Australian Football

Match Report

St Kilda has broken through for its first win of the season, defeating a plucky Brisbane Lions side at Docklands on Sunday. The match looked like being a blowout late in the second term, as the Saints jumped out to a 36-point lead but the Lions to their credit fought back and actually hit the lead on two separate occasions in the third quarter. St Kilda regained composure after that and, with a strong last quarter, went on to win by 29 points.

Defences ruled in the early part of the match and after 11 minutes, the two sides had mustered only four behinds, three to St Kilda and one to the Lions. Jade Gresham broke the drought with a lovely roving goal at the 12-minute mark, giving the Saints an eight-point lead but Dayne Beams responded for Brisbane soon after. St Kilda got on a roll after that, with majors to Mac Weller, Blake Acres and the evergreen Nick Riewoldt, and took a 20-point lead into the first break.

The Saints continued their dominance early in the second quarter, with Riewoldt kicking his second and the man who this year replaced him as captain, Jarryn Geary, kicking his first, as the lead extended to 31 points. Daniel Rich provided brief respite for the Lions with his first goal at the nine-minute mark, but St Kilda then attacked heavily, Shane Savage goaling in amongst a string of behinds, and the Saints led by six goals going into time on. But Brisbane arrested the slide and turned the game around late in the term, and goals to Mitch Robinson, Josh Schache and Dayne Zorko had them suddenly back within 18 points as the players left the field for half time.

To the surprise of most, the Lions kept coming after the long break, and after goals to Rohan Bewick and debutant Jarrod Berry, Robinson kicked his second and Brisbane was amazingly two points ahead. Old stager Riewoldt settled the Saints with his third major but a mark and goal to Tom Bell had Brisbane back in front and looking the goods early in time on. The Saints responded, though, and dominated the latter part of the term to kick 1.3 - the goal going to Luke Dunstan - to take an eight-point buffer into the last end-change.

With the game up for grabs, St Kilda did all the attacking early in the final term but couldn't quite put the Lions away, with a goal to Tim Membrey accompanied by three behinds, and when Lewis Taylor marked and goaled at the 12-minute mark, Brisbane was within 11 points. The Lions couldn't follow up with another goal, however, and majors to Leigh Montagna and Josh Bruce saw the Saints back out to a 23-point lead. They added two further goals through Mav Weller and Jack Steele to make sure of the win before Josh Schache kicked a consolation goal for Brisbane, the final margin 31 points in St Kilda's favour.

The 34-year-old Riewoldt continues to be a marvel, and his 28-possession, 12-mark, three-goal game made him best on ground for the umpteenth time in his career. For the Lions, Stefan Martin (44 hitouts, seven marks) and Dayne Beams (30 disposals, eight tackles) were stand-outs. 

St Kilda will look to make it two in a row when it takes on Collingwood at Docklands next Sunday, while Brisbane will host the in-form and undefeated Richmond at the Gabba on the same day.

GOALS
St. Kilda: Riewoldt 3; Weller 2; Savage, Dunstan, Montagna, Acres, Membrey, Geary, Gresham, Bruce, Steele
Brisbane: Robinson, Schache 2; Zorko, Beams, Rich, Bewick, Berry, Bell, Taylor

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Montagna, Dunstan, Ross, Newnes, Geary
Brisbane: Beams, Rich, Martin, Rockliff, Mayes, Cutler

BEST - THE AGE
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Ross, Montagna, Geary, Roberton, Gresham
Brisbane: Martin, Beams, Rich, Rockliff

INJURIES
St. Kilda: Nil
Brisbane: Gardiner (quad)

UMPIRES: Donlon, O'Gorman, Harris 

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Brad Johnson, Gerard Healy, Cameron Mooney