At half-time of this match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Saints at Metricon Stadium, with the scores locked on 25 points apiece in a dour contest, there was a sudden eruption. St Kilda ruckman Paddy Ryder dropped Suns defender Sam Collins to the turf. Another Suns defender, Sean Lemmens, dumped Dan Butler. Finally, it was game on.

Of course, all-in brawls aren’t what they used to be in football, for which we can be grateful. Even all-in melees, which this was – other than Saint Jack Higgins, who decided not to waste his money on a fine – barely rate a mention. Maybe the players had become as bored as the spectators and needed to entertain themselves. Who knows?

Suffice to say this was no affair to remember. But for coach Brett Ratten, all that will count at the end of day is the result: a nine-point win to the Saints, who had trailed for the vast majority of the match, did their best to kick themselves out of it, yet finished over the top of the fading Suns, with four of their eight goals coming in the last quarter.

It gets the struggling Saints back into the season with four wins from eight outings, albeit with a poor percentage. For the Suns, playing at home and knocking on the door of the top eight, it was a wasted opportunity to post their third win in a row, against a team they mostly had the better of. Instead they now have three wins and five losses.

Jack Billings was probably the Saints’ best four-quarter performer, igniting his team when they needed him most and kicking two goals on top of 25 disposals. He was shadowed by Zak Jones and Jack Steele, while Hunter Clarke lifted late. Ruckman Ryder sharked the goal that put St Kilda in front late and was influential.

For the Suns, Touk Miller was again the most damaging midfielder on the ground, closely shadowed by captain David Swallow, who also imposed himself physically with 13 tackles. Ben King kicked three early goals but faded, while Rankine was in and out of the game. Mostly, though, the Suns just ran out of legs.

Which would have frustrated coach Stuart Dew no end, because his side took a 15-point lead into the last quarter. Rankine had roved another goal-square contest hard to set up King’s third goal, and then a brief purple patch – aided by some terrible turnovers by the Saints – yielded three majors in five minutes.

During the same quarter, the Saints managed just one goal and five behinds; by early in the last they had four goals and 13 on the board. But they stormed home from there to take the points. For the Suns, the brightness of the last couple of weeks has broken to reveal another false dawn.

GOLD COAST 1.4 3.7 7.9 7.12 (54)
ST KILDA 0.3 3.7 4.12 8.15 (63)