'A really important one': Upset win invaluable for young team in tight comp

The fourth-placed Saints were too strong at Victoria Park, downing the second-placed Eagles 9.14 (68) to 8.7 (55) in the round six clash.

The victors now sit on equal points (16) with the Eagles, with Warrnambool (fifth) and Cobden (sixth) not far behind on 12.

"It was a great win," McLaren told The Standard.

"They've been in great form so it was a great effort and in terms of the ladder position stuff a really important one for us."

The Saints held narrow leads at the first two breaks but found themselves trailing 52-45 at three-quarter-time.

McLaren was happy with the response in the final term which saw the Saints outscore the Eagles 3.5 to 0.3.

The Saints mentor was happy with side's improved pressure around the ball and centre-clearance work, two areas he said were poor against Portland in round five.

He added that the defenders "set the ground better".

"Once we got a forward entry, before the ball came out I thought we were able to set-up up the ground behind the ball much better this week which was really pleasing," he said.

Skipper Liam Hoy led by example for the Saints with 24 disposals and 11 tackles in what was an even spread of contributors for the Saints.

Eagles ruck Jordan Dillon was influential, contributing 17 disposals, 44 hit-outs and a goal.

Dillon had to shoulder most of the ruck-load after Eagles coach Nathan Vardy left the field with a suspected concussion early in the game.

McLaren said his side would take confidence from handing the Eagles just their second loss of the season.

"For a young group you need a bit of encouragement with some wins so there's no doubt that we can take a bit of belief that we can match it with those top sides," he said.

"We generally have been in most games even in a couple of losses, we've been in those games to a certain degree."

Eagles skipper Adam Wines wasn't too disheartened with the loss, saying "the effort was definitely there all game".

"We had a reasonably young side ourselves in the end with a few out," he said.

"We fought it out the whole day it was just probably our disposal under pressure a little bit, we just couldn't get it out into space, they sort of clogged it up a lot which I thought they wanted to play when we were a bit taller.

"We never gave up, the effort was always there."