Brave Play Helps Drive St Kilda Over The Line

The Age

Monday August 4, 2008

Lyall Johnson

ST KILDA is hopeful tough nut Luke Ball will be fit to take on Collingwood on Saturday night despite a spectacular collision that had the club fearing a broken leg or a left hamstring torn from the bone.

The Saints moved into seventh position with their nail-biting eight-point win over a courageous Port Adelaide, clearly inspired by a number of last-quarter heroics from the likes of Ball and skipper Nick Riewoldt.

Running with the flight of the ball, the St Kilda midfielder careered into a marking contest and was crunched in midair by teammate Justin Koschitzke, coming the other way.

He flipped over, landed heavily on his back and head and had his legs snap back over his head.

He was chaired from the ground by trainers and did not return to the field. But after receiving physio treatment he was seen walking around the changerooms after the game with reasonable freedom and without ice. It is believed he escaped with only a corked thigh.

Perhaps Ball was inspired by his captain Riewoldt who, only a handful of minutes earlier, had shown a similar disregard for personal safety to leap with the flight of the ball into a pack.

That time, however, Riewoldt took a screamer and goaled to put his side eight points clear.

All of which followed the return to the field of Robert Harvey to a mighty roar from the faithful.

The veteran had spent an entire quarter on the pine after being concussed in a tackle in the third term.

Jacob Surjan had pinned both of Harvey's arms as he attempted to kick, slinging him around and driving him face-first into the turf.

Coach Ross Lyon was full of praise for Ball, saying that his courageous act helped the Saints get over the line.

"Luke Ball's up and about isn't he, it was a very courageous effort. He's sore, he got carried off. It was a massive collision, I think Koschitzke and Riewoldt were coming the other way.

"He's one of our leaders and midfielders, I thought our midfield stood up and he was a big part of that. He could have kicked four today, Luke.

"Yeah, (just a cork), honestly, I wouldn't lie to you. They're pretty confident, they don't really know, he just thinks (he's) a bit sore.

"It was a massive collision because he got the head and then he was a bit wobbly. They haven't assessed him and he was the first one in (to the rooms).

"He was a little bit dazed afterwards. You need those type of courageous acts, his, Riewoldt's."

After going ahead early, St Kilda trailed for most of the day against the Power, attempting to bomb the ball in long rather than work it to the advantage of the forwards.

Lyon said his side would have to get smarter about their forward entries, which it did as the game progressed, but at the same time was pleased with the endeavour shown in winning the contested possessions.

"Sometimes it's just that you get your methods slightly wrong and the opposition pressure's pretty good," Lyon said.

A dejected Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams was left to rue one that got away after his side had, early in the third quarter, skipped ahead by more than three goals.

However, Port had to play for almost three quarters with only three on the bench after Nick Salter was concussed.

Williams suggested his sidehad less to motivate them than the Saints.

"To be in front of St Kilda for most of the day was pretty impressive," he said.

"But . . . St Kilda had something to play for, maybe we didn't."

© 2008 The Age

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