1. A chance to compare list rebuilds
With five wins and 10 losses apiece in 2015, Sunday's game was as good a guide as any to compare how each team's list rebuild is shaping up. The Saints took the points on the day, thanks largely to the influence of their hard working captain Nick Riewoldt who slammed home three majors. But with Riewoldt set to retire in the coming years, and despite the lopsided result, both sides seem similarly placed leading into the future. They both have developing forwards – Jesse Hogan (Melbourne) and Patrick McCartin (St Kilda) and an emerging core group of midfielders. However the main difference on Sunday was St Kilda's ability to do the basics for longer. Despite the emerging talent on Melbourne's list, fundamentals remain a key, and frustrating, area to address. 

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2. Riewoldt fights through the pain like a true champion
Season 2015 has not been kind to St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt who has dealt with his fair share of injury troubles. First there was his 'cranky knee' (as Saints coach Alan Richardson termed it) or more specifically his degenerative knee which he has had to manage carefully for the past few seasons. Then his calf went on him in April and again he struggled to overcome a calf strain in the lead up to the tribute match to his late sister Madeleine. It is understood he also copped a corkie to the same calf in the match against the Tigers last weekend. Despite the pain, and another knock to his 'good' left calf, he inspired a gritty St Kilda win to boot three goals, to go along with 15 disposals and 13 marks, in a scrappy affair at the MCG. 

3. Grimes bides his time
Jack Grimes seemed to be trapped in the football wilderness earlier this season. Not able to crack into the Demons' senior team he was forced to ply his trade at the Casey Scorpions in the VFL. He found some form and eventually broke into Paul Roos' side in round five. Just as he was starting to play consistent football, he was forced onto the sidelines again after breaking his thumb in the round 11 clash against St Kilda. Upon his return against the Saints, Grimes was one of Melbourne's better players on the day. He was aggressive with his pressure and seemed to have regained the zip that served him well in his early years at the club. Grimes finished the game with a season-high 28 disposals to show that he still has a future at AFL level. 

4. The Premiership quarter breaks Demons again
Third quarters have often been a glaring weakness in Melbourne's games this season. Before Sunday's contest, the Demons had won just four third terms for the season and were ranked 17th in the competition for that stat. They had also been held goalless twice in third quarters. The trend continued against the Saints, with Melbourne conceding six goals and booting just one of its own in the third term. It was enough to bust the game open, as the Saints carried on their momentum to record a defiant 37-point victor.

5. Dees happy to handball, reluctant to tackle
Melbourne coach Paul Roos was most displeased with two key areas his side failed to deliver on. Roos said the Demons "slaughtered the footy" – based largely on the Saints' pressure. St Kilda laid 83 tackles to Melbourne's 57, which forced the Demons to dispose of the footy in a hurry. The Dees had 17 more handballs than kicks, which is not the ratio you want in soggy conditions. The Saints also forced 52 'midfield turnovers', which both Roos and St Kilda coach Alan Richardson made mention of in their post-game press conferences.