<p>Round 23 gets going with a Friday night double-header (no Thursday game this week, with the AFLW taking the spotlight), and it’s Essendon vs St Kilda at Marvel Stadium to kick things off.</p> <p>With both teams officially out of the finals race, this one’s more about looking ahead than anything else. For the Saints, it still seems to revolve around one guy: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.</p> <p>He was the hero again last week, helping the Saints sneak past the Tigers at the ‘G. Sure, Kamdyn McIntosh’s overzealous run probably helped, but it was Nasiah who pulled the strings late to get St Kilda over the line. That’s now three wins in a row as they look to finish the year on a strong note.</p> <p>The Bombers, on the other hand, are now on a 10-game losing streak after going down to Geelong last Friday night. But weirdly, they didn’t look that bad. In fact, they probably came out of it looking more promising than the Cats.</p> <p>They’ve been fighting hard in recent weeks despite having almost no one left to pick from—and they’ve unearthed some gems along the way.</p> <p>Archie Roberts looks like a serious Rising Star contender. Mid-season pickups Archer May and Liam McMahon are showing plenty, and Jayden Nguyen has been a real surprise packet as a crafty, hard-nosed small defender.</p> <p>This one might not have big ladder implications, but it’s the kind of game die-hards live for. It won’t be blockbuster stuff—but for anyone keen to see where both clubs are heading, it’s well worth a watch.</p> <p>The Bombers have copped more bad luck at the selection table.<br /> Skipper Zach Merrett is out with a broken hand, and Archer May, despite avoiding serious damage, will still miss with that ankle tweak from last week.</p> <p>Dylan Shiel might also miss after his tribunal visit following a push on Mark O’Connor that sent him into a teammate.</p> <p>Some good news though: Kyle Langford looks set to return after getting through a hitout in the VFL. The Dons will take all the firepower they can get.</p> <p>The Saints got through last weekend with a clean bill of health, so they might roll with the same side. But Jack Carroll definitely put his hand up with 35 disposals for Sandringham—so don’t be surprised if he gets a look.</p> <p>It might be a battle between two teams out of the finals, but there’s still plenty of storylines—and maybe even a sneak peek at the future.</p> <p>For the latest team news, analysis, odds, and betting tips, check out our Dons vs Saints prediction and preview below.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Essendon vs St Kilda Predicted Teams</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Essendon Predicted Team List</h3> <p>B: Andy McGrath, Jayden Laverde, Jayden Nguyen</p> <p>HB: Mason Redman, Lachie Blakiston, Archie Roberts</p> <p>C: Xavier Duursma, Sam Durham, Saad El-Hawli</p> <p>HF: Kyle Langford, Peter Wright, Jade Gresham</p> <p>F: Isaac Kako, Liam McMahon, Jye Menzie</p> <p>Foll: Todd Goldstein, Ben Hobbs, Archie Perkins</p> <p>Int: Jaxon Prior, Matt Guelfi, Angus Clarke, Oskar Smartt, Rhys Unwin</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>St Kilda Predicted Team List</h3> <p>B: Liam Stocker, Callum Wilkie, Alix Tauru</p> <p>HB: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Anthony Caminiti, Jack Sinclair</p> <p>C: Marcus Windhager, Hugh Boxshall, Bradley Hill</p> <p>HF: Mason Wood, Max Heath, Mattaes Phillipou</p> <p>F: Jack Higgins, Cooper Sharman, Hugo Garcia</p> <p>Foll: Rowan Marshall, Jack Steele, Jack Macrae</p> <p>Int: Zak Jones, Darcy Wilson, Max Hall, Liam Henry, Hunter Clark</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Essendon vs St Kilda Prediction &amp; Betting Tips</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Head-to-Head Prediction</h3> <p>The Saints hold sway in the recent head-to-head, with six wins from the past four encounters with the Bombers.&nbsp;</p> <p>While the Saints have been bailed out by Nasiah over the last few weeks, and Ross Lyon for a long time now has been accused of playing a boring game style, one thing the Saints are doing better than most over the last month is looking after the ball.</p> <p>They rank fourth in the competition for ball retention over the past month and sit fourth for ‘points against’ too over that time period.</p> <p>That might hold them in good stead, considering the Bombers forward line is being held together by a first year player, a guy who wasn’t at the club eight weeks ago, and a bunch of players that Brad Scott probably doesn’t want to play, but has no choice too, to field a team.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Bombers showed some good fight against the Cats. It would be very St Kilda of them to drop this one, but we think they should be too strong here.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/afl/essendon-v-st-kilda-9480896">Saints</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>First Goal Prediction</h3> <p>Since he arrived at the club with the last pick in the mid-season draft, Liam McMahon has kicked the first goal for Essendon in three of his four games at AFL level. To make things crazier, he is the only Essendon player to have scored a goal in the second quarter of a game over the past five weeks.</p> <p>We’re backing him to get the ball rolling again for the Dons here, but also for the first one of the game.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/afl/essendon-v-st-kilda-9480896">Liam McMahon</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Most Disposals Prediction</h3> <p>While Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has been all the rage and is rightfully, the short-priced favourite in this market, We think we’ve found some value in one of his running mates.&nbsp;</p> <p>Jack Sinclair has averaged 26 disposals in his past five games against the Dons, and has nudged 30 touches the past couple of meetings. We think he might top the charts here.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/afl/essendon-v-st-kilda-9480896">Jack Sinclair 30+ disposals&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Essendon Bombers vs St Kilda Saints Match Details</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Date: </strong>Friday, August 15th, 2025</p> <p><strong>First Bounce: </strong>7:20 PM, AEST</p> <p><strong>Location:</strong> Marvel Stadium, Melbourne</p> <p><strong>How to watch:</strong> Channel 7, Fox Footy/ Kayo Sports</p>