AFL round 15: Brisbane defeats stagnant St Kilda by 28 points as two Saints reported
Ross Lyon says he ‘found out a lot about individuals’ in Friday night’s loss to the Lions in relation to ‘long-term personnel’ decisions. So what does that mean for the 2024 list?
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St Kilda hasn’t lost its dare. It’s been misplaced.
In the first half at Marvel Stadium, it was nowhere to be seen.
The only dare associated with the Saints was their iced coffee sponsorship.
There was no boldness with the ball. They were slow and stagnant and stuck in their back half.
Brad Johnson suggested they were in a bit of a slumber.
Maybe they needed a caffeine hit.
“They’re doing a lot of walking,” Johnson said. He said the energy wasn’t the same as earlier in the season.
It also wasn’t the same as spurts in the second half. Mitchito Owens took a contested mark at halfback and thumped it to Jack Higgins at half-forward.
Higgins found Ryan Byrnes and the Saints had their first goal from a defensive 50m launch.
It was the fifth time from 30 attempts they had moved the ball from one arc to the other.
The Saints were a fingertip away from closing within 10 points in the last quarter, but a silent goal review showed Max King’s snap was touched off the boot.
But the signs of life were scarce. Where was that sense of adventure from the start?
Seb Ross said in 2021 the Saints played a “boring” style, and co-captain Jarryn Geary agreed.
“We need to get back to playing some exciting footy, which is what we were really known for last year (2020),” Geary said.
In 2022, St Kilda started all guns blazing under Brett Ratten with an 8-3 record, to sit in the top four at the halfway, mark before crashing and burning and missing out on the finals.
But returning coach Ross Lyon has rubbished comparisons between his current side and the Saints of he past few seasons.
“I don’t know if this is appropriate. Sometimes people look for conspiracy where there’s just stupidity or, in this case, poor form,” Lyon said after Friday night’s loss.
“I don’t think you can compare it. Our first half of the year we did it without key personnel, we got Max (King) back (recently) and we did it with a bunch of kids that we’ve still got (in the senior team).
“There’s still no (Tim) Membrey (knee), (Dan) McKenzie (calf) was really critical ... and (Zak) Jones (Achilles).
“I understand the narrative and there’s no judgment for me in it, but I think it’s apples and oranges.
“We played a pretty good team (Brisbane) tonight and last week we could’ve easily won (against Richmond).
“I’m not looking at it (as if) it’s the same year and the same event.”
MRO LATEST: WILL KEY SAINTS BE PUNISHED?
Commentator Dwayne Russell remarked early that ground staff could’ve left the centre square roped off as the play hugged the boundary lines.
It also tightly embraced Brisbane’s forward line. The Lions led inside 50s 14-2 at one stage and only their inaccuracy kept the score interesting.
In the first eight rounds the Saints ranked 6th for time in forward-half differential. They were +2min 51sec.
From rounds 9-14 they slipped to 13th. They were -4min 5sec. Midway through the third quarter the Saints were in the red by more than 10 minutes.
The ball lived in their backline because the Lions were livelier at stoppages. Again, that’s where the Saints have shrunken.
In rounds 1-8 they were +0.8 in clearances. In rounds 9-14 they were -6.8 (17th) and last night they were -10.
The centre-clearance goal to Joe Daniher after the three quarter-time siren and Lachie Neale setting up Jarrod Berry for a forward stoppage goal earlier that term were telling.
Neale pinched the ball from Rowan Marshall and handballed to Berry’s advantage. Johnson said Saints players stood stationary.
“I found out a lot about individuals tonight and I’ll absorb it all and process it, but we’re pretty keen to turn it around, I know we’re better than that,” Lyon said.
“It highlights in the short-term improvement, and the long-term personnel-wise where we need to get to as well.”
It’s no surprise the club’s list management committee has one player type at the top of its off-season wishlist.
A midfielder with speed. Someone and agility, who can get out of contests quickly.
Dan McKenzie, Zak Jones and Jack Billings will return through the VFL on Saturday but you suspect the Saints want a genuine A-grade dynamic midfielder.
Guessing they would also love a Harris Andrews-type. Who wouldn’t? Andrews had eight marks by the time the Saints had eight points.
Andrews’ 13th mark – taken against Mitch Owens and Cooper Sharman – led to Cameron Rayner’s first goal.
It didn’t look like fourth versus fifth on the ladder.
But the Lions climbed to third and by Sunday the Saints could sit seventh, which would feel like a truer reflection of their gap.
SCOREBOARD
SAINTS 1.0, 2.3, 6.5, 8.8 (56)
LIONS 3.4, 5.8, 9.8, 12.12 (84)
RONNY LERNER’S BEST
Saints: Sinclair, Webster, Wanganeen-Milera, Battle, Steele, Crouch.
Lions: Andrews, Hipwood, Payne, Daniher, Dunkley, Neale, Wilmot.
GOALS
Saints: Higgins, Butler, Wanganeen-Milera, Caminiti, Byrnes, Hill, Gresham, Sinclair.
Lions: Hipwood 4, Daniher 2, Bailey, Dunkley, Berry, Rayner, K.Coleman, Cameron.
REPORTS Max King (St Kilda) for striking Ryan Lester (Brisbane) in the second quarter, Liam Stocker (St Kilda) for engaging in rough conduct with Eric Hipwood (Brisbane) in the second quarter.
UMPIRES Power, Nicholls, Broadbent, Gianfagna
VENUE Marvel Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LERNER’S VOTES
3 Harris Andrews (BL)
2 Eric Hipwood (BL)
1 Jack Payne (BL)
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