Brisbane has held off St Kilda at Marvel Stadium by 15 points to keep their top four chances alive while simultaneously slamming the door shut on St Kilda’s September dreams.
St Kilda didn’t kick a goal in the final term but managed five behinds in an accuracy issue that has plagued their season and ultimately ended it. Despite a spirited comeback and a closer contest than many expected, the result is the same and the Saints won’t feature in September.
Cam Rayner was the final quarter hero for Brisbane when the situation looked perilous, gathering six touches while also adding three goals.
He finished with four majors and 18 disposals, his dynamic presence a huge drawcard for the Lions in times of trouble.
Cam Rayner is on! #AFLSaintsLions pic.twitter.com/Ns91wplFBJ
— AFL (@AFL) August 12, 2022
On the flip side, Max King had the chance to be the hero for the Saints’ finals chances, but the 22-year-old could only manage five behinds and no goals.
On so many occasions, including the final term, he looked set to rip the game apart. But a lazy-looking kicking action and too many marks that just didn’t stick will keep Saints fans awake on Friday night thinking about what could have been.
Unless Richmond loses to both Hawthorn and Essendon, or Carlton gets thumped in its next two games, it’s curtains for the Saints’ season.
Entering the game with the 13th ranked percentage, St Kilda could have remarkably found itself in the top eight with a win at Marvel Stadium and was in that position with just a quarter to play.
St Kilda assistant Brendon Lade told AFL Nation pre-game the Saints had “built it up like a final all week”, and with the chance to play in September on the line that was no surprise.
But the pressure dished up early was surprisingly poor. Brett Ratten’s men laid an impressive 28 tackles in the opening term, but it wasn’t near enough to stop the Lions from running in waves.
STATS.
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) August 12, 2022
Disposals: 40-65
Contested Possessions: 30-21
Uncontested possessions: 16-35
Inside 50s: 2-13
One %'s: 3-11
All in favour of Brisbane.
The Saints lead the tackle count 18-6.#AFLSaintsLions
“They’re playing party tricks, Brisbane, that’s how little pressure there is from St Kilda,” Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy told AFL Nation midway through the first term.
“This should be six goals to one.”
The plucky Saints hung in the contest and even managed to snare the lead back in the dying seconds before an Eric Hipwood goal on the siren ensured the visitors would lead at the first break.
The second quarter saw Brisbane make its move. Ratten’s troops were limited to just six inside 50s from the quarter and kicked just one goal to four.
The Lions have been prone to a leaky defence throughout 2022, but Chris Fagan would have been impressed at the way his side stifled the Saints' ball movement to take a 22-point half-time lead.
The game stayed a scrap throughout the third term. While Brisbane looked the better side, midway through the third quarter the Saints found themselves less than three kicks down.
Tim Membrey would snag the next to bridge the margin to 10 points, and when Max King brought down a huge pack mark the red, black and white army was ready to explode.
He missed in what had the potential deflating moment, but the men from Moorabbin kept coming and would kick the next through Membrey before Mason Wood had St Kilda in front.
An unlikely suspect, Wood was one of the chief motivators for the Saints in the third-term push, adding seven disposals and two goals in the quarter alone as a half forward.
The Mason Wood game 👀#AFLSaintsLions pic.twitter.com/jK3XkJg2q2
— AFL (@AFL) August 12, 2022
He finished the game as one of his side's best with four impeccabe goals among 15 possessions.
“(He’s) having the game of his St Kilda life!” Gerard Whateley exclaimed.
After being unable to move the ball with any sort of fluency, suddenly it was the Saints who had all the momentum and could do no wrong.
St Kilda was winning the battle, both on the field and in the minds of Lions players. Zak Jones was one of the chief offenders of getting into the head of Lachie Neale, the Brownlow Medallist restricted to just 16 disposals.
The Saints have ALL the momentum.
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) August 12, 2022
Tim Membrey converts with a great goal from near the boundary.
This game has come alive.#AFLSaintsLions
In a season of incredible highs and excruciating lows, St Kilda still had its fans on the edge of their seats after incredibly finding themselves up at the final term.
King missed two sodas in the dying minutes of the quarter to take his tally to 0.4, but a five-point margin was still in St Kilda’s favour.
The Lions snatched back the lead early in the last and held onto it for dear life. The Saints shot themselves in the footy with four behinds to start the term, but they had the game enough on their terms to know that a comeback was a chance.
But St Kilda’s final seven scores were behind, Brisbane doing enough to secure the 15-point win in a somewhat unconvincing fashion.
FULL SCORE
St Kilda: 3.1, 4.2, 9.7, 9.12. (66)
Brisbane: 3.2, 7.6, 8.8, 12.9. (81)
GOALS
St Kilda: Wood 4, Membrey 3, Higgins 2,
Brisbane: Rayner 4, Hipwood 2, Daniher 2, McCluggage, Cameron, McCarthy, McStay
BEST
St Kilda: Ross, Wood, Marshall, Sinclair, Crouch
Brisbane: Rayner, McCluggage, Zorko, Rich, McInerney
INJURIES
St Kilda: Webster (Hamstring)
Brisane: N/A