Round 16 - Carlton v St Kilda
Saturday July 13, 7:40pm at Etihad Stadium
 

B: Rhys Stanley, James Gwilt, Sean Dempster
HB: Farren Ray, Dylan Roberton, Clint Jones
C: Jack Newnes, Lenny Hayes, Jarryn Geary
HF: David Armitage, Nick Riewoldt, Leigh Montagna
F: Stephen Milne, Tom Lee, Trent Dennis-Lane
Foll: Ben McEvoy, Nick Dal Santo, Jack Steven
Int: Tom Hickey, Brodie Murdoch, Josh Saunders, Terry Milera
Em: Arryn Siposs, Seb Ross, Nathan Wright

In: Nick Riewoldt, Stephen Milne
Out: Nathan Wright (Omitted), Ahmed Saad (Omitted)

Overview:

The Saints will inject more than 500 games of experience into their forward line, with captain Nick Riewoldt and goal-sneak Stephen Milne both returning after stints on the sidelines.

St Kilda will head into Saturday’s match hopeful of causing an upset, having defeated Carlton the last time the two sides met in round seven this season. The Saints have won their last four matches against the Blues, and have an impressive record that stretches back even further - Carlton has beaten St Kilda just twice in the two clubs’ last 18 meetings.

Though both sides lost last week, the defeats were vastly different. St Kilda will take plenty of confidence from its spirited performance against Fremantle in the west, while Carlton will be determined to move on quickly from last week’s loss to Collingwood.

St Kilda will be wary of facing a fired-up Carlton outfit desperate to stay in touch with the top eight. The Saints, on the other hand, would love to get some reward for their recent effort, with a number of young players turning in improved performances against Fremantle last week.

Expect both sides to play a fairly free-flowing, attacking brand of football on Saturday night. The conditions, under a closed roof at Etihad Stadium, will be perfect for both sides’ speedy small forwards.

Stat focus:

  • The Saints and Blues rank first and second respectively in running bounces.
  • St Kilda is the sixth-best side at rebounding from defensive 50, while Carlton ranks 10th.
  • St Kilda’s disposal efficiency is the eighth-best in the league - Carlton’s is the third-worst.
  • St Kilda has given away more free kicks than any team this year, but Carlton has been awarded fewer free kicks than any other side.
  • Carlton’s Andrew Walker is fourth in the AFL for total kicks this season. St Kilda’s Leigh Montagna is sixth.
  • St Kilda has two players averaging more than 25 possessions per game this season - Leigh Montagna and Jack Steven. Carlton has none.
  • Carlton forward Levi Casboult is averaging the most contested marks in the league (2.6 per game). Fellow Blue Jarrad Waite is second in this statistic, while Nick Riewoldt is sixth.
  • Riewoldt is second in average marks per game.

Injury list:

St Kilda:
Sam Fisher (toe) Season
Adam Schneider (hamstring) Test
Justin Koschitzke (calf) 4-6 weeks
Sam Gilbert (knee) 3-4 weeks
Daniel Markworth (knee) Season
Beau Maister (hamstring) 4-5 weeks
Jason Blake (calf) Test
Jackson Ferguson (knee) 5 weeks

Carlton:
Jarrad Waite (knee) Test
Tom Bell (jaw) 2 weeks
Andrew Collins (foot) 3 weeks
David Ellard (calf) 3-4 weeks
Shaun Hampson (knee) 4 weeks
Patrick McCarthy (foot) 4 weeks
Rhys O’Keeffe (foot) 2-3 weeks

Last week:

St Kilda 11.4 (70) defeated by Fremantle 15.10 (100)
Carlton 12.5 (77) defeated by Collingwood 17.16 (118)

What they say:
(Carlton coach Mick Malthouse last Friday)
“You can’t re-invent the year. What’s happened has happened. We are now going into the next round and we have to be better. The ladder is totally and utterly irrelevant for us.”

What we say:
(St Kilda veteran Lenny Hayes on Sunday)
“Its an exciting time at the moment. We had to respond after (the Richmond match). It’s probably the youngest side I’ve been involved in and I thought they really stood up (against Fremantle).”

“There were some really good signs, and something to build on, and we’ve just got to back that up (on Saturday against Carlton).”

Running hot:
St Kilda: Jack Steven
Steven is having his best season yet, averaging more than 25 possessions per game and providing plenty of inside grunt-work to complement his outstanding pace and energy on the outside. Steven gathered a career-high 39 possessions in a best-on-ground performance when these two sides last met in round seven.

Carlton: Brock McLean
The once-maligned midfielder has become one of Carlton’s most consistent performers, playing every game this season and ranking second at the Blues in both disposals and marks. McLean has averaged 24 possessions and 5.5 clearances in his last six matches, and was one of Carlton’s best in last Friday’s disappointing loss to Collingwood.

Watch out for:
St Kilda:Tom Lee
Lee kicked three goals and took six marks against Fremantle in just his third AFL match last week. The 194-centimetre forward will benefit from having captain Nick Riewoldt alongside him, to occupy the Blues’ best key defender, and offer leadership and instruction. St Kilda hopes Lee will develop into a key forward in coming years, with Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke entering the twilight of their careers.

Carlton: Matthew Kreuzer
The former number-one draft pick will have plenty to prove in his 100th AFL game. Kreuzer copped a heap of criticism after his poor performance against the Magpies last Friday night, with some commentators suggesting he be put on the trade table at year’s end. The 24-year-old ruckman laughed off the suggestions this week, but he’ll be determined to turn his form around with a strong performance in his milestone match.

Last time they met:
Round 7, 2013 at Etihad Stadium
St Kilda 11.11 (77) defeated Carlton 9.14 (68)
Disposals: Steven (39), Judd (27)
Goals: Riewoldt (3), Henderson (3)