Match

St Kilda vs GWS Giants

Commentary / 13 Apr 2025

Pre Game

00:00
The GIANTS scored 24 points from centre bounce clearances in the second quarter of Round 4 - the most ever in a quarter by the club.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:26
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
02:35
The GIANTS open the proceedings through Toby Greene. Greene is coming off a strong game against the Eagles in Round 4, amassing 24 disposals and leading all players on the ground for score involvements with 15.
05:38
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Ryan Byrnes)
07:31
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Cooper Sharman)
07:40
Cooper Sharman caps off a strong centre bounce clearance for the Saints to kick their second goal. The Saints have now won four of the first five clearances of the match.
09:34
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
10:26
The majority of play has so far been in the Saints forward half, with a significant 74.7% of time in forward half going the Saint's way so far.
12:21
With the ball mired in the GIANTS' defence so far, Lachie Ash leads all players on the ground for disposals and marks, with six and three respectively. Ash averages 22.2 disposals against the Saints - his second-highest average against any team.
13:26
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Mason Wood)
16:09
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jake Stringer)
16:51
Jake Stringer kicks his first goal for the GIANTS, as he converts a stoppage free in the forward 50. The GIANTS average 37.5 points per game from stoppages, ranked ninth in the league.
19:06
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera)
20:30
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Callum M. Brown)
21:15
The Saints have a significant inside 50 lead so far, leading 12 to seven. Of those 12 inside 50s, five have been repeat entries, forcing the GIANTS into repeat defensive plays.
21:52
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jacob Wehr)
23:52
After winning the first three centre bounce clearances, the Saints have given up the next four to the GIANTS. However, the GIANTS have only converted these into a solitary behind.
26:26
Jesse Hogan converts a classic pack mark into his first goal of the match. After his nine goals against the Eagles last week, Hogan has now taken 14 marks inside 50 in just three games.
29:03
Saints Interchange - Liam Stocker off due to the blood rule.
30:06
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Jake Stringer)
32:41
A game of alternating momentum sees the GIANTS take a slender lead into quarter-time. Both teams struggled to move the ball from their defence, but the GIANTS were able to slot two important forward-half stoppage goals in the second half of the quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:56
The GIANTS amassed six intercept marks in the first term - double the number taken by the Saints. GWS averages 15.3 per game this season, ranked seventh overall.
02:45
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Higgins)
04:23
The GIANTS capitalise on a costly forward 50 turnover from the Saints as Toby Greene puts through his second goal. The GIANTS average just 4.5 points per game from forward 50 intercepts - ranked 16th overall.
06:02
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
07:17
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Darcy Jones)
07:36
The GIANTS have now kicked the last four goals. Since the nine-minute mark of the first term, the GIANTS have now won the last seven centre bounce clearances.
09:08
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
13:30
Lachie Ash has now amassed 20 disposals in just one-and-a-half quarters. It is the fourth time in his career he has achieved this total or more before half time, after achieving it three times in 2023.
15:37
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
17:26
The Saints have managed just four inside 50s this term - six fewer than the GIANTS in this time. The Saints also trail in contested possessions by seven and clearances by two for the quarter.
18:34
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Jake Riccardi)
19:07
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Max Hall)
20:18
Coming into this match, Jack Macrae has averaged 32.0 disposals per game, ranked fourth overall. Macrae has just six disposals so far; in his time directly opposed to Toby Bedford, Macrae has collected just two touches.
21:07
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
23:26
The GIANTS have been effective with their stoppage clearances so far, converting 76.5% of them into forward 50 entries, and converting 35.3% of them into scores.
24:21
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Cooper Sharman)
24:38
Cooper Sharman breaks a run of five straight goals to give the Saints their first of the term. It's the Saints' first goal of the match to be scored from an around-the-ground stoppage clearance chain.
26:06
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Callan Ward)
30:24
The GIANTS take a solid lead into the second term, in thanks to their slick ball movement from defence. Led by 20 touches from Lachie Ash, the GIANTS intercepted the ball in their defensive midfield nine times in the second quarter, turning these into five inside 50 entries and 2.0 (12).

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:04
Young midfielder Hugo Garcia leads the Saints in disposals so far, with 15 touches in the first half. It's a career-high in disposals at half time for Garcia, outdoing his previous best of 14 disposals in Round 3 of this season.
01:07
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
02:57
GIANTS ruck Kieren Briggs has had the upper hand in the ruck battle so far, leading the hitout count against Rowan Marshall 18-13. Briggs also has the only three hitouts-to-advantage registered in the match.
03:23
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Finn Callaghan)
05:28
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Cooper Sharman)
06:34
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Cooper Sharman)
06:42
Cooper Sharman kicks his third goal of the match, proving to be a dangerous matchup up forward for the GIANTS defenders. Sharman has now kicked six goals in three games this season, after kicking 13 in his last eight games to end 2024.
08:25
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
09:07
Toby Greene's fourth goal - and second goal this term - is the GIANTS' fourth goal from a defensive-half intercept chain for the match. The Saints are yet to register one today.
10:36
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
13:32
The GIANTS have now scored 10.2 (62) from set shots, with just two goals coming from general play. This is just one goal short of their total from last week - 11.7 (73) against the Eagles.
14:38
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera)
16:55
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
17:46
Toby Greene's fifth goal is the GIANTS' fourth goal from a forward half stoppage for the match. The GIANTS average 13.8 points per game from this source, ranked 12th overall.
19:01
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
20:19
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Mason Wood)
21:44
The GIANTS continue to be strong defensively, registering 19 spoils so far - eight more than the Saints. The GIANTS average 35.5 per game in 2025, ranked first in the league.
23:28
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Harvey Thomas)
25:09
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
28:15
Saints Interchange - Liam Stocker off due to an injury.
29:32
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Angus Hastie)
30:05
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Jake Stringer)
31:22
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jake Riccardi)
31:43
Despite the tough start, Saints midfielder Jack Macrae has battled wilfully in the midfield, leading all players on the ground for stoppage first possessions (with nine) and clearances (with six). Macrae's 12 contested possessions is also a team-high.
33:49
After scoring 6.1 (37) points in two separate quarters last round, the GIANTS put on the board their best quarter of the year, amassing a score of 8.3 (51) for the term. They managed five goals from forward half chains for the quarter, bringing their total to nine for the match.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:19
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Sinclair)
03:42
Rowan Marshall is yet to register a hitout to advantage this match. He averages 5.2 per game this season, ranked 16th in the competition (of players to play more than two games).
04:07
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera)
05:18
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Higgins)
05:48
Three goals in quick succession from the Saints have given them some hope in the final term. The Saints have now scored 3.1 (19) from centre bounce clearance chains - one more goal from this source than the GIANTS have managed today.
07:48
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera now leads the Saints for rebound 50s (with five so far), as well as kicking an equal team-high three goals. Wanganeen-Milera had previously never kicked more than one goal in a game.
11:06
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
13:04
The GIANTS have been satisfied with considered ball movement today, playing on from just 18% of their marks this match. In this final term, the GIANTS have not played on from any mark.
13:16
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
15:04
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Bradley Hill)
17:51
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Steele)
18:10
After just five disposals in the first three quarters, Mitch Owens has amassed six in this quarter alone. Owens has also registered three stoppage first possessions and three clearances for the term - both equal game-highs this term.
19:16
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera)
20:44
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Toby McMullin)
22:53
Lachie Ash's game-high disposal count of 32 is his highest since Round 12, 2023. Ash has been unimpeachable in defence, amassing a game-high eight rebound 50s and a kicking efficiency of 89%.
23:22
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Toby McMullin)
25:54
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
27:05
Before today, the Saints had scored in 50.5% of their forward 50 entries, ranked first in the competition. Today, they have won the inside 50 count by 10, but have only scored in 33.8% of them.
28:46
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Higgins)
30:00
While the Saints looked effective with ball in hand - scoring 8.2 (50) from their attacking midfield zone - they were unable to curtail the GIANTS at the other end of the ground, conceding five goals from turnovers and four from stoppages in the Saints' defensive half.