Lions return to winners list after making light work of Saints

Lachie Neale kicks a goal during the match between St Kilda and Brisbane at Marvel Stadium in round seven, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

LAST week was just a blip on the radar for reigning premier Brisbane, bouncing back from its first loss of the season with a 45-point win over a slow-starting St Kilda on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions brushed off the week that was, and the loss of key back Jack Payne (illness) before the bounce to record the 17.16 (118) to 11.7 (73) victory, steadily adding to the scoresheet across the four quarters.

SAINTS v LIONS Full match coverage and stats

Eric Hipwood's presence inside 50 was crucial, waxing well with fellow key tall Sam Day to kick four goals for the afternoon, while Zac Bailey (24 disposals, three goals) warmed into the game after a slightly chaotic start.

Under the Marvel Stadium roof, it was a clumsy start from both sides with kicks sliding out on the full and dropped marks galore. Although the ball lived in Brisbane's front half, it took 17 minutes to register a mark within the attacking arc by way of Levi Ashcroft, both a testament to St Kilda's steadfast presence close to its defensive goal, and the congestion within that part of the ground.

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS Previous Next 08:12 Highlights: St Kilda v Brisbane The Saints and Lions clash in round seven of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

08:21 Lyon post-match, R7: 'I was animated … but it's not personal' Watch St Kilda’s press conference after round seven’s match against Brisbane

10:36 Fagan post-match, R7: 'He can't take a trick at the moment' Watch Brisbane’s press conference after round seven’s match against St Kilda

00:42 Ah Chee's milestone major Callum Ah Chee slots through a well-deserved goal during his 150th game in a heartwarming moment

00:50 Wood delivers the goods to follow suit Mason Wood matches his teammates's goal from moments earlier with this quality major early in the third quarter

00:38 Nifty Nasiah raises bar higher with stunner Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera drills an amazing long-range goal to begin the second half

00:39 Lohmann rocked by Stocker’s ferocious bump Kai Lohmann is sent flying after a tough Liam Stocker crunches into him

00:51 One end to the other: Saints fight back Rowan Marshall dribbles through the St Kilda's first goal after awesome transition play

00:48 Bailey's brilliance as Lions start hot Zac Bailey nails a wonderful goal after one-two play with Kai Lohmann during the first quarter

00:39 Saint’s big blunder allows Neale to steal Lachie Neale sneaks through a great crumbing goal, capitalising on Rowan Marshall’s risky kick

Once the seal was broken, however, Brisbane got busy.

Lachie Neale's work around stoppage was exceptional – to no-one's surprise – as he went head-to-head with his opposing No.9 in Jack Steele. Expertly dragging Steele into the bottleneck, then slipping out into space to win the ball himself, he finished with 31 disposals and three goals to lead the Lions.

He wasn't the only one doing damage through the midfield for the visitors, as Hugh McCluggage (21 dispsoals, one goal, six clearances) worked through a Marcus Windhager tag to have a say, and Will Ashcroft's (35 disposals, four clearances) class cutting out of the middle, while Dayne Zorko (34 disposals, 656m gained) continued his impressive season out of the back half.

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St Kilda started the second half with gusto, slamming home the first three goals and slicing through Brisbane's somewhat lackadaisical full-ground defence.

Jack Sinclair (29 disposals, five marks) was the dangerous starting point, often left free to get involved in rebounding play multiple times, before Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera's (32 disposals, 706m gained, one goal) penetrating kick offered the next link in the chain.

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Under an early barrage of Brisbane's forward entries, it was Callum Wilkie (eight intercepts) and Liam Stocker (five) who stood tall and minimised the damage on the scoreboard. It was their work that kept the Saints in a reasonable enough position to challenge when that second half spurt of energy came.

But it simply didn't last long enough as the Lions put the foot down again.

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At the other end of the ground, Jack Higgins (three goals) kept his streak of multiple goals in every game this year alive, as he proved difficult defend because of his skill both in the air and at the fall of the ball.

Curious call

A mere 12 minutes into the second quarter, St Kilda made its sub call, opting to bring Hugo Garcia off the ground in favour of Zak Jones. What made it particularly curious was that it was a tactical decision. Garcia spent just 46 per cent of the first quarter on the field, and started the second quarter on the bench before being pulled from the field. It comes after Liam Henry was subbed out of last week's 71-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at half-time. The decision was further magnified after forward Mason Wood failed a concussion test in the third quarter and was withdrawn from the game, leaving St Kilda down to just three rotations for the remainder of the game.

Hugo Garcia (left) and Mason Wood look on after being subbed out of the match between St Kilda and Brisbane at Marvel Stadium in round seven, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

When it rains, it pours

By the 26-minute mark of the game, just one goal had been kicked as Brisbane peppered but struggled to convert. Then, suddenly, things shifted. The teams went goal-for-goal across a 10-minute patch either side of the first break. Where errors had been rife and accuracy wayward for much of the opening quarter, things broke open to allow forwards space and time to use the ball more effectively and enjoy some transition football. Seven goals were kicked in that patch – four for Brisbane, three for St Kilda – before the Lions added another couple to really establish themselves.

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A change in fortunes

In round six, Brisbane recorded just 37 inside 50s in its 52-point loss to Collingwood, struggling to generate enough opportunities at goal. Against the Saints on Saturday, that all changed. In the first quarter alone, the Lions had recorded 24 inside 50s, and had 35 to half-time to take a 34-point lead into the main break. Cam Rayner (seven inside 50s at half time) and Lachie Neale (six) were the architects, as 16 different Lions had sent the ball forward across the two quarters.

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ST KILDA 2.0 3.4 7.5 11.7 (73)

BRISBANE 4.6 8.8 12.13 17.16 (118)

GOALS

St Kilda: Higgins 3, Marshall, Wanganeen-Milera, Wood, Hall, Keeler, Caminiti, Wilson, Sharman

Brisbane: Hipwood 4, Neale 3, Bailey 3, Morris 2, Day, McInerney, Berry, McCluggage, Ah Chee

BEST

St Kilda: Sinclair, Howard, Wanganeen-Milera, Higgins, Macrae

Brisbane: Neale, Zorko, Hipwood, W.Ashcroft, Rayner, Wilmot

INJURIES

St Kilda: Wood (concussion)

Brisbane: Lohmann (left shoulder)

LATE CHANGES

St Kilda: Nil

Brisbane: Jack Payne (illness), replaced in the selected side by Darcy Gardiner

SUBSTITUTES

St Kilda: Zak Jones (replaced Hugo Garcia in the second quarter)

Brisbane: James Tunstill (replaced Kai Lohmann in the third quarter)

Crowd: TBC at Marvel Stadium

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