ROUND SIX MATCH PREVIEW – ST KILDA v CARLTON

THE TEAMS – ST KILDA:
B: Sam Gilbert, Brendon Goddard, Leigh Fisher
HB: Jayden Attard, Justin Koschitzke, Jason Gram
C: Jason Blake, Luke Ball, Leigh Montagna
HF: Robert Harvey, Nick Riewoldt, Xavier Clarke
F: Brett Voss, Fraser Gehrig, Stephen Milne
FOLL: Matthew Clarke, Steven Baker, Nick Dal Santo
I/C: Aaron Fiora, James Gwilt, Clinton Jones, Michael Rix
EMG: David Armitage, Shane Birss, Andrew McQualter
IN: Gwilt, Jones, Rix
OUT: Lenny Hayes (collarbone), Andrew Thompson (knee), McQualter

CARLTON:
B: Bryce Gibbs, Setanta O’hAilpin, Bret Thornton
HB: Ryan Houlihan, Jarrad Waite, Heath Scotland
C: Matthew Lappin, Ross Young, Kade Simpson
HF: Andrew Carrazzo, Lance Whitnall, Marc Murphy
F: Eddie Betts, Brendan Fevola, Josh Kennedy
FOLL: Cain Ackland, Adam Bentick, Andrew Walker
I/C: Joe Anderson, Luke Blackwell, Cameron Cloke, Jordan Russell
EMG: Paul Bower, Adam Hartlett, Jason Saddington
IN: Blackwell, Young
OUT: Ryan Jackson (hand), Simon Wiggins (hamstring)
NEW: Ross Young (Donald/Northern Bullants)

MATCH DETAILS:
Friday May 4, Telstra Dome, 7.10pm (local time)

MEDIA COVERAGE:
Television – Channel 7, Radio – afl.com.au, Triple M, 3AW, ABC, SEN, K-Rock, 5AA, NIRS

TAB SPORTSBET (VIC):
St Kilda – $1.57, Carlton – $2.30

LADDER POSITION:
St Kilda – 13th, Carlton – 14th

WIN/LOSS RECORD:
Played – 200, St Kilda – 42, Carlton – 156

AT THIS GROUND:
Played – 7, St Kilda – 5, Carlton – 2

LAST TIME:
Round eight, 2006 – St Kilda 18.18 (126) d Carlton 4.10 (34), MCG

RECENT STREAK:
St Kilda has won the past seven encounters with Carlton. The Blues’ last win against the Saints came in round 20 at Telstra Dome.

MILESTONES:
None.

INJURIES:
St Kilda – Sam Fisher (hamstring), Matt Maguire (foot), Aaron Hamill (knee), Max Hudghton (quad), Raphael Clarke (back), Barry Brooks (hamstring), Fergus Watts (ankle), Jarryd Allen (elbow), Michael Gardiner (foot), Lenny Hayes (collarbone), Andrew Thompson (knee).

Carlton – Shaun Grigg (shoulder), Brad Fisher (cheekbone), Ryan Jackson (hand), Anthony Koutoufides (finger), Nick Stevens (neck), Simon Wiggins (hamstring).

SELECTION TABLE:
The Saints’ midfield has been hit hard by injury with Lenny Hayes and Andrew Thompson both forced out this week. James Gwilt and Clinton Jones add youth to the on-ball mix, while Andrew McQualter makes way for Michael Rix, added in a nod to Carlton’s status as the AFL’s tallest team. Rugged midfielder Ross Young will become the 1102nd player to represent Carlton when he takes the field for his first AFL game on Friday night. He joins Luke Blackwell as newcomers to the team this week, replacing injured pair Ryan Jackson and Simon Wiggins.

FORM:
St Kilda suffered its third loss of the season against Port Adelaide at a sodden AAMI Stadium last Friday night. The Saints have now lost their past two matches and will be desperate for a win to level their record at 3-3 after six rounds. Carlton also tasted defeat last weekend, by 12 points in a thrilling shootout against the Brisbane Lions. That result was a vast improvement on the Blues’ round four shellacking in the wet at the hands of West Coast at Subiaco.

RED HOT:
Brendan Goddard has had every opportunity to hurt opposition teams with his prodigious kicking ability in 2007. The tall half-back has averaged more than 20 touches a game in the past three weeks and the majority of those have been disposals by foot. Goddard ranks second at St Kilda behind Leigh Montagna for total kicks this season.

Long regarded as a silky user of the ball, Ryan Houlihan has proven himself an outstanding accumulator of possessions this season. He’s averaged a tick over 25 possessions a game in 2007, capping his output with a season-high 29 possessions against the Brisbane Lions last weekend.

MATCH-UP TO WATCH:
St Kilda’s backline v Brendan Fevola. With key-position defenders Max Hudghton, Matt Maguire and Sam Fisher all out injured this week, St Kilda’s best hope of keeping Fevola quiet lies with a concerted team effort. When ‘Fev’ gets on a roll, he is notoriously difficult to stop, so the likes of Brett Voss and Justin Koschitzke will have their work cut out to keep the Blues spearhead quiet.

HOW'S STAT?:
St Kilda has won its past four matches against Carlton by an average of almost 93 points.

MEMORABLE MATCH:
Round 20, 2003 – St Kilda 26.10 (166) d Carlton 11.9 (75), Telstra Dome. St Kilda’s third successive win by more than 60 points confirmed that the club’s collection of young talent was starting to realise its potential. Fraser Gehrig took the Blues apart with seven goals and Stephen Powell chipped in with four majors to go with his 22 possessions. Of the youngsters, Nick Dal Santo shone with a 26-possession, three-goal outing as the Saints flogged the Blues by 91 points.

FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS:
Matthew Lappin – (St Kilda 1994-98 – 55 matches, Carlton 1999-present – 178 matches). A slightly-built utility, Lappin has served both St Kilda and Carlton with distinction. He was among the crop of young players who drove the Saints to the 1997 Grand Final, before a move to Carlton two years later. He played in his second losing Grand Final in 1999, as the Blues went down to the Kangaroos by 35 points. While Carlton has struggled to reach the same heights since that day, Lappin has remained one of the club’s most reliable players.

WHAT THE COACH SAYS:
"Carlton are playing really good football and they’ve played in three really high standard games. They are a very attacking side with a significant amount of speed and it’s going to be a real challenge for us." – Ross Lyon, in the lead-up to round six.

WHAT THE FAN SAYS:
"The key will be curtailing Brendan Fevola’s influence. If we can get him off-guard early, that will be a good first step. We’ll also look for Matthew Clarke to take another St Kilda old boy, Cain Ackland, to school, so our midfield can get the ball down to Nick Riewoldt and Fraser Gehrig." – Travis, Jolimont.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.