St Kilda v Brisbane Lions: Nick Riewoldt leads the Saints to victory with nine goals

ST KILDA 5.5, 11.7, 17.8, 25.11 (161)
BRISBANE LIONS 3.4, 6.8, 9.11, 15.13 (103)
GOALS - St Kilda:  Riewoldt 9,  Bruce 3,  Lonie 3,  Wright 2,  Membrey 2,  White,  Armitage,  Geary,  Newnes,  Steven, Gilbert.
Brisbane: Walker 3, Dawson 2, Mathieson 2,  Rockliff 2, Keays, Merrett,  Rich,  Zorko,  Hanley,  Bell.
BEST - St Kilda: Riewoldt, Ross,  Newnes, Montagna,  Steven. Brisbane:  Rockliff, Cutler, Zorko, Rich, Mathieson.
INJURIES: St Kilda: Geary (ribs),  Savage (corked hip)
UMPIRES: Fleer, Deboy, Fisher.
CROWD: 19,633 at Etihad Stadium.

A brilliant nine-goal game from Nick Riewoldt was a fitting finale to an ultra-positive season for St Kilda, the skipper giving a wonderful individual display to highlight the Saints' 12th win for the season – a 58-point clobbering of the Brisbane Lions.

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Riewoldt stars as Saints bury Lions

St. Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt kicked nine goals as the Saints belted Brisbane by 58 points.

In the end, the Saints have only missed a top eight berth on percentage.

Sunday's result had a bit of everything for both combatants.

For the victors, it was another reminder that the future is bright. For the visiting Lions, they were able to minimise the damage on the scoreboard just enough to ensure the wooden spoon was avoided. But not by much.

In a forgettable season featuring just three wins that achievement, at least, was something to remember.

St Kilda did everything they needed to do to comfortably dispose of their lowly opponents under an open roof at Etihad Stadium.

They increased the lead they held at each break, booting five, six, six and eight goals respectively in each term to complete a thorough four-quarter performance.

The evergreen Saints captain was a beacon for the hosts, especially his astonishing second term where he boasted 11 marks and a return of three goals one.

At the same Coventry end in the final term, he drilled home another four goals and at one stage the Lions tried to triple-team him, with the prospect of another mark and a shot at a 10th goal. .

Riewoldt was often manned by retiring Lion Daniel Merrett, and it would be a shame if he was too often reminded of this footnote in the Lion's final game. But like Melbourne coach Paul Roos discovered on Saturday, the final farewell isn't always memorable for the right reasons.

Percentage was a constant theme throughout the afternoon, but it was a game distinctly bereft of one-percenter moments. But Riewoldt, typically, gave 100 per cent for the whole match. Twenty-one marks across four quarters can attest to that.

The Saints knew beforehand that a victory would simply mean they finish in ninth spot. There wasn't even a remotely realistic percentage gap that they could reel in.

The Lions may not have openly talked about the prospect of slipping below Essendon into 18th spot, but it was a real scenario for footy fans and stats nerds. For a couple of minutes early in the final term, the wooden spoon was in Brisbane's hands and the Bombers had avoided their first last-placed finish since 1933.

At the start, the gap in class between the teams was there but it took some time for it to properly reveal itself. The Lions caught the Saints napping with the first two goals within four minutes. Thereafter, St Kilda got on top as they dominated the stoppages. They only gained the lead in the 16th minute thanks to their third goal, a lovely snap from Jack Newnes. And they advanced their lead to 13 points at the first break thanks to goals in time on from Jack Lonie and Josh Bruce.

Even though Tom Cutler and Tom Rockliff had both picked up 11 touches for the Lions, the Saints had a better spread in the middle with Leigh Montagna, Jack Steven and Sebastian Ross all prominent.

Riewoldt owned the second quarter, and with six goals to four for the term, the Saints extended their lead to 29 points. The Lions only suffered a 0.1 loss in percentage so, at this point, the wooden spoon was nothing to worry about.

Rockliff, as is his wont, had 21 touches for the half and was getting able assistance from Cutler (18).

The pattern of the game continued in the third quarter as the Saints managed key majors during time on.

The Lions enjoyed a highlight at the eight-minute mark when Merrett, playing up forward on this occasion, scored his only goal for the season in his final game. Lions fans in attendance found their voice.

With the Saints holding a 45-point lead at the final break, the game was set to play out its inevitable conclusion and the main question was whether the Lions could avoid the spoon.

Few would have thought Riewoldt could do what he did but a further four goals from the much-loved skipper ensured St Kilda fans left the stadium with many positives to consider across the coming summer months.

For Brisbane, however, a potentially tumultuous off-season awaits.