MELBOURNE’S best start since 2011, its highest score of the season and another 30-plus disposals performance from Nathan Jones were just some of the stats to emerge from Melbourne’s 17-point win over Richmond on Saturday afternoon in round nine’s ‘By the numbers’
- Melbourne ended a four-match losing streak against Richmond. The last time the Demons defeated the Tigers was round 14, 2011.
- The win also resulted in Melbourne’s best start to a season since 2011. In that year, the Demons won three matches in their opening nine matches, but it also drew one game. In 2010, the Demons won four of their first nine rounds. But it is Melbourne’s third best start in its past eight seasons.
- It was Melbourne’s first round nine win since it defeated Port Adelaide by one point in Darwin in 2010
- Melbourne kicked its highest score of the season: 14.7 (91)
- The Demons won three quarters against the Tigers, except the first term. Melbourne booted 5.1 in the third and final quarters – its equal second best terms for the season. It has now kicked 5.1 three times and 5.2 once in 2014 – its best quarter for the season – when it kicked it in the final quarter against the Gold Coast Suns in round five.
- The Demons had eight fewer scoring shots than the Tigers, yet won by 17 points. But Melbourne booted five more goals than Richmond. The scoreboard read: Melbourne 14.7 to Richmond 9.20.
- Nathan Jones notched up a game-high 33 disposals – it was the fifth time this season he’s had 30 touches or more in a match. He also had a game-best 17 contested possessions and nine clearances.
- Big men Chris Dawes and Cam Pedersen had eight tackles each – an equal game-high effort, along with Richmond’s Nathan Foley
- Jack Watts took 11 marks, including five leading marks – both game bests. He was also the only player to take double figure marks in the match. Watts also kicked a match-high three goals.
- The Demons played in front of a crowd of 56,960 – their biggest since round 12, 2012 against Collingwood on Queen’s Birthday (64,250)
