Max Holmes lower leg injury, Shaun Mannagh hamstring, match report, Kardinia Park curse

St Kilda’s 27-year Kardinia Park curse has rolled on, with the Cats running out 27-point winners on Thursday night.

But Geelong’s 15.12 (102) to 11.9 (75) victory has been soured by a serious lower leg injury to Max Holmes that saw the star assisted from the field late in the match.

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He joined Shaun Mannagh (hamstring) in failing to finish the contest at GMHBA Stadium.

“Nothing stops a premiership run like injuries – Mannagh tonight with a hamstring and Holmes with hopefully just an ankle injury but it looks like more,” David King lamented.

The Cats, who are already without the likes of Jeremy Cameron (AC joint) and Tanner Bruhn (neck) due to injury, started the match with the first four goals in a big response for coach Chris Scott.

Debutant Jay Polkinghorne nailed his first goal with his first kick in jubilant scenes and later added his second.

But the brightest spark was the return of Gryan Miers, who was the number one rated player at half time.

After a month in the VFL, Miers starred for the Cats and finished with 22 disposals and three goals in a welcome return to form.

Despite the best efforts of big man Rowan Marshall (33 touches – 26 contested, 31 hitouts, 10 score involvements and two goals), the Saints were never really in the contest – albeit threatening with a three-goal third quarter burst.

The loss ensures St Kilda are now 0-9 against teams above them on the ladder in season 2026.

“I don’t think they are good enough at the moment,” Jack Riewoldt said bluntly.

“I don’t think they are consistently good enough.”

The Saints added some respectability to the scoreboard with the last three goals of the contest, but the result was already beyond doubt.

Geelong goalkickers: Miers 3, O.Henry, Dempsey, Polkinghorne 2, Mannagh, Atkins, Worpel, Neale, Dangerfield, Smith

St Kilda goalkickers: Marshall, Hall, Ryan 2, Garcia, Higgins, Lake, Silvagni, Wanganeen-Milera

THE 3-2-1… (with Will Faulkner)

3. ‘MONSTERING THEM’: CATS SURGE BACK INTO FORM… BUT SOUR BLOW EMERGES

Geelong’s frustrating three-game losing streak is done and dusted, after “monstering” St Kilda in somewhat of a Thursday night fizzer.

Despite a whopping seven team changes — the most on record in Geelong history — and the absence of reigning Coleman Medallist Jeremy Cameron, the hosts never looked like losing after kicking the first four majors of the night.

Usual suspect Bailey Smith led the charge on a statistical front with 35 disposals, 862 metres gained and a goal, with gut-running that very few across the league can replicate.

But, among those seven changes came the inclusion of 2022 premiership duo Gryan Miers and Brad Close who completely changed the dynamic of Chris Scott’s forward line

“It’s incredibly difficult to get the ball out of Geelong’s forward 50; I just think the mix is better, it’s a bit smaller this week” two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King told Fox Footy in the second quarter.

“They are just monstering them.

“This is the Geelong we’ve seen over the last few years; we haven’t seen them the last few weeks.

“They’ve just gone to sleep, the Saints … They’ve gone into their shell, they’re worried about themselves and not the bigger picture.”

Three-time Coleman Medal winner Jack Riewoldt added: “They’ve just looked so mobile and well-structured at the moment.”

It was an ultra-high disposal game for both sides with 818 touches between them, however the Cats were able to finish with 38 more marks and 13 more inside 50s. Additionally, the hosts were able to clunk double the contested marks (12-6).

“It’s just been a forward-half domination from Geelong. Seven changes, and it looks like they’re playing some really good footy,” Riewoldt said at the main break.

King added: “It’s not an extensive injury list at Geelong, but it’s one full of quality,“ King said halfway through the final quarter.

“There’s no fear with Geelong, they just play their way (and) play their role, everyone knows what’s required — that’s why they stack their wins.”

In a cruel blow though, Max Holmes was taken from the field in agony during the last quarter after sliding nastily on top of his leg in a ground ball contest.

The 23-year-old was spotted on crutches and in a moonboot immediately after the siren, while Shaun Mannagh didn’t take to the field after three-quarter time with hamstring tightness.

It comes after Jeremy Cameron (shoulder) and Tanner Bruhn (neck) were ruled out of the clash after injuries from last Saturday evening’s shock loss to GWS in western Sydney.

2. MILESTONE MAN ‘WORN LIKE A GLOVE’ AS STAR TEAMMATE EXPLODES

In what has been one of the better first 100 games at AFL level we’ve seen in the modern era, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera would be forgiven for feeling a little hard done to celebrate it playing against Geelong.

More specifically, Oisin Mullin.

The South Australian superstar was “worn like a glove” by the Cats’ Irish hardnut all night long, which saw the 23-year-old return his third-lowest disposal count (21) for 2026, and just eight first-half touches.

“He just hasn’t quite gotten into the game tonight so far … Mullin has been keeping an unbelievable check on him,” three-time premiership player Cameron Mooney said.

“When he went off, Mullin went off, and when he came back on, he was straight back on and chasing him around.”

Two-time North Melbourne flag winner David King added during the second quarter: “Naisah Wanganeen-Milera normally gets a metre or two (for) an uncontested possession, but Mullin is wearing him like a glove.”

The Glenelg product had varying amounts of help at stoppage from his teammates, and after three quarters mostly through the middle of the ground, was started up forward to try and throw out the Cats’ structure.

“He is (struggling), and Mullin’s done a great job — we know he’s one of the best taggers in the game … he’s really got the better of him,” Mooney said at half time.

Australian football Hall of Fame Legend Jason Dunstall added: “He’s also got to come to grips with these sorts of games. Sometimes as a coach, I think you’ve got to let a player fight through something before you actually say: ‘Let’s just concede and do something.”

While ‘Nas’ was well-held, star teammate Rowan Marshall exploded to, at points, single-handedly keep Ross Lyon’s side in the contest.

The 30-year-old absolutely dominated young Cats ruck Mitch Edwards at stoppage and around the ground, also hitting the scoreboard with two crucial goals against the Geelong grain.

“Rowan Marshall is feasting on the Cats ruck in the forward 50,” three-time Richmond premiership Jack Riewoldt told Fox Footy in the third term.

David King added: “The Cats were a fan of this man coming in, and he’s just destroying them … he’s been terrific.”

The Heathmere product finished his night with a career-high 33 disposals (26 contested), 31 hitouts, 12 clearances, 10 score involvements, two majors and one goal assist in a performance that will only have rival clubs circling even harder.

His 26 contested possessions were the most-ever by an individual in Saints history, usurping Jack Macrae’s 25 in Round 8, 2025.

1. CATS’ ‘OLD-FASHIONED’ FIND SHINES ON AFL DEBUT TO ‘THRILL’ CATS

There’s been absolutely no shortage of talent to come through Geelong’s AFL system across the last two decades, and on Thursday night, Chris Scott’s side unveiled yet another young gun who looks every bit an AFL player.

Off the back of stellar form in the Cats’ reserves this year, second-year forward Jay Polkinghorne was handed a debut at the top level in place of the injured Jeremy Cameron with instant effect.

It took the 20-year-old South Australian less than 17 minutes to slot one through the big sticks, before registering five kicks, five marks and three shots on goal in the second stanza to put All-Australian defender Callum Wilkie to the sword.

“He’s had a couple of important one-on-ones against Cal Wilkie. I think they’d be thrilled with what he’s done,” Jason Dunstall told Fox Footy at half time.

“He’s got a little bit of old-fashioned full-forward about him. He likes to lead, he likes to put body-on-body and loves to compete.

“We heard Chris Scott tell Fox Footy pre-game: ‘He’ll win his share of contests, and he’ll get shots for goal’. He’s done that; the only thing he hasn’t done is reward himself (with straight kicking).

Brisbane legend Michael Voss added: “He hasn’t been able to finish, but geez, he’s been an important focal point.”

From his 17 games in the VFL last year, Polkinghorne kicked three or more goals a handful of times, and failed to register a score just once for the entire season.

After an injury layoff saw him sidelined after 4.6 against Essendon VFL in Round 1 this year, the Norwood product kicked 16 goals from five matches before earning a Round 18 AFL call-up.

“He spent the year in the reserves, learning his craft and all those types of things,” Cameron Mooney said.

“And he comes in and he plays on one of the best defenders in the game, and at the moment doing extremely well.”

Polkinghorne finished the night with 2.3 in front of the big sticks, from 11 disposals and eight marks.

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