham.
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September 19th 2008 11:50
ST KILDA has been fined $5000 for having 23 players on the field during the warm-up before the start of last Saturday night's first semi-final against Collingwood at the MCG.
The Saints ordered emergency Shane Birss to warm up when midfielder Lenny Hayes experienced back spasms in the rooms before the match.
Under AFL rules a club may not have an emergency player join the warm-up after final team sheets have been lodged with the AFL and the opposition club.
AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the league accepted that the Saints had not deliberately tried to manipulate the rules.
But he said they had still breached the AFL Player Regulations by not informing the AFL or the Magpies of Birss’ involvement in the on-field warm up.
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September 17th 2008 01:02
ST KILDA has abandoned plans to shift its training base from Moorabbin to Frankston because of cost blowouts and instead will call Seaford home from 2010.
The proposed $11m training and administration development at Belvedere Park will include an MCG-sized oval, gymnasium, rehabilitation pool, meeting rooms, lecture theatre and an indoor sports hall.
The project will be funded by the State Government ($3.45m), Frankston City Council ($3m), AFL ($2.55m) and the St Kilda Football Club ($1.43m, plus all additional costs).
St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser said the new facility would not only benefit the club but the entire community.
"While the process has taken longer than we had hoped, the club has a duty of care to its members and we sought advice on all available options," Fraser said.
"Belvedere Park not only provides us with a foundation upon which to build a state-of-the-art training facility, but it also allows us to create a sporting precinct for the entire community to use."
The oval will be available as a training venue for the Dandenong Stingrays and a game day venue for local junior competitions.
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September 16th 2008 05:55
ST KILDA may not risk midfielder Luke Ball in Saturday night’s second preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG, according to coach Ross Lyon.
The Saints are concerned at Ball's lack of recent match fitness given the 24-year-old has not played since injuring his hamstring against Port Adelaide in round 18.
Lyon said that Ball was progressing well but admitted that there was still a long process to go through.
"He is ticking the boxes, he will train tonight, he will train Thursday and then if he keeps ticking the boxes, the medical team will make a call (on his fitness)," Lyon said.
"Then the player will make a call and then myself and the match committee will make a call (on whether to play him) so we have got a little bit to go through."
Lyon said whether Ball has recovered from his hamstring injury was not the only issue that would determine whether he makes his comeback on Saturday night.
"We weigh all that up and make a decision on probabilities," Lyon said.
"If it's beneficial for the team we will play him but on probabilities if we think it's not (beneficial) then we won't play him."
Meanwhile, former West Coast Eagles ruckman Michael Gardiner’s chances of earning a recall are slim despite his recent impressive form in the VFL.
Lyon said the fact that Justin Koschitzke had his rough conduct charge thrown out by the match review panel during the week all but ended Gardiner’s chances of breaking into the team.
"He has had a few games under his belt (in the VFL) and obviously with Justin Koschitzke on report, he (Gardiner) as a ruckman was under consideration."
"But the odds of (a senior return) have probably lessened a bit for Michael once Justin got off."
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September 15th 2008 04:04
ST KILDA has received a major boost ahead of Saturday night’s second preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG with utility Justin Koschitzke cleared of his rough conduct charge by the AFL match review panel on Monday.
Koschitzke was reported during the second term of the Saints' 34-point semi-final win over Collingwood on Saturday night after throwing Collingwood veteran Shane Wakelin to the ground following a tackle.
The match review panel ruled that Koschitzke had not thrown Wakelin to the ground in a separate action but rather his tackle was all in the one motion.
The panel also ruled that Koschitzke could not have been aware that the ball was out of bounds when he completed the tackle and that Wakelin had already disposed of the ball during the tackle.
In other tribunal news, the match day report against Sydney veteran Leo Barry for striking Western Bulldogs' forward Shaun Higgins during Friday night's semi-final at the MCG was thrown out.
The panel ruled that Barry had been trying to intercept the ball when he made accidental contact to Higgins.
Western Bulldogs defender Ryan Hargrave is free to play in Friday night's preliminary final against Geelong after being looked at but cleared of a second quarter incident involving Sydney forward Ryan O'Keefe.
The panel ruled that Hargrave had made a legitimate attempt to spoil while his teammate Scott Welsh was cleared over a clash involving Swans' defender Lewis Roberts-Thomson.
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September 13th 2008 21:51
ST KILDA came within seconds of going into Saturday night’s cut-throat semi-final against Collingwood at the MCG without midfielder Lenny Hayes, according to coach Ross Lyon.
Lyon said Hayes went into 'severe spasm' after warming up and emergency Shane Birss was told that he would be playing before Hayes was declared fit to start literally minutes from the opening bounce.
"There was no subterfuge, there was no intention to deceive - it was a legitimate stressful situation and Lenny virtually wasn't going to play," Lyon said.
"I was in the box and I said 'Birssy, you're playing'."
"Birss was going to start on-ball, that's how late it happened and how serious it was."
Hayes collected 22 possessions in the Saints’ 34-point win which sees them progress through to a preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG next Saturday night.
Fellow midfielder Luke Ball, who has been sidelined since tearing a hamstring against Port Adelaide in round 18, was a late withdrawal from the clash against the Pies.
Ball will have missed seven weeks of football by the time the Saints face the Hawks but Lyon said the 24-year-old's extended stint on the sidelines wouldn't prevent him from being selected.
"A Luke Ball in five and six minute bursts would be pretty hard to contain, I would imagine," Lyon said.
Meanwhile, veteran forward Fraser Gehrig has confirmed that this season will be his last.
Gehrig was re-drafted by the Saints in last year’s national draft but hasn’t played since round eight because of his arthritic hands.
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September 13th 2008 13:47
ST KILDA is one step closer to appearing in its first grand final since 1997 after downing Collingwood by 34 points in the first semi-final at the MCG on Saturday night.
The Saints’ 17.4 (106) to 9.18 (72) victory means they will now face Hawthorn in a preliminary final at the MCG next Saturday night.
St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt starred with 20 possessions, 15 marks and five goals while Stephen Milne and Justin Joschitzke chimed in wiith three goals apiece.
Nick Dal Santo was influential in the middle with a game-high 32 possessions while Jason Blake did a superb blanketing job on Travis Cloke, restricting the Collingwood forward to just one goal and six possessions.
The win was soured somewhat for the Saints with Koschitzke reported for slinging Magpie veteran Shane Wakelin to the ground in the second term.
Both teams were hit by late withdrawals - Scott Burns and Simon Prestigiacomo for the Pies and Luke Ball for St Kilda
Riewoldt stamped his authority on the contest in the opening term, collecting seven possessions, four marks and booting three of his side’s four goals to help the Saints to a three-point lead at the first change.
The Magpies started the second term brightly with Tyson Goldsack smothering Brendon Goddard's casual handball from half-back and banging it through from 30m out to put the Pies back in front.
But their joy was short-lived as the Saints piled on the next four goals of the match to take a 14-point lead into the main break.
Collingwood had their chances to be in front at half-time but they were wasteful in front of goal - they finished the first half with seven straight behinds.
The Saints broke the game open in the third term, slamming on six goals to one to take a match-winning 40-point advantage into the final change.
Collingwood booted four goals to win the final term but the damage had already been done.
ST KILDA: 4.1, 8.1, 14.2, 17.4 (106)
COLLINGWOOD: 3.4, 4.11, 5.16, 9.18 (72)
GOALS: St Kilda: Riewoldt 5, Milne 3, Koschitzke 3, Gram 2, Gwilt, Schneider, McQualter, Dal Santo
Collingwood: Anthony, Swan, Lockyer, Goldsack, Cloke, Medhurst, Clarke, Brown, McCarthy
BEST: St Kilda: Riewoldt, Fisher, Dal Santo, Gram, R.Clarke, Blake
Collingwood: Swan, Shaw, Pendlebury, Davis
INJURIES: St Kilda: Allen (hip)
Collingwood: Nil
REPORTS: Justin Koschitzke (St Kilda) reported by umpire McLaren for rough play on Shane Wakelin (Collingwood) in the second quarter
CHANGES: Scott Burns (calf) and Simon Prestigiacomo (shoulder) replaced in Collingwood's selected side by Rhyce Shaw and Shane Wakelin; Luke Ball (hamstring) replaced in St Kilda's selected side by Jarryd Allen
UMPIRES: Kennedy, Rosebury, McLaren
CROWD: 76,707 at the MCG
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September 11th 2008 00:05
ST KILDA midfielder Luke Ball will be given until Thursday to prove his fitness for Saturday night’s cut-throat semi-final against Collingwood at the MCG.
Ball has been sidelined for the past five matches with a hamstring tear and is desperate to take on the Magpies.
But St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said the club won’t be risking the 24-year-old if he is not 100 per cent fit.
"We will have a clearer picture after Thursday's main session ... but we won't be taking in anyone that won't be able to compete for the full minutes of the game," Lyon said on Tuesday.
"It's critically important that we get an even team performance."
"He's progressing well and ticking the boxes and if he keeps going then we're going to have to make a decision at the end of Thursday."
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