Match Report: St. Kilda vs Melbourne
In a match that at times felt more like a training drill for Melbourne, the boys had yet another tough outing over the weekend. With fans hoping for the best but expecting the worst, they piled into the MCG more out of loyalty than optimism. 3:41 into the first quarter we took the lead through a Mitchito Owens goal, but sadly that lead only lasted one minute and thirty-seven seconds before Melbourne took over and never gave it back. Greedy boys.
Max King, maligned in recent weeks, showed glimpses of his potential return to form with some strong marks and a few goals. This was a relief for us fans, especially in a season where positives have been hard to come by. However, King’s efforts alone weren’t enough to turn the tide for the struggling Saints.
From the opening bounce, it was evident that our woes would continue. The team’s sluggish pace and inability to score effectively were glaring issues once again. To three quarter time we’d only kicked five goals, and ended with nine but four of those nine came in the final quarter when the result was well beyond doubt. If not for these late junk-time goals, the margin could have easily stretched to a demoralizing 60-point defeat.
Captain Jack continued to lead by example, putting in a tireless effort as he always does. His work rate and determination were commendable, finishing with thirty disposals and ten marks. Even his heroics couldn’t stem the relentless flow from the Demons who finished with thirty scoring shots to our seventeen. On the positive side, the return of Higgo from suspension injected some much-needed energy into the lineup. Higgins’ enthusiasm and creativity was noticeable, providing a spark that the team sorely needed and has missed for the last few weeks.
Defensively, the efforts were sometimes lacklustre. Windy had a tagging job for most of the day, but only managed a single tackle—a surprisingly low number for a player of his renown defensive prowess. Shockingly, seven players failed to register a single tackle for the entire game, highlighting a troubling lack of defensive pressure across the board. This defensive frailty allowed Melbourne to weave through St Kilda’s defense with ease and precision, using us as training cones.
Max Gawn demolished us on only one leg, which he usually does with two legs anyway. Row had his lowest supercoach score for the year.
We won bounces and one-percenters so that’s something to hang our hat on. The Demons’ went forward so many times that our backman couldn’t keep up, with the Dees cementing their status as a top contender, while we struggled to mount any sustained pressure or scoring opportunities of our own. This is unfortunately a reoccurring theme.
For the Zebras, Membrey and Hotton kicked five and it would be likely to see Tim come into the seniors next week. Looking ahead, St Kilda faces a now-daunting task to salvage something from the remainder of the season. West Coast could very well beat us by a lot and this is a depressing thought. Optus Stadium is absolutely beautiful though so it will be nice to look at if we cover the score with our hands.
