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St Kilda v Port Adelaide: Jake Carlisle and Nathan Brown steady as Saints edge Power by a point

Daniel Cherny

ST KILDA 
0.4.5      0.6.7      0.7.7      0.8.9     (57)
PORT ADELAIDE 
0.0.2      0.2.7    0.5.11    0.7.14    (56)
GOALS - St Kilda: Membrey 3, Billings 2, Dunstan 2, Bruce. 
Port Adelaide: Amon 2,  Wingard, Trengove, Westhoff Ryder, Boak.
BEST - St Kilda: Steven,  Dunstan, Membrey, Billings, Riewoldt, Armitage, Roberton.
Port Adelaide: Wines,  Westhoff, Wingard, Boak, Clurey, Pittard.
CROWD 5363 at Etihad Stadium.

February is too early for judgments, but the early signs are positive for St Kilda's new-look back line.

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St Kilda pip Port Adelaide

The Saints have warmed up with a one-point pre-season win over Port Adelaide, 57-56.

Back after nearly 18 months, Jake Carlisle showed his latent talent hadn't left him, and he was well complemented down back by Nathan Brown, as the Saints edged a fast-finishing Port Adelaide by one point at Etihad Stadium on Thursday night. New Saints captain Jarryn Geary touched a late shot from Port's Jarman Impey on the line, proving the difference, not that the result will matter in the long-term.

While he had the odd shaky moment, former Bomber Carlisle was largely assured in defence, as was Collingwood premiership player Brown – who signed with the Saints in October. Fellow off-season recruit Koby Stevens was steady through the midfield, although another recent addition – Jack Steele – was quiet.

There was something to like too for Carlisle's former teammate Paddy Ryder, also back after a year's suspension. Mixing his time between the forward line and the ruck, Ryder wasn't overly prominent but had his moments before being put in cotton wool for the second half, most notably with a well-timed lead to mark in the pocket in the second quarter, which was followed by a clinical snap for goal.

Port showed pluck after a very slow start, but could be without Nathan Krakouer early in the season after he was reported for a high bump on Sean Dempster, who went to the bench after the incident but managed to play out the game.

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St Kilda hit the ground running. Barely seven minutes into the game Port found themselves more than three goals in arrears, having recorded just five kicks of their own to that point. The Saints looked switched on, slick and speedy with their ball movement.

 Their first goal came from an intercept mark taken deep in defence by Nick Riewoldt, who has been playing since the pre-season series was backed by Ansett Australia, three sponsors ago. As long-time teammate Nick Dal Santo patrolled the boundary line in his new media role, Riewoldt sent the ball to Dylan Roberton in the midfield, who in turn directed it to Tim Membrey. The former Swan started where he left off in a breakout 2016, converting that goal on his way to three before half-time.

With Riewoldt again an excellent target on the wing, and Paddy McCartin clunking marks freely, the Saints attacking talls unsurprisingly proved a handful for Port.

In defence Carlisle and Brown looked relatively at ease, with the former Bomber providing plenty of drive in addition to the expected spoils.  Not that the Power were doing themselves many favours, well beaten in the middle and lacking the enthusiasm of St Kilda.

Ken Hinkley's side began to make a better fist of things as half-time approached, but much like the Saints in the first quarter were wasteful in front of goal. The Saints' early exertion had seemingly left them tired though, and Port began to take control.

While Jack Billings popped through his second major early in the third term, the Saints didn't score again until the final stanza. Jack Hombsch was mopping up well in defence for the Power, and while their attacking forays weren't always pretty, Port clawed the margin back to eight points at three-quarter time.

It didn't hit any more great heights from there, but the small pro-Saints crowd got the result they wanted in the end.

St Kilda assistant coach Adam Kinglsey was pleased with the side's overall defensive effort, but thought there was room for improvement.

"I thought tonight we defended really strongly. Particularly when the ball was through the midfield and at our end," Kingsley said. 

"We've still got a bit of work to do when the ball's in our [defensive] 50. I think they had 10 shots through either stoppage or turnover in that area of the ground, so we can definitely fix that, but I don't think that's going to be a significant for us."

Kingsley described Carlisle's game as "really impressive."

"He was able to nullify his opponent really well. I think both him and Nathan Brown played terrific games on their key targets. Jake's a really versatile player. He can play tall, small, he can roam across half-back, he can lock down on someone, he can intercept mark and he uses the ball really well. I thought we saw all aspects of that tonight."

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