St Kilda have embarrassed Essendon and intensified pressure on James Hird’s coaching future with a stunning 110-point upset win at Etihad Stadium.
From the first bounce the Saints had the measure of the Bombers, earning a 25.12 (162) to 8.4 (52) win.
Essendon’s performance was disappointing in captain Jobe Watson’s 200th game, producing their worst loss to St Kilda in 119 years of league football.
The Bombers’ leaders were non-existent, including Watson who in his milestone game played mainly in the forward line, starved of the ball.
He was joined by experienced pair Brendon Goddard and Courtney Dempsey at the bottom of the statistics sheet at half-time, with the trio combining for just 10 touches when the match was on the line.
While the Bombers’ mid-season slump extended to five straight losses, the triumph was easily Alan Richardson’s finest as Saints coach.
Pint-sized forward Jack Lonie and Josh Bruce, who led St Kilda’s attack with five goals, troubled the Bombers defence all day.
David Armitage, Jack Steven and Leigh Montagna ran the table in midfield and Dylan Roberton was a driving force from defence.
Having already built a solid lead, Bruce’s effort inside the first minute of the second term set the tone for the afternoon.
James Gwilt, playing against the side that delisted him, showed terrible indecision and was hunted down by Bruce, who kicked a fine running goal – his third in a row.
Mark Baguley showed his frustration by swinging an arm at Jack Lonie in an ugly off-the-ball incident.
The two clashed again shortly after, with Lonie running free into goal only to miss, but the match review panel is unlikely to be as lenient.
The Saints were rampant and when Cale Hooker missed the simplest of set shots, St Kilda carved a path through the heart of the ground with their most incisive goal of the match.
From Roberton in the goal square to Jack Sinclair’s finish at the other end, no Bomber touched the ball or laid a tackle in a thirty second coast-to-coast goal.
Ten minutes into the second term, it was already party time and Lonie showed as much with a glorious dribbling goal from the pocket.
The Bombers gave themselves a platform for a second-half comeback with the last three goals of the first half but their performance worsened after the break.
St Kilda slammed on 15 second half goals to three, roaring to an enormous score.
michael hallam
Guest
well said Damian, the saints are not the pushovers that every one predicted.Such a exuberant young team.They will finish the season much higher than anyone predicted, (including myself)
WhereIsGene
Guest
Of course the players' effort wasn't there Casper, clearly they've lost faith in Hird's coaching ability so why try their guts out for someone who's not only incompetent but appears to care more about his business career than standing by the club that stood by him? I'm sorry your team isn't doing so well mate but at least you still have the excitement of the CAS verdict to look forward to later in the year, and a high draft pick!
kick to kick
Guest
Hird won't last the month. Pity. Essendon should be forced to honour the contract extension . Poetic justice.
BigAl
Guest
Ben, I see that you are an intimate associate of Mr Hird.
Casper
Guest
Doggie - so do you think Hinckley and B Scott should also go? Both teams finished top 4 last year and were expected to this year as well. Essendon had a shocker this week but played ok last week against hawthorn. Now is not the time to overreact.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
There must be a huge sandpit at Essendon, with all the players and Board members and coaches and supporters' legs sticking out of it.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Casper, Carlton looked bereft of motivation and confidence when Mick Malthouse (who is a proven legendary coach of the game, as opposed to Hird) was in charge, and yet have transformed instantly under John Barker. Essendon players are performing badly at the moment precisely because Hird is coach. They have no confidence or belief in his methods. All his recent comments bemoan that his players are inexperienced, which is BS when you look at how much inexperience exists at the Bulldogs and Saints and GWS and Melbourne - all of these sides are playing with vigour, regardless of the results.
MichaelJ
Guest
Essendon put the interests of one man ahead of everything else. They should have made a clean break from Hird and accepted their initial punishment, just as Melbourne Storm had done. Now they have destroyed their own club, players and supporters to protect the career of one man.
Kurt
Guest
But but but media propaganda.
bryan
Guest
The players do have to take some responsibility if they aren't playing up to scratch. Maybe Hird should pull on the boots again & show 'em how it's done. There is another side to this--St Kilda,may have been playing their annual good game ! :) The Saints are a bit like "the little girl with the little curl right down the middle of her forehead". "When they are good,they are very ,very good:---although they haven't shown that much these last couple of years, They are usually just "horrid:!
Knoxy
Guest
Keep drinking that kool-aid Casper. #standbyhird.
Bruce
Guest
Yep - lifetime contract for Saint Jimmy and let him nominate his own wage. After all he's got Tan and the kids to look after. And if the EFC had any morals and ethics they'd send him and the fam on a three month summer sabbatical every year to southern France, the Amalfi coast or the Greek Islands - fully paid by EFC supporters. For God's sake the bloke has earn't the right.
Bobbo7
Guest
I agree with you to a point. Everyone has to turn up to work and perform no matter what you do. But again, it's the coaches' job to ensure that happens. Who knows it may have just been a one off shocker but not a good sign
c
Guest
what time are we expecting to hear from wada
Casper
Guest
You are letting the players off the hook there. The effort was atrocious and the players should be able to do it for themselves and the fact that they are well paid footballers, regardless of who is coaching. Heppell, Hooker, Hurley, Baguley and Hibberd seemed to give 100%, so don't understand what happened to the rest of them.
Casper
Guest
Thompson seems like the type that doesn't care that much about what he says. So what experiments are you talking about? Hooker going forward and kicking 3 goals?
Bobbo7
Guest
They are looking cooked there Casper. That effort reeked of a team that has given up on the coach.
Me Too
Guest
Thommo has always been understated - and imagine if he'd said otherwise? i think the evidence is clear in watching Hird coach - his 'experiments' don't work, he is slow to react to change momentum, and his one asset - as a motivator - appears to have disappeared. his justification today - that it is hard to coach a team with 7 players under 50 games again shows how little he actually grasps - the saints had 8 today. The players are no longer playing for him - they look like Carlton under Malthouse.
Casper
Guest
If you listen to Thompson talk, he says that he didn't actually have that much influence, but I'm sure you are not interested in hearing that.
SM
Guest
Did we get Goddard sooking it up again?