Australian Football

Match Report

Melbourne’s most competitive effort of the season wasn’t quite enough to get over the line against St Kilda on a wet Saturday night at the MCG - but some encouraging signs were evident. It was close and tight all game, but the Saints did what they had to do to come away with a hard-fought 18-point win. Saints veteran Lenny Hayes wrapped up the victory after a brilliant finish on goal with only eight minutes remaining. The win took St Kilda's win-loss record to 3-2, while the struggling Demons were left stranded in 16th spot, only ahead of expansion teams Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney. Former Eagle Beau Wilkes was vital up forward for the Saints, kicking three goals in his first game for the club. But in a surprising move (which coach Scott Watters later admitted he got wrong), Wilkes was subbed off for Dean Polo in the third quarter. Saints veteran Stephen Milne became only the fifth small forward in the history of the game to kick 500 career goals after slotting two important majors. Melbourne tagger Jordie McKenzie did a brilliant shutdown job on Saints playmaker Brendon Goddard, restricting him to six possessions in the first half.

GOALS:

Melbourne: Jones 2, Bail 2, Moloney, Bate, Watts, Davey, Dunn, Bartram

St Kilda: Wilkes 3, Milne 2, Steven 2, Riewoldt 2, Stanley, Montagna, Hayes
 

BEST - AFL.COM.AU

Melbourne: Jamar, Jones, Rivers, McKenzie, McDonald, Grimes, Magner

St Kilda: Hayes, Fisher, Dal Santo, Milera, Wilkes, Armitage

BEST - THE AGE
Melbourne: Jones, Macdonald, McKenzie, Grimes, Moloney
St Kilda: Dal Santo, Hayes, Armitage, Steven, Fisher


COACHES COMMENTS
Mark Neeld (Melb): There were patches where the Saints, to their credit, were able to turn some of their possessions chains into quality inside 50s. The stats will indicate that we touched the ball enough in comparison to the Saints but we weren't turning those possession chains into quality inside 50s.

Scott Watters (StK): It probably really highlights to me again the importance of where the competition's at now, if you get behind in contested possession and you drop your guard two, three, four per cent, you're going to be punished. They threw down a real serious challenge to us as a group.

Umpires: Pannell, Mitchell, Mollison