St Kilda CEO Archie Fraser has called on the club's strong Gold Coast supporter base to get behind the club's first appearance at Carrara in almost 19 years, and the homecoming of local boys Nick Riewoldt and Sam Gilbert.

The Saints will take on North Melbourne in Round 16 of the 2008 AFL premiership - their first official AFL match on the tourist strip since Round 16, 1989 and the days of the Brisbane Bears.

This is a crunch game in our season and we’re hopeful the red, black and white army, which is so strong wherever we travel around Australia, will be out in numbers to give us a home ground advantage,” said Archie.

We’re really keen to spend some time inter-acting with Gold Coast supporters on this trip and Nick and Sam are really looking forward to their first official game on home soil.

“Nick and Sam help to give us a strong supporter base on the Gold Coast and, with so much resting on the outcome of this game, we’re asking the Saints fans to get decked out in the club’s colours and give us a really strong presence on Saturday night. “
 
Archie, a past Gold Coast resident and close friend of GC17 chairman John Witheriff, said it wasn’t just about St Kilda on Saturday night.
 
“This is an important night for the AFL generally. We as a club are tremendously excited by the prospect of a new club on the Gold Coast and it’s important that AFL fans continue to vote with their feet in support of the GC17 bid team,” he said.

Riewoldt, Queensland’s only ever No.1 draft pick after he was taken at the top of the list by St Kilda in 2000, is coming off a career-high 18 marks, a season-high 25 possessions and three goals in his side’s eight-point win over Fremantle last Friday night.
 
The 25-year-old Broadbeach junior and 2000 Southport AFLQ premiership team member is within striking distance of St Kilda’s all-time top 10 goal-kicking list as he prepares for his 147th AFL game.

With 24 goals in 12 games this year, captain Riewoldt now has a career tally of 279 – four behind 11th-placed Nicky Winmar (283) and five behind 10th-placed George Young (284).

Gilbert, two games back from a shoulder injury, is set for his 28th AFL game at Carrara Saturday night.
 
The left-footer defender, originally from northern NSW, was a Coolangatta/Tweed Heads junior who was drafted from Southport with selection No.33 in the 2005 AFL National Draft.
 
Gilbert, a graduate of Palm Beach-Currumbin High School, is set to give some current PBC students an insight into the makings of his AFL career on Thursday.

About 50 students studying sports excellence have been invited to draft a series of football-related questions, and, although they are on study leave this week, some of them will catch up with Gilbert via a telephone hook-up.
 
This is a forerunner to a busy schedule for of promotional activities for St Kilda players on Monday which will include many opportunities to engage with local fans, celebrities and students.