Essendon vs St Kilda Preview & Prediction | 2025 AFL | Regular Season | Round 23
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Friday’s Marvel Stadium clash is all about pride and momentum. Essendon will be desperate to salvage respect while St Kilda aim to finish strong.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Some matches are televised on Fox Sports channels
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ & Watch AFL / US – Watch AFL
The prediction
Essendon (15th) is coming off a 44-point defeat to the Geelong Cats in Round 22. The Bombers were thoroughly outclassed by the premiership contenders. They did show some fight late in the third quarter and pulled within 20 points at one stage however the Cats pulled away late for a comfortable margin which could have been far greater had they been more accurate in front of goal.
St Kilda (11th) managed to secure the four points in a hard-fought victory over Richmond. The win was engineered by a match-winning strategic shift that saw Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera move to half-back and control proceedings.
Essendon captain Zach Merrett was, as is the story each week, a tireless worker in a well beaten team, finishing with 27 disposals, six clearances, and a goal.
St Kilda midfielder Marcus Windhager was unleashed in a pure ball-winning role against the Tigers and delivered an outstanding performance. He amassed 32 disposals, nine marks and six tackles, demonstrating a potent offensive side to his game.
The two clubs split their results in the 2024 season, suggesting a relatively even recent history. Essendon claimed a thrilling four-point victory in Round 3 at Marvel Stadium, before St Kilda responded emphatically with a commanding 53-point win in their Round 20 clash.
St Kilda's more consistent recent form should give them the advantage. While their win over Richmond wasn’t pretty at times, they found a way to secure the result, whereas Essendon's defeat to Geelong exposed deeper structural issues. If the Saints can control the tempo and execute their outside game, they should be too polished for a Bombers side longing for the season's end.
Essendon vs St Kilda tip:St Kilda to win by 30+ points
