ST KILDA 17.14 (116) def GOLD COAST 10.10 (70)
IT could be argued that Gold Coast started the rot at St Kilda back in round one this season.
The Suns beat the Saints by 13 points that day, and up until Sunday, St Kilda had won just three games compared with Gold Coast’s seven.
But in a style that hearkened back to the Saints of old, the veteran big names stood up and gave fans something to cheer.
A tense opening quarter meant saw Gold Coast grab a one-point lead at quarter time, but St Kilda piled on six goals in the second term to take the ascendancy.
Eight goals to four in the second half increased the lead sharply.
Stephen Milne and Nick Riewoldt both booted four goals, Leigh Montagna had 33 touches and Nick Dal Santo 31. Montagna also kicked three.
Gold Coast danger man Gary Ablett was well held throughout the afternoon, and though he finished with 28 touches his influence was curtailed.
Milne also revealed this weekend’s clash against Fremantle would be his last.
It will also be St Kilda’s last in a dreadful season, particularly when compared with the Saints’ contemporaries of the late noughties in Hawthorn, Geelong and Collingwood.
Likewise Gold Coast, who would have been bitterly disappointed with the heavy loss. But the Suns still have plenty to be smiling about, with a slew of young players developing into guns to help out Ablett.
Finals in 2014 are most certainly not a pipe dream for the league’s second-youngest team.
Here are the match highlights:
ST KILDA 3.2 9.5 12.9 17.14 (116)
GOLD COAST 3.3 6.5 9.6 10.10 (70)
GOALS
St Kilda: Milne 4, Riewoldt 4, Montagna 3, Ledger, Schneider, Steven, Hickey, Geary, Dal Santo
Gold Coast: Sumner 3, O’Meara 2, Dixon 2, Thompson, Hall, Prestia
BEST
St Kilda: Montagna, Riewoldt, Dal Santo, Jones, Hayes, Steven, Dempster
Gold Coast: O’Meara, Prestia, Sumner, Bennell, Stanley
INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
Gold Coast: Jarrod Harbrow (illness) replaced in the selected side by Karmichael Hunt, Andrew Boston (sternum), Daniel Gorringe (groin), Greg Broughton (Achilles tendon)
SUBSTITUTES
St Kilda: Tom Ledger replaced Cameron Shenton in the third quarter
Gold Coast: Karmichael Hunt replaced Andrew Boston at half time
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Harris, Hosking
Official crowd: 17,622 at Etihad Stadium