Jesse Wardlaw had herself an all-around performance to remember. He took St Kilda to an awesome 46-point comeback win against Port Adelaide at Moorabbin Oval. Wardlaw had sparked a St Kilda revival, kicking three goals in a storming last quarter. His extraordinary warrior effort inspired the team to rally from 27 points down at three-quarter-time to a stunning 11-point win. The score at the final whistle was 8.5 (53) to 6.6 (42), an incredible comeback victory for the home team.
Wardlaw capped off the game with a match-high four goals on 13 touches and eight marks. His game-turning plays in the last quarter inspired St Kilda. They set a nine-year record with a 38-0 scoreline against Port Adelaide during that spell. Georgia Patrikios opened the scoring for St Kilda in the last quarter. With that two-pointer, she pushed the team to take the lead for the first time ever! Amber Clarke finished off the scoring in the first half with the sixth goal, putting the Saints firmly in control of the match.
In addition to Wardlaw’s standout performance, Tyanna Smith excelled in the midfield, leading St Kilda with 24 disposals and five clearances. Her skills were critical to both creating that momentum and building sustained pressure to keep the other side on their heels. Hannah Priest was truly remarkable in her resolve. She continued on despite taking a broken nose from a collision with teammate Smith in the second quarter.
St Kilda is riding a stunning turnaround under rookie coach Nick Dal Santo. The home team is on a three game winning streak! So you can imagine how this victory sends their spirits sky-high! It leaves them well placed to challenge for a surprise top seven finish in the league table. Port Adelaide linger in 14th and time is fast running out with only five games remaining in the shortened 12-game season. Especially after managing not to score a single point in the last quarter against St Kilda, underlining their woes.
In a match that celebrated individual brilliance, it was St Kilda’s resilience and spirit that shone brightest. They rebounded from a massive second half hole to register an incredibly important victory. For the first time in quite a while, the Saints displayed their fierceness on every play. What they did extremely well was deliver in the clutch, particularly when it mattered most.
