Games between St Kilda and Sydney are always epic struggles. This Saturday night at Etihad Stadium will not deviate from tradition. The winner will walk away with season intact and be labelled a finals wildcard. The loser will only have “Mad Monday” to look forward to.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Only a little over 2 weeks ago, the Saints travelled north to play the Swans on a terrible surface at ANZ Stadium. A bout of gastro struck the St Kilda team in the lead-up to the game and this forced the late withdrawals of Zac Dawson and Justin Koschitzke.
After Rhyce Shaw posted the first major for the Swans, the Saints responded with the next three goals and went into quarter time with a 10-point lead. This was aided by some woeful kicking for goal by the Swans.
The Swans dominated the second quarter but terrible inaccuracy in front of goal (2.7) meant that the Saints (3.1) matched them and retained their 10 point lead at the main break.
Sydney’s inaccuracy did not improve in their third quarter. Despite again dominating the quarter, the Swans kicked 3.5 to the Saints 3.2 and only reduced the Saints lead to 7 points at three quarter time.
With the Swans being dominant there was a sense of inevitability that the Saints were going to run over. This came true early in the last quarter with an Adam Goodes- inspired Swans kicking the first 3 goals of the quarter and running away comfortable 15 point winners despite kicking an amazing 23 behinds for the match.
Sydney Swans 1.5 3.12 6.17 10.23 (83)
St Kilda 3.3 6.4 9.6 10.8 (68)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Shaw, McVeigh, Hannebery, O'Keefe, White, Reid, Bolton, Spangher, Goodes, Mumford.
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Armitage 2, Goddard, Gilbert, Ray, Lynch, Milne, Polo
BEST
Sydney Swans: Richards, Shaw, Mumford, Goodes, Hannebery, McVeigh
St Kilda: Dempster, Fisher, Dal Santo, Goddard, Armitage
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Johnson (foot)
St Kilda: Dempster (head), Blake (leg). Koschitzke (gastro) and Dawson (gastro), replaced in the selected side by Baker and Lynch.
Reports: Dean Polo (St Kilda) reported in the last quarter for tripping Sydney Swans player Adam Goodes
Umpires: Farmer, Chamberlain, Ryan
Official crowd: 25,025 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney.
RECENT FORM
After the slip-up against the Swans, the Saints comfortably disposed of North Melbourne by 65 points in Round 23’s match of the round. This secured the Saints their spot in finals. In Round 24, the Saints needed to beat Carlton to secure a home final against the Swans. Despite being behind until close to the three quarter time, the Saints got the job done and saluted with a 20 point win.
The Swans followed up their victory over St Kilda with an extraordinary performance down at Skilled Stadium. The Cats had won 29 in a row at their home ground and no one gave the Swans a chance at victory. With a gutsy, emotion-filled performance, the Swans got home by 13 points in a result that had the footy world talking. In Round 24, the Swans needed to beat Brisbane to keep their home final chances alive. They responded with a comfortable 52 point win. However a St Kilda win over Carlton denied the Swans a home final.
KEY MATCH UPS
Ben McEvoy vs Shane Mumford – Michael Gardiner was left out of the St Kilda side despite Mumford towelling up McEvoy in their last battle only 2 weeks ago. It has been rumoured that McEvoy was ill in the lead-up to the game last time and this contributed to his poor performance against the in-form Swans ruckman. If McEvoy can break even with or beat Mumford than the Saints will probably win this game. This match-up looms as the potential match-defining battle.
Dean Polo vs Josh Kennedy – The Swans tough-nut had an amazing 12 clearances when the two sides met recently and this was helped by the dominance of Mumford. I expect the Saints to treat Kennedy the same way they treated Chris Judd around the stoppages and emphasise a need to reduce his impact in contested situations. Dean Polo should spend time on Kennedy but there could also be a rotation of players including Leigh Montagna, Farren Ray and Jack Steven who could be asked to deny Kennedy getting the first possession at stoppages.
Ted Richards vs Nick Riewoldt – In their last battle, Richards was deemed to be the Swans best player by dominating Riewoldt in their one-on-one contests. Since then, Richards has also claimed the scalp of James Podsiadly and is arguably in career best form. Riewoldt is coming off a lean game against Carlton and would be mindful of the job that Richards did on him last time. Can Riewoldt overcome his injury problems to have an impact? Or will Richards continue his great form?
Nick Smith vs Stephen Milne – Smith is one of the most underrated small defenders in the league and comfortably beat Milne in their last meeting. Whilst gathering 16 touches of his own, Smith limited Milne to 13 disposals and a goal. A similar performance by Smith would significantly limit the Saints potential scoring options. However, Milne has a great record at Etihad Stadium and will be looking to continue the form that has brought him All-Australian squad recognition.
David Armitage vs Rhyce Shaw – The former Collingwood defender carved up the Saints a few weeks ago in collecting 29 touches, 5 inside 50’s, 9 rebound 50’s, 10 running bounces and a goal. You would expect Ross to try and limit his output because a similar performance could be match-winning. Armitage seems like the ideal player to keep Shaw in check and accountable. Adam Schneider and Brett Peake could also be used in this role.
Kieran Jack vs Nick Dal Santo – You would expect the Swans number one tagger to get first crack at the Saints’ premier midfielder. Dal Santo has been a consistent clearance winner for the Saints and his foot-skills are exceptional when given the time. If Jack cannot limit Dal Santo then the Swans have Ben McGlynn who can also fill the role.
Sam Fisher vs Adam Goodes – The Swans champion gave the Saints the slip in Round 22 with a match-winning performance in the last quarter. He is kind of player who is capable of single-handedly dragging his side to victory in a close game. I’d expect Sam Fisher to get the first crack at shutting down Goodes but the Saints also have quality tagger Sean Dempster waiting in the wings to take the role.
THE BURNING QUESTIONS
Can Ben McEvoy overturn the comprehensive beating that he received at the hands of Shane Mumford only 2 weeks ago? McEvoy has matched or beaten a number of quality ruckman this year. Todd Goldstein and Darren Jolly are two that come to mind. He will remember that Mumford smashed him last time and will know what to expect. He needs to be strong around the ruck contest and be aware of Mumford drifting forward.
Lyon obviously has huge faith in McEvoy in not selecting Gardiner and he will feel that his faith can be repaid. If McEvoy can break even with Mumford than the Saints will feel pretty confident of winning the midfield battle.
Will Nick Riewoldt be able to have an influence on the game despite the injuries hampering his body? Riewoldt is a proven champion and if fully fit would definitely have a massive say on the result of the game. Because of his dodgy knee, the output from the Saints captain will depend greatly on the quality of delivery to him inside 50.
Sydney full-back Ted Richards has been in some great form of late and if he gets on top of Riewoldt early in the match then that could have a significant say in the result.
A 3-4 goal performance from Riewoldt would be a great result and significantly increase St Kilda’s chances of winning the game.
Is the game going to be a low-scoring battle consisting of stoppages and tempo footy? I think this is almost a certainty. The two styles of play of the opposing teams are very similar and when the two sides meet, it’s always a low-scoring battle.
This is why the clearance battle is so important to the result. Both teams will seek to shut-down the contest at will and the all important clearances will translate to more inside 50 entries.
I hope both sets of supporters are ready for an unattractive stop-start game that will culminate in an exciting finale where the strongest side will just prevail.
THE FINAL WORD
This is a do-or-die final featuring two sides that never give up and always fight to the final siren. What more can supporters ask for?
The Saints will be confident of getting a win at a ground that they play their best football at. They haven’t lost a game at Etihad Stadium on a Saturday night since 2003 and will feel as if they have the edge.
On the other hand, Sydney will know they can beat anyone after their recent stunning victory away at Geelong. Having beaten the Saints only a few weeks ago will also give them significant confidence.
I’m expecting a physical battle that will require both sides to draw on their reserves of experience. The Saints have unfinished business from the past two seasons and that coupled with the home ground advantage will mean they will come home with the chocolates.
St Kilda by 9 points.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Analyser - Round 24 Carlton vs St Kilda
The Analyser – Round 24 Carlton vs St Kilda
On a mild Saturday night at the MCG, Carlton ran into a St Kilda side looking to secure a home final against the Sydney Swans. A loss for the Saints would mean a trip north to play the Swans at either ANZ Stadium or the SCG.
Despite being behind for most of the first 3 quarters, the Saints got the job done in the end running out comfortable 20 point winners against the tiring Blues. That result secured the Saints the all important home final against the Swans at Etihad this Saturday night.
This week’s edition of The Analyser will examine some performances of some underrated Saints players, the brilliance of St Kilda’s defence and much more.
RAPHAEL CLARKE
The whipping-boy of the Saints fans had one of his finest games and continued his consistent form since being dropped mid-year.
Clarke amassed 21 disposals including 13 kicks in arguably a best on ground performance full of rebound and courageous acts. He also had a game-high 10 possessions in the 3rd quarter as the Saints staged their fight back.
One particular passage of play involved Clarke receiving a “corky” and only seconds later recovering to fly at a contest and take a contested mark.
Having a confident Clarke linking and running out of defence is crucial to the Saints chances in finals. His versatility in being able to play on tall and small forwards is also a major positive.
He also has a fairly good record in finals matches. Could he be the man Ross turns to shut down Adam Goodes? It’s unlikely but I believe a confident Raph is capable of getting the job done.
NICK RIEWOLDT
The captain could not back up his performance of last week and struggled to only 9 possessions. He could only manage one shot on goal for the game which was a snap that hit the post.
Riewoldt’s meagre output can be attributed to a few reasons. He is obviously struggling with injury and despite trying his guts out, can’t completely shake a defender often unless the delivery is quality. For most of the night, the delivery was poor and when the ball was kicked to Nick, he had to compete against Lachie Henderson as well as a zoning Blues defender.
In saying that, Henderson is a fast improving defender and did a great job in several one-on-one contests and was the major reason why Riewoldt had such a poor night.
Even after last week’s performance against the Roos, people again have written off Riewoldt after a bad game against the Blues. All I know is that he will be working as hard as he can for the team and that he does have the potential to be a matchwinner come finals time
DELIVERY INSIDE 50
While watching the replay, there were 3 clear occasions where there was poor delivery inside our forward 50m arc. Each time the ball was delivered long to a contest at disadvantage when a free Saints player was available to be hit-up.
I understand that football is a high pressure game but these are the kind of moments that can make or break a game.
There was a particular instance where Goddard streamed through the middle and kicked it to Riewoldt, who had three Blues defenders hanging off him and they easily cleared the ball away. Freezing the replay while the ball was travelling to Riewoldt showed Justin Koschitzke leading up the corridor 40m out from goal with Jeremy Laidler at least 15m behind him.
With our captain obviously injured and struggling, our midfielders have to lower their eyes and hit other targets presenting inside 50. This obviously creates scoring opportunities but in turn takes a bit of pressure off Riewoldt and may mean the next contest won’t involve several members of the opposition zoning off on him.
BETTS, GARLETT AND WALKER
What a performance by the Saints defence to keep Eddie Betts, Jeff Garlett and Andrew Walker all goalless. In fact between the three players, they only recorded two scoring shots for the game.
This is an extraordinary result because these are Carlton’s three highest goalkickers who have all kicked 40+ goals so far this season. Their average goals a game before the Saints game was 2.4 (Walker), 2.1 (Betts) and 2 (Garlett). This means that the Saints defenders removed 6 goals from the average Carlton final score and this was the major factor in winning the game.
I’ve read a fair bit of criticism of Jason Gram’s performance on Saturday night but he was part of a rotation of unheralded defenders including Geary and Clarke who spent time on Carlton’s three most dangerous forwards and kept them all goalless.
The Saints choked Eddie Betts to the point that in the 10 disposals he gathered only 1 was an uncontested possession. That’s an extraordinary statistic particular when the Blues had 46 inside 50’s and Betts spent 87% of time on ground. It showed how clever the Saints defenders were to deny Betts space and how he was put under pressure at almost every instance.
For all those calling for Gram’s omission, this is the second week in a row that he has helped completely quell some dangerous opposition forwards. He may not be the toughest defender and he may not produce the same run out of the backline like in 2009, but if he is shutting down players like Lindsay Thomas, Betts and Garlett, I’m definitely not complaining and looking for him to continue the role in finals.
MICHAEL GARDINER
The veteran Saints ruckman played his first senior game since last year’s Grand Final replay after having a string of chronic injuries.
I expected him to win his fair share of hitouts but not have much impact around the ground. The reality was the complete opposite.
Gardiner struggled in the ruck contests only recording 4 hitouts whilst he had a decent impact around the ground in gathering 10 possessions. He was substituted off early in the third quarter and spent 34% of the match on the ground.
Was this performance enough to convince Ross that Gardiner can limit Mumford’s influence? I don’t know.
Maybe a strategy of using both McEvoy and Gardiner to tire out Mumford could work. If they can break Mumford, then a runner can come on for Gardiner in the second half and McEvoy can ruck out the game.
ADAM SCHNEIDER
Schneider proved he is definitely St Kilda’s most creative and influential player in the forward half with another great performance.
His numbers weren’t prolific in recording 21 possessions but his 12 kicks resulted in seven inside 50’s and two goals as he created havoc across the Saints half forward line.
His creativity when he has possession of the football is second to none. At one stage during the third quarter, he was in heavy traffic in the centre square and with excellent peripheral vision, squeezed a kick laterally to Sam Gilbert, who kicked a crucial goal.
The more times Adam Schneider has the ball in his hands in the attacking half, the more dangerous the Saints look going inside 50.
BRETT PEAKE
Whilst he didn’t have much scoreboard impact, Peake proved he has come of age this year with an underrated performance.
Peake only had 22 possessions but had an equal team high of 10 contested disposals. This is great signs from a player who has been labelled “soft” and a “front runner”.
Peake also had a team high 23 pressure acts and collected 4 clearances as his transformation from complete outside runner to tough wingman continues.
He deserves full credit for this turnaround as many St Kilda supporters including myself, had written him off being a key senior player in this year’s finals series after a poor start to the season.
LOOKING TOWARD THE SWANS GAME
After beating the Saints despite woeful inaccuracy only a few weeks ago, the Swans have every right to be confident going into this game. I think it will be an advantage for the Saints playing the game at Etihad but the Swans adapt well to playing on smaller venues.
There is no second chance for either side and you can expect a four quarter battle to the death, with a warrior emerging at the end primed for a deep finals campaign.
At the selection table, the Saints have a few issues on whom to play in the cut-throat final. David Armitage missed the Blues game through suspension and after playing every other game this year, would expect to be rushed back into the side.
However, the selection of Michael Gardiner has thrown a spanner in the works as it looks likely that he will be used in tandem with McEvoy to quell the in-form Mumford. Which asks the question; is David Armitage in the best 22 and if so, who comes out for him?
I really struggle to find candidates for omission but the players whose spots will be discussed at the selection committee are Gardiner, Armitage, Geary, Polo, Blake and possibly McEvoy.
The only players that could possibly be included in the side are Armitage, Gamble and Baker. I would feel certain in saying that it’s pretty likely Armitage will be the one to come in.
THE FINAL WORD
Any questions, opinions, comments can be directed underneath this piece, to @kieran_francis or kewfrancis@gmail.com.
All feedback and improvement suggestions are welcome.
The Saints are back in finals, on a stage that they have thrived on over the past couple of years. It is going to be an epic battle with the Swans and if the Saints can get over the line, than another game of football awaits and the season is still alive.
On a mild Saturday night at the MCG, Carlton ran into a St Kilda side looking to secure a home final against the Sydney Swans. A loss for the Saints would mean a trip north to play the Swans at either ANZ Stadium or the SCG.
Despite being behind for most of the first 3 quarters, the Saints got the job done in the end running out comfortable 20 point winners against the tiring Blues. That result secured the Saints the all important home final against the Swans at Etihad this Saturday night.
This week’s edition of The Analyser will examine some performances of some underrated Saints players, the brilliance of St Kilda’s defence and much more.
RAPHAEL CLARKE
The whipping-boy of the Saints fans had one of his finest games and continued his consistent form since being dropped mid-year.
Clarke amassed 21 disposals including 13 kicks in arguably a best on ground performance full of rebound and courageous acts. He also had a game-high 10 possessions in the 3rd quarter as the Saints staged their fight back.
One particular passage of play involved Clarke receiving a “corky” and only seconds later recovering to fly at a contest and take a contested mark.
Having a confident Clarke linking and running out of defence is crucial to the Saints chances in finals. His versatility in being able to play on tall and small forwards is also a major positive.
He also has a fairly good record in finals matches. Could he be the man Ross turns to shut down Adam Goodes? It’s unlikely but I believe a confident Raph is capable of getting the job done.
NICK RIEWOLDT
The captain could not back up his performance of last week and struggled to only 9 possessions. He could only manage one shot on goal for the game which was a snap that hit the post.
Riewoldt’s meagre output can be attributed to a few reasons. He is obviously struggling with injury and despite trying his guts out, can’t completely shake a defender often unless the delivery is quality. For most of the night, the delivery was poor and when the ball was kicked to Nick, he had to compete against Lachie Henderson as well as a zoning Blues defender.
In saying that, Henderson is a fast improving defender and did a great job in several one-on-one contests and was the major reason why Riewoldt had such a poor night.
Even after last week’s performance against the Roos, people again have written off Riewoldt after a bad game against the Blues. All I know is that he will be working as hard as he can for the team and that he does have the potential to be a matchwinner come finals time
DELIVERY INSIDE 50
While watching the replay, there were 3 clear occasions where there was poor delivery inside our forward 50m arc. Each time the ball was delivered long to a contest at disadvantage when a free Saints player was available to be hit-up.
I understand that football is a high pressure game but these are the kind of moments that can make or break a game.
There was a particular instance where Goddard streamed through the middle and kicked it to Riewoldt, who had three Blues defenders hanging off him and they easily cleared the ball away. Freezing the replay while the ball was travelling to Riewoldt showed Justin Koschitzke leading up the corridor 40m out from goal with Jeremy Laidler at least 15m behind him.
With our captain obviously injured and struggling, our midfielders have to lower their eyes and hit other targets presenting inside 50. This obviously creates scoring opportunities but in turn takes a bit of pressure off Riewoldt and may mean the next contest won’t involve several members of the opposition zoning off on him.
BETTS, GARLETT AND WALKER
What a performance by the Saints defence to keep Eddie Betts, Jeff Garlett and Andrew Walker all goalless. In fact between the three players, they only recorded two scoring shots for the game.
This is an extraordinary result because these are Carlton’s three highest goalkickers who have all kicked 40+ goals so far this season. Their average goals a game before the Saints game was 2.4 (Walker), 2.1 (Betts) and 2 (Garlett). This means that the Saints defenders removed 6 goals from the average Carlton final score and this was the major factor in winning the game.
I’ve read a fair bit of criticism of Jason Gram’s performance on Saturday night but he was part of a rotation of unheralded defenders including Geary and Clarke who spent time on Carlton’s three most dangerous forwards and kept them all goalless.
The Saints choked Eddie Betts to the point that in the 10 disposals he gathered only 1 was an uncontested possession. That’s an extraordinary statistic particular when the Blues had 46 inside 50’s and Betts spent 87% of time on ground. It showed how clever the Saints defenders were to deny Betts space and how he was put under pressure at almost every instance.
For all those calling for Gram’s omission, this is the second week in a row that he has helped completely quell some dangerous opposition forwards. He may not be the toughest defender and he may not produce the same run out of the backline like in 2009, but if he is shutting down players like Lindsay Thomas, Betts and Garlett, I’m definitely not complaining and looking for him to continue the role in finals.
MICHAEL GARDINER
The veteran Saints ruckman played his first senior game since last year’s Grand Final replay after having a string of chronic injuries.
I expected him to win his fair share of hitouts but not have much impact around the ground. The reality was the complete opposite.
Gardiner struggled in the ruck contests only recording 4 hitouts whilst he had a decent impact around the ground in gathering 10 possessions. He was substituted off early in the third quarter and spent 34% of the match on the ground.
Was this performance enough to convince Ross that Gardiner can limit Mumford’s influence? I don’t know.
Maybe a strategy of using both McEvoy and Gardiner to tire out Mumford could work. If they can break Mumford, then a runner can come on for Gardiner in the second half and McEvoy can ruck out the game.
ADAM SCHNEIDER
Schneider proved he is definitely St Kilda’s most creative and influential player in the forward half with another great performance.
His numbers weren’t prolific in recording 21 possessions but his 12 kicks resulted in seven inside 50’s and two goals as he created havoc across the Saints half forward line.
His creativity when he has possession of the football is second to none. At one stage during the third quarter, he was in heavy traffic in the centre square and with excellent peripheral vision, squeezed a kick laterally to Sam Gilbert, who kicked a crucial goal.
The more times Adam Schneider has the ball in his hands in the attacking half, the more dangerous the Saints look going inside 50.
BRETT PEAKE
Whilst he didn’t have much scoreboard impact, Peake proved he has come of age this year with an underrated performance.
Peake only had 22 possessions but had an equal team high of 10 contested disposals. This is great signs from a player who has been labelled “soft” and a “front runner”.
Peake also had a team high 23 pressure acts and collected 4 clearances as his transformation from complete outside runner to tough wingman continues.
He deserves full credit for this turnaround as many St Kilda supporters including myself, had written him off being a key senior player in this year’s finals series after a poor start to the season.
LOOKING TOWARD THE SWANS GAME
After beating the Saints despite woeful inaccuracy only a few weeks ago, the Swans have every right to be confident going into this game. I think it will be an advantage for the Saints playing the game at Etihad but the Swans adapt well to playing on smaller venues.
There is no second chance for either side and you can expect a four quarter battle to the death, with a warrior emerging at the end primed for a deep finals campaign.
At the selection table, the Saints have a few issues on whom to play in the cut-throat final. David Armitage missed the Blues game through suspension and after playing every other game this year, would expect to be rushed back into the side.
However, the selection of Michael Gardiner has thrown a spanner in the works as it looks likely that he will be used in tandem with McEvoy to quell the in-form Mumford. Which asks the question; is David Armitage in the best 22 and if so, who comes out for him?
I really struggle to find candidates for omission but the players whose spots will be discussed at the selection committee are Gardiner, Armitage, Geary, Polo, Blake and possibly McEvoy.
The only players that could possibly be included in the side are Armitage, Gamble and Baker. I would feel certain in saying that it’s pretty likely Armitage will be the one to come in.
THE FINAL WORD
Any questions, opinions, comments can be directed underneath this piece, to @kieran_francis or kewfrancis@gmail.com.
All feedback and improvement suggestions are welcome.
The Saints are back in finals, on a stage that they have thrived on over the past couple of years. It is going to be an epic battle with the Swans and if the Saints can get over the line, than another game of football awaits and the season is still alive.
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