ST KILDA

0.2.4 2.6.5 2.8.9 3.9.10 (91)

GEELONG

2.2.6 2.3.7 3.5.8 3.8.11 (86)

SUPER GOALS

St Kilda:

Geelong: Corey, Stokes, Selwood.

GOALS Koschitzke 4, Armitage, Milne, Allen, Steven, Gehrig.

St Kilda:

Geelong: Hawkins 4, Mooney 2, Gamble, Stokes.

BESTMontagna, Koschitzke, Geary, Dal Santo, Armitage.

St Kilda:

Geelong: Corey, Selwood, Hawkins, Ling, Hunt.

INJURIES — St Kilda: Gehrig (calf). Geelong: Djerrkura (leg), Varcoe (ankle).

UMPIRES: Donlon, Ryan, Meredith.

CROWD: 6825 at Manuka Oval.

ST KILDA, the perennial contender, ensured it will be the team on early-season lips once again this year by taking out the tallest of poppies by five points at Manuka Oval yesterday.

In a robust encounter that belied the stereotype of the pre-season picnic match, the game looked headed for extra time, with scores tied for four minutes as the clock ticked into the red, before the Cats effectively were undone by one of their own.

Jack Steven, a product of the fertile Geelong Falcons who played in a premiership for Lorne in the Colac and District league last September, sharked a pack and bounced through the winner from close range after a Ryan Gamble point at the other end seemed to have scuppered the Saints' chances.

Not that his efforts overly moved coach Ross Lyon, who echoed the coaches' pre-season mantra that might as well have them turn up with "IT'S ONLY THE BLOODY NAB CUP" plastered across their foreheads.

"We all like kicking goals, so if you pick it up 10 metres out, they're not too hard to kick, are they?" Lyon said of the 17-year-old's winner. "It's nice for the kid."

There were positives for both sides, not least the work in front of goal of Justin Koschitzke at one end — taking full advantage of a Cat back line missing Matthew Scarlett and Tom Harley — and Tom Hawkins the other.

In the middle, Geelong thrived on a 35-possession return from Joel Corey and the heart and soul of Joel Selwood, both first up from a spell, while the Saints were pleased with Eaglehawk teen Jarryn Geary's run and commitment.

Selwood played like he'd been tortured with a Sherrin dangled at arm's length all summer, throwing himself into packs and getting plenty of it early. Mathew Stokes racked up possessions, and Cameron Ling's red mop was everywhere.

The only way Geelong could have improved on its opening quarter against Melbourne a week earlier was to dispense with conventional goalkicking and deal exclusively in nine-pointers, and bombs from Corey and Stokes in the first five minutes put down a marker.

Cam Mooney soon mucked things up, marking on a long lead and kicking truly, but only 49 metres from the target.

Indiscipline brought the Saints back into the contest, initially as Andrew Mackie undid his good work by retaliating against David Armitage for an accidental boot to the leg and the young Saint converted. Then Darren Milburn's mouth displeased the umpire enough for two 50-metre penalties to gift Koschitzke a goal.

Thompson was not pleased, but tempered his rage, saying: "You can't completely blame the players for some of those indisciplined acts."

A minute later, Armitage underlined his impressive performance by receiving from Aaron Fiora and bombing a nine-pointer to put the Saints in front, an advantage that was soon extended by a Stephen Milne left-foot snap.

The turning of the game's tide continued when Koschitzke took another pack mark and kicked his second six-pointer and third goal overall, outmuscling Harry Taylor again as Fraser Gehrig pulled up short and hobbled away from the pack.

Koschitzke's stunning half was complete just before the siren, when he again slipped his marker under a high ball, taking a comfortable chest mark at the top of the goal square as Taylor flailed in his wake. Within two minutes of the restart, he had a fourth, getting on the end of a Leigh Montagna left-footer and stretching the gap to 22 points.

But Selwood was not done with, and he produced a quarter that illustrated why he is arguably the best teenage leader in the game, picking his wobbly teammates up and putting them back on track with a terrific quarter from the defensive side of the centre.

After goaling himself, he fed Hawkins and then Stokes and the margin was back to eight points.

The Saints squandered chances to put the issue beyond doubt, most notably when Michael Rix could not nail a nine-pointer after a 50-metre penalty. The sense that they could be made to pay was palpable when Hawkins marked and goaled twice early in the last quarter and Geelong, finishing into the breeze, led by six.

Enter Nick Dal Santo, who shimmied out of traffic on the flank, bounced his way to just outside 50 and sank a nine-pointer. Mooney then received from Hawkins in the goal square and tied it up, triggering a frantic rush to the tape.

Ultimately, the youngest player on the ground ensured the Saints got there first.