Third quarter blitz blazes path to victory
19 more contested possessions. 40 more disposals. 10 more inside 50s. 10 more tackles. They were the numbers that led to St Kilda’s dominant display in the third quarter of Saturday’s 75-point win in Tasmania. In a blistering 30-minute burst, the Saints piled on 8.5 to 1.2 to dismantle the Hawks at their home away from home; a venue where Hawthorn had won their last 19 games and 26 of their previous 27. Six days after being taught a lesson by Geelong’s midfield, the Saints’ engine room responded in emphatic fashion at University of Tasmania Stadium, winning contested ball + 36, tackles + 17, inside 50s + 12 and disposals + 83. Jack Steven led the way all day and won the medal, Seb Ross continued his strong form, Mav Weller spent plenty of time around the ball and Koby Stevens was exceptional on debut, as was another recent recruit in Jack Steele.
Saint Nick adds another accolade to resume
When Nick Riewoldt kicked his second goal early in the third quarter, the champion centre-half forward became just the third player in St Kilda’s history to boot 700 goals, joining Tony Lockett (898) and Bill Mohr (735) in rare territory. Only Lance Franklin (801 goals) has more goals to his name than any other current player in the game, with the six-time Trevor Barker Award winner leaping over Fremantle legend Matthew Pavlich into 22nd spot on the all-time AFL/VFL goal kicking list on 702. Riewoldt now has 13 goals from the first six rounds and is averaging 8.8 marks per game – No. 4 in the competition behind West Coast half-back flanker Elliot Yeo. Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey also hit the scoreboard against the Hawks, both finishing with 3.2.
Interstate mission accomplished
It may only be Round 6, but St Kilda travelled to Tasmania to face the Hawks in what could prove to be a defining game in their season. A loss would have confined the Saints to a 2-4 start; a long way from a return to the promised land in September. But a win, on interstate soil, has injected life into the season. Not only did the Saints crush Hawthorn’s 19-game winning streak, Alan Richardson’s men also ended a 10-game losing streak on the road. Having gone close to upsetting West Coast in Perth in Round 2, St Kilda never looked like getting beaten in Launceston, controlling the game from start to finish. The even spread of contribution across the board was one of the major positives to come out of the win, with 14 players collecting at least 20 possessions. Seven players also kicked two or more goals, including rebounding defender Dylan Roberton who continued his brilliant start to 2017 and would be in All-Australian contention if the team was named right now.
After a frustrating start, Stevens makes up for lost time
Koby Stevens’ career in red, white and black hasn’t quite started the way he would have hoped when he crossed from the Western Bulldogs last October, but he made up for lost time in Tasmania. The 25-year-old was on track for a Round 1 club debut before salmonella poisoning hospitalised him for a week and put his season on hold. Stevens told The Age after Saturday’s win: “I’ve never been so sick in my life. The hardest thing was getting back into training because I’d lost a lot of muscle.” Eight kilos withered away from his frame, but he has stacked it back on and returned with a vengeance against the Hawks. Stevens, who was taken the pick before Jake Carlisle in the 2009 draft, burst out of the blocks on the weekend, before finishing with 28 possessions (12 contested), six clearances and two goals in an eye-catching effort first-up.
Plenty of gas in the tank
A month ago, Jack Steven spent an extra couple of nights in Perth nursing a punctured lung. After missing a fortnight, the star midfielder returned against Geelong last weekend and was arguably the best player on the ground in the first half. By his own admission, Steven “ran out of gas last week” with a combination of the nature of the injury and a lack of game time catching up with him in the second half as he faded in line with his team. But on a perfect day for football in the apple isle, Steven dominated the Hawks to earn the Silk Miller Medal for his best on ground performance. The 27-year-old finished with the most possessions on the ground – 36 (12 contested) – 497 metres gained, eight tackles and five inside 50s. His high octane bursts from stoppages and penetrating right foot worried the Hawks at times and now Steven looks like his back up and running, which is timely given the Giants are coming to town on Friday night.
