Saints v Eagles, snippets

Star Man
Shaded early by Lenny Hayes, Matt Priddis responded when the whips were cracking in the second half. With Daniel Kerr injured and Chris Judd out of the midfield, Priddis was his team's best on-baller on Friday night. The left footer picked up 36 touches, including seven tackles and 11 hard-ball-gets, and laid 15 tackles. He is the Eagles' newest midfield star.

Classic Grab
Justin Koschitzke took a great contested mark 13 minutes into the last quarter. With eyes only for the ball, Koschitzke crashed into a huge pack to take the sort of grab which brings fans to their feet. His goal kept the Saints alive.

What a Goal!
Mark Le Cras was the benefit of St Kilda rolling the dice in the final play of the game. Trailing by two points with 21 seconds left on the clock, the Saints defenders all ran forward of the play, leaving their defensive 50 vacant. However, the Eagles won the clearance and Le Cras was able to goal from long range.

Unsung Hero
Lenny Hayes broke the collarbone on his right shoulder earlier this year but he did not let that deter him from cutting across Michael Braun's path on the wing in the second term to spoil with his right fist.

Absolute Shocker
Both Nick Dal Santo and Raphael Clarke must have wished the umpire did not blow advantage late in the third term. Both players handballed half-heartedly, as if waiting for the umpire to call the play back. Clarke's handball sold Ferguson into trouble, resulting in the easiest of goals for David Wirrpanda.

Turning Point
Trailing by 29 points at quarter time, the Eagles matched the Saints' intensity from that point on. Thanks to seven of the first eight goals of the second half, the Eagles grabbed the lead for the first time in the game just prior to three-quarter time then withstood a late charge by the Saints to prevail.