Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\nSaints pull away to beat Carlton | 02:15<\/p>\n
Carlton actually led by 12 points at half-time in one of its most impressive showings in 2026. But as Michael Voss\u2019 side has done so many times before this year, it faded badly in the second half including a 42-point turnaround in the third term.<\/p>\n
The win sees Ross Lyon\u2019s Saints improve to 4-4 and climb into eighth on the ladder after an 0-2 start to the season, with a hamstring injury to Dan Butler the only drawback on the night.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile the Blues fell to 1-7 overall in 2026.<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 02: Tom De Koning of the Saints celebrates kicking a goal during the round eight AFL match between Carlton Blues and St Kilda Saints at Marvel Stadium, on May 02, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney\/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
The 3-2-1 (what we learned) …<\/p>\n
3. BLUES BLOW IT AS ILL-DISCIPLINE PROVES COSTLY<\/p>\n
Jack Riewoldt summed up another epic Carlton fade out best: \u201cIt\u2019s proper trauma now\u201d.<\/p>\n
Again, Carlton\u2019s half time lead turned into a second half blow out in \u201cfrightening\u201d scenes at Marvel Stadium.<\/p>\n
From 12 points up, the Blues go home with a 39-point defeat.<\/p>\n
Michael Voss this week conceded his team had a problem stopping big goal runs: \u201cWe have to be better than that\u201d.<\/p>\n
But unfortunately for Carlton and the coach, they coughed up nine straight goals from late in the second term into the third in a blitz so damaging it set up St Kilda\u2019s win.<\/p>\n
And alarmingly, two of those goals came within seconds after some ill-discipline from young Blues defender Harry Dean.<\/p>\n
With Liam Henry running into the open goal, Dean opted to shove the Saint \u2013 and he crashed into the fence as a result.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarry has gone over to apologise. I don\u2019t think he meant to do it but he definitely did do it,\u201d Cam Mooney said on Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Jack Riewoldt added.<\/p>\n
\u201cSilly, silly play,\u201d David King said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarry Dean is coming off. Rowan Marshall has given him one of the all-time send offs as well,\u201d Mooney said.<\/p>\n
‘Knew was going to get a few boos’ | 02:16<\/p>\n
As a result of Dean\u2019s actions, Henry was then given another shot on goal from the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just not required. There\u2019s no need for that. That\u2019s just dangerous,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPushing players like that on the fake grass. It\u2019s as a hard a rock down there.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of this game, it\u2019s now a big swing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carlton\u2019s 12-point half time lead turned into a 30-point deficit by three quarter time as the Saints piled on 8.4 to just 1.4.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey cannot defend at the moment the Blues,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are gutted, they are shocked the fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt half time this was going beautifully for them. They\u2019ve just lost their way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been hammered out of the middle \u2013 centre bounce clearances have been a smashing. Can\u2019t win a contest down back and a distinct lack of leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen (Patrick) Cripps fire a shot, (Adam) Cerra has turned it over this quarter, (Sam) Walsh\u2019s disposals have been disgraceful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alarmingly, every game this season Carlton have coughed up a burst of 5+ goals.<\/p>\n
So that\u2019s eight times \u2013 that\u2019s how many times they did it for the entire 2022 and 2023 seasons.<\/p>\n
The stats show that\u2019s now the third time the Blues have conceded 50 points or more in a single quarter this season \u2013 an AFL worst.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also now the sixth time Carlton have led at half time \u2013 for five losses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe questions will start again \u2013 what does this mean for Michael Voss,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n
The Blues are sitting bottom three with just Essendon and Richmond at 1-7 for the season.<\/p>\n
2. SAINTS TURN IT AROUND\u2026 AND DIDN\u2019T THEIR FANS LOVE IT?<\/p>\n
It was a midfield domination from Carlton in the second term \u2013 and it saw them jump out to a two-goal buffer.<\/p>\n
\u201cSt Kilda haven\u2019t wanted to engage in the outside run,\u201d David King lamented of the Saints\u2019 first half.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pretty sure Ross (Lyon) would have brought that to their attention at half time.\u201d<\/p>\n
And it was a completely different St Kilda outfit who came out hunting in the third term \u2013 netting the team a remarkable eight goals for the quarter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe midfield just got assaulted for 30 minutes,\u201d King said of the Blues.<\/p>\n
With the match iced by three quarter time, it was \u201cparty time\u201d for the Saints in the final term as Blues fans headed for the exits in droves.<\/p>\n
Cottrel under fir for Taunting Act | 00:28<\/p>\n
WHITEBOARD CONTROVERSY! ‘Bombers fuming’ | 01:29<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they put a performance like this together St Kilda, you\u2019d have to say they\u2019ve improved,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were challenged with some omissions throughout the day\u2026 still doing it without (injured Max) King.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir scoring power we will talk about. To kick eight goals in a quarter, that\u2019s been the question mark over Ross Lyon as a coach \u2013 does he free them up enough?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen them play some expansive football tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Saints brought up triple figures in the final term \u2013 for the third consecutive week which is a feat the club hadn\u2019t achieved since back in 2012.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve done it emphatically,\u201d King praised.<\/p>\n
And as they closed in on the win, both Tom de Koning and Jack Silvagni were able to win ball without the chorus of boos.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve all left\u2026 there\u2019s no one left to boo,\u201d Cam Mooney laughed of the departed Blues fans.<\/p>\n
De Koning \u201crubbed further salt into the wounds of the Blues\u201d with more pain on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis really is the icing on the cake for Saints supporters,\u201d Jack Riewoldt said.<\/p>\n
1. TAUNTING FREE KICK MISSED IN SPITEFUL CLASH<\/p>\n
It was billed as Carlton against their former stars Jack Silvagni and Tom de Koning \u2013 after the duo left the club to take up big money St Kilda deals.<\/p>\n
And from the opening bounce, the Blues fans made their displeasure known.<\/p>\n
Boos rang out at every opportunity Silvagni and de Koning touched the footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey got exactly what they thought they\u2019d get \u2013 they got booed every time they got near it,\u201d Cam Mooney said on Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Silvagni being booed by Carlton people \u2013 you never would read about it in your life. But it happened and it happened early.\u201d<\/p>\n
De Koning was able to silence his critics with a couple of goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t they all get around him,\u201d Mooney added of de Koning\u2019s first goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t hear yourself think before all the carry on and the boos.<\/p>\n
\u201cTom walked in front of us (on the boundary) \u2013 did it once and never did it again. He got some feedback over the fence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were harsh!\u201d Kath Loughnan added.<\/p>\n
But while the Silvagni\/de Koning treatment ensured tempers continued to flare, it was Carlton\u2019s Matt Cottrell who appeared to cross the line with an act of taunting.<\/p>\n
When his teammate Brodie Kemp took the mark, Cottrell was clearly seen rubbing the head of Saints opponent Rowan Marshall.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s an act the AFL has pledged to crack down on after Docker Patrick Voss\u2019 head rub and taunt of Demon Harrison Petty earlier this year \u2013 which cost the Freo forward a $1000 fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cControversy in the second quarter – this was really the big first test of the AFL\u2019s new taunting rule,\u201d Fox Footy\u2019s Jay Clark said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow Greg Swann told us this earlier in the season \u2013 that will be treated as a high contact free kick. And should have been a free kick reversal and not that Carlton goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cA miss there from the umpires.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack Riewoldt questioned what can be done to further stamp the act out.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you miss that?\u201d he questioned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe umpire is standing one metre away! We\u2019ve got four umpires out here.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat rule was brought in to give the game a better look \u2013 unfortunately that\u2019s missed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat (free kick) has to be turned over. I hate seeing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Re-live Carlton vs St Kilda in our live blog below!<\/p>\n
If you can\u2019t see the blog, tap here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"St Kilda has dismantled Carlton in a second-half domination as Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni got one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":645483,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[48046,638,201124,64,63,689,55,639,3239,2105,6179,33693,312301,3502,647,677,27245,85,1122,26889,1117,660],"class_list":["post-645482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-adam-saad","tag-afl","tag-apparent-hamstring-injury","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-carlton-blues","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-jack-silvagni","tag-james-wiltshire","tag-juicy-clash","tag-max-king","tag-melbourne","tag-oceania","tag-saints-star","tag-sports","tag-st-kilda","tag-st-kilda-saints","tag-tom-de-koning","tag-victoria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=645482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/645483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=645482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=645482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=645482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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