5 Hits and Howlers from the St Kilda Saints upset win over the Gold Coast Suns
The St Kilda Saints kept their flickering hopes of the finals alive in the 2024 AFL Season with a narrow 51-48 win over the visiting Gold Coast Suns late on Saturday (June 8). It was a low-scoring affair at the Saints' nominal home stadium, with St Kilda maintaining a consistent if small lead over the Suns for most of the night.
Ross Lyon set out to negate the Suns with a game of close checking and hard contest at the ball, which his long-time adversary, Damien Hardwick, employed all of his efforts into turning around. With three close quarters unable to determine a clear leader, the final term was always going to decide what had been an arm wrestle throughout.
The Suns were able to finish full of running and had the ascendancy late, but as with nine of the last 10 games between the two sides, it was the Saints who prevailed.
On that note, let's take a look at the five hits and howlers from the game:
#5 Hit - Ned Moyle - Greenhorn ruckman impresses
Moyle is out of contract in October, having moved up the Suns ruck division since being recruited in 2021. He beat veteran opponent Rowan Marshall in the stoppages, although like most teammates, probably left his best efforts until too late to win the match.
#4 Howler - Saints coach deploys boring game plan
Ross Lyon brought out a dour, defensive game plan that brought the young Suns unstuck. It was ugly, low-scoring footy that almost got diffused in the last quarter, yet the Saints were ahead at the siren and that’s all Ross the Boss will care about.
#3 Hit - Touk Miller scores the go-ahead goal
The Suns captain scored a terrific goal from stoppage to put his side ahead for the first time in the match. The throw-in from the pocket was won by Ned Moyle and squeezed out to Miller, who made no mistake with the snap on the run to give the away team hope.
#2 Howler - Ben Ainsworth fails to nail the winner
It’s a game of inches and Ainsworth’s bomb from the paint failed to get over the line by a narrow margin. The ball was three quarters of the way over, but the Saints defender managed to get a touch to turn a goal into a behind that decided the final result.
#1 Howler - Umpire decides the match
In a game with hundreds of decisions made by each of the four field umpires, the game came down to one ticky touchwood free kick that gifted St Kilda the lead that they would defend for the final three minutes. Mac Andrew was penalized for wrestling Max King 20 metres out, with the ball 60 metres away. The commentators disagreed and the fans did too. It was a terrible ending to a closely fought game.