Beast mode: Omitted Saint a class above in VFL

St Kilda may have been struck down by injuries in its AFL loss to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, but Mattaes Phillipou and Jack Carroll look ready to return after masterclass displays in a 37-point win over reigning premier Footscray at RSEA Park.

That pair, Liam Henry and Lance Collard were a class above as the Saints extended their undefeated run to five wins and a draw and move into the top 10.

Carroll’s link up with Collard (30, seven marks, seven inside-50s) and Henry (26, nine clearances, three goals) was great to watch, while Tobie Travaglia (29 at 83 per cent, 15 contested, nine marks, eight tackles, one goal) and Kye Fincher (27 at 81 cent) also sliced through the Bulldogs and Isaac Keeler picked up 23 touches and a goal to impact around the ground despite being well beaten by Caleb May and Lachlan Smith in the hitouts.

The only downside was Alix Tauru being sent straight to Tuesday night’s tribunal for a bump on Bulldog Stirling Phipps-Parsons in the first term.

Josh Dolan (27, six marks, one goal) was impressive for Footscray, as was returning Norm Goss medallist Cooper Craig-Peters (25, 12 contested, eight clearances) was tireless as usual.

Frankston is building a formidable home record in front of a formidable home crowd under the Friday night lights at Kinetic Stadium.

The Dolphins came from 22 points down early in the last quarter to pip Collingwood by a point on a Noah Gown behind with just four seconds on the clock.

Frankston kicked the last four goals through Harrison Jones, Taine Barlow, Kobe Askew and finally a brilliant snap from best-afield Jackson Voss in the dying stages before Gown’s long set shot sent the place into raptures.

Every week it becomes more of a head-scratcher that Voss (32 disposals, five marks, six rebounds, one goal) isn’t playing AFL, and his skipper Trent Mynott (29, one goal), Darby Hipwell (29, 16 contested), Tyson Milne (26, 11 marks) and Ollie Moran (24, eight marks, one goal) again starred in support.

Magpie Jakob Ryan (24, seven marks) is closing in on a long-awaited AFL recall, Angus Anderson (21, 11 tackles) worked hard and Charlie West (21, eight marks, three goals) starred up forward.

The Casey Demons were threatening to overturn the significant advantage of Williamstown winning the toss and kicking with a Point Gellibrand Doctor that was baring its considerable teeth on Saturday.

At the 21-minute mark of the third term – the Seagulls’ second chance with the wind – Demon Ethan Stanley had a chance from 20m to cut the margin to 13 points and set up a last-quarter blitz to secure a season-shaping win.

But he kicked into Zac Pritchard on the mark, the ball swept up the other end with the aid of a 50m penalty against Nate Pipicelli, and Luamon Lual slipped over to hand Diesel Moloney a mark and his second goal to make it 25 points. Game Over.

Although Stanley redeemed himself with a brilliant set shot, the Seagulls piled on five more goals, including two stunning snaps on either foot from Heath Ollington, to lead by 51 at three quarter-time.

Seagull midfielder Toby Triffett (28, 14 clearances, one goal), veteran gun Jake Greiser (26) and reborn forward Kallan Dawson, who kicked three of his four goals in Williamstown’s initial seven-goal salvo, were too classy.

Latrelle Pickett was brilliant with 21 disposals and four goals for Casey as he auditioned for his AFL spot back, while Riley Bonner (33) and Bailey Laurie (31) were prolific.

Henry Hustwaite put in yet another stunning audition to Hawthorn selectors and other clubs looking for a midfielder with a destructive display as Box Hill Hawks smashed Gold Coast by 97 points at People First Stadium on Saturday.

He was helped by a similarly dominant Finn Maginness (37, two goals), Sam Butler (32, three goals) and Ollie Greeves (33, one goal) as the Hawks showed exactly how healthy their list is by turning a four-point deficit 10 minutes into the second quarter into a percentage boosting win with a 17-goal to one onslaught that included 8.5 to 0.2 in the last term.

Ben Jepson (35 at 89 per cent), Alex Sexton (30, one goal) and Caleb Lewis (26, 12 marks) were best for the Suns.

Tasmania’s draft hopefuls stepped up when required as the Devils consolidated a top-four spot with a 36-point win over Sandringham at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday, headed by five goals and 15 hitouts from Hugh Dixon in a hybrid full-forward/ruck role, 20 touches and three majors for former Bomber Jye Menzie and three snags for Jed Hagan, while former Melbourne father-son selection Kynan Brown returned from a long-term injury with 33 touches for the Zebras.

Zac Fisher (36) and Bailey Scott (35) knocked up winning the ball, luckless half-back Josh Goater impressed with 27 touches and Mid-Season draftee Ollie Griffin fired through four goals as North Melbourne thrashed Richmond by 63 points at ETU Stadium, despite 34 possessions for Kaleb Smith.

Coburg grabbed its sixth win in seven games to consolidate its top-10 spot with a hard-fought 17-point victory over Port Melbourne sparked by Flynn Gentile (26 disposals, one goal), Joel Trudgeon (24, two goals), Braedyn Gillard (28 at 89 per cent) and Jack Bytel (28, 11 contested, eight tackles), while former Essendon man Ben Hobbs (32, 19 contested, 14 clearances) was brilliant for the Borough.

Geelong’s eighth win in a row was led by Jhye Clark and Gryan Miers, who had 31 and 30 disposals respectively in a 47-point victory over Southport at Fankhauser Reserve – the Cats’ first triumph over the Sharks coming despite 34 touches (19 contested), 11 clearances and a goal from Liston medallist Jacob Dawson in his 100th full game and 31 touches and 12 marks for Zac Foot.

GWS captain Ryan Hebron kicked five goals and young key forward Hugo Birks four, while Jack Ough picked up another 28 touches to help the Giants cruise past Carlton by 69 points at Engie Stadium, with the returning Ollie Hollands (26, seven tackles) best for the Blues.

Just one charge (other than Tauru), with Tasmania’s Archie Wilkinson offered a reprimand (down from a $150 fine) for striking Sandringham’s Kynan Brown in the last quarter.