I have to admit – I was sitting at an engagement party on Saturday, and my gaze kept moving to a young man who was staring at his phone. I don’t know what his name was, who he was related to, or if he was even a guest, but what I do know is that he had the AFL open, and he was quite agitated with the scoreline in the St Kilda versus Essendon game.
And it soon dawned on me that he was an Essendon supporter.
As such, I knew what to expect when I got home to watch it.
At the start of the season, I made the bold, and some may say stupid decision to nominate St Kilda as the team that would make the big next step. Of course, hindsight being what it is, I now look foolish, but after this weekend, I feel a little vindication. THIS is the version of the Saints I believed we could see in 2024.
This was the pressuring, hard-running, physical, and aggressive St Kilda team I expected to emerge this year. This was the team able to close down the easy exits from the opponents’ defensive fifty, causing turnovers and creating chaos. And this was the team that I thought would be ruthless enough to take some big scalps.
Maybe I was 12 months premature?
This was an inspired St Kilda team looking Essendon in the eye and realising the Bombers were mentally weak. They dismantled the Bombers to the point they made them look like pretenders, and with the Saints playing this style of game, perhaps 2025 will see my exuberance about this list proven correct.
Let’s jump into the Big Questions stemming from St Kilda’s most impressive footy of the season.
Given it has taken me forever to get this article live due to my Saturday night antics, I have decided to keep it open and free. If you like it, please consider sharing to help the site out.
IS COOPER SHARMAN THE REAL NONDESCRIPT SUPER HERO OF THE AFL?
Mrs Mongrel has this thing where he stares at a player on the TV and decides they look like… something. Some of them don’t make the review (and when I say “some”, I do mean “most”, however, once in a while she nails one.
Jeremy Cameron is a player she believes looks like a super hero, but not a good one. More the sort a cleaning company would use to advertise their dishwashing liquid, or something. Like a logo for White King, or Jif, or something. Picture him in a tight suit, underwear on the outside, and a cape… you can picture it, can’t you?
And then, watching this game, it was as though Jeremy Cameron had a son. It was like watching Superboy, and his name was Cooper Sharman*.
Whilst that would make Sharman a watered-down version of a watered-down superhero (except when it comes to those tough stains!), his game was very much like what we’ve seen from Cameron on occasion.
With 21 disposals, ten marks (three contested, and five marks inside 50), three goals and three direct goal assists, Sharman put together the type of game he’s been threatening to deliver for years. He has been one of those younger players that have struggled to hold his place in the team, with stints in defence giving the indication the (former) coach had little faith in him as a forward.
I wonder if anyone is thinking that now?
With Max King on the sidelines, Sharman combined beautifully with Tim Membrey, zAnthony Caminiti, and Mitch Owens, to provide a varied and exciting combination. He was unselfish, played a solid role role in applying defensive pressure, and staked his claim for a permanent part in this St Kilda side.
A couple of things to consider – Sharman is out of contract after this season. Saints fans must not be too excited to the point they overpay the young man based on this game. The potential is there, but you want to see more of this – not a one-hit wonder.
And two – what does this indicate about the Saints’ forward fifty when it comes to playing with and without Max King. Let’s explore this one.
RESPECTFULLY, WHAT DO THE SAINTS DO WITH MAX KING?
I’ve read a few disparaging comments about Max King and what happens to the St Kilda structure when he is in the team. Most of it is just people spitballing ideas, but there are a few that seem to have a healthy disdain for King and what he does/doesn’t deliver.
I’m not here to criticise people offering an opinion, but it seems to me that any issues the Saints have whilst King is playing are more to do with decisions in the midfield and where the ball is being directed than something that is King’s fault.
Look at it this way – whilst the combination of Sharman, Membrey, Caminiti, and Owens are capable of what we saw in this game, King is capable of drawing a crowd like none of them can. This should, just with his gravitational pull, ensure more room for the others.
And yet, it hasn’t.
It’s an issue for Ross Lyon and his assistants to ponder and work out over the off-season. How do you best utilise Max King inside fifty, whilst continuing to provide opportunities for other players who are highly capable of contributing to winning scores?
We’ve seen the Saints flounder when it comes to an over-reliance on King to be the focal point. When players get in trouble, they use him as a last resort, and bomb the footy in his direction. Without him, the same player in the same position is looking to be a little more creative. \My take on it is that the Saints can be a better side with King as the deepest forward, but I’d like to see him play at centre-half-forward and start stretching teams a little more. King leading up to the wing, with Caminiti, Sharman and Membrey working across half-forward and inside 50… it is a scary proposition.
WHO WOULD YOU PREFER – NIC MARTIN OR NASIAH WANGANEEN-MILERA?
One thing I hate about the AFL media is that they take every opportunity to sink the boots into a player when he makes a mistake or two. Nic Martin did that in this game, turning the footy over twice in the first quarter in instances that led to St Kilda scoring chances.
It was like those who claimed he was a poor kick of the footy suddenly saw the chance to feel vindicated. Even if one of those two costly turnovers was by hand and it was due to being called out by an opponent.
However, when you have him running off half-back, and his counterpart is doing so much better for the Saints, it can lead to supporters starting to feel as though they’re version of the running, damaging version of the half-back position is somehow lesser.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera… or maybe we’ll call him Big Wang, had the type of first half a player dreams of. With the footy on a string, Big Wang cut the Bombers to shreds. He had 20 of his 31 disposals in the first two quarters as he dazzled them with brilliance, running through the middle without a care in the world, and giving his teammates silver service.
So the answer is simple, right? You take Big Wang?
Do you take Big Wang?
I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve been asked that…
But there is more to it than your love of Big Wang.
NWM didn’t have as much pressure on him. Only one team was truly committed to applying high pressure for the entire game, and it wasn’t the team from Tullamarine. Big Wang looked like he was playing without an opponent. That’s right, it was like he was playing… with himself!
He slotted a goal, had 400+ metres gained, and made it look easy, with just three turnovers amongst his 20 touches.
At the same time, Martin had 15 touches – still pretty damn good, but the four turnovers he had genuinely hurt his team in the first quarter, and aided the Saints in gaining the ascendancy,. He fought on hard, but every time he got the footy, the lift doors were closing on him as the Saints came at him from all sides.
It makes it genuinely difficult to say Wanganeen-Milera is the man you’d take, because only one of the two encountered pressure.
IF THIS WAS A FOUR ROUND FIGHT BETWEEN SAM DRAPER AND ROWAN MARSHALL, HOW WOULD YOU SCORE IT?
Oh yes, a boxing comparison. Ring that bell!
I’ve gotta be honest, here – I like Rowan Marshall. I like his work ethic. I like that he will give second and third efforts. And I like that he pushes hard at both ends of the ground.
And I don’t like Draper as much. He’s probably not, and I am probably jaded by some of his actions over the years, but he strikes me as a player with enormous potential that would rather cruise to being a good player than work hard to be a great one.
Anyway, let’s jump into the Round-By-Round scorecard.
ROUND ONE – An interesting contest, with Draper probably getting the better of Marshall when they wer ehead-to-head, but when the back up ruck was inserted, and Draper headed to the bench for a rest, Marshall pushed hard forward to mark and slot a goal against Peter Wright.
Marshall had 87% time on ground, whilst Draper was at 80%, and whilst Draper was away, Marshall did play. It was like Clubber Lang beating the shit out of Rocky Balboa, only there was no getting up, a training montage, and a big comeback on the cards for Draper. That’d take hard work…
… and I still don’t think he loves that.
Marshall – 10, Draper 9
ROUND TWO – A beatdown. A good, old fashioned, ass kicking!
Marshall was everywhere, picking up a monster 14 disposals and nine hit outs. I have seen some rucks have that across an entire game! He added four clearances to complete his domination.
This was as comprehensive a beating in what is largely a mano-e-mano contest as you’ll find. Two rounds to go, but this was virtually a knock out.
Marshall – 10, Draper – 3
ROUND THREE – Marshall continues to pour it on, but the damage is already done, and Draper does the equivalent of standing near the ropes and holding on.
Marshall has five touches and 11 hit outs, whilst Draper has two touches and seven taps.
Marshall 10 – Draper – 7
ROUND FOUR – Draper finally shows up, to the point where is gets his nose in front by virtue of drawing a free kick and converting a goal.
Draper has three possessions, six taps, and a goal. Marshall has three disposals and four taps in what is largely a dead rubber.
Marshall – 9, Draper – 10
And just so you know, the winner of a round usually scores a ten, unless he has been knocked down. Hope that makes things make sense.
Final score – Marshall 39, Draper 29
My feelings about both rucks were cemented with this outing. Marshall did what was required, and then some. Draper… he was like a great condom – you barely felt he was part of proceedings.
DID BEN MCKAY GET CAUGHT UP IN HIS OWN PRESS?
What do I mean by this?
Well, during the game, you may have heard one of the talking heads on TV yapping about the number of intercept possessions he’d had in the previous two weeks. If you missed it, the number was 30.
Pretty impressive, right?
I’d say so. I’d also say that if you look at his stats sheet for this one, you would see he had nine more in this game. That might be enough to sway some into thinking he had a good outing.
He didn’t.
He was well-beaten, and he added to his own issues with repeated attempts to take intercept grabs when the right call was to play a genuine defensive role and punch the frigging ball 30 metres away.
Looking at the third quarter in isolation, McKay gave up contested grabs to Cooper Sharman and Anthony Caminiti that he should have smashed into the fifth row. Playing behind these players, McKay awkwardly attempted to manoeuvre them under the footy, but both guys held their ground and plucked marks that should have been spoilt. With both of those forwards well on top, it would have made sense to halve the contests and tie it up on the deck, but McKay seemed determined to win contests, and not split them (which is usually a win for defenders).
As a result, it led to his opponents looking like a million bucks, and McKay looking poor. Hell, the opposition were making him and his teammates look poor enough without him adding to it via his own ill-advised decisions.
WHO ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES OF THIS GAME?
I haven’t seen this bloke mentioned in any review, or as part of any “best players” summary, so for me, one of the two players in this section is Dougal Howard. And to uncover the reasons I have him in the mix, we have to look at the game of Peter Wright.
This is the type of game Two-Metre-Peter should have had a big say in. He didn’t have a say at all, as he was dominated by Howard.
I ask you – where is Wright going to do the most damage? The answer, is anywhere within the 50-metre arc, right?
So, how many disposals did 2MP have in that vicinity?
NONE!
That’s right – the player in the team to kick goals and play as the deepest forward did not get one touch inside 50. Some may argue the Bombers didn’t target him enough, with the focus shifting to Nate Caddy, or that Jake Stringer commands the footy. And those opinions may be correct, but Wright was unable to have impact, with the majority of his touches coming when he played relief ruck. And that’s enough for me to bestow the title of unsung hero on Howard for this game.
One of them, anyway.
The other is another defender, but he tends to get more love, these days,.
Callum Wilkie took responsibility for Kyle Langford in this game, and went about his business, doing what he has done for the better part of three years to little fanfare. Langford’s day consistented of eight disposals and 0.2 to his name. Nothing came easy, and nothing ever will when you have Cal Wilkie lining up alongside you.
I’m not sure that Wilkie will get a look in when it comes to the AA team this season, but games like this emphasise how he can take one of the more dangerous forwards in the opposition and make them look average. That’s what he did in this one, and Langford is anything but average, normally.
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Well, the Saints played the role of spoiler in this game. They’re not going to make finals (two and a half games out with four to go) but they are putting in place some nice things for 2025, whilst the Bombers are now in free-fall after looking like a contender a month ago.
This is the second-straight season the Bombers have capitulated like this, and the bloke who threw his scarf onto the field in the last quarter probably best sums up the feelings of Essendon supporters about their team. They need something akin to a 180-degree turn to get things back on track, and with Freo at Marvel next week, they’d be hoping they don’t become the next road victim of the Dockers. Hell, they’ve looked quite like roadkill a little over the last little while as it is.
For the Saints, their form is now something that could pose a real issue for the Brisbane Lions, as they meet at Marvel in Round 21. They’re hitting form at the right time of the year, but the damage done by their tough early fixture is too much to overcome.
*And yes, you geeks, I do realise that Superboy IS Superman, just a younger version. I watched cartoons growing up, too.
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. It is a labour of love for me, and having you guys as members of the site basically keeps me going. So sincerely… thank you – HB
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