A fierce St Kilda has returned to the winners list in style to keep its hopes of a maiden finals berth alive, rocketing its way to a 34-point win at Frankston’s Kinetic Stadium on Tuesday evening off the back of a six-goal first half without reply.
Nick Dal Santo’s side looked a completely different outfit compared to its past three matches which saw a 3-0 start turn into an even 3-3 ledger, armed with slick ball movement, noticeable intensity and blend of strong hands and firepower in front of the sticks which banked the 7.7 (49) to 2.3 (15) result on Tuesday evening.
Jaimee Lambert (27 disposals, 11 tackles) was again sublime as the focal point of St Kilda’s charge, even battling through a shoulder injury incurred in the shadows of three-quarter time, Jesse Wardlaw netted three majors in a powerful forward performance, while Tyanna Smith (17 disposals, six clearances, one goal) was electric at every turn to ignite the Saints’ run.
There was no better display of such dash and power than Smith’s brilliant burst and goal in the opening term, powering her way from centre-wing, earning the receive from Maddie Boyd before sending the Sherrin through the sticks to cap off her side’s rapid three-goal blitz to open the game.
Smith almost replicated the feat on the siren at half-time, however narrowly missed to keep her side’s first goal burst at six unanswered.
St Kilda had to work its way into the contest as GWS held sway in the game’s opening minutes and muscled its way on top of the contested possessions and clearances counts, and again had to weather through the orange tsunami at the start of the third as Alicia Eva bagged back-to-back majors to give her side some spark.
SAINTS MATCH CENTRE: View all news, stats and videos from Round 7A
But the home side’s relentlessness came up trumps on multiple occasions, as too their fluidity in moving the ball from end-to-end to give their forwards every opportunity to lock the ball inside the arc. And despite bagging just one goal after half-time, the Saints had done the work to keep their plucky opponents, led by usual suspects Alyce Parker (29 disposals) and Rebecca Beeson (24), at bay.
Without midfielders Olivia Vesely (managed) and Hannah Stuart (injured), the Saints were forced to turn to alternate avenues to keep their midfield mix fresh.
First-years Charlotte Simpson (11 tackles) and Kiera Whiley (five) folded through the midfield rotation throughout the night, while the combined force of Simone Nalder and Emmelie Fiedler in the ruck had the better of the Giants’ first-choice ruck in Eilish O’Dowd.
St Kilda will return to the action this Sunday at RSEA Park to face Melbourne in the hopes of improving its tally to five wins, while GWS head to Henson Park to face Adelaide.
ST KILDA 3.2 6.3 6.5 7.7 (49)
GWS 0.1 0.2 2.2 2.3 (15)
GOALS
St Kilda: Wardlaw 2, Guttridge, Smith, Richards
GWS: Eva 2
BEST
St Kilda: Lambert, Smith, Wardlaw, Fiedler, Simpson, Watson
GWS: Parker, Beeson, Srhoj, Eva
INJURIES
St Kilda: Lambert (shoulder)
GWS: Nil
CROWD
1,427 at Kinetic Stadium
