Sensational St Kilda: 10 second-half goals propel Saints to stunning win
St Kilda have staged a stirring comeback to floor West Coast in a tale of two halves under the Marvel Stadium roof on Saturday.
The Saints faced a 33-point deficit midway through the third quarter after a disappointing first half and appeared down for the count, but soon forced themselves off the canvas and suddenly looked inspired.
St Kilda kicked the next three goals, with a pair to Dan Butler and one to Daniel McKenzie, and could have even claimed the lead if not for a handful of gettable misses.
Emerging star Max King.Credit:Getty Images
St Kilda’s golden run persisted into the last quarter. Max King slotted his fifth goal after Liam Ryan ran too far, before Tim Membrey snapped truly as the Saints stole the lead.
Jack Billings steered through his second from a tight angle, then Jack Steele kicked a captain’s goal to put his side in the box seat. A minute later, the win was sealed as another Jack — this time Higgins — blasted one home.
The win from the clouds comes after alarm bells were sounding early St Kilda. Jack Darling kicked two goals in the first five minutes, then Oscar Allen’s quick left-foot snap from a stoppage gave the Eagles an early break.
But St Kilda hit back through King, who crumbed his own marking contest, dribbled the ball through traffic at the top of the square and put the Saints on the board. Membrey goaled minutes later, before King added two more of his own to illustrate his prodigious talents.
Adding to West Coast’s mid-quarter problems was the loss of captain Shannon Hurn (right calf), who was subbed out for debutant Isiah Winder.
But the momentum swung back West Coast’s way late in the opening stanza. Jack Petrucelle landed a double blow, the second of his majors particularly impressive as the speedy Eagle spun out trouble to slam another home.
As momentum continued to seesaw in the second term, goals to debutant Isiah Winder and another breathtaking Petrucelle major put the Saints firmly on the back foot as the margin stretched out to 28 points.
The Eagles were cruising early in the third quarter, and a Petrucelle goal — his fourth for the day — increased the lead to 33 points.
But fortunes then swung dramatically in favour of St Kilda, as the Saints piled on 10 second-half goals to seal a famous win.
Brad Hill responds in style, Max King excites
Brad Hill responded to critics after a disappointing outing against Essendon last week. The winger had 17 kicks and provided plenty of run on the outside. Meanwhile, King gave Saints fans a sweet taste of his talent with five goals, which included a purple patch of three in the first quarter. King teased with two consecutive behinds during St Kilda’s third term rally, but kicked another in the last to finish with five goals.
West Coast’s bittersweet day for milestones
Skipper Hurn was subbed out early with a right calf injury as he equalled the club’s record for games played. But it opened the door for debutant Isiah Winder to enter the AFL arena, and did not take long for last year’s pick 57 to score his first goal with a second-quarter snap. 2020 All-Australian Brad Sheppard also played his 200 th match, but the day ultimately ended in bitter fashion for West Coast’s milestone men.
VOTES
Billings 8
King 8
Crouch 7
Steele 7
McGovern 7
BEST
St Kilda: Billings, King, Crouch, Steele, Hill, Butler
West Coast: McGovern, Petrucelle, Sheed, Barrass, Kelly, Naitanui
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