Riewoldt denies gallant Saints

Tigers star Jack Riewoldt proves a handful for Saints coach Scott Watters. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

DOMINATE the centre clearances. Check.

Limit the influence of Trent Cotchin. Check.

Get big games from Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna. Check.

Hope Ben McEvoy has the better of Ivan Maric. Check.

Stop Jack Riewoldt. Scott Watters, we have a problem.

At the end of a tense struggle at the MCG, it was seven goals from the Riewoldt in yellow and black that stood in the way of a St Kilda victory.

The Saints won't be interested in brave losses, but this was every bit of that and more as the Tigers were again consumed by late-game panic.

So much went right for a St Kilda side that trailed for all bar a two-minute period at the start of the first term, but was never out of the contest.

The Saints won the centre clearances 19-9 - a staggering domination.

A dogged Clint Jones kept Cotchin to nine disposals in the first half and even though the little master had 22 in the second, he didn't have his usual impact.

Nick Riewoldt led from the front. The skipper, with his side trailing by 24 points midway through the third term, lifted his side off the canvas with a three-goal spurt. He finished with 11 marks in a walk down memory lane.

Montagna returned to form in style with 27 damaging possessions and McEvoy took the honours against Maric.

The weight of contributions got St Kilda to within four points five minutes into the last term and it looked to have all the run when Ahmed Saad drilled a brilliant set shot from the boundary line.

Saad hit the post with a shot from the opposite flank at the 20-minute mark that would have cut the margin to a goal.

But Riewoldt's 7.2 would prove irresistible and Richmond was able to hang on.

Jason Blake had conceded 4.2 to Riewoldt by halftime and by the time Sam Fisher was moved on to him in the second half the fire had turned into a full-scale inferno.

This game was always going to be about whether St Kilda could put the brakes on Richmond's counter-attacking prowess. Could a side seemingly in decline halt one on the rise?

It made a good fist of it.

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