Australian Football

Match Report

The West Coast Eagles did just enough against St Kilda at Docklands stadium of Saturday afternoon, holding the tenacious Saints at bay by 33 points on the back of good second and third quarters, to keep their finals chances alive.

An entertaining first quarter saw the Saints get the early jump, with goals to young Jack Billings and veteran Clint Jones taking them out to an  11-point lead. Goals to Mark Hutchings, Matt Priddis and Jeremy McGovern kept the Eagles in touch but Billings added two more majors for the quarter and St Kilda reached the first turn with its nose in front, leading by seven points at quarter time. Lenny Hayes gave the Saints a good start to the second term with a goal at the four-minute mark but they would add only one more for the term (via Jones) while the Eagles racked up five of their own (through Jack Darling, McGovern, Darling again, Scott Lycett and Micthell Brown) to take a 13-point lead into the long break.

Luke Shey kicked the first major of the first term to take the Eagles' lead out to 20 points but goals to skipper Nick Riewoldt and Tom Simpkin saw the Saints back within eight after seven minutes. But the Eagles settled to kick the last three of the term and turn for home leading by 27. Needing the first goal of the final term to give themselves any chance, the Saints got exactly that via Tom Lee at the two-minute mark but Lycett took the margin back out to 27 with a goal two minutes later. St Kilda fought out the match but the Eagles were five and a half goals to the good when the final siren sounded.

The three "M"s, Mark Le Cras (25 disposals, five tackles), Matt Rosa (37 touches and four marks) and Mark Hutchings (23 possessions) all had good games for the winners while youngsters Billings (25 touches and three goals), Jack Newnes (24 disposals, seven marks) and Maverick Weller (21 possessions, seven tackles), gave Saints' fans hope for the future.

West Coast, two games outside the eight, will face a tough ask in round 16 as they attempt to stay in touch, coming up against Fremantle in Saturday's Western Derby while the Saints will look to lift themselves off the bottom of the ladder with a win over Richmond at Docklands on the same day.

GOALS
St. Kilda: Billings 3; Jones 2; Hayes, Riewoldt, Simpkin, Lee, Minchington
West Coast: McGovern, Darling 3; Lycett 2; Hutchings, Priddis, Brown, Shuey, Kennedy, Gaff, LeCras

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
St Kilda: Billings, Steven, Delaney, Hayes, Longer
West Coast: Mackenzie, Priddis, Hutchings, Rosa, McGovern

BEST – AFL.COM.AU
St. Kilda: Billings, Newnes, Jones, Steven, Hayes, Delaney
West Coast: Priddis, Hutchings, Darling, Rosa, McGovern, Schofield

INJURIES
St. Kilda: Leigh Montagna (gastro) replaced in selected side by Clinton Jones.
West Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
St. Kilda: Brodie Murdoch replaced Tom Simpkin at three-quarter time.
West Coast: Jamie Bennell replaced Xavier Ellis at three-quarter time.

UMPIRES: Stephens, Nicholls, Harris

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Basil Zempilas, Dennis Cometti, Tim Watson, Cameron Ling