St Kilda has cemented themselves in the top four with a 17-point win in a controversial, scrappy contest against Greater Western Sydney in Canberra.
Despite leading at half-time with seven goals to their name, Leon Cameron’s troops couldn’t kick on as the Saints outlasted the Giants at a cold Manuka Oval on Friday night.
However, the win wasn’t solely off the back of St Kilda. Brett Ratten’s side simply weren’t as bad as their opponents, who Power great Kane Cornes described as “pedestrian”.
“The story out of (the game) is going to be the Giants and how pedestrian they have become,” Cornes told AFL Nation.
“The errors, they clearly lack the connection between the midfield and the forward line, a lot of players were passengers tonight and there were some big names there.
“So what does Leon Cameron do from here, how does he get anything out of this season when he’s clearly going to be the biggest talking point this week.
“You just can’t believe some of the skill errors they made in the second half, particularly handball errors, dropped marks, kick errors that cost them goals.”
Of the “big names” Cornes hinted at, Toby Greene was quiet in his return game from suspension, while Tim Taranto and Stephen Coniglio both seemed to struggle in the greasy conditions.
After an even first half where GWS battled to get on top late in the second term, it was Jack Higgins who broke the game open and got the Saints back into the game.
After two easy misses early on, Higgins proved he had at least partially overcome his goal-kicking woes when slotting three third-term goals in an electrifying quarter.
“He might end up being the match-winner, he’s had a good quarter based off some good kicking,” AFL Nation commentator Gerard Healy said.
It was a brutal night for the Saints on the injury front with both ruckmen going down. It was hard for footy fans to imagine a sadder sight than Jack Hayes sitting dejected on the bench after suffering a knee injury in the first quarter, St Kilda quickly confirming an ACL tear was suspected.
Rowan Marshall had been dominating the clash, but a leg injury in the third quarter forced him into the rooms. While it was around the time the Saints were conjuring a comeback, Tim Membrey and Josh Battle were left to holster the ruck work in unfamiliar territory for the Saints.
Marshall came back on late in the third term but was clearly affected by his corked leg.
The hitout count of 77-19 favouring the Giants was one of the most lopsided in recent memory, and while it translated into winning the clearance and contested possession count, it didn’t matter on the scoreboard.
The damage had been done as GWS headed into the last change 15 points down.
“(St Kilda) are much stronger mentally at this stage, aided and abetted by some Giants' errors,” Healy said.
Both sides struggled to score in the last term as the ball became harder to grip, however the Giants got a sniff when Harry Himmelberg wrapped up Daniel McKenzie in the GWS forward 50. The umpire penalised McKenzie in a controversial holding the ball decision, the second of the match against the Saints defender, as Himmelberg goaled to keep the margin to two goals.
However, St Kilda proved the better of two tired clubs late. The Giants will rue their inability to make use of their ruck dominance in the second half, but ultimately Cameron’s team weren’t clean enough when they needed to be, kicking just one goal in the second half.
FULL SCORE
GWS: 3.4, 7.7, 7.9, 8.12 (60)
St Kilda: 4.5, 5.8, 9.12, 10.17 (77)
GOALS
GWS: Flynn 2, Ward 2, Greene, Hill, Himmelberg, Preuss
St Kilda: Higgins 4, Crouch 2, Gresham, Hayes, King, Marshall
BEST
GWS: Ward, Preuss, Kelly, Haynes, Flynn
St Kilda: Higgins, Steele, Ross, Battle, Marshall
INJURIES
GWS: N/A
St Kilda: Hayes (ACL), Marshall (cork)