Gawn test coming for Hickey

Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn has made an emphatic start to 2016, establishing himself in the upper echelon of big men in the AFL. He may not have dethroned reigning All Australian ruckman Todd Goldstein just yet, but he is coming. And in a hurry. On the back of last season and following a pre-season of intrigue, Gawn has taken his game to a whole new level thus far, particularly in the last three weeks. He collected 63 hitouts and 17 contested possessions against Goldstein in their gladiatorial battle in Tasmania, and dominated Ivan Maric last Sunday night, leading the Demons to victory with 47 hitouts and 18 touches. Tom Hickey is arguably the most improved player at the Saints, but he will have to raise the bar again on Saturday. His performance against Gawn in St Kilda’s final NAB Challenge game, his one and only encounter with Gawn, should provide him with confidence given he levelled the contest in a half of game time.

In-form Dees up against imposing record

After five rounds, the Demons are one of the competitions most intriguing sides, with Paul Roos’ side winning three of their first five, including the last two in succession – the first time they have done so since the middle of 2011. Although despite their strong start to 2016, St Kilda has been a bogey team for the Demons, with the Saints winning their last 12 encounters. Etihad Stadium has also been a hoodoo venue for Melbourne. Before the Dees defeated Greater Western Sydney at Docklands late last season, in their most recent appearance at the venue, they had lost their previous 22 games at Etihad Stadium. Hard to believe Saturday’s game is a home game for Melbourne given that record at the venue. The last time the two sides met at Etihad Stadium was in Round 11 last year, when the Saints won in a nail-biting affair by two-points.

Gresham, Membrey and Acres return to the fold

Alan Richardson made three changes at the selection table on Thursday night, with 2015 first-round draft pick Jade Gresham returning for his third appearance, Tim Membrey for his maiden game of 2016 and Blake Acres for another opportunity this year. Jack Lonie and Tom Lee were both omitted, whilst Paddy McCartin has been managed after playing the last month following an interrupted lead in. Explosive forward Membrey replaces McCartin inside 50, returning after a post-season shoulder reconstruction that curtailed his first season at Linen House Centre. The former Swan played 12 senior games last year as a mobile key in attack. Highly regarded midfielder Gresham is set for another chances at senior level after playing the opening two games of the season in Richardson’s setup. After collecting 32 touches and eight tackles for Sandringham last weekend, the Northern Knights product comes in to the senior team with some form.

After a long wait, here comes Melbourne's newest prize possession 

All eyes will be on Melbourne’s unveiling of Christian Petracca on Saturday afternoon, with the 2014 No. 2 pick making his long-awaited debut. The explosive midfielder had his entire debut season ruined by a knee reconstruction after he ruptured his ACL at the tail end of last pre-season. A minor setback over the summer put his comeback on the back burner, forcing him to sit out the NAB Challenge series, but after a month of eye-catching performances with Casey Scorpions in the VFL, Paul Roos’ finally handed the Eastern Ranges product his first opportunity this weekend. At 186cm and 95kg, Petracca’s explosive ability around the stoppages is a feature of his game, as is his ability to impact the scoreboard. Ironically, Petracca comes in for the man selected one pick after him, Angus Brayshaw, and in the same week the player picked before him, Paddy McCartin, misses. Many draft experts through a blanket over the trio, with daylight between them and the next group. Many will closely follow their careers to assess who made the best decision on draft night.

Stoppage focus for Saints engine room 

One area St Kilda will have focused on throughout the week is nullifying Melbourne’s dominance around the ball. On the back of Max Gawn’s potence in the ruck and Nathan Jones and Jack Viney’s damage at the stoppages, the Demons have emerged as one of the premier stoppages teams in the AFL. Courtesy of the vastly improved Gawn, the Demons are ranked second for hitouts differential (+12.0) and hitouts to advantage differential (+5.6). And along with the work of Jones, Viney and Dom Tyson at Gawn’s feet, Melbourne is ranked fourth for both clearances differential (+3.2) and scores from clearances differential (+11.0). Alan Richardson and the Saints midfield coach Adam Kingsley would have spent plenty of time plotting away of quelling the Demons influence in this area. It will undoubtedly be a big week for Hickey, David Armitage, Jack Steven and co.