Australian Football

Match Report

The last match of round 16 shaped as the least interesting of the nine games - on paper, at least - pitting two sides with no finals hopes - 13th-placed St KIlda and bottom-of-the-ladder Essendon - against each other. In reality, though, the two sides produced what was arguably the match of the weekend. In a high-scoring affair, St Kilda just pipped the plucky Bombers, winning by 11 points after the Dons had looked like pinching the match midway through the final term. Though both sides made many errors, the game produced many highlights and was a thoroughly enjoyable affair.

It was all Essendon for the first 10 minutes of the match but inaccuracy - which would haunt the Dons throughout the game - prevented it from putting some real pressure on the Saints, a goal to Jayden Laverne accompanied by misses to Joe Daniher and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti. Fortunately for Essendon, when the tied turned, the Saints also struggled to find the goals, and Josh Bruce and Nick Riewoldt both missed shots before Riewoldt finally kicked truly at the 15-minute mark to level the scores. St Kilda got on top to an extent after that, kicking three of the term's last four goals to lead by 12 points at quarter time.

The Saints looked like getting right on top when David Armitage kicked a goal in the first minute of the second quarter, but majors to Will Hams and McDonald-Tipungwuti had the Dons back within five points at the 10-minute mark. Seb Ross extended the Saints' lead to 12 with his first at the 11-minute mark but Essendon's Orazio Fantasia responded with his own first three minutes later. St Kilda then kicked two in a row through Tim Membrey and Luke Dunstan but a a late goal from Darcy Parish had the Bombers back within 10 points and right in the game at half time.

After a rushed behind to the Saints, Essendon dominated the first half of the third term, but missed shots again denied it the chance to translate that into serious scoreboard pressure. Goals to Fantasia and Laverne were enough to give the Dons the lead but gettable shots from Fantasia (twice) and Daniher meant that lead was only four points at the midpoint of the quarter when it should have been closer to 20. The Saints made them pay when the tide turned, kicking four of the next five goals (two to Membrey) but a late major to Daniher had the Bombers nine points behind and still in with a chance at the last break.

Membrey's fourth goal in the third minute of the final term temporarily eased the pressure on the Saints, taking the out to a 15-point lead. The next 15 minutes, however, was a tale of complete Essendon control. The ball spent almost the entire period in the Bombers forward line as they live up to their name and bombarded the goals. But although Fantasia, Mitch Brown and Zach Merrett also scored goals, there were four missed shots in that period, none of them difficult. In particular, a miss from Daniher from very close range after he took one of the marks of the year, was very deflating. 

Nevertheless, the Bomber barrage gave Essendon a seven-point lead and it remained to be seen if the Saints could respond, as it had in the previous three terms. The answer to that question was an emphatic 'yes', as Membrey fifth goal was followed by two in a row to Mav Weller and another to Jack Steven as St Kilda jumped out to a 17-point lead. Daniher chimed i with a late consolation goal but the Saints held on for a highly-entertaining 11-point win.

Jack Steven played one of his finest games for the Saints, picking up 41 touches and laying 12 tackles in a masterful display of midfield football. Zach Merrett was similarly good for the Dons, collecting 36 possessions and five tackles.

The win was St Kilda's seventh for the season, putting it in a ruck of teams that sit from ninth to 12th on the ladder with 28 points. The Saints will look to notch up an eighth win against Melbourne at Docklands next Sunday. The form of the Dons, meanwhile, suggests that a second win for 2016 isn;t far away, and they'll be hoping it comes against Richmond at the MCG next Saturday afternoon. 

GOALS
Essendon: Fantasia 3, Laverde, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Daniher 2; Parish, Dempsey, Hams, Brown, Merrett
St Kilda: Membrey 5; Weller 2; Steven, Ross, Dunstan, Riewoldt, Newnes, Roberton, Armitage, Gresham, Bruce, Minchington

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Essendon: Merrett, Fantasia, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Hartley, Goddard, Kelly
St Kilda: Steven, Membrey, Hickey, Newnes, Armitage, Riewoldt

INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
St Kilda: Nil

UMPIRES: Brown, Findlay, Fleer

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Sandy Roberts, Brad Johnson, Alastair Lynch, Sarah Jones