Round 18
St Kilda v Port Adelaide
1.15pm, Saturday 11th July 2026
Marvel Stadium
Pre Game Thoughts
We missed an opportunity last week to put the foot on Essendon’s throat, however we will always take a win.
No changes for the Saints this week, a first for the year, whilst for Port, the classy left footer Farrell returns after a month off replacing Zerk-Thatcher.
The Saints won the last encounter at Gather Round but this will be a different looking Port having come off a meritorious victory over Adelaide.
What a great opportunity for Hall and Garcia going up against two of the best midfielders this year in Horne-Francis and new Bulldog Butters. Saints by 21 points.
Ballarat Station 10.30am, one degree celsius and raining. AFL fans are a passionate bunch but to be a regional fan you need to be a tad nuts. A day at the footy in Melbourne for me and my Ballarat brethren can be an 8 or 9 hour round trip depending on train issues like we have today. I have a lovely couple who sit behind me at Marvel who come from Echuca and Kyabram respectively. At best it’s a 12 hour round trip for them. Respect.
Anyway despite the first world problems, it is always nice to join the hordes of long suffering Sainters at Southern Cross.
1st Qtr
1st bounce and Butters explodes, long kick, Durdin crumbs and goals. Next centre bounce Nas kicks 60m and Caminiti marks and goals. Nice transition from STK and a brilliant Nas 45 kick and Sharman goals from 40. Great connection from Connelly, Higgins, Hill and Sharman who kicks his second. STK electric at the moment. Good dump kick from Byrnes and Sharman kicks his 3rd. Power under the pump and being torn apart regardless of their song. STK by 18 points at the break.
STK dominating possession and territory but still let themselves down with some I50 entries. STK have been steadfast in defence. I dread saying it but Butters has been quiet so far. Horne-Francis busy and dangerous.
2nd Qtr
Brilliant outside of the boot pass from Nas to Ryan who goals. Good goal against the tide from Durdin. Young mid-season draftee Lake has been impressive with his forward pressure. His long kick skips the pack and Higgins soccers a goal. Port loose. Silvagni is impenetrable. Contest error and Bamert flips out the back and goals. Good turnover from Nas and Hill goals after a clever handball from Phillipou. Superb D50 exit from Hill and Nas kicks an incredible 40m banana pass at full tilt to Higgins who misses. Nas then exits D50 with a daisy cutter over 40m that is beyond belief, to a team mate’s diving chest. Phillipou then kicks a pearler from 55. I must be dreaming. STK by 36 points at the break.
STK pressure is clearly too good currently. Our mistakes have cleaned up considerably this week helped by some poor team defence from Port. STK up in all the contested markers with Horne-Francis and Butters having little influence.
3rd Qtr
‘Massive from Moorabbin’ screams, “miss it you dog” and Horne-Francis obliges to kick a point. Burgoyne gets a woeful 50 from the unjust ‘protective area rule’ and goals. STK enabling Port with shoddy skills. Horne-Francis kicks one from another turnover. Starting to feel sick. Another 3 minute Arc review and Evans’ goal is approved. Butters has woken up. Horne-Francis lifting Port with another goal. Visintini goals after another Butters centre clearance. Bile now entering my throat. A good turnover forced by Ryan starts a chain that ends in a Higgins goal. Another ridiculous protected area 50 to Alir who goals. Butters hurts his ankle and the game is held up for 2 minutes to watch him walk off the ground. Marshall kicks a ripper from an impossible angle to stem the flow. Another bloody 50!! STK by 8 points at the break.
No doubt Port copped a grilling at half time but the reversal in form mostly came from a lack lustre Saints turning the ball over. The protected area rule is NOT in the spirit of the game and the 50m penalty for such innocuous indiscretions is ridiculously over the top. These players put their bodies on the line, run themselves into the ground at speed and show enormous courage, then get penalised for something that has no direct bearing on the game! The two players penalised today were running away from the kicker doing the right thing with their backs to him! They were completely irrelevant. I don’t blame the umpires, it’s the suits at AFL House that refuse to help the umpires by reducing the ambiguity in our rules and instead adding even more complexity.
4th Qtr
The most fortuitous goal to Berry you will ever see. Fumble from Port and Owens goals. The skill errors are killing us! It’s all your fault Lyon!!…Sorry. After not much, Wood takes the easiest of marks and goals from 30 out. All over. STK by 14 points.
We tried our best to lose, but a terrific effort overall. Horne-Francis, Drew and Sweet tried hard but Port didn’t have enough contributors. STK had a 130 more possessions but overused the ball. Tackles I50 went STK way 19 to 4 which was pleasing. Wilson with 7 tackles was busy again as was Hill with 39 possessions. Lake’s 8 tackles were important and Garcia is growing with every game with 32 possessions and 8 clearances. Nas had a relatively quiet day with 32 possessions and 744m gained.
Malarkey Votes
3 – C. Wilkie
2 – J. Silvagni
1 – R. Marshall
ST KILDA 4.2 9.7 11.7 13.9 (87)
PORT ADELAIDE 1.2 3.7 9.11 10.13 (73)
GOALS
St Kilda: Sharman 3, Higgins 2, Ryan 2, Caminiti, Marshall, Hill, Wood, Phillipou, Owens
Port Adelaide: Horne-Francis 2, Durdin 2, Berry, Aliir, Visentini, Burgoyne, Evans, Bamert
BEST
St Kilda: Hill, Wanganeen-Milera, Wilkie, Garcia, Marshall, Phillipou
Port Adelaide: Horne-Francis, Butters, Bergman, Byrne-Jones, Burgoyne
INJURIES
St Kilda: Caminiti (eye), Owens (TBC)
Port Adelaide: Georgiades (concussion), Jones (rib), Butters (ankle)
LATE CHANGES
St Kilda: None
Port Adelaide: Mitch Zadow (illness) replaced in selected side by Jacob Wehr
Crowd: TBC
Read other round 18 match reports HERE
Read more from Ian Wilson HERE
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Former army aircraft mechanic, sales manager, VFA footballer and coach. Now mental health worker and blogger. Lifelong St Kilda FC tragic and father to 2 x girls.
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