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St Kilda have given their chances of making the AFL finals a big boost with a thrilling eight-point win over West Coast.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
St Kilda Saints 15.13.103
West Coast Eagles 14.11.95
The St Kilda Saints are out to snap a three-game losing streak and stay in touch with the finals when they take on the West Coast Eagles fresh off a huge win. Catch all the live scores, highlights and action on The Roar from 1:10pm (AEST).
The Saints have dipped down to 11th on the ladder following three straight losses, putting their finals chances on a knife edge late in the season.
Convincing 61 and 42-point losses to the Bombers and Swans respectively gave way to an even more painful defeat last week at the hands of Port Adelaide.
Leading by 10 in the dying moments, the Saints collapsed under pressure, culminating in a match-winning goal for Robbie Gray with just eight seconds left on the clock to sink the Saints and leave them reeling.
For West Coast, they are coming into this one with a confidence-boosting 68-point demolition job of the Lions last week.
Despite that, the Eagles have fallen victim to inconsistency, trading win for loss across their last eight games now, failing to build any momentum towards a permanent top eight spot.
They sit down in ninth at the moment on percentage and a win today could see them jump up to seventh.
A heavy loss, however, could see them fall as far as 11th in an incredibly tight battle for finals spots.
There are currently six teams, from fifth down to tenth, separated by just one game closing in on September footy and a win today for the Saints would make that seven teams.
The Saints will have to overturn some recent history against the Eagles to get the win they need this afternoon.
They’ve lost every one of their last eight encounters between the two sides, dating back six years to 2011.
The last time they met was in Round 2 of this year where the Eagles kicked five goals to one in the final quarter to take a 19-point win.
Team News
A big return for the Saints this week with 17-year veteran Nick Riewoldt coming back from a rest last week, having announced his retirement for the end of the season during the week.
Jack Lonie and Daniel McKenzie have both been dropped this week, making way for the aforementioned Riewoldt as well as Koby Stevens up against his old club.
For the Eagles, coach Adam Simpson has made the big call to leave out retiring Brownlow Medalist Matt Priddis despite making the trip to Melbourne with the side.
Instead, Chris Masten has been brought back into the side as the only change to last week’s side, replacing Tom Barrass with a groin injury.
Prediction
This one could go anywhere. Off form, you’d have to say the Eagles but they’ve been such an undulating side for the better part of three months now that you just don’t know if they’ll turn up or not.
The Saints have Riewoldt’s swan song to play for and another loss today could derail their finals hopes all together.
The Eagles may be the better side overall, but I can see a motivated Saints getting up today against a weary and tentative West Coast side.
St Kilda to win by 9
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