ST KILDA has dealt a major blow to North Melbourne's wildcard hopes while leapfrogging Carlton into tenth place on the ladder on percentage.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera produced one of the dominant individual performances of the season, collecting 46 disposals and booting four goals to deliver a 13.15 (93) to 8.14 (62) victory for the Saints.
Ten minutes into the second quarter, Harry Sheezel's goal broke a run of six straight behinds from the Kangaroos, before North Melbourne piled on three consecutive goals to take a commanding lead midway through the third quarter.
Wanganeen-Milera then unleashed a quarter for the ages, kicking three spectacular goals to re-ignite St Kilda's momentum and added a fourth in the final term to deliver a crucial win for the Saints' finals hopes.
The win was soured by Max King failing to complete his first AFL game in 757 days.
King played less than 50 per cent of the game before leaving the field in the third quarter with hamstring tightness.
He went to the rooms with medical staff and failed to appear again, with the Saints ruling him out at the start of the final term. The 26-year-old had just two possessions, including missing a difficult shot on goal in the second term.
It was King's first AFL game since June 30, 2024, having battled knee injuries as well as soft-tissue concerns. The two-time St Kilda leading goal kicker had two games at VFL level earlier in the year, but suffered a hamstring injury in one of those, pushing back his comeback past the two-year mark.
After starting strongly with a 16-point lead at quarter-time, St Kilda was fortunate not to be further behind than a goal during the third term.
The Kangaroos butchered numerous gettable chances in front of goal all day, with Wanganeen-Milera's switch to deep forward reaping rewards for the Saints.
Nearly a year to the day since he inspired St Kilda to a famous comeback against Melbourne, Wanganeen-Milera produced a third quarter for the ages when he kicked three goals from 10 touches.
He inexplicably didn't poll three votes for his performance against the Demons last year, but the 23-year-old will surely have to earn the maximum this time for his domination of the Kangaroos.
Wanganeen-Milera became the first player in AFL history to record 30+ disposals, 750+ metres gained and 3+ goals in the first three quarters of a game, while finishing with 1062 metres gained - more than half a kilometre greater than the game's next best, Saints' Darcy Wilson (489).
St Kilda was rocked by two late changes, pulling out Cooper Sharman (managed) an hour before the start, while ruckman Rowan Marshall suffered back spasms in the warm-up.
After a season of steady improvement, the Kangaroos' campaign appears shot as they sit a game and significant percentage outside the top ten.
Veteran Jack Darling capitalised up forward with three goals, and Paul Curtis was instrumental with two, while Harry Sheezel had 29 disposals at 93 per cent efficiency and a goal.
North Melbourne defender Charlie Comben was taken to hospital after coughing up blood following a late hit to the chest, with the club optimistic there is no serious internal damage.
Max King’s hamstring sours Saints’ day
It was a rough start to the afternoon for St Kilda big men, with Cooper Sharman (managed) and Rowan Marshall (back spasms) withdrawing from the selected side before the opening bounce. Things went from bad to worse when Max King, playing his first AFL game in 756 days, left the field midway through the third quarter with hamstring tightness. The two-time Saints leading goalkicker was understandably underdone, managing just two disposals from 50 per cent game time.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s match-winning masterclass
The third quarter became North Melbourne vs Nas — and St Kilda's one-man army won. Back-to-back goals from Jack Darling had put the Kangaroos in front, but Wanganeen-Milera responded with a sensational one-handed mark and a classy finish to stem the bleeding. When North hit back through Curtis and Larkey, the 2025 All-Australian raised his level again, kicking three of the next four goals to take back momentum. Higgins, Ryan and Owens then did the rest, burying the Kangaroos for good.
North Melbourne’s inaccurate goal-kicking
The Kangaroos wrestled control of the game in the second quarter with a precise, uncontested marking game. But North Melbourne's inaccuracy in front of goal proved costly, missing ten of their 14 shots on goal in the first half. Tristan Xerri and Cooper Trembath both missed two gettable set shots each, while Zac Banch also went goalless with two behinds.
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.5 4.10 7.12 8.14 (62)
ST KILDA 4.3 5.8 9.13 13.15 (93)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Darling 3, Curtis 2, Whitlock, Sheezel, Larkey
St Kilda: Wanganeen-Milera 4, Higgins 2, Owens 2, Wilson, Ryan, Caminiti, Byrnes, Boxshall
BEST
North Melbourne: Sheezel, Curtis, Simpkin, Trembath, Parker
St Kilda: Wanganeen-Milera, Boxshall, De Koning, Hill, Wilson, Phillipou
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Comben (chest)
St Kilda: King (hamstring tightness)
