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Kim Densham, in Melbourne, Reporting for AFANA.

The Saints versus The Pies was the only game in town. Even though the Dogs were going up against the Swans, the invasion of the interstate interloper and its Sydney v Melbourne rivalries was not enough to dominate Melbourne town’s parochial media. The sought after action was the media drama as the coaches played ‘Ducks and Drakes’ and both Clubs delivered! The old master, Malthouse, pontificated and rambled on vaguely about Captain Scott Burns' availability for Saturdays 'do or die' Qualifying Final, and waxed obscure with mumblings about Cameron Cloke’s rumored glandular fever. This week, he stuck to the facts and just the facts - Burns was injured, Burns was recovering, Burns was a possibility to play - it just depended on the ‘whether’- whether he was fit or not! – thanks Mick! Ross Lyons on the other hand went down the cloak and dagger pathway...closed training sessions, coy about injuries and whether Ball would ‘play ball’ or not. The extent of his obfuscation drove Tony Jones, to have Channel Nine's media helicopter buzz St Kilda's mid week training session. News footage showed Ball training in his number 14, once the helicopter was spotted Ball made a beeline for the change rooms, ripping off his jumper as he went. Minutes later the number 14 Guernsey appeared on the training track. It was being worn by a decoy. Both Burns and Ball were named in the starting team line up. Both names appear as "outs" on the final team sheets. This match was game number 381 for the mercurial and evergreen Robert Harvey and would be the end of a dynasty –could the Saints win for ‘Harv’s’?- Would it be his last game now that he had announced his end of season retirement?

The brilliant spring day saw the evening sky fade from light orange through the rainbow settling on a brilliant deep starry blue. Out in the car park the fans enjoying the pleasant evening air, BBQ’s and car boot picnics the order of the day, the recent rains turned the grassed reserve an emerald green, the trees providing welcome shade, the mouthwatering smell of onions wafted in the breeze. The general hubbub of the teeming crowd adding a soothing soundtrack that belied the fans nervousness, mate against mate, family alliances tested, and acquaintances suspended for the game. All the pressures of life concentrated in the game’s outcome.  In the morning’s harsh glare, life will be either, bitter or sweet for a day.

The game was expected to be ferocious, tackles hard, the running fast, marks would be earned, and goals could be close. Tonight the teams started pretty evenly matched and a blow out unlikely. Collingwood acting captain - Josh Fraser won the toss but the Saints got the opening bounce. The ball was immediately locked up, a center square pile on as players committed to the breakdown. Elsewhere on the ground, like frisky antelope in season, players locked horns, body on body taking hits, intimidating jumper punches, stares and glares, like wow! – psych out!. Clinton Jones wearing Leon Davis like a glove with some very tight marking. Milne mothered by Rhyce Shaw and John Anthony being physical on Goddard. What would the coach’s tactics be?  The Saints won two quick frees in succession but failed to capitalize on the scoreboard, on the way out a weak and uncommitted tackle by Milne – lacking courage, let the Pies off the hook and a run through the center by Davis to Lockyer, long ball into the square, cut off and marked by the Saints defense, the rebound ball went out to the veteran Harvey, trade mark 20 meter chip pass, pinpoint accuracy to Justin ‘Kosi’ Koschitzki, sublime service! and the St Kilda forward lined up 40 meters out with a slight angle and bagged goal number 29 for the season. Pies pressured, as the Saints dominated around the ground, leading the key stats – 8 to 4 in contested possessions, 16 to 8 in effective handball passes, and playing on 5 times more often.


The center bounce was won by Fraser, tap ball to Lockyer, who ran through traffic and passed to Cloke, onto Medhurst who marked and lined up for goal number 50 but missed to the right, in the pack Maxwell took a strong contested mark right on the ‘behind line’. Absolutely no angle, the Saints defense cut the ‘run around’ kick option off with a line of defenders guarding the breakaway attempt. Leaving Maxwell to kick, either, a banana or the ‘right foot’ snap – not easy choices for the right footer. Maxwell stepped back, lined up for his run and kicked the ball left footed, out on the full in the opposite forward pocket – missed the lot. A quick throw in by the boundary umpires caught the ruckmen napping. The ball was gathered by Daisy Thomas who was a bit hit and miss, he sent a long ball back in and this time Lockyer was flattened by a gang of three Saints boys. Free kick! Lockyer delivered – Goal! Saints bundled it out of the center, the loose ball pounced on by Nick Dal Santo but went awry, blowing a chance and breaking the Saints run.  Seventeen minutes into the quarter the ball is kicked into space, the big engine of Nick Riewoldt ran Brown off his feet, marked with ease, time and all the room he needed – tactically Malthouse was behind – Ross Lyon taking the honors. He dropped an extra man into the defensive zone, Malthouse playing a man on man style put a Collingwood player up forward to man up-the result a crowded Collingwood forward line – tall Saints defenders, a midfield able to crumb the defensive hit outs and start the run for goal. The forward 50 arc was wide open, leaving the hard running Riewoldt and Kosi free to command the space, lead and receive from the likes of Harvey, Jones and Dal Santo. Would the Collinwood tactic of kicking a long bomb forward to Cloke, Medhurst and Anthony deliver some much needed goals?  Meanwhile Harry O won the center clearance, handballed perfectly into the stride of Davis, arriving at speed, long ball in towards Cloke, cut off by Fisher who fed the ball out to the wing – Gilbert and then Jones who switched play to Harvey who saw Riewoldt doubling back, defender trailing, pass centimeter perfect on the chest of Nick Riewoldt who bagged his second in a matter of four minutes. All of St Kilda's goals from set kicks.


The hit out was won by Jones; he played the ball back to Fisher who kicked to Harvey. Collingwood pressure forced the mercurial Harvey to play backwards; the ball got transferred from the Southern wing anti clockwise around the ground to the Northern end back pocket. From here it moved forward to Dal Santo, almost in the center and about 40 meters from where Harvey first chipped backwards. Dal Santo off a short one step run up punted a wobbly ball towards goal; it hit the post to register the Saints first behind for the game. From the kick out Collingwood moved the ball deftly from O’Bree to the Irishman Clarke, a handball to Fraser on the move, he turned the ball inside to Cox, chip kick to McCarthy, quickly onto Shaw who squared it to Jack and onto Davis, who from inside 50 with his back to the goal, did an overhead snap to Jack who had run on into a contest with Saint Harvey, using his knee on Harvey, Anthony rose and held a pressure mark, 30 meters out from goal. He walked back and slotted home goal number 27 for the season. Pies still in touch and the lead had changed six times. Riewoldt aced one more for the quarter and the Saints led by two points at the break. The second quarter started as it finished, both teams running hard and disciplined but making costly ball handling errors. Goddard’s handball out of the centre was intercepted by Goldsack and Collingwood scored the opening goal. No side had kicked two in a row! Eddy won a free out of the ruck, the kick found Montagna, who played on quickly to Hayes. The ball was punched out by Grant. The throw in was deep in Magpie territory, came off hands to O’Bree and got worked to Lockyer and onto Medhurst. The passage of play was blow for blow – goal for goal, like a prize fight – bare knuckle contest, hard and brutal, all up 11 players from both sides playing team tag in midfield zone. Kosi was being worked over by Wakelin and gave away three frees in 3 minutes in retaliation and was reported for a rough play swing tackle. 13 minutes in Riewoldt playing a captain’s game added to the score line. Collingwood were unable to penetrate their forward 50 as the Saints the cut out the long balls in from the midfield, they were however able to work the ball into the crowded defense on occasions and after Anthony missed to the right the scores were locked at 30 all, when the Milne scored the next, the goal for goal run was broken. The momentum had shifted as the Saints played tempo footy out of the backline, playing kick to kick drawing the Pies into their zone and then kicking into the open space honoring the forwards lead. In the Saints backline, Clarke had a blinder and Jones’ defending was tighter than the Alamo, the ball spilled out to Gwilt and was worked up the Northern wing to Dal Santo onto Milne, who snapped on the run kicking his second in a row and the Saints fourth, in the context it was considered a break away. The Saints had cut off nine out of twelve longs kicks into the defensive zone, Collingwood paying heavily for poor kicking, both into the forward 50 and in front of goal.
 

Malthouse seemed at loose ends during the quarter breaks, wandering without purpose, staring over at the Saints huddle, it seemed, eyeing nothing in particular but everything at once. The huddle seemed to take care of itself in some loose end way. Over at the Saints, the difference was palpable. Lyon looked in control, oblivious to everything around him but the task at hand. His players had purpose and focus. In the end the difference between the two sides was one of degrees, three degrees of separation, firstly, Riewoldt’s aerial wizardry, accurate kicking and captain’s game – with a bag of five goals! Secondly, Ross Lyon outfoxed the Silver Fox. He drilled his team into playing a game that would be irresistible to Mick, ensuring that the extra man in defense would be picked up, creating heavy traffic up forward for the Pies. The Pies strength was now their Achilles heel. Their discipline and preparation was the force that slowed them down in the very area that they needed run. This created open spaces where the Saints needed it most, allowing Riewoldt, Kosi and Milne to play unencumbered, take marks and kick goals from set shots. The Saints had the discipline to stick to their pre-game strategy, and hold their structure. Thirdly, in defense the Saints tall timber exploited the Pies lack of adaptability seemingly unable to change their ‘long kick into the forward 50’ game plan, enabling the defenders to pick off the long balls in and frustrate the Magpie forwards and the Saints Go Marching in… to the Semi Finals and another date with…the Cats!   


St Kilda 17.4 (106) 
Collingwood 9.18 (72) 

Goal scorers

Riewoldt 5, Milne 3, Koschitzke 3, Gram 2, Dal Santo, Schneider, Gwilt, McQualter
Anthony, Brown, Clarke, Cloke, Goldsack, Lockyer, McCarthy, Medhurst, Swan

Article last changed on Friday, September 19, 2008 - 7:49 PM EDT


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