AINT THAT A CRYING SHAME by The Oracle

[Demonland 72,178]

It’s a crying shame that we happen to be playing against the resurgent St Kilda just as they have managed to overcome a rotten patch of form with an upsurge in momentum resulting from the sacking of its coach and the appointment of a new one.   

The Saints had a purple patch at the start of the season winning four of their first five games (including the one against the sloppy and sluggish Demons in Round 5) before collapsing into the sink hole that led to them parting ways with coach Alan Richardson and his ultimate replacement by caretaker Brett Ratten. 

In accordance with the standard when that happens, the Saints suddenly came alive and comprehensively beat the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium last week just as the Doggies were starting to make a play for the finals.  

Meanwhile, Melbourne’s nightmare season continued to roll along with another inaccuracy-marred performance that saw it roll over again in the final quarter of a very winnable game against the West Coast Eagles. Had it been able to win those matches this season, it might still have been within striking distance of the finals but instead, it sits behind Carlton which some weeks ago was languishing on the bottom before the sacking its coach.  

Once again, the season’s statistics are misleading and unhelpful because, while the Demons are streets ahead of the Saints in most of the game’s key performance indicators, they are so ineffective at converting such apparent advantages into wins on the scoreboard. The numbers don’t even bear repeating because, on a weekly basis, they favour the Demons against their opponents but when the players hit the ground, they spray their own set shots at goal and then watch the ball move the other way with efficiency that leads to easy goal scoring situations.   

The casual observer is left to opine that the club’s brains trust has miscalculated the ways to use the 6-6-6 system to the team’s advantage.   

The team that runs out onto Marvel Stadium on Saturday night will be well below the best that Melbourne can put on the field but let’s face it - there are others who have been badly hit by injuries and they manage to keep performing and win games. The Bombers are a case in point. 

Which means that the Demons have been exposed for a lack in depth players as well as the spirit and football nous required to win games.  

It ain’t happening at the moment and it won’t happen on Saturday night.  

Prediction St Kilda by 9 points.  

THE GAME St Kilda v Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday 27 July 2019 at 7.25pm    

HEAD TO HEAD    

Overall St Kilda 93 wins Melbourne 121 wins 1 drawn    

At Marvel Stadium St Kilda 8 wins Melbourne 5 wins   

Past five meetings St Kilda 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins  

The Coaches Ratten 0 Goodwin 0 wins   

MEDIA    

TV - Channel 7 Live at 7.00pm Fox Footy Channel Live at 7.20pm    

RADIO - Triple M 3AW ABC

THE LAST TIME THEY MET     

St Kilda 15.5.95 defeated Melbourne 7.13.55 at the MCG, Round 5, 2019  The Saints ran the Demons off their feet on the outside and that told on the scoreboard despite getting the ball inside their forward 50 metre arc. Both sides had 20 shots at goal - the difference between the teams at the end? 40 points!  

THE TEAMS   

ST KILDA  

B Nick Coffield Nathan Brown Shane Savage
HB Callum Wilkie Jake Carlisle Hunter Clark
C Jack Billings Sebastian Ross Jack Newnes
HF Jack Sinclair Josh Bruce Ben Long
F Jack Lonie Tim Membrey Doulton Langlands
FOLL Rowan Marshall Blake Acres Jade Gresham
I/C Luke Dunstan  Nick Hind Ben Paton Jack Steele
EMG Josh Battle Darragh Joyce Matthew Parker Bailey Rice 

IN Ben Long

OUT Matthew Parker (omitted)

MELBOURNE

B Michael Hibberd Jake Lever Neville Jetta
HB Jordan Lewis Sam Frost Christian Salem
C Nathan Jones Clayton Oliver Oskar Baker
HF James Harmes Harrison Petty Jayden Hunt
F Christian Petracca Tim Smith Bayley Fritsch
FOLL Max Gawn Jack Viney Angus Brayshaw
I/C Oscar McDonald Alex Neal-Bullen Corey Wagner Josh Wagner
EMG Kyle Dunkley Marty Hore Braydon Preuss Sam Weideman 

IN Oskar Baker Oscar McDonald Tim Smith

OUT Jay Lockhart (omitted) Steven May (hamstring) Braydon Preuss (omitted) 

Injury LIst: Round 19

Tim Smith (calf) – available
Oscar McDonald (illness) – available
Jack Viney (concussion) – test
Harry Petty (ankle) – test
Jake Melksham (foot) – test
Marty Hore (collarbone) – test
Sam Weideman (calf) – test
Billy Stretch (foot) – test
Tom Sparrow (knee) – 2-3 weeks
Aaron vandenBerg (foot) – TBC
Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – TBC
Tom McDonald (knee) – season
Jeff Garlett (shoulder) – season
Joel Smith (groin) – season
Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season
Guy Walker (shoulder) – indefinite