St Kilda had to overcome a 16-point deficit at half time but put the clamps on after the break, kicking eight goals to four in the second half to run out 11.13 (79) to 10.5 (65) winners.
Playing his first game since tearing his hamstring against Collingwood in round three, Riewoldt was rusty early but got more involved as the match wore on.
He started on the bench but eventually played 77 minutes and finished with 1.4.
Lions vice-captain Daniel Merrett probably had the better of their duel, but Riewoldt showed promise with some strong final quarter grabs and a nice goal.
But it was the Saints midfield that eventually wore down a committed Lions outfit.
Leigh Montagna (33 disposals), Lenny Hayes (28) and Nick Dal Santo (26) all covered for the late withdrawal of Brendon Goddard as the Saints kept second spot on the ladder.
James Gwilt and Sam Fisher also worked hard for the winners.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said it was great to have his captain back.
“It puts everyone more at ease,” he said.
“It’s great for football, I think we love our great players on the paddock and he just happens to be one who plays for St Kilda.
“Clearly he makes us a better team but I thought we kicked to him way too often early.
“He really started to play with real movement and presence.
“He was clearly being targeted but that’s OK, he’s a champion and he can respond.”
While Riewoldt took all the attention at one end of the ground, embattled Lions spearhead Brendan Fevola had his best game for some time, kicking four goals, including two freak efforts from the boundary line.
Daniel Rich was superb across the half-back line, while Tom Rockliff, Jack Redden and Simon Black battled well all night in the middle of the ground.
For the Saints Stephen Milne had a difficult night against Ash McGrath but finished with two goals, as did fellow small forward Adam Schneider.
It was arguably the Lions’ best performance since their round 10 win over Collingwood, but they have now won just once in 11 weeks and are effectively out of the finals race.
Lions coach Michael Voss said it was closer to the standard of play he expected from his team.
“Certainly from the first half what we were trying to execute was done very very well,” he said.
“After half time they probably put the foot down a little bit, put their guns in the middle of the ground, got them going a bit.
The pleasing thing I got out of the third quarter was the dam wall didn’t break as it has in the past. We’ve had multiple goals kicked against us in those periods, so we hung in there, so that was pleasing.
“We certainly pushed them all the way.”
Voss said it was the “little things” that let his team down, including some execution going forward.
“I thought in the first half we thought our way through situations well, but in the back half they got that ascendency and we lost our heads a couple of times and they kicked those quick goals and started to open up,” he said.
Fevola kicked two goals within a minute during the second quarter, and when Black added another, the home fans thought they were in for an upset.
But the constant Saints pressure after half time proved too much, as wave after wave came forward and Gwilt, Brett Peake, Schneider and Dal Santo all banged through goals to steal the momentum.
The quarter was finished with an all-in melee after Lions little man Amon Buchanan shoved Riewoldt in the back following an after-the-siren miss on goal.
Brisbane Lions: 3.1 6.1 7.3 10.5 (65)
St Kilda: 3.1 3.3 7.7 11.13 (79)
GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Fevola 4, Black, Brennan, Buchanan, Cornelius, Polkinghorne, Power
St Kilda: Milne 2, Schneider 2, Dal Santo, Gwilt, McEvoy, McQualter, Montagna, Peake, Riewoldt
BEST
Brisbane Lions: Rich, Redden, Rocklif, Black, Merrett, Fevola
St Kilda: Montagna, Hayes, Ray, Gwilt, Dal Santo, Gardiner
INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: TBC
St Kilda: TBC
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Sully, Wenn, Findlay
Official crowd: 29,329 at the Gabba
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
