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[VIDEO] St Kilda vs Essendon Highlights: AFL scores, blog

3rd May, 2015
Date: Sunday, May 3
Bounce: 3:20pm (AEST)
Venue: Etihad Stadium (Melbourne)
TV: Fox Sports 3 (Live), Seven Network (Live – Except WA (1 hour delay) & SA)
Head-to-Head: Essendon 139, St Kilda 65, 4 draws
Last Five: Essendon 3, St Kilda 2
Last Meeting: Essendon 9.11 (65) def. by St Kilda 11.15 (81) – Round 5, 2014
Betting: Essendon $1.17, St Kilda $5.00
Editor
3rd May, 2015
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MATCH RESULT:

St Kilda 11.14 (80) def. by Essendon 11.16 (82)

The Essendon Bombers have emerged two-point victors over the St Kilda Saints in a Sunday Afternoon classic at Etihad Stadium.

With many tipping the Bombers to make light work of their young and inexperienced opponents, they were made to work extremely hard from start to finish in what will remembered as one of 2015’s finest matches of football.

Missing key players Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna, it was the Saints who started the better side. Josh Bruce cancelled out Jake Carlisle’s opening goal, but while St Kilda were able to keep the Bombers pinned in their own back half, poor kicking for goal saw them head into quarter time trailing their opponents by two points.

But in the second quarter the home side started to get some reward for effort. Two goals to Bruce and another to Jack Steven gave them a game-high 20-point lead, and had Essendon looking a little rattled.

But as the good teams always do, the Bombers found a way back. Martin Gleeson, Patrick Ambrose and Brendon Goddard all kicked goals late in the quarter to bring their side back within a point at half time despite being dominated that quarter.

Both teams went goal for goal in a thrilling third quarter, but a free kick to Jack Lonie nanoseconds from three quarter time gave St Kilda a crucial five-point lead heading into the final quarter.

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After a few early behinds, David Zaharakis slotted a long goal to level the scores, only for substitute Blake Acres to set up Bruce’s fifth goal of the afternoon and restore St Kilda’s six-point lead.

Some more behinds from both sides made it 79-74 with five minutes to play, before Travis Colyer’s Lewis Jetta 2012 Preliminary Final-like goal gave the Bombers a one-point lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Saints had two golden opportunities to win it late, with Jack Lonie kicking it out of bounds from 20 out on a the run and Adam Schneider missing to left from the edge of the goalsquare, and in the end those misses proved costly as the team fell short.

St Kilda 2.6 | 6.7 | 10.10 | 11.14 (80)
Essendon 3.2 | 6.6 | 9.11 | 11.16 (82)

GOAL KICKERS
Saints: Bruce 5, Billings 2, Lonie 2, Steven, Dunstan
Bombers: Carlisle 4, Zaharakis 2, Ambrose 2, Goddard, Gleeson, Colyer

Attendance: 29,869

MATCH PREVIEW

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It’s a Sunday afternoon classic at Etihad Stadium, with the St Kilda Saints and Essendon Bombers both looking to rebound from disappointing Round 4 efforts. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 3:20pm (AEST).

St Kilda started the 2015 season off in encouraging fashion, with an extremely close loss to GWS and a huge away win over Gold Coast enticing many analysts to rethink their predictions of a second straight wooden spoon.

But the early promise has evaporated over the last two weeks. Injuries to stars Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna have hurt massively, and the Saints now find themselves in the bottom four following comprehensive thumpings at the hands of Collingwood and Carlton.

The first month of play has given St Kilda fans some things to cheer about. The young midfielders have made the team one of the competition’s top sides in contested possessions and tackling. Up forward, Josh Bruce has shown encouraging signs, although Riewoldt’s absence has seen his input decline as he attracts the number one defender.

But while there’s no doubting the effort of the young Saints, they’re still getting smashed at the clearances. As a result, they’re conceding 60 inside 50s per match and generating fewer than 50 themselves, leaving their young defenders vulnerable and starving their forwards of opportunities.

They need to bring the effort they exhibit around the ground to the interior if they’re to turn the tide on their opponents.

Essendon on the other hand have enjoyed a similarly encouraging start to the 2015 season. Whilst they ultimately lost the match, they did very well to build a 60-19 lead over Sydney in Round 1, and they proved that effort was no fluke over the next two weeks with headline-generating wins over Hawthorn and Carlton.

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Last week however it was a different story, as the Bombers failed to click into gear against the Pies on Anzac Day. Despite amassing nearly 100 more disposals than their opponents, the Dons used the ball poorly and looked like the only side affected by the wet conditions.

Stats-wise this season the Bombers have been performing strongly across the board with high rankings in disposals, marks and tackles.

Of concern however is their work at stoppages. Essendon currently rank third-last in the competition for hitouts per game, and as a result they average twelve fewer clearances than their opponents – worst in the league.

Against a young Saints midfield, Essendon will view this match as a massive opportunity to turn those stats around.

St Kilda looks set to welcome back ferocious tackler Mav Weller, although Leigh Montagna looks to be only an outside chance of returning this weekend.

With Nick Riewoldt looking unlikely to return and Paddy McCartin looking out of his depth, the Saints appear to have few options up forward to support the emerging Josh Bruce. They may look to include ruckman Tom Hickey, with the plan being to rotate him and Billy Longer through the forward line as necessary.

Essendon on the other hand don’t appear to have too many selection headaches heading into this week. Paul Chapman’s knee injury looks to be a mere cork, and he should be okay to play this week. But if he can’t get up, Jackson Merrett should be able to slot right in after a scintillating 29-disposal effort in the VFL.

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Prediction
Essendon’s Anzac Day loss to Collingwood was the first time this season they’ve looked outclassed. They were out-gritted and out-witted by their arch rivals, and will be keen as anything to atone with a win this week.

St Kilda looked woeful in their comprehensive loss to Carlton last week, and while they too will be determined to rebound with a win, they don’t look to have the talent this week required to do so.

Bombers by 26 points.

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