St Kilda defeat Gold Coast Suns as Butler and Rankine put on a show
It went right down to the wire as fans from all corners sat on the edge of their seats with one superstar Saint ultimately sealing the deal.
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St Kilda have backed up their finals credentials with a gallant victory against a hard-fought Gold Coast Suns outfit.
In what was a breathtaking contest, the two sides threw everything that had at one another but in the end it was the Saints who secured the 12.6 (78) to 11.8 (74) victory.
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As the lead jumped up and down like a seesaw, it was the Suns who held the nine-point advantage halfway through the final term with the momentum well and truly behind them.
But the Saints responded emphatically with Dan Butler getting the comeback underway before Josh Battle grabbed the lead back.
As the contest heated up, it was Butler who once again popped up and produced a stunning goal to give his side the unassailable lead.
DAN BUTLER HAS FOUR!
— 7AFL (@7AFL) August 6, 2020
What a recruit 🔥#AFLSunsSaints pic.twitter.com/MYVW2yZeG3
Young superstar Izak Rankine produced moments of magic throughout the contest and when the Saints looked to have the win sealed he left jaws on the floor once again.
A kick deep inside the Suns 50 ended with Rankine in a crowd snapping on his opposite foot and drilling the goal to give his side a shot to steal the match.
It wasn’t too be as the Saints held on in what many fans watching on were quick to label as a match of the year contender.
“This is the best game of footy I’ve watched this year. Unbelievable skills and speed,” The New Daily co-founder Bruce Guthrie tweeted.
“Match of the year,” Good Weekend’s Konrad Marshall wrote.
“Best game for quite a while,” comedian Dave Hughes tweeted.
The Saints looked to be in control of the contest in the dying minutes of the third quarter, as they held a 15 point lead and the Suns desperately looking for a spark. Enter Rankine.
With a highlight reel that would leave long term players jealous, Rankine took centre stage once again with two passages of brilliance.
A kick down the wing from Connor Budarick sat in the air and Rankine took full advantage of the Saints player camped underneath as he leapt onto his shoulders.
Less than a minute later he outdid himself after stealing an errant handball from St Kilda’s Dougal Howard.
A quick burst of pace to get away from the contest, Rankine ran inside 50 before taking a few steps to settle himself and put the ball through the middle of the goals.
“Rankine is a freak,” ABC’s Camron Slessor tweeted.
“Izak Rankine is an absolute super star! He has incredible talent,” AFR’s John Kehoe wrote.
The win lifts St Kilda into second spot on the ladder in what has been a stellar season for the surging club who finished 14th last season and only recorded 9 wins.
In the shortened 2020 season the Saints are marching towards finals action having won seven out of their 10 games.
They’ll look to continue to show they’re the real deal this season when they take on Geelong next Monday night at the Gabba.
For the Suns they find themselves one game outside of the top eight and will look to snap their three-game losing streak when they take on Essendon next Wednesday night at Metricon Stadium.
Originally published as St Kilda defeat Gold Coast Suns as Butler and Rankine put on a show