Smashing Saints do it for Lenny

Updated May 26, 2012 20:18:12

The Saints celebrated Lenny Hayes' 250th game in style, beating the Sydney Swans by 28 points at Docklands on Saturday.

The Saints ran roughshod over Sydney, kicking 13 goals to eight from quarter-time to win 16.15 (111) to 12.11 (83).

For St Kilda the positives ranged from the exciting group of young talent, including Ahmed Saad, Arryn Siposs, Tom Simpkin and Terry Milera, to the excellent games from team leaders like Nick Riewoldt, Nick Dal Santo and Stephen Milne.

Scott Watters' men looked to have set themselves for a huge effort for Hayes, who had 25 touches in a strong outing.

Hayes told Fox Sports that it was great to get to his milestone game after missing most of last year with a ruptured ACL.

"You really miss the game a lot," he said.

"The most exciting thing is there's so many young blokes coming through, it's really exciting for the club, it's in really good hands (for the future).

Hayes said the most pleasing aspect of the win was getting some consistency in the performance.

"We'd struggled a bit to put together four quarters this year, we had the win against Carlton a couple of weeks ago, we were inconsistent last week (against West Coast), but I thought we did all right tonight," he said.

The headaches keep coming for Swans coach John Longmire, as his team continues to show it is in dire trouble without key players Adam Goodes and Shane Mumford.

Sydney was smashed at the clearances, thumped for contested ball and had almost no avenue to goal for much of the match.

The Saints had nearly double the inside 50s for long periods, and only a late comeback by the Swans evened up the count to 55-42 in favour of St Kilda.

St Kilda spread the load up forward, with three goals to Milne and two to Jack Steven, Dal Santo, Riewoldt and Saad.

For Sydney, Lewis Jetta kicked three, and Ben McGlynn, Kieren Jack and Sam Reid had two each.

More to come.

Saints: 16.15 (111) - Milne 3, Steven 2, Dal Santo 2, Riewoldt 2, Saad 2, Cripps, Blake, Siposs, Milera.

Swans: 12.11 (83) - Jetta, 3, McGlynn 2, Reid 2, Jack 2, Kennedy, Bolton, Roberts-Thomson.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, docklands-3008

First posted May 26, 2012 19:33:29

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Eagles flying high after smashing Bulldogs

Expires:Saturday, August 20, 2011 7:17

West Coast has defeated the Western Bulldogs 175-52 at Subiaco in Perth's inner west.

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Tags: australian-football-league, wa, subiaco-6008

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Dockers out of ditch with Port smashing

Updated May 21, 2011 19:06:00

Fremantle snapped a disappointing two-game losing streak with a comfortable 52-point demolition of Port Adelaide at Football Park on Saturday afternoon to entrench itself in the top eight.

After defeats to Richmond and rivals West Coast in consecutive games, the Dockers had the game all but won halfway through the second quarter as they stretched out to a 59-point lead.

Port was able to bring the margin back to 35 points after the long break but a continued lack of effort saw the visitors cruise to a 21.16 (142) to 14.6 (90) victory.

Former Port player Nick Lower had an outstanding first half and finished with 28 touches while the ever improving Nathan Fyfe recorded 30 disposals and two goals in a top performance along with the likes of Chris Mayne, Ryan Crowley and Matthew Pavlich.

Kepler Bradley kicked three up front for Fremantle while ruckman Aaron Sandilands sat out most of the last quarter after injuring his toe, but not before racking up 33 touches and a goal.

Goalsneak Robbie Gray kicked three goals for the Power who, on their way to their eighth loss in nine matches, hit rock bottom during a listless first half.

Support for Port

Fremantle coach Mark Harvey, content after the triumph, sympathised with the plight of counterpart Matthew Primus and Port's painful rebuilding course.

Primus axed Brett Ebert from his selected side - remarkably, the seventh Power player with more than 100 games experience dropped by the first-year coach.

"The challenge is that sometimes, whether you like it or not, you're going to get wiped off the park along the way," Harvey said.

"And I admire coaches that want to go through a development phase of the team, and club for that matter, and its supporters.

"And right now that is what Matthew is doing.

"It was only three or four years ago that I was in exactly the same position and he's doing the right thing by the club.

"It's going to be difficult at times but you must ride the wave and eventually see the light because it will happen, providing the recruiting and the strategy is right."

The Dockers met scant resistance when launching a seven goal to two opening quarter, which sapped the spirit of the lowly Power.

Half-forward Mayne kicked two and set up another while captain Pavlich shook his Matthew Thomas tag to also boot two.

The goal spree continued after the first break as Fremantle basked in a match-defining nine goal to nothing period.

Sandilands ruled supreme, feeding a midfield who in turn supplied a hungry forward line headed by the hard working Mayne and big man Bradley.

Some 12 Dockers kicked goals but as smooth as the visitors were, their opponent was rough.

After their woeful opening, the Power improved in the third when Gray kicked three of his side's six goals for the quarter.

But even then Port could not stymie Fremantle's free scoring as it also notched six goals for the term to take an unassailable 55-point advantage at the last change.

Fremantle hosts St Kilda next Saturday while the battling Power travel to Darwin to meet Richmond.

Fremantle: 21.16 (142) - K Bradley 3, C Mayne 2, C Pearce 2, D Roberton 2, M Pavlich 2, N Fyfe 2, R Palmer 2, A Sandilands, G Broughton, H Ballantyne, N Lower, R Crowley, S Hill.

Port Adelaide: 14.6 (90) - J Schulz 3, R Gray 3, A Moore, B Jacobs, H Hartlett, J McMillan-Pittard, J Westhoff, K Cornes, S Phillips, T Boak.

-ABC/AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, sa, port-adelaide-5015, wa, fremantle-6160

First posted May 21, 2011 17:42:00

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