Round 12 – St Kilda v Hawthorn: Tough night for Saints’ supporters

 

Round 12
St Kilda v Hawthorn,
Thursday 28 May 2026,
Marvel Stadium

 

Pre-game thoughts

 

Terrible news for The Saints with The Hawks bringing in Will Day and ‘Norman’ Gunston, two brilliant players.

 

The Saints have lost Dougal Howard to injury and Liam Stocker managed. Coming in is ‘The Viking’ Alex Tauru and Isaac Keeler.

 

I hope Keeler has a good game. He’s an interesting cat. He was carrying too much weight and lacking a tank last year but there’s no doubt he has some tricks. We wish him well.

 

The Saints were okay last week before being overrun by Freo. One of the advantages we’ve had this year is some semblance of structure with just a few injuries to upset the apple cart.

 

Having stability in the team each week builds trust with one another and we will need every bit of it against The Hawks.

 

The RM Williams brigade will no doubt be at Marvel in force so let’s hope Lyon can come up with something creative to send them home packing on the Waverly and Alamein lines. Saints by 15 points.

 

 

1^st Qtr

 

‘Knock Knock’ replaced by some ‘doof doof’ as the players emerge. Both woeful, but I’ll take the doof over the knock.

 

Lots of unproductive movement from St Kilda and Gunston marks and goals. Superb stoppage work from the Hawks and Gunston is a mile in front again. Goal. Hawks hungrier. Undignified scramble and Phillipou gets a free 20 out and misses (insert profanity). Hawks faster and smarter. Chol kicks one from 50. ‘Massive’ going nuts over contentious holding the ball decisions. More foward line errors and fumbling as though the ball is soapy. Hawks by 18 points at the break.

 

Our normally reliable stoppage and clearance rates have dried up and our ground ball gets in general are poor. We need some serious tackle pressure and rhythm and quickly! Lucky to be 3 goals down.

 

 

2^nd Qtr

 

Everyone up, Gunston down and goals. Excellent foward pressure from Ginnivan turns into a goal. Easy uncontested chain ends up a goal for Lewis. Can someone stand up please? Flanders pops his Achilles and $900k goes down the drain. Hawks spreading so much faster than us and peppering the goals. Finally a mark to Caminiti who misses 30 out (insert profanity). Still goal-less. Turnover from St Kilda in D50 and Gunston goals. St Kilda turnover in foward 50, and Lewis goals up the other end. Finally some control in transition but Hall misses from 50. Wizard gets a rare touch and goals. Hawks by 50 points and only 5 points on the board for St Kilda.

 

If you can’t apply pressure at the source you will get punished especially against a quick instinctive team like The Hawks. As I scan my brethren here at Marvel it appears they are getting more stimulation from the Auskickers than that 1^st half. Shithouse.

 

 

3rd Qtr

 

Half time entertainment included a Heinz Ketchup Cam and dancing The Macarana. Fabulous.

 

Silvagni moved forward and out-marks ex-Saint Battle for our first goal! Hill turns the ball over in D50 and Chol goals. O’Connell with a brilliant pick up sets up a chain that ends up a TDK goal. Henry marks on a wing and gives to Wilson who goals. St Kilda lifting. The Wizard, like an unwanted field mouse in your kitchen avoids tackles and goals. Some brilliant quick hands from the Hawks midfielders and Lewis goals. A positive transition from St Kilda and Silvagni goals. Two inspirational tackles by Wilson ends up a Tauru goal. Terrible kick in from Hill and Gunston kicks his 5^th. A rare centre clearance from St Kilda and Marshall goals from 50. McDonald replicates the same for the Hawks and it’s The Hawks by 46 points at the break.

 

Can there be another miracle at Marvel this year? I’m not moving even if it means getting home at 1.30am.

 

 

4^th Qtr

 

50m penalty and goal to TDK to start the quarter. Where there’s hope. Two very contentious unpaid holding the ball decisions D50 for the Saints and ends with Hardwick who goals. Good work from Byrnes and Wilson to get to Windy who goals. Fumble from Carroll and Hardwick goals. Silvagni takes another strong mark and goals. Wizard sneaks foward and grabs a cheapy. Silvagni another strong contested mark and misses from 10 out. Hardwick kicks another couple to bring the agony to an end. Hawks by 52 points.

 

The signs were there early when Hawks players were spreading from stoppages out of reach from the flailing Saints players. We looked very slow in comparison and utterly disorganised. The two Box Hill boys Hall and Newcombe had a terrific battle and Weddell was unbelievable to watch live. There were some meritorious efforts from some STK individuals but we would rather see a total team performance which The Hawks delivered tonight. Some serious pressure will come onto Coach Lyon given we were at the same 5 and 7 win/loss last year after the heavy investment in players over the off season. It was extremely disappointing tonight and it now looks like season over for us already. As a former player and coach, all you want to see is effort and for whatever reason it wasn’t there. Just from a neutral perspective it was pleasing to see Will Day get through a game unscathed after a wretched run. He can seriously play.

 

If it was me coaching, all those players would be at St Kilda Pier at 5am tomorrow morning, chucked in the water, swimming to the sand then 20mins gut exercises and push ups followed by a jog to Port Melbourne Pier for a second dip and swim. They need to harden up. If you want to get paid the big dollars then there needs to be expectations and consequences when they’re not reached. I’d probably get sued for doing that these days but we need a circuit breaker urgently.

 

Malarkey Votes.

 

3. J. Sicily
2. C. Mackenzie
1. D. Wilson

 

ST KILDA       0.2   0.5   6.7     9.13 (67)
HAWTHORN   3.2   8.7  13.11  18.11 (119)

 

GOALS
St Kilda: Silvagni 3, De Koning 2, Wilson, Tauru, Marshall, Windhager
Hawthorn: Gunston 5, Hardwick 4, Lewis 3, Chol 2, Watson 2, Ginnivan, C.Macdonald,

 

BEST
St Kilda: Hall, Silvagni, Wilson, Sinclair
Hawthorn: Gunston, Watson, Sicily, Newcombe, Lewis, Mackenzie

 

INJURIES
St Kilda: Flanders (right Achilles)
Hawthorn: Nil

 

LATE CHANGES
St Kilda: Nil
Hawthorn: Conor Nash (neck soreness), replaced in the selected side by Flynn Perez

 

Crowd: 33,476 at Marvel Stadium

 

More Round 12 Reports HERE

 

Read more from Ian Wilson HERE

 

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