AFTER back-to-back wins, St Kilda has been brought back to earth with reigning premier Collingwood flexing its muscle in the second half to record a comprehensive 57-point victory at the MCG.
In their first meeting since their epic Grand Final replay some eight months ago, the Pies broke the Saints resilience in the third quarter with a five goal to one effort setting up the 16.12 (108) to 7.9 (51) win in front of 62, 991 fans.
It was the big men for the Pies who stole the show, with Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes instrumental in the forward half, kicking five goals between them to add to their eight contested marks for the night.
Nick Dal Santo was a standout for the Saints, sweeping across half-back, finishing with 32 possessions as the St Kilda backman looked to utilise his skills to set up attacking forays from defence at every opportunity.
After St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said during the week Collingwood midfielder Dale Thomas might be the best player in the game, the 24-year old was followed every step of the way by Clinton Jones in the first half, restricted to just 12 possessions.
But with Lyon deciding not to persist with his number one tagger on Thomas in the second half, it released the mercurial midfielder to run rampant as he amassed 31 possessions.
With the Saints defenders flooding back in the first term, Heath Shaw found himself in acres of space playing as a loose man in defence, making it very difficult for St Kilda to penetrate the Pies defensive 50 with Nick Riewoldt again held goalless against Collingwood.
At times, the Pies threatened to run away with the game before being pegged back by Ross Lyon's men as the Saints held a slender lead deep in the second term.
But as has been the case this season, when the Pies are challenged, Mick Malthouse's men step up a gear.
Led by Scott Pendlebury's dominance in the middle (32 possessions) and a reinvigorated Leon Davis rebounding from defence, the Pies had too many options in the attacking half with Dane Swan chipping in with four majors to overpower their St Kilda counterparts and record their ninth win of the season.
Influential players
It was the tall timber up forward who were crucial in the first half, with Travis Cloke particularly strong. With six contested marks at half-time to add to his tally of three majors, the 24-year old kicked goals when they mattered and proved too strong for his opponent Zac Dawson. If Dale Thomas is the best player currently in the competition, Scott Pendlebury wouldn't be too far behind after his 32-possession performance in the heart of the Magpie midfield.
What it means
Just imagine when the Pies do string that four-quarter performance together. After a 10-goal-to-two second half blew the competitive Saints out of the water, Mick Malthouse still searches for that four-quarter performance week-in, week-out as the Saints threatened at various stages in the first half.
For Ross Lyon's men, the signs are promising. The Saints are starting to show glimpses of the game style that brought them much success in the past two years. Their defensive pressure, their swarming at the contests as well as their ability to work numbers back in defence in the first half would warm the hearts of the St Kilda faithful.
What the banner said
St Kilda's banner celebrating Steven Baker 200th game for the Saints:
'Some say he's a devil
We know he's a Saint
200 gutsy games
Well done Bakes'
Magic Moment
Is there anything this man cannot do? Andrew Krakouer again came to the party, as the seconds counted down in the first-half. After a quick centre clearance, Chris Dawes spoiled the ball out of Dean Polo's grasp and who was there to pick up the scraps? You guessed it. Swooping on the ball, Krakouer beat the clutches of Steven Baker to snap home yet another goal to add to his highlights reel. The goal was crucial as the Pies turned a five-point deficit late in the first half into a handy eight-point buffer at the main break.
Stats that matter
14 - the inside 50 count of the Saints in the first half in comparison to the Magpies 30. The difference in the end was 22.
16.12.108 - the identical score Collingwood kicked in the Grand Final replay last year
7.9. 51 - one solitary behind less than St Kilda's final score in the Grand Final rematch
Key match-ups
Ross Lyon turned to his number one tagger to quell the influence of a player he described during the week as the best player currently in the competition. Clint Jones followed Dale Thomas every step of the way, on and off the bench and limited the ball magnet to just 12 possessions in the first-half. But with the St Kilda coach choosing not to continue with the tag in the second half, Thomas had 19 possessions and was a crucial factor in the Pies resurgence.
New Faces
The Saints this season continue to rejuvenate their list, with the debuts of Tom Ledger and Tom Simpkin increasing their tally to eight players already blooded this season by Ross Lyon. Despite the pair having quiet nights, Simpkin learned just how difficult life can be in the AFL going head-to-head with Chris Dawes while Tom Ledger impressed after replacing Simpkin as a substitute, gathering 10 possessions of which seven were contested.
The next four
Collingwood: After the Pies play Melbourne next week in the Queen's Birthday clash, Mick Malthouse's charges will enjoy their second bye of the season in round 13. Collingwood then travels to Sydney to take on the Swans, who have not beaten the Pies in the previous nine encounters before a blockbuster clash against the high-flying Hawks.
St Kilda: The Saints could make a return to the winners list next week as they face the struggling Western Bulldogs next Friday night before their clash against arch-rival Geelong. Ross Lyon's men then have a bye before taking on North Melbourne in a Sunday twilight fixture at Etihad Stadium.
Toyota AFL Dream Team highlight
Collingwood: Despite Scott Pendlebury dropping to $423,900 after he was priced as high as $466,000 five weeks ago, he again scored the most for the black and white with 129 Dreamteam points.
St Kilda: In a surprise, ruckman Ben McEvoy led the charge for both sides, finishing with a game-high 139 Dreamteam points in arguably his best performance in St Kilda colours.
QUARTER BY QUARTER SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
St Kilda backman Brendon Goddard bounced back from last week's hospitalisation in emphatic fashion, collecting five disposals in the opening six minutes before kicking the first goal of the match. The positive start was nullified when key midfielder Leigh Montagna headed to the rooms with a knee injury, re-emerging 15 minutes later with heavy strapping but looking proppy. Collingwood opened its account through Travis Cloke who followed up with a second just minutes later. After 10 scrappy minutes, St Kilda's Brett Peake's late goal brought the margin back to three points in a low scoring opener.
SECOND QUARTER
Chris Dawes found himself on the end of a chain of handballs, kicking the first goal of the quarter just 43 seconds in as Dane Swan made up for a quiet opening term when he followed up with the Pies second. The Saints broke the run of consecutive goals through Clint Jones, maintaining St Kilda's solid scoreboard contribution from its midfielders this season. When Stephen Milne and Jack Steven kicked back-to-back goals, St Kilda grabbed the momentum. However, goals to Cloke and Andrew Krakouer in the shadows of half-time pushed Collingwood out to an eight-point lead at the half.
THIRD QUARTER
Dawes again kicked the first of the quarter, this time within two minutes to give Collingwood a strong foothold. Swan, who had just six touches in the first half, followed with a mammoth goal from outside 50. The pain was compounded for the Saints when Montagna again limped to the bench but returned shortly after still hampered. The Saints, aware of Montagna's pace, avoided the temptation to sub him off and activated speedy debutant Tom Ledger for tall Tom Simpkin. The move had little impact as Collingwood piled on the final three goals of the term to hold a 32-point lead and put the match almost beyond doubt.
FOURTH QUARTER
St Kilda's Sam Gilbert gave his side a sniff with the opening goal but Collingwood's Sharrod Wellingham snuffed out any hope of a comeback when he kicked his first goal. Versatlie big man Leigh Brown was substituted off at the eight-minute mark for Tyson Goldsack after a quiet match while Swan, playing as a makeshift forward, kicked his third goal. Adding salt to the wound, Collingwood added a further two goals and ran out winners by 57 points. One more than the margin in the Grand Final rematch.
Collingwood 2.4 6.5 11.9 16.12 (108)
St Kilda 2.1 5.3 6.7 7.9 (51)
GOALS
Collingwood: Swan 4, Cloke 3, Dawes 2, Wellingham 2, Krakouer 2, Brown, Davis, McCarthy
St Kilda: Goddard, Peake, Milne, Steven, Jones, Armitage, Gilbert
BEST
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Cloke, Davis, Thomas, Shaw, Swan
St Kilda: Dal Santo, McEvoy, Gwilt, Gilbert, Steven
INJURIES
Collingwood: Buckley replaced in the selected side by Goldsack, Beams (ankle)
St Kilda: Montagna (knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Leigh Brown replaced by Tyson Goldsack during the final quarter
St Kilda: Tom Simpkin replaced by Tom Ledger during the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Stewart, Meredith
Official crowd: 62,991 at MCG
The views in this articles are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
