West Coast v St Kilda: Eagles demolish Saints at home

WEST COAST 9.3  12.5  15.8  20.12 (132)
ST KILDA 1.3  1.9  2.9  3.11 (29)

GOALS West Coast: M LeCras 6, J Kennedy 5, J Darling 2, M Hutchings 2, E Yeo, J Cripps, J Hill, J McGovern, S Lycett. 
St Kilda: J Bruce, J Steven, M Weller.
BEST West Coast: J Kennedy, N Naitanui, M Priddis, M LeCras, A Gaff, L Shuey, S Wellingham, M. Hutchings.
St Kilda: S Ross, L Montagna, J Steven, N Riewoldt
UMPIRES: Ryan, Dalgleish, Farmer.
CROWD: 36,140 at Domain Stadium.

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As it happened: West Coast V St Kilda

West Coast won't be able to prove they aren't flat-track bullies until later in the season, but in the meantime they can't do much more than they did on Sunday at Domain Stadium.

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The Eagles returned to the winner's list, trouncing St Kilda by 103 points, and keeping the Saints to their lowest score since round 6, 2002.

The Saints may have pushed unbeaten North Melbourne to the death seven days earlier, but the momentum at Seaford was swiftly blown away as the Eagles slammed home nine goals in 24 minutes, skipping to a 56-point lead well before quarter time.

The demolition job started from the first bounce - one which drifted favourably for Nic Naitanui. The Eagles ruckman needs little assistance from the umpires to make an impact, but he gladly obliged, guiding the ball into the path of Luke Shuey, who drove the hosts forward and helped set up the game's opening goal - kicked by Josh Kennedy.

West Coast went inside 50 from the next centre bounce too, and again the Coleman medallist goaled. Wash, rinse, repeat. By quarter time he had five majors, making mincemeat of Sam Gilbert. It begged the question as to why the Saints had opted against picking any of tall defensive trio Tom Lee, Hugh Goddard or Luke Delaney to replace sore veteran Sam Fisher, especially given that spearheads Jeremy Cameron and Jesse Hogan had taken hold of the St Kilda backline in recent weeks. Moreover it reinforced that the Saints miss the suspended Jake Carlisle - if it's possible to miss something you've never really had.

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Not that the blame for the early carnage should be laid squarely at the feet of the Saints' defence. Matt Priddis was irrepressible in the clinches, Andrew Gaff's run was telling, while Naitanui was schooling Tom Hickey in the ruck.

Jack Steven dribbled through St Kilda's first at the 27-minute mark, but by the first change Alan Richardson's men were 48 points in arrears, had conceded 24 inside 50s to seven, and trailed 15-7 for clearances.

The match was as good as shot, but to St Kilda's credit they managed to stop the rot for much of the second term. But while competitive around the ground, the Saints repeatedly blew chances during a quarter in which they posted six behinds, and had two shots - one each from Josh Bruce and Nick Riewoldt - which failed to register a score.

A trickle of first-half rain intensified after the long break, and with the result beyond doubt, an uninspiring slog ensued in slippery conditions.

But West Coast were relentless, and the visitors' second-term wastefulness was exaggerated when contrasted with sharpshooting Eagle Mark LeCras, who enjoyed the liberal supply into the West Coast forward line to snare six goals without a blemish - the last of which took his side's lead into triple figures.

Away losses to Hawthorn, Sydney and Geelong undermine West Coast's credibility, but at home, the Eagles pose a sterner challenge than other road trip in the competition - perhaps except the Hawks in Launceston. Sunday's win was Adam Simpson's side 16th in their last 17 starts at Domain.

Seb Ross, Leigh Montagna, Steven and Riewoldt remained plucky for St Kilda, but their efforts were futile in preventing a second successive hiding against the Eagles, after West Coast's 95-point win in the final round of last season.

For all their justifiable excitement - the Saints have won just two of their eight games in 2016. It's the same amount of wins they had after as many matches last year, and a worse record than at the same stage of their wooden-spoon season in 2014.