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I'll just leave this here: Oliver - 35 possessions, 14 contested, 9 clearances and 8 tackles. What a player.

Uncle Bitter is toddling along today as the guest of a St Kilda member. I expect to be evicted by halftime as either - A. A boorish drunken loud mouthed and ungracious winner Or B. A boorish drunken loud mouthed and ungracious loser.

Just saw Rod Grinter outside the ground. Grin from ear to ear.

A huge shout out to Neal-Bullen. I've been a critic, but he was very good and important today.

We need the young guns to fire, I know Oliver is going to (3 Brownlow votes coming up). Petracca and Brayshaw need to step up if we're going to win. We also need to taunt Weller, his eyes are too close together.

Is it a grand old flag? You freaking bet it is! DEMONS!

A few things to remember before today's game: Yes, the Saints will kick a goal at some stage. There's no need to act like the world is caving in. They may even kick two in a row, but that's no excuse to claim we're the 'same old Melbourne from 2013' and that 'nothing has changed'. Yes, we will also make a turnover or two. Every team does it, even the Doggies. It's no need to act like a child and embarrass yourself on a forum. If you can remember these two golden rules, not just for this game for the season ahead, then the game day threads won't resemble the sewer that it often does.

Lots of guys played well today and played an Etihad style of game today. Therefore Goodwin was as influencial as a 23 man. But what gets lost in every game and for the last too many years is the the progression and now influence of our Caprian Jones. He is now a complete player. Great decision maker, great skills, gets the ball consistently week in week out. He is an AA grade player. The work he had done on his game is MASSIVE. In now good times and in extremely bad times he continues to perform and is so much better now he has good support around him. when others have floundered he has excelled due to dedication. He deserves to lift the cup for what he does now and for what did in an environment that killed more talented individuals

Don't ever underestimate what Roosy did for this club

I want to flag Weidemans attack on the ball in the air - quite frankly he isn't delivering on the outcomes consistently as yet , my word though, he will. He glides, yet attacks with oomph - the sure hands will develop.

Nev Jetta was absolutely super. A great all round game.

After quarter time you could argue that we didn't have one bad player on the park. Everyone made a contribution to the victory. To roll the Saints on their home turf like that shows how far we've come as a club. I couldn't be more excited right now and I hope everyone else is, too!

I'd be happy with a 1 point win and to see Riewoldt cry after Joel Smith stands on his albino head to take a screamer.

My Mrs is an import. Only been here for 12 months. Was at work, and sent her a text at quarter time telling her to not waste her time with this hopeless team. She told me to shut my head and support my team. Had no service for the next 2 qtr while busy, and returned to 8 texts and 5 shouting, incoherent voicemail messages, laced with stuff that sounded like "puk yeah, go dees!", and the like. Thank you Dees, a great day, and my lovely wife is living the dream.

There's only one Melbourne player left at the club from its last win against St Kilda which everyone knows was the 2016 Elimination Final when a young Nathan Jones was just a pup and a bit player in his debut season with the club. We all know that because it's become a perennial to be reminded about our last win over the Saints by way of emphasis that we've been so poor for so long. For some of the time in between, it was not easy to beat them because they were a strength in the competition but that can't be said of the last few years when they still routinely embarrassed us. It all started on a day like today some ten years ago. The day of the 2007 Season Launch on 30th March when the teams met on a Friday night before a crowd that was just shy of 50,000. Like most of us, I was confident of a win - after all, we were the highest placed finisher of all of the Melbourne sides the year before and we had what we thought was a good, solid well-rounded team with some exciting youngsters. I remember Brock McLean went down with an injury. And I think Matty Whelan too. Anyway, nothing went right for us and in the end the scoreboard read "Melbourne 9.8 (62) defeated by St Kilda 13.15 (93)". By the end of the season we were a rabble, finishing in 14th place with just 5 wins, one of them coming in rather dubious circumstances in the final round of the season when we beat a tanking Carlton in the game that became the Kreuzer Cup. Long time coach Neale Daniher was sacked somewhere in between and replaced by a bloke who was good at coaching the team to beat the Blues. A lot of water passed under the bridge before the Demons met the Saints again in a season opener (in our case it was polluted water) on Saturday, 22 March, 2014 at 7:40 pm at today's venue, Etihad Stadium before a crowd of 31,657. It was Paul Roos' first game at the helm and we came in with lots of confidence, opened brightly and looked to be well on top. We were even keeping Nick Riewoldt quiet until Tom McDonald went down with injury along with Jack Fitzpatrick all in a short space of time in the second quarter. We also kicked about ten or eleven behinds in a row and our disastrous run continued. Riewoldt became the dominant player and they scored enough to win. I remember that we blew our last chance when Pedo ran into an open goal and missed from close in. St Kilda 10.8 (68) defeated Melbourne 6.15 (51). The only thing I can't understand is why am I so confident about today.

I've already added 300 doses of LSD to their gatorade supply. If we lose it will be on a sub-conscious level,but I expect Jack Steven and co will be looking for buttercups and daisies in the grass by half time.

Great to see that Roosy was down in the rooms after the game as well. While this was very much a Goodwin victory, he would have watched on like a proud father as he watches what he planted begin to grow in front of his very eyes.

Such a solid win with one man down in sauna stadium. Oliver just silly good. Go you Demons.

Squirrel is invisible isn't he Robert.

Getting a little anxious/nervous, I can't eat anything or drink anything. Except for the dumplings I'm currently eating, and the rum I'm drinking.

I'm the only Melbourne supporter in the family since the old man passed away years ago, PD. While it annoys me at the best of times it gives me a few Demon supporters to chat with during the game as I live too far away to make it regularly.

I second this. My husband gets a Demons membership every Christmas - he supports the Pies.❤️?

He comes and goes.

C Oliver. He is a freak. As soon as he lifted in the second, the entire midfield lifted. Eventually, St Kilda, who had tagged Viney for the first half, were faced by a rampant Jones, Oliver and Lewis. This eventually freed Viney up and he worked himself into the second half pleasingly. Jones played a real captain's game. One of his best games for the club IMO. Gut running both ways. He was everywhere. Made some errors, but more than made up for them with his impact on the game. Here's my big call though. As I mentioned in a post the other day, Watts' ruck work in the second quarter turned the game. Max then had the momentum and changed his tapework to keep his taps within a 5 metre radius. This worked a trick. St Kilda players couldn't get separation and then we outnumbered them at the stoppages. Hannan was really impressive in his first game. Kudos to the MC. What a selection. Everyone played their role and how good was Nev Jetta? Hope Smith is okay. An unexpected win, but extremely satisfying. Go you mighty red legs!!

Please don't compare a shoulder dislocation to a young kid, to a probable career ending knee to a champion of the game

What an amazing game! Clarry will be a superstar into the future, Lewis is the perfect recruit, feeling for Joely Smith, Hannan was fantastic on bebut, T Mac going to overtake Rance as he best defender, so many players did so well, God damn I love this club!!!!!

St Kilda are our [censored] they have not beaten us in how long now.

Did we win? We Sh!t it in.

Poor Nick. You don’t want to see that happen to a veteran.

This first quarter will be the most important quarter of the year up until the second quarter .

4 games on Sat and none starting by 4:30. Not a fan of that. Sat arvo games might be a thing if the past soon. Bigger tv rating but less crowds. 2 o clock is good for families

Turns out Riewoldt’s injury isn’t as bad as first thought. It may only be a few weeks.

Saint fans have been talking up their two new key backs Brown and Carlisle all preseason, one game in and Hulk Hogan made them both look like trash.

With no JLT Jetta was massive for us today. Definitely proved he is in the best 22 but was there ever any doubt!

Even if you think that why would you say it ? WTF has Brayshaw got to do with Hannan ?

I'm going to buy more beer. Need to call a cab.

Neville has been superb.

Stop! Hannan time! sorry

I know he gets a big of flak these days, but Bernie has been sensational so far today.

ffs folks...grow some all this negativity !! Our boys will be going out to win , fully expecting they can and will. So do I carn Dees

I'm amazed people post on a game day thread when the game is actually on. The last thing I think of doing is reading during the game let alone posting during the game.

Some more thoughts. Anyone who ever doubted Jetta's place in the team take your humble pie and exit the thread. Paul Roos himself even made special reference to him towards the end. Speaking of which, was weird watching the game with Roos' commentary. Very happy with what he achieved at the club but Team Goodwin did something in one game that he and about 5 other coaches couldn't do in a decade (beat the Saints). Tom McDonald was immense, Oscar was not. Lewis is bargain recruit of the year, like a fine wine, getting better with age. Love how the crowd roars every time Hunt gets it in space. After a slow start, he showed 2016 was no fluke. If we had taken McCartin over Petracca, there'd be a 100 page mega thread on here by now. McCartin is pedestrian, Petracca a star. Massive boo by the Saints. Who the [censored] is Mitch Hannan? A [censored] gun is who! That goal in the third quarter was stupendously good and the moment I knew we would win. Already mentioned Oliver, but he's next level good. Remember when we were in raptures when Scully got 39 against Dogs in the wet? Well Oliver nearly matched it today (15 in the third) and unlike Scully his disposals go to advantage. Not convinced with Melksham, and a real shame about Joel Smith (who was looking good) and do feel for Nick but this isn't the thread for that. I liked how there weren't any big celebrations at the end, this will count for little if we can't wipe Carlton off the park next week.

This might be a bit nasty but it was Riewoldt who hit Smith and it should have been a free. Maybe the gods were watching.

Doesn't turn 20 until July. Scary.

If our entire team came out with man buns that would annoy the saints. We might be accused of cultural appropriation on the down side.

Just saw Roosy and Gawny have a hug in the middle of the ground. God i love Roosy!

The day they demolish it! With a beer in hand watching it crumble

We should start early with a bit of psychological warfare. I suggest we hang a sign on the entry to St Kilda's change room that reads "No Albino's or cyclops' allowed."