St Kilda vs Brisbane
Friday April 25, 5.45pm (AEST)
Westpac Stadium, Wellington

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Overview:
Following on from last year’s successful and pioneering foray into New Zealand, St Kilda’s round six match against Brisbane this Friday will again test the Kiwi waters in the second overseas match ever. 

But above all else, St Kilda has a chance to go 4-2 after six rounds - a position many pundits outside the club would have scoffed at two months ago.

Brisbane is winless but looked far from demoralised against Richmond last Friday.  With Jonathan Brown in sublime form and Pearce Hanley a welcome inclusion, Justin Leppitsch’s men are far from the easy-beats their win-loss record suggests they are.

Yes, they suffered a crushing loss to Port Adelaide a fortnight ago, but their much-improved endeavour and ball movement at the Gabba last week suggests the Lions will be a difficult team to crack on Anzac Day.

Like Brisbane, St Kilda suffered a huge loss two weeks ago, but unlike the Lions, Alan Richardson’s men responded with an inspiring victory over Essendon.

Nick Riewoldt was dominant once again, while Lenny Hayes’ and Leigh Montagna’s ball-winning abilities complemented the grunt of Luke Dunstan and the boyish flair of second-gamer Jack Billings.

It’s this refreshing blend of youth and experience that has carried St Kilda to three wins this year, and with David Armitage, Nathan Wright and Adam Schneider missing due to injury and suspension, the young brigade of up-and-comers will be required to lift the Saints once again.

For the first time in 2014, St Kilda enters a fixture as favourites. How the Saints deal with this added pressure will be an intriguing element of what promises to be a fiercely-fought contest between two clubs eager to win their first games on international soil.
Stat focus:
- Brisbane is ranked 18th for disposals, contested possessions, contested marks, marks inside 50 and inside 50s.
- St Kilda is ranked 15th for free kicks this year
- Farren Ray is ranked fourth in the AFL for total kicks, averaging 17.8 per game.
- Ryan Lester has earned 11 free kicks this season, more than any other player from either St Kilda or Brisbane
- Nick Riewoldt is leading the Coleman Medal with Jay Schulz – both have booted 17 goals.
- Clinton Jones has chalked up seven goal assists this season, ranked second in the AFL
- Jack Redden has laid 40 tackles in 2014, ranked equal first with Daniel Cross in the AFL.

Injury list:
St Kilda:
Lewis Pierce (back) – 3 weeks
Sam Gilbert (foot) – 4 weeks
Nathan Wright (leg) – 10-12 weeks
David Armitage (leg) – 3-4 weeks
Brisbane:
Claye Beams (foot) – 2 weeks
Ash McGrath (calf) – TBC
Daniel Rich (knee) – season
Brent Staker (calf) – indefinite
Stefan Martin (back) – TBC
Patrick Wearden (ankle) – 10 weeks
Matthew Leuenberger (knee) – 10-12 weeks
Pearce Hanley (hamstring) – test

Last week:
St Kilda 11.15 (81) defeated Essendon 9.11 (65)
Brisbane 9.9 (63) defeated by Richmond 15.16 (106)

What we say (St Kilda midfielder Leigh Montagna):
We probably haven’t gone into a game as strong favourites yet this year. But the results are irrelevant - it’s about how we want to play… Nothing will change whether we’re favourites or underdogs.

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What they say (Brisbane assistant coach Peter Schwab):
St Kilda has played in New Zealand so they are probably a little bit more aware of the dimensions of the ground.
We’re confident. We trained well today and I’m sure we will give a really good show.

Riewoldt’s the key. He’s the form player of the competition no doubt and the player we need to control.

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Running hot:
St Kilda: Tom Curren
Curren isn’t 'running hot' from a statistical perspective, but he’s become one of St Kilda’s most integral contributors this season with his defensive work.

The youngster has had the better of every opponent he’s matched up on, from Bernie Vince to Adam Treloar to Dyson Heppell last week – he’s been outstanding.

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Tom Rockliff looms as his likely opponent this week, and Curren is sure to have his hands full – The Brisbane playmaker has collected 30 or more disposals in each of the last three weeks.

Brisbane: Jonathan Brown
The veteran forward was back to his best in his 250th game last week, booting four goals and taking nine marks in a vintage performance.

Although he no longer possesses the agility or pace that he was had, Brown remains a focal point for the Lions and St Kilda simply must pay him the respect he deserves.

Watch out for:
St Kilda: Jack Billings
After a half-an-hour glimpse in round one, St Kilda fans were treated to a full game of Jack Billings last week and the left-footer didn’t disappoint. He gathered 19 disposals, largely playing as a small forward, and booted two goals.

The 18-year-old doesn’t need to collect much of the ball to have an impact on the game, with his precise kicking skills a potential threat to any opposition defenders.

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Brisbane: Dayne Zorko
Zorko has enjoyed a consistent start to the season, averaging 25.2 disposals per outing and providing great run and carry through the midfield.

At his best, the 43-gamer can tear a game apart with his evasive running and long kicking and he looms as a pivotal player for the Lions on Friday evening.

Last time they met:
Round 14, 2013 at The Gabba
St Kilda 11.11 (77) defeated by Brisbane 16.12 (108)
Disposals: Dal Santo (31), Rockliff (39)
Goals: Riewoldt (2), Merrett (3)