St Kilda were the better team throughout the day. Photo: Getty Images
ST KILDA 4.4 4.7 10.8 12.11 (83)
MELBOURNE 1.2 3.6 5.9 6.10 (46)
Goals: St Kilda: N Riewoldt 3 L Dunstan 2 J Bruce J Lonie J Newnes J Sinclair M Weller P McCartin S Savage. Melbourne: C Dawes D Tyson J Garlett J Hogan M Gawn N Jones.
Best: St Kilda: Riewoldt, Dempster, Gilbert, Dunstan, Steven, Schneider, Roberton, Webster. Melbourne: Viney, Grimes, Jones, Gawn, Savage
Umpires: Justin Schmitt, Jacob Mollison, Brent Wallace.
Official Crowd: 22,945 at MCG.
Jack Watts had to slow to a stop to accept the pass but still, as he ran through the middle with free players ahead, Melbourne should have threatened the goal. They didn't. The ball was turned over, again, only to go sharply forward and be floated up for Josh Bruce to mark and goal.
It spoke to Melbourne's sloppiness and how St Kilda throughout found ways to hurt them for it and to find the avenue to goal not only easier but more direct.
The Saints sing the song. Photo: Getty Images
These are the games between the lowly and the young that do not scale heights. But you know that before you decide to don the beanie in single-digit temperatures with rain and the wind bringing messages of winter from Tassie. Even accounting for that it was a bit of a mess of a game, well for Melbourne anyway.
St Kilda was throughout the better team. They had more seasoned bodies: Nick Riewoldt booted three goals, set up the first of the day with a tap-on, took 13 marks in the wet and was the dominant forward; Jack Steven was beaten by Jack Viney early but found a way into the game; Gilbert was good playing through a wing; Sean Dempster consistently good; Armitage faded but was bullocking and Adam Schneider had a hand in several goals.
They also had good young bodies - Luke Dunstan proved himself clever and composed. Paddy McCartin grew in his time on the ground, Mav Weller backed up recent good games and Hugh Goddard took a mark on the wing that made you reckon he has something for the long term.
It was a game Melbourne never looked completely out of but also never completely in. St Kilda always seemed to have them at arm's length, in part because Melbourne never adapted to the weather and over-used handball.
In part they did that because of St Kilda's tackling pressure – 83 tackles to 57 on a slippery day was a significant factor in the game as was the fact Melbourne had 244 uncontested possessions. Melbourne was panicking into handballs to pass on the problem to someone else. St Kilda just kept driving ahead and forcing the ball forward. When they did they had forwards able to mark and goal.
Strangely enough Melbourne could have been in front at half-time. In the first term Chris Dawes and Dom Tyson both squirted kicks under no pressure to vacant grass when they were trying to find teammates in space. Certain goals became certain turnovers.
Both players then kicked Melbourne's only two goals of the second term, running inside 50 and from range drilling clean shots. Go figure.
Nathan Jones had kicked Melbourne's only goal of the first quarter with an inventive clever check-side kick on the run from the pocket that only made the idea of misses and posts hit look all the more ridiculous.
St Kilda took time to get moving but then opened Melbourne up through the middle of the ground.
The Saints stretched Melbourne's defence with Josh Bruce, Riewoldt and Paddy McCartin yet the Demons still chose to begin with Tom McDonald forward and Jeremy Howe behind the ball.
Neither Aaron Vandenberg and Jeff Garlett – both good players for the Demons this year – got a touch in the first term. Jimmy Webster beat Garlett all day and Vandenberg ended up subbed out.
Dunstan booted the Saints' first goal halfway through the first term, paving the way for the Saints to rapidly pile on four goals in nine minutes.
From that position of pressure at the first break Melbourne began to win both the loose ball and the one in the pack. Jack Watts had a dozen touches for the quarter, Jack Viney had 11 as the tough onballer was tracked by Jack Steven and Melbourne got on top.
When the game needed to be won St Kilda accelerated. They booted six goals to two in the third term and that was the contest in short; Melbourne could never bridge that gap again.
Riewoldt goaled first in that term from a set shot, then Jack Lonie did the same before Riewoldt managed to shrug his body in a pack to allow the ball to drop on to his chest in the wet. He booted the goal.
The gap between these rebuilding sides may not be great, but on a wet Sunday 37 points was an accurate margin.
