Saints’ second-half domination stuns as Blues history repeats in spicy clash — 3-2-1

St Kilda has dismantled Carlton in a second-half domination as Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni got one up over their old side.

The Saints erupted with 11 goals in the second half to set up a convincing 39-point win, 16.12 (108) to 9.15 (69), at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

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De Koning and fellow Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall combined for five goals to play a key role in attack on a day star spearhead Max King suffered another injury setback in the VFL.

The Saints confirmed on Sunday evening King is expected to miss up to six weeks with a hamstring injury, “including a conditioning block”, with the club to treat him cautiously.

Meanwhile Dan Butler will miss 3-4 weeks with his own hamstring strain.

“It’s unfortunate for Max, particularly given the work he’s put in to return to play,” General Manager of Football Lenny Hayes said.

“We’re not going to take any risks with Max given his recent injury history, he’ll now focus on completing his rehab and conditioning block to ensure he’s in a strong position when he returns.

“Dan’s is a low-grade strain, so we expect him to progress well across the next few weeks to get himself back.

“Paddy (Dow) joins Jack Higgins on the sidelines with concussion and we’ll now work through the mandated protocols over the coming period.”

Carlton actually led by 12 points at half-time in one of its most impressive showings in 2026. But as Michael Voss’ side has done so many times before this year, it faded badly in the second half including a 42-point turnaround in the third term.

The win sees Ross Lyon’s Saints improve to 4-4 and climb into eighth on the ladder after an 0-2 start to the season, with a hamstring injury to Dan Butler the only drawback on the night.

Meanwhile, Carlton fell to 1-7 overall as two Blues received MRO sanctions in the aftermath.

The 3-2-1 (what we learned) …

3. BLUES BLOW IT AS DUO COP SANCTIONS

Jack Riewoldt summed up another epic Carlton fade out best: “It’s proper trauma now”.

Again, Carlton’s half time lead turned into a second half blow out in “frightening” scenes at Marvel Stadium.

From 12 points up, the Blues go home with a 39-point defeat.

Michael Voss this week conceded his team had a problem stopping big goal runs: “We have to be better than that”.

But unfortunately for Carlton and the coach, they coughed up nine straight goals from late in the second term into the third in a blitz so damaging it set up St Kilda’s win.

And alarmingly, two of those goals came within seconds after some ill-discipline from young Blues defender Harry Dean that came under MRO scrutiny.

With Liam Henry running into the open goal, Dean opted to shove the Saint – and he crashed into the fence as a result.

“Harry has gone over to apologise. I don’t think he meant to do it but he definitely did do it,” Cam Mooney said on Fox Footy.

“Doesn’t matter,” Jack Riewoldt added.

“Silly, silly play,” David King said.

“Harry Dean is coming off. Rowan Marshall has given him one of the all-time send offs as well,” Mooney said.

On Sunday night, Dean was fined $1,500 ($1,000 with an early plea) for misconduct against Henry.

As a result of Dean’s actions, Henry was then given another shot on goal from the line.

“It’s just not required. There’s no need for that. That’s just dangerous,” King said.

“Pushing players like that on the fake grass. It’s as a hard a rock down there.

“In terms of this game, it’s now a big swing.”

Dean isn’t the only Blue that faced MRO scrutiny, with Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps also fined $1,000 for misconduct that came in the form of what appeared to be a chicken wing tackle on Hugo Garcia.

Cripps grabbed Garcia’s arm while the Saint was already wrapped up in a tackle in a dangerous act that was cited by MRO boss Michael Christian.

Ex-Blue Jack Silvagni wasn’t happy with his former captain as he remonstrated with Cripps afterwards.

Carlton’s 12-point half time lead turned into a 30-point deficit by three quarter time as the Saints piled on 8.4 to just 1.4.

“They cannot defend at the moment the Blues,” King said.

“They are gutted, they are shocked the fans.

“At half time this was going beautifully for them. They’ve just lost their way.

“They’ve been hammered out of the middle – centre bounce clearances have been a smashing. Can’t win a contest down back and a distinct lack of leadership.

“We haven’t seen (Patrick) Cripps fire a shot, (Adam) Cerra has turned it over this quarter, (Sam) Walsh’s disposals have been disgraceful.”

Alarmingly, every game this season Carlton have coughed up a burst of 5+ goals.

So that’s eight times – that’s how many times they did it for the entire 2022 and 2023 seasons.

The stats show that’s now the third time the Blues have conceded 50 points or more in a single quarter this season – an AFL worst.

It’s also now the sixth time Carlton have led at half time – for five losses.

“The questions will start again – what does this mean for Michael Voss,” King said.

The Blues are sitting bottom three with just Essendon and Richmond at 1-7 for the season.

2. SAINTS TURN IT AROUND… AND DIDN’T THEIR FANS LOVE IT?

It was a midfield domination from Carlton in the second term – and it saw them jump out to a two-goal buffer.

“St Kilda haven’t wanted to engage in the outside run,” David King lamented of the Saints’ first half.

“I’m pretty sure Ross (Lyon) would have brought that to their attention at half time.”

And it was a completely different St Kilda outfit who came out hunting in the third term – netting the team a remarkable eight goals for the quarter.

“The midfield just got assaulted for 30 minutes,” King said of the Blues.

With the match iced by three quarter time, it was “party time” for the Saints in the final term as Blues fans headed for the exits in droves.

“When they put a performance like this together St Kilda, you’d have to say they’ve improved,” King said.

“They were challenged with some omissions throughout the day… still doing it without (injured Max) King.

“Their scoring power we will talk about. To kick eight goals in a quarter, that’s been the question mark over Ross Lyon as a coach – does he free them up enough?

“We’ve seen them play some expansive football tonight.”

The Saints brought up triple figures in the final term – for the third consecutive week which is a feat the club hadn’t achieved since back in 2012.

“They’ve done it emphatically,” King praised.

And as they closed in on the win, both Tom de Koning and Jack Silvagni were able to win ball without the chorus of boos.

“They’ve all left… there’s no one left to boo,” Cam Mooney laughed of the departed Blues fans.

De Koning “rubbed further salt into the wounds of the Blues” with more pain on the scoreboard.

“This really is the icing on the cake for Saints supporters,” Jack Riewoldt said.

1. ANOTHER BLUE UNDER FIRE AS TAUNTING FREE KICK MISSED IN SPITEFUL CLASH

It was billed as Carlton against their former stars Jack Silvagni and Tom de Koning – after the duo left the club to take up big money St Kilda deals.

And from the opening bounce, the Blues fans made their displeasure known.

Boos rang out at every opportunity Silvagni and de Koning touched the footy.

“They got exactly what they thought they’d get – they got booed every time they got near it,” Cam Mooney said on Fox Footy.

“A Silvagni being booed by Carlton people – you never would read about it in your life. But it happened and it happened early.”

De Koning was able to silence his critics with a couple of goals.

“Didn’t they all get around him,” Mooney added of de Koning’s first goal.

“You couldn’t hear yourself think before all the carry on and the boos.

“Tom walked in front of us (on the boundary) – did it once and never did it again. He got some feedback over the fence.”

“They were harsh!” Kath Loughnan added.

But while the Silvagni/De Koning treatment ensured tempers continued to flare, it was Carlton’s Matt Cottrell who appeared to cross the line with an act of taunting.

When his teammate Brodie Kemp took the mark, Cottrell was clearly seen rubbing the head of Saints opponent Rowan Marshall.

But it’s an act the AFL has pledged to crack down on after Docker Patrick Voss’ head rub and taunt of Demon Harrison Petty earlier this year – which cost the Freo forward a $1000 fine.

However, when the MRO’s findings were revealed on Sunday night, Cottrell escaped sanction for the act.

“Controversy in the second quarter – this was really the big first test of the AFL’s new taunting rule,” Fox Footy’s Jay Clark said.

“Now Greg Swann told us this earlier in the season – that will be treated as a high contact free kick. And should have been a free kick reversal and not that Carlton goal.

“A miss there from the umpires.”

Jack Riewoldt questioned what can be done to further stamp the act out.

“How do you miss that?” he questioned.

“The umpire is standing one metre away! We’ve got four umpires out here.

“That rule was brought in to give the game a better look – unfortunately that’s missed.

“That (free kick) has to be turned over. I hate seeing that.”

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