ST KILDA has capitalised on a somewhat undermanned and very flat West Coast, trouncing the Eagles by 72 points at Marvel Stadium.

The Eagles were comprehensively outplayed in nearly every facet of the game, struggling under the fierce Saints pressure and rarely able to play with composure in the 17.11 (113) to 6.5 (41) loss, kicking just two goals in the second half.

SAINTS v EAGLES Full match coverage and stats

It quickly became evident that the team which made the fewest skill errors – particularly in defensive 50 – would triumph, both sides struggling at times with hitting targets by hand and foot as they warmed into the match.

St Kilda's forward 50 pressure was immense, affording plenty of shots at goal, as the young Eagles defence – missing Jeremy McGovern (ribs) for a second week, as well as co-captain Liam Duggan (concussion) – wilted under pressure.

It took until the 17th minute for West Coast to even look like scoring, a mangled Jai Culley kick pulled in well by Ryan Maric, who broke the drought. 

The first eight goals for the match were scored from turnover, the ball pinging between the arcs and fans getting restless as the errors compounded.

The Saints looked far better than the Eagles in the first half, but struggled with their entries into attack, with miscued kicks and not kicking the ball to their forwards' advantage.

Meanwhile, West Coast had steadied, finding some composure in its own attacking forays, but missing a number of set shots. Jack Williams' breakthrough goal (he kicked three of the Eagles' six) had cut the margin down to six, before the Saints rallied, taking a margin of 19 into the half-time break.

The Eagles started the second half with intensity, but it was only a brief burst of fierce intent, and they were unable to make any headway on the scoreboard before the game started opening up for St Kilda.

The fourth term was party time for St Kilda, the dam wall bursting open as Tim Membrey's day got better and better, finishing with five goals for the game, while such was the amount of footy in the Saints' attacking half, wing Mason Wood booted 3.4 from 19 touches.

West Coast spearhead Oscar Allen was utterly starved of opportunities, but did his best to keep his team in the contest earlier in the game, kicking two goals from his four disposals to three-quarter time, while the forward line was also without bright light Jake Waterman (knee).

Jayden Hunt ran his heart out off half-back, recording a game-high 35 disposals.

St Kilda speedster Liam Henry suffered a knee injury in a tackle in the third term, and was subbed out of the game.

MRO watch
Liam Ryan will come under MRO scrutiny for a high bump on Liam Stocker. What may work in the Eagle's favour is Stocker's little stumble just before he was bumped, shifting his position and momentum as he charged out of a contest with ball in hand. Stocker left the ground in the hands of trainers and went down the race, but was cleared to return later in the game.

Midfield dominance sets up win
Set up by Rowan Marshall, the Saints were outstanding through the middle of the ground, first to the ball and comfortably winning the contested possession count. Zak Jones had a nice day out, playing as a full-time midfielder, while Jacks Sinclair and Steele were at their consistent best. Harley Reid showed glimpses, but the Eagles' engine room struggled badly without Elliot Yeo (soreness). The Saints topped the clearance count by eight, but the inside-50 tally by a whopping 30.

A pair of aces
In a first half full of fumbles, two classy goals were clear highlights. West Coast had looked well and truly outplayed in the first quarter until skipper Oscar Allen stood tall, slotting a tight set shot from the boundary line to kickstart his team's game. In the opposite pocket the following term, at the same end of the ground, it was Membrey who mirrored his key forward equivalent, keeping the Saints afloat after the Eagles had whittled the lead down to six.

ST KILDA                3.3     7.5     10.9     17.11 (113)  
WEST COAST          2.0     4.4      5.5        6.5 (41)  

GOALS
St Kilda: Membrey 5, Wood 3, Sharman 2, Butler 2, Wilson, Steele, Owens, Higgins, Battle
West Coast: J.Williams 3, Allen 2, Maric

BEST
St Kilda: Membrey, Steele, Wood, Marshall, Sinclair, Jones
West Coast: Hunt, Reid, Barrass, Ginbey

INJURIES
St Kilda: Henry (left knee)
West Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
St Kilda: Hugo Garcia (replaced Liam Henry in the third quarter)
West Coast: Josh Rotham (replaced Campbell Chesser at three-quarter time)

Crowd: 18,251 at Marvel Stadium