James Ranson at Etihad Stadium
105 disposals to 79 for the quarter.
And significantly, it was only the second time under Ross Lyon the Saints had conceded seven goals in the first quarter of a match.
Consecutive goals to Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna midway through the second term had the Saints in with a shout, but for all their huffing and puffing, the Bombers managed to extend the margin by a point at the main break.
The Saints, so often criticised for their inability to score goals, all of a sudden had to find plenty of them.
Their belated charge in the third term was soon jilted as just about everything that could go right for the Bombers, did.
It took until the 25th minute of the quarter for St Kilda to register a fourth goal, through Justin Koschitzke, who again, had a very poor evening.
Moments earlier, after Kyle Hardingham had extended the Bombers lead to 58 points, he steamrolled Riewoldt in a marking contest as the captain had a clear run at the ball in just one of a myriad of passages of play that exemplified the Saints' evening.
The Saints did all the running in the last as Adam Schneider and Jason Gram booted two goals each, but the damage was already done, and the late surge only served to prop up, what was, a wretched night for the club.
ESSENDON: 7.2, 9.5, 12.10, 16.12 (108)
STKILDA: 1.2, 3.4, 5.6, 11.9 (75)
GOALS: Essendon: Monfries 4, Hardingham 2, Hille 2, Houli 2, Neagle 2, Ryder 2, McVeigh, Watson
St Kilda: Gram 2, Riewoldt 2, Schneider 2, Montagna, Goddard, Ray, Peake, Koschitzke
BEST: Essendon: Fletcher, Hurley, Stanton, Watson, Ryder, Hocking, Howlett, Houli
St Kilda: Gram, Hayes, Montagna, Goddard
INJURIES: Essendon: Nil
St Kilda: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: St Kilda: Clinton Jones replaced in the side by Jarryn Geary
UMPIRES: Donlon, Chamberlain, Mollison