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EVEN in this era of multi-option forward set-ups, nothing beats a viable tall target.
St Kilda ace Nick Riewoldt emphasised the value of that forward pillar to lead his team to glory on Saturday night.
The hard-working Saint set a new club record with his five goals in the 16 points win against a weary Essendon at Etihad Stadium.
Riewoldt's second goal of the match-turning haul launched him past former teammate Stephen Milne's 357 as the highest goalscorer at the Docklands venue.
Jack Billings kicked two goals in his first full game of AFL. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: News Corp Australia
Essendon, in contrast, had no-one who could latch onto the end of the inside 50 entries, with onballer Brent Stanton the leading goalkicker after being sent forward in the last quarter.When Riewoldt goalled from a strong, contested mark for the second time in the third quarter, it underlined the value of a viable forward target.
The Saints at that stage had 10 marks inside the forward 50, while Bomber trio Joe Daniher, Jake Carlisle and Kyle Hardingham had managed only three between them.
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Aside from being unable to contain the Saints' skipper under the high balls, the Bombers paid the ultimate price for untidy turnovers, several that couldn't be attributed to St Kilda's admirable defensive pressure.
It's difficult to allow Essendon the excuse of fatigue from the six-days break after enduring the sapping heat in Perth last weekend. Particularly when the Bombers finished the stronger with two late goals from Stanton given them the faint hope of a late flurry to snatch the game away.
Essendon's abled-bodied options were compounded when Heath Hocking had to be subbed out of the game with a hand injury midway through the third term.
Brent Stanton celebrates a goal but it wasn't enough for Essendon. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: News Corp Australia
Only when the contest opened up on tired legs from midway through the third quarter did it liven up as a spectacle.
Most of the first half was played, fittingly, between the 50m arcs where the white lines were still visible from the soccer pitch for the Melbourne Victory-Sydney game the previous night.
It looked like Essendon by how far after a stunning start with the first three goals from the early control of the momentum and ball.
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St Kilda didn't go inside the forward 50 for nearly 10 minutes mid-term as the Saints pressed back in numbers to try to contain the dominant Bombers.
And it was only an errant Cale Hooker handpass on the dockside wing that released Jack Billings to fire a left foot shot on the run after 17 minutes for the Saints only goal of that lopsided opening term.
Essendon had five straight goals by quarter time, two in bizarre circumstances.
Nick Riewoldt gives off a handball in front of Brent Stanton. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: News Corp Australia
Leroy Jetta's toe poke out of James Gwilt's hands on the goalline was granted after a video review.
Ruckman Paddy Ryder then grabbed the ball from a boundary throw-in deep in the forward pocket, threw it onto the boot and watched it take a wicked right angle bounce to roll across the unguarded goalline.
Riewoldt managed just one touch in the first quarter, such was Essendon's monopoly in its forward half of the ground. But he kick-started the Saints' fightback when he converted from an Adam Schneider pass early in the second term.
Jobe Watson gets a handball out under immense pressure from St Kilda. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: News Corp Australia
The rest of that quarter was studded with horrendous errors from players on both teams, often prompted by the desperate pressure in this defence-dominated contest.It was virtually 20 minutes of scoreboard stalemate in the second term before an Essendon turnover in the centre square eventually allowed Riewoldt to run into an open goal.
And the Saints were right back in the match after the Bombers messed up a kickout, gifting Jarryn Geary a goal on the run two minutes later in time-on that deadlocked the scores.
St Kilda's late flurry just before half-time at least left fans to ponder which team had the superior collective energy and conversion 'skills in an intriguing second half.
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