MELBOURNE
2.3 9.4 15.7 18.12 (120)
ST KILDA
6.2 7.8 9.9 13.12 (90)
GOALS - Melbourne: Garlett 3, Hogan 3, Petracca 2, Hannan 2, Brayshaw, Neal-Bullen, Stretch, Vince, Watts, Jetta, Jones, Weideman.
St Kilda: Riewoldt 4, Gresham 3, Armitage, Billings, Bruce, Lonie, Dunstan, Membrey.
BEST - Melbourne: Lewis, Oliver, Gawn, Hogan, Jones, T McDonald, Petracca.
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Gresham, Geary.
INJURIES - Melbourne: Smith (shoulder)
St Kilda: Riewoldt (knee)
UMPIRES Ryan, Chamberlain, Fleer.
CROWD 36,249 at Etihad Stadium.
The unique charm of the AFL's opening round is that the supporters of all 18 AFL clubs arrive at its threshold flush with ardent hope and expectation.
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Riewoldt injured as St Kilda succumb to Melbourne
Nick Riewoldt was stretchered off late in the game, as the Demons were too strong for St Kilda.
And coming into 2017, St Kilda and Melbourne – now the two teams experiencing the longest AFL premiership droughts – saddled up their chargers with more buoyant, fresh hope than most.
For Melbourne, that hope seems well placed after the Demons ended a 14-loss streak against St Kilda, and recorded only their second win at Etihad Stadium from the past 26 attempts.
Excitingly for Demons fans, the triumph was driven in equal parts by their proven stars and several new faces.
Three-time Hawthorn premiership player Jordan Lewis provided class, composure and sound decision making, usually distributing the ball from the back half to set up scoring opportunities.
Teenager Clayton Oliver continued his emergence as a quality inside midfielder, racking up a career-best 35 disposals and impressing with ability to create openings from congestion.
The usual suspects played their role, too. All Australian ruckman Max Gawn began slowly and battled back spasms, but became more dominant as the game wore on. Jesse Hogan was a target and a presence throughout, and even had influence when the Demons were struggling early, shifting up the field to get involved in play.
Nathan Jones, Jack Viney and Angus Brayshaw were their usual hard-nosed selves, while Christian Petracca added dashes of pure class. Perhaps most encouragingly for Melbourne supporters, their team responded when after being challenged early, and seemed to find a way to turn things around with some structural changes orchestrated by their new coach, Simon Goodwin. The Saints had raised their own supporters' hopes with a superb opening term of attacking football.
Nick Riewoldt started on a wing and pushed forward, where helooked a constant threat, and kicked two goals from contested marks, before adding more woe for Saints fans when he was stretchered off with a knee injury.
The forward pressure and tackling from the Saints' small forwards was telling, and kept the ball in St Kilda's attacking half, helping them pile on six goals to two to lead by 23 points at quarter time.
Melbourne needed to respond and did, with a seven-goal-to-one second quarter. The Demons began moving the ball more quickly and time and again caught out the St Kilda backline.
The Saints defenders zoned off their opponents, but looked vulnerable whenever there was a turnover up field or a fast break. Countless times Melbourne managed to kick the ball into space in its forward line, often with a player free and running into an open goal, and this method set up many of the 10 unanswered goals in the second and third quarters.
There were encouraging signs for the Saints, with key defender Jake Carlisle making a decent fist of his first AFL game since the end of 2015, and Jade Gresham continuing to show he has the skill and class to be an X-factor, whether up forward or moving through the midfield. Former Giant Jack Steele won alot of the ball, often in admirablytough circumstances, although his disposal let him down at times.
The Saints were well beaten, but one loss shouldn't be enough to dash their hopes this season.
But for Melbourne, such an impressive win might just be enough to transform hope to confidence and the conviction needed to be a finals contender.