St Kilda is now a win away from contesting its first Grand Final since 1997 after overcoming a tardy start to defeat Collingwood resoundingly – 12.8 (80) to 7.10 (52) - at the MCG on Sunday.

Collingwood - which now meets Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday night - led by eight points at quarter-time before the Saints' juggernaut clicked into action.

A five-goal-to-two second term during which star Saints forward Nick Riewoldt booted three of his five goals set up the victory. St Kilda was far better in the third term as well, although inaccuracy in front of goal left the door slightly ajar for a Pies comeback.

However, leading by 17 points at the start of the last quarter, St Kilda slotted the first major in the final term through Andrew McQualter after he laid a brilliant tackle on Alan Didak and Riewoldt then drilled a skilful snap-shot for his fifth major as the Saints booked a preliminary final against either the Western Bulldogs or the Brisbane Lions.

The Saints were simply more desperate than the Magpies when the ball was up for grabs, and the amount of blocking, tackling and hard running the Saints players exexcuted for nearly all of the game was awesome.

St Kilda had 355 possessions in the midfield compared with Collingwood's 173.

Riewoldt was far too slick for Pies defender Simon Prestigiacomo and finished with 19 touches, 10 marks and 5.1. He also worked hard when not in possession, laying five tackles.

Lenny Hayes (31 possessions), Leigh Montagna (32) and Nick Dal Santo (33) all won their midfield battles while Sam Fisher recovered from a slow start to win 42 touches and help set up many St Kilda forward thrusts.

The efforts of tagger Clinton Jones to reduce the impact of Alan Didak was significant as the Pies star gathered just 13 possessions and didn't kick a goal.

Jason Blake and Brendon Goddard were very solid for the Saints as well in what was a classic team-effort from this season's minor premiers. Adam Schneider was also very effective as a conduit between half-forward and half-back.

For the Pies, Heath Shaw was courageous and creative across half-back but his output slowed down a little after a sensational first half. Brownlow Medal fancy Dane Swan was Collingwood’s leading ball-winner with 24 disposals but his game was workmanlike rather than genuinely constructive.

Dale Thomas showed great bravery on a few occasions to win possessions and he kicked two goals, as did Anthony Rocca in his first senior game since Round Seven. Rocca limped off late in the match with an ankle injury.

Centre-half-forward Travis Cloke tried hard and racked up good stats – 19 possessions, 13 marks – but he missed his only three shots on goal.

Nick Maxwell and Harry O’Brien were as reliable as ever. O'Brien – unlucky not to be in the All Australian squad – held All Australian squad member Stephen Milne to one goal from 11 possessions.

The Pies lost Scott Pendlebury early in the game with what 3AW has learned is a season-ending broken fibula injury and a number of Pies had dirty days.

Aside from Didak's average effort, Leon Davis, Paul Medhurst (10 touches, one goal), Shane O'Bree (12 touches, four frees against in the first half) and John Anthony (three possessions, one goal) were well below their best. Tarkyn Lockyer was another who struggled.

After the game, 3AW's Tony Shaw - a Collingwood premiership player and coach - told listeners Anthony's place in the team is now up for grabs after a disappointing few weeks.

St Kilda started the game in very confident fashion and had 43 team possessions to Collingwood’s 19 early in the game.

Koschitzke took a great contested mark on Leigh Brown and kicked the first goal of the afternoon two minutes in before Pendlebury went off with a slight problem with his troublesome left knee.

'Kosi' had another opportunity soon after from 30 metres out directly in front, but his miss sparked a change in the complexion of the contest as the Pies began to control the temp of the game.

Using its suffocating defence, the Magpies forced the Saints to cough the ball up eight times when kicking inside 50 and with Anthony and Thomas kicking the remaining goals in the term it was Collingwood which led 2.4 to 1.2 at the first change.

Cloke took six marks in the first term and after a slick build up with Medhurst and Anthony involved the big Pies forward took his seventh mark before missing a 20-metre set-shot on a slight angle.

But Rocca succeeded where Cloke failed by taking a strong mark against Zac Dawson and converting to an eruption of jubilation from the Black and White army, which had earlier cheered when Riewoldt appeared to have injured his knee.

Trailing by 15 points, the Saints stepped up. First Goddard and the Riewoldt won free-kicks in their attacking 50 and goaled to reduce the deficit to three points – and when Riewoldt marked and converted from the same spot on the 50-metre line from the restart, St Kilda had the lead.

Montagna (20 first-half possessions, 14 in the second quarter) was the major catalyst for the Saints' purple patch as he started to become a damaging player around the stoppages.

Collingwood stopped St Kilda's unanswered goal-run and hit back with a brilliant finish from the pocket by Medhurst, who looked dangerous despite having just four touches in the half.

Davis then missed for the Pies and Robert Eddy for the Saints before two good finishes from Schneider and Riewoldt – his third for the quarter coming right on the half-time siren – gave St Kilda the impetus and a 6.4 to 4.6 lead at the main break.

The Saints could have absolutely put Collingwood to the sword in the third term as Montagna, Hayes and Dal Santo continued to dominate the midfield and Riewoldt's procession across St Kilda’s half-forward gave his side plenty of scoring options.

It was McQualter who booted the first goal in the term – an unlikely finish from the boundary line after fierce pressure forced Pie Lockyer to send a clearing kick out on the full.

Koschitzke missed a good chance before Riewoldt marked and kicked his fourth major. Around this time, Beams appeared to knee Dal Santo from behind while the star Saint was on the ground.

Riewoldt and Koschitzke combined again for the latter’s second goal and St Kilda’s lead blew out to 29 points at the 13-minute mark.

Collingwood's runner were not winning the ball, and with Pendlebury off and Didak well held by Jones, it took a good pass and an even better mark from a brave Thomas to manufacture the Pies’ next goal.

Michael Gardiner missed a good opportunity at the other end late in the term before Rocca kept his side in it with a classy finish from a snap shot – the Pies heading into the final quarter down by 17 points.

AFL Finals Fixture '09

See which teams will square off and where in finals week two, and who the winer of those games will play in the preliminary finals. Click on the image on the right to view the fixture.

3AW Football Central

Your home for breaking AFL news, views and anaylsis from Melbourne's No.1 team of Rex Hunt, Dennis Cometti, Robert Walls, Nathan Buckley, Graeme Bond, Denis Pagan, Tony Leonard, Shane Healy, Tony Shaw, David King, Scott Cummings, Caroline Wilson, Mike Sheahan, Rohan Connolly, Nick Butler and Shane McInnes.