St Kilda started the match with a five-man forward line and a seven-man defence. Leigh Brown went to Justin Koschitzke and Simon Prestigiacomo took Nick Riewoldt. In the midfield Clint Jones ran with Alan Didak and Jason Gram had the job of quelling Dane Swan
FOUR QUARTERS
Q1: St Kilda 1.2 (8) v Collingwood 2.4 (16)
St Kilda rotated Sam Fisher, Jason Blake and Sam Gilbert as their loose defender with great effect early, dominating possessions but the Saints weren’t able to capitalise. Collingwood lifted its intensity and pressure closing down St Kilda’s space which resulted in consecutive goals to Jack Anthony and Dale Thomas. Travis Cloke and Anthony Rocca worked well in tandem and Riewoldt had the yips in front of goal.
Collingwood leading by eight points.
Q2: St Kilda 6.4 (40) v Collingwood 4.6 (30)
Collingwood’s big men were prominent early before Leigh Montagna and Riewoldt took control. Montagna collected 14 second-quarter possessions and Riewoldt booted three goals for the term. St Kilda starved the Magpies of forward entries keeping the Pies to 16 inside 50s for the half. Five goals to two in the quarter.
St Kilda leading by 10 points.
Q3: St Kilda 9.7 (61) v Collingwood 6.8 (44)
Scott Pendlebury out of the game with a suspected broken leg. St Kilda rediscovers their trademark frontal pressure. Collingwood’s midfielders pushing back whereas St Kilda midfielders go to the contest to support. The Saints winning more ball, controlling the tempo and starving Collingwood of possession, restricting the Pies to six inside 50 entries for the quarter and two goals.
Saints by 17 points.
Q4: St Kilda 12.8 (80) def Collingwood 7.10 (52)
Riewoldt, the most influential big man, kicks his fifth, St Kilda is cleaner with possession under pressure and too many Collingwood attempts to gain control were one-handed or unsure as a result of the physical and inferred pressure from their opponents. When they did win the ball Collingwood was unable to create scoring opportunities.
Saints win by 28 points.
MATCH UPS THAT MATTERED
Clint Jones kept Alan Didak to 13 possessions. Nick Riewoldt was far too good for Simon Prestigiacomo and finished with five goals. Jason Gram restricted Dane Swan to 24 disposals. Justin Koschitzke eventually won his battle with Leigh Brown booting two and Collingwood had no answer for Leigh Montagna and Lenny Hayes. Pendlebury going down also impacted Collingwood’s rotations.
THE COACHES
Ross Lyon took the points, helping his team rediscover their frontal pressure, full- ground zone and physicality. He won the tactical battle with well orchestrated run-with roles on key Magpies Didak and Swan and persisted with a seven-man defensive unit which allowed the Saints to consistently set up from defence. St Kilda executed their full court press perfectly only allowing the Magpies 34 inside 50 entries for the match.
Mick Malthouse erred at selection, Cameron Wood should have played but didn’t and the Pies were exposed. Leigh Brown was good early on Koschitzke but had to share the ruck duties with Josh Fraser which impacted their defensive structure. Tactically, the Magpies were unable to quell Montagna, Hayes, Riewoldt and Sam Fisher and were unable to release Didak or Swan to any great effect so they could influence the game. Unlike the Brisbane game in round 18 the Pies lacked creativity or outside the square thinking in an attempt to wrestle back control.
HOW THE GAME WAS LOST
With their three most damaging players Didak, Swan and Leon Davis well held and the fourth key member of their midfield Pendlebury off the ground the Magpies couldn’t inject any suitable replacements capable of influencing the match. Up and going these four make other teammates look so much better but on a day like today the Magpies depth was exposed.
HOW THE GAME WAS WON
St Kilda got their mojo back. Their trademark frontal, physical and inferred pressure was evident across the four quarters, they were more desperate, worked for one another more than their opponents and were absolute in their commitment to the gameplan. Simply put St Kilda did the basics better and more often than the Pies. The Saints suffocated the Magpies with an impenetrable 18-man zone after quarter time and conversely when they won possession each St Kilda player knew the role required at any given time.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
