However, it will be fondly remembered by St Kilda's Alan Richardson, who started his coaching career with a perfect record and an intriguing clash with Greater Western Sydney to come next week. 

Richardson said afterwards he enjoyed the song in the rooms and watching the joy on his players' faces but admitted his personal celebration would be low-key and likely involve watching the replay. 

The rookie senior coach said while he entered the match without an expectation on the result, he went away pleased that the four points came with the way his players executed the game plan. 

"Whilst today was much more about the way we played and have the guys embrace everything that we've asked of them through pre-season in terms of the way you train, the way you prepare and then the way we were going to play, for them to get the satisfaction of the win was just a great result," Richardson said. 

Riewoldt was enormous in the telling third term with nine possessions, two goals and three marks after his opponent Tom McDonald began to labour heavily with a corked thigh. 

Amid the gritty passages of play, there were some highlights. Saints draftee Luke Dunstan's seamless start to AFL football, and Bernie Vince and Dom Tyson's work in the middle were positive introductions for both teams. 

Dunstan was one of the Saints' best. The 19-year-old South Australian was starting in at the centre bounce within six minutes and won five clearances for the night. 

Clint Jones answered the call to stand up in a depleted Saints midfield with a game-high 39 possessions. 

Vince ended with 28 possessions and five inside 50s, topped off with a 60m goal in the fourth quarter. Nathan Jones contributed with 38 and a huge nine clearances, despite the frequent attention of Jarryn Geary. 

It was the second quarter where the high-possessing Demons wasted their opportunities after leading by 14 points in the first. 

They blew chances inside 50, with Saints backmen Sean Dempster, Jimmy Webster and James Gwilt making life hard, and watched four unanswered goals go through at the other end for a seven-point half time deficit. 

They were always going to be short in their key positions with Mark Jamar, Chris Dawes, Mitch Clark and Jesse Hogan unavailable, and their plight that was exacerbated when Jack Fitzpatrick was subbed out with concussion in the second quarter. 

Coach Paul Roos later acknowledged the challenge posed by the players' unavailability, despite periods where his team showed improvement. 

"You've got to teach them how to win and you could see there were times when we played some great footy tonight – we played really well and there were other times where you just drop off dramatically in a game," Roos said. 

"At times they wanted to go forward but there is just no one to kick it to so that makes it really difficult and then if you are having to go side-to-side ... you turn it over, which we did a couple of times... a lot of it was the fact there was just no one there." 

McDonald's corkie, which was treated in the first quarter, hampered him to the point where he could barely walk. 

Unfortunately for the Demons, this coincided with the game breaking open in the third quarter with the Saints' young midfield brigade climbing on top as the lead stretched to 26 points as Riewoldt took charge. 

Dom Tyson's early goal in the final term gave Melbourne some short-lived hope before James Gwilt's long bomb sent the Saints fans wild and effectively sealed the game. 

Webster was subbed off in the third quarter for Jack Billings after becoming sore in the groin. 

The Saints will get Leigh Montagna and Lenny Hayes back for next week's clash with the Giants but may have to wait on Sam Fisher to get some harder training under his belt before he plays.