A Savage centurion 

He may have arrived at Linen House Centre as a half-forward who could be utilised on a wing at times, but now, Shane Savage is an integral part of St Kilda’s defence. With his penetrating right-foot and capacity to hit kicks that others wouldn’t dare to attempt, the former Hawk is enjoying a career-best patch of form this season. At Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the 24-year-old defender will reach the century milestone. Working alongside Leigh Montagna across half-back, Savage has gone from strength to strength this season, getting his hands on the ball more than ever before to make a bigger impact than he ever has before. After nine rounds, the Dandenong Stingrays product is averaging 23.6 possessions, 3.6 rebound 50s and 451.9 metres gained per game.

Tall tripod set for undersized Dockers defence 

A week after exposing Essendon’s undersized defence, St Kilda’s budding key forwards will get another opportunity to stamp their authority on a game. Josh Bruce, Paddy McCartin and Tim Membrey were clinical last weekend, combining for 10.5 and 24 marks to put the Bombers to the sword, particularly in a third quarter burst that accounted for seven of their ten majors. To make the performance more impressive is the fact it was just their first appearance in the same side together. Ponder the possibilities greater exposure to each other’s games may bring. Fremantle’s injury troubles have been well documented this season. Whilst they haven’t reached Gold Coast’s  casualty levels, the Dockers are undermanned in defence, with emerging key defender Alex Pearce joining Michael Johnson (hamstring) and Alex Silvagni (calf) on the sidelines after he broke his leg in last weekend’s loss to Richmond. When you remember Luke McPharlin is no longer there, it’s a vastly different defensive structure to the last time the two sides met.

Can St Kilda go back-to-back for the first time in two years? 

St Kilda has the opportunity to win consecutive games for the first time since Round 2, 2014 against Fremantle on Saturday. Gallant performances against premiership contenders Hawthorn and North Melbourne are admirable; winning games they are expected to win is the next step in St Kilda’s rise back up the ladder under Alan Richardson. The Saints were able to do it last week against Essendon, but the challenge is to back that effort up again. Aside from last weekend, St Kilda hasn’t played another team that finished below them on the ladder last season. Although as Fremantle’s monumental shift attests to, things change and change quickly. The Saints have won eight of their ten appearances against Fremantle at Docklands, although Ross Lyon’s men got the better of the two sides last time they met at the venue in Round 19 last season.

Murdoch's banging on the door answered 

Brodie Murdoch will get an opportunity to reignite his career against the Dockers after Alan Richardson rewarded the rebounding defender for his strong start to the season at Sandringham. The South Australian hasn’t played at AFL level since the last round of last season and only managed three games in 2015 after playing nine in 2014 and eight in his debut season in 2013. With his pin-point left-foot and dash off half-back, Murdoch comes in for Jimmy Webster who will miss due to illness. The 22-year-old has been banging on the selection door for a number of weeks and has been an emergency across the last month, travelling across to Perth a fortnight ago as a carryover emergency. Paul Hudson has lauded Murdoch’s ball use across the opening part of the VFL season, and now he will get the chance to flaunt his penetrating foot at AFL level. Expect to see him slot in nicely around two quality users in Leigh Montagna and Shane Savage.

No Fyfe, no Sandilands hurt Fremantles clearance work

Without four-time All Australian ruckman Aaron Sandilands and reigning Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe in the Dockers centre square, Fremantle has drifted from the premier stoppage team to right down the back end of the field. With Sandilands dominating in the air and Fyfe weaving his magic on the ground, the West Australian’s were a formidable force in 2015. But the cruel twist of injury has impacted the Dockers this year. They have gone from being ranked No. 1 for contested possession differential to 13th, No. 1 for hitouts differential to 10th, No. 1 for hitouts to advantage differential and for clearances differential to 12th. They have also regressed from 3rd for scores from clearances to 14th and 4th for inside 50 differential to 14th. Those numbers aside, Ross Lyon welcomes back Stephen Hill, Michael Barlow and Matt de Boer to boost the engine room. And to put their quality into perspective, 14 of their 22 played in last year’s preliminary final. So there is still plenty of class in this line up.