MATT Burgan looks at the key stats, moments and stories to emerge from round 17

The dirty dozen

Melbourne’s 37-point loss to St Kilda at the MCG on Sunday means it has now lost 12 in a row against the Saints, stretching back to round one, 2007. That was back when Neale Daniher was in his final season as Melbourne coach and Ross Lyon coached his first AFL match. The red and blue’s most recent win over St Kilda was its second elimination final win in 2006.

Two from two

Melbourne’s consecutive losing streak against St Kilda means that it finished with a 0-2 win/loss record against the Saints this year. It was the first time Melbourne had played a side twice this season and on both occasions, the Demons produced some frustrating results. Remember it was only in round 11, when Melbourne lost to St Kilda by two points.

Saints win three quarters

Aside from Melbourne’s second term, when it won the quarter by 13 points, it was an otherwise disappointing display. St Kilda won the first term by 20 points, the third by 22 points and final quarter by eight points.

Tackle count frustrates Roos

Coach Paul Roos was particularly annoyed with his side’s tackle count. The Demons had 57 to 83, which he said was “probably the most disappointing thing” of the match. “At times it was a bit wet and slippery and for them to have 83-57, it’s really poor. What that means is when we get it, we have someone on us. When they get it, 20-odd times they don't. We need to continue making that a focus – make it a real habit.”

Jack high

Jack Viney’s form was one of the few major positives out of poor team performance. He had a career-best 31 disposals against St Kilda star Jack Steven, who had 16 touches. Although Viney missed six matches from rounds three to eight with a fractured fibula, his season has otherwise been most impressive. He has claimed some key scalps along the way and continued to claim some fine ball-winning numbers.

Gawn going well

Ruckman Max Gawn easily won the hit outs with 32 against Saint Billy Longer (17 hit outs) to continue his fine recent form. The giant Demon has played the past seven matches and continues to build his game. He again took some fine contested marks and will only get better as he builds his game. And he is looking forward to more challenges. “The ruckman keep coming so there a few more tests over the next few weeks so I’ve got to keep going,” he told Dee TV.

Consistent Cross

Daniel Cross has had an underrated season in many respects. He continues to give his absolute utmost and his form across half-back has been good in recent weeks, with his ability to intercept marks a feature of his play. He again won good numbers – 24 disposals, including 11 contested possessions, and laid a team-high six tackles.

Good to see Grimes up and going

It hasn’t been an easy season for the former co-captain, with form and a broken thumb interrupting his game. His past two matches have been against St Kilda and they’ve arguably been his best performances for the season. His 28-disposal effort on the weekend was his best for 2015 and it will no doubt give him the confidence to finish the seasons strongly. An in form and injury-free Jack Grimes is an important part of Melbourne’s make-up. And his coach Paul Roos was pleased with his return. “He started to get going, started to get hold of the ball and it was good,” he said.

No doubt about Nick

Nick Riewoldt entered the match under an injury cloud, yet again, due to a troubled calf, but he still managed to impact the game with three goals and a game-high 13 marks, including three contested. One was an absolute beauty and reinforced why he has been one of the greats of the modern era. He might be in the twilight of his career, but he remains integral for the Saints. Riewoldt had Col Garland as his starting opponent and Roos said it was because he wanted Tom McDonald, who has impressed in attack in recent weeks, to continue his development up forward. “In the future, if you can get a Tommy McDonald, who can play forward and back, and Col, who can hold down [a key defensive role], it just gives you something different – it gives you a chance. You talk about the best team in the comp in Hawthorn – they're really unpredictable with their players’ positioning. We were probably confident – Col has played on the bigs before and I think he's played on Nick before. We thought he did a good job. He was burned a couple of times when we slaughtered the footy, so that made it really hard for him.”

Six more opportunities …

Melbourne has six matches to go for the rest of the 2015 season, starting with Collingwood at the MCG next Saturday. North Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, Carlton, Fremantle and Greater Western Sydney then follow. It’s a mixture of being tested against the top, middle and bottom-tier teams. Opportunities will arise, but Melbourne must capitalise on them. The loss against the Saints was one that the Demons let slip – but they must bounce back strongly against the Pies next weekend.