By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne
Having conquered the heavyweight Adelaide Crows last week, the Bulldogs were tipped to derail the Saints back from a bad night in Perth last round. But on Friday it was St Kilda that showed that when they're 'on,' they are as electrifying as any AFL outfit. With a package featuring stylish midfielders, bold backline runners and big angry forwards, St Kilda offered a complete performance on Friday not unlike its team of 2004 that served up 14 straight wins.
St Kilda and Western Bulldogs are co-tenants of Telstra Dome. Both sides have led a merry dance over visitors to the ground this year, the Bulldogs with their carry and skill level, St Kilda with its toughness and its big roster of champions. Both combatants played to their strengths in a dynamic opening to the game. St Kilda had a imposing trio of tall forwards in Justin Koschitzke, Nick Reiwoldt and Fraser Gehrig, all of which looked on song, especially Gehrig who kicked two goals in the opening five minutes.
At the other end of the ground the Bulldog's great midfielder-come-forward, Brad Johnson was busy embarrassing St Kilda's Stephen Baker via three first quarter goals. Johnson's work was topping off a rampant running brigade of Adam Cooney, Jordan McMahon and Ryan Griffen. A rare goal to Scott West on the run gave the Bulldogs a 16 point lead half-way through the quarter. The Dogs appeared full of confidence and crucially were showing up St Kilda in the stoppages.
St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo and Robert Harvey kept working however and gave the Saints forwards enough opportunities to keep them in touch. Despite the Western Bulldogs onslaught, St Kilda was unlucky to be 17 points down at quarter time with bad misses from Koschitzke and Reiwoldt.
The match took on a very different complexion just five minutes into the second quarter as three St Kilda majors propelled the Saints into the lead. All came from nice assists down field as Harvey, Dal Santo and Stephen Milne worked their way into the game.
It seemed that the Bulldogs had recovered from their lapse in concentration as improving ruckman Peter Street got forward for a mark and goal and Johnson kicked his fourth to restore a seven point Bulldog advantage.
After this, it was all one-way traffic as the Saints turned on the turbo charge. Rob Harvey has often been called a "Rolls Royce" of football with his abundance of poise and balance, while Dal Santo reminds many of a younger Robert Harvey. Both players turned it in on as St Kilda put on seven straight goals, making ten for the quarter. Harvey turned back the clock with a searing run and goal, outpointing the pacy Lindsay Gilbee in the process. Up forward the wild beast that is Fraser Gehrig was interested and using his imposing traits to great effect kicking one goal and crucially provided assists in others.
Nick Reiwoldt is another proven champion and added two goals of his own, while Koschitzke took a big mark and converted, delighting St Kilda fans in the process. The St Kilda big-man has had a frightful run of luck but looks to be improving fast. A late Brad Johnson goal for the Bulldogs made the half-time margin four goals.
After the break Gehrig, affectionately known as the 'G Train' was at full steam. Four more St Kilda goals, three of them via the St Kilda spearhead opened up a 49 point lead, effectively sealing the match for the Saints. The first of Gehrig's goal will be remembered for a long time and produced much confusion on and off the ground. Replays show the goal was probably a point, coming off the boot of a Bulldogs defender, but was nevertheless claimed by Gehrig. This in itself denied Nick Reiwoldt the goal of the season. His mercurial left foot snap from the pocket, complete with snaky bounces was indicative of the verve present in the Saints efforts. There was also a hardness with Luke Ball and Baker coming into the game and Stephen Powell pushing the limits of fairness in his tagging role on Scott West.
The Bulldogs lifted their efforts with four of the next five goals, straddling the three quarter time break, two more coming from the irrepressible Johnson. Minson's goal 5 minutes into the fourth quarter made the margin 28.
It was then the Gehrig re-entered the show kicking his seventh and eighth goals and stubbing out the Bulldogs challenge. It was a symbolic way for the challenger to be dispensed with, with a fit and firing Gehrig giving the Saints a much more imposing look entering September action.
With the knockout punch delivered the game lost its intensity. Happily for AFL supporters it was a free flowing and free scoring affair to this point and went a long way to dispelling much of the paranoia held in some quarters for the future of football. Many including Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy have described flooding as a 'cancer' in the game. Eight goals to a burly full forward, tough contests all over and hard running passages of play abounding will please even the most stringent of critics.
Gehrig was best afield for the Saints, although Dal Santo and Harvey were not far behind him and Nick Reiwoldt was a great foil in the forward line with five goals of his own. Jason Gram and Leigh Fisher did a great job down the back while Brett Voss, Luke Ball and Stephen Powell all had their moments.
Six Brad Johnson goals were again the highlight for a disappointing Bulldogs side. The efforts of tireless Chris Grant helping out forward and back was again valuable. Cooney, McMahon and Griffen were the best of the Bulldogs running stocks while Peter Street was the best ruckman on the ground.
The Bulldogs have a chance to bounce back against Essendon next week and, considering their place in the lower part of the Eight appears more likely for a final in Melbourne, perhaps in a rematch with the Saints. St Kilda travel to Brisbane next week and are a good chance will of sealing fifth place if Melbourne falls to Adelaide next week.
Every AFL season a young side lights up the competition with a surge up the ladder and a new way of winning. In 2006 as floods and possession-based defensive strategies have been in vogue, it's been the Western Bulldogs that have gladdened the hearts of footy supporters with their collective skill and pace. Injury troubles and a preoccupation with the interstate giants have allowed St Kilda to become an almost forgotten team this season, despite being flag favorite before the season. Tough midfielders, big marking forwards, cohesive defence and classy runners have been ingredients to many a past premiership side. St Kilda have all of these assets in spades.
Western Bulldogs: B Johnson 6 C Grant S West L Gilbee P Street W Minson M Robbins B Montgomery.
Best: St Kilda: F Gehrig N Dal Santo R Harvey N Riewoldt L Ball B Goddard.
Western Bulldogs: B Johnson D Cross C Grant L Gilbee A Cooney R Griffen.
Umpires: H Kennedy B Allen S Jeffery.
Official Crowd: 47,120 at Telstra Dome.
Having conquered the heavyweight Adelaide Crows last week, the Bulldogs were tipped to derail the Saints back from a bad night in Perth last round. But on Friday it was St Kilda that showed that when they're 'on,' they are as electrifying as any AFL outfit. With a package featuring stylish midfielders, bold backline runners and big angry forwards, St Kilda offered a complete performance on Friday not unlike its team of 2004 that served up 14 straight wins.
St Kilda and Western Bulldogs are co-tenants of Telstra Dome. Both sides have led a merry dance over visitors to the ground this year, the Bulldogs with their carry and skill level, St Kilda with its toughness and its big roster of champions. Both combatants played to their strengths in a dynamic opening to the game. St Kilda had a imposing trio of tall forwards in Justin Koschitzke, Nick Reiwoldt and Fraser Gehrig, all of which looked on song, especially Gehrig who kicked two goals in the opening five minutes.
At the other end of the ground the Bulldog's great midfielder-come-forward, Brad Johnson was busy embarrassing St Kilda's Stephen Baker via three first quarter goals. Johnson's work was topping off a rampant running brigade of Adam Cooney, Jordan McMahon and Ryan Griffen. A rare goal to Scott West on the run gave the Bulldogs a 16 point lead half-way through the quarter. The Dogs appeared full of confidence and crucially were showing up St Kilda in the stoppages.
St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo and Robert Harvey kept working however and gave the Saints forwards enough opportunities to keep them in touch. Despite the Western Bulldogs onslaught, St Kilda was unlucky to be 17 points down at quarter time with bad misses from Koschitzke and Reiwoldt.
The match took on a very different complexion just five minutes into the second quarter as three St Kilda majors propelled the Saints into the lead. All came from nice assists down field as Harvey, Dal Santo and Stephen Milne worked their way into the game.
It seemed that the Bulldogs had recovered from their lapse in concentration as improving ruckman Peter Street got forward for a mark and goal and Johnson kicked his fourth to restore a seven point Bulldog advantage.
After this, it was all one-way traffic as the Saints turned on the turbo charge. Rob Harvey has often been called a "Rolls Royce" of football with his abundance of poise and balance, while Dal Santo reminds many of a younger Robert Harvey. Both players turned it in on as St Kilda put on seven straight goals, making ten for the quarter. Harvey turned back the clock with a searing run and goal, outpointing the pacy Lindsay Gilbee in the process. Up forward the wild beast that is Fraser Gehrig was interested and using his imposing traits to great effect kicking one goal and crucially provided assists in others.
Nick Reiwoldt is another proven champion and added two goals of his own, while Koschitzke took a big mark and converted, delighting St Kilda fans in the process. The St Kilda big-man has had a frightful run of luck but looks to be improving fast. A late Brad Johnson goal for the Bulldogs made the half-time margin four goals.
After the break Gehrig, affectionately known as the 'G Train' was at full steam. Four more St Kilda goals, three of them via the St Kilda spearhead opened up a 49 point lead, effectively sealing the match for the Saints. The first of Gehrig's goal will be remembered for a long time and produced much confusion on and off the ground. Replays show the goal was probably a point, coming off the boot of a Bulldogs defender, but was nevertheless claimed by Gehrig. This in itself denied Nick Reiwoldt the goal of the season. His mercurial left foot snap from the pocket, complete with snaky bounces was indicative of the verve present in the Saints efforts. There was also a hardness with Luke Ball and Baker coming into the game and Stephen Powell pushing the limits of fairness in his tagging role on Scott West.
The Bulldogs lifted their efforts with four of the next five goals, straddling the three quarter time break, two more coming from the irrepressible Johnson. Minson's goal 5 minutes into the fourth quarter made the margin 28.
It was then the Gehrig re-entered the show kicking his seventh and eighth goals and stubbing out the Bulldogs challenge. It was a symbolic way for the challenger to be dispensed with, with a fit and firing Gehrig giving the Saints a much more imposing look entering September action.
With the knockout punch delivered the game lost its intensity. Happily for AFL supporters it was a free flowing and free scoring affair to this point and went a long way to dispelling much of the paranoia held in some quarters for the future of football. Many including Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy have described flooding as a 'cancer' in the game. Eight goals to a burly full forward, tough contests all over and hard running passages of play abounding will please even the most stringent of critics.
Gehrig was best afield for the Saints, although Dal Santo and Harvey were not far behind him and Nick Reiwoldt was a great foil in the forward line with five goals of his own. Jason Gram and Leigh Fisher did a great job down the back while Brett Voss, Luke Ball and Stephen Powell all had their moments.
Six Brad Johnson goals were again the highlight for a disappointing Bulldogs side. The efforts of tireless Chris Grant helping out forward and back was again valuable. Cooney, McMahon and Griffen were the best of the Bulldogs running stocks while Peter Street was the best ruckman on the ground.
The Bulldogs have a chance to bounce back against Essendon next week and, considering their place in the lower part of the Eight appears more likely for a final in Melbourne, perhaps in a rematch with the Saints. St Kilda travel to Brisbane next week and are a good chance will of sealing fifth place if Melbourne falls to Adelaide next week.
Every AFL season a young side lights up the competition with a surge up the ladder and a new way of winning. In 2006 as floods and possession-based defensive strategies have been in vogue, it's been the Western Bulldogs that have gladdened the hearts of footy supporters with their collective skill and pace. Injury troubles and a preoccupation with the interstate giants have allowed St Kilda to become an almost forgotten team this season, despite being flag favorite before the season. Tough midfielders, big marking forwards, cohesive defence and classy runners have been ingredients to many a past premiership side. St Kilda have all of these assets in spades.
ST KILDA 3.4 13.5 18.8 22.10 (142)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 6.3 9.5 12.10 13.14 (92)Goals: St Kilda: F Gehrig 8 N Riewoldt 5 B Voss 2 R Harvey 2 S Milne 2 J Koschitzke N Dal Santo C Ackland.
Western Bulldogs: B Johnson 6 C Grant S West L Gilbee P Street W Minson M Robbins B Montgomery.
Best: St Kilda: F Gehrig N Dal Santo R Harvey N Riewoldt L Ball B Goddard.
Western Bulldogs: B Johnson D Cross C Grant L Gilbee A Cooney R Griffen.
Umpires: H Kennedy B Allen S Jeffery.
Official Crowd: 47,120 at Telstra Dome.
Article last changed on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 9:43 PM EDT
