ARGUABLY the biggest shock result of the weekend, St Kilda came away with a season-defining win – albeit in the first round – by knocking off perennial contender Adelaide. However it was not just the result that was telling, but the manner in which the Moorabbin-based side won which is to say by beating Adelaide at its own game.

The Saints started strongly last year, but the result on Sunday felt different, as the home team almost bullied a quality outfit by 22 points at RSEA Park, 6.5 (41) to 2.7 (19). St Kilda dominated around the clearances (27-19) with the stoppage differential the most telling (23-13). That, and the fact Adelaide produced a whopping 50 inside 50s to 28, but the red, white and black defended superbly in the game.

Coach Nick Dal Santo said it was a combination of the midfield group as a whole, inclusions and high running capacity that helped the Saints get the result.

“We had Ari Clarke playing her first game for the club as well off a limited preparation, we only put her on our list two weeks ago I think it was as a replacement,” he said. “Then she rolls out two weeks later and gets to play an AFLW game, which is really special for her. “Then you mention the three mainstays who have played mainly on-ball over the last couple of years.

“So they’re evolving and they’re growing, and then you put them together in that sort of combination, they’re playing better together. “But I also think it takes the outside perimeter players as well. “I thought our wingers did a really good job as they do, so I don’t necessarily think it’s just one, it was our clearance work as a whole that was really pleasing today, and it hasn’t been a strength of ours, historically.”

The likes of Tyanna Smith (seven clearances from 25 touches) and ex-Hawk Charlotte Baskaran (19 disposals, four clearances) were outstanding, allowing the class of Georgia Patrikios and Jaimee Lambert to shine as well.

When asked where the win stacks up compared to others during his coaching regime, Dal Santo said it was up there.

“I’d have to say relatively high, and I say that out of absolute respect for the Crows and what they’ve done for the previous nine seasons and we’ve admired them and what ‘Doc’ (Matthew) Clarke has been able to do with that group consistently.

“It’s still a huge challenge, I understand that our seasons are shorter than obviously the men’s but it doesn’t take away from the intensity of the week to week, so we’re really respectful of what the Crows have been able to do. We knew today would be a huge challenge, which it really was, but I’m really pleased with the outcome.”

Leading into the game, eyebrows were raised when veteran Bianca Jakobsson was named as an emergency, however Dal Santo explained that the shortened competition and lower team list numbers meant player management was key to sustaining success.

“We only had three emergencies today and everybody else off the top of my head is being managed for whatever reason, and hopefully they come back in the coming weeks, but we have some selection dilemmas,” Dal Santo said.

“It’s unfortunate, but it’s a really healthy thing to have is integrity in selection, which we haven’t always had. “But we also know we’ll need everybody and those girls who have come back through rehab, when they come back we’ll probably need them as well. “So when you’ve got 30 on a list and in a squad they can run pretty thin pretty quickly so we’ll need everyone to step up when needed.”

Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke described the loss as a “disappointing performance” and that St Kilda was “a little bit harder at it”.

“Ultimately we had 50 inside 50s for a couple of goals which is probably far from ideal, so clearly the efficiency in the first half, but then I thought in the third quarter, St Kilda just beat us up at the contest and really went to work and owned the game in that little period and clearly they took their chances and we didn’t, so pretty disappointing performance,” Clarke said.

“First half I thought ‘no worries we’re actually holding up okay in that space’ but just that patch in the third quarter that really swayed the game their way and we weren’t able to arrest control back from that moment.”