For three quarters of the Round 20 game between the Dees and the Saints, Melbourne were the better team.
With a 46-point lead heading into the final term, the Demons were safe. They had to be, right? After all, the record for the biggest last-quarter comeback was 45 points, and the Saints had only managed six goals for the whole game to that point.
However, we learn a lot about a team when their back is against the wall, don’t we?
With nothing to play for but pride, St Kilda attacked the final quarter with a ferocity of a cornered animal. They left nothing on the tables and closed the gap, goal-by-goal, until with thirty seconds left, a superstar was born.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has been the subject of much debate this season. He is out of contract, has both South Australian teams looking at poaching him, and has been on the cusp of something great all season.
Greatness has now arrived.
On consecutive plays, the defender-cum-midfielder demonstrated that he can play anywhere, and that he can do anything. Two marks inside fifty, and two shots at goal – one to tie-up the scores with eight seconds remaining, and one to give the Saints a record-breaking win, etched his name into St Kilda folklore as the man who got St Kilda over the line.
But how did they get to the line, and who was responsible?
How did the Dees manage to squander such a lead?
There is a heap to get through in the washup of the best finish to a game of the season, as HB jumps into The Big Questions from this one.
The remainder of this article is for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. Why? Because HB believes work such as this is worth a mere pittance per day. Whilst you could stick with Caro’s Arrow or Kane’s Vol-Kane-O, you’ll get your 500 words in the newspaper and be happy, or you could dive articles like this, at about 3K. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. You’re welcome to join and keep reading if you do.
