The Saints, who were wasteful in the first half before kicking into gear in the second, ran out comfortable 14.20 (104) to 11.10 (76) winners in Nick Dal Santo’s 150th game. St Kilda’s determined tackling and suffocating defence, trademarks of their season to date, were on show again on Sunday, with their pressure all over the ground making it hard for the Bulldogs’ fleet of runners to have an impact on the match.
For the Saints, who move to a 6-0 record and become one of just two sides yet to record a loss in 2009, Brendon Goddard had 33 possessions, while Farren Ray added 31 against his former team. After looking tentative in front of goal early, Nick Riewoldt finished with 17 possessions, 13 marks and 4.5.
The Bulldogs, who have lost their last three games after a promising 3-0 start, Ryan Hargrave had 24 touches and Ryan Griffen had 23, while Josh Hill booted three goals.
After St Kilda led by 27 points at the main break, the match exploded into life with four goals in as many minutes to start the third term. Goals to Dogs Hill and Shaun Higgins were immediately answered by the Saints with majors from Adam Schneider and a long bomb from Jason Gram, and when Riewoldt kicked his third for the afternoon after another strong mark inside forward 50, the Saints looked to have weathered the storm, increasing their lead to 33 points and looking set to run away with the match.
Further goals to James Gwilt and returning big man Justin Koschitzke extended St Kilda’s margin, with only Will Minson’s second goal of the match from the goalsquare at the 22-minute mark giving Bulldogs fans cause for celebration. The match was as good as over at three-quarter time, with the Saints leading by 40 points, 12.18 (90) to 7.8 (50).
With the match clearly in St Kilda’s grasp, the Dogs fought out the match in the last quarter when a blowout looked a distinct possibility. The Dogs kicked four goals to two in the term to earn some belated respectability on the scoreboard.
Earlier, while St Kilda took a 7.14 (56) to 4.5 (29) lead into half time, they would have rued their inaccuracy in front of goal, which cost them a dominant first-half lead. On two separate occasions in the first half, the ladder leaders had runs of five consecutive scoring shots, but couldn’t convert their authority on the scoreboard until late in the second quarter, where they kicked three goals in as many minutes.
After trailing by 15 points at the first break, the Bulldogs kicked into gear early in the second term, with quick goals to Jason Akermanis and Hill reducing the margin to just four points. St Kilda fans would have been equally concerned when star backman Sam Fisher was taken to the Saints’ rooms for medical attention on his shoulder after being bumped by Dogs’ skipper Brad Johnson in the lead-up to Akermanis’ major. Fisher soon returned to the fray, taking up his customary position across half-back.
Riewoldt was creating all sorts of problems for the Bulldogs defence with his marking inside 50, but managed a return of just 0.3 from his first four set shots. While St Kilda’s zone defence was causing the Dogs repeated headaches, the Saints couldn’t convert that pressure into goals until the 15-minute mark, when Michael Gardiner took an unopposed grab at the 35m mark and kicked truly.
Riewoldt finally aligned his goal-kicking radar with three minutes remaining in the quarter when he kicked straight from 35m after his sixth mark of the match, and when Adam Schneider added a classy snapped goal with a minute to go, the Saints finally had a lead to reflect their overall control of the match. Riewoldt then added a gem after the siren, a banana from deep inside the forward pocket for his second of the match.
St Kilda took a 3.7 (25) to 1.4 (10) lead into quarter-time.
The Saints entered the round six clash as named, while the Dogs made one change to their selected side, Andrejs Everitt coming in for his first game of 2009 at the expense of Tom Williams.
St Kilda 3.7 7.14 12.18 14.20 (104)
Western Bulldogs 1.4 4.5 7.8 11.10 (76)
GOALS
St Kilda: Riewoldt 4, Schneider 3, Dal Santo, Goddard, McQualter, Gardiner, Gram, Gwilt, Koschitzke
Western Bulldogs: Hill 3, Minson 2, Akermanis 2, Eagleton, Higgins, Griffen, Gilbee
BEST
St Kilda: Goddard, Ray, Riewoldt, Gilbert, Gardiner, Montagna, Jones, Dawson
Western Bulldogs: Hargrave, Boyd, Harbrow, Picken, Higgins
INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Williams (foot) replaced in selected side by Everitt
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, McBurney, Pannell
Official crowd: 36,302 at Docklands
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
