Opinion
Thursday night saw the Blues and Saints do battle in the opening game of the AAMI Community Series at Marvel Stadium.
Even with the limitations, it was brilliant to see crowds back at the footy in Melbourne.
The opening term saw an abundance of action with a total of 13 goals being kicked. Zac Williams looked lively in his new strip and Adam Saad provided some of his notorious run off the halfback line. Oscar McDonald was trialled up forward for the Blues and it was seemingly paying dividends as he booted a rare major for himself as well as competing strongly against a very high-quality St Kilda backline.
Marc Pittonet was arguably the Blues’ standout in the first quarter, as he dominated former Crow Paul Hunter around the stoppage as well as kicking two goals. The Saints smalls provided plenty of energy to lead by three goals at the first change with Jack Lonie, Dan Butler and Jack Higgins all looming dangerous inside 50.
There was a lot of the same in the second term, although it started a lot slower than the first. Eventually the floodgates opened and the majors began to flow as the Saints looked the better of the two outfits.
Shaun McKernan was putting his name up in lights as Round 1 approaches with some big contested marks and the small forwards continued to dominate with Lonie kicking goals two and three for himself. Brad Hill showed glimpses of his best as he broke lines and set up teammates. The Saints owned a 27-point buffer at the main break.
Following halftime, it was evident that the Blues had more intent. They dominated the inside 50s for the quarter (21-11) and began to convert a lot more opportunities. The likes of Patrick Cripps and Zac Fisher began to show their class and Saad got on the scoresheet with a long bomb off the back of a stoppage.
Injuries began to become a concern for Carlton as Harry McKay, Jacob Weitering and Jack Newnes all departed the field, with Lachie Plowman looking to be sore later in the quarter. Hill continued to rack up possessions, Seb Ross showed great explosiveness on multiple occasions that left him with a goal and 16 disposals and Lonie kicked goal number four heading into the last.
The Saints held a three-goal lead at three-quarter time and with the Blues performing well in the third, it was set to be an excellent finish.
The Saints regathered well in the final term as they began to flex their muscles. Jack Sinclair had a splendid night all round, amassing 28 disposals and a goal, Jack Steele had 27 disposals and went about business as usual and Jack Higgins impressed with 24 disposals and one goal.
Jack Silvagni was a huge positive for the Blues as he gave them hope in the last term, booting three goals for the game as well as holding on to some impressive marks, particularly in the last quarter. There was an injury cloud around Max King, who booted three goals on the night. He was taken out of the game in the last quarter and wasn’t seen after that, the extent of the injury is unknown but assumed to not be overly serious.
The Saints should be impressed with their 26-point win. It was a gutsy finish as the Blues threatened to steal the victory late even though St Kilda led for the entire night. There are plenty of positives for both sides as the Blues prepare for their blockbuster with the Tigers in Round 1 and St Kilda get set for their clash with the Giants.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
The Blues have truly stood up and are a genuine flag threat in 2024 and they have their younger brigade of troops to thank for it.
We’re taking a look at one player from each team that needs to make a difference this week, starting with the ANZAC Day games.
Jonathan Brown has made a passionate plea to the AFL on On the Couch to give players leeway as they make split-second decisions, following…
Brisbane star Charlie Cameron is free to face Geelong on Saturday after the AFL Tribunal used its discretion to turn his one-game suspension into…
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
There's plenty of time left in the 2024 season, so there's a chance we will see a better win than what Adelaide produced to…
