Sport
24 June, 2026
True form shown: Saints finally deliver
The Saints were rarely challenged on their way to a commanding 24.14 (158) to 2.0 (12) victory, producing their highest score of the season and one of their most polished displays of the year.
By JASON SMITH
AFTER spending much of the season searching for consistency across four quarters, St Arnaud finally delivered the complete performance it had been chasing, overwhelming Charlton by 146 points at Lord Nelson Park on Saturday.
The Saints were rarely challenged on their way to a commanding 24.14 (158) to 2.0 (12) victory, producing their highest score of the season and one of their most polished displays of the year.
Having often shown promising patches without sustaining them for an entire afternoon, St Arnaud combined strong defensive work, midfield control and efficient finishing to take charge from the outset and maintain that advantage throughout the contest.
The Saints kicked the opening two goals and steadily built scoreboard pressure throughout the first half.
By quarter time the margin had grown to 41 points, before another six-goal second term saw the lead stretch to 73 points at the long break.
Charlton’s first major arrived late in the second quarter through Ben Lanyon, but the Navies continued to face a difficult task against a St Arnaud side moving the football with confidence and purpose.
While the Saints eased slightly from the relentless pace they had set in the opening half, they remained firmly in control after the main break.
Charlton managed a second goal through Jake Lawry in the third quarter, but St Arnaud continued to generate scoring opportunities and entered the final term with a triple-figure advantage.
Any thoughts of the Saints coasting through the final quarter were quickly dispelled as they added another seven goals to finish the afternoon strongly and underline the gulf between the two sides on the day.
A feature of the victory was the spread of contributors across the ground. Nick Maishman, Jay Kirwood and Torin Petrie each finished with four goals, while Max Hungerford added three.
Sean Holroyd and Jake Male chipped in with two goals apiece as St Arnaud’s forwards capitalised on the steady supply coming from further afield.
Male produced one of his best games in Saints colours, combining strongly in the ruck before drifting forward to impact the scoreboard.
Darby Schilder was equally influential across half-back, repeatedly cutting off Charlton attacks and helping launch St Arnaud’s transition from defence into attack. The midfield pairing of Joe and Nick Maishman were central to much of the Saints’ best football. Their ability to win the ball at the source and drive the side forward provided the platform for the dominant performance, while Holroyd’s run and intercept work ensured the pressure remained on Charlton throughout the afternoon.
To the Navies’ credit, they continued to battle despite the scoreboard. Lawry was outstanding in defeat, while Jed Thompson, Patrick Sait, Elliott Fitzpatrick, Carl Thiesz and Bailey Hooper-Dixon were among those to continue competing strongly across four quarters.
For St Arnaud, the result was about more than just the margin. After several weeks of showing glimpses of their potential, the Saints finally delivered the sustained four-quarter effort that coaches and supporters alike have been looking for, providing an encouraging blueprint for the second half of the season.