match live, but it remained Seven's preference to broadcast its Sunday matches delayed, as a ratings lead-in to its 6:00 pm news. To balance both expectations, the AFL changed the match's start time to 3:10pm, allowing both a live broadcast and a news lead-in. This was a once-off change until the 2012 broadcast deal; since then, the free-to-air broadcaster's Sunday afternoon match has always been a live broadcast at or around 3:10–3:20pm EST. Match summary The match was played under the closed roof at Etihad Stadium. The sell-out crowd of 54,444 set a new record for an Australian rules football match at the stadium, with a majority supporting the home team St Kilda. Both teams lost important players to injury shortly before the match: veteran St Kilda defender Max Hudghton, who spent the week under an injury cloud after an incident the previous week, was omitted from the team for Raphael Clarke at the selection table; and Geelong goalsneak Steve Johnson withdrew on the morning of the game with a hip injury, and was replaced by emergency Simon Hogan. First quarter St Kilda dominated the opening phases of the game, and kicked its first goal after two minutes, when tagger Clinton Jones capitalised on a fumble by Geelong's Gary Ablett Jr., whom he tagged throughout the game. Two minutes later, Nick Riewoldt kicked the second goal after taking a courageous mark with the flight of the ball in the goal square. St Kilda cleared the ensuing centre bounce, and a long set shot by Justin Koschitzke was touched back into play by the Geelong defenders on the goal line, where it was gathered and kicked through for a close range goal by Michael Gardiner. St Kilda missed a strong chance for a fourth goal two minutes later from a turnover at half-forward; then kicked a fourth goal by a long set shot from Koschitzke, to lead 4.1 (25) to no score after only ten minutes of play. Geelong gained some repeat forward-50 entries over the next five minutes, but St Kilda's defense was strong, and Geelong managed only a behind rushed from a marking contest in the 12th minute. St Kilda rebounded, and after forcing a turnover by Cameron Ling trying to clear the ball, Sam Fisher kicked a goal on the run in the 18th minute to extend the margin to 30 points. Adam Schneider narrowly missed a chance