Narrow margin keeps Hawthorn's apple isle dominance alive

It was close, very close. St Kilda fell agonisingly short of extinguishing Hawthorn’s dominance in Tasmania, a streak that now stretches out to 16 wins on the trot and is the most imposing ‘home’ record in the competition. Alan Richardson’s side wasn’t without their opportunities, leading by 11-points early in the final term, before missing a couple of gettable conversion opportunities late in the dying stages of the encounter. Whilst St Kilda departed the apple isle without four precious premiership points, leaving both Richardson and his men bitterly disappointed at an opportunity missed, the brand of football produced by St Kilda against a side of the Hawks’ ilk, will have buoyed the Saints. A four-quarter effort, carved from brave ball movement and elite pressure should reap rewards if that level of effort is sustained.

Riewoldt evolution continues to flourish

The evolution of Nick Riewoldt the wingman continued in Tasmania. It started in the opening minutes when the Saints captain bravely ran back with the flight of the ball to take a typical Riewoldt mark. Eyes only for the ball, no concern for what was coming the other way. With Paddy McCartin and Josh Bruce manning the fort inside 50, Riewoldt was left to patrol the wings. The six-time Trevor Barker Award winner accumulated 23 possessions and 12 marks, providing a key target on transition, as well as pushing forwards at times to boot two majors to also keep the scoreboard ticking over. Much like he did against Western Bulldogs in his 300th game in Round 2, and in the opening half last week against Collingwood, Riewoldt vacating the forward line appears to be the fastest way to develop McCartin and also allows he and Bruce to build their partnership. So far, so good.

Armitage on song in Tasmania

After a slightly interrupted pre-season, David Armitage clicked into gear in Tasmania, producing the best performance of his season to date to be one of the best players on the ground, earning the Silk-Miller medaf for the Saints. Besides champion Hawthorn midfielder Sam Mitchell, Armitage acquired more leather than anyone else, finishing with 35 possessions, 12 contested possessions, six tackles, five inside 50s and 472 metres gained. Had an umpiring interpretation not been altered in recent years, Armitage may have contributed to the winning play late when he attacked a ball ferociously head-on, taking out the legs of a Hawk in the process to concede a free kick. It was commitment at its finest, but unfortunately in the modern game it was illegal. Nevertheless, Armitage shook the shackles off at Aurora Stadium, producing a performance akin to 2015, where he immersed himself amid the upper echelon of midfielders in the AFL.

Another week, another destructive performance from Savage

One Saint who has gone about his business with minimal fanfare but maximal output this season is Shane Savage. Across the opening month of 2016, the game breaking running defender has been a massive reason why St Kilda has been so destructive weaving defence into forays forward this season. St Kilda has been far braver with ball in hand, taking the ball through the corridor on a regular basis, on the back of the use by Savage and Leigh Montagna. Savage collected a season-high 30 possessions on Saturday afternoon, using the ball at an elite 86.7 per cent to take his season average to 26.3 possessions per game. The former Hawk was one of Alan Richardson’s best at Aurora Stadium, and was well assisted by Montagna who collected 27 disposals of his own to continue his exceptional start to 2016.

A long time between drinks

After waiting nearly two years to earn another opportunity at AFL level, forward-turned-defender Tom Lee produced one of the best performances of his 14-game career. In his first appearance since being transformed into a key defender in the VFL, the West Australian collected 19 touches, nine marks and six intercepts to show signs he could be utilised in a defensive key post. Lee may have turned the ball over at times, but his foot skills were also used at other times to break the game open. Playing predominantly on young Hawthorn key forward Tim O’Brien, Lee broke even, holding him to 11 disposals, four marks and two goals. Time will tell how valuable Lee becomes as a backman, but the early signs are bright, especially given the Saints desire to be aggressive with their ball use.