THE NEW REALITY by Whispering Jack

 Melbourne has not beaten St Kilda in an AFL premiership match since the 2006 Elimination Final when it recorded a three goal victory at the MCG. The only current player to take part in that game was current skipper Nathan Jones who was taking part in only his 7th AFL game. As was befitting of his young age and inexperience, Jones' role that nigh was modest - he picked up a mere nine touches of the footy. On Saturday, he will play his 207th game for the club and is expected to make a much bigger contribution and to play in a winning team against the Saints again. Lynden Dunn is the only other player still with the Demons who was on the club's list that year although he did not take part in the finals match. However, he was on hand in Round 10 of that season when the Demons also beat the Saints. Dunn and Jones are the only players to have played in a winning Melbourne team against St Kilda (I'm excluding NAB Challenge matches from the equation).

There is a handful of others at the club who have played in winning teams against the Saints when they were at other clubs. Chris Dawes and Heritier Lumumba were in a premiership winning team at Collingwood that beat St Kilda in the 2010 Grand Final while another former Magpie  Ben Kennedy later made his debut in a victory over the Saints. Jeff Garlett, Bernie Vince, Ben Newton and the club's new serial pest Tommy Bugg have all had the same winning experience before joining the Demons. Of course, Paul Roos who is winless against them in three starts as coach of the Dees, won many when he was at the helm of the Swans.

However, the reality is that when the team runs out on Saturday afternoon there will not be a single player who can say he has previously played with a teammate wearing the red and blue in a winning team against the opposition.

That reality is about to change with 100 minutes of football.

The Melbourne we have witnessed over the past three matches of football and indeed over most of the month or so before that is the product of the new reality for the club - a young team that attacks and defends with flair and excitement, that takes risks, plays with aggression and intensity and is developing some quality and class. That could not be said of its performances over most of the past decade (and indeed, the Essendon game which surely now must be considered an aberration). The team is getting better in leaps and bounds and what's more - it has found some consistency in performance.

That cannot be said of its opposition this week. The Saints are also on the rise and were impressive in consecutive games against Collingwood and Hawthorn but they came down to earth with a thud against the Giants last week. They won't be easy pickings at Etihad where they have constantly had "the wood" over Melbourne but the Demons overcame their hoodoo there last year, never mind in the practice match conditions of the NAB Challenge not all that long ago.

On Saturday, they will give the Saints a taste of the new reality.

THE GAME

Melbourne v St Kilda at Etihad Stadium Saturday 30 April 2016 at 1.45pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 118 wins St Kilda 89 wins 1 drawn
At Etihad Melbourne 3 wins St. Kilda 6 wins
Past five meetings Melbourne 0 wins St. Kilda 5 wins
The Coaches Roos 0 wins Richardson 3 wins

MEDIA

TV -

RADIO -

THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $1.55 St. Kilda to win - $2.45 to win

THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 1211.83 defeated Melbourne 6.10.46 in Round 17, 2015  at the MCG

A lot of questions were asked of the Demons after their pitiful effort in the last half against the Saints at the MCG in a game they were expected to win. Too many players simply didn't come out to play. Among the few who did were Jeremy Howe, Jack Viney and Daniel Cross and ironically two of that trio are no longer playing for the club.

TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg
HB: Lynden Dunn, Heritier Lumumba, Christian Salem
C: Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson, Josh Wagner
HF: Jack Watts, Sam Frost, Jeff Garlett
F: Dean Kent, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy
FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney
I/C: James Harmes, Jayden Hunt, Cam Pedersen, Christian Petracca 
EMG: Colin Garland, Alex Neal-Bullen, Clayton Oliver

IN: Christian Petracca 

OUT: Angus Brayshaw (omitted)

NEW: Christian Petracca (20, Eastern Ranges)

ST. KILDA

B: Jarryn Geary, Sean Dempster, Jimmy  Webster
HB: Shane Savage, Sam Fisher, Leigh Montagna 
C: Jack Billings, David Armitage, Jack Newnes
HF: Maverick Weller, Nick Riewoldt, Jade Gresham 
F: Jack Sinclair, Josh Bruce, Tim Membrey
FOLL: Tom Hickey, Luke Dunstan, Jack Steven
I/C: Blake Acres, Sam Gilbert, Minchington, Seb Ross
EMG: Hugh Goddard, Billy Longer, Brodie Murdoch 

IN: Blake Acres, Jade Gresham, Tim Membrey

OUT: Tom Lee (omitted), Jack Lonie (omitted), Paddy McCartin (managed)