The exciting Saints showed they have the grit and tenacity to match their undoubted potential by steamrolling over the top of the Cats in the final term after trailing for much of the second and third quarters.
In front of more than 50,000 fans – the biggest ever crowd for a pre-season final at Docklands – the Saints won 1.14.5 (98) to 1.10.7 (76) after having trailed by 11 points at the last change.
But while it was a night of triumph for the Saints, it was yet more grand final heartbreak for the Cats who failed to score a goal in the final term after having controlled the middle quarters.
Geelong has now lost nine grand finals – five premiership deciders and four pre-season grand finals – since winning their last premiership back in 1963.
However for the Saints this triumph represents only their second AFL trophy since their one and only premiership in 1966 – the last coming in this same competition back in 1996.
But despite going into this game as heavy favourites, it seemed for much of the night as if the underdogs would prevail and the Cats’ grand final jinx was finally about to end.
The Saints’ much-vaunted forward line was struggling to break the shackles of the Cats’ hard-working defence with Matthew Scarlett magnificent against the Saints’ trump card Fraser Gehrig.
And at the other end Kent Kingsley booted four first half goals as the Saints’ defence looked out of its depth.
But in the end it was the non-stop running and skill of 32-year-old Harvey, which proved the difference.
Despite spending the first 15 minutes of the game on the bench, Harvey still finished with a game high 33 possessions and the dual Brownlow Medalist was rewarded with the Michael Tuck Medal for best afield for his efforts.
Harvey was at his best in a gripping final term as he continually pumped the ball into the Saints’ forward line as a previously dominant Geelong defence finally caved in.
However the Cats could consider themselves unlucky also after a controversial nine point goal to Leigh Montagna – which resulted after an off-the-ball free kick to Aaron Hamill – put the Saints in front at the 12 minute mark.
That was the turning point of the game as one then had to feel desperately sorry for the gallant Scarlett, who having kept Gehrig goalless then saw the former Eagles’ forward cut loose with two quick goals to seal the game.
And both came about in fortunate circumstances with Gehrig firstly marking a Hamill mis-kick while minutes later he snapped the sealer after a shot by Nick Riewoldt had rebounded off the goal post and back into play.
But while it was the efforts of the Saints’ superstars in the final quarter such as Harvey, Hamill, Riewoldt and Gehrig that ultimately proved the difference, this was still a fine team effort from the Saints.
For much of the night it was the efforts of some of their lesser lights such as defender Matt Maguire, ruckman Trent Knobel and former Port goalsneak Brent Guerra (four goals) that kept the Saints in touch with a Geelong side that had dominated the second quarter with seven goals to three.
But as has so often been the case with the Cats over the past 40 years, they could not finish the job as the Saints’ exciting young brigade triumphed – helped immeasurably of course by that old marvel Robert Harvey.
St.Kilda coach Grant Thomas acknowledged the enormity of the win, in that the Saints had to scrap their way to victory and dig themselves out of a hole.
“Probably going on history, there has not been a lot of occasions St.Kilda has won games like that,” he said.
“I think in the end it was really just a bit of good old-fashioned perseverance that made the difference.”
Geelong coach Mark Thompson was left to lament his side's inability to maintain its good use of the football up to the final change.
"Out of the four games we've had, we've been terrific. We've been close and we've used the ball really well. Unfortunately we didn't use it well in the last quarter of a grand final," he said.
"We went handball mad, which is, on reflection, it's not a great way to play footy. In the last quarter we just fell away terribly."
ST KILDA: 0.4.1, 0.7.3, 0.10.4, 1.14.5 (98).
GEELONG:0.2.1, 1.7.5, 1.10.6, 1.10.7 (76).
NINE POINT GOALS: St Kilda: Montagna.
Geelong: Graham.
SIX POINT GOALS: St Kilda: Guerra 4, Riewoldt 2, Hamill 2, Gehrig 2, Milne, Jones, Hayes, Ball.
Geelong: Kingsley 5, McCarthy 2, Haynes, Graham, Ablett.
BEST: St Kilda: Harvey, Guerra, Riewoldt, Hamill, Ball, Jones, Maguire, Knobel.
Geelong: Scarlett, Kingsley, Ling, Enright, Sanderson.
INJURIES: St Kilda:. Nil.
Geelong: Nil.
REPORTS: Nil.
UMPIRES: Vozzo, McLaren, McInerney, Rowe.
CROWD: 50,533 at Telstra Dome.
