Match

St Kilda vs North Melbourne

Commentary / 08 May 2016

Pre Game

59:30
Welcome to Etihad Stadium for the St Kilda v North Melbourne Round 7 clash.
59:33
Outs for Saints: J.Sinclair
59:34
Ins for Saints: J.Lonie
59:35
Outs for Kangaroos: S.Wright, L.Thomas, K.Turner
59:36
Ins for Kangaroos: A.Mullett, R.Nahas, M.Wood
59:40
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
00:00
Conversely North Melbourne has preferred a direct game style, recording a kick-to-handball ratio of 1.26 (ranked 3rd). The Kangaroos play on after only 28 per cent of marks (ranked 16th) but 45 per cent of their kicks have been long (ranked 3rd).

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:17
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Shane Savage)
02:39
St Kilda has owned the ball in the early play, winning the first three clearances of the match and recording 16 of the first 18 disposals.
03:18
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
05:19
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Drew Petrie)
05:52
Drew Petrie has kicked the first goal for North Melbourne in his 300th match. He becomes the fifth Kangaroo to play 300 senior games for his club and has now kicked 410 goals in the blue and white stripes, placing him seventh all-time at North Melbourne.
08:23
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Nick Dal Santo)
10:46
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Maverick Weller)
10:54
In 2016 North Melbourne has been the best starting team (on average leading by seven points after ten minutes) and St Kilda the worst (on average trailing by eight points after ten minutes). St Kilda has turned this form around in the early play.
15:21
St Kilda has been far more precise by foot than North Melbourne, with 76 per cent of its kicks effective. The Kangaroos have recorded a kicking effectiveness rate of only 48 per cent.
17:13
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Brent Harvey)
17:51
North Melbourne has improved its output around the stoppages, winning the last seven clearances of the game. The Kangaroos have taken all but one of these possession chains inside forward 50 however none have impacted the scoreboard.
18:16
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Maverick Weller)
20:22
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Josh Bruce)
21:17
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Billings)
22:21
Both these teams average just over 13 marks inside 50 per game, ranking them in the top five in the league. St Kilda has taken the first four marks inside the arc in this game.
23:53
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
24:29
North Melbourne has now won the past nine clearances of the match. Cunnington has won a game-high three clearances, with his third leading directly to the Kangaroos' third goal.
25:10
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
26:38
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
27:04
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
27:52
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Cunnington)
27:58
In six minutes, North Melbourne has had five shots at goal in the time that St Kilda has only recorded five disposals in total. In that period the Kangaroos have won three of the four intercepts and all three clearances of the match.
29:03
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
29:13
The longer the first quarter went the better North Melbourne looked. The Kangaroos won the last 12 clearances of the term and eventually found a way to convert, recording the last seven inside 50s of the term and 3.2 (20) in just over five minutes.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:56
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jarryn Geary)
05:39
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Mason Wood)
08:20
St Kilda is attempting to own possession of the ball via foot. Although the Saints have only recorded 10 more disposals than the Kangaroos, they have taken 21 made short kicks and taken 30 more marks than their opposition.
09:33
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Tim Membrey)
10:01
For the second time in the match, St Kilda has been able to take the ball from a defensive 50 intercept and convert the possession chain into a goal. In 2016 the Saints have taken the ball end to end on 24 per cent of attempts, ranked first in the league
10:38
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Ben Jacobs)
11:56
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Brent Harvey)
13:55
North Melbourne has 15 forward half intercepts with just over half resulting in scores, for an output of 3.5 (23). The Kangaroos average 37 points per game sourced from forward half intercepts in 2016, ranked third in the league.
16:19
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Brent Harvey)
19:25
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Shane Savage)
20:21
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
20:34
In a tight and low scoring quarter, St Kilda has had far more of ball (86 disposals to 53) and has gone inside 50 twice as many times as North Melbourne (16 to 8), however both teams have scored 1.3 (9) apiece.
22:52
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
22:58
Although North Melbourne has taken the ball inside 50 on just one more occasion the St Kilda, it has been more potent in kicking six goals to three. This season the Kangaroos have kicked goals from 32 per cent of inside 50s, ranked first in the league.
25:02
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Tom Hickey)
25:24
Although St Kilda has been able to generate scoring opportunities, it has not been able to do so close to goal. The Saints are yet to score from within 30 metres of goal, with four of their nine shots from outside 50 metres.
27:18
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
27:28
Six Saints have won 13 or more disposals, with Leigh Montagna a game-high 18 disposals to half time (at 94 per cent effectiveness). For the Kangaroos Ben Cunnington has won a team-high 13 disposals along with four clearances and a goal.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:19
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Tim Membrey)
01:32
St Kilda has kicked the first goal of the term for the third straight quarter through Membrey. Last week the 15-game player kicked a career-high five goals against Melbourne.
03:24
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nick Riewoldt)
03:32
Nick Riewoldt has converted truly from his tenth mark for the game but first mark inside 50. Four of his marks have been contested. He has averaged a career-high 11 marks per game this season, more than any other player in the league.
05:12
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Drew Petrie)
05:32
It took 186 disposals and 29 inside 50s for just three goals across both teams in the second term. In just over five minutes in the third quarter, the Saints and Kangaroos have only required 27 disposals and five inside 50s for three goals.
07:55
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Robin Nahas)
08:20
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
10:55
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nick Riewoldt)
11:18
Nick Riewoldt has kicked truly from both marks inside 50 this term. The St Kilda veteran has now kicked 408 goals from 162 matches at Etihad Stadium, more than any other player.
12:28
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Mason Wood)
13:22
North Melbourne has won nine centre clearances and taken eight of these inside 50, directly resulting in 2.1 (13). This season the Kangaroos average 19 points from centre clearances (ranked first in the league).
14:09
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Sam Gibson)
15:25
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
16:36
Kangaroos Interchange - Shaun Higgins off due to an injury.
21:18
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
21:48
Bruce has taken St Kilda's 12th mark inside 50 and kicked its sixth goal from that source. Although the Saints have taken seven more inside 50 marks than the Kangaroos, they are still yet to impact the scoreboard from within 30 metres of goal.
22:47
Kangaroos Interchange - Daniel Wells and is possibly out for the game.
24:16
North Melbourne's defensive set up has prevented St Kilda from dominating in the air close to goal. This quarter the Kangaroos have taken six intercept marks in their defensive half compared to just one by the Saints.
28:49
Unlike the first half where St Kilda had 16 more short kicks and 23 more marks than North Melbourne, in this term the Kangaroos have controlled the ball by foot. They have taken 15 more uncontested marks (27-12) than the Saints.
29:11
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Mason Wood)
29:29
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
29:39
Jack Ziebell won a game-high 14 disposals in the third quarter, a personal best in his 131-game career. The Kangaroo midfielder also won three clearances and took four marks for the term.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
02:21
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
02:33
Saints Interchange - David Armitage off due to an injury.
02:55
North Melbourne's dominance in the stoppages has led directly to its fifth goal from clearances. Todd Goldstein has won 10 more hit outs than Tom Hickey and the Kangaroos have won 13 more clearances than the Saints (33-20).
06:01
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Robin Nahas)
06:48
Jack Steven has been restricted to just nine disposals and two clearances by Ben Jacobs. In 2016 Steven averages 28.8 disposals (ranked 13th in the league) and 5.8 clearances (ranked 20th) per game.
08:43
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
09:49
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nick Riewoldt)
10:20
Three consecutive behinds to North Melbourne are costly as St Kilda directly takes the ball from the third kick-in to goal through Riewoldt. The Saints have scored from 17 per cent of kick-ins across Rounds 1 to 6, the highest rate of all league clubs.
13:07
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Billings)
14:21
Billings has kicked St Kilda's third goal from outside 50 metres while North Melbourne has only one goal from outside the forward arc. In contrast the Kangaroos have kicked 5.1 (31) from within 30 metres but the Saints have not scored from this distance.
16:25
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Tim Membrey)
17:06
Although North Melbourne has been on top at the stoppages for most of the game the Saints have won five of the past six clearances, with Steven lifting his game to win three. Two of the Saints' clearances have directly generated their past two goals.
19:30
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
20:01
In this quarter the ball has been inside the North Melbourne forward half for 61 per cent of its duration. The Saints have had three fewer inside 50s (7-10) however have been efficient, scoring 4.0 (24) to 1.3 (9).
21:36
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Luke Dunstan)
22:21
Nick Riewoldt has taken 16 marks in a game for only the fifth time in his 305-match career and for only the second time since 2008.
23:21
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
24:36
St Kilda played in the last draw in Round 21 last year against Geelong at this venue. The last time North Melbourne played in a draw was against Richmond at the MCG in Round 16 2009.
27:57
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Todd Goldstein)
29:36
Since St Kilda levelled the scores both teams have struggled to use the ball under the pressure. In that period the Saints and Kangaroos have registered disposal effectiveness of 36 per cent and 44 per cent respectively.
29:57
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Mason Wood)
30:02
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
30:12
North Melbourne has held on against a fast-finishing St Kilda to record seven wins from its first seven games for the first time since 1979.