"The Day the Saints' Story Turned Sour" from Back

[St George]

The day the Saints' story turned sour .
Charles Happell

Written on Tuesday, 08 February 2011 11:20

If we were to identify a turning point in St Kilda's fortunes over the past few years - a time of generally unparalleled consistency and good news for the underachieving club - it came after 20 minutes of the Grand Final replay on October 2.

For, at that moment - just as the Saints were beginning to work their way back into a game that was threatening to get away from them - the ball was shunted along the southern wing where Leigh Montagna got a handball away to the little No.13, Adam Schneider, who took possession at half-forward.

Under pressure, the natural left-footer sent a right-foot pass floating towards captain Nick Riewoldt, whom he had spied unattended in the goal square.

Riewoldt duly took the mark but then, in attempt to make a grand statement by roosting the ball high into the third tier behind the Punt Rd goals, took a split-second longer than he needed to swing his big leg back. In that nano-moment, Heath Shaw stole in on Riewoldt’s blind side, dived full length in front of the Saints captain and, in trying to spoil, dislodged the ball from his hands.

For all their 20 minutes of dominance, Collingwood led by just 14 points – 2.2 to 0.0. Here was a golden chance for St Kilda's talisman and leader to put the Saints back in the game, right in front of the largest bloc of red, white and black fans. The stage was all set, spotlight trained on the main character.

Yet he blew it. The ball rolled through for a behind. The Collingwood supporters roared in delight and derision. Riewoldt hung his head. The die was cast.

For he knew, as we all did, what a significant moment we'd witnessed. The St Kilda challenge - save for some pluckiness either side of half-time - was effectively over.

And, as surely as a balloon that had been sat on, the air just fizzled out of their challenge.

Since that day, what has happened?

Well there's been the nude photo scandal on the Saints' end-of-season trip, and the ensuing fallout with the troubled teenager who chose to post the photos on the internet, which must be tugging at the close-knit fabric of the playing group.

Then there was the players' muck-up with sleeping pills in New Zealand last month.

Then there was Riewoldt's unbelievable speech at the Saints' AGM where he said dark forces outside the club were conspiring to bring them down, without mentioning the lame-brains within the club who've done a much better job of wrecking the place.

It smacked of a siege mentality at St Kilda and a club leadership that was cracking under the strain.

And we learned this week that the day after the first, drawn Grand Final, as the Saints players licked their wounds at a St Kilda restaurant, that Riewoldt told a woman who was with her 13-year-old daughter to f*** off, and gestured at her with his finger. The woman had taken a photo of the players with a digital camera, which might have been unwise, but hardly warranted that sort of treatment. Riewoldt has since called to apologise.

So Ross Lyon's excellent work of the past three years, in which he has helped the club regain its self-respect, work ethic and team unity, is now imperilled. Will scandal again become St Kilda's brand? It'll take all his man-management skills and diplomacy to get the club back on course.

And to think it was all going so swimmingly till that point four months and seven days ago when big Nick drew his right leg back and set himself for glory in the goalsquare.

Comments:

Good article.
For mine, I though the rot set in just a little earlier than that, like, when Nick Riewoldt smashed his head on the ground in the second preliminary final vs The Bulldogs. I don't think he has been the same since.

Reply:

Good point. Must say I'd forgotten about that. Will watch NR with interest in '11 ...
Flag Like ReplyReply Freddynerk 16 hours ago

Well summarised Charles. One can't help but think that Lyon is part of the problem. Starts with poor list (or man) management with Lovett in and out (no games) and Ball a leader and strenght of character out and besmirched by being blamed for going for money when clearly he wasn't wanted (now a premiership player and 5th B&F at Magpies). What sort of message is this giving the playing group?
Flag Like ReplyReply brad 6 hours ago

you might call it a return to form for st kilda. a rabble yet again
Flag Like ReplyReply Gareth 1 hour ago

I don't think it's fair to blame Riewoldt. StKilda blew it when Lyon benched Ball way back in the 2009 Grand Final when he was their best player. Lyon's obstinacy sees Ball walk into next years premiers and prevent StKilda getting decent compensation. Instead Lyon chases a guy that was despised at Essendon for good reason, which blew up in his face. Lyon stuffed StKilda in '09 and stuffed them worse in '10. If there was ever a symbolic karmic outcome it was this, and it's been downhill for the Saints ever since. The buck stops with Lyon.

[suss]

So the crux of his article is that if Nick Riewoldt hadn't played on but had gone back and taken his kick from the top of the goal square then we would've won the game, the nude pictures wouldn't have been published and a group of 20-year-old players wouldn't have mixed sleeping pills with alcohol on the team training camp?

This must go down as the longest drawn bow in history.

[InkerSaint]

Hi St George, that's a s*** piece of journalism there, don't you think you could have just posted a link.

I don't know about anyone else but I reckon this has all been done to death already on this forum.

[Dr Spaceman]

Hi St George, that's a s*** piece of journalism there, don't you think you could have just posted a link.

I don't know about anyone else but I reckon this has all been done to death already on this forum.

It certainly has been done to death Inker. I mean, who's left to write about it - J.K.Rowling?

To use a Tony Abbottism, this story should now be "dead, buried, cremated."

Actually, when thinking about the Roo goal square incident, a more recent Abbott expression comes to mind!

[St Lenny]

That is crazy to blame one moment as to why we lost. Wish the media would just give it up and talk about some one else, over it

And to blame getting rid of Luke Ball is equally as stupid

[Thinline]

Meanwhile there's no way Cyril Rioli could possibly connected to a sexual assualt.

Naturally, I hope like hell he wasn't.

Even so, he should count himself lucky he landed himself in brown and gold instead of red, black and white.

If it was the latter, he'd be up to his neck in s***.

Perhaps our Nettlefold's a little less scary than an a aggrieved Jeff Kennett...

[saintly]

Meanwhile there's no way Cyril Rioli could possibly connected to a sexual assualt.Naturally, I hope like hell he wasn't.

Even so, he should count himself lucky he landed himself in brown and gold instead of red, black and white.

If it was the latter, he'd be up to his neck in s***.

Perhaps our Nettlefold's a little less scary than an a aggrieved Jeff Kennett...

just so you know where this is coming from:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victor ... 6003700900

Hawk Cyril Rioli at house when woman allegedly raped by his friend Mark Dunn From: Herald Sun February 10, 2011 1:44PM Increase Text SizeDecrease Text SizePrintEmail Share
Add to DiggAdd to del.icio.usAdd to FacebookAdd to KwoffAdd to MyspaceAdd to NewsvineWhat are these? Cyril Rioli arrives at court to give evidence in the Shaun Stanislaus rape trial. Picture: Mark Smith Source: Herald Sun
HAWKS star Cyril Rioli was at a Kew house when one of his friends, Shaun Stanislaus, allegedly raped a woman after alcohol and marijuana were consumed at a party.
The group had been drinking and dancing at the Star Bar in South Melbourne before catching a cab to Kew and picking up marijuana on the way.....



by the say, i amso looking forward to thre lovett trial where Gram will be a witness.

[Thinline]

Yeah. Sorry. I should have put in a link.

And I emphasise I'm not wishing some sort of deflecting guilt upon anyone.

Rioli's a gun player and a role model and I's sorry he's got this murk to wade through.

Just making the point.

[matrix]

if we're gonna cut n paste can we just do the article and not all the:

(Increase Text SizeDecrease Text SizePrintEmail Share
Add to DiggAdd to del.icio.usAdd to FacebookAdd to KwoffAdd to MyspaceAdd to NewsvineWhat are these? Cyril Rioli arrives at court to give evidence in the Shaun Stanislaus rape trial. Picture: Mark Smith Source: Herald Sun)

crap

makes it a bitch to read

[mbogo]

Is it just me or do footballers find themselves in small groups extremely often where women are raped - and no one knows where anyone else is .... even though somone unconscious is having the "s*** f***ed out of them"
I find it all a little strange ....
Or maybe I have lost touch.