Geelong star Max Holmes was helped off the sector with a doubtlessly severe ankle harm in a complete 27-point win over St Kilda.
Holmes (23 disposals) and midfield companion Bailey Smith (35) had been excellent within the Cats’ 15.12 (102) to 11.9 (75) victory on Thursday night time at Kardinia Park.
However Holmes was taken straight down the race in ache after his proper leg twisted beneath him within the closing quarter, and he reappeared on crutches along with his leg in a protecting boot after the match.
Shaun Mannagh (hamstring tightness) additionally failed to complete the match.
“My ideas are simply with Holmesy. We do not understand how dangerous that is going to be, however you by no means like seeing that,” Smith advised Kayo Sports activities after the match.
“We have got a couple of boys injured on the minute, however the subsequent bloke will step up and hopefully it isn’t too lengthy for him.”
The Cats (10-8) ended a three-match dropping streak and strengthened their grip on a finals spot, with Smith and James Worpel (24 disposals, seven clearances) essential contributors.
Gryan Miers kicked three targets on return, Ollie Henry and Ollie Dempsey added two every, and Jhye Clark (25 disposals) was busy.
Key ahead Jay Polkinghorne tallied two targets and eight marks in a formidable debut after taking injured spearhead Jeremy Cameron’s spot within the workforce.
Cats tagger Oisin Mullin ensured a troublesome night time for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, sporting the Saints famous person like a glove.
Wanganeen-Milera had 21 disposals — his lowest tally since spherical one — in his milestone one hundredth recreation.
The 23-year-old was clearly pissed off at instances with the shut consideration and had a free kick overturned for pushing Jhye Clark into the bottom.
St Kilda ruck Rowan Marshall battled manfully for 33 disposals, 12 clearances and two targets, in addition to a club-record 26 contested possessions.
Mattaes Phillippou (28), Darcy Wilson (29) and Hugo Garcia (30) had been all busy.
But it surely wasn’t sufficient to finish a protracted drought at Kardinia Park, the place the Saints have now misplaced 14 consecutive video games and final received in 1999.
After making seven adjustments to their workforce, Geelong produced a dominant begin that yielded the primary 4 targets.
The ball lived of their entrance half by way of the opening 20 minutes and Polkinghorne shone early, booting a aim along with his first kick.
St Kilda’s midfielders briefly lifted earlier than halftime, however the Cats led 7.8 to three.5 on the predominant break.
A run of three consecutive Saints targets within the third time period breathed life into the competition earlier than Patrick Dangerfield, who had hardly been sighted, bought on the tip of a handball chain to get one again.
Exhausting-running Smith’s aim from exterior the 50m arc early within the closing time period knocked the stuffing out of St Kilda, earlier than umpires stopped the match when Holmes was damage.
The margin ballooned to 47 factors, earlier than St Kilda kicked three late targets in junk time.
AAP
