Match

St Kilda vs GWS Giants

Commentary / 09 Sep 2023

Pre Game

00:00
Both of these teams like to control possession of the ball but in different styles. St Kilda is ranked No.1 for kicks, disposals, and marks, while GWS is ranked second for handballs and third for disposals.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:58
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Cooper Sharman)
01:07
An early goal for Cooper Sharman and the Saints following a forward half intercept. St Kilda is ranked third in the opening ten minutes of games this season while GWS is ranked only 13th.
02:24
The first goal for the Giants and Toby Greene has also come from a forward half intercept. Since Round 12, GWS is ranked second in points per game from this source (31.5).
05:08
St Kilda has an early 4-1 lead in inside 50 entries and 11-8 in contested possession including the first three contested marks of the game. The Saints are ranked in the bottom-4 in contested marks this season.
07:05
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
07:18
The last score for the Giants was launched by a defensive half clearance. GWS averages only 4.7 points per game from this source (ranked 16th).
08:23
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Rowan Marshall)
08:38
The goal to Rowan Marshall came from a kick-in chain. GWS has now been outscored by 64 points from this source in 2023 (ranked last).
10:08
GWS is still yet to take a mark in this match. St Kilda has taken eight with half of these contested.
13:34
St Kilda has an early 10-6 lead in the tackle count and is also leading in pressure rating. The Saints are ranked in the top-6 for both tackles and pressure differential this season.
16:20
St Kilda has won all seven games this season when it has won the inside 50 count by at least ten but has won only one of the six games when it has lost this count by a least ten. The Saints currently lead this count 10-5.
17:21
The goal to Jesse Hogan followed the first contested mark of the game to the Giants and was launched with a defensive 50 intercept. GWS averages ten points per game from this source (ranked fifth).
20:03
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Bedford)
21:03
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Bedford)
21:23
GWS has scored two goals from its first three forward half intercepts and generated the last four inside 50 entries of the game. The Giants have averaged 38 points per game from this source in the past month (ranked No.1).
22:47
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Mitch Owens)
25:35
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Callum M. Brown)
26:18
This is already the fourth-highest score in the opening quarter against the Saints this season. St Kilda lost the three other games when its opposition scored at least 26 points in the opening quarter.
28:48
In the last ten minutes, GWS has generated 8 of the last 9 inside 50 entries, recorded a kicking efficiency of 87 percent and leads 23-7 in forward half disposals.
28:59
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Brent Daniels)
30:15
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Josh Kelly)
31:14
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Cooper Sharman)
32:10
St Kilda has been strong at defending opposition inside 50 entries this season (ranked third), but in the opening quarter conceded eight scores from just 14 entries by GWS. From the 15-minute mark of the quarter, GWS recorded a kicking efficiency of 73 percent in the forward half (St Kilda 50 percent).

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:09
GWS has won only two of the ten games this season when its opposition has recorded a higher kicking efficiency but has won 11 of the 13 games when it has posted a higher kicking efficiency. In the opening quarter, the Giants were well ahead in this measure (76 percent to 60 percent).
02:01
Tom Green won a team-high six contested possessions in the opening quarter (double any teammate). Green leads the AFL for contested possessions per game with 14.8 and has won 20 in two of his last four matches.
04:16
GWS has now had 14 of the last 17 inside 50 entries of the game and kicked the last four goals during this period of territorial dominance.
05:53
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Bedford)
07:52
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Sebastian Ross)
09:29
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
09:58
St Kilda has scored 82.7 percent of its goals from the corridor this season (the highest percentage in the AFL). Both of the goals for the Saints today have come from this zone, but they have missed all of their shots at goal from angles.
10:59
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jesse Hogan)
11:09
Five goals in a row to the Giants with the last their second of the game from a defensive 50 intercept with Josh Kelly again involved. Kelly leads all players for score involvements (5).
12:23
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)
14:10
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jake Riccardi)
14:39
GWS has won seven of the last nine clearances and the goal to Jake Riccardi came from this source. The Giants now lead the clearances 15-12 and more importantly, lead 16-0 in points scored from stoppages.
15:51
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
16:04
A brilliant ground ball gather and snap from Daniel Lloyd makes it seven goals in a row for the Giants. GWS leads 40-32 in ground balls including 28-13 in loose ball gets (and 12-3 this quarter in loose ball gets).
18:55
Toby Greene averages 8.2 score involvements per game this season (ranked second in the AFL). Greene has already been involved in seven scores today including two assists and one goal.
20:35
GWS has kicked three goals from four forward half clearances this quarter. The Giants average 18 points per game from this source (ranked fourth).
23:00
Cooper Sharman has ended the run of goals to the Giants following another contested mark. This is one area St Kilda has done well in, leading contested marks 9-4 with three of these taken by Sharman.
24:47
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Max King)
24:59
Some slick ball movement from the Saints led to the last shot at goal by Max King. St Kilda has scored 3.4 from set shots while GWS has scored 5.1 for its set shots at goal.
27:33
Another contested mark for the Saints featured in the last goal to Max King. St Kilda averages 10.3 contested marks per game but has already taken 11 today with nine of these in the forward half.
29:21
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Max King)
29:50
Max King has had the last three scores in the game and the Saints have kicked the last three goals. King kicked a game-high four goals while being involved in nine scoring chains when these teams last met.
31:03
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Josh Kelly)
31:15
The classy goal by Josh Kelly was score involvement No.8 from his 19 disposals. Kelly has also recorded 390 metres gained and won a game-high six clearances in a prominent first half.
34:56
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Bradley Hill)
35:05
The Saints have been involved in the lowest-scoring games this season with an average of 148.8 points, but 107 points have been scored in the first half alone today.
35:51
GWS has dominated the loose ball in the first half (36-20), while St Kilda has controlled aerial contests (contested marks 11-4). The Saints also have a 15-8 lead in forward half intercepts, but trail 17-19 in points scored from this source.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:07
The Saints have led at half-time just eight times this season (ranked 15th and the fewest of any finalist), and have never won a final when trailing at half-time by ten points or more.
01:25
Since Round 12, the Giants have only once been outscored in the second half of a game and have won this period by an average of 22 points (ranked No.1).
01:41
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Bradley Hill)
03:18
Since Round 21, St Kilda has won 35.7 percent of its offensive one-on-one contests (ranked No.1) and has again been strong in this area today winning seven of 18 such contests (and only losing two).
05:43
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Brad Crouch)
06:10
St Kilda has now had 13 of the last 17 inside 50 entries and had seven of the last eight scores during this period.
09:05
Rowan Marshall leads all players for contested possessions (13) and has recorded a team-high 401 metres gained from his 21 disposals.
10:28
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)
11:22
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Callum M. Brown)
11:41
Saints Interchange - Mason Wood off due to an injury.
12:00
While St Kilda has a 34-32 edge in inside 50 entries, GWS leads 10-6 in forward 50 marks (including 7-2 uncontested marks) indicating a better connection when entering the forward 50.
12:22
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Callum M. Brown)
13:37
St Kilda now leads 19-9 in forward half intercepts but has scored 2.5.17 from these opportunities, while GWS has scored 4.1.25 from its limited chances including the last goal.
15:10
Since Round 12, GWS has outscored its opposition by 21.7 points per game from turnovers (ranked No.1), and today it leads 38-18 in points scored from this source.
16:50
St Kilda is ranked third in loose ball get differential this season, while GWSis ranked only 11th. However, today the Giants have dominated when the ball has spilled free and lead 48-29 in this count.
16:54
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Kieren Briggs)
18:11
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
19:02
The Giants have had the last ten inside 50 entries and the last seven forward half intercepts with the Saints struggling to clear the ball effectively.
20:16
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jake Riccardi)
20:55
St Kilda leads 29-25 in first possession wins at stoppages, but trails 16-23 in effective clearances and 20-41 in points scored from stoppages.
21:18
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Bedford)
22:00
The Giants are ranked in the bottom-4 for centre bounce clearance differential and points scored from this source in 2023, but lead 10-8 in such clearances and 13-6 in points scored from this source today.
23:14
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Mitch Owens)
25:46
Both teams have won eight forward half clearances today, but the Giants lead 20-8 in points scored from these chains. The Saints have scored from only 30.7 percent of their forward half clearances this season (ranked 17th). GWS has scored from 39.6 percent of its forward half clearances (ranked fourth).
26:30
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Bradley Hill)
26:40
Cooper Sharman has provided the assist on each of the last two goals for the Saints from Mitch Owens and Brad Hill. Sharman has been involved in a tam-high six scores, while Hill has recorded a team-high 489 metres gained.
28:17
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera)
28:25
St Kilda had the last five inside 50 entries of the third quarter and scored three goals during this period after GWS had the previous 12 inside 50 entries and also kicked three goals during its period of territorial ascendancy.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:10
Only twice in history has a team won a final when trailing at the final change by at least 25 points, with the last occasion being in 1945.
01:49
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
02:55
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Higgins)
03:07
Four goals in a row to the Saints with the last coming from a forward half intercept. St Kilda now leads 23-15 in such intercepts and 35-26 in points scored from this source with territory proving to be pivotal in the second half.
04:28
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jake Riccardi)
04:47
Three centre bounce clearance goals now to the Giants who average only 9.3 points per game from this source. Josh Kelly won the clearance and has now won a game-high four centre bounce clearances (equal with Kieren Briggs).
06:17
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jake Riccardi)
07:10
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Finn Callaghan)
07:28
GWS is averaging 102 points in its last five matches (ranked No.1) and has again scored 100 points today in another potent offensive display.
09:07
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
11:39
Jack Sinclair has had 30-plus disposals in each of his last three games and tallied 37 against GWS in Round 10 when he polled the maximum votes from the coaches. However today the Giants have restricted the star Saint to 20 disposals and just two score involvements.
12:58
Dan Butler has posted a shot at goal accuracy of 63.5 percent this season (which is the second-best of the top-50 in the AFL for shots at goal) but he has missed both of his shots at goal today.
15:07
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jake Riccardi)
15:25
Brent Daniels had a career-high 19 effective disposals in Round 24, while also having a season-high 10 score involvements, and he has again been dangerous today with an equal career-high four score assists.
20:08
St Kilda leads 19-11 in contested marks with the last of these leading to the goal from Max King. This is a season-high total for the Saints and only twice this season has any team taken more than 19 such marks.
23:55
Tom Green has been prolific today for the Giants with a team-high 35 disposals, a career-high 686 metres gained and a game-high 11 ground ball gets.
25:55
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
26:26
Rowan Marshall (a career-high 21 contested possessions) and Jack Steele (a season-high 18 contested possessions) have battled hard for the Saints at stoppages, but the Giants lead effective clearances (32-25) and points scored from stoppages (54-27).
28:38
An impressive win from the Giants who used an eight-goal burst either side of quarter-time to establish a match-winning lead. Despite having fewer inside 50 entries (54-56) the Giants took more forward 50 marks (16-9) and had more shots at goal. A 67-42 domination in loose ball gets by GWS was also telling.