St Kilda welcomed West Coast to Moorabbin for the first time in Round 8, 1987. The first year Eagles had been impressive in the opening rounds of the season. The same could not be said for the four time defending wooden spooner Saints, who had two wins to show for their first seven games.
When Robert Wiley gave the visitors a 22-point lead, in the middle stages of the first quarter, things looked grim for the Darrel Baldock coached Saints. However this would be the high water mark for West Coast on a sodden afternoon in Bayside Melbourne. They would kick just one more goal for the match as Tony Lockett and Nicky Winmar ran riot in a 48-point victory.
The Moorabbin crowd were in raptures as they watched the contest turn in to one way traffic. Peter McConville was immense in defence. The former Blue prompting comparisons with the Rock of Gibraltar from the commentary box.
Nicky Winmar succeeded in showing the expansion team what they missed out on by not including the former South Fremantle star in their inaugural playing list. The fleet-footed 21-year-old collected 25-possessions and kicked two goals in a standout display.
West Coast had no answer to Tony Lockett. On his way to the competition’s only Coleman/Brownlow Medal double, he kicked seven goals six behinds.
It was another big man who grabbed the umpires attention though. Wow Jones, in the ruck, gave his on-ballers first touch in a dominant display that earned him the three brownlow votes.
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