St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has praised his side's never-say-die attitude after it clinched a draw with Hawthorn thanks to a goal from Ben McEvoy with 12 seconds to play.
The game will long be remembered for an interchange infringement by Hawk Grant Birchall that cost his team a 50m penalty and a resultant goal, just as Cyril Rioli was about to push the lead out to 13 points and seal the win.
His goal was disallowed as the Saints went down the other end to score a behind through Riewoldt, before McEvoy's leveling goal. But Lyon denied the interchange penalty was the only deciding factor.
"Clearly there was the interchange (infringement for Hawthorn) and we had the runner (free against a runner that denied a shot at goal), did he go through the mark, was he near it? I'm not too sure and I'm not too sure you can pin your own runner when you're having a shot," Lyon said.
"There's all those AFL rules and regulations that people will look into but you know…six of one, half a dozen of the other."
"But the character to never give up and keep going was pretty solid," he said.
When asked about his runner giving away a crucial free kick in the third term that cost Justin Koschitzke a chance at his fourth goal, Lyon's frustration was evident.
"Do I address it...? What do you think? Is that a rhetorical question…? My oath I do...immediately."
That free was just one of 56 free kicks paid on the night compared to the AFL average in 2010 of 39 in what was an over-officiated contest.
Still, Lyon was pleased with the effort, particularly from his two big men, Koschitzke and Riewoldt, who combined for five goals.
"It was almost the first time they've been together relatively fit and healthy and I think it's only going to get better from there so we walk away pretty rapt with that," he said.
"We certainly improved (on last week), no doubt, our intensity."
"I don't think much went our way tonight, in a lot of ways, we had to battle and persist and we worked through all those things."
"I thought we gave up some cheap goals but I thought we moved the ball really quickly, really positive."
And despite a number of skilled players slipping on the much maligned Etihad surface, Lyon wasn't fazed by it.
"I thought it was immaculate to be honest...there are a lot of trials and tribulations about the surface but I walked out there tonight and it was the best I've seen it all year," he said.
The Saints play four of their remaining five fixtures at the ground.