AFL 2025 round seven LIVE updates: St Kilda Saints, Brisbane Lions face off at Marvel Stadium

The Age

26-04-2025

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1.30pm
Neale goals
The Lions can't find a tall target so their little champion Lachie Neale has roved the ball from a marking pack and snapped a goal.
The Saints have landed tackle after tackle but can't clear the ball. Finally, the Lions have made them pay for it.
Lions 7, Saints 0 with 13 mins to go in Q1.
1.29pm
The Lions miss Joe Daniher...
These early moments of the first term show how much the Lions are missing premiership winning forward Joe Daniher who retired after last year's premiership.
The Lions have had the better of the field positions and possession while they are regularly intercepting the Saints when they try to exit defence.
But they can't find a marking target and that is where they miss Daniher so, so much.
It's 8-1 on the inside 50 count according to Fox Footy, yet the Lions have just a point to show for it.
Lions 1, Saints 0 with 14 mins to go in Q1.
1.14pm
Who will respond? Lacklustre Lions or mauled Saints?
By Jon Pierik
The Saints have made their way out on to the field.
They need to show something today, having slipped since a 3-1 start to the season.
Defeats to GWS and the Western Bulldogs have been a reality check for Ross Lyon's men.
'I felt like we dropped our bundle ... yeah, it was a mauling,' a shattered Lyon said of a 71-point loss to the Bulldogs.
There are few tougher challenges than the Lions, who are stinging after their loss at home to Collingwood on Easter Thursday.
Coach Chris Fagan said his men had been 'lacklustre' against the Magpies. What will their response be?
1.10pm
Late change for Lions; subs named
By Jon Pierik
Brisbane have made a late change, losing key defender Jack Payne (illness) an hour before the bounce.
Payne has been replaced by Darcy Gardiner, who will play his first game for the season.
Midfielder James Tunstill will be the Lions' starting sub, while veteran Zak Jones will start as the Saints' sub.
1.04pm
AFL greats' lessons prep young gun for Brisbane test
After spending every day soaking up advice from two of St Kilda's greatest ever midfielders, Hugo Garcia is ready to test his mettle against the Brisbane Lions' champion on-ball brigade.
A youthful St Kilda outfit will attempt to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Western Bulldogs when they host the reigning premiers at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
Brisbane's midfield, headlined by dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Will Ashcroft, is coming off a loss to Collingwood and will pose a stern test.
But it's not one Garcia, still just 19, will shy away from.
'It should be a good challenge for me. I like competing against the best - that brings the best out of myself,' Garcia told AAP.
'It'll be good to compete against a Brownlow medallist like Lachie Neale
'It'll be good to see what he does and hopefully implement that in my game for the future.
'Josh Dunkley is also one of the star players in the competition and Will Ashcroft's an up-and-coming young midfielder, so it'll be good to test myself against those players.'
Coming off nine games in his debut season under Ross Lyon in 2024, Garcia has appeared in the Saints' past six games, impressing through the midfield and averaging 16 disposals and four clearances.
He's got plenty of experienced heads to guide him.
'It's been great to learn and grow off experienced midfielders in there like Jack Macrae and Jack Steele,' Garcia said.
'They've really helped me develop and become a better footballer.
'Then on the coaching side of things, Robert Harvey and Lenny Hayes have really been helping me learn midfield craft and just getting better as a whole.
'We've got a really talented young group coming through to push each other every day.'
Growing up, Garcia admired Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury's composure, while he's reaping the benefits of reviewing vision with club great Hayes.
But above anything, he credits his improvement to hard work.
'It's a brutal competition and if you're not working hard and not trying to improve every week, you're not going to get very far,' Garcia said.
'I've just put in the hard yards and hopefully you reap the rewards
'A lot of us young players have really bought into Ross's system and had a really good pre-season. So it's good to see us young boys getting a crack at it.
'There's a real hunger within the group to earn a spot in the side and then perform to keep it.
'As each week goes on I think my confidence will keep building.'
St Kilda (3-3) have already claimed one big upset this year, beating Geelong, and are ready to take it up to Brisbane (5-1).
'We're very optimistic,' Garica said.
'We think that we can challenge any team in the competition.'
St Kilda have regained Dougal Howard and recalled Isaac Keeler while Liam Henry and Arie Schoenmaker were dropped.
Brisbane forward Kai Lohmann returns from injury in place of Sam Marshall.
1.03pm
Ah Chee, Zorko reach milestones
Two Lions premiership players reach milestone matches today when they take on St Kilda.
From Lions media:
AH CHEE TO PLAY 150 GAMES
Brisbane Lions forward Callum Ah Chee will run out for his 150th AFL match against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium today.
Ah Chee was initially selected out of Western Australia with Pick eight in the 2015 draft by the Gold Coast SUNS.
The versatile playmaker then found his way to the Lions ahead of the 2020 season and has since become a premiership player and fan favourite.
AFL LIFE MEMBERSHIP FOR ZORKO
Premiership veteran Dayne Zorko achieves AFL Life Membership today.
Zorko receives the honour with a combined 300 games across Brisbane Lions (283 premiership games, 14 pre-season games, 2 international matches).
1.03pm
Good afternoon
G'day everyone. I'm Roy Ward and welcome to our AFL live blog as we follow today's Saturday matches for round seven and continue the Anzac weekend following yesterday's stirring match at the MCG between Collingwood and Essendon.
St Kilda and Brisbane kick us off today with a 1.20pm AEST clash at Marvel Stadium followed by Port Adelaide and North Melbourne then the night match at 7.30pm AEST between GWS Giants and Western Bulldogs in Sydney.
It should be a super day, enjoy the hours to come.