ST KILDA has won three from three against Gold Coast, but the young Suns have shown further improvement in the pre-season, and will be intent on continuing their good form next Saturday against the Saints.

St Kilda has comfortably secured the points in the last two encounters. However, the first match between the two teams was a tight contest, one which St Kilda won by 20 points.

Gary Ablett dominated the first two matches between the Saints and Suns, collecting 34 then 40 disposals respectively, and booting three goals. However, the Gold Coast skipper was well held in round 11 last year, registering just 20 touches as St Kilda romped to a 95-point victory.

Surprisingly, there was no hard tag on Ablett on that particular evening at Metricon Stadium, with Scott Watters preferring to limit Harley Bennell’s influence by handing Clinton Jones the primary run-with role.

With Ablett left without his usual shadow, Watters tactic forced him to become more accountable and lessened his impact on the game.

Total disposals in Gold Coast vs St Kilda matches (current players):

The last two encounters have been convincing from a St Kilda perspective, while the Suns have struggled to register competitive totals in all three games.

Gary Ablett leads the goal-kicking table for Gold Coast in these three games, reflecting the shortage of forward options for the inexperienced Suns.

Most goals in Gold Coast vs St Kilda matches:

Gold Coast booted fewer goals (215) than every other team aside from GWS in 2012, and as a result struggled to consistently apply scoreboard pressure.

Leading goal-kickers for Gold Coast in 2012:

Significant tackling pressure has been evident in all three games with both teams possessing quality inside midfielders who are adept at applying considerable defensive pressure.

In their round two clash last year, David Armitage amassed a record versus Gold Coast 10 tackles, three more than Sun David Swallow who finished with seven in a 92-point win for the Saints.

Total tackles: Gold Coast vs St Kilda (current players):

The numbers suggest that a lop-sided contest is on the cards, but given Gold Coast’s encouraging pre-season, the Saints cannot assume the game will follow the trend these statistics suggest.