1. Two teams with promise
West Coast sits second on the ladder after surprising most with its excellent start to the season while the Saints are in the early stages of a rebuild bearing fruit. An examination of the two teams on Saturday showed why the Eagles sit just ahead of the Saints on their journey. The Eagles had 15 players with between 50 and 150 games experience compared to the Saints’ six. It made the game an exciting running, see-sawing contest that pitted two teams on the rise against one another. In the end it was the Eagles players with between 100 and 150 games experience that were the difference, with Nic Naitanui (115 games), Josh Kennedy (147), Mark LeCras (137) and Will Schofield (113) impressive and the Saints’ only player in that category, David Armitage (114 games) battling hard. The Eagles are contenders in 2015.
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2. Yeo blow
West Coast defender Elliot Yeo will have a nervous wait for the Match Review Panel findings after his spoiling attempt on St Kilda's Jimmy Webster forced the Saint from the ground due to the blood rule. Webster stayed off the ground after half-time due to concussion. Yeo's spoil looked like a genuine attempt to knock the ball out of Webster's hands but he made contact with Webster's nose. Given the new MRP rules, Yeo would be unlucky to receive anything more substantial than a fine. The Eagles need him because he has become a vital player, kicking three goals on Saturday.
3. Just Joshing
West Coast's Josh Kennedy entered the round as the AFL's leading goalkicker while St Kilda's Josh Bruce was in the unlikely position of fourth. While both moved clubs before they had made a name for themselves they showed why they are likely to be near the head of the goalkicking table for years to come. Kennedy did his usual business kicking four goals, making his presence felt in the air and on the ground. Bruce had a more difficult job, given the lack of experience around him but he competed hard and showed he has some class. His effort in the second quarter to mark between two Eagle defenders, swing on to his left foot and hit Jack Sinclair on the chest as Sinclair ran away from him showed he has some tricks.
Ouch. Jimmy Webster had to come off under the blood rule after Yeo made high contact #AFLSaintsEagles http://t.co/sckF0lrak7
— AFL (@AFL) May 23, 2015
4. Scott Selwood re-appears
With an ankle injury keeping the Eagles midfielder out of action since round one after just 12 games in 2014, Selwood began as a substitute. He entered the game during the third quarter and was handed the job on dangerous Saint David Armitage. Selwood ended with nine disposals (seven contested possessions) and four tackles. He didn't have a huge influence but after such a frustrating run with injury the 2012 club best and fairest winner would have been relieved to get back on the park.
5. St Kilda has a dip
The Saints showed in the second quarter why they're winning respect in 2015. Trailing by 37 points they dug their heels in and went to work. In the second quarter they had 33 tackles to West Coast's 11 and began to run hard. They took risks, played on and created overlap handball with veteran Leigh Montagna leading the charge with 10 disposals. With the indefatigable Josh Bruce competing up forward their effort translated on the scoreboard and by the long break the margin was two goals. However once West Coast identified Montagna as the problem in the second quarter it sent Liam Duggan and Josh Hill to run with him and restricted him to zero disposals in the third quarter. The Saints kept pace until just before three-quarter time when the Eagles tilted the game their way with three goals after the 25-minute mark of the third quarter.