Match

St Kilda vs Carlton

Commentary / 13 May 2017

Pre Game

59:30
Welcome to Etihad Stadium for the St Kilda v Carlton Round 8 clash.
59:33
Outs for Saints: K.Stevens, N.Wright
59:34
Ins for Saints: M.Weller, L.Dunstan
59:35
Outs for Blues: B.Smedts, S.Kerridge
59:36
Ins for Blues: J.Silvagni, Z.Fisher
59:40
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
00:00
In the past fortnight, the Blues have averaged 47 forward 50 entries (ranked 15th across the league), however they have been able to generate a goal from 29 per cent of these entries (ranked fourth in this period).

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
03:00
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Jacob Weitering)
03:06
The ball has been inside St Kilda's forward half for 83 per cent of early stages, but Carlton has gone coast to coast to goal from a defensive 50 intercept. The Blues have only had two kicks in their forward half, both in the chain leading to that goal.
04:03
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Tim Membrey)
04:52
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Billings)
06:26
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
06:30
St Kilda has won the first three centre clearances of the match and taken each resulting possession chain inside 50. The Saints have also created three repeat entries from forward half intercepts. The Blues have only recorded one inside 50 in total.
08:33
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Maverick Weller)
11:27
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Billings)
11:37
The Saints are running the opposition off their feet, with 15 more handball receives than the Blues. St Kilda has also option to play on from 55 per cent of marks, compared to just 14 per cent by Carlton.
13:05
Saints Interchange - Jimmy Webster and is possibly out for the game.
13:46
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Tim Membrey)
14:29
Tim Membrey has kicked his first for the game as St Kilda stretches the lead to 20 points. Membrey kicked five goals in both matches against the Blues last season.
16:56
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Jack Silvagni)
17:12
Carlton has been trapped inside its defensive 50 for much of the quarter, but now twice has transitioned from intercepts in that zone to launch goals. This season the Blues have launched scores from 7.2 per cent of defensive 50 intercepts (ranked 17th).
21:38
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Charlie Curnow)
21:42
The Blues have only taken the ball inside forward 50 on five occasions (compared to 16 times by the Saints) but they've kept in touch through great efficiency, with three marks inside 50 leading to three set shot goals.
24:35
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Jack Silvagni)
24:57
Carlton has steadied through very efficient ball use going forward. Three-quarter of the Blues' 20 forward half disposals have been kicks, with 80 per cent of their kicks forward of centre classed as effective.
26:02
Blues Interchange - Matthew Kreuzer off due to the blood rule.
27:54
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jade Gresham)
30:21
A big contrast in styles but not much between the two sides on the scoreboard to quarter time. The Saints recorded 20 more handball receives and 14 more inside 50s than the Blues, but Carlton took four marks inside 50 and converted each to stay in touch.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:16
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Billings)
01:37
Jack Billings has been the most dangerous player on the ground, with an equal game-high 10 disposals, as well as leading all comers with five marks, 236 metres gained and three goals.
05:48
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
10:45
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Marc Murphy)
11:25
The Blues have won nine of the 11 clearances around the ground, with Matthew Kreuzer winning three individually. His third, won from a forward 50 throw-in, has launched Carlton's first goal from a stoppage.
11:33
Saints Interchange - Nathan Brown off due to the blood rule.
17:27
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Marc Murphy)
17:30
Back-to-back goals now to Marc Murphy and the Blues lead for the first time since the fifth minute of the game. The Carlton captain has amassed a game-high 16 disposals, with eight coming this term.
21:16
The Blues have been very precise by foot, with a kicking efficiency of 76 per cent compared to 62 per cent by the Saints. Carlton is exploiting this advantage further by recording 38 more kicks and 48 fewer handballs than St Kilda.
23:02
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Billings)
23:05
Jack Billings had kicked four goals and 12 behinds for the season heading into this match, but that hasn't bothered him with four straight goals today. This equals his career-best tally, first achieved in Round 6 2015 against Western Bulldogs.
24:17
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Darren Minchington)
27:16
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Steele)
27:31
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
27:41
Two-goals apiece in the second quarter but these sides are going about the task in contrasting ways. To half time, the Saints have recorded 47 more handballs and all three running bounces, while the Blues have recorded 30 more kicks and 23 more marks.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
04:13
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Matthew Kreuzer)
04:15
St Kilda has taken the ball inside 50 on more than double the occasions than Carlton (33 to 16), however it has taken one fewer mark in that zone. The Blues have taken five defensive intercept marks while the Saints are yet to take one.
07:59
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nick Riewoldt)
08:30
The Saints have generated much of their run from the midfield, where they have won 31 intercepts and launched 19 resulting forward 50 entries, for now their fourth goal from this source. The Blues have launched one goal from 19 midfield intercepts.
09:43
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Darren Minchington)
10:57
Saints Interchange - Luke Dunstan off due to an injury.
11:39
The Saints have been more dynamic than the Blues in generating shots at goal from play, with seven shots in general play to two. St Kilda has been a little wasteful from these chances with four behinds and a miss, with both teams converting two majors.
11:54
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Sebastian Ross)
13:15
Blues Interchange - Matthew Kreuzer off due to the blood rule.
15:18
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Dylan Roberton)
16:28
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jade Gresham)
17:37
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Billings)
17:46
Jack Billings now has a career-best five goals as St Kilda's forward press is starting to strangle Carlton. The ball has been in the Saints' forward half for 62 per cent of the quarter, allowing them to win four forward 50 clearances and score from three
24:00
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Patrick Cripps)
24:31
Carlton has kicked its first goal since the 18th minute of the second term. The Blues managed six goals in their first 11 forward 50 entries but until the major to Cripps they had taken the ball inside 50 on ten occasions without a goal.
25:46
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Ed Curnow)
27:25
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Tom Williamson)
28:14
Carlton's defensive set up has been impressive, now with its seventh defensive 50 intercept mark to Alex Silvagni launching the Blues' fourth goal from defensive 50 intercepts. In that zone, Silvagni has won six intercepts and Docherty has won five.
28:56
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Bryce Gibbs)
29:26
Carlton has lifted since time-on, winning both clearances on its way to five more forward 50 entries than St Kilda in this period. The Saints have turned the ball over four times, with three of the resulting intercepts launching goals to the Blues.
29:59
Saints Interchange - Jake Carlisle off due to an injury.
30:16
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
30:26
For the third straight change there is less than a goal in it to St Kilda. The Saints looked to be on top until time-on, with 38 handballs and the first three goals, but after this point they were restricted to just six handballs as the Blues hit back.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:59
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Nick Riewoldt)
03:30
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Sam Petrevski-Seton)
03:51
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
04:56
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Patrick Cripps)
05:12
Twice St Kilda has taken this game out to 20-point-plus leads and now twice Carlton has cut it back to hit the front. The Blues' strong kicking game has been assisted by strength in the air, with 16 contested marks compared to just seven by the Saints.
05:58
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Darren Minchington)
08:07
Another contested intercept mark to Sam Docherty, who has now taken 11 marks, with three contested and five of them intercepts. Inside defensive 50 the Blues have taken ten intercept marks compared to just one by the Saints.
09:46
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
10:12
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Sebastian Ross)
10:52
Seb Ross has continued his excellent form, leading all comers with 26 disposals. The St Kilda midfield has also won six clearances and kicked two goals. This season he averages career-highs in disposals (28.6) and clearances (5.3).
12:58
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
13:37
The Saints have won six of the seven clearances from stoppages this quarter, with three to Seb Ross. Across the match, St Kilda has won five more clearances, helped by Billy Longer in the ruck with 28 hit-outs (and nine of those to advantage).
14:25
Saints Interchange - Dylan Roberton off due to an injury.
15:37
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Steven)
20:01
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Steele)
20:27
The Saints have kicked 9.3 (57) from set shot (and play on) scenarios, while they have been far less accurate from general play, scoring 3.8 (26).
24:49
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Maverick Weller)
28:13
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
29:07
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
29:17
The Saints have finally landed the knock-out blow on the Blues, after they reached a lead greater than 20 points for the third time across the match. St Kilda recorded 22 more forward 50 entries than the Blues and nine more scoring shots.