St Kilda strangle wayward Carlton to stay top in AFL

St Kilda's golden start to Ross Lyon's second stint as coach has continued with a hard fought 22-point triumph over Carlton to consolidate their spot on top of the ladder.

After 11 lead changes in a see-sawing opening two-and-a-half quarters, the Saints broke clear with three-straight goals to end the third term.

Carlton kicking the first major of the last quarter gave the pro-Blues crowd at Marvel Stadium some hope of hauling in the 21-point deficit, but young utility Mitch Owens' long bomb soon after steadied St Kilda.

The Saints moved to 5-1 with the 12.10 (82) to 8.12 (60) triumph, returning to the winners' list after last week's six-point defeat to Collingwood.

After going undefeated in the opening month of the season, the Blues have dropped two straight matches, starting with their 56-point thumping against Adelaide last week.

Despite dominating possession, Carlton were made to pay for their inaccuracy in front of goal in a performance that will have frustrated coach Michael Voss.

Harry McKay, who won the Coleman Medal in 2021, was wayward all day and missed two shots in a minute during a crucial period in the third quarter.

Around the same time, fellow Blues forward Jack Silvangi missed a sitter, after a fortunate 50-metre penalty, to drain the life out of any Carlton surge.

Carlton had the six leading possession-winners on the ground, headlined by Adam Cerra (39) and Sam Walsh (38), but St Kilda's defensive system and pressure again held up.

Defence has been a hallmark of Lyon's coaching career and this Saints team is no exception, conceding an average of just 59.5 points per game this season. 

In a major plus for the Saints, they should only get better the longer the season goes as they regain more players from the injury list.

Versatile forward Tim Membrey was lively early in his first game of the season, but captain Jack Steele looked well below his brilliant best after returning from a broken collarbone suffered against the Western Bulldogs in round two.

Star full-forward Max King should be able to play a role in the second-half of the season as he recovers from a shoulder reconstruction.

St Kilda have a five-day turnaround before hosting Port Adelaide next Friday night, while the Blues fly to Perth to face struggling West Coast on Saturday night.