AFL round 9: Carlton defeats St Kilda by 15 points in Spud’s Game

Carlton has overcome injuries and a stubborn St Kilda side to keep its top-eight march on track with a 15-point win in Spud’s Game. See the full SuperCoach takeaways here.

A gutsy Carlton outfit have overcome considerable personnel issues to outlast St Kilda by 15 points in a tense arm wrestle at the MCG on Friday night in front of a record crowd for a home-and-away game between the clubs.

65,680 fans turned up, smashing the previous record (55,658), as the Blues overcame injuries to Mitch McGovern (chest) and Lachie Cowan (hamstring) in the first half to win 11.11 (77) to 9.8 (62), playing a man down after the major break.

RECAP ALL THE KEY MOMENTS IN OUR BLOG BELOW

In what was a hard-fought contest, Elijah Hollands had the chance to put Carlton up by 19 points early in the final quarter and kill off the game, but from 35m out directly in front, he missed a regulation set shot.

A minute later, Jack Sinclair made him pay by roving the ball-up superbly and drilling the goal from point-blank range to get the Saints back within eight points. Mattaes Phillipou, in his first game for the year, cut the deficit to three points midway through the term.

Matteas Phillipou goals

But just as it looked like the Saints were going to run over the top of the Blues, Carlton youngster Cooper Lord converted a set shot from 50m.

And after St Kilda’s Max Hall failed to cut the deficit to three points by missing a shot on goal on the run from 40m out, Harry McKay capped off another top performance by kicking the sealer for Carlton with 1:17 remaining.

Ultimately, Carlton’s clearance dominance (43-33) and big buffer in contested possessions (125-108) proved decisive.

Cooper Lord nails long goal

McKay was magnificent with 19 disposals (12 ontested), 10 marks (two) and three goals, captain Patrick Cripps shone as usual with 26 touches (15), 10 tackles and eight clearances, while youngster Jaxon Binns in his first appearance for 2025 also starred with 22 possessions and a goal.

For the Saints, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had 30 disposals while Jack Sinclair accumulated 26 and a goal.

The Saints didn’t emerge unscathed either. In the final quarter, Jack Higgins departed the game due to illness, although he also seemed to limp from the field.

Mitch McGovern injured

MCKAY ATONES

In the third term, from 50m out in front, McKay booted an absolute mongrel that was so far off target, that it went out of bounds for throw-in. But he made up for it when he was paid a dubious free kick with just a few minutes left in the third term. The Carlton forward was rewarded for supposedly having his jumper being held by Saints youngster Darcy Wilson in the goal square, but in the context of the game, it seemed to be very harsh. It gifted the Blues their only goal of the quarter.

Harry McKay seals it from the boundary 😤#AFLSaintsBluespic.twitter.com/0wpx65pq9d

— AFL (@AFL) May 9, 2025

MARCUS MUCKS UP

Marcus Windhager’s chip kick to Ryan Byrnes on half-back early in the second term was always an ambitious proposition, and so it proved as Cripps got a fist in and Jack Silvagni gathered the spill before hitting up Charlie Curnow. The star forward made Windhager pay the full price with a converted set shot.

CLASSIC CURNOW

Curnow’s second goal at the 19-minute mark of the first quarter was sensational. After taking a contested one-handed mark against one of the league’s best key defenders in Callum Wilkie 55m out on the boundary, he swung onto his right boot and unloaded a cannon which split the big sticks.