Each Current Player's Best Game

[SaintBot]

A bit of an off-season recount. No need for facts or even correctness (although the latter will be appreciated). Either off the top of your head or after a little recapping and studying can we find a best game for each player? St Kilda Games only so most the newbies don't count.

This is my list, some games I cant really remember so I've done my best with stats. Should provide a bit of a debate for a few of my choices.

1 - Gram - Round 17, 2006 Vs Richmond (Four goals and 29 possessions, Gram tore up the Richmond team in a huge win for the Saints)
2 - King*
3 - X.Clarke - Round 7, 2002 Vs Melbourne (Four goals and 12 exciting possessions from the half forward flank in his fifth game. One of the reasons I always though Xavier is best in the forward line)
5 - McEvoy*
6 - L.Fisher - Round 6, 2007 Vs Hawthorn (32 possessions and 18 marks as one of the few shining lights in one of the worst games of the season. It must be said most the possessions were uncontested but such a outstanding amount of possessions is hard to go past. His debut game and his round 16 game in 2007, also against Hawthorn in which he tagged key midfielder Sam Mitchell out of the game, is worth noting)
7- Hayes - Round 7, 2003 Vs Carlton (34 possessions, 2 goals and 6 tackles isn't a bad return on the stats sheet. Hayes also played a blinder against Carlton in round 10, 2004 - the Saints tenth win on the trot with Hayes as skipper. Hayes has played plenty of other amazing games which should be included)
8 - Hudghton - Round 15, 2003 Vs Sydney (Hudghton smartly kept an inform Barry Hall away from the goals during the entire of the game ensuring he couldn't trouble the scores. So brilliant was Hudghton he kept the ex-Saint Hall goal-less. Hudghton has had plenty of excellent games keeping the opposition full-forward goal-less on a number of occasions, players including Hall, Lloyd, B.Johnson, M.Williams, Neitz, Welsh and in particular Matthew Richardson have been troubled regularly by the naggy defender)
9 - Gehrig - Round 16, 2003 Vs Kangaroos (The Saints lead comfortably for the first half but a huge surge by the Kangaroos put the team from North Melbourne in front by a point with minutes remaining in the final quarter but a ninth goal by the saintsational Fraser Gehrig put the Saints back in front for a five point victory. Fraser's match winning performance has to put down as his best despite a number of nine goal performances as well as a ten goal expedition in 2004 against the Kangaroos)
10 - Baker - Round 8, 2005 Vs West Coast (The reigning Brownlow Medalist made himself a public victim of the Steven Baker tag after throwing his elbow into the stoppers head at a ball up after being frustrated all game by Baker. Baker kept the Brownlow favourite to 7 disposals coincidentally with 7 tackles. Baker has been the league's premium tagger for a number of seasons now and has infuriated on ballers and small forwards on a regular basis)
11 - Montagna - Round 12, 2007 Vs West Coast (The expert wingman/onballer found himself in a seriously big patch of form when the Saints took on West Coast in Robert Harvey's 350th match. With the entire team putting a show for the veteran one player took control from the middle, Leigh Montagna with 31 possessions and a goal. Montagna has played plenty of brilliant games in 2006 and 2007 as he cemented his place in the St Kilda midfield)
12 - Riewoldt - Round 11, 2006 Vs Sydney (As the heavens opened over the Sydney Cricket Ground Nick Riewoldt shone in a determined two point victory over Sydney. Riewoldt's best moments being his courageous match saving marks deep in defence in the dying minutes of the match. Riewoldt had 23 possessions, the most for the Saints that night, and seven marks in pouring rain. For many seasons now Riewoldt has consistently being the best player on the field for the Saints. In his 134 game career he has kicked 9 goals twice and also taken a staggering 18 marks in two games)
13 - Schneider*
14 - Ball - Round 16, 2007 Vs Hawthorn (Being hampered by his chronic groin injury throughout most of his career, Ball showed that he has what it takes to match it up to his fellow stars of the class of the super '01. Ball taken with pick two has names such as Judd, Bartel and Hodge sitting around him in the top ten and he has often been out done due to his OP. Ball, looking as fit as he has been in years through out an amazing game with 31 possessions, 11 marks, 5 tackles and 3 goals)
15 - M.Gardiner*
16 - R.Clarke - Round 4, 2005 Vs Melbourne (Clarke showed some good signs as St Kilda defeated top of ladder Melbourne by 47 points. Clarke has shown some good signs throughout 2005 and 2007 but needs to keep fit to have any chance of getting some genuine form behind him)
17 - Fiora - Round 22, 2007 Vs Richmond (Fiora was rampant against his former club Richmond. Playing on the wing and half forward flank Fiora collected 19 exciting possessions and set up plenty of play. Fiora also may have been left thinking what could have been with 5 behinds next to his name. Fiora has had some very good games for St Kilda and he is beginning to hold himself in the side's 22. His best games of his career so far have been against his old mates from Tigerland)
18 - Goddard - Round 14, 2006 Vs Collingwood (Goddard was brilliant in his best on ground display against the fine diving of Nathan Buckley and his troops from Collingwood. Goddard gathered 26 possessions, 6 marks and a goal in the Saints 59 point victory. This is just one of the many games which can be included in Goddard's highlights)
19 - Gilbert - Round 18, 2007 Vs Western Bulldogs (Gilbert provided excellent rebound from defence in an amazing game at the Telstra Dome. The match ending up in a draw saw Gilbert possess the football 23 times, the most for St Kilda on the night. Gilbert's exciting run and carry style has entertained many Saints fans in his second season at AFL level. Gilbert has shown great consistency by being in the best few players for most games during 2007. Apart from this game against the Bulldogs, Gilbert has excelled against Hawthorn in both the clashes in 2007 and also against West Coast in round 21 where he held Judd, who was playing from the forward pocket, to ten possessions and goal-less)
20 - Armitage - Round 8, 2007 Vs Hawthorn (Brought in to cover for the massive injury list, Armitage showed good pace and some nice signs but failed to place his mark on the game. The game was however the best of his three matches in 2007. Hopefully with one year of experience under his belt he can continue to develop in 2008)
21 - Ferguson - Round 16, 2004 Vs Richmond (Not to many highlights in the Matthew Ferguson career as of yet. The stats show that Ferguson's best game would be this one, round 16 in year 2004 against Richmond. Ferguson acquired 10 possessions and laid 4 tackles in St Kilda's 44 point victory)
22 - Birss - Round 15, 2007 Vs Adelaide (Birss gave Saints fans something to be very excited about with his round 15 performance against the Crows. Working well on ball with Jason Gram, Birss gathered 20 possessions and kicked two vital goals in St Kilda's two point victory. Birss was very dangerous going forward and his work around centre clearances was brilliant)
23 - Koschtizke - Round 15, 2005 Vs Carlton (It was a year that we saw the very best form of Justin Koschitzke and in the Saints round 15 clash against the Blues, 'Kosi' showed why he is one of the favourites of St Kilda followers. In the Saints massive 80 point thumping of the Blues Koschitzke picked up 23 possessions, 11 marks, 13 hit-outs and four goals in best on ground display. Koschitzke has had plenty of brilliant matches throughout his career kicking 3+ goals on a 12 occasions)
24 - Dempster*
25 - S.Fisher - Round 15, 2007 Vs Adelaide (For a tall defender, Sam Fisher provides a fantastic amount of set up and rebound out of defence. He often gathers a high number of possessions and this game was no exception. His 30 possessions and 15 marks helping St Kilda fall over the line by two points against the Crows)
26 - Dal Santo - Round 18, 2005 Vs Melbourne (Dal Santo has had endless brilliant games to remember and while it wasn't his biggest outing in terms of possessions he simply dominated. Four goals in the first quarter and five for the game along with 25 super effective disposals with 5 tackles also next to his name. He has had 30+ possessions 9 times so he is isn't short of highlights)
27 - Blake - Semi Final, 2004 Vs Sydney (Blake is always remembered for his game against Sydney match winner Adam Goodes. Blake by closely checking Goodes all night managed to contain him to just 12 disposals. Only one other game could come into consideration and that was in 2006 when the 189cm Blake beat the 211cm Aaron Sandilands in the ruck when St Kilda played Fremantle in round 5)
28 - C.Gardiner*
29 - Rix - Round 8, 2007 Vs Hawthorn (With St Kilda's defensive stock completely depleted Rix found himself in unfamiliar territory as a tall defender. Whilst he is always an honest trier in the ruck Rix looked more at home in defence, cutting off several Hawthorn forward entries and helping key defenders Sam Fisher and James Gwilt resist the Hawthorn attack. Rix finished up with figures of 9 possessions, 9 hitouts, 3 marks and an amazing 5 tackles which is a fantastic effort for a big man)
30 - Howard - Round 11, 2007 Vs Kangaroos (Not much to look at for Howard. In each of his two games he managed only 3 possessions. Is a future prospect)
31 - Maguire - Round 12, 2005 Vs Hawthorn (25 possessions, 5 marks, 2 tackles and 3 goals are not stats you expect from a centre half back. Maguire was the key in the Saints 46 point victory with his strong runs through the middle of the ground. Maguire has also had several strong games against Collingwood and Adelaide)
32 - McQualter - Round 11, 2005 Vs Port Adelaide (The exciting first year player showed terrific signs in just his 3rd game at AFL level. He picked up 19 possessions most of which he used effectively, 8 marks and a goal. His clearance ability had many people excited down at Moorabbin. McQualter's debut against West Coast at Subiaco was also terrific)
33 - Gwilt - Qualifying Final, 2005 Vs Adelaide (The exciting youngster had just burst onto the AFL scene the week before and the big afro'd kid from Noble Park had many people excited. His 18 possessions, 4 marks and 2 goals helped set up a remarkable finals win for the Saints. Gwilt has since moved from the half forward flank to a back up key defender)
34 - Steven*
35 - Harvey - Qualifying Final, 2005 Vs Adelaide (Despite having numerous games with 40+ possessions the then 33 year old's sheer determination in this game can not be ignored. Ending up with 31 possessions, 11 marks, 6 tackles and 3 goals, Harvey had played the ultimate best on ground game. Harvey's many brilliant games against the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide and Hawthorn also very high on the highlights reel)
36 - Allen*
37 - Connors*
38 - Jones - Round 3, 2007 Vs Western Bulldogs (Jones' only worthy game for the Saints was his debut game where he collected 14 possessions and kicked a goal in huge 50 point win for the Saints)
39 - Van Rheenen*
40 - Eddy*
41 - Chivers*
42 - Geary*
43 - Attard - Round 3, 2007 Vs Western Bulldogs (Attard's job as a stopper means he has no real standout games to look at. His best game was probably the round 21 clash with West Coast before he did his ACL in a tackling incident. Attard was often praised by those why admire his ability to keep with the games best small forwards which releases #1 tagger Steven Baker to the midfield. However he was often criticised for his lack of possessions. In this game he managed 13 disposals and 4 tackles)
44 - Milne - Round 22, 2005 Vs Brisbane (If there was ever a most obvious best game this must be it. 16 possessions, 6 marks and a staggering 11 goals straight provided St Kilda with the perfect record breaking 139 point victory they needed heading into the finals. Milne is no stranger to having big games, kicking 3 or more goals on 44 occasions)
45 - Miles*
45 - Haretuku*

[Otiman]

A great read, i can't find any reason to doubt most of these. Although I would probably have a few more close/crunch games in the mix rather than the blowouts that most seem to be.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

A bit of an off-season recount. No need for facts or even correctness (although the latter will be appreciated). Either off the top of your head or after a little recapping and studying can we find a best game for each player? St Kilda Games only so most the newbies don't count.

This is my list, some games I cant really remember so I've done my best with stats. Should provide a bit of a debate for a few of my choices.

....

35 - Harvey - Qualifying Final, 2005 Vs Adelaide (Despite having numerous games with 40+ possessions the then 33 year old's sheer determination in this game can not be ignored. Ending up with 31 possessions, 11 marks, 6 tackles and 3 goals, Harvey had played the ultimate best on ground game. Harvey's many brilliant games against the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide and Hawthorn also very high on the highlights reel)

I'm not going to disagree as such, because that was a special game, where Harvey demonstrated that the force of his will can still go a long way to determining the outcome of a game. Since then I've been pretty much convinced that if the Saints can get to a grand final before he retires, the Norm Smith will just about be his to lose.

It was evident against Port Adelaide '04, it was evident in the loss to Sydney in '05... as much as he manages himself during the H&A, he saves nothing for later come finals.

I do think that in any thread like this, for those who didn't see him play 10 years ago when he was at his peak, in 1997 Robert Harvey had 3 40 possession games, and more over 35 on his way to the Brownlow (the controversial one), and then showed the same kind of will in the finals... he finished with 36 possessions and a goal... One of my main good memories of the disappointment that day was is Robert Harvey and Nathan Burke trying to win that game through force of will. While they saw it slip away in the end, Harvey's play over that entire finals series was incredible.

As I say, I've got no argument with those that want to list QF 2005 as Harvey's best, it's a measure of the kind of player he's been that rather than remember him for footy show soundbites or product endorsements, every Saints fan will remember Harvey for games they saw where he put in a "special" performance across a space of 20 years. In my very biased opinion, a cut above Hird (who I think it's very unfortunate that injuries cut down - till the calf, I thought Hird's 2007 might end up being like Harvey's 2003), and a big cut above Kouta and Buckley who were stars, but while stars come and go, I've no doubt I'll drive my grandchildren nuts with stories of the great Robert Harvey .

[Oh When the Saints]

The best game I have seen Nick Riewoldt play was against Adelaide in '07 late in the year.

Don't know what the stats say, but it stands out like a beacon in my memory, way and above his performance against the Swans in the wet the year before ...


Banger played a few games in the late 90's that were just breath-taking, and whilst his '05 QF was sensational, he was better eight years earlier ...


When Blake played on Goodes, Goodes was carrying a strained knee ligament and had been down on form. Whilst Blake did a good job, it certainy wasn't against a fit Goodes.

Blake's best game was against Sandilands in '06 IMO.

[aussiejones]

More important who are at or near their peak in 2007 ?

if a best game was years ago ......then are these playing on reputation ?

I look forward to the likes of Ball and Montagna continuing their 2007 form into 2008.

Just cant wait !!!!!!! for 08
Just cant wait !!!!!!! for 08
Just cant wait !!!!!!! for 08

[Oh When the Saints]

The best game I have seen Nick Riewoldt play was against Adelaide in '07 late in the year.

Don't know what the stats say, but it stands out like a beacon in my memory, way and above his performance against the Swans in the wet the year before ...

Checked the stats ...

Rooey had 18 marks (career high), 20 kicks and slotted through a couple of goals.

It was one of the best performances I can remember.

[SaintBot]

The best game I have seen Nick Riewoldt play was against Adelaide in '07 late in the year.

Don't know what the stats say, but it stands out like a beacon in my memory, way and above his performance against the Swans in the wet the year before ...

Checked the stats ...

Rooey had 18 marks (career high), 20 kicks and slotted through a couple of goals.

It was one of the best performances I can remember.

yes rooey was fantastic that night along with many other great performances for 2007

rooeys dominance in that game has obviously slipped my mind. pehaps i didnt notice as i was worried sick throughout the entire of the game.

good pickup owts

[Halo-9]

The best game I have seen Nick Riewoldt play was against Adelaide in '07 late in the year.

Don't know what the stats say, but it stands out like a beacon in my memory, way and above his performance against the Swans in the wet the year before ...

Checked the stats ...

Rooey had 18 marks (career high), 20 kicks and slotted through a couple of goals.

It was one of the best performances I can remember.

yes rooey was fantastic that night along with many other great performances for 2007

rooeys dominance in that game has obviously slipped my mind. pehaps i didnt notice as i was worried sick throughout the entire of the game.

good pickup owts

he had another big one against melbourne afew years back too,i think 2004 was the year.we got trounced in the end but he was only real shining light,huge amount of marks along with the 9 goals,1 of only a few games ive managed to see the saints play in melb so far but his performance that day is one i wont forget,even though the result i do wanna forget...Would have to be one of his best in his short career.

[hAyES]

Hard to argue against most of the choices there. One game of Riewoldt's that stands out for me is the last game we played against West Coast at the Dome. Took marks and most importantly kicked straight, played like a true CHF. That stands out in my mind.

[ttufc7]

7- Hayes - Round 7, 2

003 Vs Carlton (34 possessions, 2 goals and 6 tackles isn't a bad return on the stats sheet. Hayes also played a blinder against Carlton in round 10, 2004 - the Saints tenth win on the trot with Hayes as skipper. Hayes has played plenty of other amazing games which should be included)

Definatly his performance in the preliminary final against Port....Sure we lost but Lenny was absolutely inspirational that night

[SaintBot]

A bit of an off-season recount. No need for facts or even correctness (although the latter will be appreciated). Either off the top of your head or after a little recapping and studying can we find a best game for each player? St Kilda Games only so most the newbies don't count.

This is my list, some games I cant really remember so I've done my best with stats. Should provide a bit of a debate for a few of my choices.

....

35 - Harvey - Qualifying Final, 2005 Vs Adelaide (Despite having numerous games with 40+ possessions the then 33 year old's sheer determination in this game can not be ignored. Ending up with 31 possessions, 11 marks, 6 tackles and 3 goals, Harvey had played the ultimate best on ground game. Harvey's many brilliant games against the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide and Hawthorn also very high on the highlights reel)

I'm not going to disagree as such, because that was a special game, where Harvey demonstrated that the force of his will can still go a long way to determining the outcome of a game. Since then I've been pretty much convinced that if the Saints can get to a grand final before he retires, the Norm Smith will just about be his to lose.

It was evident against Port Adelaide '04, it was evident in the loss to Sydney in '05... as much as he manages himself during the H&A, he saves nothing for later come finals.

I do think that in any thread like this, for those who didn't see him play 10 years ago when he was at his peak, in 1997 Robert Harvey had 3 40 possession games, and more over 35 on his way to the Brownlow (the controversial one), and then showed the same kind of will in the finals... he finished with 36 possessions and a goal... One of my main good memories of the disappointment that day was is Robert Harvey and Nathan Burke trying to win that game through force of will. While they saw it slip away in the end, Harvey's play over that entire finals series was incredible.

As I say, I've got no argument with those that want to list QF 2005 as Harvey's best, it's a measure of the kind of player he's been that rather than remember him for footy show soundbites or product endorsements, every Saints fan will remember Harvey for games they saw where he put in a "special" performance across a space of 20 years. In my very biased opinion, a cut above Hird (who I think it's very unfortunate that injuries cut down - till the calf, I thought Hird's 2007 might end up being like Harvey's 2003), and a big cut above Kouta and Buckley who were stars, but while stars come and go, I've no doubt I'll drive my grandchildren nuts with stories of the great Robert Harvey .

just saw this again on youtube and it reinforces my decision

as good as harvey was in 97 and 98 i dont think you could ever go past the performances of harvey, hayes and dal santo in this game

[HarveysDeciple]

Harvey's best game in my eyes?

Round 19 1999.

We lost to the doggies by 24 points and it would have been 80 if not for Bangers.

In a losing side he had 31 kicks and 14 handballs (45 disposals), 11 marks, 7 tackles and 3 goals 3.

[LTN16]

33 - Gwilt - Qualifying Final, 2005 Vs Adelaide (The exciting youngster had just burst onto the AFL scene the week before and the big afro'd kid from Noble Park had many people excited. His 18 possessions, 4 marks and 2 goals helped set up a remarkable finals win for the Saints. Gwilt has since moved from the half forward flank to a back up key defender)

Good post SaintBot.

Was Gwilt better in this game than when he got Brownlow votes against Sydney last year playing on Barry Hall ??