St Kilda vs Richmond

Held goalless for three quarters, Max King has exploded with four goals to help St Kilda fight back...

A Max King-inspired St Kilda has stormed over the top of Richmond to win back-to-back matches for the first time since July last year.

HELD goalless for three quarters, Max King has exploded with four goals to help St Kilda fight back from 25 points down to beat Richmond by 33.

Taken by St Kilda as a 22-year-old in the 2018 National Draft, Matthew Parker looked a ready-made player, and with 16 goals from 17 games in his debut season the Saints' recruiters looked to have made a canny choice. Sunday's clash was game 27 for Parker and arguably his best, finishing with three goals. Higgins left the field for assessment and was subbed out with concussion before quarter-time. Marlion Pickett was another Tiger in fine form against St Kilda, suggesting maybe other clubs should look to Punt Road to get the most from the mid-year draft. Judging by the size of the smile on Wilkie's face he'll be looking for goal number two sooner rather than later. When a young player slots a goal early in their career it's guaranteed teammates will come running to congratulate them, but if things take a little longer the first major may go unnoticed.

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“But he’s still got a lot of growth. “Everybody expects Max to do everything every week and he’s a young man still developing but to see glimpses of that. Some of his attributes - to be 204 centimetres and run around and launch at the footy and do what he does - it’s pretty special,” he said. “He’s still growing, but he’s pretty exciting when he launches at the ball,” he said. “When I first got to the Saints he was only coming into his second year of footy and just seeing some of the raw potential he had was pretty exciting,” he said. “Obviously we knew it was going to be a tough game going in,” he said.

The Saints are building momentum, having toppled Richmond at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, but both teams have injury issues to deal with.

Importantly, the goal steadied the Saints, who booted three of the next four.Saint Jack Higgins is always keen to prove a point against his former club, and his emotions were on show when he converted a set shot in the first term. Keen to build on last week’s momentum at having beaten GWS, the Tigers had their first when Liam Baker snapped the first goal within 13 seconds of the opening bounce, while Shai Bolton had a second from the ensuing centre clearance when he drilled a bomb from about 65 metres.Callum Wilkie had a moment he won’t forget when he intercepted a clearing kick from the Tigers in the first term and marked 40 metres from goal. He was barely sighted with Grimes by his side, but that changed when, with Grimes off, he claimed his first mark in the final minute of the third.Then came a stunning final term haul of 4.3 by the springy tall, when he began on veteran Robbie Tarrant and finished with draftee Joshua Gibcus. He was a beacon in the final term, and could not be stopped, as the Saints booted 10 goals to three after the main break.The free-flowing first term was a sight to behold, highlighted in that while the teams combined for 12 goals, there were only 16 tackles. Whenever he appeared free, a Tiger popped up, but Hill responded with several key touches late in the game when switched to half forward.The intensity was palpable in the third term, the Tigers extending their lead to four goals when Hugo Ralphsmith converted on the run, but the contest turned when Grimes shuffled off. That pace, certainly on the scoreboard, eased in the second term, but the number of players with hands on hips approaching half-time told the tale.The Tigers lifted their pressure in the second term. He faces time on the sidelines.The Saints were behind 25 points midway through the third term but lifted their pressure - and King came to the party.

Held goalless for three quarters, Max King has exploded with four goals to help St Kilda fight back from 25 points down to beat Richmond by 33 at Marvel ...

Richmond's loss to St Kilda was marred by ill-discipline, costly free kicks and 50-metre penalties and coach Damien Hardwick has put the heat on his ...

So we've got to get better on that front." So that hurts." "We've got to get better.

Held goalless for three quarters, Max King has exploded with four goals to help St Kilda fight back from 25 points down to beat Richmond by 33. After Hugo Ralphsmith put the Tigers ahead by more than four goals midway through the third term, Richmond ...

"Some of his attributes, to be 204cm and run around and launch at the footy and do what he does, it's pretty special, but he's still got a lot of growth." But to see glimpses of that and he is a very good player, but he's still building. Ratten said it was "good to trial" all of Paddy Ryder, Jack Hayes and Rowan Marshall in the same team but stopped short on saying he'd repeat the tall line-up. "He's still growing but he's pretty exciting when he launches at the ball. "Everybody expects Max to do everything every week and he's a young man still developing. "Some of the elite players or the very good players of the competition have the ability to change games, whether it's only two possessions, three possessions or 10 and Max is one of those players who can do that," Ratten said.

'That hurts': Tigers coach fed up as 'costly' free kicks rear head AGAIN.

We’ve got to get better on that front.” We’ve spoken about that all year, about trying to eradicate that from our game but it creeps in at critical stages and it’s really really costly. We’ve got to get better.

DAMIEN Hardwick has challenged his Richmond charges to get ill-discipline and poor free kicks out of their game after cheap giveaways proved costly in their ...

But to see glimpses of that and he is a very good player, but he's still building. So we've got to get better on that front." "Everybody expects Max to do everything every week and he's a young man still developing. "We've got to get better. So that hurts." "Some of his attributes, to be 204cm and run around and launch at the footy and do what he does, it's pretty special, but he's still got a lot of growth."

Damien Hardwick has challenged his Richmond charges to get ill-discipline and poor free kicks out of their game...

Held goalless for three quarters, Max King has exploded with four goals to help St Kilda fight back from 25 points down to beat Richmond by 33.

"So that was the game in a nutshell, the last quarter. But to see glimpses of that and he is a very good player, but he's still building. "Everybody expects Max to do everything every week and he's a young man still developing. "Some of his attributes, to be 204cm and run around and launch at the footy and do what he does, it's pretty special, but he's still got a lot of growth." "He's still growing but he's pretty exciting when he launches at the ball. "Some of the elite players or the very good players of the competition have the ability to change games, whether it's only two possessions, three possessions or 10 and Max is one of those players who can do that," Ratten said.