sport24h St Kilda stuns Richmond at Docklands, Geelong, Sydney and Essendon win Sportivo

The Saints sent a message and sabotaged the Tigers' run to the top four, Geelong crushed Brisbane, the Swans climbed into the top eight, the Giants drew — again — and Essendon took care of Collingwood on a big Saturday.

• Hawthorn 14.13 (97) drew with GWS 15.7 (97)
• Essendon 18.9 (117) beat Collingwood 12.8 (80)
• Sydney 17.16 (118) beat Gold Coast 7.9 (51)
• Geelong 25.13 (163) beat Brisbane 11.12 (78)
• St Kilda 21.12 (138) beat Richmond 10.11 (71)

Saints crush the Tigers at Docklands

St Kilda has torn Richmond to shreds, bursting the Tigers' bubble with a 67-point AFL demolition at Docklands.

The Saints played their best football of the season in the second term of the Maddie's Match fundraiser on Saturday night and won 21.12 (138) to 10.11 (71).

The Saints have won four games in a row for the first time since 2011 - their most recent finals appearance.

It is also St Kilda's highest score of the season.

Geelong has boosted its percentage with a crushing 85-point win over the lowly Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The Cats took the lead at the three-minute mark, a lead they never relinquished, as the visitors dominated the bottom-of-the-ladder Lions to finish the night winners by 25.13 (163) to 11.12 (78).

The Lions crashed to the big defeat despite coming into the game buoyant after their biggest win of the season last week, defeating Essendon at the MCG.

They began promisingly, with the Cats' nine-point lead at the first break flattering the visitors.

The second quarter was disastrous for the Lions however, with the home side committing nine clangers as the Cats ran through them with ease, notching ten majors from 19 inside 50 entries to increase their lead to 54.

For the rest of the game the intensity dropped and the teams traded goals in the third quarter, before the Cats pulled away in the fourth to inflict upon the Lions their biggest defeat of the season.

GWS has drawn its second game in a row, finishing level with Hawthorn on Saturday afternoon.

At their second home of York Park in Launceston, the Hawks led at various times in a see-saw encounter but they found themselves in strife in the final term.

But late goals drew them level, and it took a score review to confirm that Ryan Burton's attempt at a rushed behind came after the siren, ending the game with the Giants' 15.7 (97) to the Hawks' 14.13 (97).

The Giants needed to win to go back above the Crows, who won on Friday night.

But the visitors trailed by a point at quarter-time before booting five straight goals in the second term to silence the crowd.

However the Hawks hit back to get within nine points at the long break.

Hawthorn who needed a win to maintain some semblance of contact with the top eight dominated possession in the third term, and put increasing forward pressure on the Giants, but struggled at times to make it count

The home side booted 5.6 to lead by 15 points, but some composure in front of goal could have all but put the game away.

dan

Tweet