Saints edge Pies to send Dal Santo out a winner

St Kilda has beaten Collingwood 5.9 (39) to 5.7 (37) at Moorabbin Oval to send outgoing coach Nick Dal Santo out a winner in Round 9 of the 2026 NAB AFLW Season. ABC

The Saints entered the game 0-8 and sitting last. They left with their first win of the season. It ended an 11-match losing streak stretching back almost a full year.

The score tells the story of a grind. In footy terms, 5.9 means five goals and nine behinds, worth 39 points in total. Collingwood finished with five goals and seven behinds for 37 points. Two points was the difference.

St Kilda did it the hard way. The Saints trailed by 12 points at half-time. They then rallied to lead by 10 points at three-quarter time and held on through a tense finish.

Midfielder Tyanna Smith drove the comeback with 25 touches and 12 clearances. Touches count kicks and handballs, and clearances are the clean wins out of a stoppage. Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw kicked two goals in the win.

Collingwood almost stole it. Young gun Ashley Centra had 25 touches and kicked a goal in the final 30 seconds to cut the margin to two points. The siren came before the Magpies could find another score.

It was a costly day for Collingwood. Captain Ruby Schleicher left the game with an injury to her right shoulder. Veteran Sabrina Frederick played her 100th AFLW game in the loss, which dropped the Magpies to 1-8.

The match was Dal Santo's last in charge after he announced on Friday he was standing down. He coached St Kilda's AFLW side for five years for a 23-39 win-loss record. He spoke to media after the win. St Kilda

What makes this stand out is the timing. Winless teams rarely finish so cleanly under pressure. St Kilda won the third quarter and then defended the lead when Collingwood came late.

Elsewhere in Round 9, the Western Bulldogs defeated Essendon to climb into the top four. Herald Sun