THROUGHOUT Ross Lyon’s tenure as St Kilda coach, the Saints’ defensive efforts have become renowned.
In 2009, the Saints conceded an average of just 63.8 points per game - the lowest points conceded by any team since their premiership year of 1966.
And not much has changed in 2010, Lyon’s men once again proving tighter at the back than a West German soccer team - particularly since round nine.
They’re averaging 68.2 points against for the season, and just 60.8 during the five game winning streak they’re currently on. That’s 11.8 fewer points conceded per game than any other team in the competition.
On Friday night, with the AFL world watching as they took on the league’s best attacking team in the Grand Final re-match, St Kilda’s defence produced the sort of stats that must have shocked even Lyon himself.
Take out Geelong’s 4.5.29 in the second quarter, and their combined tally for the other three periods was just 2.5.17.
Along the way, the Cats were held scoreless in a quarter for the first time since round 12, 2005, and managed their lowest score in a half (just three points) since 1956.
Soaking rain at the MCG no doubt helped the Saints’ cause but nonetheless those are amazing figures and even more so when compared against Geelong’s usual output.
The reigning premiers are the best in the league at scoring from stoppages and turnovers, but on Friday night, St Kilda was able to severely restrict them in both areas:
| Geelong 2010 | R1-12 | R13 v STK |
|---|---|---|
| % score from a stoppage | 29.1% (#1) | 9.1% |
| % score from a turnover | 27.7% (#1) | 15.3% |
The modern-day Saints have always rated highly at restricting scores from these two main sources (the only other source from which to score a goal is a kick-in), but they’ve lifted another notch since round nine.
| St Kilda 2010 | R1-8 | R9-13 | AFL Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| % scored against from stoppages | 16.1% (#1) | 11.8% (#1) | 20.7% |
| % scored against from turnovers | 18.9% (#2) | 16.9% (#1) | 23.0% |
With Friday night’s result a clear indicator that the premiership race could be tighter than many thought, Cats coach Mark Thompson will no doubt be searching desperately for a way through the Saints’ intricate defensive web before the two powerhouses square off again.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
