St Kilda Saints vs Essendon Bombers round 17 2026, scores, results, odds, stats and start time from Marvel Stadium
Essendon’s season of struggle continued as St Kilda, particularly Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, gave them a school-holidays lesson, winning by 67 points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
With the crowd of 34,713 bolstered by families due to the winter school holidays, Wanganeen-Milera dominated the hapless, coachless Dons, shedding two taggers and showing yet again the gulf between the current best Essendon players and the AFL’s elite.
Wanganeen-Milera finished one possession shy Leigh Montagna’s St Kilda club record of 47 in 2013. But he wasn’t the only Saint to feast on the Bombers. Bradley Hill and Max Hall got their piece of the action as their side kicked 10 goals in a row in the second term while building a lead of the same margin.
Together, Wanganeen-Milera (24), Hill (24) and Hall (21) had more disposals at half-time than the whole Bombers team had in the first term (66). And all three Saints went on to finish with career-high disposal tallies.
Wanganeen-Milera also kicked a goal and gained 906 metres, while Hill amassed 42 disposals, and Hall’s disposals numbered 33, leaving the umpires with three clear candidates to share the votes on Brownlow Medal night.
There were few positives for interim Dons coach Dean Solomon beyond Sam Durham’s relentless drive and effort and the burgeoning partnership between young forwards Isaac Kako and Nate Caddy (three goals).
While his shots for goal were off the mark, Caddy twice kicked goals from Kako passes, the second goal a soccer volley of a handball – even the easy goals were hard work for the Dons.
Essendon were closer to the Saints on the scoreboard in the second half, but it meant little after they were so thoroughly dominated in the first half.
For the briefest of opening moments of the game, it seemed like the Bombers might be ready to pounce on the Saints.
In the opening minute, the Saints won the footy and Wanganeen-Milera streamed into the forward 50m arc with eyes for the goals, but close behind was Bombers veteran Zach Merrett dived and almost brought down the Saints superstar.
But Wanganeen-Milera got a toe to the ball and no one from Essendon was quick enough to grab the footy, allowing the Saints to regain it and work it to Darcy Wilson, who snapped the opening goal.
From that point the man known as “Nas” dominated and the Saints never trailed.
Wanganeen-Milera had 13 disposals and a goal in the opening term as first Will Setterfield and later Archer Day-Wicks failed to curtail his impact. In truth, the only thing limiting the Saints was their wasteful kicking for goal, and that improved once ruckman Rowan Marshall threaded the needle with a shot from the right boundary after the quarter-time siren.
Anthony Caminiti, Hill and Mitch Owens kicked goals early in the second term – Hill’s came after a 50m penalty against Day-Wicks for flooring Wanganeen-Milera off the ball.
“At least he is showing some fight, sticking to his task,” former Saint Nick Dal Santo said on Kayo Sports.
It was that kind of day for the Dons.
A 10-goal run from the Saints were finally ended late in the second term when Durham’s desperation forced a turnover at half-back which ended with Kako selflessly handballing to Caddy to boot a goal from the square.
The Saints primed themselves to finish the job in the second half and they largely did that although the Dons managed to make a few promising attacks down the wing – it was too little, too late.
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Roy Ward is a sports writer, live blogger and breaking news journalist. He’s been writing for The Age since 2010.Connect via X or email.
