St Kilda held on to their confidence to close out the Gather Round with an emphatic, season-defining win over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, resisting a last-minute surge to give Ross Lyon a vital result and avoid a 1-4 start.
The Saints were the better team for most of the night but had to withstand a wave of Port speed after the hosts scored four of the last five goals of the third term.
What had been a controlled performance suddenly turned scrappy, the margin reduced to single digits at the last change as the Adelaide Oval crowd found its voice.
Zak Butters was at the center of it all, dragging Port forward with great energy and class, while giving away cheap 50m penalties and being flagged for abusive language at the same time.
Amid all the drama, St Kilda refused to fold.
Instead, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera delivered an outstanding performance. The in-form midfielder collected 27 goals and scored two goals in a display that underlined his influence – and carried an even greater edge given that he would have been wearing Port colors had he opted to leave last year. On a night when quiet was everything, Wanganeen-Milera had it in spades.
St Kilda’s response in the last term was measured. When Port moved, the Saints responded. When the game threatened to break down, they got behind the ball and controlled the area enough to keep the Power at arm’s length.
Port had their chances, but repeated entries were denied by a St Kilda defense that refused to give an inch in the closing stages.
In contrast, Port Adelaide and its star Butters showed a rare side of ill-discipline.
Butters was told by referee Nick Foot that he had been flagged for abusive language after giving away a 50m penalty as Mitch Owens headed for goal.
“I’d like to know what language I said, because I went up to him after the game to talk and he said he didn’t want to talk to me,” Butters told Seven after the game.
Lyon admitted after the match that his team still has open areas of improvement, especially around the fight.
“Tonight it was like the third quarter … we could have been better, especially the first quarter, like the competition and the pressure, the clearance work,” Lyon said.
“They really got the upper hand in the contest with the ground ball … it was like minus-4. In those situations, I thought that was the bottom line.”
The Saints coach was pleased with his team’s fighting ability, even if the game was not finished.
“I like that aspect of team psychology, that we put everything out there,” he said.
“There are no excuses … in some ways it’s easier to come from behind, because if you’re not behind you’re sadder when you’re ahead and you fail.”
Lyon also highlighted the emotional resilience within his group, pointing to legend Jack Higgins, who has overcome significant personal problems to return to form and play his 150th game.
“When you hear the story… the brain surgery… and then come back and play the way he does, it’s pretty special,” Lyon said.
There were other contributors, too. Callum Wilkie stood tall in defence, while the Saints midfield, despite being beaten at times around the ball, got enough crucial minutes to fight back late on and control the back.
Ultimately, it was a win built on consistency as much as polish – and one that keeps St Kilda’s season alive after a shaky opening month.
For Lyon, the goal is already changing.
“I don’t live by emotions. I just live in a weekly cycle, try and improve,” he said.
St Kilda may still be a work in progress, but on Sunday night, they showed they are fighting to stay in the competition – within games and throughout their season.
