St Kilda has joined Melbourne in proudly wearing its Indigenous Guernsey in celebration of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, with the two sides squaring off in a practice match last weekend at Maroochydore Sports Complex.
The Saints – with a few Roos in tow – started well in 16v16 match with the swirly conditions to their favour, but were unable to sustain their efforts for the remaining three quarters.
Melbourne were the better side after quarter-time, preventing the Saints from playing their brand of football or taking advantage when kicking with the wind.
Dylan Roberton was a highlight in the clinches, and over the past few months has shown outstanding resilience after an incredibly testing period for him and several Saints pushing for a senior berth.
The rebounding defender’s leadership to the young group has been first-rate, as has been the case all year, reaffirming his standing as an integral member of the club’s leadership group.
Ben McGlynn tasked young on-ballers Doulton Langlands and Ryan Byrnes – plus Matty Parker and Jonathon Marsh in bursts – in grappling the bigger-bodied and experienced Dees, but the red and blue muscled their way on top as the match wore on.
Marsh was sturdy in his pinch-hitting rushes, but was given limited opportunities up forward as the Saints struggled to generate clean movement by foot.
Ed Phillips was also solid before copping a ball to the eye, which required the gut-running wingman to have the injury assessed at hospital.
St Kilda’s defence was kept busy following the first change, with Logan Austin and Oscar Clavarino continuing to stitch together consistent marking and rebounding displays.
The Saints’ reserves were joined by several senior coaches and players, who watched on and gave support from the sidelines before heading down the highway to take on Brisbane at the Gabba.
St Kilda won’t see any scratch match action for at least the next few weeks, but will look to freshen up and continue their pushes for senior selection ahead of the season’s final run of matches.
