Fresh off a stirring Spud's Game win at the 'G, the Saints return to Marvel Stadium to face Essendon in what's sure to be a hot contest under the roof.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of our Round 3 match this Easter weekend!

Round 3

Essendon v St Kilda
Saturday 30 March
Marvel Stadium, 4:20pm AEDT
Broadcast on Fox Footy & Kayo

Gates open at 2:45pm

NOTE: Saturday's match is a St Kilda AWAY game.

There's no better way to spend the Easter weekend than with the Saints! Secure your tickets for Round 3 below.

If you are a Saints member who has purchased tickets through Ticketmaster, you can add your tickets to your smartphone wallet via the Ticketmaster app now.

 Why download your ticket now?

• Help avoid congestion at the gates and ensure smoother entry into Marvel Stadium.
• Your ticket will still scan when it's been added to your wallet, regardless of if you're experiencing issues accessing the internet.
• Screenshots of tickets won't work - add to your wallet or forward to your family and friends if they are using tickets.

The Member Zone is a new online space dedicated to link St Kilda members with all the information they need to get the most out of their memberships.

To access our Member Zone, click here.

Plan your journey with PTV Journey Planner to make sure you get to the game on time and with ease. 

Ahead of the game, make sure to visit Victoria's Big Build website to view any potential disruptions and plan your journey ahead of time.

Travel disruptions

• Footscray Road: Lane closed in both directions between Shepherd Bridge and Waterfront Way.
• Shepparton Line: Coaches replace trains between Seymour and Shepparton stations.
• Seymour Line: From 9:45pm, coaches replace trains between Southern Cross and Seymour stations.

Train

Southern Cross Station is located adjacent to Marvel Stadium and stops for both V-line and Metropolitan train lines. It is a short walk across the Spencer Street/Bourke Street pedestrian footbridge.

Car

Marvel Stadium's car parking in Docklands is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with more than 2,500 undercover car parks available daily.

Carpark entrance/exit points are located on Bourke Street (A & B), Wurundjeri Way (C) and La Trobe Street (D & E). The car park is divided into four colour sections on each level. Simply park your car and take note of the colour and level you have parked on. There are lifts from each car park level to the internal concourse at Gates 4, 6, 8 and 9.

Please note, the car park has a maximum clearance of 2.10 metres.

Bus

The bus terminus is at Southern Cross Train Station and services airport transfers as well as routes across country Victoria. Marvel Stadium is a short walk across the Bourke Street pedestrian footbridge from the bus terminus.

Tram

City trams run to Marvel Stadium via La Trobe Street and Harbour Esplanade:

• Tram #30: St Vincents Plaza / Central Pier Docklands
• Tram #35: Anticlockwise / Anticlockwise or Clockwise / Clockwise
• Tram #70: Waterfront City Docklands / Wattle Park
• Tram #75: Central Pier Docklands / Vermont South
• Tram #86: Waterfront City Docklands / Bundoora RMIT

Trams also stop in the CBD on Spencer Street, Bourke Street and Collins Street, and all are a short walk to Marvel Stadium:

• Tram #96: St Kilda Beach / East Brunswick
• Tram #11: West Preston / Victoria Harbour Docklands
• Tram #48: North Balwyn / Victoria Harbour Docklands

For more information on accessing Marvel Stadium, click here.

Get all your red, white and black gear sorted before the game, exclusively through Saints Locker online!

Follow St Kilda's official social media channels for all the latest news and behind-the-scenes action on game day.

Join the conversation and show your support through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X by using the official hashtags #SaintsFooty and #AFLDonsSaints.

Visit the official Saints Match Centre for live in-game stats, highlights, news and other updates.

Cleanliness and composure were hard to find between St Kilda and Essendon on Saturday afternoon, but when it mattered most, it was the latter who came up trumps. 

Jake Stringer’s major from long-range at the 20-minute mark of the final term, which shook Marvel Stadium to its foundations, put his side up for the first time of the day with six minutes to play, and despite some chances from the Saints to pinch it back late, it was the 'Package's' delivery which proved enough for the Bombers to edge out their opposition.

Scrappy, untidy and error-affected football may not want to be the way St Kilda will want to win games this year, and although getting the job done narrowly in games past, it was a combination which - when coupled with a late loss of composure - proved costly as the Bombers pulled clear late by four points, 10.11 (71) to 9.13 (67).

In an unglamorous match which yielded a combined 153 turnovers, 24 behinds - six of Essendon’s coming in the final term - and a plethora of spilled marks, neither side were able to capitalise on their respective spurts of momentum to break clear of each other until the closing moments.

SAINTS MATCH CENTRE: View all news, stats and videos from Round 3

After trailing by 11 points at half-time following a bright but wasteful start from the Saints, the Bombers looked ready to punish their rivals earlier and hit the front for the first time of the afternoon after Stringer bagged what he thought was his second major. 

However the goal was cancelled due to his preceding push in the back against Riley Bonner, with a 50-metre penalty to boot allowing Seb Ross to coolly convert and keep the Saints’ noses in front up until the final moments. His subsequent goal looked like it would be enough to keep the Bombers at bay, but they had other ideas.

Ross (28 disposals, six clearances) wound back the clock to end the afternoon as one of his side's more proficient players alongside the ruck efforts of Rowan Marshall (20 disposals, 27 hit-outs), while for Essendon, Nic Martin was everywhere for the Bombers with 27 of his 44 coming from the first half as Zach Merrett put in a strong 12-disposal final quarter in an all-round effectual performance around stoppages.

With both sides missing their key posts in Max King and Peter Wright through respective suspensions, the Saints and Bombers needed to rely on multiple avenues to goal.

Late inclusion Harry Jones had a say on the contest with two majors at important times, while Anthony Caminiti hit the scoreboard when it mattered to close out his first game of the year with a pair of his own.

VOTE FOR YOUR RED ROOSTER SAINTER OF THE ROUND

Jack Higgins was just as much of a thorn in the side of the Bombers’ defensive end, snaffling three majors to give his side a much-needed leg-up early and take his tally to seven goals from his past two outings.

However it was squandered opportunities in front of goal and heading into attack which littered the afternoon and proved to be the Saints’ demise, culminating in multiple frustrations for both Ross Lyon as the margin tightened up and the game wore on. 

Unlike last week where the Saints' pressure game stood tall and closed out Collingwood's ability to find space, the Bombers' ability to find space - furthered by a 101 uncontested mark count - opened the door for them to flood forward in the final term and bank an important four points.

ESSENDON  3.1  5.3  8.5  10.11 (71)
ST KILDA  4.4  6.8  8.12  9.13 (67)

GOALS
Essendon: Langford 3, Stringer 3, Jones 2, Duursma, McGrath
St Kilda: Higgins 3, Caminiti 2, Sinclair, Butler, Owens, Ross

BEST
Essendon: Martin, McGrath, Stringer, Parish, Heppell, Langford, McKay
St Kilda: Ross, Marshall, Steele, Wilkie, Higgins, Battle

INJURIES
Essendon: Durham (shoulder), Duursma
St Kilda: Nil

LATE CHANGES
Essendon: Will Setterfield (knee soreness) replaced by Harry Jones
St Kilda: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Nick Hind replaced Sam Durham in the third quarter
St Kilda: Angus Hastie replaced Cooper Sharman at three-quarter time

CROWD
44,412 at Marvel Stadium