The second game on Saturday for AFL Round 23 is between St Kilda Saints and Fremantle Dockers. The opening bounce is set to commence at 1:45pm with the game to be played at Etihad Stadium. The favourite for the match is away team Fremantle Dockers. View our preview and teams for the game between St Kilda Saints and Fremantle Dockers.

Round: Round 23 1:45 PM August 31, 2013
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Weather: 20° Partly cloudy

Featured Bookmakers:

St Kilda Saints $5.75 vs Fremantle Dockers $1.14 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

St Kilda Saints $5.75 vs Fremantle Dockers $1.14 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by AFL Odds:

St Kilda Saints	5.75	5.50	5.75	5.50	5.75	5.80
Fremantle Dockers	1.14	1.15	1.14	1.15	1.14	1.14

Preview:

St. Kilda recorded their fourth win of the season with victory over an average Gold Coast last week 116 – 70.

The Saints got off to a shaky start but a run of six unanswered goals leading into half time, gave the Saints the momentum they needed to hit the front and keep going.

It was clear that the players enjoyed being chased rather than doing the chasing but they’ll need to lift several levels again on that effort as they host Fremantle this week.

The Dockers have won their last four games by an average margin of 79.5 points and have booted over 130 points in each of their past three games.

Admittedly, they’ll face some stiffer opposition here in the Saints but there is no denying how good the Dockers are travelling at present and they’ll continue that form here.

Fremantle have only won two of their last ten against St. Kilda but they were the most recent clashes and they posted a 30 point victory their opponents back in round 15 of this year.

Saints will want to finish the season on a high but Fremantle have a Grand Final berth firmly in their sites and will not be railroaded on the eve of the finals.

Saints get -37.5 and given the current scoring form of the Dockers, they should exceed that mark.

Teams:

St Kilda Saints:
B: Roberton Blake Geary
HB: Dempster Gilbert Ray
C: Armitage Montagna Jones
HF: Schneider Riewoldt Curren
F: Milne Lee McEvoy
FOLL: Hickey Dal Santo Steven
I/C: Ross Hayes Ledger Koschitzke
EMG: Webster Murdoch Saunders
In: Tom Lee, Dylan Roberton, Justin Koschitzke
Out: Jack Newnes (shoulder), Cameron Shenton (omitted), Brodie Murdoch (omitted)

Fremantle Dockers:
B: Ibbotson Faulks Duffield
HB: Mzungu Silvagni C Pearce
C: Sutcliffe Crowley Crichton
HF: de Boer Mayne Barlow
F: Hannath Pavlich Crozier
FOLL: Sandilands Neale D Pearce
I/C: Sheridan Forster Mellington Taberner
EMG: Moller Simpson Spurr
In: Jesse Crichton, Garrick Ibbotson, Alex Silvagni, Hayden Crozier, Joshua Mellington, Clancee Pearce, Alex Forster, Matthew Taberner, Peter Faulks, Aaron Sandilands
Out: Hayden Ballantyne (rested), Nick Suban (hamstring), Stephen Hill (hamstring), Michael Johnson (rested), Zac Clarke (rested), David Mundy (rested), Michael Walters (Knee), Lee Spurr (rested), Nathan Fyfe (Rested), Zac Dawson (rested)
New: Alex Forster, 20, Norwood (SANFL)

Ross Lyon to clap off Saints AFL friends

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon feels fortunate he’ll be present for the AFL swan songs of St Kilda trio Stephen Milne, Jason Blake and Justin Koschitzke.

Lyon coached the Saints from 2007-11, leading the club to four finals appearances and three grand finals.

His winning record of 62.8 per cent over that period is considered elite.

Koschitzke, Milne and Blake were all key players under Lyon’s reign, and will fittingly bow out under the eye of their former coach in Saturday’s clash with Fremantle at Etihad Stadium.

“For me, I feel fortunate that I’m going to be there to see their last game and give them a clap off the ground, because they’ve been wonderful servants,” Lyon told Perth’s radio station 6PR.

“It was an era that ultimately didn’t deliver a cup, but went mighty close.

“It was five prelims, two grand finals and a replay under Grant Thomas and myself. That group duly delivered but just fell short.

“Outside of the premiership, it’s the most successful era over eight, nine, 10 years in the club’s history.

“So those players should be admired and applauded off the ground by all the Saints’ fans.”

Koschitzke hasn’t played since round 14 due to a calf injury, but is hoping to take on the Dockers in what would be his 200-game milestone.

Milne will go down as one of the AFL’s finest small forwards after booting 572 goals during his 274-game career.

But the 33-year-old was stood down for four games earlier this season after being charged with four counts of rape over an alleged incident from 2004.

Milne is fighting the charges.

Blake has notched 218 games in a career spanning 14 years.

The 189cm defender/ruckman notched his first Brownlow medal votes last year, but has played just six games this season.

Fremantle have been in hot form over the past month, but need Brisbane to upset Geelong at Simonds Stadium if they are to have a chance of nabbing second spot.

The Dockers will welcome back Clancee Pearce (calf) and ruckman Aaron Sandilands (fractured cheekbone) from injury, but Michael Walters (knee) and Nick Suban (hamstring) will miss the match.

All-Australian defender Luke McPharlin was initially scheduled to return this week, but won’t be ready until the first week of the finals due to a lingering calf injury.