Swans unable to withstand St Kilda comeback

Despite several chances in the final stages of the match, the Sydney Swans have suffered a second-straight defeat in a stunning upset win by St Kilda.

Tom Papley and Logan McDonald had chances in the final five minutes of the game but were unable to convert as the Saints hold on to defeat the ladder-leaders.

The Saints kicked eight of the last 10 goals of the match in a stunning fightback to punish the wasteful Swans, winning 13.6 (84) to 11.16 (82), with the Swans kicking 3.11 in the second half.

An oppressive Saints outfit turned around 30-point deficit off the back of aggressive contested ball work and damaging attacking play from young gun Mattaes Phillipou.

He was further aided by the run of Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (28 disposals, 491 metres gained), Liam Henry (20 disposals, four inside 50s, one goal) and Jack Higgins (three goals, five tackles).

In the early patches of the game St Kilda's pressure was immense, albeit not necessarily reflected in its tackle stats. Through that pressure, it was able to once again force a poor first quarter from the ladder-leading Swans.

That pressure faded through the middle of the game as the Swans put their foot on the accelerator in the last ten minutes of the second quarter to take a 25-point lead into the main break.

The Saints looked most dangerous when turning over a Sydney fast break, and repelling right through the corridor. In doing so, they dominated the third quarter. The Swans had to respond through two big Isaac Heeney goals on the eve of three-quarter-time to get their buffer back.

Sydney was guilty of some poor forward entries, which the home side at up and then slingshotted through the middle. In that time, Henry became the most dangerous player on the ground, either offering the link going inside 50, or getting on the end of a teammate's.

In the face of St Kilda's numbers down back, the Swans struggled to find cohesion inside 50, relying heavily on the run-and-carry of the midfield to do damage on the scoreboard. Errol Gulde (28 diposals), Chad Warner (23 disposals, two goals) tried to surge Sydney back into a winning position, as did Ollie Florent (24 disposals, one goal), but it wasn't enough. 
It is the second game in a row against the Saints where Sydney has recorded more scoring shots, but lost the match.

ST KILDA         2.2    4.4    9.4   13.6 (84)
SYDNEY           2.2    8.5    11.11   11.16 (82)

GOALS
St Kilda: Higgins 3, Marshall 2, Sharman 2, Wilson, Butler, Wood, Henry, Phillipou, Membrey
Sydney: McDonald 2, Warner 2, Heeney 2, McInerney, Campbell, Fox, Papley, Florent

BEST
St Kilda: Henry, Marshall, Steele, Phillipou, Wanganeen-Milera, Higgins
Sydney: Rowbottom, Warner, Gulden, Heeney, Florent

INJURIES
St Kilda: Windhager (hamstring)
Sydney: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
St Kilda: Ben Paton (replaced Marcus Windhager in the third quarter)
Sydney: Taylor Adams (replaced Matt Roberts at three-quarter time)