Ex-Pie Lambert stars as Saints seal AFLW comeback win

St Kilda have produced a miraculous comeback to stun Collingwood in a 12-point AFLW victory. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

St Kilda have kicked five unanswered goals in the final quarter to claim their first win of the AFLW season with a come-from-behind 12-point victory over Collingwood.

The Saints trailed by 26 points during the third term but stormed home to secure a 7.5 (47) to 5.5 (35) triumph at RSEA Park on Sunday.

Ex-Magpies midfielder Jaimee Lambert (18 disposals, three clearances) starred against her former club, with Olivia Vesely (19, four) and Georgia Patrikios (15, five) also influential.

Lambert and Patrikios were among St Kilda's seven goal-kickers in a win Saints star and former Collingwood captain Steph Chiocci said was "pretty insane".

St Kilda's first-ever AFLW win over the Magpies relieved some pressure on coach Nick Dal Santo, who now has a 6-18 record at the helm.

"There's mixed emotions and relief is definitely one of them but my main feeling is just pride," Dal Santo told reporters.

"I'm really proud of the girls' performance.

"I've stood here three times this year and spoken about the journey that we're on and the need to improve as individuals and as a collective.

"I stand here knowing that we've done that ... and it's been over the course of four rounds to get to this point.

"It's really pleasing and it's nice to get a tangible outcome."

The result was a huge blow to the Magpies' finals hopes, leaving them with just one win from four rounds.

It could have been even worse, with Bri Davey sending a huge scare through the camp when she hobbled off with an ankle injury during the third quarter.

She spent more than 10 minutes off the ground but returned to play out the match and finished with 16 disposals.

Davey has been one of Collingwood's best players this season after missing almost all of 2022 with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

St Kilda had only registered one goal until Nat Exon added a second in the dying stages of the third quarter to cut the margin to 20 points at the final change.

Even then, victory seemed highly unlikely.

But Patrikios and Nicola Xenos breathed life into the contest with quick goals early in the last quarter to spark the home side's match-winning surge.

The Saints piled on 5.2 from 11 forward entries in the final term while keeping Collingwood scoreless.

"We're starting to see a pattern in our games," Magpies coach Steve Symonds told reporters.

"Our first halves have been really strong and we've trailed away in the back half of games.

"We've got to find a solution to that quite quickly before the season gets away from us."

Brittany Bonnici (22 disposals, five clearances), Sabrina Frederick (16, five, one goal) and Sarah Rowe (17 touches) were among Collingwood's best.

Ex-Saints player Tarni White kicked two goals for the Magpies against her former side.

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