The second of Saturday AFL Round 1 matches is between St Kilda Saints and Melbourne Demons. The game is set to commence at 7:40 PM with the game to be played at Etihad Stadium. Away team Melbourne Demons go into the match as the favourites in the market. View our preview and teams for the game between St Kilda Saints and Melbourne Demons.
Round: Round 1, Saturday 7:40 PM March 22, 2014
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Weather: 21° Partly cloudy.
Featured Bookmakers:
[iframe_loader width=”690″ height=”270″ src=”https://www.sportsnews.com.au/odds/afl/match.php?id=1008812″]
Odds Comparison:
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| St Kilda Saints | 2.45 | 2.40 | 2.40 | 2.40 | 2.45 | 2.40 |
| Melbourne Demons | 1.55 | 1.58 | 1.58 | 1.58 | 1.55 | 1.57 |
All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.
Tips: St Kilda to win.
Preview:
THE CLASH between two teams expected to figure in the lower half of the ladder grew more interesting last weekend when Gold Coast beat Richmond and Greater Western Sydney signalled it might not be the easy beat everyone thought. For St Kilda, the road back to the finals is mapped out in a long-range plan that sees a return to the top four by 2018 and a premiership before 2020. For Melbourne, it’s about making inroads after years of turmoil and ensuring supporters know this rebuild is on the right track. Both have new coaches but both have on-field issues already; the Saints will be missing key midfielders Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and Jack Steven, plus Sam Fisher, Sam Gilbert and Adam Schneider, while the Demons’ forward line is decimated with Chris Dawes, Mitch Clark and Jesse Hogan missing, while Colin Garland has an ankle injury and talls Mark Jamar and Max Gawn are also unavailable.
LAST FIVE TIMES
R13, 2013, St Kilda 16.8 (104) d Melbourne 10.9 (69) at the MCG
R20, 2012, St Kilda 16.11 (107) d Melbourne 12.10 (82) at the MCG
R5, 2012, St Kilda 12.12 (84) d Melbourne 10.6 (66) at the MCG
R9, 2011, St Kilda 16.10 (106) d Melbourne 13.8 (86) at Etihad Stadium
R14, 2010, St Kilda 15.10 (100) d Melbourne 9.11 (65) at Etihad Stadium
THE SIX POINTS
1. The last time Melbourne beat St Kilda was in the 2006 finals. The Saints have won the past nine contests, including last year’s round 13 clash by 35 points, with Montagna – who will miss this game with suspension – picking up 35 possessions.
2. While the Saints’ recent record at Etihad Stadium sees them losing eight of 11 games there last year, the Demons’ is worse. They have lost their last 16 home-and-away games at the Docklands venue.
3. St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt took 72 marks inside 50 in 2013. Only Collingwood spearhead Travis Cloke took more. The Demons didn’t have a single player in the top 20 of that category and will struggle again early on given their forward line injuries.
4. The Demons used the ball by foot less than any other club last season with an average of just 182 kicks per game, while the Saints averaged 205 and were ranked 10th.
5. The Saints loved to run in 2013. No other team had more running bounces than them, with a total of 398. The Demons were seventh with 277.
6. Jack Steven, who is out with a foot injury, is the highest-ranked player from either team in the AFL Official Player Ratings. Steven, the Saints’ reigning best and fairest winner, starts the season at 19th. The best-placed Demon is Nathan Jones at 87.
Teams:
St Kilda Saints:
Backs: Dempster Delaney Gwilt
Half-backs: Wright Roberton Webster
Centres: Newnes Dunstan Ray
Half-forwards: Jones Riewoldt Saunders
Forwards: Stanley Maister Templeton
Followers: Hickey Armitage
Rover: Savage
Interchange: Geary Billings Gilbert Curren
Emergencies: Ross Dennis-Lane Lee
New: Luke Delaney, 24, North Melbourne; Shane Savage, 23, Hawthorn; Luke Dunstan, 19, Woodville-West Torrens; Eli Templeton, 18, Burnie Dockers (Tas); Jack Billings, 18, Oakleigh U18
Melbourne Demons:
Backs: Terlich Frawley Grimes
Half-backs: Dunn McDonald Vince
Centres: Toumpas Watts Tyson
Half-forwards: Bail Fitzpatrick Cross
Forwards: Byrnes Pedersen Howe
Followers: Spencer N Jones
Rover: Trengove
Interchange: Michie M Jones Kennedy-Harris Georgiou
Emergencies: Nicholson Blease Evans
New: Daniel Cross, 30, Western Bulldogs; Viv Michie, 22, Fremantle; Dom Tyson, 20, GWS Giants; Bernie Vince, 28, Adelaide; Jay Kennedy-Harris, 18, Oakleigh U18; Alex Georgiou, 24, Norwood (SANFL)