Lightning Crashes (and it is not a shite song by Live)
The start of this ‘must win’ game for both teams was delayed for nearly an hour due ‘occupational health and safety’ caused by a lightning storm near Homebush.
Some of the older heads in the AFL would be complaining about ‘woke rules’ killing the game, giving examples of games never being delayed in the 70’s and 80’s even with fires in the stands (more than once), pigs on the field, fog, storms, heat, or even the odd streaker or two. The only time games were delayed in the 1980’s was due to faulty lighting towers and the bizarre situation when the sprinklers at Waverley suddenly started up midway through a game.
Good on the old dinosaurs, but delaying a game due to lightning is a ‘no brainer’. Saying that, I have often worried about who or what is protecting the spectators sitting on steal seats in the outer? They seemed pretty content in those spots, or riding the dodgem cars as the players huddled indoors.
With the delayed start to this game, the question was always going to be which team handled the extended pregame warmups better?
St Kilda left the Giants flat footed and then…???
A lot of question marks already in this review and not by accident, as both clubs had question marks hanging over them coming into this match.
Did the Saints win this game or the did the Giants lose it?
The answer is a bit of both, with the Saints leaving the Giants standing in the rain in the first quarter with some very attractive football as they danced out to a solid lead of 39 points midway through the second quarter. This was a win, but when the Giants starting chipping away at their lead from that point on, the rest of the game, it could be argued, the Giants lost the game.
I am not suggesting the wrong team won, but both teams had moments of brilliance and then periods of what the hell was that?
Let’s break it down,
St Kilda’s first half
After Jesse Hogan slotted the first goal of the match, the Saints then went on rampage as they kicked the next seven-straight. In the process, they marched out to a game high 39-point lead nearing the main break.
The Saints were impressive in the first half with some of the individual performances by some of the new or lesser known names giving hope to the Saints being very competitive this season.
Prior to halftime, the Saints best player was Darcy Wilson who was gathering possessions at will in arguably his best game for the Saints. I highlight Wilson early, as I knew very little about him before this game.
Impressive, very impressive.
I’m going to digress for a minute, but Huddo in commendatory made me laugh when he suggested Wilson should have played in the game when Tom Hanks was at the ground – you either get it or you don’t.
Just as impressive as Wilson was Sam Flanders, who has brought a bit of something different to his new club, and he has quickly adjsted his game to suit Ross Lyon’s game plan (more on Ross later). Flanders is a true four quarter footballer, and in a team where some of the senior players flash in and out of games, he is the epoxy holding the Saints together.
In the second quarter Flanders, who has a natural ability to bring other players into the game, was the link player allowing Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Jack Sinclair, Brad Hill and other senior players to do want they best. It wasn’t just the household names who danced their way around the lacklustre opponents during this period, Hugo Garcia, Max Hall, Hugh Boxshall and the Jack Carroll all took their chances to impress on the senior players they want to be part of this team.
Jack Higgins is an enigma, going basically unsighted for long periods of games, but he can turn a game on its head in a couple of minutes. In the first quarter he kicked two goals in a minute to bury the Giants, and it looked like he was in for a ripper, but for the rest of the match his mojo went missing.
Before I forget, Callum Wilkie would have to be close to the best backman in the country. He is comparable to James Sicily, without the suspensions. True back half generals are as rare as hens’ teeth, and Wilkie leads his back six by example, both in both attacking defensive roles and pure defensive roles.
Without Wilkie, the Saints lose.
Also, the recently re-signed Marcus Windhager is repaying the faith to Saints shown in him with three very consistent performance to start the season. He didn’t stand out in this game, but does he ever? Rhetorical question, obviously.
The beauty of Marcus is his ability to go unnoticed while he gathers possessions and links up with the superstars of the Saints.
I’ll get to Mason Wood as well as the ruck battle later.
From the Saints to the Aints, five minutes before the main break
The Saints were cruising to a massive victory after Mitch Owen kicked the Saints seventh-straight goal, with the Giants looking impotent with a handful of minutes left on the clock before the main break. The Saints’ attacking brand of football had the Giants stumped, and then for reasons that don’t seem obvious, the entire Saints team went all defensive and the “Aints” tag was back.
Why?
St Kilda seriously tried to run out the second quarter with backwards and sideways negative possessions with minutes left on the clock when they had their foot firmly on the Giants throat.
Why?
When Harry Rowston and Ryan Angwin kicked two goals late in the second quarter, you could almost see the Saints’ mindset change. Max Hall (he is a ripper) kicked a goal on the siren to stretch the Saints lead out to 34-points, but after lowering their guard, they looked gettable.
Everything was coming up Milhouse for the Saints at the main break, and then…
The Ash-led recovery and Clayton Oliver is now a true Giant
Every ‘A’ grade player who goes to new club needs a game of acceptance to be part of the playing group and the fans. Even in a narrow defeat, Oliver announced his worth and importance to the Orange team at a wet Homebush stadium.
Unlike other top-end recruits this season who have struggled, Clayton has arguably been the best (Petracca aside, who was injured in an earlier match) recruit this season on early form.
As good as Oliver was, the four quarter performance of Lachie Ash was the standout. Ash just never gives up and his appetite for the game is insatiable. Thirty-nine possessions is brilliant by any standards, but these weren’t cheap possessions, they were game breaking possessions.
In the third quarter, a number of Giants followed up on Ash’s and Oliver’s example, with Lachie Whitfield (he is a beautiful kick), Finn Callaghan, Stehen Coniglio, Harvey Thomas and Connor Idun lifting their output/s as the Giants slowly started to reel in the Saints lead.
If one only looked at the Giants scoreline for the third quarter is would be easy to blame poor kicking at goal (2 goals 7 behinds) for the Giants loss, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
There was a ten-minute period at the start of the third quarter when I noted this game was boring, with the Saints a bit off and the Giants unable to convert, but during that lull the Giants started to win the ball and take control of the game around the ground. The metrics were in the Giants favour for the first time in the match.
The tide turned.
Idun and Ash’s run from defence was spellbinding late in the third quarter, and apart from the known players mentioned above weaving their magic, the Giants’ fans got a taste of the future with Phoenix Gothard (he had a great game and should be the Rising Star this week), Max Gruzewski (he is not a Canadian Ice Hockey player), Harry Rowston all rising to the occasion, with Josaia Delana also doing his bit.
By three-quarter time the Giants were back in the game, albeit after an undisciplined act by Harry Himmelberg on Higgins, handing the Saints a reprieve which ended in a goal to Liam Ryan. This will not be the last time Harry Himmelberg will be mentioned in this article.
Barring Himmelberg’s third quarter brain fade, the Giants had all the momentum, and the Saints were vulnerable.
While the Giants couldn’t hit the side of barn in front of goal for a lot of the third quarter, they were well and truly back in the game.
The Last Quarter Frenzy
The Saints got out of jail in this game, and in no small part by the efforts of Jack Sinclair, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Callum Wilkie leading the embattled Saints to a narrow victory late in the game.
The Saints may well celebrate their first win of the year, but they were a smidgen away from being tagged the Aints again.
St Kilda stopped to a walk in the last quarter, as the younger than normal Giants side took the game right up to them, and there was a mix of relief and celebration when the final siren sounded.
Another 30 seconds and the Giants win.
In the first half of this game there was no sign of the Giants’ famous Tsunami style of play, but in the last quarter, with six minutes left on the clock, the Giants started to run in waves again, and it nearly worked.
The Giants late charge nearly worked, but it was stifled by Mason Wood who slotted a great goal from the boundary to put the game just out of GWS’ reach. Just.
Mason Wood is one of the most underrated players in the AFL, although he is often the miracle man for the Saints. Opposition coaches tend to forget about him until it is too late.
Two Giants players had shockers in this game.Their names are Harry Himmelberg and Jake Riccardi. When they had chances to do little one-percenters late in the game they fumbled their lines. I am not suggesting they cost the Giants the game, but when established player are having a mare, they should still be able to do the little things.
There is a good Jake Stringer and a bad Jake Stringer, and when it was his turn to go in the last quarter, he took the game on kicked a typical Jake Stringer goal with under three minutes left on the clock.
Such is Stringer’s persona, he ignited the rest of his teammates with just one special moment.
From the next centre chuck-up, a superb Kungfu kick pass by Toby Greene to Harvey Thomas ended in a goal and it was game on. Toby was on his back when he saw Thomas ahead of the play and, with a deft touch, he found him.
Toby’s pass was no fluke.
Game right on.
The run of the game was heading one way, to the Showgrounds end of the ground.
Jesse Hogan marked and slotted a goal with around 25 seconds left on the clock.
When the final siren sounded, the ball was deep in the Giants forward fifty.
In a topsy turvy game the Saints hung on – JUST.
At the end of the day, the Giants lost this game more than the Saints won it – they had chances.
Tom De Koning v Rowan Marshall
I know they play for the same team, but deep down they know if Ross decides to go with one ruckman then one of them misses out.
In this game, the pair of them had the better of Kieran Briggs, even though neither one of them stood out.
Tom De Koning’s game will go to the next level if he can only learn to kick straight. I could imagine Ross at halftime saying, “Tom you’re playing great but for f^%k sake can you kick a f^%king goal….”
Kicking points is catching, and Rowan Marshall (who is normally a solid kick at goal) couldn’t land a goal either.
There will be a time when a choice might be made between the two very talented alphas, and me thinks it may end in tears.
Most pundits mention the Gawn and Grundy experiment as an example of when ruck duos fail, but the more appropriate might end up being when Sydney left Toby Nankervis left out of the Swans 2016 Grand Final team in favour of Sam Naismith. John Longmire, you left the Nank out of the 2016 granny, why????
The scars run deep in the Disco household.
Ross Lyon
HB, our fearless leader, wrote an article during the week where he floated whether Ross is the right fit for the Saints, with his conclusion being, he was.
I tend to agree with the great HB, but….
… Ross Lyon divides opinions and often even during the course of a game. The attacking style of the Saints early in this game where the players all backed each other was, to quote the Pipe, was a thing of beauty.
I ask the question; why when the Saints were flying, they suddenly played with a totally defensive mindset? I have no answer, and if somebody can explain how a team that was heading to a 10 or 12 goal win suddenly started defending their lead before halftime. Please let me know.
There is nothing unusual about Ross and low scores, but to put the brakes on when the team is running amok defies logic, and it nearly come a cropper in this game. There is no doubt that Ross has some game changing Machiavellian plan which is yet to be revealed, but it must be frustrating for the playing group, never alone the tickers of some of their older supporters, when the Saints suddenly go Off Broadway.
When I have had the chance to ask some former Dockers and Saints players about Ross they all reckon Ross is the ‘bees’ knees’, with a warning, do not try and double guess him.
More will be revealed.
The Viking – Alixzander Tauru
I nearly forgot to mention Alixzander Tayru, the new Viking cult hero at the Saints.
This kid has a massive future in front of him, and he showed in the this match he can play just as well up forward as he does in defence, and boy can the kid take a hanger.
I rarely if ever compare a player to a club Legend, but I make an exception here, the Viking reminds me of a young Trevor Barker when he was just starting.
Let’s hope Alixzander is even as half as good as the legend Trevor Barker.
In conclusion
St Kilda escaped with a messy win, which they will take, while the Giants found some form in the second half after a bad lose the week before.
Both teams can make the top ten (really, a top ten. What’s next, participation trophies?) this year, with the Giants in particular capable of making the top six. That is not a knock on the Saints but they are coming from a long way back, and their best will be seen in the next couple of seasons – time to build.
By the way, I am more than happy to eat humble pie if the Saints go all the way in 2026. Saints supporters need some reward sooner or later.
Next Week
The Saints host a gettable Lions team at Marvel Stadium next Saturday in a game starting at 12:35.
12:35 is an insult to both teams.
Next Friday night the Giants have forced the Pies to travel to Marvel Stadium. I bet ya Eddie isn’t happy about the Pies having to cross town for a game.
This was a disjointed game and as such this review may seem a bit disjointed, but…. that’s kind of how I roll.
Have a great week.
