Round 3 at the 'G. 150 years of Saints history. Where will you be?

Your comprehensive, one-stop guide for this week's blockbuster Saturday at the MCG as St Kilda celebrates 150 years of red, white and black.

Round 3 | 150 Years at the 'G

St Kilda v Essendon
Saturday 1 April
7:25pm AEDT, MCG
Broadcast live on Channel 7, Fox Footy, Kayo and the AFL Live Official App

Gates open 5:30pm. Be in your seats for our pre-game celebration by 6:45pm, featuring entertainment from Dan Sultan, Ella Hooper, Alex Lahey and the Melbourne Gospel Choir.

Round 3 is a St Kilda HOME game.

Be there to fill the stands as we go for a record crowd at the MCG. Take advantage of our $15 Ticket Flash Sale on GA Tickets now or treat yourself to a great view in amongst the action!

Round 3 tickets are also now available for Reserved Bay members to pre-book, or General Admission access members who wish to upgrade their seat.

Click here to browse our other seating and ticketing offerings for St Kilda's biggest game.

Members, don’t forget to please check your email for detailed instructions from our Membership Team on how to make the most out of this process.

Prefer to talk to someone in person? Saints membership staff will be available around the ground.

Got a question? Click here to view our FAQs.

The Member Zone is a new online space dedicated to link St Kilda members with all the information they need to get the most out of their memberships.

To access our Member Zone, click here.

Plan your journey with PTV Journey Planner to make sure you get to the game on time and with ease. 

Please make sure to arrive at the ground with plenty of time to spare. Pre-game entertainment will begin from 6:30pm.

For more information on how this may affect your travel, please click here. 

New to the 'G? Here's all you need to know to navigate the Home of Football.

Parking

Limited general public parking in Yarra Park is available for this match. Click here for parking information as well as alternative parking options close to the MCG, and continue to check regularly for updates. Parking is subject to availability, and may fill for this match. Please arrive early and keep an eye on the MCG Twitter account for parking updates.

Parking can be pre-booked via Ticketek here, subject to capacity. Patrons who pre-book parking should allow plenty of time to arrive and park to ensure you are inside the ground for the match start. Queues to enter Yarra Park parking gates are likely. A pre-booked parking ticket does not allow express entry.

Inside the 'G...

• You will be required to enter via the gate listed on your ticket.
• The MCG is a cashless venue. All food, beverage, merchandise and ticketing outlets will be cashless – so all transactions will need to be made on your debit or credit card.
• The MCG is a smoke, e-cigarette and vape free venue. Patrons found smoking or vaping inside the Ground will face immediate eviction.
• At the MCG, your safety is our priority. If you experience any form of antisocial behaviour, please report it by texting 'Assist' to the MCG's antisocial text hotline on +61 409 117 621.

The G-Train Mobility Shuttle Service

The G-Train Mobility Shuttle Service operates during public events held at the MCG.

The service is free and accessible to patrons with mobility challenges. The G-Train also features vehicles with wheelchair-friendly access.

Pre-booking is not required; simply wait at a designated pick up point for the next available buggy. The service has pick up points from the following locations:

• Richmond Station
• Jolimont Station
• Accessible Parking Area

For more information about getting to the MCG and Saturday's match, click here.

Grab your official 150th Year Merchandise from the Saints Merch Truck on the concourse outside Gate 2 from 5:30pm.

There's no better time to wear your colours with pride as we celebrate our 150th year, so make sure to pick up all your commemorative merchandise, including our 150th Year Heritage Guernsey, woollen scarves and more.

There will be a very limited number of 150th Year Heritage Guernseys available on the night exclusive to the Saints Merch Truck, so head to our online store to pre-order yours.

Saturday is just as much of a great time to redeem your 2023 member voucher, so head down and chat to our friendly staff to cash yours in. Alternatively, you can use your voucher to collect your 2023 member cap, beanie or scarf via the online Saints Locker shop. 

Click here to view and purchase your official Saints gear, exclusive to Saints Locker.

Make sure you’re in your seat at quarter-time to watch some familiar faces kick off this year’s newest game day activation, the Big Roost!

Thanks to our friends at Red Rooster, each home game will see a pair of Saints fans face off to see who can kick the biggest roost on the biggest stage.

To put your hat in the ring and put your roost to the test, register here.

From 5:30pm, our friends at Linenhouse will be giving away 150 specially themed cushions.

Grab yours between Gates 2 and 3 on the concourse, but be quick before they're all gone! Keep an eye out for your opportunity to grab a photo with a Saint during this time.

Additionally, team poster giveaways will be happening around the ground with thanks to VRGF.

Experience Saints history like you've never seen before with our brand-new history site, saints150.com.au.

Built by the club in conjunction with web design agency JTB Studios, saints150.com.au brings the Saints’ unique and unmatched story to life like members and fans have never seen before.

Users can unearth and discover the club’s storied past through the website’s interactive timeline, chronicling every defining moment – beginning from 1873 – which has seen the red, white and black through to today’s milestone year.

The website also includes a detailed look at St Kilda’s iconic heroes via its dynamic Hall of Fame, Team of the Century, Indigenous Stars and '66 Premiership sections, as well as an in-depth recounting into the club’s evolution of both its visual and physical identity through the respective Jumpers and Homes pages.

Follow St Kilda's official social media channels for all the latest news and behind-the-scenes action on game day.

Join the conversation and show your support through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter by using the official hashtags #SaintsFooty and #AFLSaintsDons.

Visit the official Saints Match Centre for live in-game stats, highlights, news and other updates.

St Kilda has celebrated its 150th anniversary in style and maintained an unbeaten start to the season with a tough 18-point win over Essendon.

Jack Higgins and Dan Butler kicked four goals each for the Saints, whose blistering opening and stifling defence were features of the 14.8 (92) to 11.8 (74) victory at the MCG.

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But there were some nervous moments in the final term when the Bombers drew level - having trailed by 34 points early in the match - before St Kilda steadied with a five-goal burst to put the result to bed.

It improved the Saints' record to 3-0 under returned coach Ross Lyon this season, while Brad Scott was dealt his first loss in charge of Essendon.

Tony Lockett, Ian Stewart, Ross Smith, Barry Breen and Nicky Winmar were among the St Kilda greats on hand to help celebrate the club's milestone, part of a 69,255-strong crowd.

The faithful who turned up got their money's worth as witnesses to a rollercoaster ride of a contest.

St Kilda's opening two goals were gifts from 50m penalties against Mason Redman and they had the first five majors on the board before time-on in the first term.

Late to the party, Essendon trailed by 27 points at quarter-time.

Momentum swung around the contest when the Bombers lifted their intensity, with Will Setterfield setting an example.

Essendon moved Kyle Langford forward at the final change and kicked the first three goals of the final term.

A pair of Jye Caldwell snaps came either side of Langford's toe-poke on the line.

But Higgins and Jade Gresham provided quick replies for the Saints, who booted five successive goals as they kicked into party mode.

Brad Crouch (31 disposals), Jack Sinclair (26), Mason Wood (27), Seb Ross (24) and Gresham (23) were all strong contributors.

Nic Martin (27 disposals) was among the Bombers' best and Darcy Parish racked up 34 touches, with Caldwell and Archie Perkins kicking two goals each.

Jordan Ridley and Jake Kelly were solid in defence but explosive forward Jake Stringer had little impact on return from injury, kicking one goal from eight disposals.

As part of their 150th celebrations, St Kilda inducted former star players Leigh Montagga and Nick Dal Santo into the club's Hall of Fame.

Champion full-forward Bill Mohr was posthumously elevated to Saints 'Legend' status.

Can these Saints get to football heaven?
Saturday night's clash was the pinnacle of a week celebrating St Kilda's 150th anniversary. Club greats including Nicky Winmar, Tony Lockett and Neil Roberts lined up on the ground before the first bounce, and recent alumni Leigh Montagna and Nick Dal Santo were honoured as new inductees to the Saints' Hall of Fame. So often a big night can carry too much pressure for the team that takes the field and things can go horribly wrong on the night, but Ross Lyon's side was well and truly up for the occasion. The win gives St Kilda its first 3-0 start to a season since 2010, a year where they came so close to winning a premiership. Could this side be the one to go that one step further and deliver a second flag to Moorabbin?

Bombers' big hole up forward
When Peter Wright was injured on the eve of round one it looked dire for the Bombers' scoring ability, yet they started 2-0 on the back of a pair of 100+ scores with goals coming from everywhere. However, against the Saints holes started to appear. Essendon still found avenues to score through, but the lack of a reliable structure showed. Sam Weideman was a contributor but didn't trouble the scorers. Jake Stringer kicked one from limited input in his first game of the year and Harry Jones was subbed out without a major to his name. While predictability can be the enemy of a dynamic attack, a reliable target can be the foundation that the best forward lines are built on. The Bombers need someone to stand up - and that's all they have to do - and they need them to do it soon.

ST KILDA       5.4    7.5    9.7    14.8 (92)
ESSENDON     1.1    4.5    6.6    11.8 (74)
 
GOALS 
St Kilda: Higgins 4, Butler 4, Wood, Owens, Caminiti, Gresham, Windhager, Hill
Essendon: Perkins 2, Caldwell 2, Shiel 2, Langford, Stringer, Menzie, Martin, Parish

BEST 
St Kilda: Wood, Wilkie, Marshall, Ross, Crouch, Higgins
Essendon: Kelly, Ridley, Parish, Merrett, Shiel, Martin

INJURIES 
St Kilda: Webster (head), Ross (head)
Essendon: Davey (head)
 
SUBSTITUTES 
St Kilda: Ben Paton (replaced Zaine Cordy in the third quarter)
Essendon: Nick Hind (replaced Harrison Jones in the third quarter)
 
Crowd: 69,255 at the MCG