ST KILDA expects Nick Riewoldt to be fit for next Sunday's crucial match with Melbourne at the MCG after the retiring champion was concussed in a head clash with West Coast midfielder Dom Sheed.
In the final term, Riewoldt and Sheed collided on the wing, and the club's longest-serving captain was down before being helped off by trainers, sporting a busted lip as he left the field.
Saints coach Alan Richardson was optimistic the key forward would pull up well.
"He looks really good. The doctors after the game thought … he's going to be right," he said.
"He's got to get some internal stitches on a lip, he's got a big fat lip. His kids didn't recognise him after the game, but it'd be a lip that he'd be proud of."
Five talking points: St Kilda v West Coast
Richardson praised the 34-year-old's commitment, highlighting what he has produced throughout a career into its 17th season.
"It was a big moment. It was something that we've come to expect from Rooey," he said.
"There was a lot of vision of Nick's career during the week … a lot of media outlets show that mark that he took many years ago up at the SCG.
"It was nowhere near as dramatic as that but for him to stay in line when the opposition was coming and as a player, you have to open yourself up to be able to spoil a player like that and he did that.
"He wore the knock. We ended up getting in front on the back of that play. It was something we touched on (after the game). He'd be really proud of that.
"There's the potential that those sort of moments inspire some of his younger teammates."
That contest helped set up a stoppage in the forward line which saw midfielder Jack Steele rove the hit-out with his right hand and snap a goal despite immense pressure from Will Schofield.
Jack Billings sealed the game when he extended the margin to eight points after he nailed a difficult set shot with just over 30 seconds left.
The result left St Kilda in 11th at 10-9, trailing eighth-placed Essendon by 10 per cent.
Despite being an excellent field kick, Billings' kick rating at goal (which takes into account where his shots have came from, what type of kicks they were and the pressure on him when he took the shots) was 11 per cent worse than the competition average.
WATCH: Alan Richardson's full post-match media conference
"Jack had an interesting game. He had a really good contest game. Whenever the ball went his way, he looked like he was going to win the ball and in fact, he did often win the ball," Richardson said.
"He probably didn't make the most of his opportunity in terms of his shots, but 40 seconds left on the clock, to take the responsibility, go back and take all 30 seconds puts a little bit of pressure on you. It's an important kick, but for him to nail that, it's a credit to him."
Jack Steven, who has won three of the club's last four best and fairests, went to the bench in the second term after being on the end of an errant knee to his right hip.
Richardson wasn't concerned about the onballer's availability for next week and praised Steele, Luke Dunstan, Koby Stevens and Jack Sinclair for picking up the slack.
"We were pretty happy with those young blokes that were going through the midfield, we didn't need Jack to be dominant," Richardson said.
