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Clashes between Melbourne and St Kilda are often described as battles between the forces of heaven and hell. However, based on recent performances, it’s hard to get excited about the forthcoming match between these two sides. It would be fair to say that, at the moment, both of these teams are in the doldrums. The Demons have become the competition’s slow starters while the Saints are not only slow to begin, they’re not doing much of a job finishing off their games either. About the only thing about their games that creates any interest these days is the post game conference from Saints’ coach Ross Lyon. That’s because he talks so much gibberish, that it provokes a great amount of debate and discussion as to the meaning of his words but not their content. At least with Simon Goodwin, we know what he’s saying which is what his expectations are from his team which, for various reasons are not currently being achieved. Which is exactly why I am tipping the Demons to win this week. They at least retain a clarity of purpose and belief in themselves and this is what should get them across the line in what promises to be the most dull, colourless and boring game of the round. It’s a game that’s been perfectly placed in a Sunday afternoon time slot where the AFL bosses will be hoping that nobody notices. Melbourne fans can be thankful that some of its stalwarts from the rapidly fading memory of the glories of the 2021 flag are still around pouring their hearts and souls into the game - the likes of big hearted ruckman Max Gawn and his deputy Jack Viney, Christian Petracca, Steven May and Alex Neal-Bullen. Many of the others are content to provide cameos of their ability during matches but little else. As it’s still part of the Doug Nicholls round, I’m expecting big things from Kozzy Pickett and Shane McAdam in honour of that recognition along with Maysie who will have the job on the Saints’ King, who their fans say has been due for a big game all season. If Narrm can get its turnover game going instead of fluffing every opportunity it had to do so, it will come out of the game a winner and restore the team’s prospects for 2024. Narrm by 15 points. THE GAME Melbourne v St Kilda at The MCG on Sunday 26 May 2024 at 4.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 125 wins St Kilda 94 wins 1 drawn At The MCG Melbourne 60 wins St Kilda 37 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 4 wins St Kilda 1 win The Coaches Goodwin 1 win Lyon 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 12.7.79 defeated St Kilda 8.10.58 at The MCG, Round 17, 2023 The Demons came out and kicked five goals in the first term which gave them a reasonably comfortable buffer for the rest of the game. Christian Petracca was a menace when up forward kicking four goals. Ed Langdon and Steven May were best players for the Demons. THE TEAMS NARRM B J. Bowey, S. May, T. Rivers HB J. McVee, T. McDonald, C. Salem C E. Langdon, C. Oliver, C. Windsor HF A. Neal-Bullen, H. Petty, K. Pickett F K. Chandler, B. Fritsch, S. McAdam FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, C. Petracca I/C L. Hunter, T. Sparrow, A. Tomlinson, J. Van Rooyen SUB T. Woewodin EMG J. Billings, T. Fullarton, B. Howes IN L. Hunter, E. Langdon, A. Tomlinson, J. van Rooyen OUT J. Billings (omitted), B. Brown (omitted), B. Howes (omitted), J. Lever (knee) EURO-YROKE B J. Battle, D. Howard, C. Wilkie HB J. Webster, L. Stocker, N. Wanganeen-Milera C S. Ross, J. Sinclair, M. Wood HF D. Wilson, B. Hill, L. Henry F J. Higgins, M. King, A. Caminiti FOLL R. Marshall, J. Steele, M. Windhager I/C R. Bonner, L. Collard, P. Dow, M. Owens SUB: C. Sharman EMG R. Byrnes, Z. Jones, B. Paton IN J. Higgins, S. Ross, L. Stocker OUT Z. Jones (omitted), B. Paton (omitted), M. Phillipou (omitted) Injury List: Round 11 Jake Bowey — ankle / Test Jacob van Rooyen — concussion / Test Daniel Turner — calf / 2 - 3 weeks Charlie Spargo — Achilles / 2 - 3 weeks Marty Hore — calf / 3 - 5 weeks Jake Lever — knee / 4 - 6 weeks Jake Melksham — knee / 4 - 6 weeks Josh Schache — Achilles/ 4 - 6 weeks

Just when St.Kilda thought it was heading toward Saintly Heaven in Season 2022, it was brought crashing to earth quickly by the ruthless Demons machine. It wasn’t a long drawn out process before the Saints discovered how fragile they were. The Demons simply took the game apart in the first quarter piling on four goals against a paltry three behinds. Even when Membrey was going to score a major right on the ¼ time bell from 15m out in front, he failed to bypass the outstretched hands of Harry Petty on the mark, causing the Saints’ hearts to fall even further. They were staring down the barrel of a disastrous day on the park, as Kozzy Pickett had already notched two majors in the first quarter and could easily have put four on the board. Little did they know that with Melbourne you can hold down one player but sooner or later someone else will bob up to cause you damage. That someone in the second quarter was Clayton Oliver who only had six touches to quarter time but had the statisticians pencils blunted by ½ time when he had recorded 22. Fortunately, he doesn’t do this for the whole game, as this would mean he would amass over 60 touches, but then one day he might just do that. He finished the game with 38 possessions in any case, which probably would be enough to add considerably to his Brownlow tally. The main break saw the game as good as over with the Demons holding nearly a six goal lead, and nothing from the Saints indicating they would challenge seriously. Every time they tried to switch the ball from one side to the other, there were Melbourne players already there to block their path. None more so than Ed Langdon, who must have found Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak, since no-one ever seemed to be near him, or when the Saints kicked it to free space, he just seemed to appear. Perhaps it was that nobody wanted to go and stand near him, because he would just leave them floundering behind. Why the Saints coaching staff didn’t move Brad Hill to his wing to try to curb his influence was confounding, but they leave him alone to pick up an incredible 39 possessions, and gain 566 metres. Meanwhile, the backline just kept mopping up the St.Kilda forward thrusts, be it May, Lever or Petty. But then they had plenty of assistants like Brayshaw chipping in for 11 intercepts for the game. The third quarter saw a slight revival from the Saints, but by this time the Demons were coasting, and still St.Kilda could only put through two majors for the term, as the defence held firm. The final term was basically a rinse and repeat of the previous with Melbourne putting through four majors while the Saints could only manage three to run out with a final margin of 38 points. Up forward Tom McDonald celebrated his 200th game with a couple of goals and seven marks, but it was his bullocking work and attack on the ball to create opportunities for others that will guarantee his position in the side for a long time. His work in partnership with Ben Brown is simply too much for opposition defenders. The latter capped of a good day at the office with three goals and six marks. Pickett was back to his dangerous best and was a constant threat whenever the ball hit the ground. He finished the game with 3 as well. And did we mention Petracca who finished with 36 touches as well? Or Brayshaw with 31 of his own? That’s the scary thing that Simon Goodwin keeps bringing up at his press conferences … Melbourne are capable of getting better. This was a Saints side that sat with a fourth spot on the ladder in reach prior to the game. They thought they were in with a chance. But their hopes were dashed very quickly as the Demons marched on to their 15th successive victory to keep Jake Bowey’s running record intact. With upcoming games against the Eagles and North, it looks likely the streak will continue. With the players having produced an 8-0 scoreline so far this season, they are truly heading for our own version of Demon Heaven for the fans as well. MELBOURNE 4.2.26 9.3.57 10.5.65 14.9.93 ST KILDA 0.3.3 3.4.22 5.7.37 8.7.55 GOALS MELBOURNE Brown Pickett 3 Harmes McDonald 2 Brayshaw Fritsch Rivers Spargo ST KILDA King Marshall 2 Higgins Membrey Ryder Windhager BEST MELBOURNE Oliver Langdon Brayshaw Petracca Harmes Sparrow May ST KILDA Steele Sinclair Crouch Ross Membrey Howard INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil ST KILDA Butler (ankle) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil ST KILDA Nil SUBSTITUTES MELBOURNE T.Bedford (unused) ST KILDA M.Windhager (replaced Butler) UMPIRES Matt Stevic Brendan Hosking John Howorth CROWD 35,767 at The MCG

If it seems like a long time ago, it’s probably because it was - round 2 last year. ST KILDA B: J. Webster 29 D. Howard 20 C. Wilkie 44 HB: B. Long 21 T. Highmore 34 J. Sinclair 35 C: J. Billings 15 S. Ross 6 H Clark 11 HF D. Butler 16 B. Hill J. Lonie 13 F: T. Membrey 28 S McKernan 27 M King 12 Foll: P. Hunter 41 J. Steele 9 J. Gresham 4 I/C: J. Battle 26 N. Coffield 1 J. Higgins 22 Z. Jones 3 Sub: J. Bytel 23 Emerg: J. Carlisle 2 D. McKenzie 36 M. Wood 32 In: Z. Jones M. King Out: D. McKenzie M. Wood MELBOURNE B: N. Jetta 39 S. May 1 A. Tomlinson 20 HB: J. Hunt 29 J. Lever 8 C. Salem 3 C: A. Brayshaw 10 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF: T. Sparrow 32 T. McDonald 25 K. Pickett 36 F: A. Neal-Bullen 30 L. Jackson 6 B. Fritsch 31 Foll: M. Gawn 11 C. Oliver 13 J. Viney 7 I/C: N. Jones 2 J. Jordon 23 T. Rivers 24 C. Spargo 9 Sub: O. Baker 33 Emerg: M Hibberd 14 J. Melksham 18 H. Petty 35 In: O. Baker J. Viney Out: K. Chandler J. Harmes (wrist)

Your votes for tonight’s game please - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Melbourne doesn’t do 8 point games very well but it will have to if it wants to remain a contender. Simple as that.

Melbourne is, not for the first time, paying for lapses in matches whereby the club leaks multiple goals without answer and which usually cost the club in those all-important eight point games as it did last week against the Western Bulldogs which replaced the Demons in the AFL top eight. And this week, they come up against a team that reputedly plays in the same mode as the Bulldogs but has been able to prevail over better opponents than Melbourne. It’s not that the Demons are out of form or a poor side. Over the course of the last four matches they have been beaten comprehensively in only one quarter - that being the third term or the “premiership quarter” last week where they were completely destroyed, conceding 6 goals 1 behind to a few points. St Kilda is still in the race for a double chance while for Melbourne, this week’s clash is virtually a case of the last chance saloon. The Demons are likely to be buoyed by the return of captain Max Gawn and former skipper Nathan Jones who would both have come in handy last week in the face of the Bulldogs’ onslaught. A major challenge for Melbourne is to take advantage of a winning ruck by winning clearances at the stoppages. When opponents gain the upper hand moving the ball out of scrimmages and into the open and they gain territory by run or by swift ball movement, it’s often panic stations for the Demons. The ace card for the Saints this week could be Jack Steele who last year bested Clayton Oliver. Steele is a class act and if he’s on Oliver again this week, it could spell trouble for Melbourne and their leading midfielder who last week managed only 15 touches. While people might think that the midfield is the be all and end all to the puzzle of the team’s inconsistency, you can’t ignore the almost complete breakdown last week of Melbourne’s forward line in terms of its failure to exert the pressure necessary to keep the ball inside the attacking region, to gain possession and to score goals. Most of the mid and small forwards were dysfunctional at the weekend while Mitch Wallis on his own showed them up with four goals. And even Sam Weideman’s goal scoring for the day was done and dusted one minute into the second quarter when he kicked the last of his two goals. The club needs a four quarter effort of pressure football from all players, especially the forwards, if it’s to maintain touch with the top eight. It’s do or die for the Dees ... and unfortunately, on form, I have to tip the Saints by 22 points. THE GAME St Kilda v Melbourne at TIO Traeger Park on Saturday 29 August 2020 at 7.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 121 wins St Kilda 94 wins 1 drawn At TIO Traeger Park Melbourne 0 wins St Kilda 0 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 2 wins St Kilda 3 wins The Coaches Ratten 1 Goodwin 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 Live at 7.30pm Fox Footy Channel Live at 7.30pm RADIO - THE LAST TIME THEY MET St Kilda 15.14.104 defeated Melbourne 13.7.85 at Marvel Stadium, Round 19, 2019 The Demons held sway in the first half and led by as much as 19 points in the second quarter before the Saints reeled them in early in the third term and the game see sawed until early in the last when they took control to win by 19 points. For the second time in the season it was St Kilda’s outside run that enabled it to prevail. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE FB Adam Tomlinson Steven May Jake Lever HB Christian Salem Oscar McDonald Michael Hibberd C Aaron vandenBerg Jack Viney Ed Langdon HF Trent Rivers Sam Weideman Angus Brayshaw FF Mitch Hannan Mitch Brown Jake Melksham FOL Max Gawn Christian Petracca Clayton Oliver I/C Nathan Jones Kysaiah Pickett Charlie Spargo Josh Wagner EMG Oskar Baker James Harmes Tom McDonald Braydon Preuss IN Mitch Brown Max Gawn Nathan Jones Oscar McDonald Trent Rivers Josh Wagner OUT Bayley Fritsch (omitted) James Harmes (omitted) Jay Lockhart (omitted) Tom McDonald (omitted) Braydon Preuss (omitted) Tom Sparrow (shoulder) ST KILDA FB Jarryn Geary Callum Wilkie Nick Coffield HB Ben Paton Hunter Clark Dougal Howard C Jack Billings Zak Jones Sebastian Ross HF Bradley Hill Josh Battle Dan Butler FF Tim Membrey Max King Rowan Marshall FOL Paddy Ryder Jack Steele Dean Kent I/C Nick Hind Ben Long Ed Phillips Jack Sinclair EMG Jack Lonie Daniel McKenzie Jonathon Marsh Dylan Roberton IN Hunter Clark Ed Phillips OUT Jack Bytel (omitted) Jake Carlisle (omitted) Injury/Suspension List: Round 14 Max Gawn (knee) – available Nathan Jones (quad) - available Alex Neal-Bullen (suspension) – 1 match Luke Jackson (hamstring) – 4 weeks Tom Sparrow (collarbone) – 4 weeks James Jordon (finger) – 4 - 6 weeks Marty Hore (toe and quad) – indefinite Harry Petty (groin) – indefinite Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – indefinite Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season

Melbourne’s team this week won’t look anything like this one from when they last met. 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)

Easter is supposed to be an occasion of hope, revival and ultimately celebration. But for the Demon supporters it was none of these as yet again their team was made Easter Bunnies by the Saints. With the exception of Christian Salem, there was not a single winner on the ground. The danger for the Demons was giving the Saints their own hope and enthusiasm by conceding early goals. That is exactly what happened in the first quarter, although with some ridiculous frees from the umpires close to goal. Nevertheless, the opportunity still stood before the Melbourne players, all they had to do was stay in the game, and all the efforts would come to fruition ... surely ... surely? On just about every statistic the Demons outclassed the Saints, yet the scoreboard showed no genuine improvement. Simple fact is that the forward line is completely and utterly dysfunctional. Aside from early goals (yet again) from Braydon Preuss, the rest of the designated forwards contributed nothing of value for the game (yet again). Jake Melksham with two goals and Christian Petracca with a single out of a total of seven majors for the game says it all. Once again Tom McDonald and Sam Weideman failed to bother the goal umpires. We are missing Jesse Hogan more than most would admit, and the plans to cover his loss have been shown to be worthless. A single goal in the second quarter, followed by another goal-less third quarter, as the Saints piled on eight unanswered goals to have the match all sewn up by ¾ time. Too many only look at the defenders and blame them for when the opposition walk the ball into goal, seemingly without a Melbourne player nearby. The truth is the problem lies further up the ground, particularly with those non-performing forwards, and some will not like to hear this, but also the mids. For the third time this season we have been absolutely cut to ribbons by the small outside runners. Where do they come from? Just look a little upfield to see where the likes of Lonie, Billings, Steven and Steele start their runs from. Who are their opponents? They are usually easy to find as they are 30 metres behind. And sadly, their opponents are some of the highest possession getters for the Melbourne side. Not much point getting the hands on the ball when your opponents are busy waltzing down the field and kicking goals ... The situation is not aided when the coaching staff put Jones and Lewis on the wings. That might have been something done in 2018, but wings are now needed and used (by winning sides) to cover a far greater depth of the ground. And Melbourne players on those wings and even flanks continue to just meander toward the contest. It was a sharp contrast to St.Kilda players who ran toward the middle to either cover defensively, or provide an outside option. The other standout was the team positioning in general play by St.Kilda. They were well drilled at the outside fringe and moved almost ballet like together as they kept their Melbourne opponents inside by a metre or so. Should they win the ball, they have that metre start, but not just one of them, all of them. It was why the Melbourne players were so far behind as the Saints linked up down the field. In sharp contrast the Demon players gave their opponents five metres and have fallen into the old defensive zone trap of “guarding grass”. This type of zone works on a basketball court where the space is limited. On a football field it leaves holes everywhere. To apply it to a football field, it is essential to concede the minimum space, but keep the opponent within striking range. Back to the forwards. Tom Mac cannot run at the moment - he has not recovered from his foot injury and so cannot lead. Weideman needs serious coaching in forward work. His leads are non-existent and as a result the only time he is seen competing is in the air, contests he will not win until he adds strength to his body. He also needs coaching on when to jump, as he runs under the flight of the ball too often. Importantly, ALL the forwards need to apply some pressure on their opponents. Remember, Tom can’t run, but Petracca, Melksham, Weidemannn and even Hunt were nowhere to be seen. Between them they could only manage 7 tackles for the game! That’s the same number as Jack Viney. This is where the opposition start their attacks, especially when the same players are unable to mark the ball to keep it in the forward 50m. Melbourne certainly didn’t come home with the chocolates at Easter. Those failings that have re-surfaced again and again since the start of the season will surely standout even more when facing a Richmond side which uses forward manic pressure and slingshot manoeuvres to score more than any other side. Is there any hope? Probably not, for coming into an ANZAC eve match without ammunition or reserves is something not even those brave souls at Gallipoli faced. Demon fans are calling for various players to be replaced, but the options at Casey have either been tried and failed, or are simply not up to the task. We desperately do need a player or 2 in the forward line who can run and chase or who can mark the ball. Losing one of the current batch in front of goal will not change the scoreline, given their output this season. The season is now over for the Demons. In 2018, even in losing games, the side was competitive. Failings could be sheeted home to youth and inexperience. Not so this year. We have returned to the stage where opposition get runs of unanswered goals, and we have no answer. We have too many unfit, injured players unable to make a meaningful contribution, with little prospect of replacements to fill the gaps. And unlike the Christian faith, there is little prospect of resurrection in three days. Melbourne 3.3.21 4.5.29 4.8.32 7.13.55 St Kilda 4.1.25 7.2.44 12.5.77 15.5.95 Goals Melbourne Melksham Preuss 2 Brayshaw Harmes Preuss St Kilda Membrey 4 Kent 3 Billings Bruce 2 Acres Lonie Long Parker Best Melbourne Brayshaw Oliver Gawn Harmes Salem Hore St Kilda Billings Kent Membrey Newnes Acres Steele Geary Injuries Melbourne Nil St Kilda Long (corked thigh) Reports Melbourne Nil St Kilda Nil Umpires Chamberlain Whetton Harris Official crowd 35,558 at the MCG

The most embarrassing loss of the 2018 season (perhaps aside from the Preliminary Final) for Melbourne was the one it suffered in Round 15 against lowly St Kilda. The Demons came into the game as a red hot favourite but were embarrassed by the Saints' speed and willingness to take the contest right up to them for virtually the full four quarters. It was a defeat that they were to bemoan for the remainder of the season. Their arrogance in going into the game and taking an opponent lightly was a costly slip up that possibly cost them the double chance in the end. The lead up to this year’s meeting could not be more different to the last. This time, it’s the Saints who are the trendsetters and with three wins to date, they are equal league leaders. The Demons, on the other hand, are in deep trouble with a huge injury list and many players struggling to regain their form of 2018. After three consecutive losses to begin the season, their one win came last week against an equally out-of-form Swans, leaving them sitting in sixteenth place on the AFL ladder. The glimmer of hope for the team was the way it lifted itself up by the bootstraps after trailing the Swans by 22 points halfway through the second term last Thursday night. Up to that point, the team that was the clearance king of 2018 was struggling to take the ball away from the stoppages despite Max Gawn’s usual dominance in the ruck. Suddenly, they were able to get on top in contested possessions and take advantage when inside the forward fifty. Goals flowed - significantly three of them came from one of the co-skippers in Nathan Jones who’s career many had written off just one week earlier. And if Melbourne can take its advantage in contested possessions through the likes of Clayton Oliver and Angus Brayshaw into this week’s game, it will go a long way towards atoning for its poor start to the season. Against this will be, the challenge of nullifying St. Kilda’s outside speed which has been so damaging so far this year. The Demons benefitted last week from the inclusion of Braydon Preuss, who despite his ungainliness, caused headaches for the Swans’ defence. He kicked a couple himself and made the other Demon forwards who had been struggling for goals despite their numerous opportunities, look taller and play better. He was in doubt for this game at the time of writing but, irrespective of whether he plays, it is to be hoped that coach Simon Goodwin has learned his lesson and affords some extra versatility and options in his forward line. If the Demons have indeed learned their lessons from last year’s game and from the early rounds of this year, then I expect them to come marching in against the Saints and move forward in their process of resurrection. Melbourne by 15 points. THE GAME Melbourne v St Kilda at the MCG on Saturday 20 April 2019 at 4.35pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 121 wins St Kilda 92 wins 1 drawn At MCG Melbourne 59 wins St Kilda 36 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 3 wins St Kilda 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 3 wins Richardson 1 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel Live at 4.30pm RADIO - ABC Triple M SEN 3AW THE LAST TIME THEY MET St Kilda 18.11.119 defeated Melbourne 18.9.117 at the MCG, Round 15, 2018 After an even opening term, St Kilda got the jump on Melbourne with a seven goal second quarter and the Demons were forced to played catch up for the rest of the game. Despite a late surge of goals they fell by two points and recorded their third-straight loss. MELBOURNE B Marty Hore Sam Frost Neville Jetta HB Jordan Lewis Michael Hibberd Christian Salem C Nathan Jones Clayton Oliver James Harmes HF Angus Brayshaw Sam Weideman Jayden Hunt F Tom McDonald Braydon Preuss Jake Melksham FOLL Max Gawn Jack Viney Christian Petracca I/C Bayley Fritsch Charlie Spargo Corey Wagner Josh Wagner EMG Declan Keilty Jay Lockhart Oscar McDonald Billy Stretch IN Neville Jetta Jordan Lewis OUT Oscar McDonald (omitted) Billy Stretch (omitted) ST KILDA B Jimmy Webster Nathan Brown Shane Savage HB Callum Wilkie Josh Battle Jarryn Geary C Blake Acres Sebastian Ross Jack Newnes HF Jack Billings Josh Bruce Matthew Parker F Jack Lonie Tim Membrey Jade Gresham FOLL Rowan Marshall Jack Steele Jack Sinclair I/C Dean Kent Ben Long Ben Paton Jack Steven EMG Nick Hind Darragh Joyce Jonathon Marsh Robbie Young IN Jarryn Geary Jack Steven OUT Hunter Clark (omitted) Daniel McKenzie (concussion) Injury List - Round 5 Oscar McDonald (concussion) – available Neville Jetta (knee) — test Jordan Lewis (hamstring) — test Jay Lockhart (shoulder) — test Braydon Preuss (shoulder) — test Kade Kolodjashnij (concussion) – TBA Steven May (groin) — 2-4 weeks Joel Smith (groin) — 4-6 weeks Aaron vandenBerg (foot) — 4-6 weeks Mitch Hannan (knee) — 6 weeks Jake Lever (knee) — 6 weeks Jay Kennedy-Harris (knee) — 8-10 wee ks Guy Walker (shoulder) — indefinite Aaron Nietschke (knee) — season

Melbourne approached this game in mid 2018 with more than a touch of arrogance and, in the end, paid dearly for their hubris. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Harry Petty, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Michael Hibberd, Joel Smith, Jordan Lewis C:Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw HF: Christian Salem, Jesse Hogan, Clayton Oliver F: Alex Neal-Bullen, Mitch Hannan, Tom McDonald Foll: Max Gawn, Jake Melksham, Nathan Jones I/C: Bayley Fritsch, James Harmes, Dom Tyson, Sam Weideman Emg: Cameron Pedersen, Charlie Spargo, Billy Stretch, Bernie Vince In: Harry Petty, Sam Weideman Out: Tim Smith (omitted) Bernie Vince (omitted) New: Harry Petty (Norwood) ST KILDA B: Daniel McKenzie, Nathan Brown, Bailey Rice HB: Jarryn Geary, Jake Carlisle, Shane Savage C:Jack Newnes, Jack Steele, Jack Sinclair HF: Jack Billings, Paddy McCartin, Maverick Weller F: Jade Gresham, Tim Membrey, Josh Battle Foll: Billy Longer, Sebastian Ross, Jack Steven I/C: David Armitage, Hunter Clark, Luke Du nstan, Darragh Joyce Emg: Sam Gilbert, Ben Paton, Lewis Pierce, Nathan Wright In: Jarryn Geary, Sam Gilbert, Darragh Joyce Ben Paton, Lewis Pierce, Nathan Wright Out Logan Austin (omitted), Jimmy Webster (Injured) New: Darragh Joyce (Ireland)

FIFTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS by George on The Outer During the week the MFC marked the 50th anniversary of the ignominious sacking of Norm Smith by the MCC committee. Fifty years in the wilderness for the Club. No premierships since 1964 and the curse of Norm continues to haunt the club. And what an almighty curse it must be, because the Israelites were banished to the wilderness for only 40 years, for their indiscretions. We have seen various prophets come and go, all promising to take us to the Promised Land, but after the performance against the Saints, we are no closer to reaching that target than we have ever been. The false dawn of improvement we saw against Geelong, was crushed by a totally insipid demonstration of ineptitude by numerous Melbourne players. It started in the first quarter when Dawes couldn’t kick straight while running into an open goal to set the tone, and followed that with a series of failed marking attempts and turnovers gifted to the Saints. He wasn’t alone as Grimes, Watts and Jetta fed plenty of their possession directly the opposition. Instead of relieving the pressure by taking control of the situation and booting it down the field, they sought to handball to others under pressure. It is better to see the ball 50 metres away from the opponent’s goal, than giving it up to them. The usual apologists will point to the number of possessions this trio had, but fail to look at their combined efforts of 16 clangers! Sixteen straight turnovers to the opposition, and that doesn’t count the ones where they give it to someone who had no chance of disposing of it properly and is themselves the cause of the clanger. What would the score board look like with 16 less direct turnovers? There were some players who could hold their heads high. Jack Viney 20 contested possessions with 31 disposals. Max Gawn 32 hit outs. But beyond those two there weren’t many others who could say they beat their opponent on the day, or provided anything positive toward the team. This was against a bottom of the ladder type side. They are no Hawthorn or West Coast. This was against a side that had won the same number of games as we had. The result should have been a close contest, but never was. Where was the improvement we have been promised? How can the fans be expected to watch the absolute and utter cr@p that is being served up to them at the moment? Seven goals is all they have seen from their side in the last 7 quarters of football. A solitary goal for each quarter played! We were at the bottom of the ladder when Richmond were last there. We were at the bottom of the ladder when the Bulldogs and GWS were there. We were there when Port and Gold Coast were there. And when St. Kilda were the cellar dwellers. Now each of those sides has gone past us and left us still languishing at the bottom. We have reverted to the game style from 2 years ago! 195 handballs in a game where we only had 178 kicks. The result is we go around in circles until it is coughed up. And to top it off we have ridiculous player placement. McDonald up forward isn’t working, with no score to his name again this week. Meanwhile the player he has taken apart in the past, Riewoldt, on one leg, manages 3 goals and 13 marks! So how long will it be before Jesse Hogan, Angus Brayshaw and Jack Viney give up? It won’t be long because the Melbourne fans are giving up themselves. We have spent 50 years supporting the club in the Wilderness, these talented kids only a couple of years. If we have had enough, then they will stop trying and go elsewhere to get some satisfaction playing the game. They will leave to play with others who care, who are prepared to put in when needed, who want to do the hard work. At the moment all they see is further wilderness before them. Melbourne 1.2.8 3.6.24 5.9.39 6.10.46 St. Kilda 4.4.28 4.7.31 10.8.68 12.11.83 Goals Melbourne Dawes Garlett Gawn Hogan N Jones Tyson St. Kilda Riewoldt 3 Dunstan 2 Bruce Lonie McCartin Newnes Savage Sinclair Weller Best Melbourne Viney Gawn Grimes, Cross, Vince, Watts St. Kilda Riewoldt, Roberton, Gilbert, Geary, Dempster, Fisher, Montagna Changes Melbourne Nil St. Kilda Nil Injuries Melbourne T McDonald (left eye) St. Kilda Armitage (shin), Webster (ribs), Riewoldt (corked calf) Substitutions Melbourne Viv Michie replaced Aaron vandenBerg in the third quarter St. Kilda Eli Templeton replaced Hugh Goddard at three-quarter time Reports Melbourne Nil St. Kilda Nil Umpires Rosebury, Mollison, Wallace Official crowd 22,945 at the MCG

During the week the MFC marked the 50th anniversary of the ignominious sacking of Norm Smith by the MCC committee. 50 years in the wilderness for the Club. No premierships since 1964 and the curse of Norm continues to haunt the club. And what an almighty curse it must be, because the Israelites were banished to the wilderness for only 40 years, for their indiscretions. We have seen various prophets come and go, all promising to take us to the Promised Land, but after the performance against the Saints, we are no closer to reaching that target than we have ever been. The false dawn of improvement we saw against Geelong, was crushed by a totally insipid demonstration of ineptitude by numerous Melbourne players. It started in the first quarter when Dawes couldn’t kick straight while running into an open goal to set the tone, and followed that with a series of failed marking attempts and turnovers gifted to the Saints. He wasn’t alone as Grimes, Watts and Jetta fed plenty of their possession directly the opposition. Instead of relieving the pressure by taking control of the situation and booting it down the field, they sought to handball to others under pressure. It is better to see the ball 50 metres away from the opponent’s goal, than giving it up to them. The usual apologists will point to the number of possessions this trio had, but fail to look at their combined efforts of 16 clangers! Sixteen straight turnovers to the opposition, and that doesn’t count the ones where they give it to someone who had no chance of disposing of it properly and is themselves the cause of the clanger. What would the score board look like with 16 less direct turnovers? There were some players who could hold their heads high. Jack Viney 20 contested possessions with 31 disposals. Max Gawn 32 hit outs. But beyond those two there weren’t many others who could say they beat their opponent on the day, or provided anything positive toward the team. This was against a bottom of the ladder type side. They are no Hawthorn or West Coast. This was against a side that had won the same number of games as we had. The result should have been a close contest, but never was. Where was the improvement we have been promised? How can the fans be expected to watch the absolute and utter cr@p that is being served up to them at the moment? Seven goals is all they have seen from their side in the last 7 quarters of football. A solitary goal for each quarter played! We were at the bottom of the ladder when Richmond were last there. We were at the bottom of the ladder when the Bulldogs and GWS were there. We were there when Port and Gold Coast were there. And when St. Kilda were the cellar dwellers. Now each of those sides has gone past us and left us still languishing at the bottom. We have reverted to the game style from 2 years ago! 195 handballs in a game where we only had 178 kicks. The result is we go around in circles until it is coughed up. And to top it off we have ridiculous player placement. McDonald up forward isn’t working, with no score to his name again this week. Meanwhile the player he has taken apart in the past, Riewoldt, on one leg, manages 3 goals and 13 marks! So how long will it be before Jesse Hogan, Angus Brayshaw and Jack Viney give up? It won’t be long because the Melbourne fans are giving up themselves. We have spent 50 years supporting the club in the Wilderness, these talented kids only a couple of years. If we have had enough, then they will stop trying and go elsewhere to get some satisfaction playing the game. They will leave to play with others who care, who are prepared to put in when needed, who want to do the hard work. At the moment all they see is further wilderness before them. Melbourne 1.2.8 3.6.24 5.9.39 6.10.46 St. Kilda 4.4.28 4.7.31 10.8.68 12.11.83 Goals Melbourne Dawes Garlett Gawn Hogan N Jones Tyson St. Kilda Riewoldt 3 Dunstan 2 Bruce Lonie McCartin Newnes Savage Sinclair Weller Best Melbourne Viney Gawn Grimes, Cross, Vince, Watts St. Kilda Riewoldt, Roberton, Gilbert, Geary, Dempster, Fisher, Montagna Changes Melbourne Nil St. Kilda Nil Injuries Melbourne T McDonald (left eye) St. Kilda Armitage (shin), Webster (ribs), Riewoldt (corked calf) Substitutions Melbourne Viv Michie replaced Aaron vandenBerg in the third quarter St. Kilda Eli Templeton replaced Hugh Goddard at three-quarter time Reports Melbourne Nil St. Kilda Nil Umpires Rosebury, Mollison, Wallace Official crowd 22,945 at the MCG

The last time Melbourne beat St. Kilda was on the 8th September, 2006 in the Second Elimination Final at the MCG. Melbourne 2.2.14 3.4.22 8.5.53 13.12.90 St. Kilda 5.4.34 6.6.42 9.8.62 10.12.72 Goals Melbourne Neitz 4 McLean 2 Bate Bruce McDonald Miller Pickett Robertson Yze St. Kilda Gehrig 3 Milne Riewoldt 2 Baker Koschitzke Peckett Best Melbourne McLean Neitz Bruce Green McDonald White Carroll St. Kilda Riewoldt Harvey Baker S Fisher Milne Ball Gehrig Melbourne kicking ten goals in the second half. I'd like to see that live on the MCG today!!!

GOLDEN by The Oracle I am not sure that it's a good idea for Melbourne players to spill their guts out when talking about the coming week's opposition. I still carry the painful memories of Chris Dawes' comments before the Hawthorn game in Round 7 to the effect that the Hawks were "really gettable". It sounded good at the time because Hawthorn was sitting on a 3-3 record, had suffered a shock 10-point loss to GWS Giants, and had yet to win two games on end during the season so Dawes opined: "The Hawks are really gettable. They're not at their best yet, definitely, so I'm going to be planning to win this week and be expecting to win on Saturday." Great expectations but he was 106 points out for the match because that's what it would have taken to win that day and which proves the old adage about silence being golden. However, not to be deterred, young Demon tough nut Jack Viney came out saying that Melbourne "owes St Kilda" after Melbourne lost the Saints by two points when the teams met a little over a month ago. I feel like we owe St Kilda one. I feel like we shouldve won last time we played them and they ended up sneaking over the line in the end, he said. Personally, I feel like we owe them one and Im going to be going out there to try and take it off them. Melbournes closest loss of the season was pretty devastating because the team lost so late in the game but it will be even more devastating if we simply expect that the game at the MCG this weekend is going to be a repeat of the toe to toe slugfest that could easily have gone Melbourne's way had the players kept their wits in that ¾ of a minute after Jeremy Howe put them in front in the dying stages of that fateful round 11 clash at Etihad Stadium. Had they done that, the club would have wiped out two long standing hoodoos - the Etihad curse that goes back to 2007 and the 11 game losing streak against St. Kilda that goes back all the way to the elimination final of 2006. The reason for the trepidation is that since that game, the Saints form has been far more impressive. A few weeks ago they prevailed over Essendon by 110 points and a week later Melbourne lost to the same opposition by nine. Even in defeat, the Saints were impressive in almost running down Richmond last Sunday as compared with the lacklustre way in which the Demons performed in the last half against the Brisbane Lions. If Melbourne gets up this week, it will be the end of a long march in to a victory against St. Kilda, almost as long as the one it broke last month against Geelong at the Cattery. THE GAME Melbourne v St. Kilda at the MCG Sunday 26 July, 2015 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 118 wins St. Kilda 88 wins 1 drawn At MCG Melbourne 58 wins St. Kilda 34 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 0 wins St. Kilda 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Richardson 2 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 3 at 3.00pm (live) RADIO SEN, ABC, ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $1.92 St. Kilda to win - $1.92 THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 12.13.85 defeated Melbourne 12.11.83 in Round 11, 2015 at Etihad Stadium In a game that ebbed and flowed all day, the Saints were narrowly in front for most of the final quarter until Jeremy Howe goaled with a mere 47 seconds left on the clock. The Demons will forever rue their failure to get numbers down back which resulted in Leigh Montagna's winning goal kicked some 20 seconds before the final siren. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Daniel Cross, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe C: Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson, Heritier Lumumba HF: Aaron vandenBerg, Chris Dawes, Angus Brayshaw F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Watts Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Jack Grimes, James Harmes, Viv Michie, Billy Stretch EMG: Mark Jamar, Matt Jones, Alex Neal-Bullen IN: Jack Grimes, Viv Michie OUT: Jay Kennedy-Harris (omitted), Alex Alex Neal-Bullen (omitted) ST. KILDA B: Jarryn Geary, Sam Gilbert, Sean Dempster HB: Shane Savage, Sam Fisher, Dylan Roberton C: Jack Newnes, David Armitage, Leigh Montagna HF: Luke Dunstan, Nick Riewoldt, Jack Sinclair F: Jack Lonie, Josh Bruce, Paddy McCartin FOLL: Billy Longer, Jack Steven, Maverick Weller I/C: Hugh Goddard, Adam Schneider. Eli Templeton, Jimmy Webster EMG: Tom Hickey, Tim Membrey, Farren Ray IN: Adam Schneider OUT: Farren Ray THE SEASON SO FAR - 40 PLUS 4 by Sam the Stats Man It's that time of year again when I look at the facts and figures around Melbourne's primary list of 40 players plus the 4 rookies:- BAIL, Rohan MFC 5 games, 1 goal, CSFC 7 games 6 goals - in and out of the team and currently just going at Casey. BRAYSHAW, Angus MFC 15 games, 4 goals - the highly rated youngster is having an exciting debut season but was slowed by a neck injury a couple of weeks ago against the Eagles. CROSS, Daniel MFC 15 games, 0 goals - a steadying influence and a great team leader. DAWES, Chris MFC 9 games, 5 goals CSFC 1 game 1 goal - season interrupted due to a calf injury and probably played his best game on Sunday against the Lions. DUNN, Lynden MFC 15 games, 0 goals - continues to be solid as a leader in the back line. FITZPATRICK, Jack MFC 3 games, 2 goals, CSFC 9 games 0 goals - being groomed as a key defender. FROST, Sam MFC 3 games, 0 goals - versatile tall man with pace broke his toe in round three and is unlikely to return until next year. GARLAND, Colin MFC 13 games, 1 goal - solid and reliable defender. GARLETT, Jeffrey MFC 15 games, 29 goals - goal sneak who adapted well at the club and leads the goal kicking. GAWN, Max MFC 6 games, 29 goals CSFC 6 games 1 goal - has risen to the occasion in the ruck after struggling to break into the team in the early going. GRIMES, Jack MFC 5 games, 0 goals, CSFC 5 games 3 goals - struggled to hold a place but has been showing good form at Casey recently. HARMES, James ® MFC 2 games, 0 goals CSFC 10 games, 5 goals - worked hard to win an AFL berth after showing good fork with the Scorpions. HOGAN, Jesse MFC 13 games, 28 goals - hard to keep a lid on this exciting young key forward. HOWE, Jeremy MFC 15 games, 8 goals - has been inconsistent among speculation that he may play elsewhere next year. HUNT, Jayden CSFC 3 games, 9 goals CSFCDL 5 games, 1 goal - youngster making his mark at Casey on the comeback trail after a long term back injury. JAMAR, Mark MFC 5 games, 2 goals, CSFC 9 games, 5 goals - the lion hearted ruckman was good early but has seemingly fallen out of favour while playing well in the VFL. JETTA, Neville MFC 11 games, 1 goal - missed a few games after a few bouts of concussion but has regained confidence in recent weeks. JONES, Matthew MFC 6 games, 4 goals, CSFC 7 games, 3 goals - another who has struggled to maintain his place in the AFL team. JONES, Nathan MFC 15 games, 7 goals - despite one or two quiet ones he continues to set the example of courage through great leadership. KENNEDY-HARRIS, Jay MFC 7 games, 1 goal, CSFC 1 game, 2 goals, CSFCDL 1 game, 0 goals - seems tentative on coming back from injury. KENT, Dean MFC 4 games, 2 goals - suffered a bad hamstring injury in the Anzac Day eve game against the Tigers and returned in the VFL development league at the weekend. KING, Max ® CSFC 4 games, 7 goals, CSFCDL 6 games, 17 goals - after regularly kicking bags of goals in the Casey development team, he booted five goals in his first game with their seniors. Will take time. LUMUMBA, Heritier MFC 14 games, 2 goals - showing great passion and leadership without starring at any time. McDONALD, Oscar CSFC 10 games, 1 goal, CSFCDL 2 games, 0 goals - following in his older brother's footsteps, Oscar is learning the ropes at Casey. McDONALD, Tom MFC 15 games, 5 goals - after producing All Australian form in defence in the early part of the season, his form dropped off and recently he has been playing up forward. McKENZIE, Jordie MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC 10 games, 3 goals - restricted to only one AFL game, his questionable disposal has kept him in the cold despite some good form in the VFL. MICHIE, Viv MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CSFC 8 games, 3 goals - struggling to establish himself in senior midfield ranks. NEAL-BULLEN, Alex MFC 5 games, 5 goals, CSFC 5 games, 0 goals, CSFCDL 2 games, 1 goal - a hard nut midfield extractor who has played the last five games at Melbourne and looks a player. NEWTON, Ben MFC 8 games, 7 goals, CSFC 4 games, 3 goals - looked good in the midfield early but now back at Casey. PEDERSEN, Cameron MFC 7 games, 6 goals, CSFC 2 games, 5 goals - played some handy games as a forward/ruckman before breaking his hand. Out for the season. PETRACCA, Christian - an ACL put paid to an AFL debut in the 2015 for this boom youngster. RILEY, Aidan MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CSFC x games, 3 goals -hard at it player on the fringe of selection. SALEM, Christian MFC 7 games, 1 goal - was in outstanding form before a hamstring injury put him out two months ago. SPENCER, Jake MFC 6 games, 3 goals, CSFC 7 games, 4 goals - had a purple patch in the ruck but now back at Casey. STRETCH, Billy MFC 7 games, 2 goals, CSFC 3 games, 0 goals - father-son pick who has shown some promising signs in his debut season. TERLICH, Dean CSFC 11 games, 1 goal - had an injury interrupted pre-season and has been unable to break into AFL ranks this year. TOUMPAS, Jimmy MFC 9 games, 4 goals, CSFC 5 games, 1 goal - still unable to establish himself in the AFL and needs to lift. TRENGOVE, Jack - unlucky to have a recurrence of the break in his foot and is out until 2016. TYSON, Dom MFC 12 games, 5 goals, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - has not recaptured last year's stellar form and has also missed time with a knee injury. VANDENBERG, Aaron ® MFC 12 games, 4 goals - the revelation who came off the rookie list and cemented his spot in the team as a big-bodied midfielder. VINCE, Bernie MFC 14 games 7 goals - has been outstanding in a tagging role after an interrupted preseason. VINEY, Jack MFC 9 games, 2 goals - it took a broken foot to stop this young hard nut earlier in the season but has come back with some solid, tagging performances. WATTS, Jack MFC 14 games, 5 goals, CSFC 1 game, 1 goal - lifted in recent weeks with some consistently good efforts. WHITE, Mitch ® CSFC 10 games, 1 goal, CSFCDL 1 game, 1 goal - promising rookie with a penetrating left foot.

I am not sure that it's a good idea for Melbourne players to spill their guts out when talking about the coming week's opposition. I still carry the painful memories of Chris Dawes' comments before the Hawthorn game in Round 7 to the effect that the Hawks were "really gettable". It sounded good at the time because Hawthorn was sitting on a 3-3 record, had suffered a shock 10-point loss to GWS Giants, and had yet to win two games on end during the season so Dawes opined: "The Hawks are really gettable. They're not at their best yet, definitely, so I'm going to be planning to win this week and be expecting to win on Saturday." Great expectations but he was 106 points out for the match because that's what it would have taken to win that day and which proves the old adage about silence being golden. However, not to be deterred, young Demon tough nut Jack Viney came out saying that Melbourne "owes St Kilda" after Melbourne lost the Saints by two points when the teams met a little over a month ago. I feel like we owe St Kilda one. I feel like we shouldve won last time we played them and they ended up sneaking over the line in the end, he said. Personally, I feel like we owe them one and Im going to be going out there to try and take it off them. Melbournes closest loss of the season was pretty devastating because the team lost so late in the game but it will be even more devastating if we simply expect that the game at the MCG this weekend is going to be a repeat of the toe to toe slugfest that could easily have gone Melbourne's way had the players kept their wits in that ¾ of a minute after Jeremy Howe put them in front in the dying stages of that fateful round 11 clash at Etihad Stadium. Had they done that, the club would have wiped out two long standing hoodoos - the Etihad curse that goes back to 2007 and the 11 game losing streak against St. Kilda that goes back all the way to the elimination final of 2006. The reason for the trepidation is that since that game, the Saints form has been far more impressive. A few weeks ago they prevailed over Essendon by 110 points and a week later Melbourne lost to the same opposition by nine. Even in defeat, the Saints were impressive in almost running down Richmond last Sunday as compared with the lacklustre way in which the Demons performed in the last half against the Brisbane Lions. If Melbourne gets up this week, it will be the end of a long march in to a victory against St. Kilda, almost as long as the one it broke last month against Geelong at the Cattery. THE GAME Melbourne v St. Kilda at the MCG Sunday 26 July, 2015 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 118 wins St. Kilda 88 wins 1 drawn At MCG Melbourne 58 wins St. Kilda 34 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 0 wins St. Kilda 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Richardson 2 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 3 at 3.00pm (live) RADIO SEN, ABC, ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $1.92 St. Kilda to win - $1.92 THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 12.13.85 defeated Melbourne 12.11.83 in Round 11, 2015 at Etihad Stadium In a game that ebbed and flowed all day, the Saints were narrowly in front for most of the final quarter until Jeremy Howe goaled with a mere 47 seconds left on the clock. The Demons will forever rue their failure to get numbers down back which resulted in Leigh Montagna's winning goal kicked some 20 seconds before the final siren. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Daniel Cross, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe C: Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson, Heritier Lumumba HF: Aaron vandenBerg, Chris Dawes, Angus Brayshaw F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Watts Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Jack Grimes, James Harmes, Viv Michie, Billy Stretch EMG: Mark Jamar, Matt Jones, Alex Neal-Bullen IN: Jack Grimes, Viv Michie OUT: Jay Kennedy-Harris (omitted), Alex Alex Neal-Bullen (omitted) ST. KILDA B: Jarryn Geary, Sam Gilbert, Sean Dempster HB: Shane Savage, Sam Fisher, Dylan Roberton C: Jack Newnes, David Armitage, Leigh Montagna HF: Luke Dunstan, Nick Riewoldt, Jack Sinclair F: Jack Lonie, Josh Bruce, Paddy McCartin FOLL: Billy Longer, Jack Steven, Maverick Weller I/C: Hugh Goddard, Adam Schneider. Eli Templeton, Jimmy Webster EMG: Tom Hickey, Tim Membrey, Farren Ray IN: Adam Schneider OUT: Farren Ray THE SEASON SO FAR - 40 PLUS 4 by Sam the Stats Man It's that time of year again when I look at the facts and figures around Melbourne's primary list of 40 players plus the 4 rookies:- BAIL, Rohan MFC 5 games, 1 goal, CSFC 7 games 6 goals - in and out of the team and currently just going at Casey. BRAYSHAW, Angus MFC 15 games, 4 goals - the highly rated youngster is having an exciting debut season but was slowed by a neck injury a couple of weeks ago against the Eagles. CROSS, Daniel MFC 15 games, 0 goals - a steadying influence and a great team leader. DAWES, Chris MFC 9 games, 5 goals CSFC 1 game 1 goal - season interrupted due to a calf injury and probably played his best game on Sunday against the Lions. DUNN, Lynden MFC 15 games, 0 goals - continues to be solid as a leader in the back line. FITZPATRICK, Jack MFC 3 games, 2 goals, CSFC 9 games 0 goals - being groomed as a key defender. FROST, Sam MFC 3 games, 0 goals - versatile tall man with pace broke his toe in round three and is unlikely to return until next year. GARLAND, Colin MFC 13 games, 1 goal - solid and reliable defender. GARLETT, Jeffrey MFC 15 games, 29 goals - goal sneak who adapted well at the club and leads the goal kicking. GAWN, Max MFC 6 games, 29 goals CSFC 6 games 1 goal - has risen to the occasion in the ruck after struggling to break into the team in the early going. GRIMES, Jack MFC 5 games, 0 goals, CSFC 5 games 3 goals - struggled to hold a place but has been showing good form at Casey recently. HARMES, James ® MFC 2 games, 0 goals CSFC 10 games, 5 goals - worked hard to win an AFL berth after showing good fork with the Scorpions. HOGAN, Jesse MFC 13 games, 28 goals - hard to keep a lid on this exciting young key forward. HOWE, Jeremy MFC 15 games, 8 goals - has been inconsistent among speculation that he may play elsewhere next year. HUNT, Jayden CSFC 3 games, 9 goals CSFCDL 5 games, 1 goal - youngster making his mark at Casey on the comeback trail after a long term back injury. JAMAR, Mark MFC 5 games, 2 goals, CSFC 9 games, 5 goals - the lion hearted ruckman was good early but has seemingly fallen out of favour while playing well in the VFL. JETTA, Neville MFC 11 games, 1 goal - missed a few games after a few bouts of concussion but has regained confidence in recent weeks. JONES, Matthew MFC 6 games, 4 goals, CSFC 7 games, 3 goals - another who has struggled to maintain his place in the AFL team. JONES, Nathan MFC 15 games, 7 goals - despite one or two quiet ones he continues to set the example of courage through great leadership. KENNEDY-HARRIS, Jay MFC 7 games, 1 goal, CSFC 1 game, 2 goals, CSFCDL 1 game, 0 goals - seems tentative on coming back from injury. KENT, Dean MFC 4 games, 2 goals - suffered a bad hamstring injury in the Anzac Day eve game against the Tigers and returned in the VFL development league at the weekend. KING, Max ® CSFC 4 games, 7 goals, CSFCDL 6 games, 17 goals - after regularly kicking bags of goals in the Casey development team, he booted five goals in his first game with their seniors. Will take time. LUMUMBA, Heritier MFC 14 games, 2 goals - showing great passion and leadership without starring at any time. McDONALD, Oscar CSFC 10 games, 1 goal, CSFCDL 2 games, 0 goals - following in his older brother's footsteps, Oscar is learning the ropes at Casey. McDONALD, Tom MFC 15 games, 5 goals - after producing All Australian form in defence in the early part of the season, his form dropped off and recently he has been playing up forward. McKENZIE, Jordie MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC 10 games, 3 goals - restricted to only one AFL game, his questionable disposal has kept him in the cold despite some good form in the VFL. MICHIE, Viv MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CSFC 8 games, 3 goals - struggling to establish himself in senior midfield ranks. NEAL-BULLEN, Alex MFC 5 games, 5 goals, CSFC 5 games, 0 goals, CSFCDL 2 games, 1 goal - a hard nut midfield extractor who has played the last five games at Melbourne and looks a player. NEWTON, Ben MFC 8 games, 7 goals, CSFC 4 games, 3 goals - looked good in the midfield early but now back at Casey. PEDERSEN, Cameron MFC 7 games, 6 goals, CSFC 2 games, 5 goals - played some handy games as a forward/ruckman before breaking his hand. Out for the season. PETRACCA, Christian - an ACL put paid to an AFL debut in the 2015 for this boom youngster. RILEY, Aidan MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CSFC x games, 3 goals -hard at it player on the fringe of selection. SALEM, Christian MFC 7 games, 1 goal - was in outstanding form before a hamstring injury put him out two months ago. SPENCER, Jake MFC 6 games, 3 goals, CSFC 7 games, 4 goals - had a purple patch in the ruck but now back at Casey. STRETCH, Billy MFC 7 games, 2 goals, CSFC 3 games, 0 goals - father-son pick who has shown some promising signs in his debut season. TERLICH, Dean CSFC 11 games, 1 goal - had an injury interrupted pre-season and has been unable to break into AFL ranks this year. TOUMPAS, Jimmy MFC 9 games, 4 goals, CSFC 5 games, 1 goal - still unable to establish himself in the AFL and needs to lift. TRENGOVE, Jack - unlucky to have a recurrence of the break in his foot and is out until 2016. TYSON, Dom MFC 12 games, 5 goals, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - has not recaptured last year's stellar form and has also missed time with a knee injury. VANDENBERG, Aaron ® MFC 12 games, 4 goals - the revelation who came off the rookie list and cemented his spot in the team as a big-bodied midfielder. VINCE, Bernie MFC 14 games 7 goals - has been outstanding in a tagging role after an interrupted preseason. VINEY, Jack MFC 9 games, 2 goals - it took a broken foot to stop this young hard nut earlier in the season but has come back with some solid, tagging performances. WATTS, Jack MFC 14 games, 5 goals, CSFC 1 game, 1 goal - lifted in recent weeks with some consistently good efforts. WHITE, Mitch ® CSFC 10 games, 1 goal, CSFCDL 1 game, 1 goal - promising rookie with a penetrating left foot.

It seems like only yesterday ... THE TEAMS ST. KILDA B: Jarryn Geary, Sean Dempster, Sam Gilbert HB: Jack Newnes, Luke Delaney, Jimmy Webster C: Leigh Montagna, David Armitage, Blake Acres HF: Sebastian Ross, Nick Riewoldt, Darren Minchington F: Tim Membrey, Josh Bruce, Jack Lonie FOLL: Billy Longer, Luke Dunstan, Jack Steven I/C: Farren Ray, Dylan Roberton, Shane Savage, Maverick Weller EMG: Hugh Goddard Daniel McKenzie, Cameron Shenton IN: Luke Dunstan, Sam Gilbert, Tim Membrey, Darren Minchington, Maverick Weller OUT: Jack Billings (shin soreness), Tom Hickey (omitted), Adam Schneider (omitted), Cameron Shenton (omitted), Jack Sinclair (omitted) MELBOURNE B: Daniel Cross, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes HB: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta C: Jimmy Toumpas, Dom Tyson, Heritier Lumumba HF: Jack Watts, Cam Pedersen, Jack Viney F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Angus Brayshaw FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince I/C: Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen, Aidan Riley, Billy Stretch EMG: Jack Fitzpatrick, Jake Spencer, Dean Terlich IN: Jack Grimes, Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen, Billy Stretch, Dom Tyson OUT: Jack Fitzpatrick (omitted), Colin Garland (hand), Matt Jones (omitted), Ben Newton (omitted), Aaron vandenBerg (hamstring) NEW: Alex Neal-Bullen (Glenelg) .

TELL THEM THEY'RE NOT TRYING by Mean Gene It's the easiest thing on earth to kick a man when he's down and the pundits have certainly had their day with the Melbourne Football Club of late. That's not to say that some of the criticism hasn't been well earned based on the Demons' form so far this year but it also says a lot about those critics who are falling over suggesting things that they must surely have plucked out of their backsides. Like the superficial rubbish coming from Paul Roos who accused Melbourne players of not trying on last week's On the Couch. He claims that the playing group has already destroyed one coaching career (that of Dean Bailey) and that it is "well on the way to doing the same to Mark Neeld." I don't see it that way and I don't agree with the doomsayers. Sure, things don't appear all that flash after five games but I don't think anyone can accuse the players of not having a dip in their three goal defeat at the hands of St. Kilda. Not when the Demons went into the game minus their full back and full forward, with a key playmaker coming back from injury in a green substitute vest, their most exciting forward still a week away from his comeback game for Casey and a handful of promising younger players either injured or working away to improve their game in the VFL. Yes, their are some excuses and explanations in this paragraph but they are things that need to be considered when looking at a young team devastated by external events and injury that is adapting to a brand new game plan. In spite of all that, Melbourne was able to put in by far its strongest performance of the year for almost the full four quarters until a more experienced St. Kilda outfit rallied to score the last two goals of the game. Melbourne was well served by Nathan Jones who brushed aside criticism from some quarters of his midfield role. He collected 27 disposals, booted two important goals and added passion to the midfield. Jack Grimes heralded his comeback to the team with a great 27 possession game. Melbourne was firing early with strong play from Brent Moloney and scored the game's first two goals. It soon lost the initiative to let the Saints in for a 9 point quarter time lead but fought hard in the wet conditions in the second term. Halfway through the quarter an Aaron Davey goal gave them the lead and when Rohan Bail snapped truly it had opened up to a 10 point advantage. Although the Saints steadied to take the lead into the main break, the scrap continued through the third quarter and well into the last. Tell players like Jordie McKenzie and James Magner who hustled their opponents all night that they weren't trying. Tell it to Cale Morton and Clint Bartram who played their best games in ages or Mark Jamar who killed them in the ruck. Or try telling it to Tom McDonald, with a handful of games under his belt taking on one of the games superstars in Nick Riewoldt. The game proved there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Melbourne and that they need to continue working hard at learning the new style of play. I'm betting the improvement will continue next week when Melbourne takes on Geelong at the place which is symbolic of its current tormented state. There will be no 186 next week. Melbourne 4.1.25 8.3.51 10.6.66 10.6.66 St Kilda 5.4.34 8.5.53 10.9.69 12.12.84 Goals Melbourne Bail Jones 2 Bartram Bate Davey Dunn Moloney Watts St Kilda Wilkes 3 Milne Riewoldt Steven 2 Hayes Montagna Stanley Best Melbourne Jones Rivers Grimes Jamar McKenzie Morton St. Kilda Dal Santo Hayes Armitage Steven Fisher Wilkes Injuries Melbourne James Magner (ankle) St Kilda Jason Blake (knee) Changes Melbourne James Frawley (calf) replaced by Luke Tapscott St. Kilda Jack Newnes by Beau Wilkes Reports Melbourne Nil St. Kilda Nil Umpires Pannell Mitchell Mollison Crowd 24,798 at the MCG

TELL THEM THEY'RE NOT TRYING by Mean Gene It's the easiest thing on earth to kick a man when he's down and the pundits have certainly had their day with the Melbourne Football Club of late. That's not to say that some of the criticism hasn't been well earned based on the Demons' form so far this year but it also says a lot about those critics who are falling over suggesting things that they must surely have plucked out of their backsides. Like the superficial rubbish coming from Paul Roos who accused Melbourne players of not trying on last week's On the Couch. He claims that the playing group has already destroyed one coaching career (that of Dean Bailey) and that it is "well on the way to doing the same to Mark Neeld." I don't see it that way and I don't agree with the doomsayers. Sure, things don't appear all that flash after five games but I don't think anyone can accuse the players of not having a dip in their three goal defeat at the hands of St. Kilda. Not when the Demons went into the game minus their full back and full forward, with a key playmaker coming back from injury in a green substitute vest, their most exciting forward still a week away from his comeback game for Casey and a handful of promising younger players either injured or working away to improve their game in the VFL. Yes, their are some excuses and explanations in this paragraph but they are things that need to be considered when looking at a young team devastated by external events and injury that is adapting to a brand new game plan. In spite of all that, Melbourne was able to put in by far its strongest performance of the year for almost the full four quarters until a more experienced St. Kilda outfit rallied to score the last two goals of the game. Melbourne was well served by Nathan Jones who brushed aside criticism from some quarters of his midfield role. He collected 27 disposals, booted two important goals and added passion to the midfield. Jack Grimes heralded his comeback to the team with a great 27 possession game. Melbourne was firing early with strong play from Brent Moloney and scored the game's first two goals. It soon lost the initiative to let the Saints in for a 9 point quarter time lead but fought hard in the wet conditions in the second term. Halfway through the quarter an Aaron Davey goal gave them the lead and when Rohan Bail snapped truly it had opened up to a 10 point advantage. Although the Saints steadied to take the lead into the main break, the scrap continued through the third quarter and well into the last. Tell players like Jordie McKenzie and James Magner who hustled their opponents all night that they weren't trying. Tell it to Cale Morton and Clint Bartram who played their best games in ages or Mark Jamar who killed them in the ruck. Or try telling it to Tom McDonald, with a handful of games under his belt taking on one of the games superstars in Nick Riewoldt. The game proved there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Melbourne and that they need to continue working hard at learning the new style of play. I'm betting the improvement will continue next week when Melbourne takes on Geelong at the place which is symbolic of its current tormented state. There will be no 186 next week. Melbourne 4.1.25 8.3.51 10.6.66 10.6.66 St Kilda 5.4.34 8.5.53 10.9.69 12.12.84 Goals Melbourne Bail Jones 2 Bartram Bate Davey Dunn Moloney Watts St Kilda Wilkes 3 Milne Riewoldt Steven 2 Hayes Montagna Stanley Best Melbourne Jones Rivers Grimes Jamar McKenzie Morton St. Kilda Dal Santo Hayes Armitage Steven Fisher Wilkes Injuries Melbourne James Magner (ankle) St Kilda Jason Blake (knee) Changes Melbourne James Frawley (calf) replaced by Luke Tapscott St. Kilda Jack Newnes by Beau Wilkes Reports Melbourne Nil St. Kilda Nil Umpires Pannell Mitchell Mollison Crowd 24,798 at the MCG

Who's going?

THE PULSE by Whispering Jack Somewhere in the twilight at the MCG last week I detected a faint pulse beating inside the Melbourne team. After taking a few poundings in the early rounds, there were glimmers of hope that there might really be something there upon which new coach Mark Neeld could work. It was Mitch Clark, proudly wearing the number 11 guernsey that was a thematic part of the day, who set the tone but he didn't get the ball delivered well enough or often enough and his kicking for goal was (like some of his fellow forwards) not good enough. In any event, he succumbed to what could have been a horrifying fate and missed the final quarter's battle. There were others who we thought might have done their collective dashes and been consigned collectively to our memories of the past but who lifted a notch to enable the pulse, albeit still a little feeble, to come to our notice. Aaron Davey, Matthew Bate and Cale Morton all lifted and were responsible for some of the team's better patches of play. We saw a little bit of run, a little improvement in hunger for the ball, a little bit of zest and passion. It wasn't enough to help record a win but it was the first sign that things are getting better. Behind that, there are injured players who have missed proceedings so far, on the comeback trail. Players with the ability of Colin Sylvia and Liam Jurrah would have been invaluable last week against the Bulldogs won't be playing against the Saints but they aren't far away. There are others whose return is imminent and will also help the cause by adding depth and skill to the mix. This is a young list which has recently been much maligned and superficially so by the pundits who have failed to adequately do their research. How many of Melbourne's early draft picks who are undergoing so much criticism have reached the desired figure of 40 to 50 games before they can pass on to the levels expected before they can rise and go forward in this industry? When these players reach that mark, things will get better. The style of play is still being drummed into the players. Disciplines are being instilled at levels that are meaningful. The young leadership is learning some tough lessons. It's a slow process and although we might not understand it and it doesn't appear to be working in terms of getting wins on the board, it's certainly not looking like a bruise-free style of game. If the pulse is getting stronger, then things will get better. THE GAME Melbourne v St. Kilda at MCG Sunday 28 April 2011 at the MCG at 7:40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 118 wins St. Kilda 83 wins 1 drawn MCG Melbourne 58 wins St. Kilda 31 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 9 wins St. Kilda 8 wins The Coaches Neeld 0 wins Watters 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel Live at 7:30pm RADIO 3AW Triple M THE BETTING Melbourne to win $6.50 St. Kilda to win $1.11 THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 16.10.106 defeated Melbourne 13.8.86 Round 9, 2011 at Etihad Stadium A Melbourne team, depleted by injuries and suspensions, had every chance to win this game but allowed Steven Milne too much latitude early and then spent much of the rest of the game catching up. It almost did so but some silly errors early in the final quarter allowed St. Kilda to surge ahead and win in unconvincing fashion. Michael Evans was excellent on debut. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Jared Rivers Clint Bartram Half backs Cale Morton Colin Garland Jack Grimes Centreline Jordie McKenzie Brent Moloney Tom McDonald Half forwards Nathan Jones James Sellar Jeremy Howe Forwards Colin Sylvia Lynden Dunn Aaron Davey Followers Mark Jamar James Magner Jack Trengove Interchange Rohan Bail Matthew Bate Joel Macdonald Jack Watts Emergencies Jack Fitzpatrick Ricky Petterd Luke Tapscott In Jack Grimes Colin Sylvia Out Mitchell Clark (concussion) Luke Tapscott ST. KILDA Backs Jason Blake Sam Gilbert Jarryn Geary Half backs Sean Dempster Sam Fisher Tom Simpkin Centreline Brendon Goddard Lenny Hayes Nick Dal Santo Half forwards Leigh Montagna Nick Riewoldt Jack Steven Forwards Terry Milera Rhys Stanley Stephen Milne Followers Ben McEvoy Dean Polo Clinton Jones Interchange David Armitage Jamie Cripps Jason Gram Jack Newnes Emergencies Tom Ledger Arryn Siposs Beau Wilkes In Jason Gram Out Justin Koschitzke (suspended) Umpires Pannell Mitchell Mollison Given that it's the Anzac Round I thought I would keep the Irish connection to the Melbourne Football Club going with a favourite Eric Bogle song performed by the Irish band The Fureys. This is for Jimmy and Sean and all of our great fallen - WHO ARE THEY KIDDING? As St. Kilda prepares to take on its opponent for this week I'm hearing noises coming from the camp about concerns on its behalf about the improving Demons. Apparently, Scott Watters is talking them up warning that "Melbourne is on the verge of its first win of the year" ahead of its clash with St. Kilda at the MCG. The team will have to be careful not to be the first to lose points this season to the Demons. Come now. It was only a fortnight ago that the Saints kept the Demons opponent from last week to two goals in the first three quarters. Last week, St. Kilda was a tad unlucky to lose to the Dockers so it's not as if they're down on form or that they have much to worry about. Further, the Saints have all of the star quality in this game. Who does Melbourne have to match against the likes of Goddard, Riewoldt, Hayes, dal Santo, Montagna and even Milne who always seems to get his goals in the early stages of games against Melbourne? No, there might be a faint pulse but I can't see Melbourne getting within 5 goals of the talented Saints even with the inclusion of Jack Grimes and Colin Sylvia. St. Kilda by 31 points.

This was another game that got away during the time the club was badly hit by injuries and suspension. ST. KILDA Backs Sam Gilbert Zac Dawson Farren Ray Half backs Sean Dempster Sam Fisher James Gwilt Centreline Brendon Goddard David Armitage Dean Polo Half forwards Brett Peake Nick Riewoldt Adam Schneider Forwards Stephen Milne Justin Koschitzke Arryn Siposs Followers Jason Blake Nick Dal Santo Leigh Montagna Interchange Jamie Cripps Clinton Jones Jack Steven Nicholas Winmar Emergencies Ryan Gamble Ben McEvoy Andrew McQualter In Jason Blake Leigh Montagna Brett Peake Nicholas Winmar Out Steven Baker (suspended) Jason Gram Ben McEvoy Andrew McQualter New Nicholas Winmar (Scarborough) MELBOURNE Backs Joel Macdonald Matthew Warnock Jared Rivers Half backs Nathan Jones James Frawley Jack Watts Centreline Addam Maric Aaron Davey Luke Tapscott Half forwards Jordan Gysberts Michael Newton Colin Sylvia Forwards Ricky Petterd Brad Green Liam Jurrah Followers Stefan Martin Brent Moloney Clint Bartram Interchange Matthew Bate Michael Evans Neville Jetta Jordie McKenzie Emergencies Jamie Bennell Max Gawn Jeremy Howe In Matthew Bate Michael Evans Joel Macdonald Jordie McKenzie Jared Rivers Out Rohan Bail (knee) Jamie Bennell Lynden Dunn (suspended) Colin Garland (ankle) Austin Wonaeamirri (knee)