Australian Football

Match Report

The GWS Giants have scored a comfortable win over St Kilda at the Sydney Showground on Sunday, leading all afternoon to win by 35 points against an off-target Saints team. The Giants opened strongly with a four-goal-to-nil first term, and kept St Kilda at bay for most of the rest of the match. But the win came at a cost, with Dylan Shiel set to miss 6 to 12 weeks after injuring his knee early in the second term. The Giants have already been hit hard by injury, with Shane Mumford already ruled out for the season, and Phil Davis and Joel Patfull also missing.

St Kilda had a couple of early opportunities but Jack Newnes and Jimmy Webster both missed shots at goal inside the first two minutes of the match, in a trend that would continue throughout the afternoon. The Giants then got going, and goal from Cam McCarthy was followed by three in a row to Jeremy Cameron. In response, the Saints could muster no more than a further three behinds and GWS led by 22 at quarter time. 

An early second-term goal to Dylan Shiel extended that lead to 28, and when Cameron kicked his fourth at the seven-minute mark, it was out to 33 as the Saints started to lose touch. Jack Sinclair got one back for St Kilda but the next two majors went to Giants Jack Steele and Rory Lobb, making the margin 40 points. A goal just before half time to Jack Steven brought the margin at the long break back to 34 points.

The second half saw the Saints come out firing and goals to Josh Bruce, Maverick Weller and Nick Riewoldt within the first seven minutes saw the difference reduced to just 16 points. There were to be no further goals in the quarter, though, as the two sides traded behinds, and that 16-point margin remained in place when the teams swapped ends for the final time. 

Giant Toby Greene scored the all-important first goal of the final term but Bruce's second at the eight-minute mark kept St Kilda in with a chance. That chance evaporated soon after, however, as Cameron kicked his sixth and McCarthy his second to see the Giants ahead by 30 as the term entered time on. A brief flurry of shots saw the Saints kick three behinds but Zac Williams closed out the game with a goal that gave GWS a strong 35-point victory. 

Skipper Callan Ward was outstanding for the winners, with 31 possessions and five tackles, while Stephen Coniglio (17 tackles, 26 disposals) and Adam Treloar (30 touches, five tackles) were also very good. For the Saints, Jack Steven (14 tackles, 29 touches), Leigh Montagna (28 disposals, seven tackles) and Jack Newnes (10 marks, 23 possessions) all had very good games.

The win lifted the Giants back into the eight and they will look to consolidate their place with a win over Gold Coast at Carrara next Saturday. St Kilda (13th, with a 5-9 record) will meet Richmond at Docklands in next Sunday's twilight match. 

GOALS
GWS: Cameron 5; McCarthy 2; Shiel, Steele, Lobb, Greene, Williams
St Kilda: Bruce 2; Sinclair, Steven, Weller, Riewoldt

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: Ward, Coniglio, Buntine, Cameron, Greene, Williams
St Kilda: Steven, Montagna, Savage, Geary, Weller, Armitage

BEST - SMH.COM.AU
GWS: Ward, Cameron, Treloar, Coniglio, Greene, Buntine
St Kilda: Montagna, Steven, Newnes, Armitage, Roberton

INJURIES 
GWS: Shiel (knee)
St Kilda: Riewoldt (calf)

SUBSTITUTES
GWS: Curtly Hampton replaced Dylan Shiel in the second quarter
St Kilda: Farren Ray replaced Sebastian Ross in the third quarter

REPORTS: Billy Longer (St Kilda) reported for rough conduct against Lachie Whitfield (Greater Western Sydney) in the first quarter

UMPIRES: Fisher, Stephens, Jeffery 

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: TBC