- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The St Kilda Saints face a tough task today when they host a resurgent West Coast Eagles outfit at Etihad Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 1.45pm AEST.
The Eagles have been one of the form teams of the competition over the last few weeks, recording absolute thrashings over GWS and Gold Coast, as well as a breakthrough win against Port Adelaide.
That said, the Power’s inability to compete even with Brisbane last week has many football pundits wondering if West Coast’s win over them had more to do with them than it did the Eagles.
If they’re looking for another finals-quality side to test themselves against, the Eagles will have to wait at least another week. Today, they’re up against last year’s wooden spooners.
That’s not to say the Saints haven’t shown some improvement in 2015. Two names stand out – David Armitage and Jack Steven have taken massive steps up to fill some of the void left by Lenny Hayes.
Both were key figures in the Saints’ miracle comeback against the Dogs a fortnight ago.
However it was not to last. The Saints got crunched by Adelaide last week and it’s clear that while they will play great footy on occasion, it will be the exception, not the rule.
West Coast might not have a dominant record against the top sides, but one thing they’ve proven themselves very capable of under Adam Simpson is being able to smash the teams who are below them.
Their 156.6% is the highest in the league, thanks largely to an 87-point win over the Giants and a 92-point win over Gold Coast in the last three weeks. It also has them second on the ladder, leading a pack of four teams on a 5-2 record.
Without captain Nick Riewoldt, who will miss the game after suffering a concussion last week, the Saints look unlikely to mount a serious challenge against the Eagles. They’re also missing Luke Delany and Jack Lonie through injury, while Leigh Montagna, Tim Membrey and Blake Acres have been recalled.
The Eagles have lost Dom Sheed to a hand injury and omitted Jackson Nelson. Jeremy McGovern and Scott Selwood are their replacements.
Prediction
There’s always a chance the Saints could play a competitive game but the far greater likelihood is that this will be another flat-track smashing by the Eagles.
West Coast by 54 points.
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 1.45pm AEST.