St Kilda is playing exciting footy and it could see them reach great heights, Mark Robinson writes

Who knows how far the Saints can go this season. But what we do know right now is this team is firing on all cylinders and have the weapons to strike fear into teams after another dominant performance over Carlton, Mark Robinson writes.

Patrick Cripps had a trying first half. Australia. Picture: Getty Images

On the same ground five days ago, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson lamented the “dreadful” spectacle football had become.

It was like watching a different sport on Thursday night.

Who knows how high St Kilda can climb this year, but they will do it with a sense of adventure in their hearts and legs — and a smile on our faces.

When you move the ball like the Saints do, and like Port Adelaide and Brisbane and even the Gold Coast do, football is a spectacle.

Wise old heads will question whether St Kilda’s blistering ball movement is complemented by enough substance the longer the season plays out, but as we speak, the Saints are a formidable opposition.

True, Collingwood rolled them two weeks ago with ease, so let’s not get too carried away.

But on Thursday night, St Kilda rolled Carlton with equal abandon.

Don’t know where that leaves the Blues who again were not ready for the first-quarter combat.

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Patrick Cripps had a trying first half. Australia. Picture: Getty Images

They were competitive after halftime, but that’s the third time we’ve written that this season and Blues fans, let alone the coach David Teague, should be getting jack of this behaviour of gallantry.

The final margin was 18 points — 11.7 to 8.6.

At halftime, it was 7.4 to 2.4.

It was fundamental coaching from Brett Ratten in the first half.

He sent Jack Steele to Patrick Cripps which was obvious and returning skipper Jarryn Geary to Sam Docherty, a tactic the Bombers didn’t initiate last week when Docherty was rampant at half back.

At quarter time last night, Geary had two kicks and kicked two goals — one opposed to Sam Petrevski-Seton, the other opposed to Docherty — while the Carlton co-captain had five touches.

At the end, Docherty had 20 touches and Geary two goals and a weary body. The Saints will take that as a win.

Jarryn Geary marks in front of Sam Docherty

The St Kilda mosquito fleet — the Mozz Squad — held the reins in the first half, lost them in the third, regained them in the fourth before the Blues challenged again late — but it was too late.

Behind, the Callum Wilkie and the quickly adapting Nick Coffield were outstanding. So, too, was ruckman Rowan Marshall.

The debate about whether Ratten’s game plan includes two ruckmen — Marshall and Patrick Ryder, who watched from the corporate box last night — can almost be put to bed.

Marshall was terrific last night and is clearly the first option.

And for sure, Max King at full-forward is going to be a hell of an option for the Saints over the next 12 years.

They are well served across the ground, St Kilda.

They have speed of ball movement, seem to prefer to kick and not handball and have several targets in the forward line — King, Membrey, Battle and Marsh. Around them and through the midfield is the Mozz Squad, led last night by Jack Billings.

Coffield and Hunter Clark in the back half are two high draft picks and are now well settled in the senior line-up, Clark especially. He is composed and makes smart decisions with the ball.

The other is Ben Long, an instinct defender who adds to the Saints rebound and who showed he can take a hanger.

Ben Long WHAT A BEAUTY! #AFLBlueSaints pic.twitter.com/4Eoprdx1KX

— 7AFL (@7AFL) July 2, 2020

And the Saints won without Brad Hill having any important input — he had eight disposals — and Zak Jones was injured.

A concern is Daniel Hannebery who injured a hamstring and will be out for several weeks.

The Blues are frustrating.

Their two skippers — Cripps and Docherty — were harnessed early and the impact was significant.

Carlton’s first quarters this year are damning.

Rd 1 v Richmond, they had a pressure rating of 184 and laid nine tackles.

Rd 2 v Melbourne, it was 175 pressure and seven tackles and were held scoreless.

Rd 3 v Geelong was the outlier. It was 196 pressure, 10 tackles and they led by 25 points

Rd 4 v Essendon, it was 158 pressure and eight tackles.

Last night it was 164 pressure and seven tackles and they kicked one goal.

The league average pressure rating is about 186.

This is a compromised season this year and the Blues compromise their performance by playing too much catch-up football.

Carlton are playing catch-up football. Picture: Getty Images)

Only two weeks ago they pummelled Geelong with quick footy and winning talks in the forward line,

Last night, it was back to scrounge football after being jumped again.

Yes, they outscored St Kilda in the second half 6.3 to 4.3 and wasted their opportunities. And do you take that as the positive takeaway or lament the poor first half?

For all the deserved praise Cripps receives, he has one flaw — he misses too many shots at goal. It was only the one behind last night but it came when the Blues were menacing St Kilda. The Blues lost a level of momentum after that.

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Originally published as St Kilda is playing exciting footy and it could see them reach great heights, Mark Robinson writes