St Kilda vs Brisbane

Where and when:
Saturday August 3, 7.40pm
Gabba

Overview:
LAST weekend's nine-point lost to Port Adelaide effectively ended any finals aspirations for Brisbane. Despite the defeat, the Lions have lifted in the past month and will be committed to continuing their promising run of form.

For the first 17 weeks of the season St Kilda worked relentlessly without getting suitable reward for effort. It was a similar story in the first quarter against Geelong last Saturday night before the Cats ran away to a 101-point win. It was the first genuine blowout of the season for the Saints.

The result stung the club, its players and the coaches. However this week, St Kilda has quickly turned its attention to the clash at the Gabba in a bid to win its fourth game of the year.

One of the few positives to come out of last Saturday's match was the performance of Jack Steven. Steven collected 35 disposals and has asserted himself alongside Leigh Montagna as St Kilda's most consistent midfielder.

Dylan Roberton's return to the Saints line-up will add stability in defence and provide another rebounding option, while Ben McEvoy will shoulder the bulk of the ruck work without Tom Hickey.

The Lions have slowly resurrected their season after an ordinary start. They finished 13th in 2012 and will be looking to improve on this ladder position by the end of the year, even if September action doesn't eventuate.

Pride will be on the line at the Gabba on Saturday with St Kilda eager to atone for last week's efforts and Brisbane aiming to win its fourth match in the last five weeks.

Stat focus:

• Leigh Montagna is averaging 27.9 touches per game this year, slightly ahead of Jack Steven who is averaging 25.7 possessions per match.
• Brisbane has two players ranked in the top 10 in the league for rebound 50s. Matt Maguire is ranked 7th while Jed Adcock is ranked 8th. No other team has two players ranked inside the top 10.
• Despite winning four more games than St Kilda this season, the Lions have conceded more points than the Saints.
• Lenny Hayes and Jack Steven are both averaging 5.6 clearances per game, ranking them equal 15th in the AFL.
• St Kilda is ranked first in the competition for least opponent tackles per game this year.
• The Lions are ranked 16th for average disposals per game, while the Saints are ranked 15th.
• In the past month, Tom  Lee is ranked first in the AFL for retaining inside 50s (81 per cent)
• Just six Lions remain from the last Brisbane side that defeated St Kilda in round 9 of 2008.

Injury list:
St Kilda:
Sam Fisher (Toe) - Season
Sam Gilbert (Knee) - 2 weeks
Daniel Markworth (Knee) - Season
Beau Maister (Hamstring) - 2 weeks
Jackson Ferguson (Knee) - Season
Justin Koschitzke (Calf) - 3 weeks
Terry Milera (Ankle) - Season
James Gwilt (Knee) - TBA

Brisbane:
Claye Beams (Knee) - Season
Simon Black (Adductor) - 1 week
Pearce Hanley (Hand) - 2-4 weeks
Nick Hayes (Foot) - 1-2 weeks
Stefan Martin (Hamstring) - Test
Brent Moloney (Hamstring) - Test
Stephen Wrigley (Knee) - Season

Last week:
St Kilda 5.6 (36) defeated by Geelong 21.11 (137)
Brisbane 9.8 (62) defeated by Port Adelaide 9.17 (71)

What they say: (Brisbane ruckman Matthew Leunberger on Wednesday)
You've always got to be wary when you come up against a side that has been whacked.
They'll just want to come out and prove that they're competitive. We've been in that boat before and that's how we've approached it.
The obviously got beaten badly against Geelong, but prior to that they'd been very competitive in the games that they've played. They've matched it with the top eight sides for about three quarters and dropped away for a quarter - which has hurt them - they've been a bit similar to us this year.

What we say (Farren Ray):
We just have to look to Brisbane next week at the Gabba. We can travel away together, maybe that will be a good thing. Scott Watters said that individually we need to focus on what we need to improve. I'll see Dean Laidley… review the game individually and then improve from there.
We're not the first side to come down here and get smacked by Geelong and we're not going to be the last.

Running hot:
St Kilda: Jack Steven
Steven was simply electric last weekend. This season the 23-year-old has improved his consistency to the point where he is being spoken about in All-Australian circles. Steven's 35-possession game against Geelong was especially significant given the one-sided nature of the game and Brisbane will need to keep an eye on one of the AFL's most promising young ball-winners.

Brisbane: Tom Rockliff 
Rockliff is averaging 30 disposals in the last three weeks, his good form coinciding with Brisbane's run of wins up until last weekend. The 2011 Merrett-Murray medallist is especially dangerous when given space forward of centre and the Saints can't let the 23-year-old off the leash. Sean Dempster did an outstanding job on Rockliff the last time these two teams met, holding him to just 16 disposals.

Watch out for:
St Kilda: Jack Newnes
Newnes has played in St Kilda's last 12 games, regularly collecting between 15 and 25 disposals and demonstrating excellent composure off the back-flank. Against Geelong Newnes kept Mathew Stokes goalless and had 24 touches, an impressive return for the promising 22-gamer.

Brisbane: Jed Adcock
Brisbane's co-captain has the potential to rebound aggressively off half-back or play a role in midfield. He's averaging 19.2 disposals per game this season and is one of the Lions most consistent performers.

Last time they met:
Round 16, 2012 at the Gabba
Attendance: 19,228
St Kilda 16.9 (105) defeated Brisbane 14.8 (92)
Disposals: Hayes (29), Black (31)
Goals: Saad (4), Bewick, Merrett and Rockliff (2 each)

You can follow Tom Morris on Twitter: @tommorris32