One of the big stories of the AFL off-season was the spending spree of Melbourne’s Round 1 opponent, St Kilda. They splashed out heavily, first to retain Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera - the hero of last year’s epic come-from-behind miracle victory -turning him into a $2 million man. They then effectively took out an expensive overdraft to recruit a string of expensive players from other clubs. It was a risky investment strategy and, although it’s still early days, it certainly failed to pay off in Sunday’s season opener, with much of the glitter turning to fool’s gold.

Melbourne’s thriftier and more measured approach looks the better bet at this stage. Having decided to clear the decks of some outstanding icons of the past - players who might still have had a few quality seasons left in them - the Demons instead turned to youth in the draft and adopted a restrained recruiting strategy. The result was not a bargain-bin Temu Melbourne, but rather a collection of hard-working contributors: the blue-collar reliability of Brody Mihocek, a real steal in former Saints captain Jack Steele, and the unpredictable Jack-in-the-box dynamism of Changkuoth Jiath. All appear to be solid pieces in a team willing to commit fully to the cause. A new coach and the fresh approach he has brought with him have also provided an important ingredient for change.

The Saints, with the advantage of a Round Zero game already under their belts, started more strongly but were soon reeled in. Rule changes introduced by the AFL over summer appear to favour a faster, more direct style of play. Stolid, slow ball movement won’t cut it. For now, the theme seems to be survival of the fittest.

Enter eight-time All-Australian ruckman Max Gawn. He struggled a little early against St Kilda’s $1.75 million ruckman TDK, but when the contest intensified he produced a herculean masterclass of ruck craft, endurance and strength. Gawn dominated the second half and played a pivotal role in delivering victory for the Demons.

With Steven May now retired, young forward Jacob van Rooyen commands the team’s highest guernsey number. Sporting a newly shorn look and a leaner frame, he stepped up to the honour superbly, kicking six goals alongside Mihocek’s three - a clear reflection of King’s overhaul of the way Melbourne structures its attacking entries, sometimes starting from deep in defence. The avenues into attack now come from different places than the ineffective methods of recent seasons and the result in terms of efficiency of the forward line is obvious  and glaring. The statistics are being turned on a head.

The team’s enthusiasm is infectious. First goals for new players were celebrated with genuine excitement. Latrelle Pickett had a relatively quiet debut, but the reception from both teammates and crowd when he produced that sizzling run around a flat-footed line of St Kilda defenders for his first goal will become an unforgettable memory. His older cousin Kozzie came alive in the second half when it mattered most. Koltyn Tholstrup was handed the daunting early-career task of minding Wanganeen-Milera and, although the maestro slipped away a few times, the youngster can hold his head high. And in a game increasingly demanding elite fitness, Harry Sharp became more valuable as the match wore on.

There is still a mountain of work ahead. Not everything went to plan in the heat of the contest. Frustratingly, kicks and handballs did not always hit their targets. The reshaped midfield remains a work in progress and the list still needs depth to navigate through a long, hard season. They will face a sterner test against Fremantle’s high-quality on-ball brigade next week. But if Sunday is any indication, Demon fans have reason for optimism. It may not yet be gold-class football, but it’s a promising start.

MELBOURNE 3.3.21 9.7.61 14.9.93 18.12.120

ST KILDA 4.4.28 9.5.59 13.11.89 15.17.107

GOALS

MELBOURNE van Rooyen 6 Mihocek 3 Chandler Culley Fritsch Gawn K Pickett  L Pickett Sharp Steele Windsor 

ST KILDA Hall 4 Wanganeen-Milera 3 Higgins Owens 2 Keeler Ryan Wilson Wood

BEST

MELBOURNE Gawn van Rooyen Mihocek Windsor K Pickett Steele

ST KILDA Hall Wanganeen-Milera Sinclair Wilkie Windhager Flanders

INJURIES 

MELBOURNE Nil

ST KILDA Matteas Phillipou (corked quad) Liam Ryan (corked shoulder)

REPORTS 

MELBOURNE Nil

ST KILDA Nil

UMPIRES Nicholas Jankovskis Matt Stevic Andrew Heffernan Harrison Birch

CROWD 44,577 at the MCG

On the subject of gold, here's a beauty from Waltzing St Kilda on the Saintsational website -

Obvious caveats aside (only two matches in), the off-season spending spree has been disastrous.

Paying Nas $2 million doesn't make him twice as good as Daicos.

Bringing in a new ruckman on 1.75m while relegating Marshall to n ineffectual supporting role, other promising ruckmen to the reserves and Heath to Melbourne puzzling to say the least.

Dumping our loyal captain Steele while keeping Macrae? Illogical and bad for culture.

Flanders somehow got mistaken for Rowell by our genius recruiters.

Head recruiter's son brough in on generous coin -- no vested interest there!

Next week the Leek Alir revenge game.