ST KILDA has kept Carlton from stealing its spot in the top eight, registering a third straight win in an entertaining clash at the MCG on Friday night.
Little separated the eighth-placed Saints and ninth-placed Blues ahead of this contest, and it was the former's high-percentage efforts that saw them home by 32 points – 18.11 (119) to 12.15 (87).
The Saints' remarkable streak over the Blues extended to 11, with the 55,658 patrons a home-and-away attendance record for a match between the two clubs.
Twenty-two down at half time, Carlton worked to reverse their fortunes in the third term but could manage no better than behinds to Eddie Betts and Cameron Cloke in the opening minutes.
It told the story of their evening, as golden chances went wanting and the Saints struck again through David Armitage.
Captain Nick Riewoldt, influential with 23 possessions and 12 marks, continued to give Blue Jarrad Waite headaches and set up Jason Blake for St Kilda's 11th goal.
Carlton dug its heels in and, when Steven Browne won a 50m penalty and goaled, the home side still looked a chance. Brad Fisher's second emphasised it.
But the Saints, in contrast to some of their other efforts this season, punished their opponents when they needed to.
Stephen Milne did the most damage with two goals in little more than two minutes and his confidence was echoed by his teammates.
A free kick and goal to Brendan Fevola, well held by Max Hudghton all night, preceded the last change with the Saints 33 points clear.
Enter Chris Judd, who threatened to pry the game from the Saints' grip with 11 possessions and six clearances in the final term.
He finished the match with a game-high 30 disposals, but fell second to opponent Jason Gram until that final stanza.
It was also a tough night for Judd's deputy Nick Stevens, who struggled to shake the attention of Sean Dempster, however, Bryce Gibbs (28 possessions) and Heath Scotland (28) worked hard.
The Saints had a raft of performers that stretched from Steven King in the ruck to Milne and Riewoldt in attack, Nick Dal Santo and Robert Harvey in the middle and Hudghton, Brendon Goddard and Sam Fisher in defence.
Carlton wouldn't be discarded and some good work from young ruckman Matthew Kreuzer encouraged Betts, who threaded a banana across his body before adding the game's next.
Surprisingly, the gap was just 14 points when Fevola converted and Waite soon brought it to seven when sent forward.
Pressure poured on St Kilda to respond, and it was Justin Koschitzke who did.
The big Saint marked deep in the pocket from a Dal Santo chip, snapping through a slim gap, and soon after towered over Gibbs in a mismatch.
The blood rule prevented Koschitzke from taking the kick, but his work was done as Riewoldt put through his third goal.
A second goal to Armitage and a fifth to Milne put the game beyond doubt, with the Saints' departure from its congested style paying dividends.
It was their attack either side of quarter time that stole the momentum of the game.
After starting slowly, with Gram's goal almost 17 minutes in, the Saints added another through Riewoldt to sit four points behind at the first change.
They did flood heavily to open the new term but pounced when Fevola conceded a free kick and 50m penalty for high contact on Hudghton off the ball.
Koschitzke marked strongly in the goal square, Milne followed, and when Clinton Jones was fed by Gram the Blues looked shaky.
Carlton made it back-to-back goals through Fisher and Cloke, but the Saints were textbook perfect when Lenny Hayes cleared from the centre to create Riewoldt's second.
Hayes, with 22 possessions and eight tackles, was the best player on the ground and, after Fevola kicked his first, joined Milne and tireless veteran Harvey to bolster the handy lead at the main break.
St Kilda 2.4 9.7 14.9 18.11 (119)
Carlton 2.8 5.9 8.12 12.15 (87)
GOALS
St Kilda: Milne 5, Riewoldt 3, Armitage 2, Koschitzke 2, Gram, Hayes, Jones, Harvey, McQualter, Blake
Carlton: Fevola 3, Betts 3, Fisher 2, Gibbs, Browne, Cloke, Waite
BEST
St Kilda: Hayes, Riewoldt, Harvey, Gram, Dal Santo, Milne, Koschitzke, Hudghton
Carlton: Judd, Gibbs, Murphy, Simpson, Betts
INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
Carlton: Nil
Reports: Jarrad Waite (Carlton) reported by umpire Vozzo for striking Clinton Jones (St Kilda) in the third quarter
Umpires: Chris Donlon, Michael Vozzo, Mathew James
Official crowd: 55,658 at the MCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
