Round 7 – St Kilda v Hawthorn: Saints respond to May Day call on May Day

 

 

 

St. Kilda v Hawthorn
4.35 pm, Saturday 1 May
Marvel Stadium

 

 

 

The Saints’ two previous outings against the Tigers and Port were nothing to write home about. The Saints had lost their way. Something needed to be done. The tom toms and more modern communication means like semaphore put out a May Day call for help. The call was heeded and the Saints swept aside the Hawks in a scintillating display on May Day.

 

Paddy Ryder returned for his first game for the year and renewed his partnership with Rowan Marshall in the ruck. Being able to push an extra big man forward gave the team more balance. The Saints brains’ trust switched Brad Hill from the wing to half back, with Hunter Clark going to the wing. It worked like a treat. The return of Jimmy Webster solidified the defence and Ryan Byrnes, who was playing only his second game for the Saints, put in a more than serviceable game, amongst other things taking nine marks.

 

The Saints dominated the game from go to whoa. In the first quarter the disposal count was 130 to 76, with the inside 50s 21 to 9. And, unlike last week against Port, the Saints converted this pressure into goals and couldn’t be bothered to even concede a point. The Saints midfield controlled the game. Brad Hill’s run out of the back half was a sight for sore eyes in the first quarter. Zak Jones wore out his boots in the second quarter in a best on ground performance; Jack Higgins had a picnic in the third. Everyone played well and, other than for some errant shots for goal, hardly put a foot wrong. Dan Butler kicked 3 goals, could have had 5. Nick Coffield kicked only the second goal of his career. Jack Sinclair provided a lot of run out of the back half and, although he normally panics when he shoots for goal, scored with a nice snap in the first quarter.

 

The two best goals of the game came from Hunter Clark. Half way through the second quarter he smothered a kick on the forward 50, gathered the ball, faked a handpass to the left, baulked and went right and kicked an easy goal from 15 to 20 metres in front. Sheer class. The second was the last goal of the game. He gathered the ball in the forward pocket. He veered to the left on the boundary line and ran towards the goal posts and handpassed it to Max King who handpassed it back to Clark as he ran along the space between the point and goal posts and, when he got to the goal post, popped it through with his right for a neat goal.

 

The Hawks are not the team they were with a relatively young side. They had a few moments where they showed flashes. Most of their goals were scored late in quarters. The umps had a good game. They seemed to have decided not to pay dubious holding the ball decisions when players are tackled and have no real chance of disposing the ball, or when it is stacks on the mill when the ball is on the ground.

 

The Saints looked more like the team of last year. Hopefully, they have turned the corner and will continue down the street of 2021 football glory.

 

Suns away next week. A good game to win.

 

Go Saints!!

 

ST. KILDA          5.4   10.9   14.11   19. 14 (128)
HAWTHORN    0.0   4.2     6.3       9.5 (69)

 

GOALS
St. Kilda: Higgins 4, Butler 3, King, Membrey, Marshall, Clark 2, Coffield, Sinclair.
Hawthorn: Koschitzke, Breust 2, Hanrahan, Lewis, Shiels, McEvoy, Moore.

 

BEST
St. Kilda: Jones, Clark, Hill, Crouch, Sinclair.
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Scrimshaw, Worpel, McEvoy, Shiels.

 

Crowd: Unknown. Lots of happy Sainters (and some sad Hawks) too over the moon to allow themselves to be subject to such bureaucratic control on, of all days, May Day! Come on, get real!!!

 

 

Malarkey Medal: Hill (StK) 1, Clark (StK) 2, Jones (StK) 3.

 

 

 

 

The Tigers (Covid) Almanac 2020 will be published in 2021. It will have all the usual features – a game by game account of the Tigers season – and will also include some of the best Almanac writing from the Covid winter.  Pre-order HERE

 

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.

 

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help things keep ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

 

 

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE.

One-off financial contribution – CLICK HERE.

Regular financial contribution (monthly EFT) – CLICK HERE.