Top four in Cats' sights as Saints lose six in a row
Looking a class above their opponents all day, the Cats won 17.11 (113) to 12.10 (82) in front of a vocal home crowd of 29,985 spectators.The writing was on the wall early, as Geelong kicked four unanswered goals to start the match, and while the Saints fought back hard to stay in touch in an entertaining end-to-end battle, the home side answered every challenge.St Kilda's engine room battled hard throughout, finishing with more clearances and contested possessions than the Cats, but Geelong's class on the outside proved the difference.
With coaches Ross Lyon and Chris Scott content to let their midfields fight it out without any hard tags, St Kilda Star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera emerged as the most damaging player on the ground.
The out-of-contract 22-year-old was everywhere for the Saints, using his running power to collect 36 disposals, his smarts around stoppages to win 10 clearances, and his exquisite kicking to snare two goals and set up multiple others.
But while Wanganeen-Milera was clearly the Saints' best player, the Cats had even contributors across the board.
Max Holmes ran riot through the middle with 32 disposals, while Ollie Dempsey (25 possessions) was outstanding in his 50th game.
Coleman Medal leader Jeremy Cameron had four goals to his name by half-time, with a sublime drop punt from a tight angle the highlight of the match, and added a fifth late in the final term.
But Cameron was far from the only threat in Geelong's forward half, with Shaun Mannagh kicking three goals from his 24 disposals, and Tyson Stengle, Patrick Dangerfield and Jack Martin each grabbing two.The only sour point for Geelong was an injury concern to star defender Tom Stewart, who was subbed out in the third quarter with a knee complaint.St Kilda has now lost six games in a row, with their most recent win coming against Melbourne in Round 12 before the Saints' mid-season bye.
Geelong looks well-placed to finish in the top four for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, with just five home-and-away games left.
The Cats have notched 12 wins and are likely to start favourites in their remaining games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Essendon, Sydney and Richmond, all of whom sit in the bottom half of the ladder.
Geelong have inched closer to securing a top-four berth, with a five-goal haul from spearhead Jeremy Cameron leading them to a hard-fought 31-point win over St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium.
Looking a class above their opponents all day, the Cats won 17.11 (113) to 12.10 (82) in front of a vocal home crowd of 29,985 spectators.The writing was on the wall early, as Geelong kicked four unanswered goals to start the match, and while the Saints fought back hard to stay in touch in an entertaining end-to-end battle, the home side answered every challenge.St Kilda's engine room battled hard throughout, finishing with more clearances and contested possessions than the Cats, but Geelong's class on the outside proved the difference.
With coaches Ross Lyon and Chris Scott content to let their midfields fight it out without any hard tags, St Kilda Star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera emerged as the most damaging player on the ground.
The out-of-contract 22-year-old was everywhere for the Saints, using his running power to collect 36 disposals, his smarts around stoppages to win 10 clearances, and his exquisite kicking to snare two goals and set up multiple others.
But while Wanganeen-Milera was clearly the Saints' best player, the Cats had even contributors across the board.
Max Holmes ran riot through the middle with 32 disposals, while Ollie Dempsey (25 possessions) was outstanding in his 50th game.
Coleman Medal leader Jeremy Cameron had four goals to his name by half-time, with a sublime drop punt from a tight angle the highlight of the match, and added a fifth late in the final term.
But Cameron was far from the only threat in Geelong's forward half, with Shaun Mannagh kicking three goals from his 24 disposals, and Tyson Stengle, Patrick Dangerfield and Jack Martin each grabbing two.The only sour point for Geelong was an injury concern to star defender Tom Stewart, who was subbed out in the third quarter with a knee complaint.St Kilda has now lost six games in a row, with their most recent win coming against Melbourne in Round 12 before the Saints' mid-season bye.
Geelong looks well-placed to finish in the top four for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, with just five home-and-away games left.
The Cats have notched 12 wins and are likely to start favourites in their remaining games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Essendon, Sydney and Richmond, all of whom sit in the bottom half of the ladder.
Geelong have inched closer to securing a top-four berth, with a five-goal haul from spearhead Jeremy Cameron leading them to a hard-fought 31-point win over St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium.
Looking a class above their opponents all day, the Cats won 17.11 (113) to 12.10 (82) in front of a vocal home crowd of 29,985 spectators.The writing was on the wall early, as Geelong kicked four unanswered goals to start the match, and while the Saints fought back hard to stay in touch in an entertaining end-to-end battle, the home side answered every challenge.St Kilda's engine room battled hard throughout, finishing with more clearances and contested possessions than the Cats, but Geelong's class on the outside proved the difference.
With coaches Ross Lyon and Chris Scott content to let their midfields fight it out without any hard tags, St Kilda Star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera emerged as the most damaging player on the ground.
The out-of-contract 22-year-old was everywhere for the Saints, using his running power to collect 36 disposals, his smarts around stoppages to win 10 clearances, and his exquisite kicking to snare two goals and set up multiple others.
But while Wanganeen-Milera was clearly the Saints' best player, the Cats had even contributors across the board.
Max Holmes ran riot through the middle with 32 disposals, while Ollie Dempsey (25 possessions) was outstanding in his 50th game.
Coleman Medal leader Jeremy Cameron had four goals to his name by half-time, with a sublime drop punt from a tight angle the highlight of the match, and added a fifth late in the final term.
But Cameron was far from the only threat in Geelong's forward half, with Shaun Mannagh kicking three goals from his 24 disposals, and Tyson Stengle, Patrick Dangerfield and Jack Martin each grabbing two.The only sour point for Geelong was an injury concern to star defender Tom Stewart, who was subbed out in the third quarter with a knee complaint.St Kilda has now lost six games in a row, with their most recent win coming against Melbourne in Round 12 before the Saints' mid-season bye.
Geelong looks well-placed to finish in the top four for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, with just five home-and-away games left.
The Cats have notched 12 wins and are likely to start favourites in their remaining games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Essendon, Sydney and Richmond, all of whom sit in the bottom half of the ladder.
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Perth Now
9 minutes ago
- Perth Now
The 'humble freak' St Kilda love and want to keep
St Kilda want Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera to stay "forever" but Saints teammate Hunter Clark says there will be no hard feelings if the matchwinning star returns to South Australia. Wanganeen-Milera wrote himself into St Kilda folklore at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, lifting the Saints to the biggest three-quarter-time comeback - 46 points - in VFL/AFL history. The silky 22-year-old kicked the final two goals in just 14 seconds of game time as St Kilda pinched a remarkable six-point victory over Melbourne. Wanganeen-Milera's soaring mark over Demons forward Bayley Fritsch to set up the game-equalling goal even prompted an emotional reaction of disbelief from usually solemn Saints coach Ross Lyon. Clark, who also produced some important moments late against Melbourne, was in awe at what Wanganeen-Milera achieved. "He's obviously got a really big decision, and he'll do what's best for himself, and there'll be no hard feelings either way," Clark told AAP. "Obviously we'd love him to stay forever; he's going to be, if he's not already, up there for one of the best players in the competition. "He's only 22 so I think his future is going to be so bright and he deserves everything that comes his way." Wanganeen-Milera remains unsigned for next season as he contemplates massive offers from Adelaide and Port Adelaide to play back in his home state. He was drafted with pick 11 out of Glenelg in 2021, playing 82 games for the Saints. St Kilda have also thrown a big contract in front of him as arguably the key player in the club's rebuild and bid for an elusive second premiership. Wanganeen-Milera, who had a game-high 34 disposals alongside his match-winning four goals, was in doubt to play against the Demons due to a stye in his eye. The club doctor called Lyon early on Sunday morning to let him know his best player was in doubt, but Wanganeen-Milera reassured his coach he would be fine. "He's an absolute freak," Clark said of his teammate's skill. "But he's such a good man. "The way he plays, almost you'd expect him to just be this real out there character, like he probably has every right to just strut around. "But he's the most humble bloke you'll come across. "He's an absolute freak of a talent, but he works as hard as anyone. It's not all just what you see on the field. "He's absolute star, and I think he's made for those moments." After just their second win since the start of May, St Kilda can take confidence out of their Marvel miracle into 2026. "If we can just finish the year strong, just keep getting experience into everyone and keep growing," Clark said. "Then just get to work over the summer. "It's not just going to happen in a day. "I see a lot of the teams over the last few years, it can take five or six years until you have gone through s**t, until you get there."
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Roos' identity crisis amid Clarko question as ‘sickening' loss lays bare failed draft trade gamble
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You feel sorry for the Kangaroos fans, who have watched this for six years,' the Herald Sun's Jay Clark told Fox Footy's Super Saturday Live post-match coverage. Dual All-Australian and two-time Kangaroos premiership player David King pondered the machinations of the club's game plan and lamented its inability to adequately defend. 'This (the North Melbourne rooms) would be an awful place to be, at the moment. It's a tough one, because when you watch them play, it's kind of difficult to work out what they're trying to execute,' he began. 'Are they handballing when the options are available, and then run and gun? Or is it take territory and get numbers to drop of ball? Is it a mix of both? I don't know what they're doing defensively; that's just not working at all — 40 (Geelong) scores tonight.' The Cats scored 27 times from 58 intercepts on Saturday night, exemplifying the ease of which they were able to transition and punish the Roos on the counter. 'They just smashed them; they walked through them. The amount of times Jeremy Cameron was out the back by himself, and it'd be uncontested possession, uncontested possession, goal,' King continued. 'I'd love to ask Alastair Clarkson 'what are you trying to achieve?' Show us what it should look like, and then we can at least enjoy the ride. Because we just go from week to week and not see it. We have seen it in patches throughout the year, but we're not seeing it now. 'I know the ruckman's (Tristan Xerri) not there, I know Nick Larkey's not there, but that shouldn't have as big an effect as what it does on their ability to stop the opposition moving the ball full length of the ground.' Patrick Dangerfield was tactically substituted out of the game, his 200th for Geelong, and the sight of the veteran sitting on the bench munching on a kebab while the game was still going on would have rubbed salt into the wound for North fans. Serious questions continue to be asked of the Roos' direction under Alastair Clarkson in the third year of the four-time premiership coach's reign, with the club benefitting from top picks for the better part of the past six years. In 55 games under Clarkson, North Melbourne is 10-44-1. The club has finished 17th on the ladder in consecutive seasons and currently sits 17th with four games left to go this season. Asked when the pressure on Clarkson genuinely gets turned up, King answered: 'It's a great question; it's hard to answer. I think you have a blind faith in the club that the decision-makers will get it right. 'Words are cheap; it's really hard to just listen to the same conversation over and over and over. It's a tough place to be, there's no doubt about that ... third year in, a penny for his thoughts, is he able to do what he once thought he could do with this group? Are there any doubts there? 'You walk off the ground tonight, you have to doubt your own plan. 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'I don't see it; it's not consistent enough to say 'this is their identifiable brand'. And I think when you see 150 points against, I think even they'd say 'you wouldn't be able to see it tonight'.' Speaking post-game on Saturday night, Clarkson, who lamented glaringly obvious deficiencies in contest, clearance and territory, made it a point to highlight the discrepancy in experience between the sides. 'The Geelong forward line versus the North Melbourne backline, just see the void that sits there in terms of just experience and exposure,' he said. 'And I don't want to make excuses for our players, but it's where we're at, though. 'And we're giving these young players some exposure and opportunity, and in our back end in particular, we're going to be left very, very vulnerable down there against a formidable forward line if we couldn't control the middle of the ground as well as we'd like. And Geelong was too good in that space.' 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Last November, North Melbourne — banking on a significant uptick this season — traded its future first-round pick to Richmond to secure the No.27 selection, key-position utility Matt Whitlock, who has played just one senior game in his debut season. That future choice is currently slated to wind up as the second overall pick. Injecting young talent isn't as urgent for the Roos as it has been in previous seasons, but given the stagnancy of this season, it's premium draft capital they'd absolutely love to have this off-season. 'I think they thought they would be further progressed, because they did trade that pick away,' Clark said on Fox Footy. 'Would they have traded that No.2 pick away if they thought they were going to finish second-last on the ladder? No way. They thought they would be up the ladder; they thought they would improve, that's why they gave that pick away. 'So, it tells you that they thought they would be better than they're at; that's really clear.' The Roos are currently slated to make their first draft choice this November at No.20, holding a pair of picks at the top of the second round.
7NEWS
9 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera produces AFL performance for the ages as 6-6-6 confusion rocks final eight seconds
St Kilda superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has produced two of the greatest moments the game has ever seen to lead his side to the single biggest three-quarter time comeback in VFL/AFL history. Inside the space of about 60 seconds of game time, Wanganeen-Milera took a screamer and kicked the final two goals of the game to give the Saints the lead after the final siren. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera wins the game for St Kilda. At just 22 years of age, Wanganeen-Milera has already established himself as a Saints legend with his effort at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, in a sequence of play to which words cannot do justice. The St Kilda freakshow, already with 32 disposals and two goals to his name, was released into the forward 50 in the dying stages of the game as his side trailed by six points. Wanganeen-Milera climbed on the back of Melbourne's Bayley Fritsch to take an screamer about 30 metres out from goal before going back to slot the goal and level the scores with eight seconds left on the clock. 'Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera! What a mark! Name your price!' Alister Nicholson said of the South Australian, who is yet to decide on his future beyond this year, with Adelaide clubs circling. 'He is utterly unbelievable.' Then, in confusing, unprecedented, and utterly extraordinary scenes, Melbourne were penalised at the next centre bounce for a 6-6-6 infringement when they only had three insdie the centre square, their second of the day, which incurs a free kick. When the free kick was paid by the central umpire, players from both sides started bolting towards St Kilda's forward 50, but had to be brought back before Saints ruck Rowan Marshall could be given the ball. 'Wait, wait! You've got to have four in the middle, we've got to wait, we've got to set it up,' the umpire could be heard saying while players all bolted in the same direction before realising they weren't yet allowed to move. 'We must set up the positions!' To give a free kick for a 6-6-6 infringement, the ground must reset to the correct formation, which created chaos and confusion on the ground with players running everywhere, despite the clock being locked at eight seconds. When Marshall was eventually handed the ball, he looked straight for Wanganeen-Milera, who had burst forward into the Saints' 50. Just as the script writers would have it, Wanganeen-Milera took the courageous mark going back with the flight of the ball and gave himself a shot after the siren to win the game. And of course he kicked it, writing the Saints into the record books as having achieved the greatest three-quarter time comeback in the history of the game — 46 points.
