Match

St Kilda vs Essendon

Commentary / 22 May 2016

Pre Game

59:30
Welcome to Etihad Stadium for the St Kilda v Essendon Round 9 clash.
59:33
Outs for Saints: J.Lonie, B.Acres, J.Sinclair
59:34
Ins for Saints: S.Fisher, P.McCartin, D.McKenzie
59:35
Outs for Bombers: N.Grima, R.Crowley
59:36
Ins for Bombers: J.Gwilt, M.Gleeson
59:40
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
00:00
St Kilda has defended well at stoppages this season conceding a score from just 21 percent of opposition clearances (ranked second), but has only scored from 21 percent of its own clearances (ranked second last).

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:55
Nick Riewoldt with a couple of early disposals in his new midfield role for the Saints. Riewoldt has averaged 3.3 goals per game against the Bombers, which is his best return against any team.
03:31
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
05:44
St Kilda winning the contested ball early in the game, leading in hard ball gets (9-1) and clearances (5-3).
06:22
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Leigh Montagna)
08:59
Essendon with the opening goal of the game following a contested mark to Joe Daniher. The Bombers have taken just eight contested marks per game this season (ranked last).
09:53
The first goal to Essendon was launched from a forward half intercept. The Bombers have scored from just 28 percent of their forward half intercepts this season (ranked last).
11:15
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Steven)
11:21
St Kilda also gets its first goal from a forward half intercept. The Saints average 25 points per game from such a source (ranked 16th).
13:11
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Paddy McCartin)
13:59
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (David Armitage)
14:32
Essendon unable to clear the ball following a series of kick-ins. The Bombers have scored from a chain started with a kick-in just twice this season (ranked last).
14:56
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Tim Membrey)
16:34
The Saints having the game completely on their terms early in the game but not yet fully capitalising. St Kilda lead in contested possessions (27-15) and inside 50 entries (13-3).
19:45
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Josh Bruce)
19:51
Bombers Interchange - Craig Bird off due to an injury.
22:28
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (David Zaharakis)
23:24
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Martin Gleeson)
23:45
Despite St Kilda leading the clearances 10-5 early in the game, both teams have only scored 0.1(1) from this source.
24:04
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Tim Membrey)
24:14
Saints Interchange - Jack Billings off due to an injury.
25:38
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
26:35
Both teams missing some opportunities in the opening quarter with a combined 3.4.(22) from set shots at goal. The Bombers have converted 50 percent of their set shots at goal this season (ranked last), and the Saints 63 percent (ranked 8th).
26:42
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
26:52
St Kilda having the better of the opening term, but just the seven point lead. Whilst overall disposal was 108-94 in favor of St Kilda, the Saints led in forward half disposals 64-25 and inside 50 entries 19-9, which reflected their control.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:54
The contrasting ball movement is evident by the Saints having more handballs than kicks, and the Bombers leading in uncontested marks 31-16, but 26 of these Bomber marks have been in the defensive half.
02:04
St Kilda has now scored 3.3.(21) from its 15 forward half intercepts. The Saints have averaged 22 such intercepts per game this season.
04:09
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
05:45
The second quarter starting in the same fashion as the first, with the Saints winning the first three clearances, and generating seven of the first nine inside 50 entries.
07:50
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mark Baguley)
08:14
Essendon has generated five of its seven scores from chains starting in the defensive half. St Kilda has generated just one of its eight scores from chains starting in the defensive half.
11:07
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Maverick Weller)
14:49
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Adam Cooney)
15:05
Essendon with a goal coming from a chain starting in the defensive half and with slow patient ball use. The Bombers lead in uncontested marks this quarter 28-8.
18:52
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
19:10
The turnover from Brendon Goddard leading to another score to the Saints from an intercept in the attacking midfield. They have now scored 4.4.(28) from such intercepts, having averaged 18.6 points per game from this source prior to today.
20:54
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Maverick Weller)
23:15
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Sebastian Ross)
23:40
Seb Ross leading all players for clearances (4), score involvements (4) and disposals (20). His previous best tally for disposals in an opening half was 17.
25:26
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
26:37
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Tim Membrey)
27:51
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Tim Membrey)
28:55
St Kilda with 39 inside 50 entries in the opening half, which equals the most they have had in the first half of a game (since 1999).
28:56
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
29:06
The Saints have generated all but two of their scores from chains starting in the forward half. The Bombers have generated all but two of their scores from chains starting in the defensive half.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:29
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
02:33
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
02:43
Essendon with the opening goal of the second quarter from a forward 50 stoppage. Despite losing the clearance count 25-12, the Bombers lead in scores from stoppages 2.2.(14) to 1.2.(8).
04:31
Bombers Interchange - Orazio Fantasia off due to an injury.
05:19
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
05:53
St Kilda with some better ball movement early in the third quarter produces its first goal to come from a chain starting in the defensive half, after the Bombers had six of the first seven inside 50 entries to start the quarter.
07:24
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Billings)
07:58
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
08:18
Essendon with a goal starting from a kick-in chain. Prior to today the Bombers had scored from just 2 percent of its kick-ins this season (ranked last).
09:49
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Paddy McCartin)
10:08
St Kilda able to answer Essendon with the first goal of the game to come from a centre bounce clearance. The Bombers are ranked last this season for differential in scores from centre bounce clearances, by an average of nine points per game.
12:56
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Tim Membrey)
14:18
St Kilda has kicking efficiency of 81 percent in the third quarter (after having kicking efficiency of 59 percent in this first half), with the scoreboard starting to reflect this better ball movement.
14:36
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Paddy McCartin)
18:40
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Adam Cooney)
21:49
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
22:09
Having relied on forward half intercepts to generate scores in the first half, St Kilda has only generated one of its five goals this quarter from such a source.
23:35
The Saints new forward setup of Bruce, Membrey and McCartin have kicked all of their six goals this quarter, and a combined eight for the match.
25:39
The Saints pressure has forced the Bombers to into pressure handballs this quarter and denied the Bombers uncontested marks. St Kilda lead 24-8 for uncontested marks this quarter, and the Bombers have had 42 handballs and just 24 kicks.
26:26
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
27:58
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
29:10
Jack Steven having another prolific game for the Saints with game-highs for metres gained (408) and disposals (31). He has only once had more disposal to three quarter time in his career.
30:02
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
32:30
An impressive quarter from the Saints who through better ball use were able to benefit from their dominance at the contest. St Kilda now lead 37-17 in clearances and 5.2.(32) to 3.4(22) in scores from stoppages.
33:03
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
33:13
The Bombers actually had more inside 50 entries in the third quarter (13-12), but the Saints led in forward 50 marks (8-4) with a six goal streak in the quarter finally putting some scoreboard space on Essendon.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:20
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
01:36
Steven, Dunstan and Ross have a combined 20 clearances for St Kilda. Essendon has just 19.
03:33
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Maverick Weller)
03:47
The Saints get the opening goal of the final quarter following another turnover from the Bombers in their defensive half. St Kilda now has scored 6.7.(43) from 28 forward half intercepts. Essendon has scored 1.0.(6) from 9 such intercepts.
05:03
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Joe Daniher)
06:46
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
08:29
Essendon has won the hitouts (35-23), but St Kilda has won first possession at the stoppages (41-27) and converted this first possession advantage into clearances (40-22).
12:50
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Billings)
13:57
St Kilda now lead in forward 50 marks (20-10), which is a season high for the Saints.
14:20
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Tom Hickey)
16:16
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Leigh Montagna)
17:36
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Daniel McKenzie)
19:07
St Kilda has had the last eight inside 50 entries, and now leads this count 63-35. In the last 10 years, St Kilda has not had more than 68 forward 50 entries.
20:32
SCORE GOAL - Saints (David Armitage)
21:51
Seb Ross has set a new career-high for disposals (35), and has equal game-highs for contested possessions (16) and score involvements (9).
24:51
Jack Steven with the second 40 disposal game of his career today, and leads all players for clearances (10) and inside 50s (9).
26:46
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
27:39
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
27:49
A comfortable victory for the Saints, setup by a dominant midfield that won the clearances (46-23) and generated a huge advantage in inside 50 entries (67-40) where Bruce, Membrey and McCartin combined for ten goals.