St Kilda vs Melbourne Round 20 2025 AFL Match

During Round 20 of the 2025 Australian Football League (AFL) season, St Kilda played against Melbourne at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on 27 July 2025. Entering the fixture, both clubs occupied the bottom six positions on the ladder, with Melbourne positioned 13th and St Kilda 15th.

Background

St Kilda entered the match having won only two of its previous fourteen encounters, including an earlier victory against Melbourne in Alice Springs during Round 12. Melbourne had similarly struggled, securing only a single victory since Round 11 against North Melbourne. The Demons played without key defenders Jake Lever and Steven May due to injury and suspension, respectively.

Match Summary

Melbourne established a dominant advantage early in the game, leading by 25 points at quarter-time and extending their margin to 46 points by three-quarter-time after a behind by Jacob van Rooyen.

Trailing by 46 points at the final break, St Kilda produced a historic final term, kicking 9.2 (56) to Melbourne's 0.4 (4). Jack Higgins contributed multiple goals, while midfielder Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera played a pivotal role in the comeback. With less than a minute remaining, Wanganeen-Milera took a mark and kicked a goal to level the scores. Following a 6-6-6 rule infringement penalty against Melbourne, Wanganeen-Milera marked again just before the final siren and converted his set shot to secure a six-point victory for St Kilda.

Legacy and Records

St Kilda's victory overcame a 46-point three-quarter-time deficit, surpassing the Brisbane Bears' 45-point comeback against Hawthorn in Round 16, 1995, to set a new VFL/AFL record for the largest three-quarter-time comeback.