Saints Set Up Date With Hawks

The Sunday Age

Sunday September 14, 2008

By Lyall Johnson with Nick Sheridan

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 Pies humbled Adelaide - St Kilda looked like a world beater, running hard and using the ball superbly, while Collingwood, despite plenty of endeavour, lacked spark and finish and in the end was 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.

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 playing his best game, Jason Blake shutting down an obviously not-right Travis Cloke, Sam Fisher doing the same to Paul Medhurst and Sam Gilbert manning 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 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 yet another handball receive and snapped truly.

It then followed up with three more, James Gwilt, who had a fine game, bombing from long range and Stephen Milne chipping in with two snaps, his first set up by an 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. But when Milne kicked his third in a row, the Saints' fifth on the trot, and Schnieder his first soon after, the signs were there for the Pies with the margin out to 25 points.

Yet they refused to stay down and lifted their momentum. The Saints absorbed plenty of pressure, but Travis Cloke finally broke the drought after a free-kick goal from a throw in.

Ross Lyon ordered tempo football and while the Saints maintained possession and slowed the play, they struggled to get past half-forward. Collingwood, however, continued to bomb away aimlessly and wasted its possessions. The Saints defence held firm.

Then, in the matter of minutes, St Kilda piled on four goals and went to the final break with the game sewn up.

It had been thought Collingwood's close style of play would worry the Saints, whose skills can sometimes let them down and are at times lazy when there is a need to run. Yet St Kilda was unrecognisable to the side that could not take a trick against Geelong.

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

Most telling, however, was their use going inside 50.

Where the Pies were scrambling the odd goal in a cluttered forward 50, St Kilda's forward set up allowed Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke plenty of room to work in and they responded by kicking the first three St Kilda goals from marks.

The veteran Harvey setting up all three with deft passes.

Saints set up date with Hawks

FAST FOOTY

ST KILDA

4.1 8.1 14.2 17.4 (106)

COLLINGWOOD

3.4 4.11 5.16 9.18 (72)

GOALS

St Kilda: Riewoldt 5, Koschitzke 3, Milne 3, Gram 2, Gwilt, Schneider, McQualter, Dal Santo.

Collingwood: Lockyer, Swan, Anthony, Goldsack, Cloke, McCarthy, Medhurst, Brown, Clarke.

BEST: St Kilda: Dal Santo, Riewoldt, Gram, Harvey, Montagna, Fisher, Blake.

Collingwood: Swan, Pendlebury, Fraser, Shaw, O'Bree, Davis.

Umpires: Kennedy, McLaren, Rosebury.

CROWD: 76,707 at the MCG.

THE UPSHOT

The Saints' win means the top four teams at the end of the home-and-away season will advance into the penultimate round of the finals.

TALKING POINT

With Luke Ball pulling out before the game, a last-minute fitness test for Lenny Hayes on the ground, an injury to Jarrad Allen in the first term, a looming report on Justin Koschitzke and the imminent retirement of Robert Harvey, there is plenty about the Saints to keep tongues wagging as they prepare for the preliminary final this week.

HOT AND COLD

After an absolute shocker last week, St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt stood tall last night, dominating young Nathan Brown and taking 15 marks and kicking five straight goals. At the other end of the ground, Travis Cloke was about where Riewoldt was last week, managing just one goal one and collecting just six possessions. -- NICK SHERIDAN

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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