Live: Giants rocked by Saints barrage as star midfielder fails concussion test

It’s been a hot start to the second half, with no scoring but plenty of intensity in the tackles.

The Saints are bringing the pressure, and after holding the ball inside forward 50, the ball was forced through for a behind for the visitors.

The Giants need to get their attack in sync again. It’s a two-point game.

Well, after that first half of footy it seems pretty clear the Giants are not going to get the 100-plus point win they needed for an unlikely run at fourth spot.

So now it’s very simple. Win, and guarantee a home final.

Lose, and potentially have to travel for an elimination final.

If that isn’t motivation, I don’t know what is.

• Inside 50s: 25-18 St Kilda

• Clearances: 23-21 St Kilda

• Contested Possessions: 61-58 St Kilda

• Uncontested Possessions: 104-82 GWS

There’s a bit of push and shove at half-time after a couple of Saints drive a Giants defender into a turf with a tackle.

Connor Idun isn’t happy with that and pushes one of the Saints and then it kicks off just for a little bit.

The Saints have been excellent in this first half, and are giving GWS all they can handle so far.

They kicked 4.2 to 2.3 for the quarter and have brought some serious heat around the footy, laying seven tackles inside their attacking 50.

Lachie Ash is the leading ball-winner on the ground with 14 first-half disposals.

Marcus Windhager and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera have 13 touches apiece to lead the Saints.

Rowan Marshall is also having a huge game in the ruck for St Kilda. He’s got 12 touches, 14 hitouts and seven clearances.

If Tom De Koning arrives as expected, someone should seriously try and pry Marshall out of Moorabbin because he is a gun.

The news gets a little worse for GWS as veteran Stephen Coniglio is subbed out of the game after failing his HIA.

Jacob Wehr is his replacement. A big blow for the Giants, who are already without both Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer up forward.

St Kilda has hit the front here at the Showgrounds, and we’ve got our first big twist of the afternoon!

The Saints have been excellent in this quarter, dominating the territory, and they’re getting the rewards.

Lance Collard gets on the end of a snap at goal to take a mark in the pocket, and he goes back and drills his second of the afternoon.

GWS drops to sixth on the live ladder with that goal…

Cooper Sharman skies over a huge pack to take a big contested mark, that was Leo Barry-esque!

He goes back and drills the set shot to make this a five-point game all of a sudden.

The crowd in attendance suddenly sounding a little nervy.

The Saints have kicked five of the last seven goals to make a game of this.

Mattaes Phillipou has his second of the afternoon after a great snap from long distance!

The Saints all go to Brad Hill after that goal after Hill courageously tapped the ball forward under huge pressure leading to Phillipou’s goal.

St Kilda just keeps hanging around every time the Giants look like they’re about to blow it wide open.

A bit of an injury concern for the Giants with Stephen Coniglio coming off the ground.

Coniglio went low to try and tackle Marcus Windhager and saw his head collide into Windhager’s shoulder.

He’s gone down into the GWS rooms to have a HIA.

The Giants continue to eat up the Saints out of stoppages!

A lovely sidestep and handball from Darcy Jones under heavy pressure finds Xavier O’Halloran, and then O’Halloran finds Harry Rowston inside 50 with a lovely left-footed kick across the body.

Rowston, who starred last week against the Suns, drills the set shot from 35m out a slight angle.

Darcy Wilson with the quick response for the Saints!

Disappointing stuff from Giants veteran Stephen Coniglio there as he gives away the 50m penalty by carelessly running through the protected zone.

That’s the Giants’ second 50m penalty given away now. They’ve both resulted in shots at goal, but Wood missed his chance earlier in the first term.

Max Gruzewski has been an imposing target in the Giants’ forward 50!

After missing a very gettable set shot to start the quarter, Gruzewski climbs all over Saints star Cal Wilkie to take a sensational contested mark.

He goes back and makes no mistake on this set shot.

Gruzewski has already kicked 2.2 and has an equal game-high four marks as well.

The Giants take a 10-point lead into the first change, but coach Adam Kingsley would be feeling a little uneasy.

GWS stormed out of the gates with the first four goals of the match, including three inside the first five minutes of the match, but have been pegged back.

St Kilda slightly leads the inside 50 count 10-9 and has gotten themselves back in the clearance battle (GWS leads 11-8).

GWS milestone man Harry Himmelberg leads all players with 10 disposals, while Zak Jones, Marcus Windhager and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera all have eight touches apiece to lead the Saints.

Windhager is currently operating at 100 per cent efficiency and has four score involvements as well. An excellent quarter from another man who the Saints are desperate to lock down to a new deal.

St Kilda probably should be ahead here, because they’ve missed some very, very gettable chances.

Mason Wood absolutely sprays an easy set shot from 25m out on a slight angle after winning a 50m penalty.

The Saints have won five of the last six clearances in this game to get themselves back in it.

Isaac Keeler shows some tremendous agility for a big man by crumbing beautifully from a marking contest before dribbling it home on the left foot.

It looks like it’s going to be a brilliant goal for Keeler, but his teammate Lance Collard toe pokes the ball right on the goal line to claim the goal.

All smiles from both players so no harm, no foul, but that is absolute daylight robbery from Collard.

Mattaes Phillipou converts a set shot to get the Saints up and running!

That’s a great finish from the wrong side for a left-footed kick.

A lovely kick inside 50 from Marcus Windhager as well, which found Phillipou on a short lead.

A lovely set shot from Max Gruzewski, who converts a set shot from 30m out tight in the pocket on the wrong side for a right footer.

A big contest on the wing in the lead-up to the goal, as Tom Green was seemingly caught dead in a tackle, but managed to get his hands free and got the handball off to a teammate, which broke things open.

This has been a dream start for the Giants.

The three quick goals have seen St Kilda completely clog this game up in the last few minutes in true Ross Lyon style.

Ross will want to get a handle on Giants star Tom Green as well.

Green already has four clearances in this game, by far the highest of any player on the ground.

#JustAFLthings here as they go upstairs to figure out whether Zak Jones has kicked a behind or not.

Replays show that he’s juuuust avoided kicking a set shot from 40m out on a slight angle completely out on the full, so the Saints are officially on the board.