Saints Humble Pies With Inspired Defensive Game To Set Up Hawks Showdown

Sun Herald

Sunday September 14, 2008

By LYALL JOHNSON

ST KILDA 17.4 106

COLLINGWOOD 9.18 72

ST KILDA last night marched into a preliminary final against Hawthorn with a magnificent 34-point win over a disappointing and out-of-sorts Collingwood.

In total contrast to the two sides' efforts last week - the Saints were flogged by Geelong and the Magpies humbled Adelaide - St Kilda looked like world-beaters, running hard and using the ball superbly, while Collingwood, despite plenty of endeavour, lacked spark and finish and in the end were exposed all over the ground and, most tellingly, on the scoreboard.

The Saints led at every break, going into the final quarter 40 points ahead and with the game already in the bag. Collingwood's failure was made only slightly less dreadful by some junk-time goals when the game was lost while St Kilda's conversion rate of 80 per cent was the second-most accurate in a finals game by any team.

Nick Riewoldt was a pillar for the Saints, stamping his mark on the game with five straight goals from 20 kicks and 15 marks. As he needed to, the skipper stood up when it counted on the big stage. But it was Nick Dal Santo in the midfield who was clearly best afield. He accumulated 32 possessions and never stopped for a second, finishing the game as strongly as he started.

He was ably assisted by Leigh Montagna, Robert Harvey and Lenny Hayes in the middle, but in particular it was the Saints' defence that was magnificent. Raphael Clarke played his best game, Jason Blake shut down an obviously not right Travis Cloke, Sam Fisher did the same to Paul Medhurst and Sam Gilbert manned Chris Dawes.

Time and again all four cut off Collingwood forward thrusts with strong defensive marks, albeit they were assisted by a Collingwood side that bombed the ball inside 50 without system and only hope. It wasn't enough.

For the Magpies, Dane Swan could hold his head up, as could Josh Fraser and Scott Pendlebury. But they had too few others.

The game started at a frenetic pace. At least early, the sides were like a couple of evenly matched prizefighters, going at it hard and not giving an inch. It gave the appearance it was going to go down to the wire.

For the first quarter-and-a-half they went goal-for-goal, the lead changing nine times until finally St Kilda broke the pattern by scoring the game's first consecutive goals.

After a strong lead and mark by Riewoldt, Jason Gram found himself on the end of yet another handball

receive and snapped truly.

They then followed up with three more. James Gwilt, who had a fine game, bombed from long range and Stephen Milne chipped in with two snaps, his first set up by a Adam Schnieder tackle that dispossessed Rhyce Shaw while the second was a classic piece of Riewoldt courage, crashing a pack and bringing the ball to ground for Milne.

It was the beginning of the end for the Magpies, who despite the efforts of Swan, Shaw and Fraser could not make an impact.

St Kilda went to the main break 14 points ahead and the Pies were still in touch.

It had been thought Collingwood's close style of play would worry the Saints, whose skills can sometimes let them down and who are at times lazy when there is a need to run.

Yet St Kilda were unrecognisable to the side that could not take a trick against Geelong.

Their ball movement through the midfield was fast and slick, especially by hand, their kicking precise and their willingness to run and make space was the best it had been all year. Consistently they took on their Collingwood opponents and broke the lines.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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