LEAGUE-LEADER West Coast avoided a slip-up at home against a dogged St Kilda but a nasty ankle injury suffered by star forward Jack Darling soured a hard-earned 13-point triumph on Saturday night.

Despite being well below their best, the Eagles had just enough answers as they chalked up a 10th consecutive win – the club's best streak since 1996 – and will head to their bye a game clear on top of the ladder after a 16.5 (101) to 14.4 (88) victory.

EAGLES HOLD ON Full match coverage and stats

But coach Adam Simpson will be anxious about Darling, who crumpled to the ground when he landed on Logan Austin's ankle following a marking contest late in the opening term.

Losing the 25-year-old for an extended period would be a massive blow, with Darling leading the AFL for contested marks and booting 28 goals so far this season.

"I don't know how Jack is. He wasn't good enough to come back on, so it was another ankle injury, so we'll find out with some scans and hope for the best," Simpson said post-match.

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Dual Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy stepped up in Darling's absence, bagging six majors – including four in a blistering third quarter. 

Kennedy looked lively from the outset, moving better than any of his previous seven games coming back from ankle surgery, and had too much class and experience for 15-gamer Austin.  

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Small forwards Mark LeCras and Jamie Cripps chipped in with two majors, after star ruckman Nic Naitanui (two) ignited the Eagles early. 

While the Saints, winless since round one, remain in freefall, there were plenty of positives.

From 48 points down at the final change, the never-say-die visitors charged back into the contest.

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After recalibrating his dodgy radar in front of goals, Tim Membrey inspired the fightback with three of his six-straight majors in the fourth quarter.

Membrey kicked 1.5 in Perth against Fremantle in round eight – and had 8.15 for the season before Saturday night – but got his mojo back against the Eagles.

The Saints were massive underdogs coming to Optus Stadium for the second time this season but did their best to make life tough for West Coast. 

Alan Richardson's men controlled the ball (418-355 disposals) and stifled the home side's free-flowing ball movement.

But St Kilda couldn't gain enough reward for effort until the final term and left the comeback too late.

The margin ballooned to 48 points after West Coast piled on five goals to two in the third term but, to their credit, the Saints refused to go away.

Jack Sinclair (29 disposals, one goal) was tireless, while hard-running midfielders Seb Ross (32) and Jack Steven (24, eight clearances) – who fought through Mark Hutchings' tag – produced strong four-quarter efforts. 

Star wingman Andrew Gaff was outstanding again for West Coast, racking up 29 possessions, while Dom Sheed – who was omitted but then recalled for Luke Shuey – made the most of his second chance with 26 disposals and a goal.

The Eagles, who looked out on their feet late, will enjoy the bye before a tough trip to face Sydney, when their bid to equal the club's second-longest winning streak will be under threat against a top-four rival.

St Kilda's ninth loss for the season meant that after 100 games as coach, Richardson has the unwanted equal-worst record since 1967 with just 34 wins.

While his side has been beaten in the past six games, the Saints coach is seeing signs of a turnaround and took some positives from his charges fighting to the end.

"I'm really glad the guys didn’t toss it in," Richardson said post-game.

"For the boys to persist and play the way they did, as opposed to just shrink and hope the siren goes, was really pleasing.

"You look at the last quarter and you get bloody frustrated that we weren't as strong and aggressive as that for the whole game, but that would be taking a bit too much credit away from West Coast.

"They're on top of the ladder for a reason, they're a bloody good team."

MEDICAL ROOM
West Coast: Luke Shuey was withdrawn before the match after not feeling quite right coming back from his hamstring strain, with Dom Sheed returning. Star forward Jack Darling was brought from the ground just before quarter-time after landing awkwardly from a marking contest. He went to the rooms and rode the bike but came back to the bench on crutches with ice applied to his ankle. 

St Kilda: Bailey Rice was hobbling on the boundary line midway through the first term and received treatment for a sore hip. Rice then copped a Mark LeCras kick to his lower leg and was helped from the ground by trainers and went to the rooms, but returned in the second half. Paddy McCartin came from the ground late in the first term after a heavy collision in a pack, however he was fine after a breather on the bench. Jarryn Geary was taken to rooms in third quarter and returned to the bench with his left calf strapped but played no further part and is likely to miss matches.  

NEXT UP
It doesn't get much easier for the Saints, who return to Etihad Stadium to host Sydney, which holds an eight-game winning streak between the sides. The Eagles will enjoy the bye before heading to the SCG to take on the Swans.

WEST COAST      5.0   10.1   15.3   16.5 (101)  
ST KILDA            2.1    5.3    7.3      14.4 (88)                         

GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 6, LeCras 2, Cripps 2, Naitanui 2, Rioli, Waterman, Sheed, Gaff
St Kilda: Membrey 6, Gresham 2, Newnes 2, McCartin, Lonie, Weller, Sinclair   

BEST 
West Coast: Kennedy, Sheed, Gaff, Hurn, Naitanui, McGovern   
St Kilda: Membrey, Sinclair, Steven, Ross, Weller, Clark 

INJURIES 
West Coast: Darling (right ankle), Luke Shuey (hamstring) replaced in the selected side by Dom Sheed
St Kilda: Geary (left calf)

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Dalgleish, Deboy, Glouftsis 

Official crowd: 54,188 at Optus Stadium