St Kilda end JLT Series campaign with three-point loss to Sydney
Herald Sun
March 12 – Gilbert Gardiner
ST Kilda lost the battle Sunday night but the war is far from over.
The Saints are coming in 2017 despite the hard-fought 10.14 (74) loss to Sydney 11.11 (77) at Lavington Sports Ground in Albury.
While it may be foolish to suggest the second-longest VFL-AFL premiership drought is at risk, the Saints showcased the skill set, tenacity and hard-edge needed in September.
Tom Hickey dominated the ruck against inferior opponents — Sam Naismith, Darcy Cameron — after half-time.
The big man worked seamlessly with ball magnets David Armitage and Jack Steven to spark an inspired comeback after a run of three-straight Sydney goals.
Swans hold on as Saints fly home
The Sydney Morning Herald – James Buckley
March 12
Swans coach John Longmire will leave Albury with a three-point win over the Saints, but more importantly with answers to the difficult questions this pre-season has thrown at him.
Sydney held out a determined St Kilda in a fiercely contested final preseason hitout, with the Saints clawing back a 26-point margin to level the scores late in the third quarter before the Swans ground out a tight win.
Lance Franklin was dominant again kicking two goals and setting up several more, while Kurt Tippett played his best game since suffering a nasty hamstring injury midway through last year.
David Armitage reveals he barely trained in 2016 because of back pain
Herald Sun – Lauren Wood
March 12
David Armitage endured almost two years of mystery.
It turns out he is double his 28 years on the inside, revealing he was recently told he had a back that was weaker than that of “a 50 to 70-year-old man”.
But the injury that has plagued the Saints star — and the various treatment methods that went with it — may now be a thing of the past, having thrown himself into a non-invasive treatment program that has him feeling better than ever.
The Saint traces the injury back to a Queenstown training camp at the end of 2014.
No, there was no bungee jumping or jet boats involved.
While he’s managed to lace up and play almost every game since, the battle behind the scenes was taking a toll.
