Match details St Kilda v Melbourne, Sunday July 4, Etihad Stadium, 4.40pm (EST)
Teams
Melbourne
Round 14 team v St Kilda B: Clint Bartram, James Frawley, Kyle Cheney HB: Colin Garland, Jared Rivers, Jack Grimes C: Brad Green, Jack Trengove, Cameron Bruce HF: Jamie Bennell, Matthew Bate, Lynden Dunn F: Neville Jetta, Jack Watts, Aaron Davey FOLL: Mark Jamar, Brent Moloney, Nathan Jones I/C (from): Joel Macdonald, Tom Scully, Jordie McKenzie, Jake Spencer, Brad Miller, Matthew Warnock, Addam Maric In: Cheney, Bennell, Spencer, Maric Out: Morton
St Kilda
B: Brett Peake, Jason Blake, Sam Gilbert HB: Jarryn Geary, Sam Fisher, James Gwilt C: Brendon Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Farren Ray HF: Clinton Jones, Justin Koschitzke, Adam Schneider F: Andrew McQualter, Ben McEvoy, Stephen Milne FOLL: Michael Gardiner, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna I/C (from): Zac Dawson, Sean Dempster, Jason Gram, Nick Heyne, Adam Pattison, Rhys Stanley, Jack Steven
Media coverage Television: Foxtel (Melbourne, 4.30pm LIVE); Radio: ABC774, SEN, Triple M, 3AW
2010 form
Melbourne: LLWWWLLLWLLDL
St Kilda: WWWWLWLLWWWWW
Ladder position
St Kilda: 2nd, Melbourne: 13th
Head-to-head
Played: 200, Melbourne: 118, Draws: 1, St Kilda: 81
At this ground
Played: 5, Melbourne: 3, St Kilda: 2
Last time they met Round 22, 2009: St Kilda 17.12 (114) d Melbourne 10.7 (67), MCG
Coach v coach
Dean Bailey: 0 wins, 3 losses
Ross Lyon: 3 wins, 0 losses
Milestones Melbourne: 100 games - Jared Rivers
Injury list Melbourne:
Max Gawn (knee) - 1-2 weeks
Jordan Gysberts (back) - 2 weeks
Rhys Healey (hamstring) - 4-5 weeks
Daniel Hughes (ankle) - test
James McDonald (hamstring) - 1-2 weeks
John Meesen (ankle) - indefinite
Ricky Petterd (shoulder) - season
St Kilda:
David Armitage (knee) - test Steven Baker (suspension) - 9 weeks Raphael Clarke (hamstring) - test Robert Eddy (knee) - TBC Jason Gram (groin/hamstring) - test Nick Riewoldt (hamstring) - 1-3 weeks Jesse Smith (ankle) - season
Summary
Melbourne traveled to Adelaide last weekend with expectations of ending of a 13-match losing streak at AAMI Stadium, but instead produced a disappointing first half, which ultimately led to a 44-point loss. Although the Demons hit back with a strong third quarter - kicking 5.1 to 1.9 - the Crows went even harder in the final term, booting 6.2 to 3.1. It was a frustrating showing for Melbourne, considering it had drawn against premiership contender Collingwood on Queen’s Birthday. The Dees have won four matches this season - including three in a row from rounds three to five - but have not notched up a win since round nine against Port Adelaide in Darwin. Overcoming the second-placed St Kilda will be a massive challenge for the red and blue, even though the Saints will again be without skipper Nick Riewoldt (hamstring) and Steven Baker, who is set to miss the first week of his nine-match suspension. Still, it is a great opportunity for the Demons to gauge where they sit against one of the elite teams in the business.
Players to watch
Melbourne - Matthew Bate: The forward worked tirelessly and continually presented against the Crows at AAMI Stadium last Sunday. Bate kicked an equal career-best four goals (he also booted four against Sydney Swans, round 13, 2008 and against Western Bulldogs, round eight, 2009), had three scoring assists and took two leading marks. He also had 19 disposals.
St Kilda - Jack Steven: In just his fourth AFL match, Steven grabbed his opportunity with aplomb. He booted three goals and played a key role in helping St Kilda overcome the top of the table Geelong Cats. It was his third match for the season and his first since back-to-back appearances in rounds six and seven.
Leading disposal winners so far in 2010
Melbourne - Brent Moloney (332)
St Kilda - Leigh Montagna (374)
Leading goalkickers so far in 2010
Melbourne - Brad Green (29)
St Kilda - Stephen Milne (32)
How’s stat?
Melbourne has averaged just 54.33 points against St Kilda in its past three meetings since round eight, 2008.
Memorable match Round 19, 1947, Melbourne 27.9 (171) d St Kilda 10.18 (78), Junction Oval
One of its most memorable matches came at Junction Oval - at the time St Kilda’s home ground and until recently Melbourne’s football depertment base. It was 63 years ago when burly forward Fred Fanning kicked 18.1, which to this day, remains the most goals kicked in one VFL/AFL match. Fanning's effort also helped Melbourne to a 93-point win. He also kicked ten goals against the Saints earlier that year, when Melbourne won by 62 points.
Foot in both camps Jamie Shanahan, Luke Beveridge, Sean Charles, Alastair Clarkson, Peter Russo, Rod Keogh, Paul Callery, Derek Feldmann, Ivan Baumgartner, Alf Copsey, Beres Reilly, Don Hooper, Ron Wilson, Geoff McInnes, Eric Peck, Jack Lord, Harry Tampling, Jack Watt, Aubrey McKenzie, Steven Clark, Steve Turner, Glenn Boland, Mark Jackson, Carl Ditterich, Col Deane, Carlyle Jones, Hugh Dunbar, Percy Tulloh, George Haines, Clarrie Wyatt, Mick Anthony, Carl Kenley, Algy Millhouse, William Angwin, Bill Flintoff, George McCart, Herb Friend, Charles Suhr, Frank Brown, Tom Ryan, Stewart Geddes, Arthur Britt, Vic Cumberland, Dick Robertson, Stephen Powell, David Grant, Greg Hutchison
What Dean says … “The great challenge is for the guys who were poor [against Adelaide] to actually show something this week as well.”
Key Melbourne question
How will the Demons bounce back from one of their most disappointing performances of 2010, considering they are up against a genuine flag contender and one of the most in-form teams in the competition?