ANOTHER brave performance from Nick Riewoldt has led St Kilda to its sixth win for the season, with a 37-point victory over Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
The Saints beat the Demons for the second time in six weeks, 12.11 (83) to 6.10 (46), adding further proof to the theory they're inching ahead of Paul Roos' men in the rebuilding stakes.
Five talking points: Melbourne v St Kilda
However it was a game that showed both teams still have a long way to go, with an error-riddled and low-scoring encounter demanding someone stand up and make a difference.
In the end it was a battle-weary Riewoldt, with three goals and 13 marks, despite the skipper sustaining a corked calf in his 'good' left leg early in the game.
Full match coverage and stats
He also had to contend with the after-effects of the strain he suffered in his right calf two weeks ago, plus a nasty laceration to the muscle he picked up last week against Richmond.
While his movement was limited, Riewoldt powered through - along with Dylan Roberton, Sam Gilbert and Sean Dempster - to lift his team to its 12th in a row against the Demons.
"He's amazing, he's got a very strong mind, he's a very determined person," St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said after the match.
St Kilda exceeding Richardson's expectations
"He's had a long career where he's had to fight through some adversity with his body so he knows he can get through.
"He was very strong for us, he would have been one of our better players again even though he perhaps wasn't at 100 per cent."
It was also Paddy McCartin's most encouraging performance for the Saints, with the No.1 draft pick kicking one goal and taking nine marks.
When these teams last met just more than a month ago, Leigh Montagna had to burst through the forward 50 and kick a goal with 19 seconds left for the Saints to pinch a two-point win.
Dees short of Saints, says Roos
After the first quarter on Sunday, it seemed the return encounter was unlikely to produce a similar thrilling conclusion.
By half-time, while the Saints' 20-point quarter-time lead had been cut to seven and the contest returned, the standard of the game hadn't improved.
Courage! Webster gets crunched in this contest with Dawes #AFLDeesSaints http://t.co/2JP4Y2u6Wa
— AFL (@AFL) July 26, 2015
Demons coach Paul Roos was fuming at the first change after his players managed just five inside 50s to the Saints' 20.
Richardson would have been similarly furious after half-time as the Saints kicked just three behinds in the second quarter.
Put simply, it was an untidy half of football where turnovers were rife, goals hard to come by and kicking inside 50 woeful.
It didn't improve much after half-time, with five minutes of torrential rain opening the third quarter.
Despite Jack Steven's influence limited to 16 disposals by an excellent performance from Jack Viney (31 disposals), and consistent drive from half-back from Jack Grimes (28), the Demons struggled to get things going.
"We slaughtered the footy so it's very hard to score. We had 53 turnovers through the midfield," Roos said.
"To their credit, they were harder around the contest. They tackled better and won the contested footy.
"We just couldn't move the ball and even when we had free targets we seemed to miss them. [I’m not sure] whether that was a confidence thing.
"They're the challenges of the coaching group to work through those periods."
The Saints piled on six goals to two in the third after the rain cleared, and ended with two to one in a low-scoring finale to a scrappy July game.
Saints midfielder David Armitage was treated for a kick to the shin in the third quarter, while Jimmy Webster spent time on the bench after being crunched from behind by Chris Dawes, but both finished the game.
Saint Jack Sinclair tries to fire off a handpass on Sunday. Picture: AFL Media
MELBOURNE 1.2 3.6 5.9 6.10 (46)
ST KILDA 4.4 4.7 10.8 12.11 (83)
GOALS
Melbourne: N Jones, Dawes, Tyson, Hogan, Garlett, Gawn
St Kilda: Riewoldt 3, Dunstan 2, Savage, Sinclair, Lonie, McCartin, Newnes, Bruce, Weller
BEST
Melbourne: Viney, Grimes, Cross, Vince, Watts, Howe
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Roberton, Gilbert, Geary, Dempster, Fisher, Montagna
INJURIES
Melbourne: McDonald (left eye)
St Kilda: Armitage (shin), Webster (ribs), Riewoldt (corked calf)
SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Viv Michie replaced Aaron vandenBerg in the third quarter
St Kilda: Eli Templeton replaced Hugh Goddard at three-quarter time
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Rosebury, Mollison, Wallace
Official crowd: 22,945 at the MCG
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
Melbourne just could not get the score on the board today. They scored just three goals in each half, and the Saints ran away with it by kicking eight goals in the second half.
Melbourne probably overpossessed the ball in these wet and cold conditions. They had 75 more handballs than the Saints, but 44 fewer kicks.
GOALSaints (Maverick Weller)
BEHINDSaints (Rushed)
And Gawn kicks Melbourne's first goal for the quarter, and this won't be the third time this year that there has been just one goal scored by either team in a quarter.
GOALDemons (Max Gawn)
GOALSaints (Josh Bruce)
Bruce scores the first goal of the quarter, and all that work I just did looking up when the last goalless quarter was is out the window. 2012, for the record.
St Kilda InterchangeJimmy Webster replaces Sam Gilbert and is possibly out for the game.
We're 14 minutes into this quarter, and neither team has scored a goal yet. Melbourne have been making more of the play (seven more uncontested possessions, 13 more contested possessions, three more inside 50s), but have scored just one behind.
BEHINDDemons (Viv Michie)
BEHINDSaints (Maverick Weller)
It has turned into a bit of a scrap this quarter. Melbourne have had more of the ball, with twice as many disposals as St Kilda, but are yet to score. St Kilda have scored one behind.
BEHINDSaints (Jack Sinclair)
Q4 is now underway.
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
The Saints made the most of their opportunities that quarter kicking six goals to two to take a 29 point lead into 3QTR time. Melbourne may have a chance though: 12 of the 15 goals this game have been kicked to their end in the final quarter.
BEHINDDemons (Dom Tyson)
GOALSaints (Jack Newnes)
GOALDemons (Jeff Garlett)
Melbourne InterchangeViv Michie was substituted into the game for Aaron Vandenberg.
BEHINDDemons (Jeff Garlett)
GOALSaints (Luke Dunstan)
Snap (15-30m, Right Side)
The Demons have had their chances this quarter. They have had 10 inside 50s, but they have only had three kicks in their forward 50 and kicked 1.1 (7). St Kilda have had one less inside 50, but have had eight kicks and kicked 5.1 (31).
GOALSaints (Paddy McCartin)
GOALSaints (Nick Riewoldt)
Viney is on fire this quarter. He has picked up six contested possessions, had two clearances and 10 disposals.
GOALDemons (Jesse Hogan)
St Kilda InterchangeJimmy Webster off due to an injury.
BEHINDSaints (Maverick Weller)
Melbourne InterchangeTom McDonald off due to an injury.
The Demons are being a little undisciplined here. They have given away four free kicks this quarter (and received none), and given away 20 for the match (and received 11).
GOALSaints (Jack Lonie)
GOALSaints (Nick Riewoldt)
Three minutes in and the ball is yet to enter St Kilda's forward half. Melbourne have had three inside 50s, but have just 0.1 (1) to show for their early domination.
BEHINDDemons (Jack Viney)
St Kilda InterchangeDavid Armitage off due to an injury.
Q3 is now underway.
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
Melbourne will probably be happy with that quarter. They held the Saints goalless and kicked a couple themselves. A seven point margin is not too bad given they have had 16 less inside 50s than the Saints.
St Kilda might need to think about how they kick inside their forward 50. Melbourne have taken seven intercept marks in their defensive 50. St Kilda have taken one.
Well the Saints might regret wasting their dominance in the first quarter. The Demons have also been a little wasteful this quarter, kicking 2.4 (16), but they are right in this match despite having 16 less inside 50s than the Saints.
GOALDemons (Dom Tyson)
After seven behinds in this quarter, Melbourne finally break through for the first goal of the second term at the 17 minute mark.
GOALDemons (Chris Dawes)
Both team's kicking in their forward 50s has been disappointing. Melbourne are operating at 11 per cent efficiency. The Saints aren't doing much better, with 25 per cent.
BEHINDSaints (Nick Riewoldt)
BEHINDDemons (Jesse Hogan)
A little period of dominance here for Melbourne, but they are being wasteful. They have had the last five inside 50s, but have kicked 0.3 (3) from those entries.
BEHINDDemons (Jeremy Howe)
A couple of Demons players are yet to get their hands on the ball, at the halfway mark of the second quarter: Vandenberg and Garlett. Every Saints player has touched the footy.
BEHINDDemons (Dom Tyson)
BEHINDSaints (Luke Dunstan)
Melbourne have had more disposals than the Saints (133 to 130), but have had 24 fewer disposals in their forward half than the Saints have had in theirs, at a kicking efficiency 15 per cent lower than the Saints.
BEHINDDemons (Jack Grimes)
BEHINDSaints (Rushed)
Despite St Kilda being in possession for 51 per cent of this match, they have laid twice as many tackles (26 to 13).
Q2 is now underway.
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
St Kilda only had one more disposal than the Demons in that quarter, but they had 15 more inside 50s. St Kilda had the third most inside 50s in a first quarter of any club this season with 20, while Melbourne had the second fewest with five.
St Kilda InterchangeNick Riewoldt replaces Josh Bruce due to the blood rule.
GOALSaints (Jack Sinclair)
BEHINDSaints (Jack Lonie)
GOALSaints (Shane Savage)
The St Kilda radar has been reset and they're on a roll. Three goals straight from the last five inside 50s. The inside 50 count is now 18 to 4 in favour of the Saints.
GOALSaints (Nick Riewoldt)
Well it took 12 inside 50s, five shots at goal and 62 disposals, but the Saints have finally got their first goal.
GOALSaints (Luke Dunstan)
St Kilda look like they have forgotten where the goals are. They have had 11 inside 50s, and had the ball in their forward half for 63 per cent of the match, but scored just three behinds. McCartin just managed to miss everything from the goal square.
Nathan Jones breaks a run of five straight behinds from both teams to kick the first goal. Melbourne have now had more scoring shots (three) than they have had inside 50s (two).
GOALDemons (Nathan Jones)
BEHINDDemons (Chris Dawes)
St Kilda have had six clearances, while Melbourne are yet to get one. However, Melbourne are using the ball better by foot, kicking at 78 per cent efficiency, to St Kilda's 59 per cent.
BEHINDDemons (Jesse Hogan)
St Kilda had the first six inside 50s of the match, but were wasteful, kicking just 0.3 (3). Melbourne should have converted their first inside 50 into a goal, but Hogan misses an easy shot after taking a strong mark.
BEHINDSaints (Adam Schneider)
BEHINDSaints (Rushed)
Dom Tyson has been very busy already, he has already picked up four disposals in the opening three minutes of this game.
BEHINDSaints (David Armitage)
Melbourne InterchangeBernie Vince off due to an injury.
Q1 is now underway.
David Armitage is averaging 30 disposals per game so far this season, which is a career high average disposals and ranks him third in the league.
Last time the Demons played the Saints Nathan Jones had 32 disposals, seven marks, 12 inside 50, four score assists and six tackles.
St Kilda averages 13 marks inside 50s per game this season, the fourth most of any side in the competition.
The Demons have averaged 12 contested marks per game this season, the second most of any side.
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection. Tippers choice is currently Demons 43.5% and Saints 56.5%.
Changes for Saints Ins: A.Schneider Outs: F.Ray
Changes for Demons Ins: V.Michie, J.Grimes Outs: J.KennedyHarris, A.Neal-Bullen
Welcome to MCG for the Melbourne v St Kilda Round 17 clash.