TonyK
CibbuanoSaints smash Dogs
July 25th 2009 13:10
ST KILDA has maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a 45-point demolition of the third-placed Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
The Saints’ 16.10 (106) to 9.7 (61) triumph comes just a week after they thumped another top four contender in Adelaide by 57 points.
It was the second time this season the ladder leaders have been too good for the Bulldogs and means Rodney Eade's men are now 0-4 against top four teams.
The loss was made worse for the Dogs with classy youngster Shaun Higgins suffering what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury while forward Robert Murphy also spent a large portion of the game on the bench with a hamstring complaint.
Stephen Milne and skipper Nick Riewoldt starred up forward with five goals apiece while Nick Dal Santo continued his brilliant season with a game-high 38 possessions.
Brendon Goddard (37), Lenny Hayes (31) help set up the win in the first half while Jason Gram generated plenty of run with 29 touches.
For the Bulldogs, Matthew Boyd worked hard all night and finished with a game-high 39 disposals while Ryan Hargrave was busy in defence with 31 touches.
The Dogs more than matched the ladder leaders early - they applied plenty of forward pressure and led by seven points close to quarter-time before two late majors saw the Saints open up a 13-point break at the first change.
Two goals in four minutes from Milne help set up a five-goal-to-two second quarter as the margin blew out to 31 points at half-time.
The Western Bulldogs who are regarded as one of the most skilled sides in the competition continually themselves down with their poor use of the football as they succumbed to St Kilda's relentless pressure - the Saints first 10 goals came as a direct result of Bulldogs mistakes.
The Dogs lifted their rating in the third term and closed to within 18 points at three-quarter time.
But their good work was undone early in the final stanza when Riewoldt was gifted a free kick and a 50m penalty after the Bulldogs started the quarter with an extra man on the field.
Riewoldt made the Dogs pay the ultimate price before the Saints added a further five goals to cap off yet another impressive win.
ST KILDA: 4.3, 9.5, 10.7, 16.10 (106)
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 2.2, 4.4, 7.7, 9.7 (61)
GOALS: St Kilda: Milne 5, Riewoldt 5, Gwilt 2, Gram, Dempster, Eddy, Schneider
Western Bulldogs: Ward 2, Hahn 2, Boyd, Addison, Murphy, Griffen, Eagleton
BEST: St Kilda: Goddard, Hayes, Riewoldt, Milne, Dal Santo, Gram, Gilbert
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Hargrave, Cross, Griffen, Cooney
INJURIES: St Kilda: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Higgins (hamstring), Murphy (hamstring)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Lindsay Gilbee (personal reasons) replaced in the Western Bulldogs' selected side by Dylan Addison
UMPIRES: Rosebury, Grun, Meredith
CROWD: TBC at Etihad Stadium
The Saints’ 16.10 (106) to 9.7 (61) triumph comes just a week after they thumped another top four contender in Adelaide by 57 points.
It was the second time this season the ladder leaders have been too good for the Bulldogs and means Rodney Eade's men are now 0-4 against top four teams.
The loss was made worse for the Dogs with classy youngster Shaun Higgins suffering what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury while forward Robert Murphy also spent a large portion of the game on the bench with a hamstring complaint.
Stephen Milne and skipper Nick Riewoldt starred up forward with five goals apiece while Nick Dal Santo continued his brilliant season with a game-high 38 possessions.
Brendon Goddard (37), Lenny Hayes (31) help set up the win in the first half while Jason Gram generated plenty of run with 29 touches.
For the Bulldogs, Matthew Boyd worked hard all night and finished with a game-high 39 disposals while Ryan Hargrave was busy in defence with 31 touches.
The Dogs more than matched the ladder leaders early - they applied plenty of forward pressure and led by seven points close to quarter-time before two late majors saw the Saints open up a 13-point break at the first change.
Two goals in four minutes from Milne help set up a five-goal-to-two second quarter as the margin blew out to 31 points at half-time.
The Western Bulldogs who are regarded as one of the most skilled sides in the competition continually themselves down with their poor use of the football as they succumbed to St Kilda's relentless pressure - the Saints first 10 goals came as a direct result of Bulldogs mistakes.
The Dogs lifted their rating in the third term and closed to within 18 points at three-quarter time.
But their good work was undone early in the final stanza when Riewoldt was gifted a free kick and a 50m penalty after the Bulldogs started the quarter with an extra man on the field.
Riewoldt made the Dogs pay the ultimate price before the Saints added a further five goals to cap off yet another impressive win.
ST KILDA: 4.3, 9.5, 10.7, 16.10 (106)
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 2.2, 4.4, 7.7, 9.7 (61)
GOALS: St Kilda: Milne 5, Riewoldt 5, Gwilt 2, Gram, Dempster, Eddy, Schneider
Western Bulldogs: Ward 2, Hahn 2, Boyd, Addison, Murphy, Griffen, Eagleton
BEST: St Kilda: Goddard, Hayes, Riewoldt, Milne, Dal Santo, Gram, Gilbert
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Hargrave, Cross, Griffen, Cooney
INJURIES: St Kilda: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Higgins (hamstring), Murphy (hamstring)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Lindsay Gilbee (personal reasons) replaced in the Western Bulldogs' selected side by Dylan Addison
UMPIRES: Rosebury, Grun, Meredith
CROWD: TBC at Etihad Stadium
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