Gold Coast 5.7, 9.12, 13.15, 15.18 (108)
St Kilda 3.1, 4.5, 5.13, 8.20 (68)
Gold Coast – Goals: Wright 3 Matera 2 Prestia 2 Hall 2 Miller Malceski Ah Chee Lynch Ablett Davis. St Kilda: Membrey 2 Newnes 2 Lonie Gresham Weller Bruce.
Best – Gold Coast: Rischitelli Harbrow Malceski Lynch May Hall Prestia. St Kilda: Riewoldt Montagna Weller Newnes.
Injuries – Gold Coast: Rosa (hamstring). St Kilda: McCartin (concussion).
Umpires: Bannister Stephens Ryan Jeffery.
Crowd: 14,071 at Metricon Stadium.
There was a sense, watching the Gold Coast Suns quickly take control of a listless St Kilda at Metricon Stadium, of a band that was slowly being put back together.
In the backline, Rory Thompson was back. He wasn't getting a lot of the ball, but he was always there, providing a calm head to steady the ship. Matt Shaw, banished for much of the season to the NEAFL, was roaming the wings, using the footy well and reassuring fans and perhaps himself that he has a future at this level.
Gary Ablett was back, too, in another sense. After looking a shadow of himself earlier in the year, the master returned in a big way against Hawthorn last week, and backed it up against the Saints with another influential game, though he faded in the second half. Since round 10 he's led the league for first possessions and clearances.
Several others were playing their best games for some time – senior players Jarrod Harbrow, Nick Malceski and Michael Rischitelli were all prominent, and Aaron Hall was back to something like the form he displayed earlier in the season, with a second goal after the three-quarter time siren taking the Suns to a 50-point lead.
Mention should also be made of a budding behemoth, Peter Wright, who is emerging as a seriously capable player in his second year. He is also proving a more than adequate replacement for Charlie Dixon, taking 10 marks and kicking three majors. A rising star nomination can't be far away.
But it was Tom Lynch that commanded most attention from teammates and opponents alike. Lynch had 10 marks to half-time – he finished with 14, some of which he had no right to take – and was close to the most influential player on the field even if he had the yips, finishing with just one goal and four behinds.
He didn't have them quite as badly as poor Nick Riewoldt at the other end, though, who kicked five straight behinds while still being comfortably his side's best player. Riewoldt wasn't helped early on by a concussion to forward Paddy McCartin, felled by friendly fire in a marking contest.
The rest of the Saints caught the disease, spraying any opportunity they might have had to stay in the contest, kicking a terrible 5.19 after quarter time. In general they were overwhelmed, outrun and exposed. They won the ball in close, but uncontested marks read 135-46 in the Suns favour, a good indication of their poor workrate.
It was very hard to find solid performers for St Kilda, once you got past the evergreen duo of Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna. As impressive as the Saints have been in recent weeks, they still have a long way to go.
The Suns, conversely, finally looked like they had a spring in their step. They should beat the Brisbane Lions at home next week, and have very winnable games against Fremantle, Melbourne and Essendon to follow. None may be finals threats, but it will at least give them something to work towards in 2017.
And they have others on the comeback trail. Adam Saad, Jesse Lonergan and Trent McKenzie are still to return – as is David Swallow, though he is further away.
Meanwhile, in the NEAFL, Jaeger O'Meara returned for half a game and reminded everyone of his vitality – clean as a whistle, as ever, but also running both ways, forcing turnovers, and being the extra on-field leader the Suns have sorely missed. He won't be kept in the lower level for long.
VOTES
M Rischitelli (GCS) 8
J Harbrow (GCS) 7
N Malceski (GCS)
T Lynch (GCS) 7
S May (GCS) 7