Ross Lyon’s Saints have responded to a tumultuous week with a 61-point mauling of a hapless Fremantle on Friday night.
Cooper Sharman led the way with a game-high four goals — including a highlight Goal of the Year contender — as St Kilda dominated from the opening bounce, winning 14.10 (94) to 5.3 (33).
So dominant were the Saints that Lyon didn’t even opt to use sub Tobie Travaglia, who was a late in for Mattaes Phillipou, with the home side controlling all facets of the contest including smashing Freo in contested possessions +48 (151-103) and clearances +28 (50-22).
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It raises questions of Fremantle’s legitimacy yet again, following on from their bitterly disappointing losses to Melbourne, Sydney and Geelong this season, as they now join the Saints with a 4-4 record.
The Dockers were held to their equal 10th-lowest score in 665 AFL matches and their first two goals were separated by more than two quarters of play.
Fremantle’s half-time tally of 1.1 (7) was their third-lowest, including a COVID game in 2020, and if it wasn’t for St Kilda forward Sharman’s theatrics in the third quarter, the game truly would have been banished to the back of the video vault, never to be seen again.
Only five goals combined were kicked in the first half, but Sharman came alive in the third term with three of his own, and he should’ve had four, but missed a straightforward set shot from directly in front just before the siren.
One of Sharman’s majors was a goal-of-the-year contender. While being tackled by Josh Draper on the boundary, Sharman’s right-foot snap from the right forward pocket curled around to perfection and threaded the needle, prompting him to bring out the famous Jason Akermanis ‘shocked’ celebration.
Sharman also took a pair of high-flying grabs, including a massive pack mark over Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy at the top of the goal square.
The Saints lost their previous three games by an average of eight goals, and conceded an average of 118 points over that stretch, but they went right back to their defensive best on Friday night.
St Kilda had been particularly disappointing in the middle in their previous two games, losing the clearance and inside-50 battles by a combined 39 and 61 respectively. But they turned things around dramatically against one of the best stoppage teams in the competition in Fremantle, smashing the Dockers in clearances 50-22, centre clearances 13-5, inside 50s 61-34, contested possessions 151-103 and disposals 379-286.
In one of the most utterly insipid and impotent displays, Fremantle managed just one behind in the second term and five forward entries in the third. They weren’t prepared to take the game on and played within themselves while the Saints’ pressure completely blunted their offensive capabilities.
St Kilda put the result beyond doubt with four majors in a row stretching their lead to 45 points early in the final quarter.
Jack Macrae had another stellar performance for St Kilda, racking up 38 disposals (25 contested), 14 clearances and eight tackles, while Callum Wilkie was a defensive general yet again, keeping Josh Treacy scoreless for the first time in 29 games, while registering 24 touches and 14 marks.
GWS & Swans hope for reaction in derby | 02:28
The 3-2-1 (what we learned via Will Faulkner at Marvel Stadium) …
3. SAINTS MAUL DOCKERS MIDFIELD TO FLIP SCRIPT IN ROSS’ RETURN TO FORM
After three very tough weeks on-field, St Kilda bounced back into form in the most Ross Lyon-way possible — a defensive masterclass of the highest order.
The coaching mastermind was able to hold his former club to their equal seventh-lowest score in club history (excluding 2020 during Covid), ending their strong run of four wins in five weeks.
The match started bizarrely for both sides, as the footy stayed in between the arcs like a pinball for 28 and a half minutes with no reward aerially for forwards at either end of the ground.
“It’s a weird game, there’s been 28 inside 50s (at quarter time) in total, and there hasn’t been a single mark inside 50,” Melbourne great Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy at quarter time.
“Fremantle have had no slow, their ball movements has been slow and St Kilda have got back and defended well.”
In the middle of the ground, Justin Langmuir’s side were getting walloped; a pretty stark revelation given how comprehensively the Saints have been mauled in the exact same facet of the game these last two weeks.
Dockers star Caleb Serong was one of several to struggle throughout the night, and had just two disposals in the first term. It was just the fifth time across the last four years that he’s been kept to such a tally.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the whipping in the engine room kept on coming after the first break though, leaving the Saints to lead the ground ball gets by 23, clearances by 17 and inside 50s by eight at half time.
So much so was St Kilda’s dominance on the ground, that their overall tally was the seventh-best ground ball gets tally for an opening half on record.
“They are getting nothing from their midfield, their midfield unit as a whole is just not functioning,” AFL Hall of Fame Legend Jason Dunstall said during the second quarter.
Interestingly, the disparity in clearances from hitouts at half time was eye-opening. Fremantle rucks Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson had actually accumulated 11 more taps at stoppage than rival ruck Rowan Marshall, but it wasn’t shown in any way, shape or form on the scoreboard.
The usually dominant duo of Serong and Andrew Brayshaw, which was hampered by a hamstring injury to Hayden Young before half time, were kept out of the contest superbly.
“The big, gun stars in the middle of the ground can’t win the ball … (and) they have one of the best midfields in the competition, against a midfield that’s been absolutely blown off the park in the last fortnight,” three-time premiership player Jonathan Brown said at half time.
Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley added: “St Kilda’s team defence has absolutely disarmed whatever Freo have chucked at them; which is not much. They’ve played really bland, boring footy. Long down the time, and they’ve been beaten every time.”
“We just haven’t seen enough adventure from the Freo back half, and they’ve had plenty of opportunity due to the (St Kilda) clearance dominance.”
After a couple of quiet weeks, Saints recruit Jack Macrae was back to his accumulative best at stoppage, racking up 38 disposals, 25 contested possessions and 14 clearances.
And in a response that brought plenty of smiles among Saints fans and footy followers alike, Hugo Garcia finished his night with a goal to go with 19 disposals, 10 tackles and five clearances — just six days after he was ruthlessly subbed halfway through the second quarter against Brisbane.
Up forward, it was Cooper Sharman who was best afield, kicking an equal career-high four goals — including a whirlwind snap from the boundary that prompted a throwback to a Jason Akermanis celebration special. Emerging star Mitchito Owens also kicked three goals from 17 disposals in a clinical display.
2. SAINTS’ ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ ABSORBING HOLDS FREO TO DAMNING LOW
For all the criticism and dissatisfaction towards Fremantle’s effort on Friday night, Ross Lyon and the Saints need to be given their flowers.
While the Dockers only had seven points to their name at the main break — their second-worst tally since 1999 (excluding Covid in 2020) — it wasn’t through a lack of entries inside their attacking arc. The likes of Callum Wilkie, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Jimmy Webster, among others, were ultra-solid against a potent Freo forward line that most oppositions struggle to match up against.
As half time approached, Garry Lyon sung the praises of the St Kilda’s defence louder and louder.
“They’ve absorbed 19 inside 50s this defensive half for St Kilda, and gave up a goal and a point. It’s been superb, unbelievable,” Lyon said.
“It’s as good defensively as Freo are poor going forward.”
A couple of minutes later, he added: “It’s quite incredible to think you can keep a team to a single goal from 21 entries.”
“They are absorbing, absorbing, absorbing – and have not wavered.”
The trio of Wilkie, Webster and Wanganeen-Milera intercepted all night through the back half, with the latter also providing his usual dash out of defensive 50.
None of Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss or Luke Jackson could register a major all night, speaking to just how well held they were across the match.
“Defensively, they’ve been very good. Their pressure’s been really high (and) they’ve applied themselves defensively as you would’ve expected after a couple poor weeks,” Jonathan Brown said at half time.
1. DOCKER ‘DISASTER’ HITS HARD FOR GUN IN THIRD SETBACK FOR 2025
In a blow that turned Fremantle’s night from very bad, to even worse, gun Dockers midfielder Hayden Young was subbed out before half time with his third hamstring injury of 2025.
The 24-year-old went down clutching his upper leg in the second quarter, after tackling Category B Saint Liam O’Connell over the boundary line.
“This isn’t a good sign. It could be a disaster, he is not moving well at all,” Jason Dunstall said live.
It left Young grimacing, before very slowly trudging off to the interchange and Fremantle’s already underperforming midfield in even more strife.
“Hayden Young, it looked like a hamstring injury possibly. He has a history (with) two of those in January and February this year,” Collingwood AFLW player and Fox Footy reporter Ruby Schleicher observed boundary side.
“(He’s) officially done for the day, he’s got ice on that hamstring. Really disappointing for him.”
Garry Lyon added: “He’s their point of difference through the middle of the ground. He’s had injuries, and that’s not great.”
Young was Fremantle’s sole goal kicker in the first half, and collecting eight disposals and four tackles before his substitution.
Unfortunately for the Docker, his injury history has become a notable concern in 2025, as Fox Footy reporter Jon Ralph explained at the main break.
“An early February hamstring concern for him, then he came back in late February (and) he did it again. We didn’t see him again for six weeks,” Ralph noted.
“You’d imagine we might not see him again for six, seven weeks; we might not see him again until Round 14 (post mid-season bye).”
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