Australian Football

Match Report

A solid 34-point win over Essendon at Docklands ion Sunday's twilight match has seen St Kilda move up to 13th place on the ladder and just within touch of a place in the top eight. The Saints took until the third quarter to shake off the Bombers, leading by only 10 points at half time. But a big second half saw them kick 11 goals to five and run away with a 46-point win. 

The match started slowly with each side registering just one behind in the first eight minutes. Essendon's Joe Daniher broke the drought with the match's first goal and then Jack Steven responded for St Kilda two minutes later to level the score. Tim Membrey put the Saints ahead by a goal at the 15-minute mark but the rest of the quarter saw only behinds, one to St Kilda and three to Essendon as the Saints led by seven points at the first break.

Jack Newnes extended St Kilda's lead to 13 points with a goal two minutes into the second term but the Bombers hit back with majors to Mark Baguely and Adam Cooney to draw within one point midway through the quarter. The Saints broke away again with goals to Josh Bruce and Seb Ross but a major to Kyle Langford had Essendon within striking distance ay half time, 10 points behind.

The Bombers closed that gap to just four points with Mitch Brown kicking the first goal of the second half and, although Brown added two further goals in the third quarter, St Kilda broke the game open with seven goals of ist own for the term, three to Bruce and two each Membrey and Paddy McCartin as the margin opened up to 32 points at the last end-change.

St Kilda went on with the job in the final quarter, and four goals to one in the first 20 minutes had the Saints out to a 52 point lead before the game slowed down in time on, with Mitch Brown's fourth goal the only score, bring the final margin back to 46 points.

Steven (40 touches, five marks) and Ross (37 possessions, 11 marks) were brilliant for the Saints while Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (20 disposals, four tackles) was a fine player for the Bombers.

Next up for the Saints is home game against Fremantle, a match they will be confident of winning. Essendon, languishing in 17th place with a 1-8 record, will host Richmond on Saturday night in the annual "Dreamtime at the 'G" match. 

GOALS
St Kilda: Bruce 5; Membrey 3; McCartin 2; Ross, Steven, Newnes, Weller, Hickey, Armitage
Essendon: Brown 4; Daniher 2; Baguley, Cooney, Langford

BEST - HERALDSUN.COM.AU
St Kilda: Steven, Ross, Bruce, McCartin, Montagna, Riewoldt, Dunstan
Essendon: McDonald-Tipungwuti, Brown, Merrett, Kelly, Zaharakis, Dea

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
St Kilda: Ross, Steven, McCartin, Bruce, Dunstan, Montagna, Dempster
Essendon: Zaharakis, Merrett, Kelly, Brown, McDonald-Tipungwuti

INJURIES
St Kilda: Billings (ankle)
Essendon: Nil

UMPIRES: O'Gorman, Mitchell, Mollison

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Eddie McGuire, Sandy Roberts, Brad Johson, Gerard Healy, David King