St Kilda Wins by 101 Points Over West Coast Amidst ARC Decision Dispute
Introduction
St Kilda defeated West Coast by 101 points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, bringing their season record to 3-4. The game was defined by a huge scoring gap and a controversial decision by the AFL Review Centre (ARC).
Main Body
St Kilda scored 22 goals, marking their first victory by more than 100 points since 2015. Several players performed strongly, including Jack Higgins with five goals, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera with 34 disposals, and Callum Wilkie with 16 marks. Furthermore, St Kilda won their first third quarter of the 2026 season, scoring seven goals to West Coast's four to build a 55-point lead before the final period. A major dispute occurred in the second quarter when the ARC changed an original call of a 'behind'. After play had already restarted, officials decided that Rowan Marshall had actually caught a kick from Wanganeen-Milera. As a result, about 50 seconds of play were removed and Marshall was allowed to score a goal. While Marshall was happy with the result, West Coast coach Andrew McQualter claimed the decision changed the momentum of the game, although he admitted it was not the main reason for the loss. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon emphasized that these long reviews might go against the league's goal of making matches shorter. Regarding team strategy, the two clubs are moving in opposite directions. Coach McQualter admitted that West Coast's performance has declined, noting this was their second loss by over 100 points this year. In contrast, Ross Lyon asserted that St Kilda is improving and argued that their early-season record was due to a difficult schedule. Additionally, Max King returned to play in the VFL after missing 665 days due to injuries, appearing in 60% of the match against Gold Coast.
Conclusion
St Kilda now prepares for upcoming games against Carlton, Richmond, and Gold Coast after this dominant win, while the ARC's handling of the second-quarter review continues to be questioned.