Match

Sydney Swans vs St Kilda

Commentary / 08 Jun 2023

Pre Game

00:00

Since 2018, the Saints have won their first match after the bye 83 per cent of the time, the highest percentage of any team.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

04:35

Swans Interchange - Nick Blakey off due to an injury.

05:25

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Mattaes Phillipou)

05:37

The Swans have owned the football in the opening minutes, totalling 14 more uncontested possessions and 14 more disposals. Yet, it is the Saints who score the opening goal of the game from their first inside 50 of the match, after the Swans had three fruitless entries.

11:19

The Swans have generated eight of the first 10 inside 50s of the match, but have failed to generate a scoring shot. This season, Sydney has generated a score from 43 per cent of its inside 50s, ranked ninth. Defending inside 50s is a strength of the Saints, who conceded a score from just 39 per cent of entries, ranked No.1 defensively.

19:54

St Kilda's pressure has been fantastic to start the match, leading the tackle count by eight. Fifteen of St Kida's nineteen tackles have been in its defensive half of the ground.

22:43

SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Mitch Owens)

24:00

Callum Wilkie has been resolute in defence for St Kilda. Matched up predominantly against Lance Franklin in his 350th game, Wilkie leads all Saints with eight disposals at 75 per cent efficiency, winning six intercepts along the way.

25:40

Both teams have been efficient forward of centre, each team recording a kicking efficiency of 42 per cent in their forward halves. Sydney enjoys an advantage in kicking efficiency overall, 64 per cent to 58 per cent, largely due to the 28 uncontested marks it has taken in its defensive half. The Saints concede 70 marks per game in their defensive half, the most of any side.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

00:45

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Max King)

01:12

St KIlda has kicked the two goals of the match. Each have come from its first inside 50 of the two respective quarters. St Kilda leads the inisde 50 count by two for the match, having recorded the last five inside 50s of the game.

04:09

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Hayden McLean)

05:46

SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)

07:55

The Saints have dominated territory in the second quarter, recording seven of the first eight inside 50s of the term and enjoying 61 per cent time in forward half.

09:01

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Tom Papley)

09:32

Sydney finally gets its first goal on the board, after absorbing a lot of St Kilda forward thrusts. They have generated two scores from two inside 50s this quarter after failing to generate a score from 13 first quarter forward 50 entries.

12:15

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Will Hayward)

12:36

Swans Interchange - Isaac Heeney off due to the blood rule.

13:44

Sydney leads the contested possession count by 10 this quarter. The Swans have won three out of the four games that they have won the contested possession count this season, while St Kilda has lost two of three games when they have failed to win the contested possession count.

15:37

Swans Interchange - James Rowbottom off due to an injury.

16:07

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Lance Franklin)

16:32

St Kilda leads the tackle count 12 to four this quarter. All 12 of St Kilda's tackles have been post-clearances, while all four of St Kilda's tackles have been pre-clearance.

18:40

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Tom Papley)

18:52

Sydney has scored all of its 3.2.20 this quarter from intercept possessions, with the three goals all coming from defensive midfield intercepts.

20:06

In what has been a game of runs in terms of territory, Sydney has now recorded nine of the last 10 inside 50s of the match. They lead the overall inside 50 count by two for the game.

22:28

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Rushed)

24:09

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Lance Franklin)

25:24

Sydney is starting to overwhelm St Kilda with its territorial advantage. Since the eight-minute mark of the quarter, Sydney leads inside 50s 14 to one. Over the time period they have also won seven more clearances and 14 more contested possessions, outscoring the Saints 5.3.33 to nil.

27:01

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Anthony Caminiti)

27:18

All three St Kilda goals have come via stoppages, with its two goals this quarter coming from centre bounce clearances.

29:27

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Dan Butler)

33:04

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Justin McInerney)

33:28

At the half, Sydney has controlled the contested possession, leading the count by 15 and have hurt the Saints from turnover, outscoring them 3.4.22 to 1.2.8. St Kilda have brought the pressure, recording 23 more tackles than the Swans.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

00:49

For the third quarter in a row, the Saints kick a goal from their first inside 50 entry of the quarter.

03:09

SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Max King)

07:42

St Kilda have owned the football to start the third quarter, doubling the Swans in disposals 38 to 19, on the back of leading the uncontested possession count by 17 this term.

09:22

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Mitch Owens)

09:43

The third quarter has been largely played between the arcs, with St Kilda leading the inside 50 count three to two, a low number for this time of quarter. The Saints have cashed in from the three entries, kicking 2.1.13,

11:59

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Errol Gulden)

13:16

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Rushed)

15:41

Swans Interchange - Nick Blakey off due to an injury.

15:50

SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jade Gresham)

17:04

Sydney has upped its tackle rate this quarter, registering 18 tackles to date after only recording 22 for the entire first half. St Kilda has continued to apply the pressure, recording 17 tackles for the term. They have 20 more tackles than the Swans for the match.

18:49

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Ryan Clarke)

19:03

In a tight, contested game, both sides have scored more from stoppage than they have from intercept tonight. St Kilda has scored 5.1.31 from stoppage with 3.0.18 coming from centre bounce clearances. The Swans have scored 4.2.26 from clearances with 3.0.18 coming from forward 50 stoppages.

24:25

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Braeden Campbell)

25:34

Sydney leads the contested possession count by seven this quarter and by 22 for the match now. The only time they have had a larger contested possession differential this season was against the Giants in Round 7, when they won the count by 23.

26:02

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Sam Wicks)

28:13

Jack Steele has had a prolific third quarter with 10 disposals, five contested possessions and five tackles. Of his 10 disposals, only one of them has been a kick.

28:47

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Rushed)

29:24

After an initial onslaught from St Kilda, Sydney has controlled the territory for little separation on the scoreboard. The Swans have won the inside 50 count by six, but are kicking at an efficiency of 42 per cent compared to St Kilda's 70 per cent for the term.

31:03

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Dan Butler)

32:10

St Kilda won the uncontested possession count by 42 in the third quarter and won the quarter by three points, despite being beaten by eight in both clearances and contested possession. Their disposal efficiency of 75 per cent easily eclipsed the Swans 52 per cent for the term.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

00:40

SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Dan Butler)

01:11

SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jade Gresham)

01:39

Sydney have won five of seven games this season when they lead at three quarter time. Conversely, St Kilda has won only one of four games when they have trailed at three quarter time. Having said that, Sydney has won only four of 10 last quarters this season, while St Kilda has won seven of 10.

01:44

Saints Interchange - Max King off due to an injury.

04:59

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Mitch Owens)

05:08

The Saints have started the final term strongly and regain the lead through Mitch Owens. They lead the contested possession count by five this quarter and have scored from three of their first four inside 50s this term. The Swans have yet to generate an inside 50.

07:37

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera)

07:48

St Kilda now has the first six inside 50s of the term and have kicked 2.2.14 from these entries, with both goals coming via 50 metre penalties.

10:00

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Joel Amartey)

12:55

Sydney has recorded a kicking efficiency of 40 per cent this quarter, compared to St Kilda's 79 per cent. This mirrors the entire second half, with the Swans going at 40 per cent by foot since halftime, compared to St Kilda's 73 per cent.

14:32

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Braeden Campbell)

17:15

SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Bradley Hill)

17:44

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Higgins)

18:13

St Kilda is making its forward entries count when it matters most, kicking 3.3.21 from eight entries this quarter, scoring from 75 per cent of its inside 50s. Up to three quarter time, the Saints had generated a score from 32 per cent of their entries.

25:07

St Kilda has recorded 90 tackles for the match, 14 more than its highest tally for the season prior to tonight.

26:03

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Cooper Sharman)

26:33

It has been a dominant final quarter for the Saints, leading the inside 50 count by nine and enjoying 66 per cent time in forward half. They have also won the contested possession count by by 11 and have kicked 4.4.28 to 1.2.8

30:05

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has had arguably his best game for the Saints, amassing a career-high 30 disposals at 80 per cent efficiency and a goal. Jack Sinclair has been equally influential with 26 disposals at 78 per cent efficiency, 12 contested possessions and seven clearances.

30:40

SCORE GOAL - Saints (Max King)

31:59

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Jake Lloyd)

33:02

St Kilda were able to get their intercept game going in the final term, kicking 5.2.32 from this score source in the final term, after kicking just 2.5.17 from this source up to three quarter time. The Saints generated 29 forward 50 intercepts for the match, including 12 in the final quarter, kicking 3.1.19 in the final term and 5.3.33 for the match.