ST KILDA is the latest team to heap misery on Carlton's floundering season, thanks to a comprehensive 64-point victory at Etihad Stadium on Friday night. 

The Saints produced a barnstorming eight-goal-to-two second half to relegate the Blues to their 49th consecutive score under 100 points.

They celebrated their fourth win for the season with a 16.20 (116) to 7.10 (52) score line, with Carlton in trouble from the moment it lost ruckman Matthew Kreuzer to an elevated heart rate nine minutes into the game.

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Kreuzer, wearing a helmet after his recent brush with concussion, was unable to catch his breath after being tackled and was treated by the emergency physician.

While he stabilised and avoided an immediate trip to hospital, he took no further part in the game and the cause remained unknown.

The Saints also had injury issues with Jimmy Webster (groin) failing to finish and Jake Carlisle treated after concern with his ribs, although he did come back on and was fine after the game.

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said he was pleased with the response his players gave to last week's loss to Port Adelaide in regards to their aggression and effort.

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"Going into the game we wanted to make sure we were really strong physically and put on a lot of pressure," Richardson said.

"I thought from the first bounce our hunt was really strong, I thought the guys were relentless in term of getting after the opposition.

"The Blues were pretty keen to attack and get the ball back through the middle and go quick, and I thought our pressure was as strong as it's been for four quarters for a while."

There was no love lost between the sides following on from the infamous Carlisle/Marc Murphy sledging controversy in round eight last year, with the game punctuated with scuffles.

Carlisle was centre of a few, but Jed Lamb will lose the most sleep over an action on Jade Gresham in the first quarter where the Blue made vigorous contact to his opponent’s face.

However, it was Kreuzer's absence that caused Brendon Bolton the biggest headache.

Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow had first crack at Tom Hickey, which saw Patrick Cripps spend time forward, but by quarter-time it was evident the combination was robbing the Blues of both firepower and midfield drive.

So, after the first break when the Saints were eight points clear and Sam Gilbert had used two intercept possessions to contribute to two goals, Bolton changed things up.

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Defender Liam Jones left his opponent Rowan Marshall, who was solid in his eighth AFL game, and rotated with Sam Rowe against Hickey.

In response, Curnow kicked a goal and McKay – who put in an encouraging performance – nearly did before the main break, but with Jack Steven, Luke Dunstan and Jack Steele having monster quarters, the Blues struggled for consistent delivery inside 50.

In fact, it dried up all together after that with the Saints piling on 37 entries to 16 after the main break.

While Richardson was happy with his players shedding a level of conservatism with the way they approached the contest, Bolton said the Blues didn't execute the same theme as well.

"The story of the game was that it was a fairly even contest in the first quarter, then after that we asked our players to play with some free spirit with ball in hand," Bolton said.

"They probably took that a little bit too far and in all of that good will, they overused it and turned it over too much.

"Those fundamental skill errors, they really hurt us on the turnover … they scored seven goals from turnover.

"The intent early to share the ball and go at the game, it was good intent, but fundamentally the skill errors got us."

Such was their dominance with the ball, St Kilda got away with inaccuracy in front of goal that saw them kick more behinds than goals for the 12th time this season.

Their 23-point half-time lead turned into 54 by the final change, courtesy of a six-goal-to-one quarter in which Steven and Jack Billings kicked two each.

Steven was the Saints' best with 33 possessions and eight marks, while Steele struggled to curtail midfield bull Cripps, but put together an impressive offensive game instead.

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Luke Dunstan passed an early concussion test and went on to collect 28 possessions, David Armitage was a big factor in driving them into attack and Billings showed his class.

Ed Curnow and Jones were the leading tacklers for the Blues with six each, but overall it was an area they let themselves down in as the Saints recorded 77 to 53 across the four quarters.

MEDICAL ROOM

St Kilda: Jake Carlisle came off at the start of the fourth quarter concerned about his ribs after copping a heavy, front-on knock. After missing last week with a punctured lung, he was understandably worried, but was quickly cleared and played out the game. Luke Dunstan passed a first-quarter concussion test while Jack Newnes was treated for a sore shoulder in the second, but both finished the game. Jimmy Webster's groin complaint was their biggest concern with the defender spending the fourth quarter iced up, and he'll face further assessment during the week. Seb Ross was a late withdrawal with gastro but is expected to play next week.

Carlton: Matthew Kreuzer was treated for an elevated heart rate and shortness of breath after an innocuous tackle in the first quarter. Bizarrely, it's the second time in the space of a week the Blues have had a player record a high heart rate after Caleb Marchbank suffered the same ailment against the Lions. The ruckman was treated at the ground and further investigation will occur this week.

NEXT UP
The Saints will back up for a second straight Friday night fixture, this time against defending premiers Richmond at Etihad Stadium. The Blues will also return to Docklands and will host Hawthorn on Sunday.



ST KILDA   4.5   8.10  14.14  16.20 (116)
CARLTON   3.3    5.5     6.8     7.10 (52) 

GOALS
St Kilda: Membrey 3, Newnes 3, Marshall 2, Billings 2, Steven 2, Lonie, Sinclair, Steele, Weller
Carlton: Cripps, C.Curnow, Fisher, Kennedy, Pickett, Thomas, Simpson 

BEST
St Kilda: Steven, Steele, Billings, Sinclair, Newnes, Membrey, Armitage, Dunstan
Carlton: Cripps, Fisher, Murphy, E.Curnow 

INJURIES
St Kilda: Ross (illness) replaced in selected side by Rice, Webster (groin)
Carlton: Kreuzer (elevated heartbeat) 

Umpires: Dalgleish, Stevic, Gianfagna

Official crowd: 33,780 at Etihad Stadium