In a performance which would have had Essendon and Hawthorn fans cheering almost as much as Saints’ fans, Gehrig kicked nine goals - including the match winner in the final minute - as the Saints upset the Kangaroos 21.6 (132) to 19.13 (127) at Telstra Dome.
However the Kangaroos are entitled to feel unlucky as one of the Saints’ goals in the first term – a snap by Steven Lawrence over his head was given a goal when it appeared to shave the goalpost.
In one of the best games of the 2003 season, the Saints could hardly have given Nathan Burke a more memorable way to celebrate equalling Stewart Loewe’s club record of 321 games.
However Burke’s big day looked set to have a nightmare finish just a minute earlier when his handball was intercepted at half-back enabling the Kangaroos to rush a behind to give them the lead with just over a minute left to play.
But ironically it was Burke’s longest serving teammate that ensured his milestone day would have a fairytale finish after all when the inspirational Robert Harvey bought the ball out of defence with a great dash through the middle and set up Gehrig for the winning goal.
The victory ended a four-game losing streak for the Saints, who suddenly find themselves just a game-and-a-half outside the top eight, but for the Kangaroos the consequences of this defeat were enormous.
With six rounds remaining the Kangaroos now hold down eighth spot by just half a game from both Essendon and Hawthorn, who are hitting top form at the right time.
The Saints’ victory was their first over the Kangaroos since their memorable victory against them in the 1997 preliminary final and incredibly this pulsating game almost matched that game for intensity and emotion.
While Gehrig was ultimately the hero when converting his shot in the final minute from 20 metres out on a tough angle, he was also the reason the Saints broke the game open in such spectacular fashion in the first quarter.
Gehrig booted four goals in the first term alone as he had three opponents - Shannon Watt, John Baird and Glenn Archer - in that period before Watt was eventually shifted back onto him.
His first quarter burst helped the Saints to an astonishing 10.1 in the first term – their second best first quarter effort in more than 100 years in the VFL/AFL behind the 10.3 they scored against Sydney at Moorabbin in 1992.
The Roos trailed by 42 points at quarter-time with their previous biggest deficit at quarter-time which resulted in victory being a 41 point deficit against Richmond way back in 1951.
And incredibly the team that simply never refuses to give in was just 30 seconds away from breaking that record.
The Roos got back into the game through the non-stop running and creativity of their experienced midfield with Shannon Grant dominant and Adam Simpson, Anthony Stevens and Brent Harvey all lifting after half-time.
The Kangas also had livewires in attack in Daniel Motlop, Leigh Harding and Corey Jones – who shared in nine goals.
But that was only equal to Gehrig’s match winning total alone and he also received great support in attack from Leigh Montagna, who finished with three.
However by far the most impressive aspect of the Saints win was the character they showed in the dying minutes when it looked as if they had thrown away a certain victory.
So often we have seen the Saints crumble in such circumstances while the Kangaroos – the AFL’s masters of tight finishes – inevitably prevail in such circumstances.
But this time the roles reversed and it could well be remembered as not only the day the Roos’ finals hopes in 2003 received a huge setback but the day Grant Thomas’ young team finally re-found its self-belief.
ST.KILDA: 10.1, 13.3, 18.4 21.6 (132)
KANGAROOS: 3.1, 8.3, 15.8 19.13 (127)
GOALS: St.Kilda: Gehrig 9, Montagna 3, Powell, Baker 2, Riewoldt, Ball, Wulf, Hamill, Lawrence.
Kangaroos: Motlop, Jones, Harding 3, Petrie, Rocca 2, Robbins, Stevens, Archer, Harvey, Rawlings, Grant.
BEST: St.Kilda: Gehrig, Montagna, Harvey, Jones, Powell, Baker, Del Santo, Voss, Hudghton.
Kangaroos: Grant, Motlop, Simpson, Petrie, King, Jones, Stevens
CHANGES: nil
REPORTS: nil
UMPIRES: Goldspink, McKenzie and Quigley.
CROWD: 25,381 at Telstra Dome
