St Kilda

2023 - 3 - 25

Lyon's new Saints 2-0 after despatching disappointing Dogs (AFL)

ST KILDA has proved its resurgence under Ross Lyon wasn't a one-off, dismantling a listless Western Bulldogs by 51 points to maintain a perfect start to the ...

Lining up against his father's former side (Sam Phillipou played three games for the Dogs), Phillipou slotted three goals and looked dangerous whenever the Saints went forward. It will be interesting to see if the forest of talls is cleared further next round with Lobb likely a while away and Darcy subbed out in the third quarter after failing to score from just two disposals. The Bulldogs played four tall forwards in round one - Aaron Naughton, Sam Darcy, Jamara Ugle-Hagan and Rory Lobb - for a return of just two goals. The clamps lifted slightly as the game went on, but it's early days and as the season progresses there's no doubt Lyon's signature gameplan will be honed to a finely tuned point. In the first quarter the Dogs couldn't breathe without having a black, white and red jumper on their backs, forcing turnovers through real and perceived pressure. The St Kilda of recent years has been a team of occasionally unstoppable attacking thrusts, but capable of far too little when the ball was going the other way.

'Freak' 18 year old's epic statement; Ross' DNA all over Saints in ... (Fox Sports)

'Freak' 18 year old's epic statement; Ross' DNA all over Saints in shock boilover — 3-2-1.

“That‘s the difference at the moment. But what we’re seeing at the moment is the Dogs are on a leash and they’re causing it themselves.” Statistically, it was actually pretty even, but what they did, the only stat that was poles apart was the inside 50s, 17 -6. “But what I love about him is he understands the game and he doesn’t hold himself up. If you break it down it’s been the Dogs chasing tale for the best part of three and a quarter quarters tonight,” Thomas said. “They get the ball in the middle of the ground and it was evident at the end of that third quarter, Bont gets the ball in the middle of the ground and he kicks it to Baker on a wing, rather than turning at the goals and going straight inside 50. Mistakes are happening because of the pressure,” Cats great Cameron Ling said on Channel 7. “They settled themselves at half-time, came out. “St Kilda go forward, Bulldogs go sideways and slow and that is the difference in the game at the moment.” He’s coming up against some quality players week to week. “They had to change something because St Kilda had them absolutely outclassed, from the way the way structured to then the way they were restricting the Dogs’ ball movement,” Johnson said of the Dogs. Kicking four goals to nothing in the first quarter — and nine of the final 10 goals of the game — St Kilda was in control for three and a half quarters in a one-sided affair — beating a star-studded Dogs midfield in contested possessions (131-20) and clearances (39-36).

St Kilda cruise to big win as one passage of play sums up Bulldogs ... (7NEWS.com.au)

'I reckon that clip might be in the meeting for Luke Beveridge and his players.'

“I reckon that clip might be in the meeting for Luke Beveridge and his players though. Stream them all for free on [All the stats from Optus Stadium](https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/match-centre?competition=12038&season=2023&match=120380206) The Saints’ ball movement during the passage of play was elite, but the lack of pressure from the Dogs was damning. [St Kilda](https://7news.com.au/sport/st-kilda-saints) coach with a resounding 51-point win over the [Western Bulldogs](https://7news.com.au/sport/western-bulldogs). While the Saints, who were missing a stack of key players, will deservedly get a lot of the plaudits, the Bulldogs will cop a lot of a heat for a hugely disappointing performance.

AFL great brutalises passionless club (NEWS.com.au)

A team many predicted would be fighting for a spot in the top eight look more like a wooden spoon contender after two games. Watch every match of every round of ...

The Bulldogs kicked four of their five goals in a 12-minute window in the second quarter as the watertight St Kilda defence showed some unusual holes. Promises of fast and ballistic footy are there in moments for the Saints, but make no mistake, this is a St Kilda team built on a foundation of defensive frugality. Ross Lyon’s St Kilda might be the hardest team to play against this season after suffocating their opposition for a second week in a row. “That’s part of the ball movement and it’s what St Kilda gave them tonight, but the Dogs didn’t attempt to be creative to break through that. Bulldogs great Brad Johnson said the club is in need of serious change and must take a big look in the mirror as to what they’re putting out. After a defensive war against Fremantle, the Saints flexed their muscles against the Dogs as they ran away to claim the 51-point victory.

Reeling Bulldogs attempt to reset after poor AFL start (PerthNow)

Coach Luke Beveridge concedes the Western Bulldogs were outworked across their opening two losses as his shattered charges prepare to reckon with their ...

"Now that's a combination of things - it's definitely not because we haven't worked hard enough. "But there's no doubt that when we compare our output as far as the ground cover and the intensity and the speed of it, we haven't been up to the level that the first two teams we've played have. "Well, I think you'd have to say that the first two rounds we've been outworked," he told reporters.

Western Bulldogs v St Kilda - A Different Lens - The Mongrel Punt (The Mongrel Punt)

The Saints continued to prove the doubters wrong, moving to 2-0 with a big win over the Western Bulldogs. Jimmy Day has all the details.

He was influential in the Dogs getting back into the game in the second term (along with Bont) and kept at it for the rest of the night. Ross the Boss has the Saints looking defensively sound and willing to take the game on to score. They look ahead to next Saturday night at the ‘G against the Bombers, while the Dogs, who need to respond and show some fight, don’t have to wait too long, as they host the Lions at Superhero Stadium on Thursday night. This then forces the Dogs to rely on their defence – often cited as a weakness – to win back the footy and be the basis on which they move the ball forward. Their forward mix seems built for Marvel and the smooth deck, but even that couldn’t save them from the pressure applied to the kicker – and the inaccuracy of their forwards. Shout out to Anthony Caminiti for kicking his first AFL goal tonight – and didn’t his fan club in the stands love it! We recognise a game as a Doggies game, when they freewheel with the footy, and the game is setup around the ball. They dare to dream, they have the need for speed, and they want to be fun to watch. With the weight of ball entering the Saints 50, both of these men fought hard in the contest but then also got the ball moving forward. All the questions heading into the season were around their ability to score and where would the goals come from. They showed zip, poise at times, and a willingness to take responsibility in front of goal. Would the Saints start 2-0 or would the Dogs get on the board for 2023?