A starring display by Tim Kelly has made light of West Coast’s injury woes as they secured a 15-point AFL win over St Kilda.
The undermanned Eagles, having lost key defender Jeremy McGovern to a hamstring injury, looked gone as the Saints stormed into a fourth-quarter lead but finished stronger to claim a 9.11 (65) to 6.14 (50) win at the Gabba.
The victory on Thursday night secures West Coast’s finals berth for 2020 and they remain firmly in the top-four hunt heading into their last home-and-away fixture against North Melbourne on Thursday.
They’ll have to take on the Kangaroos without McGovern however after the 28-year-old limped out of the game late in the second quarter with a right hamstring injury.
McGovern’s absence adds to an injury list including Dom Sheed, Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo as well as Lewis Jetta and Brandon Ah Chee.
Without so many of their top-level midfielders, it was Kelly who stood up for the Eagles in a best-on-ground display.
Kelly had 29 disposals, six marks and nine clearances as well as kicking a vital fourth-quarter goal for the Eagles.
Andrew Gaff (33 disposals, one goal) and ruckman Nic Naitanui (33 hitouts, nine clearances) were also influential for the Eagles.
West Coast pair Oscar Allen and Jack Darling were the game’s only multiple goalkickers, booting two goals each.
Defeat leaves St Kilda’s top-eight hopes on a knife edge heading into their last home-and-away match against GWS.
After sitting inside the eight since round four, the Saints are now just four points clear of the eighth-placed Giants having played one game more as they try to end a finals drought stretching to 2011.
St Kilda looked the likely winner as they kicked themselves ahead with a flurry of three goals in the opening seven minutes of the final term, with the Eagles looking shot after five games in 19 days.
Key forward Josh Kennedy and Kelly’s inspirational goal put the Eagles back in front however and from there it was one-way traffic for the game’s closing minutes.