Australian Football

Match Report

A scrappy win over Melbourne, which kept the Saints' September flame flickering, was marred by a knee injury to Nick Riewoldt. St Kilda was dominant in the first quarter, thanks mainly to the influence of Riewoldt, who had a hand in two goals and kicked one himself. But when he landed awkwardly late in the opening term and hyperextended his knee, the Saints' skipper appeared to have done some serious damage. Riewoldt was subbed off and St Kilda's forward structure immediately dissolved, with the Saints managing just one further goal prior to the main break. With goals to Lyndon Dunn and Sam Blease early in the third term, the Demons closed the margin to less than a goal and it appeared that Melbourne had all the running.

Ex-Eagle Beau Wilkes then stepped up to replace Riewoldt as a forward focal point, kicking three of a run of eight consecutive goals that took St Kilda's lead out to 56 points early in the last quarter and put the result beyond doubt. The game then opened up, allowing Melbourne to kick eight of the last eleven goals but the Saints nevertheless cruised to comfortable 25-point win. Riewoldt was sent to Epworth Hospital for scans and returned to the MCG with news that was not as bad as had been initially feared. The scans revealed a minor split to a tendon behind the knee, and Scott Watters expressed confidence that Riewoldt would return in time for the finals if St Kilda were to get that far.

Wilkes finished with a career-high five goals and showed a capability of assuming a key forward role in Riewoldt's absence. The Saints' old guard of Nick Dal Santo and Leigh Montagna played prominent roles in the win, while Melbourne were well served by the ever-reliable Nathan Jones and Sam Blease, whose five-goal, 20-touch performance pointed towards a bright future. With St Kilda only a game outside the eight, a Friday-night round 21 encounter against Geelong looms as vital.

GOALS
St Kilda: Wilkes 5; Milne, Koschitzke, Cripps, Saad 2; Riewoldt, Steven, Goddard
Melbourne: Blease 5; Sellar 2; Howe, Dunn, Jetta, Green, Sylvia

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
St Kilda: Wilkes, Dal Santo, Armitage, Dempster, Hayes, Montagna, Geary
Melbourne: Blease, Jones, Grimes, Rivers, MacDonald

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
St Kilda: Wilkes, Geary, Dempster, Hayes, Steven, Cripps
Melbourne: Blease, Tom McDonald, Howe, Joel McDonald, Grimes

COACHES' COMMENTS
Scott Watters (St K): [The loss of Riewoldt] was a little unsettling [but] Beau Wilkes had a terrific opportunity to impact the game and was outstanding. Mark Neeld (Melb): Given the experience of both the sides and the manner in which our boys went about it, there was another glimpse into our future

Umpires: Stewart, Hosking, Kamolins