St Kilda cement top eight spot with demolition of Richmond after week of expectations

ARE St Kilda this year’s Western Bulldogs-style fairytale? What is certain is Richmond’s continuing struggles with expectation after a humiliating loss.

Tim Membrey celebrates a goal against Richmond.

THIS game was over last Tuesday.

That was the day the growing chorus about Richmond being a premiership contender reached its highest point.

By then all the weekly footy shows had devoted significant time pumping the Tigers’ tyres.

HARDWICK: ’HE’S THERE TO MAKE S--T COMMENTS

LIVE BLOG: RE-CAP ALL OF TODAY’S ACTION AND REACTION

MARK ROBINSON: DON’T ARGUE, JUST SIGN, OR DON’T, DUSTY

To be fair they deserved some loving given the way they’d stitched up Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval to move to fourth on the ladder.

But what was missed in all the hyperbole was one fact ... it’s Richmond they were talking about.

A tried and true Tigers fan must have surely sensed trouble as the experts queued up one after the other to laud their team as legitimate flag material.

Jack Sinclair and Leigh Montagna celebrate a goal as Shaun Grigg watches on.

As they knew so well the yellow and black brigade have had issues in the past dealing with expectation.

But even by their standards of drinking their own bath water, this was next level.

They were four goals down at quarter-time and then scored one point only in the second quarter as St Kilda suddenly looked like the Saints of 2009.

At half-time the margin was an incredible 82 points.

ANDO’S SHOUT: HOW SAINTS TELL SIX JACKS APART

COOL, CALM: RICHO FINDS SERENITY IN HIMALAYAN RETREAT

RACE IN TWO: PADDY, DANGER THE ONLY BROWNLOW DANGERS

The stats sheet was remarkable reading.

St Kilda led the disposals 248-142, contested possessions 84-55, clearances 23-9 and inside 50s 43-14.

And if you wanted any more evidence of how bad the Tigers were going their three messiahs - Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance - had touched the ball 11 times between them.

Nick Riewoldt had wound back the clock and took Rance to the goalsquare for a traditional one-on-one match-up.

Dustin Martin had a quiet game against St Kilda.

The Saints veteran led the game’s best defender a merry dance kicking two first-half goals and in the process set a new AFL record for the most marks in the history of the game (2913).

Martin’s Brownlow Medal march hit a roadblock in the form of Koby Stevens who was one of a few Saints who paid him some attention.

Stevens had 17 disposals and two goals to the main break compared to Martin’s six possessions.

Poor old Jack Riewoldt had his first touch at the eight-minute mark of the second quarter but it’s fair to say the ball wasn’t down his end too often.

So now let’s fast forward to next Tuesday when it’s St Kilda’s turn to be analysed as a prospective premiership hope.

In this crazy year where there are no stand-outs, they will be the focus for this week.

Nick Riewoldt celebrates a goal against Richmond.

Saturday night’s 67-point victory saw them move to fifth and it was the first time they’d won four straight since 2011.

If the Grand Final was played at Etihad Stadium then they’re in the conversation.

When the Saints are buzzing and have their energy levels at maximum, they zoom around under the roof like men possessed.

The midfield spreads far and wide with the likes of Jack Steven, Seb Ross, and Jack Newnes serious ball magnets.

Stevens and Jack Steele are important additions while Jack Sinclair looked polished.

Richmond’s mosquito fleet has got a lot of good publicity in recent weeks but the Saints have a fairly decent set themselves in the forward half.

Jack Billings, Jade Gresham and Jack Lonie are very small and very good when they’re on, providing the perfect foil for the three tells - Riewoldt, Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey - who bamboozled the Tigers.

At the other end Nathan Brown and Jake Carlisle have given the defence a solid structure, Dylan Roberton provides the dash while veterans Leigh Montagna, Sam Gilbert and Jarryn Geary had their best game as a collective for a while.

So can St Kilda be the Western Bulldogs of 2017?

Well, given they’re going to be analysed as a premiership chance on Tuesday, we know what that means for next Friday night ... Essendon are good things.