WEST Coast dropped its guard when St Kilda playmaker Nick Dal Santo slid back on to the field with five minutes to go during yesterday's demanding match at Subiaco Oval.

Under the influence of Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr and midfield thunderbolt Shannon Hurn, the Eagles were desperately searching for a way to bury the Saints, who had led by 44 points early in the third term.

Ironically, that lead had been reached when Dal Santo kicked his team's 11th goal, but from that point the momentum had swung and for all intents and purposes it looked as though St Kilda had spent all its energy and West Coast would steal victory.

Dal Santo bobbed up again at that critical point of the last term, throwing his hand up to get the attention of the St Kilda scrum moving out of the Eagles forward line.

The elusive midfielder needed no invitation to head to goal because the paddock in front of him was wide open.

Saints' coach Ross Lyon clogged the West Coast attacking area, often leaving just Justin Koschitzke and Nick Riewoldt as targets in his forward zone.

With Matthew Priddis in hot pursuit, Dal Santo weaved one way, then the other before settling into his stride to calmly slot the goal, pushing St Kilda to a nine point lead.

It wasn't game over, but it soon was. A mix-up by Adam Selwood and Daniel Kerr on the boundary line allowed Stephen Milne to rob the ball and dish it to Riewoldt who put the game beyond doubt.

Cox, Kerr and Hurn were instrumental in West Coast's revival in the second half, with Kerr redeeming himself for a poor first half against Luke Ball.

Hurn was given midfield responsibility in the momentum swinging third term, barging through packs and finding the space to unload his trademark bombs.

Cox was steady in the first half but especially dominant later, on the ball and up forward where Quentin Lynch was moved out to operate across half-forward.

Lynch kicked only two goals but had a strong appetite for the football in the second half while David Wirrpunda, also under the gun after a poor month of footy, found some touch and run to push the Eagles close to an improbable victory.

West Coast searched frantically for the killer blow but, with both teams physically and mentally drained, could not produce it.

The plaudits, though, should be showered on the Saints who haven't won at Subiaco Oval since 1998.

Michael Braun had the better of 350-game champion Robert Harvey in the first quarter, kicking two of the Eagles first three goals, but the Saints hit back after conceding the first 15 points.

Harvey was moved out of Braun's zone, shifting to a wing-half-forward role where he became influential and rarely took the wrong option while Jayden Attard tamed Braun.

After St Kilda's early jitters and West Coast's dominance, the game swung dramatically as the in-close attention applied by the Saints produced turnovers by West Coast.

Two blunders that resulted in goals came when Rowan Jones and Beau Waters both provided limp handballs — and goals — in the Saints seven-goal second term.

Apart from Dal Santo, Leigh Montana was another midfielder to trouble West Coast. His run through the lines and delivery, especially, troubled the home side.

While St Kilda's midfield hassling caused West Coast to cough up the ball, the real story was in attack where the player with the toughest name to spell in the AFL became a destructive force.

West Coast fans might even have trouble pronouncing his name and to them he will remain the big bloke who wears No. 23.

While the midfielders were taking West Coast out of their comfort zone, Justin Koschitzke was producing headaches for Adam Hunter who looked ill-suited to the giant Saints deep in attack.

Koschitzke booted four first half goals, and could have finished with six for the half. He was integral to the game plan of coach Ross Lyon who left him and Nick Riewoldt to work in tandem.

Darren Glass held firm in the defence while Brett Jones and Beau Waters handled the pressure.

While Chris Judd missed the game because of a groin complaint, Mark Nicoski made an encouraging return in his first AFL match for the season.

ST KILDA 3.3 10.6 12.7 15.9 (99)
WEST COAST 3.4 4.5 10.7 11.10 (76)
GOALS: St Kilda: Koschitzke 4, Baker 2, Milne 2, Dal Santo 2, Rix, X Clarke, Gilbert, Riewoldt, Montagna. West Coast: Braun 2, Seaby 2, Lynch 2, R Jones, Hurn, Le Cras, Graham, Cox.
BEST: St Kilda: Dal Santo, Montagna, Koschitzke, Harvey, R Clarke, Hayes. West Coast: Cox, Braun, Glass, Kerr, Wirrpanda.
INJURIES: West Coast: Judd (groin) replaced by R Jones in selected side.
UMPIRES: Head, Hendrie, Goldspink.
CROWD: 39,401 at Subiaco Oval.