GOLD COAST will take a 57-point lead into the third quarter after a dominant first half display.

The Suns booted the first two goals of the game before Terry Milera replied with his first major of the season after a well-read intercept mark.

However Milera's calm finish did little to rattle the Suns, who stepped up their midfield spread and clearance work via a combination of quick hands and even quicker thinking.

Time after time St Kilda midfielders looked to have the likes of Dion Prestia, Gary Ablett and David Swallow cornered until a rapid chain of two or three handballs and precise kick opened the play up for the visiting team.

Ablett's first term yielded three goals and eight disposals in a half-an-hour passage of play that closely resembled his most recent quarter of football against North Melbourne a fortnight ago.

The Suns skipper added another major to his tally a few minutes before half-time, as the Saints continually found themselves chasing the dual Brownlow medallist to all corners of the ground. As the football cliche goes, Ablett looks to have bought his own ball this afternoon.

For St Kilda, Jack Steven (18 touches) worked his way into the game in the second quarter and snapped an opportunistic goal in the first, while Jack Newnes and Jimmy Webster have both provided considerable run from half-back.

While the majority of the key statistical indicators are relatively even, it's the intangible ease of Gold Coast's outside run and subsequent forward 50 entries which will worry Alan Richardson the most, along with Ablett's profound impact on a game that appears more free-flowing an open than any other Saints match this season.

Much like last week, Leigh Montagna has been largely unsighted in the first half and has gathered just six disposals, while Nick Riewoldt hasn't enjoyed great delivery and has just four touches without hitting the scoreboard.

STK: 4.4 (28)
GC:   13.7 (85)

BEST:
Newnes, Steven, Hayes, Webster, Dempster

GOALS:
Ray, Steven, Stanley, Milera