Match

St Kilda vs Melbourne

Commentary / 25 Mar 2017

Pre Game

59:30
Welcome to Etihad Stadium for the St Kilda v Melbourne Round 1 clash.
59:40
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
00:00
Joel Smith and Mitch Hannan make their debuts for Melbourne today. Smith averaged 15 disposals and three tackles in 13 VFL games as a defender last year. Hannan kicked 20 goals in 14 games for Footscray in the VFL in 2016.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:21
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
01:03
The opening goal of the game to Jack Billings following a strong tackle from David Armitage forcing a turnover. Billings averaged 25 disposals in the JLT Community Series, which was more than any other St Kilda player.
03:07
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
04:40
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jeff Garlett)
04:59
A clever intercept from Christian Petracca sets the Demons up for their first goal of the game. Petracca had 23 score involvements and seven score assists in the JLT Community series (both ranked third in the AFL).
06:29
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
09:05
The Saints have won first possession at the first five stoppages of the game, and converted this into a 4-1 advantage in clearances.
09:07
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Dylan Roberton)
12:05
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Billy Stretch)
12:49
The Demons score their second goal, this time following good pressure in the forward 50 forcing a turnover. Melbourne was only able to score from 54 percent of the forward 50 intercepts it generated in 2016 (ranked last).
13:49
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nick Riewoldt)
16:13
Nick Riewoldt spending time forward opposed to Tom McDonald early. In 2016, McDonald was ranked second in the AFL for intercept marks, first for spoils, and lost only 15 of the 89 one-on-one contests he defended.
17:06
SCORE GOAL - Saints (David Armitage)
18:55
Demons Interchange - Joel Smith and is possibly out for the game.
19:28
A very physical start to the game with the Saints continuing their style from the pre-season where they won the contested possession count by 16 per game (ranked equal-first) and won the tackle count by 20 per game (ranked first).
21:19
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Steele)
21:58
St Kilda has generated the last six inside 50 entries and scored 3.1.(19) during this period of dominance.
24:39
No Sean Dempster today for the Saints. Since 2012 he has taken more intercept marks in Home and Away games than any AFL player (253). Dylan Roberton used as an intercept defender today, has three early intercepts with the last launching a goal.
25:07
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Tim Membrey)
28:22
Melbourne lead in hitouts to advantage 7-0, but the clearances are shared at ten each. The Demons averaged five more hitouts to advantage than their opposition in 2016 (ranked first), leading to a clearance advantage of 2.5 per game (ranked third).
28:59
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jade Gresham)
30:09
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
30:19
A very impressive first quarter from the Saints, with Nick Riewoldt leading the way. St Kilda has been better at the contest (leading contested possessions 49-40) and used the ball better (leading effective kicks 40-23).

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:37
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jack Watts)
01:55
A good start to the second quarter for Melbourne with its first seven kicks all being effective, leading to the Jack Watts goal. In the first quarter, the Demons had kicking efficiency of just 51 percent.
03:24
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Steven)
04:24
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nick Riewoldt)
04:45
Nick Riewoldt kicked nine goals in his final game of 2016, and has started his first game of 2017 in similar form with three early goals.
05:58
Demons Interchange - Max Gawn off due to an injury.
06:39
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Mitch Hannan)
09:52
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
10:30
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Sam Weideman)
12:17
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Maverick Weller)
13:00
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
13:38
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jeff Garlett)
14:24
Four of the five goals this quarter to the Demons who are making the most of limited entries into the forward 50.
15:03
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
17:07
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Neville Jetta)
17:20
Melbourne has taken the lead having scored 6.0.(36) this quarter from just the eight entries into the forward 50. The AFL average in 2016 was a goal from 20 percent of such entries.
20:41
Jordan Lewis in his first game as a Demon currently has game-highs for disposals (16) and inside 50s (four).
21:30
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (David Armitage)
26:38
A third contested mark for Jesse Hogan (and second goal) as the Saints continue to have problems against opposition marking forwards. St Kilda lost 34 percent of the one-on-one contests it defended in 2016 (ranked last).
28:14
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jade Gresham)
29:05
Jesse Hogan has taken three of the six forward 50 marks by the Demons. Hogan recorded 63 marks inside the forward 50 last season, which was 25 more than any other Melbourne player.
30:00
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jayden Hunt)
30:10
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
30:20
A stunning fight back by Melbourne who scored the last six goals of the game to now lead by eight points. The Demons were able to match St Kilda at the contest, but used the ball more effectively to make the most of their forward 50 entries.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:45
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jack Watts)
01:18
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Mitch Hannan)
01:34
A quick crumb and goal from Mitch Hannan who has showed good goal sense today, gives the Demons seven consecutive goals.
03:24
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
04:04
The Hannan goal was launched by a Tom McDonald intercept mark. McDonald had 157 intercept possessions last season (ranked first at Melbourne), with Neville Jetta the only other Demons to have more than 100 such possessions (110).
04:33
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bernie Vince)
06:39
The Demons have now had the last nine forward 50 entries, as the Saints struggle to stop the waves of attacks.
07:01
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jeff Garlett)
08:09
Melbourne averaged 49.6 points per game from turnovers in 2016. The Demons have already scored 10.3.(63) from this source today.
08:33
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Angus Brayshaw)
09:04
Melbourne has now scored 2.2.(14) from eight centre bounce clearances. Last season the Demons averaged 11 points per game from this source.
10:28
This quarter the Demons lead in effective kicks 21-3, as the Saints have not been able to get any control of the ball.
12:34
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Nick Riewoldt)
12:39
Saints Interchange - Nathan Wright off due to an injury.
12:54
The Nick Riewoldt goal ends a streak of ten consecutive goals to the Demons, and was the Saints first entry into their forward 50 for the quarter.
15:49
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
16:09
Another turnover by the Saints leads to the Demons 11th goal from this source. Melbourne has scored 3.0.(18) from six forward 50 intercepts, and St Kilda has scored 0.3.(3) from its three forward 50 intercepts.
19:08
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Sam Weideman)
19:18
Since quarter time, the Demons lead clearances (20-12) and inside 50s (29-13), and have had kicking efficiency of 76 percent compared to the Saints 58 percent.
19:48
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Lonie)
22:17
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Nathan Jones)
23:30
Clayton Oliver providing the goal assist to Nathan Jones, currently leads all players for contested possessions (11) and clearances (seven).
25:39
St Kilda has made 20 unforced turnovers today, compared Melbourne who has made nine.
26:12
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Tim Membrey)
29:51
Since quarter time the Demons have owned the ball, with the advantage in disposals 255-154.
29:57
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
30:07
Another strong quarter from the Demons. They won the clearances (13-4), contested possessions (36-26), but had massive advantages in effective kicks (73-23) and inside 50 entries (20-5).

Quarter 4

00:00
Melbourne has seven players with 19 or more disposals at three quarter time. The two leading players for disposals at the Saints have 18.
00:44
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
02:07
St Kilda has attempted 89 tackles, with only 54 percent of these effective. Melbourne has attempted 69 tackles, with 75 percent of these effective.
03:08
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jeff Garlett)
04:23
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
04:34
Melbourne lead in forward 50 marks 14-6, and Jesse Hogan has taken five of these marks, and won all four of the one-on-one contests he has been involved in.
07:31
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Luke Dunstan)
07:49
Melbourne lead in hitouts to advantage 22-5, and has now converted this into a 39-27 advantage in clearances. The most hitouts to advantage the Demons had in a game in 2016 was 26.
09:11
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
10:25
Clayton Oliver now has a career-high 34 disposals (30 effective), and has game-highs for tackles (eight), contested possessions (13) and clearances (nine).
10:54
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Maverick Weller)
13:18
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jade Gresham)
14:00
St Kilda has scored 4.5.(29) from set shots, compared to the more accurate Melbourne who has scored 8.4.(52).
14:49
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Lonie)
16:12
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
17:46
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
18:25
A long goal from Alex Neal-Bullen makes it 14 of the last 18 goals to the Demons.
20:45
A pause in the game as the St Kilda champ Nick Riewoldt waits to be stretchered from the ground following a knee injury. Riewoldt leads the Saints today for score involvements (8) and goals (4).
21:28
Saints Interchange - Nick Riewoldt and is possibly out for the game.
22:12
Christian Petracca has had another impressive performance, leading Melbourne for metres gained (438), and has an equal game-high score involvements (nine).
24:27
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jack Billings)
25:37
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jade Gresham)
28:23
The Demons have been far superior in ball movement, and have had more than double the number of effective short kicks (128-59).
29:03
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Billy Stretch)
30:21
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Josh Bruce)
31:17
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
31:27
After quarter time the Demons led effective kicks 163-70 and completely controlled the game. A streak of ten consecutive goals helping the Demons end a 14 game losing streak to the Saints.