A DOMINANT second-half has seen West Coast notch up its second win for the season, defeating St Kilda by 11-points on Sunday afternoon in warm and windy conditions at RSEA Park.
After an even first half, the Eagles’ midfield put their foot down in the third quarter where they dominated inside 50s 14 to two, led by their star Ella Roberts who finished the match with 25 disposals and nine tackles.
As a result, West Coast scored the only two goals of the third term, creating enough separation to eventually win 5.6 (36) to 3.7 (25) in front of a crowd of 1,594.
To make matters worse for the Saints, the home-side was ravaged by injury throughout the game, with first-year player Carys D’Addario ruled out at half-time with a hip injury and Irish recruit Saoirse Lally landing awkwardly in a tackle in the fourth quarter.
Defenders Ella Friend (shoulder) and Paige Trudgeon (foot) were also injured but were able to play out the match.
It was a warm day in Melbourne with temperatures reaching 28 degrees at the afternoon’s peak and the players were feeling the heat, a number going down with cramp across the game.
Players added to the heat with push and shove breaking out across the game, St Kilda mid Tyanna Smith involved on a number occasions as was Bella Lewis, in an entertaining clash between the two young stars.
Both sides did their best to navigate the challenging conditions, the wind creating a clear advantage to one end.
When they were into the breeze the Saints tried to run and carry the ball up the ground, playing safe, straight-line footy, and when they had the wind they kicked long to get territory and provide advantage to their forwards.
Jaimee Lambert, who in recent weeks has begun spending more time in the midfield, was the beneficiary of her own hard work, moving up the ground and crumbing for a snap on goal.
For the Eagles, it was Amy Franklin doing the damage with two brilliant goals from her two disposals to half-time.Â
West Coast began to dominate clearances with the wind in the third term, with Roberts making her presence felt.
Kellie Gibson and Lauren Wakfer kicked the Eagles' two goals for the quarter, setting up a final stanza where West Coast just needed to hold onto its lead.
The Eagles dropped numbers back whilst the Saints had the wind, creating density inside St Kilda’s 50 and making it difficult to score.
Round five Rising Star winner, Jade McLay, kicked a goal in the final term but the game was well and truly over, the Saints remaining winless at the half-way mark of the season.
Up next
St Kilda has a seven-day break and will face Gold Coast on Sunday at People First Stadium at 5:05pm.
ST KILDAÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.3 Â 2.5 Â 2.5 Â 3.7Â (25)
WEST COASTÂ Â Â 1.2 Â 3.2 Â 5.5 Â 5.6Â (36)
GOALS
St Kilda:Â Lambert, Baskaran, McLay
West Coast:Â Franklin 2, Dalgleish, L.Wakfer, Gibson
BEST
St Kilda:Â Lambert, Smith, Richards, Trudgeon,Â
West Coast:Â Roberts, Franklin, Lewis, Smith, Dalgleish
INJURIES
St Kilda: Carys D’Addario (hip), Saoirse Lally (neck)
West Coast:Â TBC
Reports:Â Nil
Crowd:Â 1,594 at RSEA Park
