TonyK
CibbuanoMatch preview: St Kilda v Melbourne
September 8th 2006 05:18
ST KILDA V MELBOURNE
WHERE & WHEN: MCG, Friday 8 September, 7:30pm
TV & RADIO: Channel 10 - Melbourne (7.30pm), Adelaide (6.30pm), Perth (7pm), Sydney (10.35pm), Brisbane (10.35pm), 3AW, Triple M, ABC Radio
HEAD TO HEAD: Played – 195, St Kilda – 77, Melbourne – 117, Drawn - 1
LAST TIME: Melbourne 15.13 (103) d St Kilda 13.12 (90), round 10, 2006, at the MCG. Demons skipper David Neitz kicked eight goals to lead the side to victory in his club record-breaking 273rd AFL match in the red and blue.
FINALS HEAD TO HEAD: Played – 2, St Kilda – 0, Melbourne - 2
LAST TIME IN A FINAL: Melbourne 15.17 (107) d St Kilda 7.14 (56), first semi-final, 1998, at the MCG
HEAD TO HEAD AT THIS VENUE: Played – 86, St Kilda – 29, Melbourne - 57
LAST TIME AT THIS VENUE: Melbourne 15.13 (103) d St Kilda 13.12 (90), round 10, 2006, at the MCG
TAB SPORTSBET: St Kilda: $1.60, Melbourne: $2.25
BETFAIR: St Kilda $1.70, Melbourne $2.36
Melbourne are going into tonight's clash against the Saints with two wins from their past seven starts, hardly the sort of form you want to be taking into week one of the finals.
The Demons were smashed to the tune of 58 points by the Crows last Saturday at AAMI Stadium with a top four berth on the line, and now face the prospect of being knocked out in the first week for the second year running.
While the Dees form of late has been less than impressive, they will be happy to be back at the MCG tonight; a venue where they have won 10 out of a possible 11 matches this season.
The last time these two sides met Melbourne got up by 13 points in round 10, with skipper David Neitz the chief destroyer with 8.
Melbourne have made three important inclusions with key defender Ben Holland to provide some stability down back, Matthew Whelan and noted big game player Byron Pickett to add some hardness around the packs.
The Demons look to have the edge in the ruck division with Jeff White and Mark Jamar working in tandem, especially with the Saints dropping Cain Ackland, Justin Blake and Barry Brooks.
Should Jamar and White give the Melbourne midfielders first use of the football and the likes of Aaron Davey and Russell Robertson fire, or at least provide adequate support for Neitz then the Dees are a chance.
The likes of Davey and Robertson are the keys for Melbourne.
Neitz has managed 17 goals in his past three matches, while Robertson and Davey have combined for a meagre 11 goals in the past month.
Put simply Melbourne has become too one-dimensional in recent weeks, expecting their captain to shoulder the workload and need the aforementioned players to lift their workrate if they are to beat the Saints.
While Melbourne's form has been patchy of late, the Saints will head into tonight's match with two consecutive wins to their name.
Admittedly they were against a depleted and inexperienced Brisbane Lions side and a Bulldogs team showing signs of tired legs, but winning form is good form.
The Saints will welcome back veterans Justin Peckett, Stephen Powell and defender Max Hudghton from an ankle injury.
Hudghton looks to be the likely match-up for Neitz and will be keen to atone for his performance when these two sides last met.
How the Neitz versus Hudghton match-up pans out will go a long way to determing the outcome.
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas has opted against going with a top heavy forward line, with rain forecast its a wise move.
Both sides possess potent forward lines and it will just be a matter of which team is capable of adapting to the conditions best and give their forwards the most opportunities.
Despite their recent poor run of form, Melbourne will relish returning home to the G, where they have won five out of their past six against the Saints and should Robertson and Davey fire you would expect the Dees to get over the line in a tight contest. Melbourne by 10 points.
ST KILDA
B: Voss, Hudghton, R.Clarke
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
C: X.Clarke, Ball, Montagna
HF: Goddard, Riewoldt, Hamill
F: Harvey, Gehrig, Koschitzke
FOLL: Rix, Dal Santo, Baker
I/C: Milne, Peckett, Powell, Thompson
EMG: Ackland, Blake, Fiora
IN: Hudghton, Peckett, Powell
OUT: Ackland, Blake, Brooks
MELBOURNE
B: Whelan, Carroll, Holland
HB: Bruce, Rivers, Ward
C: Green, McLean, Johnstone
HF: Yze, Miller, Bate
F: Robertson, Neitz, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, McDonald
I/C: Sylvia, Pickett, Jamar, Bell
EMG: Read, Brown, Dunn
IN: Whelan, Pickett, Holland
OUT: Bartram (torn ankle ligaments), Motlop, Godfrey
Field umpires: Rosebury, Schmitt, Goldspink
WHERE & WHEN: MCG, Friday 8 September, 7:30pm
TV & RADIO: Channel 10 - Melbourne (7.30pm), Adelaide (6.30pm), Perth (7pm), Sydney (10.35pm), Brisbane (10.35pm), 3AW, Triple M, ABC Radio
HEAD TO HEAD: Played – 195, St Kilda – 77, Melbourne – 117, Drawn - 1
LAST TIME: Melbourne 15.13 (103) d St Kilda 13.12 (90), round 10, 2006, at the MCG. Demons skipper David Neitz kicked eight goals to lead the side to victory in his club record-breaking 273rd AFL match in the red and blue.
FINALS HEAD TO HEAD: Played – 2, St Kilda – 0, Melbourne - 2
LAST TIME IN A FINAL: Melbourne 15.17 (107) d St Kilda 7.14 (56), first semi-final, 1998, at the MCG
HEAD TO HEAD AT THIS VENUE: Played – 86, St Kilda – 29, Melbourne - 57
LAST TIME AT THIS VENUE: Melbourne 15.13 (103) d St Kilda 13.12 (90), round 10, 2006, at the MCG
TAB SPORTSBET: St Kilda: $1.60, Melbourne: $2.25
BETFAIR: St Kilda $1.70, Melbourne $2.36
Melbourne are going into tonight's clash against the Saints with two wins from their past seven starts, hardly the sort of form you want to be taking into week one of the finals.
The Demons were smashed to the tune of 58 points by the Crows last Saturday at AAMI Stadium with a top four berth on the line, and now face the prospect of being knocked out in the first week for the second year running.
While the Dees form of late has been less than impressive, they will be happy to be back at the MCG tonight; a venue where they have won 10 out of a possible 11 matches this season.
The last time these two sides met Melbourne got up by 13 points in round 10, with skipper David Neitz the chief destroyer with 8.
Melbourne have made three important inclusions with key defender Ben Holland to provide some stability down back, Matthew Whelan and noted big game player Byron Pickett to add some hardness around the packs.
The Demons look to have the edge in the ruck division with Jeff White and Mark Jamar working in tandem, especially with the Saints dropping Cain Ackland, Justin Blake and Barry Brooks.
Should Jamar and White give the Melbourne midfielders first use of the football and the likes of Aaron Davey and Russell Robertson fire, or at least provide adequate support for Neitz then the Dees are a chance.
The likes of Davey and Robertson are the keys for Melbourne.
Neitz has managed 17 goals in his past three matches, while Robertson and Davey have combined for a meagre 11 goals in the past month.
Put simply Melbourne has become too one-dimensional in recent weeks, expecting their captain to shoulder the workload and need the aforementioned players to lift their workrate if they are to beat the Saints.
While Melbourne's form has been patchy of late, the Saints will head into tonight's match with two consecutive wins to their name.
Admittedly they were against a depleted and inexperienced Brisbane Lions side and a Bulldogs team showing signs of tired legs, but winning form is good form.
The Saints will welcome back veterans Justin Peckett, Stephen Powell and defender Max Hudghton from an ankle injury.
Hudghton looks to be the likely match-up for Neitz and will be keen to atone for his performance when these two sides last met.
How the Neitz versus Hudghton match-up pans out will go a long way to determing the outcome.
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas has opted against going with a top heavy forward line, with rain forecast its a wise move.
Both sides possess potent forward lines and it will just be a matter of which team is capable of adapting to the conditions best and give their forwards the most opportunities.
Despite their recent poor run of form, Melbourne will relish returning home to the G, where they have won five out of their past six against the Saints and should Robertson and Davey fire you would expect the Dees to get over the line in a tight contest. Melbourne by 10 points.
ST KILDA
B: Voss, Hudghton, R.Clarke
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
C: X.Clarke, Ball, Montagna
HF: Goddard, Riewoldt, Hamill
F: Harvey, Gehrig, Koschitzke
FOLL: Rix, Dal Santo, Baker
I/C: Milne, Peckett, Powell, Thompson
EMG: Ackland, Blake, Fiora
IN: Hudghton, Peckett, Powell
OUT: Ackland, Blake, Brooks
MELBOURNE
B: Whelan, Carroll, Holland
HB: Bruce, Rivers, Ward
C: Green, McLean, Johnstone
HF: Yze, Miller, Bate
F: Robertson, Neitz, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, McDonald
I/C: Sylvia, Pickett, Jamar, Bell
EMG: Read, Brown, Dunn
IN: Whelan, Pickett, Holland
OUT: Bartram (torn ankle ligaments), Motlop, Godfrey
Field umpires: Rosebury, Schmitt, Goldspink
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