It’s another significant clash for Brett Ratten’s men, both in terms of the occasion and the impact it will have on the red, white and black’s season.
St Kilda will play for Premiership points in the Northern Territory for the first time in its 147-year history, in what is shaping as a must-win match for the Saints’ and Demons’ finals hopes.
With TIO Traeger Park a well-travelled venue for Simon Goodwin’s men (six games) and also in the hunt for a top-eight spot come October, the visitors simply can’t leave anything in the tank in order to keep their season on track.
Round 14
Melbourne v St Kilda
Saturday 29 August
TIO Traeger Park, 7:40pm AEST
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Last time we met…
Round 19, 2019
Saturday 27 July
Marvel Stadium
St Kilda 15.14 (104) def. Melbourne 13.7 (85)
Brett Ratten’s second outing as caretaker coach was just as successful as his first, with St Kilda powering away to a 19-point win after Melbourne held a slender lead at half-time.
The Saturday night affair also marked the second consecutive week the Saints had kicked over 100 points, and the first lot of back-to-back victories since the start of the year.
The standouts...
Stand-in skipper Seb Ross had the Sherrin on a string as he continued his charge towards a second Trevor Barker Award.
The No. 6 collected 31 disposals, nine tackles, six clearances and two goals to receive a perfect 10 Coaches’ Association votes, plus a maximum return on Brownlow night.
Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey combined for seven goals apiece, with Skunk booting all three of his majors – two of which were out the back – in the third term.
Callum Wilkie was strong down back with 15 touches a shade under 90 per cent efficiency, Hunter Clark was elite with 23 disposals and a brilliant burst through the middle with the game in the balance, while Jade Gresham and Jack Sinclair provided speed and flair on-ball.
It comes as no surprise that Max Gawn was one of the Demons’ most influential players.
The triple All Australian finished his evening with 40 hit-outs, 18 disposals and six clearances, to provide midfielders James Harmes (21 disposals), Clayton Oliver (26) and Christan Petracca (20) excellent service.
The on-ball trio made sure to cash in on the scoreboard, slotting six goals between them.
Moment of the match…
After an initial fumble while bravely running back with the flight, Nicholas Hind made hasty amends to give the Saints a handy final-quarter buffer and the faithful a memorable celebration to boot.
From the archives...
A high-octane thriller in 2015 looked as if the Demons would finally snap their 10-game losing streak to the red, white and black after Jeremy Howe put his side in front with under a minute on the clock.
Enter Leigh Montagna.
Round 13 recap…
An inaccurate Brisbane kept the door ajar for St Kilda last Sunday at the Gabba, but a Jack Billings and Jack Sinclair-inspired desperate final charge fell agonisingly short as the Lions escaped with a two-point win.
Jack Steele was massive through the midfield with 25 disposals (18 contested) and a critical goal, which even saw Brownlow favourite Lachie Neale spend time on the white-hot Saint after half-time.
Seb Ross was also superb in quelling Neale and forcing the star Lion to register his lowest disposal and clearances tally for the year, while Zak Jones, Nick Coffield and Rowan Marshall all played pivotal roles in their respective domains.
After three impressive victories in excess of 50 points against Adelaide, North Melbourne and Collingwood, complete with destructive final quarters, the Dees slipped against the slick Bulldogs at Metricon Stadium.
Melbourne only kicked two goals after half-time to the Bulldogs’ eight, with Luke Beveridge’s men outrunning and outplaying their opposition to readily score from the back half.
Steven May was an unquestionable best-on-ground for the Dees, who held key forward Aaron Naughton goalless for the entire afternoon.
The ins and outs...
Brett Ratten has called for a fresh set of legs and extra running support, with Hunter Clark and Ed Phillips recalled for Round 14.
Jack Bytel and Jake Carlisle make way for the returning duo.
Melbourne is also set for a boost, with star Demons Max Gawn headlining a massive six changes.
Nathan Jones, Mitch Brown, Trent Rivers, Josh Wagner and Oscar McDonald join the skipper for the NT expedition, with omitted quintet Bayley Fritsch, James Harmes, Jay Lockhart, Tom McDonald, Braydon Preuss joining Tom Sparrow (collarbone) on the sidelines.
The Dees’ dangermen…
Melbourne colossus Max Gawn looms – not just from a physical perspective – as his side’s most vital asset in its charge towards finals.
The skipper has missed the past three matches with a shoulder tear and a PCL niggle, but is a confirmed starter for the Heart of the Nation clash.
Melbourne’s strength lies in having first access to the Sherrin through Gawn’s – and in his absence, Braydon Preuss’ – tapwork, with the Demons averaging +10 hit-outs per game against their opposition this year.
St Kilda is set to deploy ruck duo Paddy Ryder and Rowan Marshall to combat the underdone triple All Australian and his influence, but will be facing a battle of their own in the unfamiliar conditions.
Explosive midfielder Christian Petracca has also drawn plenty of eyes in what has been his most impressive season to date.
The big-bodied Demon has all the attributes to win the game off his own boot, which could see Seb Ross play a similar role to last week’s performance on Lachie Neale.
Clayton Oliver continues to lead the Dees in all categories through his inside grunt work, and has been accompanied inside by vice-captain Jack Viney and Angus Brayshaw and former Docker Ed Langdon on the outside.
With leading goalkicker Bayley Fritsch (17) omitted for disciplinary reasons, the responsibility falls to the tall options Sam Weideman (16) and Jake Melksham (15), while down back, Steven May has battled hard as the club’s defensive lynchpin.
St Kilda will also come up against former coach Alan Richardson for the first time.
The stat…
Zak Jones has a chance to take a 2-1 lead in the Jones sibling rivalry on Saturday night.
In his seven-year career, the new Saint has only played against his older brother, Nathan Jones, twice at AFL level (2016, 2019).
On the injury front…
St Kilda came out of Sir Doug Nicholls Round injury-free, while young Demon Tom Sparrow will miss up to four weeks after breaking his collarbone in a collision with Marcus Bontempelli.
James Jordon will also miss the next month with a finger injury sustained in a gym accident.
Veteran Nathan Jones was a late withdrawal from last week’s clash with quad tightness, but has been named for tomorrow night’s line-up.
