St Kilda have fallen to Brisbane by 17 points in the penultimate game of its season on Friday night.

The Saints will kick themselves, going goalless in the last quarter following a five-goal term to head into three-quarter time.

Hugh McCluggage was excellent for the Lions with 24 disposals and a goal, while Daniel Rich was also terrific with 26 disposals. Mason Wood kicked four goals for St Kilda, while youngster Marcus Windhager did an exemplary tagging job on Lachie Neale.

Brisbane could have buried the Saints early such was its dominance in the first quarter, with the Lions notching 14 inside-50s to four before the Saints started to get moving.

The game was an armwrestle between the arcs, with a classy Wood goal in the final minute of the quarter pushing the Saints five points ahead before Eric Hipwood kicked a goal on the siren to give the Lions a one-point advantage at the first break.

The Lions put their collective foot down in the second term. They kicked four goals to one to establish a 22-point break and clear dominance. 

But the switch flicked in the third quarter as the Saints stormed back. The Lions were ill-disciplined, with St Kilda making the most of it. Rayner kicked what looked like being a steadying goal for the Lions midway through the term but that sparked the Saints, with Wood and Tim Membrey kicking two goals each for the term to stun the Lions and take a five-point lead into the last change.

But inaccuracy would end up hurting the Saints, with a four goal final term for the Lions seeing them home under the lights of Marvel Stadium.

Wood on fire
It was one of Mason Wood's best games in his time at St Kilda. Wood kicked four goals and also set up an important major for Tim Membrey in the third quarter to help the Saints during their rush against the Lions. Wood's classy left-foot kicking and craft inside-50 was a factor in keeping the Saints in the game before their run after half-time. It was clearly Wood's best game for the Saints since arriving from North Melbourne ahead of the 2021 season. 

Young Saint gets a big scalp
Marcus Windhager continues to pick up valuable experience in his first season at the Saints. The club has used Windhager in tagging roles in recent weeks, including a sensational job against West Coast's Tim Kelly when he was kept to four disposals in round 19, and again on Friday gave him a task against the raging Brownlow Medal favourite Lachie Neale. Windhager stuck to the task expertly, keeping Neale to nine disposals in the first half whilst also winning nine touches himself, before finishing with 21 disposals and keeping Neale to a total of 16 – his lowest tally this season. 

ST KILDA               3.1       4.2       9.7      9.12 (66)
BRISBANE             3.2       7.6       8.8      12.9 (81)

GOALS  
St Kilda: Wood 4, Membrey 3, Higgins 2
Brisbane: Rayner 4, Daniher 2, Hipwood 2, Cameron, McCarthy, McCluggage, McStay

 
BEST  
St Kilda: Wood, Windhager, Membrey, Ross, Sinclair, Marshall
Brisbane: Rayner, McCluggage, Rich, McInerney, Berry

INJURIES  
St Kilda: Webster (hamstring)
Brisbane: Nil  

SUBSTITUTES  
St Kilda: Zak Jones (replaced Webster in the first quarter)
Brisbane: Ryan Lester