Australian Football

Match Report

West Coast has maintained its unbeaten start to 2014 season with a hard-fought win over a plucky St Kilda at Subiaco on Saturday night. While the result of this match was the one most pundits expected, the manner in which it was achieved was not. Although St Kilda was also undefeated going into the match, its victories had been against Melbourne and GWS, sides not expected to make the finals this year, and West Coast was widely tipped to make short work of the Saints.

The match, however, did not pan out that way. After an early goal to Eagle Luke Shuey the Saints worked their way into the match and prevented West Coast from getting a run-on of any description. A lovely pass from Eli Templeton to Beau Maister St Kilda's first goal registered at the 11-minute mark, levelling the score. The Saints continued to attack but could only convert their forward forays into behinds and the Eagles closed out the quarter with goals to Josh Kennedy and Callum Sinclair to take a nine-point lead into the first break.

A major to Xavier Ellis saw the lead jump out to 16 at the five-minute mark of the second term and the Eagles began to look ominous. But the Saints would not go away. Indeed they largely took control of the game for the remainder of the half, kicking the next three goals via veterans Nick Riewoldt (two) and Leigh Montagna. When the siren sounded for the long break, St Kilda was an unlikely six-point leader.

That lead doubled to 12 points when Templeton goaled from a free at the six-minute mark, silencing the Subiaco crowd. Eight minutes later, Templeton provided a pivotal moment in the match. He had a chance to extend the lead to 18 points but "shanked" a rushed shot at goal from just 15-metres out. From the kick-out the Eagles went coast-to-coast to score a goal via Matt Priddis and what should have been a three-goal lead to St Kilda was cut back to just seven.

The course of that match changed from that moment. The Eagles kicked the last two of the quarter to take a one goal lead into the last term and when Ellis kicked the first of the final quarter, St Kilda's fate was sealed. West Coast kicked three further goals to one from St Kilda to run out victorious by 25 points.

Despite the loss, there were many positive signs for the Saints and they may well finish far higher on the ladder than the 17th or 18th many so called experts had tipped prior to round one. Sitting in ninth place with two wins, The Saints could improve their record to 3-1 with a win over Adelaide at Docklands next Sunday.

The Eagles next assignment is an away match against Geelong, which is also undefeated. A likely top place on the ladder awaits the winner of that match.

GOALS
West Coast: Ellis, Cripps, Kennedy 2; Darling, Shuey, Sinclair, Cox, Priddis, Brown
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Montagna, Dunstan 2; Maister, Templeton

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
West Coast: Priddis, Gaff, Bennell, Glass, Darling, Ellis, Sheppard
St Kilda: Montagna, Riewoldt, Dunstan, Hayes, Ray, Armitage

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
West Coast: Cox, Gaff, Priddis, Rosa, Darling
St Kilda: Dunstan, Montagna, Hayes, Riewoldt, Ray, Stanley

INJURIES
West Coast: Wellingham (groin) replaced in selected side by Schofield, LeCras (arm)
St Kilda: Gilbert (foot)

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Mark LeCras (arm) replaced by Will Schofield in first quarter.
St Kilda: Sam Gilbert (foot) by Shane Savage in the first quarter.

UMPIRES: Mitchell, Dalgleish, Mollison.

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Matthew Campbell, Tony Shaw, Alastair Lynch, Ben Dixon