St Kilda small forward Stephen Milne kicked five goals in his 250th AFL game as the Saints moved into the top eight with an outstanding 71-point win over Essendon on Saturday night.

St Kilda’s 21.7 (133) to 8.14 (62) victory at Etihad Stadium was a triple blow for the Bombers, who suffered just their fourth reduction from 14 video games but were also forced to substitute crucial forward Michael Hurley out of the game in the third phrase with a hamstring issue.

Essendon also dropped out of the top four as a outcome of their reduction.

Milne was chaired off the area as the Saints celebrated their initial win in their previous five matches against the Bombers.

St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt was instrumental with a four-objective efficiency plus 24 disposals and 11 marks.

Midfielders Lenny Hayes and Nick Dal Santo have been also dominant for the Saints, who improved their win-reduction record to 7-7.

Courtenay Dempsey and ruckman David Hille were two of the greater gamers for Essendon.

Regardless of Essendon’s 18-12 dominance in the inside-50s, the Bombers have been outscored 4 objectives to 3 in the opening term like two majors to St Kilda big man Justin Koschitzke.

Arryn Siposs kicked two of St Kilda’s five goals in the 2nd phrase as the property side surged ahead by 23 factors.

The Saints took charge once more in the third term with 6 targets to Essendon’s two, as Milne ducked and weaved his way to 4 ambitions for the quarter.

A purpose on the run from outside 50 metres from Riewoldt was an additional highlight.

Essendon’s Heath Hocking landed a higher hip-and-shoulder bump on St Kilda’s Lenny Hayes behind the play in the third quarter and Hayes was knocked to the ground and briefly left the field. The Saints scored their 12th goal from the resultant downfield free kick.

Hocking is expected to face heavy scrutiny from the match-critique panel more than his clash with Hayes.

Essendon’s woes continued when Kyle Reimers staggered off with concussion immediately after an accidental head clash with St Kilda’s Tom Simpkin.

Top by 46 factors at three-quarter time, the Saints kept operating hard with a six-goal final phrase to Essendon’s one main.

The game was interrupted at the 15-minute mark by a male intruder who was in a position to run all the way to the centre of the field prior to becoming intercepted by a security guard.

Essendon face Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium following Saturday while the Saints travel to Brisbane to play the Lions later that evening.