St Kilda’s Dominant Victory Over Carlton
St Kilda delivered a commanding performance against their former club, Carlton, in a 39-point victory that significantly improved their AFL finals prospects. The Saints showcased their strength and depth, particularly in the third quarter, where they dominated with eight goals to secure a 16.12 (108) to 9.15 (69) win at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.
Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni, both high-profile recruits who left Carlton for big-money offers, faced jeers from Blues fans during their first match against their former team. However, De Koning rose to the occasion, taking strong marks to set up his two goals, while Silvagni played a crucial role in defense, helping St Kilda achieve their first win-loss balance of the season.
Coach Ross Lyon praised the players’ performances, stating, “We were clear on the actions that we wanted them to deliver and they’re really clear on their roles, and I thought they did that.”
The victory came at a cost, as Dan Butler suffered a hamstring injury just hours after Max King was taken out of a VFL match with “hamstring awareness.” Despite this setback, the Saints had several standout performers, including Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who recorded 31 disposals, five clearances, and one goal. Co-captains Jack Sinclair and Callum Wilkie also made significant contributions with 29 and 22 touches respectively.
Rowan Marshall, De Koning’s ruck-forward partner, added three goals and helped the midfielders gain control at critical moments. Mitch Owens, Liam Henry, and Cooper Sharman each kicked multiple goals, contributing to the Saints’ impressive third-quarter performance.
The Saints scored 8.4 to 1.4 in the third term, marking their highest-scoring quarter of the season. This performance helped them reach their fourth triple-figure score of the year. Lyon expressed satisfaction with the team’s ability to take the game off the opposition through effective ball movement and scoring off turnovers.
For Carlton, the loss continued a troubling trend. Despite leading by 18 points in the second term, they fell away dramatically after halftime. Their third-quarter performance was particularly poor, with only six tackles and conceding 12 of the last 14 goals.
Carlton coach Michael Voss acknowledged the team’s struggles, stating, “Our ability and intent at the moment is not where it needs to be.” He noted that while the team is putting themselves in a position to win, their ability to maintain that performance over longer periods is lacking. Voss emphasized the need for better defense and fight when the game turns against them.
Oliver Florent, Nic Newman, and Sam Walsh were key contributors for Carlton, with 30, 28, and 24 disposals respectively. Brodie Kemp stood out in attack with three goals. However, the team struggled to find consistent winners, with captain Patrick Cripps limited to 14 disposals and one goal due to pressure from Saints stopper Marcus Windhager.
Young defender Harry Dean sustained a groin injury and will undergo scans to assess the extent of the damage. The loss of key players and poor third-quarter performance have further complicated Carlton’s chances of turning their season around.
