ST KILDA has the second largest Indigenous cohort in the AFL and it was the Saints' First Nations players that led the club to its first ever victory in the Northern Territory on Sunday. 

Melbourne kicked the first goal of the game, but St Kilda kicked the next six first-quarter goals and led comfortably from then onwards to defeat the Demons by 28 points at TIO Traeger Park.

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera provided yet another reminder of how important he is to St Kilda, overcoming a Head Injury Assessment in the second quarter to produce a stunning second half performance to lead the Saints to victory.

The half-back should be in the All-Australian team at half-back at the halfway point of the year, finishing with 29 disposals – 27 kicks – and 795m gained in another dazzling display that shows why he is one of the most exciting players in the country. 

Ross Lyon handed Marcus Windhager one of the biggest challenges in the game right now – stopping Kysaiah Pickett – and the St Kilda Next Generation Academy product nailed the brief, nullifying one of the in-form players in the competition, while finishing with 28 touches and five clearances in Alice Springs. 

Isaac Keeler slotted three important goals on a day where the Demons didn't take their chances in front of goal, while veteran Bradley Hill also made a decent contribution to help the Saints beat Melbourne for the first time since round 19, 2019.

Vice-captain Cal Wilkie dictated terms down back, helping St Kilda cope with Melbourne winning the inside 50 count by 17, with the 2023 All-Australian key defender amassing a career-high 31 disposals, 15 marks, 11 intercepts and nine rebound 50s in a masterclass in defence. 

St Kilda arrived in Alice Springs on the back of three straight losses – and with only one win since round four – and started like a team with that form line. But the Saints quickly clicked, kicking six consecutive goals after conceding the first.

Melbourne was stunned. They looked like the team that got smashed by 92 points in this fixture last year, not the team that had won five of its past six games to be back in finals contention. 

The Saints kicked six goals in 14 minutes to stun the Demons.

Max Hall kicked the first – and the last of that sequence – after St Kilda went coast to coast, just when Pickett appeared to have snapped Melbourne's second goal only for Bradley Hill to intercept on the line and swiftly turn defence into attack.

Isaac Keeler has been thrown around in his first five games, but started in attack on Steven May, and outworked him early, kicking two first-quarter goals to provide a target inside a forward line still without Max King.

Hunter Clark ensured St Kilda kept its foot down early in the second quarter by kicking the first goal, moments after being controversially penalised for a bump on Trent Rivers.

But Melbourne responded, kicking four goals, including two from Christian Petracca when they needed someone to stand up.

Wanganeen-Milera was forced off the ground for 15 minutes for a head injury assessment after a bump by Aidan Johnson that will come under scrutiny from the Match Review Officer.

Dan Butler kicked two of his three first-half goals in four minutes. 

Scoring dried up early in the third quarter. It was scrappy, with Keeler dropping a mark in the goal square that bobbled through. It took 14 minutes for Hill to kick the first goal of the second half, but Melbourne kept peppering the goals, with Harry Petty paid a free kick for holding the ball on Mason Wood in the pocket before reducing the margin to two goals.

Wanganeen-Milera was at his exquisite best by foot in the third quarter, swerving through traffic and drilling the ball with penetration, which resulted in a goal late that extended the margin to 17 points at the final break.

Melbourne took two marks inside 50 in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, but Daniel Turner, who was moved forward at three-quarter time, and Jake Melksham missed both chances.

St Kilda swept forward and Mitch Owens made the Demons pay by converting their first chance of the quarter. It was the tale of the game. St Kilda converted its chances; Melbourne didn't. 

Now the Saints still have a pulse in 2025.

More injury headaches for young star

Jack Carroll's first appearance for St Kilda started earlier than planned after Ross Lyon picked him as the sub. The delisted free agent was activated halfway through the first quarter after Mattaes Phillipou was subbed out due to a calf injury. Phillipou didn't play until round nine due to a pre-season stress fracture in his femur. Now the South Australian is facing more time on the sidelines. 

Butler back in business

This year hasn't gone to plan for Dan Butler. It took him much longer than expected to overcome an Achilles issue to start the year. Then it took him five VFL games to earn a spot back in Ross Lyon's best 23. On Sunday, the small forward made the most of his first chance of 2025, booting four goals, all from inside 30m in a classy display in the Red Centre.

MELBOURNE     2.2     6.9     7.13     7.21 (63)
ST KILDA          6.2     9.4     11.6     14.7 (91)

GOALS
Melbourne: Petracca 2, Petty, Melksham, Johnson, Fritsch, Chandler
St Kilda: Butler 4, Keeler 3, Hall 2, Travaglia, Owens, Hill, Higgins, Clark 

SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Nil
St Kilda: Phillipou (calf)

SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Bailey Laurie (replaced Aidan Johnson in the fourth quarter)
St Kilda: Jack Carroll (replaced Mattaes Phillipou in the first quarter)