A game of two halves
Saturday night was a game of starkly different halves. For the duration of the opening half, St Kilda was right up to its neck in the contest. Jack Steven and David Armitage both had 15 disposals to their name by the main break. From a collective perspective, there was minimal differential for disposals (-5), clearances (level), inside 50s (-5) and contested ball (-3). But then a third quarter onslaught broke the game open. The Swans glut of midfield stars dominated. Dan Hannebery, Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy demonstrated why they are all strong All Australian candidates. By three-quarter time a five-point lead had ballooned to a 41-point advantage. And from there, the bleeding didn’t stop. By the final siren, Sydney had piled on 15 goals to four in the second half to win by 70-points. John Longmire’s side also dominated all the key indicators: disposals (-97), inside 50s (-12), contested possessions (-12) and uncontested possessions (-76). As Alan Richardson lamented post-game, the Saints were comprehensively beaten on the inside and outside.
Night of carnage hurts Saints
In comparison to some clubs, St Kilda has enjoyed a relatively clean bill of health this season. But on Saturday night, the Saints endured a night of carnage. Reliable small defender Jarryn Geary tweaked his back in the indoor warm-up and was forced to be a late withdrawal. Then, late in the first quarter Tom Hickey injured his ankle. He spent the first eight minutes of the second term off the ground before returning despite being clearly impeded. Opposed to Swans ruck duo Sam Naismith and Toby Nankervis, Hickey fought gallantly before sitting out the second half of the last quarter. Key defender Sam Fisher also endured a frustrating night. He spent the first part of the third quarter off the ground with lower leg tightness, before being cleaned up by Nankervis in a massive collision minutes after returning. The dual best and fairest winner was taken to hospital for observation, but was released with no structural damage to his jaw.
Finals dream over, but progress clear for all to see
After a month of momentum, St Kilda’s slim finals dream was extinguished on Saturday night, with the 70-point loss making it nearly impossible to qualify for September now. Despite the disappointment still lingering days after the game, 2016 has clearly been a year of progress. After four wins in Alan Richardson’s first season at the helm in 2014, six and a half last year, and now 10 already in 2016, the Saints are plotting an upward trajectory at a time when some of the bottom ten is heading in the opposite direction. Much like Melbourne, who have also won 10 games this year, St Kilda is a leading candidate among the bottom ten sides to contend for finals in 2017. Leaping from 14th into the eight this year was always going to be an enormous task, but the improvement is clear. Could St Kilda end a five-year finals hiatus in 2017? That is the question many will ponder over the pre-season.
Acres rising by the week
Blake Acres has overcome a frustrating start of the season to finish the year with a flurry. Despite earning a NAB Rising Star nomination in Round 6, the West Australian was dropped on three occasions inside the first two months of the year. But since working his way back into the senior side in Round 12, the athletic midfielder has played the last nine games in a row for a season total of 14. In the last three weeks, he has flaunted the progress in his development, averaging 22.7 possessions (10.3 contested), four inside 50s and four tackles. Alan Richardson has singled him out in his last two post-game press conferences and praised the 20-year-old on Saturday night for his positive performance against one of the premier midfields in the AFL.
Armitage shining light on tough night for the midfield
After a quiet month by his lofty standards, David Armitage returned to form under the roof at Etihad Stadium. He set the tone for the Saints around the ball, rising to the occasion against the Swans collection of midfield guns. Armitage was St Kilda’s leading possession (29) and contested ball (13) winner, as well as accumulating the most clearances (seven). All but two of his disposals hit the target on an ultra-clean night by the Queenslander. Behind Jack Newnes (70.3), Armitage was the second ranked player on the ground for pressure points (59.3). Across 21 rounds, he is ranked No. 2 for pressure points at St Kilda (49.3), narrowly behind Jack Steven.
