Buddy massive problem faces Wilkie, Saints at SCG off bye

Lance Franklin in his milestone sport on the SCG is a nasty AFL state of affairs for St Kilda.

After the earlier two editions, it is a pattern the Saints should reverse this Thursday evening as they attempt to maintain their season on monitor.

Franklin will be part of Eddie Betts on 350 video games, with Shaun Burgoyne (407) and Adam Goodes (372) the one Indigenous gamers boasting extra AFL matches.

The Swans star celebrated his two hundredth sport with a nine-goal haul in a win over the Saints on the identical floor.

Franklin’s three hundredth sport featured 4 targets, once more in a win over St Kilda on the SCG.

Whereas the considered Franklin reducing free provides all opposition defenders nightmares, he has additionally earned a lot respect that Saints backman Callum Wilkie sees Thursday evening as a privilege.

“I performed in his three hundredth – fortunate I did not get the job that day,” Wilkie mentioned.

“It is virtually video games you look again on and also you’re completely satisfied you have been a part of these milestones – he is such a champion participant.

“I have been fortunate sufficient to play on him just a few occasions and also you’re at all times in a little bit of awe, who you are standing, what he is completed for the sport.

“It is going to be a particular evening.”

Simply as it will likely be an enormous evening for Sydney and Franklin, St Kilda will head north on a mission.

They arrive off their mid-season bye smarting from the upset round-11 loss to Hawthorn.

After a scorching begin to the season beneath returning coach Ross Lyon, St Kilda are beginning to look off the boil.

Wilkie mentioned the loss to Hawthorn stung.

“Our effort had tapered off – we most likely performed some inconsistent footy within the final month or so,” Wilkie mentioned.

“It was a superb reminder coming into this week, seeing how poor our effort was and our compliance with construction – that are all little fixes.

“The best way we went about it, even when we did win that sport, we should not have … we did not play Saints footy.”

That left the Saints 7-4, one much less win than on the identical level final season.

“You possibly can’t assist however give it some thought, as a result of it was final yr,” Wilkie mentioned.

“However we now have a superb system in place, the boys are hungry and desperate to get again to Saints footy.”

St Kilda followers will bear in mind clearly what occurred at Moorabbin after final yr’s mid-season bye. The membership re-signed coach Brett Ratten, solely to sack him three months later after they did not make the finals.

And in additional worrying historical past for the Saints, their report on the SCG is woeful.

They’ve misplaced their previous seven video games on the floor, final beating Sydney there by some extent in 2009 en path to the grand closing.