After a gruelling tussle with Geelong last week, the Saints' disposal was inconsistent in the west, and the ladder-leaders weren't able to kick away from the Eagles until early in the fourth quarter.
With their perfect start to the season on the line, St Kilda clicked into action, booting five fourth-quarter goals in a clinical 15 minutes to end any hopes the Eagles had of recording a stunning victory.
While doing no disservice to the home side, which was far more competitive than expected against a Saints team that defeated it by 97 points in round three, St Kilda weren’t at their best on Sunday, a momentary glitch they’ll want to put behind them with the red-hot Adelaide awaiting them next Sunday at Docklands.
While Luke Ball and Lenny Hayes combined for just 22 possessions, Leigh Montagna more than picked up the slack with a massive 43 touches, 12 inside 50s and 10 clearances.
Michael Gardiner also enjoyed his return to Subiaco Oval, taking the points against former ruck partner Dean Cox, who didn't play in the final term with a groin injury.
Nick Dal Santo (28 possessions and three goals) was superb, while Stephen Milne booted four goals, including two in the final quarter run.
West Coast showed plenty of character to match the Saints for three quarters, but its efforts went unrewarded.
Chris Masten (27 possessions) and Adam Selwood (29) worked tirelessly in the centre square, while Ashley Hansen (three goals) returned for his first game since round six to provide a handy forward target.
Andrew Embley was also a constant presence with three goals and 19 possessions, while Darren Glass comprehensively shut down in-form Saints forward Justin Koschitzke.
The Saints appeared switched on when Nick Riewoldt burst onto Gardiner's opening-bounce clearance and booted the opener 17 seconds in, but it would take the visitors another 23 minutes to kick their second goal.
It wasn't a pretty opening quarter, with both sides butchering the football and tackling hard, but there were flashes of brilliance, firstly from Dal Santo, who converted from hard up on the boundary, and Embley, who broke into space for a long-range effort.
West Coast debutant Pat McGinnity made a telling contribution with his first possession in AFL footy, spotting up Hansen for a goal, but the Saints clawed their way to a nine-point break at quarter-time.
While the contest remained scrappy in the second term, Josh Kennedy was clinical, snaring two goals to bring West Coast to within four points.
Dal Santo kicked his second with a superb set shot – again from the boundary line – but while the classy onballer was in fine form, plenty of his teammates were struggling to get their hands on the football.
Hayes (four possessions) and Ball (two) were barely sighted to half time, while Glass kept Koschitzke to three touches and one mark.
Just 10 points in arrears and sensing another Subiaco upset, the Eagles came out with a spring in their step in the third.
Goals to Mark LeCras and then Embley, who wrong-footed Sam Fisher and kicked truly from 40m out on the boundary, gave West Coast its first lead of the day early in the term.
Montagna and Brendon Goddard had big quarters and Milne kicked two goals, but West Coast was coming hard, and booted three goals on the trot. The Saints did well to pull scores back to level at three-quarter time.
In the early stages of the last, they kicked on to play their most urgent football of the game, busting it open with four quick goals.
Late inclusion Robert Eddy scrapped a desperate goal one minute into the finale before Dal Santo kicked his third after two minutes.
Eddy kicked a second goal five minutes in to sound the warning bells for West Coast, but when Milne gave the Saints a 25-point lead just seven minutes in, the ladder leaders were back to their clinical best.
Milne kicked his fourth minutes later and, with the result sewn up, attention turned to next week's blockbuster with Adelaide at Docklands.
The Eagles tackle Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium next Sunday as they try to break an 18-match losing streak on the road.
St Kilda 3.4 5.7 8.9 13.12 (90)
West Coast 2.1 4.3 9.3 11.4 (70)
GOALS
St Kilda: Milne 4, Dal Santo 3, Eddy 2, McQualter 2, Riewoldt, Ray
West Coast: Hansen 3, Embley 3, Kennedy 2, LeCras 2, Cockie
BEST
St Kilda: Montagna, Dal Santo, Ray, Goddard, Gram, Gardiner, Fisher
West Coast: Masten, Embley, Selwood, Hurn, Lynch, Glass, Priddis
INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
West Coast: Cox (groin)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Chamberlain, Kamolins
Official crowd: 36,259 at Subiaco Oval
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
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