ST KILDA has climbed into the top eight after posting a 31-point win over a depleted Gold Coast in their twilight clash at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The Saints overcame some early sluggishness and a plucky Suns line-up to improve their record to 7-6, winning 14.19 (103) to 10.12 (72) before a crowd of 16,844.
In a must-win game for both finals aspirants, neither team would be entirely happy with their performance given the contest was riddled with skill errors, but the Saints will be pleased they escaped a danger game with four premiership points.
The Suns were always going to find it difficult to pull off an upset after making seven changes, six of which were forced due to injuries, the casualties including superstar Gary Ablett (who'd been scheduled to play his 300th game), fellow midfielders Michael Barlow and Aaron Hall and forward Brandon Matera.
However, they regained quality backmen Rory Thompson and Jarrod Harbrow, along with classy youngsters Touk Miller and Callum Ah Chee – each of whom enjoyed some good moments in a team that provided admirable resistance.
The unchanged Saints looked set to exploit their under-strength opponent when they blazed 2.4 to 0.1 by the midway point of the first term, before the Suns showed they were up for the fight by responding with the next three goals in the space of just five minutes.
It was the start of a 30-minute surge from the visitors in which they kicked seven of 10 goals to lead by nine points in the second quarter.
The Saints replied with the next three goals, two of them in a row to veteran Nick Riewoldt, to lead by 12 points after a first half in which the lead changed 11 times.
It wouldn't change again.
St Kilda stretched its advantage to 23 points late in the third quarter but Gold Coast refused to go away, with Harbrow (29 disposals), Adam Saad (21) and Pearce Hanley (18) providing terrific rebound run and Jack Martin (21) superbly creative in the forward half.
But Hanley's day was cut short early in the final term with a suspected hamstring strain.
When two of the Suns' best performers – youngster Brayden Fiorini (26) and dominant ruckman Jarrod Witts – goaled early in the last quarter, they'd cut the deficit to just 12 points.
However, the Saints regained their composure to boot the next three goals, including one to defender Jake Carlisle, to virtually ice the game midway through the final term.
Young Saint Jack Billings was a standout with a game-high 30 possessions and was particularly brilliant in the first half when he gathered 18 possessions, a goal and five score assists.
Fellow runner Jack Steven (29) started slowly but improved as the game wore on, while Jack Sinclair (26 and a goal), Leigh Montagna (22) and Seb Ross (22) used the ball well when many didn't.
Suns skipper Tom Lynch was held goalless for a second successive week, this time by former Magpie Nathan Brown.
Saints forward Tim Membrey began strongly with two first-term goals and should have finished with three.
Another highlight for the Saints was the massive hanger taken by Jade Gresham in the second quarter, before he let himself down by missing the resultant regulation set shot.
ST KILDA 3.6 8.11 10.14 14.20 (104)
GOLD COAST 4.2 7.5 8.9 10.12 (72)
GOALS
St Kilda: Riewoldt 3, Membrey 2, Newnes 2, Bruce, Weller, Billings, Lonie, Carlisle, Dunstan, Sinclair
Gold Coast: Wright 2, Lemmens, Shaw, Swallow, Witts, Fiorini, Lyons, MacPherson, Saad
BEST
St Kilda: Billings, Newnes, Roberton, Ross, Geary, Sinclair
Gold Coast: Lyons, Harbrow, Thompson, Hanley, Miller
INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
Gold Coast: Hanley (left hamstring)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Gavine, Nicholls, Hosking
Official crowd: 16,844 at Etihad Stadium
