gehrig takes it on the chin

[bigcarl]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 42,00.html

FRASER Gehrig last night insisted he was happy to be rested and his comeback with the Saints had not derailed. The veteran full-forward said he was having a weekend off, nothing more, nothing less.

"Nothing's changed from the start of the year," he said.

"I was never going to play every game."

Gehrig, dropped by the Saints for tonight's encounter against Essendon, was caught by surprise when the Herald Sun called last night.

"I'm not playing this week, obviously. I'm not playing anywhere this week; just having a rest.

"That's all there is to it."

Gehrig was reluctant to continue talking for fear of breaching club protocol.

Before signing off, he said: "Obviously there's plenty of talls in the side and you can't play all the tall blokes."

Coach Ross Lyon is believed to have advised Gehrig on Wednesday night of his impending omission.

The Saints decided Gehrig would not be playing at VFL affiliate Casey Scorpions, but instead rest his body after a delayed start to the pre-season.

Gehrig retired at the end of last season, but had a change of heart and was a shock late nomination for the national draft.

"We've decided to rest him. It was always part of the deal that he would not play every game," St Kilda football manager Matthew Drain said last night.

"Structure-wise, we decided to line up differently after looking at the opposition."

Drain made it clear Gehrig was no guarantee to return to the seniors after a week off.

He said there was no deal where Gehrig was immune from fronting up at Casey.

Asked if Gehrig could play at Casey next week, Drain said: "There certainly is a chance of that".

Drain strongly denied speculation Gehrig had refused to play in the VFL.

"That is absolute rubbish," Drain said.

The big full-forward has had a chequered start to the season.

Gehrig's three matches have produced seven goals - four against Carlton - and he endured a horror afternoon against Geelong and Matthew Scarlett last Saturday.

It is understood the Saints may have been wary of taking Gehrig in against the fleet-footed Bombers.

The attacking Scarlett ran off Gehrig last week and Dustin Fletcher had the potential to do the same at Telstra Dome tonight.

Gehrig, who has kicked 547 goals from 258 games, has won the past five goalkicking awards at St Kilda.

Taken at pick No. 57 in the draft, Gehrig is now 32.

He has struggled to fit into a forward line also including Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke this year.

The Saints replaced Gehrig with the more mobile leading target Charlie Gardiner, the Geelong recruit who impressed in the NAB Cup.

It was Gardiner who made way for Gehrig when he returned from a calf injury in Round 2.