Saints Thrash Eagles by 97 Points

11 Apr 2009

TEN GOALS straight in the second quarter set up St Kilda's massive 97-point win over West Coast at Docklands on Saturday afternoon.

The Saints were never threatened after half time and a five goals to none last quarter hammered home their total dominance.

St Kilda won 25.11 (161) to the Eagles 9.10 (64), kicking their highest score under Ross Lyon's coaching.

The sometimes dour St Kilda outfit of recent years was a distant memory as the Saints ran, chased and tackled their way to a victory that was assured by half time. They had 15 individual goalkickers.

Leigh Montagna was outstanding for the Saints, as was Brendon Goddard and Nick Dal Santo, who appeared to have his number taken in the third term. Ruckman Steven King was also reported.

Daniel Kerr won plenty of the ball for the Eagles, but he was brilliantly shadowed all day by Clinton Jones, who laid more than a dozen tackles and racked up more than 20 disposals of his own.

Skipper Nick Riewoldt dominated up forward, although he kicked only one goal for the afternoon, and he was well supported by Stephen Milne, Justin Koschitzke and Brendon Goddard, all of whom managed four majors.

When Quinten Lynch goaled after a strong mark 11 minutes into the third quarter – just the Eagles' second grab inside 50 for the match – he broke a run of 13 consecutive goals from the Saints.

And the visitors were more competitive after half time, and matched St Kilda for goals, five to five, in the third quarter.

A 16-point quarter-time lead blew out to 63 points after the Saints poured on 10 goals straight in the second term.

St Kilda was simply irresistible, with only Eagle Mark LeCras' brave effort up forward, with three goals to the main break, providing any real challenge.

The Eagles were well in the match when LeCras won a free and kicked his second goal two minutes into the second quarter, cutting the margin to 10 points, but then came the deluge.

King goaled after a 50m penalty and then the brilliant Montagna intercepted a handpass from Ryan Davis and ran into an open goal.

The lead became five goals when Koschitzke grabbed the ball after a marking contest and kicked beautifully from just on 50m, and the Saints made it four in five minutes through Jarryn Geary.

After LeCras missed an easy shot on goal, Milne and Dal Santo rubbed salt into the wound with majors. The Eagle made up for his miss with his third goal, but Andrew McQualter, Koschitzke, former Eagle Michael Gardiner and Milne rammed home the Saints dominance with four late in the half.

Goddard, more commonly cast as a defender, began in blistering form up forward for the Saints, steering through four goals in the first quarter.

ST KILDA 5.2 15.2 20.7 25.11 (161)

WEST COAST 2.4 4.5 9.7 9.10 (64)

GOALS

St Kilda: Goddard 4, Koschitzke 4, Milne 4, Gardiner 2, Riewoldt 2, Schneider 2, King, Montagna, Geary, Gram, Jones, Hayes, Dawson,

West Coast: LeCras 3, Hunter 2, McKinley 2, Lynch 2,

BEST

St Kilda: Montagna, Jones, Goddard, Dal Santo, Blake, Gram, Gwilt

West Coast: Priddis, LeCras, Cox, Lynch

INJURIES

St Kilda: Nil

West Coast: Nil

Reports: Dal Santo (St Kilda) for striking Stenglein (West Coast) in the third quarter, Dal Santo (St Kilda) for wrestling Stenglein (West Coast) in the third quarter, Stenglein (West Coast) for wrestling Dal Santo (St Kilda) in the third quarter, King (St Kilda) for striking Hansen (West Coast) in the fourth quarter

Umpires: James, Sully, Grun

Official crowd: 29,006 at Docklands

Source: www.saints.com.au

Saints Thrash Eagles by 97 Points

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