Round 10 – St Kilda (Euro-Yroke) v Richmond: Saints miss chance to smash energetic Tigers

 

 

Round 10 (Sir Doug Nicholls Round)

St Kilda (Euro-Yroke) v Richmond

3:15pm, Sunday 17^th May

Marvel Stadium

 

 

Pre-game thoughts

The Saints tried hard in the sweaty confines of TIO Stadium last week but broke down connecting with the forwards. It looks like Mitch Owens (calf) and Mason Wood have been omitted this week. In comes Jack Higgins and debutante 18-year-old Charlie Banfield, the son of former West Coast champion Drew.

Unfortunately Nas will be a month away with his calf but conversely Wilkie has overcome a nasty hit to his back last week to continue his amazing run of consecutive games.

The Tigers played well last week despite the loss to Adelaide. They are very young and have a long injury list however they play with a ton of spirit.

The Tigers have brought in another debutante in Noah Roberts-Thompson in what looks like a danger game for the Saints. The Tigers need to be respected. Saints by 87 points.

 

Marvel Stadium 2:15pm

This week all St Kilda members received a ‘gee up’ email from the club to get behind the new ‘knock, knock’ activation to excite the crowd just before the players enter the arena.

For the uninitiated, there’s been a ‘knock, knock’ joke at The Saints for years which goes :

• Knock, knock
• Who’s there?
• Owen
• Owen who?
• Oh when The Saints go marching in…

 

This isn’t something that has the impact of say the Canberra Raider’s ‘Viking Clap’ but a group of supporters have gathered together a bass drum, a celebrity to hit the drum, a kid screaming into a mic and a ‘Gen Z’ announcer screaming into another mic in order to fire up a bewildered bunch of long suffering, cynical Saints fans.

It missed the mark again and I understand the intent was positive but when the kids aren’t interested then it’s time to call time on it. If you want to engage the fans, play a curtain raiser of AFLW or U19s or FIDA, it doesn’t matter who, just give the kids more footy.

Our guest today is 55 year reserved seat member Silvia, an amazing woman in her 80s whose favourite memories are the ‘66 GF and watching games at Moorabbin. Even when we weren’t any good in the ’70s and ’80s there was always the ‘Animal Enclosure’ who kept her entertained.

 

First Quarter

Hall receives from TDK at a forward stoppage and goals. Clever goal from Phillipou after the Saints had dominated in close. Caminiti kicks a nice banana from an unlucky Tigers out of bounds on the full. Brilliant play from Garcia and Phillipou who kicks to Sharman who goals. Flanders caught 30m out from the Tigers’ goal and Roberts-Thompson kicks his first in the AFL. Lovely centring kick from Windy finds TDK who goals from 40m. Quick reply from Roberts-Thompson. Saints dominating possession and territory but same old story up forward. (81% v 19% inside 50). Saints by 21 points at the break.

Silvia – A very fast game but we must man up quicker because the Tigers are young and fast on the rebound.

 

Second Quarter

Superb vision from Garcia to Sharman who goals. Tigers winning contested ball. Well deserved goal to Taranto. Good contested mark to Balta and he nails it from 40m. St Kilda are struggling to penetrate the Tigers D50 flood. Nice rebound goal from Wilson via Garcia at half back. Phillipou via a Garcia clearance kicks a ripper from 50m, from a standing start to boot. End to end goal from Garcia thanks to a brilliant pick up from Phillipou. Faull marks from an errant kick. Lovely flat 50m kick from Carroll and TDK marks inside 50 and goals. Tigers also go inside 50, scramble and Fawcett goals. Saints by 26 points at the break.

Silvia – Our mistakes are obvious and the Tigers are capitalising.

 

Third Quarter

Fawcett kicks his second from a scrappy entry. Nice transition through the midfield and Higgins goals. Carroll delivers another 60m ‘pearler’ to Henry who misses. Unselfish kick from Byrnes to Banfield who for his first AFL goal. Quick transition and Hall shows why he is one of the most accurate set shots in the AFL. Then it’s typical Saints, centre clearance, mark to Lynch, goal. Saints by 33 points at the break.

Silvia – Not the best quarter. Wasted many opportunities and panicked when we had a mark.

 

Final Quarter

Too much Tigers uncontested ball and Lynch finishes to the tune of expletives from ‘Massive’. Garcia goals after advantage to Hall. Marshall kicks a ripper from the boundary after some good midfield build up. Fawcett takes a strong mark and kicks his third. Free to Caminiti 20m out and goals. Late goal to Ross. Saints by 36 points in the end.

Silvia – Disappointed we didn’t post a big score.

 

If you were to look at the team stats for the match, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Saints must have won by 100 points. All due respect to the Tigers who are undermanned but still brought plenty of energy, but they should have been smashed. Our talented young midfielders are in for the biggest test of the year against the Dockers coming off a five day break this week.

 

The Malarkey Votes

3 – Garcia (STK)

2 – Hall (STK)

1 – Silvagni (STK)

 

 

EURO-YROKE     5.3    10.5    13.9    16.13     (109)
RICHMOND        2.0     6.3     8.6     11.7     (73)

 

GOALS
Euro-Yroke: Sharman, Phillipou, De Koning, Hall, Garcia, Caminiti 2, Wilson, Higgins, Banfield, Marshall
Richmond: Fawcett 3, Roberts-Thomson, Lynch 2, Taranto, Faull, Balta, Ross

 

BEST
Euro-Yroke: Garcia, Flanders, Phillipou, De Koning, Sinclair, Hall
Richmond: Ross, Faull, Vlastuin, Taranto, Short

Crowd: 31,230

 

 

 

Read more from Ian Wilson HERE

 

To read other Round 10 match reports click HERE.

 

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