NICK Riewoldt's 13th mark was lucky for nobody at Telstra Dome last night as his shot at goal was rushed through for a behind to give St Kilda a late draw against the Western Bulldogs.

Riewoldt dashed onto Jason Gram's huge torpedo, launched from half-back in a desperate ploy to gain ground.

The Bulldogs had just taken the lead for the first time since the first quarter with a big mark and goal from Wayde Skipper.

There was one minute 31 seconds left when play restarted and the Bulldogs looked home when the ball stayed in their attack for almost another minute. Riewoldt's behind meant the ball came back into play with only three seconds on the clock. Effectively, it was the last play of the game.

Twenty-three points down when Aaron Fiora kicked the first goal of the last term for the Saints, and again halfway through when Riewoldt goaled, the Bulldogs clawed their way back.

It wasn't fluent — little about this game was all night. Daniel Giansiracusa led up, marked and kicked his fourth goal. Matthew Boyd bulldogged his way into some open space and kicked the next on the run from 50 metres. Jason Akermanis kicked across goal to Andrejs Everitt for a third and the margin was four points.

Justin Koschitzke missed at the other end and then Akermanis presented on the lead once more. Again he pushed his kick across goal; Koschitzke looked best placed to mark, but Skipper came from the side to take it and give the Bulldogs a chance of an unlikely win.

They half got it. The result means both teams are in the eight overnight, and one of them may remain there after the round is completed.

St Kilda looked to have taken a grip of the game with a 17-point lead at three-quarter-time. Chris Grant's shot for goal after the siren fell just short, but the Saints had a significant lead in what had been a tedious and low-scoring game.

An early goal to Stephen Milne — with just his second kick of the night — and one late to Koschitzke was enough to outscore the Bulldogs by 10 points for the quarter.

The Bulldogs had chances, but just did not take them. Giansiracusa got their only major score of the term, but Adam Cooney missed from 35 metres out directly in front after the advantage of a 50-metre penalty brought him within easy range. In this sort of game, he really needed to do better.

Getting the ball less but using it better, the Saints came back from eight points down at quarter-time to lead by seven at the half. St Kilda had six scoring shots in the second term for 5.1, the Bulldogs had the same number of shots for 2.4.

Even then, it took until the last 10 seconds of the half for the Saints to work a goal from a stoppage to give them the break. Fiora got a slick handball out of the pack to Leigh Montagna, and the midfielder's shot from a step outside 50 metres sailed through.

The Bulldogs' possession game at this stage frustrated the Saints. Neither side appeared to be flooding back, and there was major congestion in the middle of the ground.

The Saints had a big edge going forward, with Riewoldt the prime target. He had taken eight marks by half-time. Balancing that, Fraser Gehrig was yet to trouble statisticians.

Robert Murphy was the Bulldogs' go-to man in the back line.

He gathered 18 possessions in the first half, but it was his use of the ball that made him more valuable. His half would have been just about perfect had he goaled from just on 50 in a rare forward excursion. But his shot was touched on the line. Murphy's direct opponent, Milne, had had one disposal.

The Bulldogs had the better of the first quarter, leading by eight points at the first change.

Luke Ball was a late withdrawal from the St Kilda side, his place taken by Clinton Jones. The Saints led midway through the term after kicking three straight goals from pretty much the same number of forward moves.

Akermanis cleverly rode Jayden Attard's body contact to create space to snap the first goal of the game, but then Jason Gram, Riewoldt and Xavier Clarke all goaled for the Saints.

Brad Johnson got one back when he got away with running straight at Koschitzke as the big Saint tried to mark, gathered the loose ball, and then snapped truly.

Further goals to Skipper and Giansiracusa, from a free kick, gave the Dogs an advantage.

Western Bulldogs 4.5 6.9 7.11 12.13 (85)
St Kilda 3.3 8.4 10.10 12.13 (85)
Goals: Western Bulldogs: D Giansiracusa 4 W Skipper 2 J Akermanis M Boyd A Cooney A Everitt C Grant B Johnson. St Kilda: N Riewoldt 3 J Gram 2 J Koschitzke 2 J Blake X Clarke A Fiora S Milne L Montagna.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: C Donlon M Vozzo B Rosebury.
Official Crowd: 33,600 at Telstra Dome.
Injuries: St Kilda: L Ball (adductor tightness) replaced in selected side by C Jones