MELBOURNE will be out to start its new era under Steven King with a first-up win when it hosts St Kilda at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.

But it won't be easy, with the Saints out to avenge their Opening Round loss to Collingwood.

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Melbourne has embraced a summer of change with several stars from its 2021 premiership side moving on and King taking the reins as coach.

While the clearout puts the Demons in a strong position to accelerate the regeneration of their playing list, those that remain from last season will be out to banish the ghosts of last year's humiliating capitulation to the Saints. 

St Kilda could not quite live up to the hype after a busy off-season that netted it a handful of high-profile recruits as it fell narrowly short in a tense contest against Collingwood to close Opening Round.

The Saints' contentious recruitment drive has given them high hopes of breaking into finals this season, but they still have much to prove against the likes of the revitalised Demons. 

Rowan Marshall goes out of the Saints' team due to concussion, replaced by Isaac Keeler, while for the Dees, recruits Brody Mihocek and Changkuoth Jiath will make their club debuts.

Melbourne v St Kilda at the MCG, 3.15pm AEDT
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Gold Coast and West Coast close out a huge round one when they meet at People First Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Suns made a serious statement when they blew away Geelong last week, leading last year's runners-up by as much as 85 points before taking their foot off the pedal late in the game.

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They sliced open the Cats with blistering ball movement but will hope to have learned their lessons from last year when coming up against lesser lights like the rebuilding Eagles. 

Gold Coast v West Coast at People First Stadium, 5.10pm AEST
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West Coast knows that the only way is up after a historically poor campaign that only included one win, but that was followed by the addition of a crop of the most talented youngsters in the land.

The most recent draftees will take time to flourish but there are positive signs that the Eagles are now heading in the right direction, even as they begin their season with a clash against the red-hot Suns, who go into the clash unchanged.  

Tim Kelly has been left out of the Eagles' line-up, which includes four first-gamers - Willem Duursma, Cooper Duff-Tytler, Josh Lindsay and Milan Murdock.

North Melbourne v Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, 1.10pm AEDT
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