ST KILDA'S quest for a top-four berth is well and truly alive after it produced its best win of the season – a stunning 30-point comeback victory – over third placed Hawthorn at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.
The Saints 18.11 (119) defeated the Hawks 13.11 (89) to win the Blue Ribbon Cup, first contested in 1999. St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt and Hawthorn's Luke Hodge were named their side's respective best after the match.
St Kilda's win was also its fourth in a row, a first for the red, white and black under coach Ross Lyon, and the club's best effort since its five-match winning streak between rounds 13-17, 2006.
It was a night to remember for the Saints after they started sluggishly and never looked like genuinely threatening in the first half. This was reflected on the scoreboard, as Hawthorn led by 34 points at the 28-minute mark of the third term.
But St Kilda produced a scintillating second-half comeback.
The Saints booted seven-goals-to-one in the first 17 minutes of the third term, and when Riewoldt bagged his third for the term, the Saints hit the front for the first time. A lead it would never relinquish.
St Kilda booted 12 goals to three in the second half to not only enhance its top-eight prospects but keep it right in the top-four hunt.
The second-half heroics – and third quarter in particular – were inspired by captain Riewoldt, unsung Saint Jason Blake and silky-skilled midfielder Nick Dal Santo. The trio were arguably the best three players on ground.
Riewoldt, who entered the match in red-hot form, was again super with six goals, while Blake produced one of his finest matches for the Saints and was a genuine match-turner in the third term. Dal Santo won a game-high 32 disposals, most of which were of a rare quality.
Hawthorn got off to a flyer, kicking the first three goals of the match, including a double from Mark Williams. By the 19-minute mark, the Hawks were up by 21 points and it wasn't until time-on that the Saints posted their first via Sean Dempster.
It soon became a goal-for-goal affair, and when Riewoldt converted after the quarter-time siren, the Saints reduced the gap to 15 points.
The Hawks controlled much of the second term, kicking five goals to three, but they were unable to put the Saints away. When Adam Schneider kicked truly just before the half-time siren St Kilda were 28 points in arrears, but in touch.
One of the highlights of the second term was an attempted hanger from Hawk Michael Osborne. He produced one of the greatest leaps seen in years – the only problem was he didn't quite manage to hang on to the mark over big Saint Steven King.
St Kilda produced a stunning third quarter, botting eight goals to two. Not only did the Saints reel in a margin of almost five goals – they led by nine points heading into the final stanza.
Riewoldt landed two in two minutes to kick-start the comeback, as Blake, who spent time down back in the first half on the two Jarryds (Roughead and Morton), booted three majors in a scintillating quarter. Dal Santo also starred with 13 touches for the term and a goal.
An intriguing final term loomed, but when Clint Jones produced an inspirational chase and tackle on Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin early in the last quarter, it lifted the Saints.
Riewoldt’s sixth soon after gave St Kilda a 20-point lead and Jason Gram sealed the deal with his first after 16 minutes had elapsed.
Stephen Milne continued the second-half belting when he snapped truly after David Armitage marked and dished off, and a second from Osborne was too little too late for the Hawks.
ST KILDA 3.1 6.3 14.5 18.11 (119)
HAWTHORN 5.4 10.7 12.8 13.11 (89)
Goals
St Kilda: Riewoldt 6, Blake 3, Schneider 2, Dal Santo 2, Dempster, Koschitzke, Jones, Gram, Milne
Hawthorn: Williams 3, Franklin 3, Roughead 3, Hodge 2, Osborne 2
Best
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Blake, Dal Santo, Hayes, Montagna, Schneider, Ball, S.Fisher
Hawthorn: Hodge, Sewell, Williams, Roughead, Croad
Injuries
St Kilda: Nil
Hawthorn: Young (back) replaced in selected side by Lewis
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stewart, Meredith, McInerney
Official crowd: 41,886 at Telstra Dome.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club or the AFL.
