Max King has kicked an equal career-best six targets to assist St Kilda take one other vital step in direction of claiming an AFL finals berth with a 36-point win over Richmond.
King hit the scoreboard in every of the primary three quarters at Marvel Stadium on Sunday because the Saints posted a snug 14.9 (93) to eight.9 (57) victory.
It put Ross Lyon’s sixth-placed facet a win and proportion away from ninth with two rounds left within the race for top-eight spots.
The Tigers are all however out of finals rivalry after failing to arrest a horror run of kind on the Docklands venue.
They have misplaced seven and drawn certainly one of eight visits since former coach Damien Hardwick famously declared “I hate coming here” in 2021.
Noah Balta had no manner of stopping Saints spearhead King, who fired in his second recreation again from a shoulder harm, whereas Jade Gresham (22 disposals, three targets) was additionally harmful in assault.
Saints ball-winners Jack Sinclair (33 disposals), Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (27), Seb Ross (25) and ruckman Rowan Marshall (25) had been all busy.
Jayden Short (26 touches), Dustin Martin (25) and Tim Taranto (24) had been Richmond’s chief possession winners, whereas Jacob Bauer and Liam Baker kicked two targets every.
King booted two of St Kilda’s 5 targets in each the primary and second quarters as Richmond’s strain recreation went lacking.
The Tigers laid simply 20 tackles to the Saints’ 36 within the opening half.
There was a scare when Daniel Rioli was helped from the sector in the course of the second quarter after rolling his proper ankle whereas trying to alter path.
Rioli returned after the primary break however didn’t have a big impact.
He wasn’t alone in a Tigers facet that was comprehensively outplayed.
The Saints led 10.2 to five.3 at halftime and whereas scoring slowed within the third quarter, the house facet nonetheless managed to extend its benefit to 43 factors by the ultimate change.
Richmond gained the ultimate stanza – 2.4 to 1.3 – when the sting had gone out of the competition.
St Kilda ahead Tim Membrey was goalless from 15 disposals on return from a knee harm however bought by way of unscathed in his first recreation since spherical 9.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
