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- Kennett again slams AFL drug policy
- Try that if you're not a footballer
- Travis Tuck breaks his silence
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- Tuck becomes first three-strike player
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- All Australian Team 2010
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What we're talking about
- Neil on Tuck becomes first three-strike player Shane Warne took a banned substance, got paid for information by illegal bookies, cheated, and when he goes on the footy ... more
- Serg of Tullamarine on Tuck becomes first three-strike player Can't believe they are going to prolong this kids agony.Not every child of a champion becomes one themselves. Let the kid ... more
- Chad on Tuck becomes first three-strike player Such is life Tuck! more
- kiz on All Australian Team 2010 - 3AW Footy why are people hating on harry o'brien?? hes more reliable than your giving credit for. Cannot be stopped coming out of the ... more
- Nathan on Goddard or Jurrah which is better? Jurrah. His vertical leap was better, getting right up onto the shoulders. more
- Jennie Wallace on What they said about Ben Cousins He's just a good looking guy who played with drugs. To me he comes across as very insincere and like a naughty school boy. ... more
- Al on David King fires back at Plough Wallace was and still is a doughnut. Like Robert Walls who once sent Brian Waldren down to a supporter to tell them to shut ... more
- Kaye on Brian Taylor joins 3AW Football I think you have serious problems with your sons I have 2 boys myself and I am so proud of my sons with their insight to ... more
- sue on What they said about Ben Cousins Neil, totally agree... Ben Cousins is a poser and an arrogant twit. His WOW doco last night was insincere, no remorse or ... more
- fouad on Goddard or Jurrah which is better? goddard what a mark more
- sledge on Goddard or Jurrah which is better? Jarrah more
- daniel thompson on Geelong ends the Collingwood dream joel you toughy your a legend of the game running with gary ablett more
- Off The Ricta on Goddard or Jurrah which is better? Goddard. A more control, less painful landing more
- brian on Ablett staying, Pendles going? ben cousins was only a good player while high since his addiction become public everyone poor ben i haved suffered ... more
- Mark on Goddard or Jurrah which is better? This is what people love about footy , the big specky.Unfortunately most of the time we are forced to watch chip it around ... more
- Luke on What they said about Ben Cousins No Neil, no downside at all!! more
- GRAEME on AFL match review, Round 21 The AFL is an absolute disgrace. Podsiadly 2 weeks for that and Gibbs has milked the free kick, to compare Picken get's ... more
- John Langborne on Goddard or Jurrah which is better? .Brendon Goddard gets my tick because he jumped over the top of five players to take mark.Liam Jurrah jumped over two ... more
- Andrew on Goddard or Jurrah which is better? Goddard's mark gets the nod from me. The hight of the opponents he was on top really shows how high he was more
- col on James Hird 'won't' coach Essendon Hird is not going to make Essendon win i tell you that now more
Brilliant Saints advance to prelim
St Kilda is now a win away from contesting its first Grand Final since 1997 after overcoming a tardy start to defeat Collingwood resoundingly – 12.8 (80) to 7.10 (52) - at the MCG on Sunday.
Collingwood - which now meets Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday night -
led by eight points at quarter-time before the Saints' juggernaut
clicked into action.
A five-goal-to-two second term during which star Saints forward Nick
Riewoldt booted three of his five goals set up the victory. St Kilda
was far better in the third term as well, although inaccuracy in front
of goal left the door slightly ajar for a Pies comeback.
However, leading by 17 points at the start of the last quarter, St
Kilda slotted the first major in the final term through Andrew
McQualter after he laid a brilliant tackle on Alan Didak and Riewoldt
then drilled a skilful snap-shot for his fifth major as the Saints
booked a preliminary final against either the Western Bulldogs or the
Brisbane Lions.
The Saints were simply more desperate than the Magpies when the ball was up for grabs, and the amount of blocking, tackling and hard running the Saints players exexcuted for nearly all of the game was awesome.
St Kilda had 355 possessions in the midfield compared with Collingwood's 173.
Riewoldt was far too slick for Pies defender Simon Prestigiacomo and
finished with 19 touches, 10 marks and 5.1. He also worked hard when
not in possession, laying five tackles.
Lenny Hayes (31 possessions), Leigh Montagna (32) and Nick Dal Santo
(33) all won their midfield battles while Sam Fisher recovered from a
slow start to win 42 touches and help set up many St Kilda forward
thrusts.
The efforts of tagger Clinton Jones to reduce the impact of Alan Didak
was significant as the Pies star gathered just 13 possessions and didn't kick a goal.
Jason Blake and Brendon Goddard were very solid for the Saints as well
in what was a classic team-effort from this season's minor premiers.
Adam Schneider was also very effective as a conduit between
half-forward and half-back.
For the Pies, Heath Shaw was courageous and creative across half-back
but his output slowed down a little after a sensational first half.
Brownlow Medal fancy Dane Swan was Collingwood’s leading ball-winner
with 24 disposals but his game was workmanlike rather than genuinely
constructive.
Dale Thomas showed great bravery on a few occasions to win possessions
and he kicked two goals, as did Anthony Rocca in his first senior game
since Round Seven. Rocca limped off late in the match with an ankle
injury.
Centre-half-forward Travis Cloke tried hard and racked up good stats –
19 possessions, 13 marks – but he missed his only three shots on goal.
Nick Maxwell and Harry O’Brien were as reliable as ever. O'Brien –
unlucky not to be in the All Australian squad – held All Australian
squad member Stephen Milne to one goal from 11 possessions.
The Pies lost Scott Pendlebury early in the game with what 3AW has learned is a season-ending broken fibula injury and a number of Pies had dirty days.
Aside from Didak's average effort, Leon Davis, Paul Medhurst (10
touches, one goal), Shane O'Bree (12 touches, four frees against in the
first half) and John Anthony (three possessions, one goal) were well
below their best. Tarkyn Lockyer was another who struggled.
After the game, 3AW's Tony Shaw - a Collingwood premiership player and coach - told listeners Anthony's place in the team is now up for grabs after a disappointing few weeks.
St Kilda started the game in very confident fashion and had 43 team possessions to Collingwood’s 19 early in the game.
Koschitzke took a great contested mark on Leigh Brown and kicked the
first goal of the afternoon two minutes in before Pendlebury went off
with a slight problem with his troublesome left knee.
'Kosi' had another opportunity soon after from 30 metres out directly
in front, but his miss sparked a change in the complexion of the
contest as the Pies began to control the temp of the game.
Using its suffocating defence, the Magpies forced the Saints to cough
the ball up eight times when kicking inside 50 and with Anthony and
Thomas kicking the remaining goals in the term it was Collingwood which
led 2.4 to 1.2 at the first change.
Cloke took six marks in the first term and after a slick build up with
Medhurst and Anthony involved the big Pies forward took his seventh
mark before missing a 20-metre set-shot on a slight angle.
But Rocca succeeded where Cloke failed by taking a strong mark against
Zac Dawson and converting to an eruption of jubilation from the Black
and White army, which had earlier cheered when Riewoldt appeared to
have injured his knee.
Trailing by 15 points, the Saints stepped up. First Goddard and the
Riewoldt won free-kicks in their attacking 50 and goaled to reduce the
deficit to three points – and when Riewoldt marked and converted from
the same spot on the 50-metre line from the restart, St Kilda had the
lead.
Montagna (20 first-half possessions, 14 in the second quarter) was the
major catalyst for the Saints' purple patch as he started to become a
damaging player around the stoppages.
Collingwood stopped St Kilda's unanswered goal-run and hit back with a
brilliant finish from the pocket by Medhurst, who looked dangerous
despite having just four touches in the half.
Davis then missed for the Pies and Robert Eddy for the Saints before
two good finishes from Schneider and Riewoldt – his third for the
quarter coming right on the half-time siren – gave St Kilda the impetus
and a 6.4 to 4.6 lead at the main break.
The Saints could have absolutely put Collingwood to the sword in the
third term as Montagna, Hayes and Dal Santo continued to dominate the
midfield and Riewoldt's procession across St Kilda’s half-forward gave
his side plenty of scoring options.
It was McQualter who booted the first goal in the term – an unlikely
finish from the boundary line after fierce pressure forced Pie Lockyer to send a clearing kick out on the full.
Koschitzke missed a good chance before Riewoldt marked and kicked his
fourth major. Around this time, Beams appeared to knee Dal Santo from
behind while the star Saint was on the ground.
Riewoldt and Koschitzke combined again for the latter’s second goal and
St Kilda’s lead blew out to 29 points at the 13-minute mark.
Collingwood's runner were not winning the ball, and with Pendlebury off
and Didak well held by Jones, it took a good pass and an even better
mark from a brave Thomas to manufacture the Pies’ next goal.
Michael Gardiner missed a good opportunity at the other end late in the
term before Rocca kept his side in it with a classy finish from a snap
shot – the Pies heading into the final quarter down by 17 points.
AFL Finals Fixture '09
See which teams will square off and where in finals week two, and who
the winer of those games will play in the preliminary finals. Click on the image on the right to view the fixture.
3AW Football Central
Your home for breaking AFL news, views and anaylsis from Melbourne's
No.1 team of Rex Hunt, Dennis Cometti, Robert Walls, Nathan Buckley,
Graeme Bond, Denis Pagan, Tony Leonard, Shane Healy, Tony Shaw, David
King, Scott Cummings, Caroline Wilson, Mike Sheahan, Rohan Connolly,
Nick Butler and Shane McInnes.
Blog comments
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Go the Mighty Sainters, great call Rexy, cant wait to hear you call the saints win their 2nd premership in 2 weeks time.
Karen Tuesday 8 September, 2009 - 4:53 PM -
The saints are marching, rex unless you get on the net we in north queensland cannot get your call is there a station we can get. i hear there trying to sideshift you rexie hang in there its pretty hard to shift big centre half forwards and you are one of the traditions of football- go saints
paul Monday 7 September, 2009 - 6:41 PM -
Great Call Rex and the team.
Hope your there next year Rex,,,
GO SAINTS 09greg Sunday 6 September, 2009 - 10:54 PM -
From Chiangmai Thailand great call turned the T.V down and miss you Rex
Martin Chiangmai Thailand Sunday 6 September, 2009 - 10:34 PM -
Please welcome to the stage
Mr Col E WobleMark Sunday 6 September, 2009 - 9:31 PM -
Great call fellas,fantastic to hear Rex again all the way from a mad Saint in Vancouver!!
Also really good comments from an unbiased Tony Shaw who really gives the listener great value with his intelligent and spot on call.
The thing I like about the Saints this year is their modest and honest approach in the media,never overstating how well they have been going,always putting the team philosophy first.I notice that Neil Craig is now sprouting about Adelaide winning the flag and I think I remember earlier this year about how Collingwood were going to win the flag.You gotta walk the talk and the Saints have kept a low profile so far this year....
GO the MIGHTY SAINTS!!!Andy Barthelson Sunday 6 September, 2009 - 6:13 PM







