Geelong hosts St Kilda at Kardinia Park to kick off round 19 of the AFL, with the under-strength Cats desperate to stop a recent slide.
Injuries to Jeremy Cameron and Tanner Bruhn have added to the task for Chris Scott’s men, who have lost their last three matches to go from top-four favourites to fighting for a wildcard.
St Kilda has won its last two games coming off the bye, but it has to keep the run going to stay in the top 10.
Follow all the action in our live blog.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 9:07pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 9:07pm
Neale goal adds to Geelong’s lead
Geelong are bringing the intensity here at the start of the third term.
The Cats get the intercept, and they go down the left side of the corridor. It gets out to Brad Close, and then on … Dangerfield gets hold of it again, and he moves well and thumps it inside 50.
Jay Polkinghorne bodies the Saints defender out of it, and Shannon Neale takes the mark at the second grab.
He kicks it, and the Cats have the opener of the second half.
The lead is out to 33 points.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 9:05pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 9:05pm
Dangerfield into the middle
Just when we mention his name, Patrick Dangerfield starts in the middle for the opening bounce, and he gets the ball and charges clear to set up an attack.
It doesn’t come to anything, but that’s a good sign for the Cats.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 9:01pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 9:01pm
Danger not in it to half-time
On the Geelong side of things, Bailey Smith has his almost-expected 17 touches, and James Worpel has 15 and a goal.
Skipper Patrick Dangerfield has not been in it so far, with just one disposal to half-time. He spent some time off getting work on a leg. Is there a real issue, or is he having an off night?
The Cats are in control here, but they would be hoping Danger could get more involved after half-time.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:57pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:57pm
Saints looking for more from Nasiah
It’s been a hard first half for the Saints, and the standouts are few.
Hugo Garcia has a goal and 18 disposals, Darcy Wilson has 16 touches.
The big issue right now is Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who has been kept quiet by tagger Oisin Mullin. He’s not alone in having problems against the Irishman, but so far he has nine disposals to half-time and just one score involvement.
Both numbers need to improve in the second half if the Saints star is to have more impact here.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:48pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:48pm
HT statsInside 50s: 30-20 GeelongClearances: 22-19 GeelongCentre clearances: 6-3 GeelongContested possessions: 75-69 GeelongUncontested possessions: 123-123Marks inside 50: 8-2 GeelongTackles inside 50: 7-6 GeelongThu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:45pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:45pm
HT: Geelong 7.8 (50) leads St Kilda 3.5 (23)
Rowan Marshall had a late chance before half-time, but his kick slewed wide to the right to just make it for a point.
Then a poor kick out was chopped off by Darcy Wilson, but his kick after the siren was almost as poor. It’s a 27-point game at Kardinia Park.
The Cats kicked 3.6 to 1.5 in that quarter, and they have established a big lead for any game, let alone a home night game at Kardinia.
The Saints will have to lift again – and substantially – if they want to get back in this one.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:40pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:40pm
Saints get vital goal from Jack Higgins
That was a huge moment for the Saints.
They were stuck in defence, but they managed to clear their lines and went right up the corridor before drawing the Geelong defence before a huge handball over the top to Jack Higgins in the square.
The Saints’ number one thumped it into the stands, and a vital goal. The lead is back to 30 deep in time on.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:36pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:36pm
Polkinghorne everywhere on debut
Debutant Jay Polkinghorne has had a few chances tonight.
He’s hit the post and has a goal, and a couple of pulled kicks that needed a bit of work.
But now he’s working up the ground and taking intercept marks in the back half – and then stepping round the man on the mark and unloading kicks down the ground.
Good stuff from the 20-year-old.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:34pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:34pm
Frustration mounts for Saints as Hall misses from long range
Genuine breaks from the Saints have been few and far between tonight.
They had one just then, and some quick ball movement sent Max Hall free. There was a one-on-one inside 50, but Hall just roosted it, and it ran through for a point, with his Saints teammate not really happy with the delivery.
Hall wasn’t happy either.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:29pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:29pm
Ollie Henry adds another goal for Geelong
The alarm bells will be ringing loudly in Ross Lyon’s coaching box.
The Cats have all the answers right now, they whack it inside 50 once more, it’s Cal Wilkie on Ollie Henry deep, both of them are holding on but the umpires give the free to Henry.
Wilkie is in disbelief, but it’s not changing anything.
Henry kicks it, and the lead is out to 34 points.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:26pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:26pm
Cats pressure leads to another goal from Miers
Ok, that burst of pressure late in the first quarter from the Saints looks like it might have been an outlier.
Geelong has just raised the game here, and they are just hammering St Kilda. They get holding the ball with their seventh tackle inside forward 50, and Brad Close decides not to try and kick for goal, but chips to an open Gryan Miers.
It’s too easy, and Miers slots the sixth of the night for the Cats.
The lead is back out to 27 points, nearly midway through the second term.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:20pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:20pm
Gryan Miers pounces on Saints error to extend Geelong lead
The Cats have settled here, and are raising the pressure.
Max Holmes’ big kick from distance hit the post, but then they keep the pressure up, and Jack Silvagni ducks and dives trying not to get caught in the left back pocket.
His clearing kick, unfortunately, goes straight to Gryan Miers who takes a couple of steps and drills it from a difficult angle.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:17pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:17pm
Jay Polkinghorne hits the post for Geelong
The Cats are getting some looks inside 50 through their debutant Jay Polkinghorne. He’s just outmarked Cal Wilkie inside 50.
He goes back from the pocket, and his kick looks on line, but it just thumps into the post. He’s showing a bit, though, the first-gamer.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:15pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:15pm
Saints pushing forward as players slipping everywhere
There hasn’t been any rain in Geelong today, but it’s definitely damp out there, and players are slipping over everywhere.
The pressure is on, and the Saints are lifting.
Darcy Wilson and Hugo Garcia made a combined burst down the left there, it didn’t come to anything but they are looking dangerous.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:06pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:06pm
QT: Geelong 4.2 (26) leads St Kilda 2.0 (12)
The siren sounds at Kardinia Park, and the Cats fans are probably ok with the quarter ending.
It’s been a fierce, dominant display by the home side early on, and St Kilda just hasn’t been at the races in the first 20 minutes of play.
But late in that quarter they began to turn things around, and suddenly it’s the Cats who are making the mistakes.
If the Saints can keep that level going when we start the second term, then we will really have ourselves a game.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:03pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:03pm
Rowan Marshall sharks a goal for the Saints in time on
The visitors are lifting at Kardinia Park!
They have raised the pressure levels and are managing to keep the ball inside forward 50 for longer.
A stoppage inside the arc saw Rowan Marshall grab it out of the ball-up, and he snaps it through from 25!
That’s two in a row, and the lead is back to 14 points.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:01pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:01pm
Hugo Garcia gets St Kilda on the board
It took the guts of the first quarter, but the Saints are finally on the board.
For once Geelong gave it away in their defensive half, and the ball came straight back and Huge Garcia used his pace to run well inside 50 and drill their first goal of the night.
It’s still a 20-point lead to the Cats, late in the quarter.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 7:59pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 7:59pm
Saints slipping over under pressure
It’s just not going St Kilda’s way so far.
The Cats are breaking out almost at will. Even when St Kilda has some pressure, they can’t make it count.
Geelong break again, and the ball goes inside forward half. Callum Wilkie goes to get the ball and slips over, another Saint slips over! The Cats are nearly in again, but somehow they clear.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 7:54pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 7:54pm
James Worpel adds another Geelong goal as Saints are in strife
The ball is living in St Kilda’s defensive 50, and the back six just don’t have time to breathe.
It’s stoppage after stoppage, James Worpel’s kick in the square is smothered, but it comes straight back to him, and he drills a kick!
It’s four goals to none with nine minutes on the clock in the first term.
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 7:50pm
Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 7:50pm
Jay Polkinghorne kicks one on debut for Geelong
Geelong has all the energy early doors.
Whenever St Kilda gets into the forward half, it quickly gets snuffed out.
The Cats rebound through the wing, and the move is irrepressible. It’s Mannagh to Gryan Miers, who hits up debutant Jay Polkinghorne for a nice mark inside 50.
The young man from South Australia kicks it with his first kick in AFL! The Cats come from everywhere and the crowd LOVES it.
That’s a 20-point lead for Geelong.
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