Saints eclipse Suns as Dan Butler shines at Metricon Stadium
Dan Butler kicked four goals as St Kilda broke Gold Coast’s hearts in a four-point thriller to climb into second spot.
The party started early on the Gold Coast on Thursday night, but unfortunately for the Suns, celebrations for Matt Rowell’s contract extension were cut short by St Kilda.
The Saints steadied when it mattered most in the final quarter at Metricon Stadium to defeat the gallant Suns by four points in a thriller.
Dan Butler kicked four goals for the Saints in a matchwinning performance but the 12.6 (78) to 11.8 (74) defeat was cruel on the Suns who, after starting the season so well, have now lost three matches in a row and five of their past six.
St Kilda’s seventh win of the season moved them into second spot on the ladder ahead of the Brisbane Lions on percentage.
The Saints also played the role of party poopers after the pre-match news that Rowell had signed a two-year extension.
Perhaps the presence of Rowell, out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, would have lifted the Suns to victory. But the former easybeats of the competition can still hold their heads high for the part they played in a classic contest.
Much had been made pre-match of the King brothers becoming just the sixth set of twins to play against each other at the highest level.
It was a full-forward battle 21 months in the making after St Kilda’s Max and Gold Coast’s Ben were the respective number four and six picks in the 2018 draft. But they both failed to live up to the hype early in the contest.
Neither had a disposal in the first quarter, with St Kilda’s Max at least making a tackle.
However, they both came alive in an entertaining second quarter.
Ben kicked two majors for the Suns during their run of four straight goals that propelled them to a three-point halftime lead. Max was also on target for the Saints with a second-quarter goal.
Ben finished the match with three goals to claim brotherly bragging rights, but Max had the last laugh via the Saints’ win.
The momentum swung back and forth as both sides went on goalscoring runs that threatened to blow the game open.
The Suns kicked four in a row in the second quarter before the Saints responded with four of their own to take the lead in the third quarter.
Gold Coast then hit back with another run of goals, but it was St Kilda who provided the final surge that decide the game.
NCA Newswire
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