Captain Jed Adcock said in the lead-up to Friday night that the Lions needed to "grind out" a win after a 0-5 start to the year. Against a St Kilda outfit that is making a habit of grinding out results this season that's exactly what they did. It wasn't pretty early, but the Lions were able to get ahead in the first half by winning the contested ball and willing the ball forward. Ranked last in the League for inside 50 differential, they led the indicator 49-39 at the last change. Red time goals had also been an issue for the Lions but they held their nerve under heavy pressure in the final minutes, clinging to a slim lead to notch their first win. They led from start to finish, but it was a grind.       

 

The Saints' kicking had been off all night, but they were just four points down when Farren Ray ran into an open goal with 80 seconds on the clock. The crowd roared as the former Bulldog surged forward but he sprayed his kick wide. It would have been a heist from the Saints, who couldn't reach the heights they've previously hit this season. Leigh Montagna (37 possessions) continued his fine form and won the Anzac Medal, but star forward Nick Riewoldt (one goal) was well held.       

 

It was always going to be hard to replicate last year's crowd of 22,546 at the Cake Tin, with the Anzac Day clash no longer a first in Wellington. Roughly 18,000 had been expected but 13,409 turned up to see what eventually turned into an entertaining match after a scrappy opening. There was a lot of red, black and white in the crowd, showing the Saints are gaining a following across the Tasman. They packed a punch, too, growing louder in the second half as the match went down to the wire.

 

Young half-forward Eli Templeton wouldn't have imagined his first trip to New Zealand with St Kilda would have included a trip to hospital. The elevated rookie was substituted out of the Anzac Day match with a suspected broken arm in the first quarter and taken from Westpac Stadium in an ambulance, with the worst later confirmed. Templeton had been a man in demand this week in Wellington, with his blonde dreadlocks making him a hit as the Saints promoted Australian Football on the streets. There would have been some disappointed locals when he left the ground clutching his left arm. His injury opened the door for substitute Shane Savage, who is a New Zealand ambassador for the Saints.

 

Andrew Raines hadn't been able to earn a call-up during the Lions’ 0-5 start to the season, but he made things happen when given a chance on Friday night. Known for his ability as a shutdown player, Raines won a team-high 17 possessions in the first half and kicked a goal, forcing the Saints to move their tagger, Tom Curren, onto him. By full-time Raines had 24 possessions, justifying the move. "That's what we wanted 'Rainesy' in the team for, coach Justin Leppitsch said post-match. "We don't want one-dimensional players. In the last two or three weeks his offensive game has gone to another level so now we can use him in multiple roles."