St. Kilda toppled the Giants
St Kilda 7.2 17.6 19.7 25.13 (163)
Greater Western Sydney 2.1 2.3 3.5 5.5 (35)
St. Kilda has scored a commanding 128 points over Greater Western Sydney at Etihad Stadium.
St. Kilda at times looked like the Harlem Globetrotters as they employed precision skills to slice GWS apart.
Dempster was magnificent for the Saints, collecting 29 disposals and 14 marks in a best on ground performance, while Dal Santo, Montagna and Milne were also great for the Saints. Greene was once again the Giants best, collecting another 34 quality disposals.
St. Kilda flew out of the blocks, with Stephen Milne and Beau Wilkes kicking two goals each to start off the game. The Saints were in complete control, dominating around the midfield, causing turnovers that provided Milne and Wilkes with ample opportunity inside 50.
A quick snap by Treloar up the other end however provided the Giants with their first goal of the afternoon, which was quickly backed up with a goal to Adams. Terry Milera laid to rest any chance of a run on, converting his running shot on goal to restore the natural order while Milne followed by kicking his third goal for the quarter. A mark after the siren to Goddard resulted in the Saints seventh goal and St. Kilda’s best first quarter this season with the margin at 31 points.
The second quarter was a horror show for the Giants, as St. Kilda applied no mercy in a clinical display of Australian rules football, kicking 10 unanswered goals in commanding fashion.
Milne continued on his merry way, taking his tally for the day to five goals in his search for an unlikely Coleman medal.
The most exciting bit of play in the quarter was the end-to-end goal that resulted in Cripps kicking his first goal. A Milne hanger to create a turnover in the Giants forward line resulted in sublime skills from the Saints as the ball made it’s way in the blink of an eye to Cripps, who converted on the run from 50 metres out.
Though the opposition was sub par, this quarter alone provides optimism for Saint supporters heading in to 2013, such were the impeccable skills on display that culminated in to a 93 point half time lead.
The third quarter was far less impressive for St. Kilda, as they struggled for any meaningful forward foray. In fact, Cooyou’s goals for GWS was the only goals scored for either team in the first 19 minutes of the quarter. It was a result of the Giants being much more competitive after the first half and St. Kilda just bombing forward with no real intent, often resulting in the ball coming out back out of the fifty just as quickly as it went in.
A Dal Santo goal finally gave the home team their first goal of the quarter, while a late Milera goal saved St. Kilda the embarrassment of losing the quarter, giving the Saints a 98-point lead at the final change.
St. Kilda finished the game of in much better fashion after a disappointing third quarter. The Saints started to hit their targets again inside 50 as opposed to the kick and hope methodology of the previous quarter. Goals to Wilkes, Goddard and Ledger saw the margin finally pass the 100 point barrier that had been close for the previous quarter.
An exceptional loang goal from the boundary to Hampton gave GWS arguably their best highlight of the day, however it was quickly answered by the Saints ruckman McEnvoy.
Treloar added the last of the Giants score for the day with his second goal, while Siposs and Goddard capped off their day with goals to hand St. Kilda comprehensive 128 point win.
St. Kilda will now face a Carlton side playing for finals next Sunday afternoon while the Giants will host North Melbourne to finish off the season next Saturday.
VOTES
3) Sean Dempster
2) Nick Dal Santo
1) Leigh Montagna
St Kilda 7.2 17.6 19.7 25.13 (163)
Greater Western Sydney 2.1 2.3 3.5 5.5 (35)
GOALS
St Kilda: Milne 5, Milera 3, Wilkes 3, Goddard 3, Cripps 2, Montagna 2, Stanley, Newnes, Saad, Dal Santo, Ledger, McEvoy, Siposs
Greater Western Sydney: Treloar 2, Adams, Cooyou, Hampton
BEST
St Kilda: Dempster, Dal Santo, Montagna, Milne, Geary, Siposs, Goddard, Cripps
Greater Western Sydney: Greene, Power, Adams, Haynes, Tyson
INJURIES
St Kilda: Gilbert (groin)
Greater Western Sydney: McDonald (ankle)
SUBSTITUTES
St Kilda: Lenny Hayes (rested) replaced by Seb Ross at half time
Greater Western Sydney: James McDonald (ankle) replaced by Matt Buntine at half time
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Hosking, Findlay, Mitchell
Official crowd: 17,327 at Etihad Stadium
